Even though Cain himself does not appear again in God’s Word, his name does. This devotional reading looks at Cain’s descendants, especially Lamech, who compares himself to Cain.
Nuggets
- Even though Lamech was prosperous, he didn’t have everything he needed — he didn’t have God.
- The first son, Jabal, herded livestock as he lived in tents.
- The second son, Jubal, became a musician.
- The third, Tubal-Cain, not only became an inventor of metal tools, but he also taught the craft.
- After Lamech killed a man, he compared his situation with that of Cain’s.
In the last devotion, we started looking at the descendants of Cain. We talked about son Enoch, grandson Irad, great-grandson Mehujael, great-great grandson Methushael, and great-great-great grandson Lamech.
In this devotion, let’s look at Lamech and his children
Let's Put It into Context
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Devotions in the The Influence of Sin series
Lamech the Family Man
“Lamech married two women. The first was named Adah, and the second was Zillah. Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents. His brother’s name was Jubal, the first of all who play the harp and flute. Lamech’s other wife, Zillah, gave birth to a son named Tubal-cain. He became an expert in forging tools of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah” (Gen. 4: 19-22 NLT)
Lamech
Even though Lamech was prosperous, he didn’t have everything he needed — he didn’t have God.
Lamech seems to have prospered. He had a couple of wives and some sons. Each of the three sons had a unique talent.
But Lamech was a chip off the old block. Where Cain had killed his brother, Lamech killed someone else.
Talk about the selfish and the hateful. But we’ll get to that in a little bit.
Watkinson blamed part of Lamech’s sinfulness on the society of cities. The argument was that the cities were not only stained by selfishness but also extortion.
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We know some cities — if only sections — can be breeding grounds for unrighteousness. That was the spirit of Cain, the first founder of a city — which we talked about in the last devotion.
So, how did all of this play out in Lamech? First, he ignored God’s design of marriage. “This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one” (Gen. 2: 24 NLT).
Wife singular, not plural.
This wasn’t talking about Abraham having two wives. “Abraham married another wife, whose name was Ketura” (Gen. 25: 1 NLT). He married Ketura after Sarah died (Gen. 23: 1-2).
This is talking about Lamech having two wives at the same time. Lamech was a polygamist — and Cox thought that was worse than being a murderer!
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Why was that important? Bonar was spot on when he answered that question. He wrote, “It was the foundation of family peace, of true religion, of social order, of right government in the state. Take away this foundation, or place two instead of one, and the whole fabric shakes, the nation crumbles to pieces.”
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The family was to be the nucleus of society. I see this as including mom, dad, kids, and extended family. Families were to take care of widowed family members.
Jabal
The first son, Jabal, herded livestock as he lived in tents.
Lamech had three sons that were talented. The first son, Jabal, followed his ancestors into animal husbandry. (To me, that isn’t city living.)
Dods agreed. He highlighted the nomadic nature because Jabal didn’t have a fixed dwelling place.
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Was Jabal trying to go back to Abel’s occupation but not his lifestyle? Unfortunately, even if he was, it doesn’t say anything about him turning back to Abel’s God.
Wait! Wasn’t Abel named the first shepherd? “… When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground” (Gen. 4: 2 NLT).
So, what is this? “Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the first of those who raise livestock and live in tents” (Gen. 4: 20 NLT).
Oh, okay. Jabal raised livestock. Livestock did not limit the animals to sheep, but also included cattle, goats, and donkeys. The animal population was diversified.
Kalisch brought up a good point. Even though Abel may not have had children when he was murdered, his occupation did not end when his life ended. He felt this was a way that Cain’s family could atone for the sin. “… I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected — even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me” (Ex. 20: 5 NLT).
In my way of counting, great-great grandson Methushael would be the fourth generation. That would make Lamech the fifth generation and Jabal the sixth.
Dods commented about shepherd being outside of civilization. We know that, after the Hebrews’ relocation to Egypt, shepherds were disrespected. In fact, they were not even allowed in synagogue.
Jubal
The second son, Jubal, became a musician.
It depends on what version we read as to what the instruments are called: stringed instruments, pipes, harp, flute, lyre, pipe, and organ. It probably doesn’t matter.
Case in point, the harp. Instruments today may not be as they were in Bible times.
Don’t get me wrong. Music itself is not sinful. We know there will be singing in Heaven!
Instead, Kalisch stressed that the instruments personifies the human family in music. Jubal may have invented some instruments so that Jabal could sing to the herd.
Tubal-Cain
The third, Tubal-Cain, not only became an inventor of metal tools, but he also taught the craft.
Inventing new things in whatever medium is not itself sinful. Tools are important in everyday life.
Kilisch thought these implements made by Tubal-Cain were used in agriculture. That would allow Cain’s occupation to continue and flourish.
If music and inventions aren’t sinful, what is? The motivation is what needs to be evaluated.
- Are we singing to worship God?
- Is the purpose of our inventions to replace God in our lives?
- Is our focus a worldly focus or a heavenly focus?
Gilfillian seemed to think it was understandable why sinful motivation happened — not right but understandable. He wrote, “Feeling themselves estranged from God, they are stung to derive whatever solace they can from natural research, artistic skill, and poetic illusion.”
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It is interesting to note that a daughter was named here. Naamah is Tubal-Cain’s sister. Women generally aren’t not listed in genealogy lists unless it says they are the wife of someone.
No more information is given about her. Dods thought Naamah may have been involved in the creation of the arts.
Lamech the Murderer
“One day Lamech said to his wives, ‘Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; listen to me, you wives of Lamech. I have killed a man who attacked me, a young man who wounded me. If someone who kills Cain is punished seven times, then the one who kills me will be punished seventy-seven times!’” (Gen. 4: 23-24 NLT)
After Lamech killed a man, he compared his situation with that of Cain’s.
These two verses have always been a bit of a head-scratcher for me. Let’s see if we can figure it out.
Lamech was the first poet. Life was hard! They needed something for their souls and minds to help them get through.
Cox reminded us that this is the only pre-flood poem to have survived. In it, Lamech informed his wives that he killed a man.
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We aren’t given any information about the murder. Did Tubal-Cain invent and make a sword that was used?
What provoked the attack? Did Lamech start it or the other man?
Lamech was comparing himself to Cain. Both had killed another man. Both allowed one sin to lead to another.
Some tend to think that Lamech was remorseful, but I don’t agree. Cain sure wasn’t — and the man he killed was his biological brother!
To me, that is where the similarities end.
Cain tried to cover up the murder of Abel. Lamech didn’t.
What I notice in Lamech’s poem is the arrogance. “He who kills me should get a far worse punishment than he who killed Cain.” Lamech may have said this tongue-in-cheek, but it comes off as him feeling a superiority over Cain. He was also boasting.
- “For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred” (II Tim. 3: 2 NLT).
- “Look what happens to mighty warriors who do not trust in God. They trust their wealth instead and grow more and more bold in their wickedness” (Ps. 52: 7 NLT).
- “For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the LORD” (Ps. 10: 3 NLT).
Cox called that an immunity from vengeance. What he was doing, in Cox’s estimation, was giving himself permission to do violent, resentful deeds.
Cain came off more as guilty and defensive. He definitely was not bragging.
Cain purposefully attacked and murdered Abel. A man attacked Lamech. Even though the man was younger than him, he killed him.
Wouldn’t that be self-defense? That isn’t murder – unless Lamech started it.
God protected Cain with a mark when he felt others would kill him. But Cain also probably saw it as the punishment it was.
Lamech just saw the mark of Cain as protection, not punishment. Protection he didn’t get. Maybe that is why he, himself, tried to up the punishment of anyone who killed him.
If the murder weapon was a sword, it reads to me that Lamech was putting more faith in the sword than he was in God. He didn’t need God – wrong!
Dickson felt Lamech saw it as protection with a touch of permission. He wrote, “He interprets Cain’s case as a premium put by God upon violence; as a Divine connivance at murder.”
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Hmmm. Then Lamech probably did know about God. He just didn’t know God.
Yes, God shows mercy and grace to murderers – look at David. But murder does break God’s law. “You must not murder” (Ex. 20: 13 NLT).
Besides, God takes care of judgment Himself. “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, ‘“I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord’” (Rom. 12: 19 NLT).
God weighed in on Cain. He was silent on Lamech.
Making the Connections #1
I shake my head when I am told that God is a dictator. We just need to point to Cain to say it isn’t so.
Look how Bonar described it. He wrote,
“God suffers them to go on forgetting Himself, and occupying themselves with these engrossing employments. He does not interfere; and this not only because He is long suffering, but because one of His great purposes is, that man shall have full scope to develop himself mentally, morally, and physically. Man has torn himself off from God; and God will let it be seen how the branch can unfold its leaves and fruit, or rather what kind of leaves and fruit it can put forth when thus severed from Himself. God will let the world roll on its own way, that it may be seen what a world it is.”
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- Allows them to forget Him.
- Allows them to do what they want to do.
- Doesn’t interfere.
- Allow them to develop mentally and morally.
- Journey down its own road away from Him.
How does that sound like someone Who is an oppressor and controlling?
We just have to look to Cain and his descendants – especially Lamech – to see that isn’t true.
Make no mistake. The Day of the Lord is coming when those who think this will be held accountable.
Making the Connections #2
We talked about Lamech being a polygamist. Jacob was, also, but what is the difference?
I see two big differences right away. Jacob had not planned to marry Leah, let alone have the two maids as concubines. That marriage got crowded through no fault of Jacob’s.
The other difference was that Jacob was following God. He was the branch of the chosen.
Lamech was as far away from God as he could get.
How Do We Apply This?
- Submit to God and be obedient.
- Ask God to give us His character, not a worldview character.
Father God. We don’t want to be far away from You. We want to have a heart knowledge of You. Help us to tell our children and grandchildren – everyone – about You. Amen.
What do you think?
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