Rebellion's Corrupt Legacy

The aftermath of the world's first murder and Cain's response to the punishment imposed upon him by God set the stage for a precipitous slide into the swamp of violence, wilfulness, and perversion. Some have used this passage as a pretext for their skepticism by inquiring as to where Cain got his wife of whom we read in verse 17. This message seeks to answer that question, probably the number one favorite of critics of the Bible. But we observe as well the degeneracy that found expression in the Lamech who came through Cain. Polygamy reared its ugly head for the first time as the way of Cain meant attacking the institution of marriage and the family in every possible manner. The violence and arrogance of Lamech and his expectation that he would not be punished for any crime, no matter how vile, show the speed with which the corruption of sin permeated the human race. Only the coming of Christ through the godly line of Seth could offer any hope in the midst of the corruption.