A Tale of Two Families - Genesis Part 10

You know, in March 1971, a street preacher named Bob Eckhart gave me a Bible and he challenged me to begin reading now friends. I've never read the Bible before I did know anything about the Bible. I didn't know if it was a biography or an anthology or novel. I didn't know if the thing when introduction main body, conclusion, anti-climax idling about it so I thought well, you know, probably the best thing to do is start at the beginning and so I started with the book of Genesis and though that went okay for a while, until finally I got to Genesis 4 where so-and-so begot so-and-so begot so-and-so and I thought oh my God, how long does this go on and visit get me anywhere, and so I figured I'd switch to the New Testament once again not knowing a thing about the New Testament. I just simply started at the beginning, the Gospel of Matthew. Well, a month later I gave my life to Jesus Christ that was almost 41 years ago and it was the best decision I've ever made you simple, honest girl very interesting. What is the point. Well, the point of this is that we are studying the book of Genesis together here as a church family and today we come to the part where so-and-so begat so-and-so begat so-and-so when you say a lot. I got it so you're using that story as an explanation for why you're going to skip this part of the book of Genesis right well know were not going to skip it to the contrary, even though it doesn't look like there's a lot of virtual lessons in that chapter of chapter 4 and five Genesis there really are because God doesn't put anything in the Bible that doesn't have spiritual value and spiritual lessons. This is why second Timothy 316 says all Scripture is profitable even so-and-so begat so-and-so begat so-and-so so were going to study Genesis chapter 4 were to pull out of it. The spiritual lessons God's put in it and they were going to bring it all forward and talk about how it affects our lives in the 21st century. So are you ready all right here we go. Genesis chapter 4.

Little bit of background. Remember last week we saw how Kane brutally murdered his brother Abel and how God cursed Cain and exiled him and that's where we pick up the story here in Genesis 4 and five, and what we see in these two chapters is the development of two branches of human society. One branch with Kane as its patriarch Kane as its father, so to speak, Cain's family, if you will, and the other branch of human society with staff as the progenitor tour and the father of that family so to talk about them one at a time.

First let's look at Cain's family. Genesis chapter 4 verse 17 then Kane had relations with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth. Now we all know the famous Bible stump or where did Cain get his wife friends. It's not all that difficult. Remember we saw last week that when Cain killed Abel, he was 100 years old or thereabouts.

Certainly Adam and Eve had other children during those hundred years than just Cain and Abel and Cain Mayor Reed, one of those other children of Adam and Eve done easy all right and she got pregnant and they had children and a whole line of people began to emerge.

Genesis 4 goes on to tell us about them all the way down to Cain's great great great grandson of a fellow named La Machen with La Mack. We begin to see the truth. Actual condition of Cain's family really coming to life in two ways. Number one, verse 19 Genesis chapter 4 La Mack, the Bible says married to women that this was not God's plan for marriage God's plan for marriage Genesis 224 says a man shall leave his father and his mother and cleave to his wife singular, and the two of them, not the three of them or the four of them. The two of them shall become one flesh. What La Mack being a bigamist tells us is that he had no regard for God's authority in his life that he didn't obey God, that he was determined to do it. Isaiah 5036 His Own Way, exactly the way his great great-great-grandfather came at dawn, but there's a second thing here and that is found in verse 23 of Genesis 4 and La Mack said to his wives. The I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me if Kane is avenged the seven times. Then La Mack shall be avenged 77 times.

Not only was La Mack, a bigamist, but he was also a murderer, just like Kane had been. Look what he says here he was a cruel man, a warlike man, an angry man, an aggressive man. He says to his wives. If God promised sevenfold vengeance on anyone who killed Cain which is what God promised earlier in the chapter Genesis 415 then I La Mack says Bob promised 70 sevenfold vengeance on anybody who hurts or even threatens to hurt me. Now this is law of the jungle language friends.

This is this is raw, brutal, unforgiving, violent language, in fact, La Mick tells his wives that he's already killed one young man who was messing with team just to prove that he meant business. So here we see the character of Cain's family of Cain's branch of the human race.

They were characterized by arrogance.

They were self-sufficient.

They were hateful.

They were homicidal. They were brutal. They were unforgiving. They were vengeful and they were disobedient and rebellious against God.

But remember we said there's another line of human beings that's developing right along side of this line of Cain, led by a fellow named Seth. Let's look at that line.

Genesis chapter 5 verse three when Adam had lived 130 years. He had a son in his own likeness, after his own image, and he named him Seth. When the Bible says here that Seth was in Adam's own likeness and in Adam's own image friends.

The Bible is not talking about death's physical appearance is talking about his spiritual condition.

It is talking about his heart for God is talking about his walk with God. In other words, the Bible is telling us that Seth was a godly man just like his father Adam was Genesis 4 verse 26 then the Bible says in Beth family men began to call on the name of the Lord. So in contrast to Cain's family. Seth and his extended family.

They were characterized by humility. They were characterized by reliance on God and obedience to God and respect for God look all the way down. Here's Enoch sets great great great grandson look what the Bible says about him. Genesis 521 when Enoch, the great great-great-grandson of Seth had lived 65 years. He begat Methuselah and after he begat Methuselah, Enoch walked with God for 300 years, and begat other sons and daughters altogether. Enoch lived 365 years and Enoch walked with God then Enoch was no more for the Lord talking when the Bible says here Enoch was no more for the Lord took him what it means is that God took Enoch directly to heaven without ever his ever passing to physical death. God translated them directly from Earth into heaven user. Now how do you know that's what it means. I know it by comparing Scripture with Scripture that's going to the New Testament. Hebrews chapter 11 verse five it says, by faith Enoch is not theirs. Our friend right was taken up so that he should not see death. He was not found a exact quote from Genesis 5 because God took him up for before he was taken up he had obtained a witness that he was pleasing to God. So now were generations away from Seth and we still have his descendents being pleasing to God's entire family walked with God and who exactly were these people.

Seth family will Bible list some force in this chapter. There was Seth lived to be 912 and then there was his son, Enoch. She lived to be 905, then Keenan, who lived to be 910 Mahal LL, who only lived to be 895 Jared who died at the age of 962 Enoch who we have seen, was taken to heaven when he was 365 and Methuselah who lived to be 969 years old all the way down to Nola Seth great great great great great-great-grandson. What is the Bible say about Noah Genesis 68 that Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. This was a godly line you sue and allowing to me before forwarding father time.

You don't really believe these people live this long do you mean 960 years 920 years. Are you serious you really believe that duty. Of course I do. Course I do. You say you believe that yet, but I'm got three reasons why number one. The Bible says is first reason number two because there is no other logical explanation for the Bible. Using these numbers. Some commentators say we know what years here don't mean years. Years mean months so therefore to get the right ages for these people. We got a divide by 12 will listen friends.

The Bible knows the difference between months and years.

But even if you took that approach is a problem. The problem is. Genesis 521 Enoch was 65 when he begat Methuselah will you divide that by 12 and you know how old Enoch was when he had his first kid 5 1/2 now I know these men were feral but this is ridiculous this is ridiculous right are. And finally, the third reason that I believe the Bible is telling us the truth is because of something called the Babylonian king listed the monument and inscribed monument that we found in ancient Babylon, and it talks about a grade that once covered the earth that day at the last and it says listen before the flood.

The kings that lived before the flood lived anywhere from between 36,000 years to 64,000 years old. Now we know those ages are phantasmagoric coal, but this pagan record does tell us that even in pagan tradition.

There is clear testimony to the biblical record that before Noah was flawed. People had enormously long lifestyles course.

I believe this and you know the long life spans of these godly men are spiritually very important to say. While I will because it means think about it now that Adam and Seth alone, just the two of them provided 1712 years of continuous godly influence on their family.

For example, I believe that Adam and Seth probably lead the worship services. I believe that Adam and Seth probably taught Sunday school classes.

I believe that they probably took turns preaching them the message, and that they probably took turns leading the prayer meetings and that Adam and Seth probably even work with the young adults you know the people who were only hundred and 50 or so and the point is that Seth family was dominated by these godly men from the beginning of creation, all way up to Noah's flood. If you get out. You'll find out Methuselah. The last one of these long living men died the year of Noah's flood and as a result of this. This group of godly men. These fathers these grandfathers, these great grandfathers and great great grandfathers produced an amazing Society of godly people by their's daddy godly influence do we all see that we all see that. All right, that's the whole point.

Let's summarize what we see and hear. Genesis Chapter 4 Chapter 5 is a tale of two families, a tale of two branches of human society. Two lines of people each one.

Listen, reflecting the spiritual character and the spiritual dynamic and the spiritual condition of their parents their grandparents and their great-grandparents all the way back for generations. That is the point of these chapters with me okay now stop with chapters 4 and five Genesis and were going to ask our most important question. Are you ready all of you on the Internet. Are you ready I heard that. Okay are you ready Juan to a that was beautiful was that was inspiring you say lawn so they know what, I'm not even lived to be 80 what differences make them. They had all this whole thing is crazy. I mean, I'm glad these people live as long however what what what what what what is it have to do with me. I don't get it. Well I want to share two verses of the Bible with you not try to help us go to apply to our lives. The first, what is the book of Proverbs chapter 20 verse seven it says a righteous man who walks in his integrity.

How blessed are his children after him and then Psalm 112 verse one.

How blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights in his commandments, his descendents will be mighty on the earth. The issue God is addressing in these verses of the Bible is the ongoing spiritual impact that our spiritual lives have on our descendents.

Hey, remember what we just saw Keynes the spiritual condition did not just affect his children. It permeated the 10 generations that followed him and the very same thing was true of Seth and I'd like to suggest to you that this very same thing is true of you and me and therefore when it comes to our influences. Parents and his grandparents and even as future parents people here one day we hope to be parents. What I want to urge us to do today is to think, not just in terms of the children or the grandchildren that we can see right before our very eyes, but to think in terms of five generations and 10 generations down the line of people who will come after our children, and after our grandchildren whom we may never see but they will be drastically affected by our spiritual lives. In other words, I want to urge us to look at ourselves not just as parents and to look at ourselves not just as grandparents, but to look at ourselves as patriarchs and matriarchs of the many, many generations that are going to follow us, who will be shaped by our spiritual condition and the spiritual example of our lives. They'll either be shaped for blessing as an Seth case or they'll be shaped for cursing as an Keynes case, but they'll be shaped in some way.

You know, prior to the Revolutionary war. There was a massive revival that broke out here in the 13 colonies call the great awakening and the great awakening swept to each of the colonies. Thousands upon thousands of colonists came to Christ and really the great awakening between the years of 1730 and 1770 is what formed the basis for what we think of is the Christian foundations of America.

Let me tell you who started the great awakening.

It was started by a Puritan preacher named Solomon Stoddard many years before 1730 by his godly preaching in New England.

It was carried on by a gentleman that I know all of us have probably heard of named Jonathan Edwards who also did that, preaching in New England, but friends by the end of the 1700s America had backslid badly. It was especially noticeable in our colleges. Take for example Yale gala been established in 1701 to train ministers of the gospel. You know why they established jail because they felt Harvard had gone liberal that's true, but by 1799, Yale graduated in their graduating class. They only had five people who would publicly stand and confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and in 1800. The next year they only had one, but then on to the scene, came Timothy Dwight Timothy Dwight became the president of Yale in 1796, and you want to know the first official act of Timothy Dwight takes over as president first official act. When I was know he did. He called every faculty member into his office one at a time, individually, and he asked them whether they would be willing to stand up in front of the entire student body and confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. If they said no hired him on the spot.

Thank God for no tenure back. He said you're outta here fired most of the faculty praise Lord okay and then you clap for that and then what he did is the set up prayer meetings on campus for the students and he went led them and then what he did he see set up Sunday church there on the campus and he went and preached every single week and then what he did he see when in the classroom and engaged in public debates with students in classrooms about the vitality and the authenticity and the value of the Christian faith. This guy had such an unrelenting passion and conviction for Christ that he pressed the need for Jesus on every single student at Yale. Well, in March 1802. After Timothy Dwight had been there six years. He led the very first student to Christ on the Yale campus in April 1802 he led a second student to Christ on the Yale campus by graduation 1802 he had led 50 students to faith in Christ and by 1806. 50% of the graduating class of Yale student graduation and confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, but it doesn't end there because these then went out and they became the foundation for what we know of today is the second great awakening that swept America between 1810 and 1830 and that turned America back to Jesus Christ in the early 1800s, amazing guy, Timothy Dwight, but salon is very interesting was that got to do what were talking about. Listen Timothy Dwight, who did all of this. Do you know who his grandfather was with his grandfather was Jonathan Edwards and do you know who Jonathan Edwards grandfather was, that is Timothy Dwight's great great grandfather. Guess who it was, Solomon Stoddard, who started the great awakening 100 years before the point I want you to see friends is that here we have four generations of influencers for Christ, all flowing out of one godly man.

Solomon Stoddard, but that's not all. A reporter a few years ago went back and researched and found records of 1400 descendents of Solomon Stoddard down to the last 200 years and found that there were so many missionaries there were so many preachers of the gospel.

There were so many sound godly theology, teachers and seminary professors that it's more than we can even begin to name the point is that Solomon Stoddard didn't just raise some godly children. He didn't even just raised some godly grandchildren. This guy established an entire line of godly people listen whose impact for Jesus Christ is deal going on in America today after the first service here this morning I met a man out in the lobby who introduced himself to me and told me that he's walking with Jesus and serving the Lord and that he is a direct descendent of Timothy Dwight Jonathan Edwards, Solomon Stoddard, his middle name is Dwight. Can you believe that I met him in the lobby this morning, praise the Lord for that.

How many generations my dad think that might be 40 generations later, no folks, this is exactly what God did for staff in Genesis 4 and five and this is exactly what God wants to do for you and me you started long this wonderful inspiring. How do you do something like this. How do you get started. A godly line like this I got three suggestions for you were done number one suggestion number one is be unashamedly passionate about your spiritual life, especially in front of your family, you know, more is caulked and taught in Francis when our children and our grandchildren can see our passion for Christ when they conceal our passion for Christ. When our passion for Christ is so real, so genuine, so authentic that they can excuse it away.

That's when our children pick up the passion for Jesus and then they carry it to the next generation. I am not talking about having a passion for Jesus that issues out and bring in on the Sunday school or praying at a Grayson over the meal.

Nothing wrong with that. I am talking about something more. I am talking about a passionate unrelenting pulsating, throbbing excitement about our walk with Christ that we cannot hide and that cannot be quenched, and that is obvious to everybody around us 24 hours a day for us is what grabs a hold of children and grandchildren and get them ignited for the Lord. Remember what we said. Timothy Dwight's passion for Christ did not begin with him. It began with his great-great-grandfather, Solomon Stoddard and I'm here to challenge you to be that kind of Solomon Stoddard in your family. Suggestion number two is inculcate the word of God into your children's lives with abandon. Proverbs 22 66 train up a child in the way he or she should go and when they get old they will not depart from it.

Friends, spiritual formation like this take spiritual intentionality. Let me repeat that spiritual formation takes spiritual intentionality. What I mean is, if were serious about the spiritual formation of our children and our grandchildren.

It does not happen haphazardly, it does not happen with the laws a fair attitude know we must be intentional. We must be deliberate, we must be consistent.

This is hard work, and we can't just tiptoe to the tulips and expect this to happen. It means that we gotta have devotions with our children nightly daily.

We gotta get on our knees with our children and pray with them daily. It means we need to memorize Scripture with them on a regular basis and we need to make the sacrifices it takes to bring them the kids quest, and to bring up Tawana and to get in the junior and senior high group or whatever it takes.

If were serious about the formation of generations to come. It's hard work, friends, and number three and finally, if we want to do this, establish a whole line of godly people, we gotta pray futuristic looking at what is that mean well, we all pray for our children. We have children well pray for our grandchildren if we have grandchildren, but how many of us ever pray beyond how many of us ever pray for their spouses, their future spouses that they will be godly people.

How many of us ever pray for generations beyond that for generations five generations. Our great-great-grandchildren are great, great great-great-grandchildren that they will be godly people and stay true to Christ and make an impact for Jesus and keep the chain unbroken. We may never meet them on earth, but we pray for many way. How many of us ever do that well I'm here to tell you we need to stop praying like a parent that's all right folks, we need to start praying like a patriarch like a matriarch we need to be thinking generations to come. When we pray, not just the next generation. We can see if we pray like that. I promise you, you want to generation like that coming from you. Gotto give it to you.

Nobody wants to give this to you more than God does.

Pray for God will do it just like you to process just like you did for Solomon Stoddard. You're my wife, Brenda and her sister and brother represent the eighth generation of followers of Jesus Christ on her dad's side in the Lowery family.

Her great great great great great grandfather, a gentleman named Michael Lowery who was born in 1760, who fought in the Revolutionary war was an incredibly godly man who was the Solomon Stoddard for the Lowery family and one of her ancestors.

Her great-grandfather William L. Lowery was actually up circuit riding brethren, preacher who formed during the week and that pastor for churches on the weekend riding around in his little buggy and not tell you Brenda's mom and dad took this very seriously this heritage. I remember when I first married Brenda her dad and I were out for a walk one day and he turned to me and he said no long. He said you just married in the Lowery family.

That was my wife's maiden name, and he said the Brenda is the eighth generation of believer in this family and he said I want to ask you that to the best of your ability and with God's help that you keep the chain unbroken in my family may not tell you that hit me deep. I didn't come from a family like that.

I knew nothing about having a chain like this in my family but boy I sure consider it an honor to marry into a family with a chain like that and I took it very soberly what he said to me, I work so hard with these three suggestions that I just gave you to be passionate about them. I'm happy to say all three of my sons actively and unapologetically walking with Jesus. Today they are the ninth generation in the Lowery family. But wait a minute, there's more. Earlier this year I was in the car riding somewhere with my grandson Tyler and my son, my, this is the son of my oldest son James and we were talking about God. Tyler was for an Tyler said to me hey Papa he said will you help me asked Jesus into my life and I said Tyler I would love to do that and so in automobile. We prayed and he asked Christ into his life.

When we got home I got.

I said that you tell your mom and your dad what you just did and he did and I said Jamie look. I hope you not mad at me. I know every father wants to lead his children to Christ. We hope you're not mad at me but you don't say no when a child says would you pray and help me asked Christ in my life. I'm sorry you don't say wait to we get all isolation. When Amanda Hatcher hey I want to tell you Tyler maybe six years old. Well you will turn six next year, but he maybe only be six years old, but you let me tell you some about Tyler. You have a conversation with him about God in the Bible and he will flat talk you onto the carpet, my friend. It took in this boy's life. He praised by himself, out loud. He learned at me memorize it.

This kid got the real disease and may I announce that he is the 10th generation of believers in the Lowery family. How cool is that you better know your Bible if you engage Tyler. That's all I gotta tell you, listen when you think closing if you come from a family like the Lowery family, my friend, don't you dare let the chain break with you today are and if you don't come from a family like the Lowery family and friend start one. You will be Solomon Stoddard. You start a family that because of your burning passion for Christ and your inculcating the word of God in your children's lives and your patriarchal or matriarchal prayer life that generations from now when you're gone. People will still be looking back and saying that was the man that was the woman who got this whole thing started six generations ago.

He didn't.

She didn't. You can be a Solomon Stoddard if you want my friend, don't you be content to ask God for anything less. But spray for Jesus, thanks for talking to us today from a passage of Scripture than most people would just skip over the Lord. There is value in everything the word of God records for us and thanks for speaking to us today about this incredible topic how we can be matriarchs and patriarchs in our family and what I want to pray for myself and everyone of us here that you would motivate us in this virus to take seriously the idea of starting a whole chain of believers for generation after generation. Not just wanted to attend her 20 like Solomon Stoddard do Lord give us that godly heritage as we seek it from you, and may our children, our grandchildren are great grandchildren, and generations to come.

Look back to us and say thank you Jesus for that man thank you Jesus for that woman, me, my family, my children, my grandchildren, my parents were all walking with Christ because of that manner that woman 100 years ago were Jesus change our lives because we were here today.

We sat under the teaching of your word and we pray this in Jesus name. What is God's people say amen