Civilization Begins

God had just informed Cain of the consequences for having murdered his brother.   Genesis 4:13-14 describes his reaction.  “And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.  Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.” 

 People tend to judge other people by what they know about themselves.  His guilty conscience would make Cain assume others were looking to kill him, and he would spend the rest of his life looking over his shoulder, never able to really relax.  Like most criminals today, Cain insisted the penalty was too harsh.  Recently, a man who had been sentenced to thirty years in prison for murder appealed his sentence saying he had already served five years and he thought that was enough.  After all the victim was dead and wouldn’t suffer any more.  Like Cain, he ignored the fact that they took away their victim’s life.  At least he is still alive, even if he has lost his freedom.   

At the time, God was concerned with the survival of mankind.   Though he would constantly live in fear for his life, God forbid anyone to kill Cain, according to Genesis 4:15-16.  “And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.  And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.”  With that constant sense of fear hanging over him, Cain left the region around Eden, going into an uninhabited area to the east, trying to get away from God and forget about his authority, as Romans 1 describes.  

Cain would start his own civilization, possibly in the area of present day Pakistan or Afghanistan or even further East.  Genesis 4:17-22 tells a little about the development of that culture.  “And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.  And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.  And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.  And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.  And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.  And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.” 

Within just a couple of hundred years, they had started to form town, and Cain’s great great grandson Jabal had begun to domesticate livestock.  His brother Jubal had begun to develop music and musical instruments,  and their half-brother, Tubalcain had begun to smelt metals and produce iron and brass tools and weapons.  Legends of these men would be carried for thousands of years by some cultures, sometimes even retaining the proper names. 

The sinful nature of man increased right along with the population.  Cain’s great grandson was forced to kill a man I self-defense, according to Genesis 4:23-24.  “And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.  If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.”  As Lamech said, if killing Cain deserved seven times as serious a penalty, surely someone who had only killed in self-defense deserved better treatment.    

Things continued to get worse.  Genesis 6:11-12 tells us, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.  And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.”  Murders and violence were not limited to Cain’s descendants, but had spread throughout the entire world.  Finally things got so bad, God decided to destroy the entire world, as Genesis 6:13 tells us.  “And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.”  The development of culture and civilization often facilitates the growth of evil instead of hindering it.  Often civilizations or cultures, like the one Cain formed are for the purpose of getting away from God’s authority.