LESSON 1:

Today we begin a new Text. Though it only compasses two verses, it is a critical Passage because of its ending.

In fact, that closing clause initially drew me to these words. You will immediately see what I mean.

"And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the Lord." Genesis 4:25-26

That line about prayer is what I mean. "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord." One might say this is really the beginning of the Bible's history of prayer.

That verb, "to cry," translates "qara," which in Hebrew means "to call out loud!" It also can mean "to invite," picturing prayer as an invitation for God to come help us in life situations.

Think of the prayers of the Bible!

Jesus' longest prayer, John 17 with it's 26 verses, is perhaps the greatest example of intersession in all of Scripture. By far, I'd say.

Or Jesus' model prayer, as it is sometimes called. "The Lord's Prayer," others say. It holds a special place for thousands, and so it should.

That prayer Jabez prayed can change a life too, or a whole family.

So can the prayer Moses prayed every morning, and again each night. As the Jews followed the Glory Cloud throughout the wilderness.

Paul's prayers too! All spiritual in nature, almost never material. Prayers for his churches; the Philippians and Thessalonians and Ephesians. Some of these were prayed from jail cells, too!

And the prayers from the Psalmists! Filtered through every conceivable human emotion, they teach us to always bring our needs and fears and hungers to the dear Lord!

And what about Solomon's great prayer that day he dedicated the Temple to Jehovah God? Pretty powerful indeed.

Short prayers and long prayers.

Prayers from men and women.

And in a sense, prayers already answered and some still unanswered!

They all, every one of the prayers of history, had their beginning in our Text. "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord."

Let's study why men began to pray.

And the result of such a momentous decision.

We will come to the foregone conclusion, God answers prayer!

Yes, He does.

This might be an exciting Bible study.

                                                           --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 2:

The first clause of our Text is rather plain, yet important. "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son." Genesis 4:25

The verb "knew" is spelled "yada" in Hebrew and is used in its various forms 947 times in the Bible, in the Old Testament.

It can mean "to know" in the sense of simple "acquaintance" all the way to "physical intimacy." The meaning here is obvious, a sexual relationship is implied.

Adam "knew" Eve, his wife.

The noun "Adam" comes from a word that really means "red," a hint at his natural skin tone we suspect. He was made from the ground, the red dirt of some Eastern landscape.

But it's the noun "wife" that interests me today. "Ishshah" is the word, taken from "ish," the normal noun for "man." It's a play on words, much like our noun "woman" is related to "man."

The wife here, Eve, whose name means "living" or maybe "giver of life," is an "ishshah." The man's woman, literally.

In fact, in the Bible the word "wife" is really, most often anyway, simply the word "woman!" I guess they figured that if a lady was grown and mature, she as a woman would naturally be someone's "wife." They had no grammatical or cultural need for a separate noun for "wife" it appears.

Eve is Adam's "woman!"

His "wife."

But that's not enough information.

There must be more.

A wife is not a simple possession of a man, of her husband!

No!

In fact, the Bible calls her, the wife, an "help meet." That's the word I'd like for us to examine a while.

As in Genesis 2:18. "And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

In Hebrew two words are involved here. "Ezer" and "neged" are those words. The first one is almost always given priority, the second one almost always neglected if not omitted altogether.

"Ezer" does mean "one who helps." One who lends support or comfort or sustenance or succour. One who offers assistance, closely akin to the picturesque term "wall builder!"

A wife is a "helper" to her husband. He of course is to be a helper to her as well. This is a two-way relationship!

But then "neged" must be considered too. An equal part of a wife’s duties or responsibilities or privileges. And "neged" means to get right "in front of" someone! At times to be "opposite" that person! In His sight! To us today, "in his face!"

Wow!

Look at this, ladies!

Men too!

A good wife, a godly wife, a Biblical wife is not only a "help" to her husband. She is that of course, but that's not all!

She is also, when she fears he is about to make a wrong decision for example, will get "in front of" him and warn him lovingly!

She will "be opposite" him and try to advise him in a different direction!

She might, on major issues, get "in his face" a little bit, if she feels that strongly about a situation!

Help meet!

Think of that the next time someone causally throws around that word "wife." As in that man's "woman!"

No, she is a vital part of the team!

Maybe even "the better half!"

"And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son." Genesis 4:25, but this "wife" is also Eve, the help meet!

Let's not forget this one!

                                                          --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

I suspect there will be some feedback on this lesson! Just be sure you stay in the Bible if you write me. I've tried to do so.

LESSON 3:

The birth of Seth, son of Adam and Eve, is significant. Here's how it happened, or how it is recorded. "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth." Genesis 4:25

Several words here launch some major thoughts.

For example, "Adam knew his wife again." There's a hint here of the faithfulness of love, real love. Maybe a better word is continuity, the progressive and unending nature of married love. God's love in the hearts of a man and woman, for each other. He knew her "again," as if a pattern had developed. I hope so!

The adverb used here is "od," pronounced "ode." It means "more of, a going round, still, longer," not a one time event.

How many times a day should he say to her, "I love you, Honey?" And her right back to him, "I love you too, Dear."

Here's the answer in a word or two, "again and again and again!"

Never tire of telling her how much she means to you, sir!

And dear lady, let him say so day after day! Never act bored of his attempts at admiring you and complimenting you!

Again and again!

Then we learn from our verse that Eve become pregnant. She is going to have a son.  "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth."

The noun "son" is "ben," taken from the verb "banah." This means "to build" something! A son, to the Hebrew mindset, means one who "builds" a family! The name carrier! The "key" to future generations! And in these early chapters of Scripture, the "key" to bring the Messiah into the world some day! The Lord Jesus Christ!

Though conceived by the Holy Spirit, as in the Virgin Birth, Jesus did have an earthly mother. And had to be qualified to sit on the Throne of King David of Israel, necessitating his having royal lineage. And He did!

This son of Eve's is a member of that godly line, a heritage that goes all the way back to Genesis 3:15, to Eve herself! And to Adam!

God told the devil, way back in the Garden of Eden, after sin had entered the world: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15, as I said.

The "seed" of the woman!

I suspect that every little boy a faithful, godly Jewish mother bore in those old days was potentially the One, the coming Deliverer, the Messiah! In the hopeful minds of those ladies anyway, of those young mothers.

It was in Eve's mind and heart, for sure!

"And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth."

The name "Seth" means "one appointed!" And "Seth" was appointed to be the carrier of the godly line. At least for one more generation leading forward in time to the coming of Jesus to earth!

"Seth" also can carry the idea of "compensation," a token of God's goodness to Eve and Adam. They lost their first child Abel, a victim of murder. Their second son, Cain, was the killer, hence not a godly man at all. So God "compensated" them, "rewarded" them with a third child, "Seth" the godly one!

What a story!

A story of Grace!

And the beginning of the Gospel Story too!

Amen!

                                                        --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 4:

Eve had more faith than we realize. She could look into the future and see things, based on the promises of God! One of those eventualities was the coming of the Messiah into the world!

That's Jesus, to us Christians.

That Child would be born of a woman. He's called the "seed" of the woman in Genesis 3:15. And that term was coined by God Himself.

Now that Abel, her first son, was dead and Cain, her second son, had become a murderer and a rebel and a wanderer, Eve knew the "Seed" must come from another child. Or through another child anyway.

So now we read Genesis 4:25, the rest of the verse. Look what Eve calls her third child, her third named child. "And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." I capitalized the pertinent clause for emphasis and identification purposes.

Eve trusts that "Seth" might be the promised One! And though Seth was not THE Messiah of course, a Position reserved for the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, Seth was a forefather of Jesus! Let's read the last verse of Matthew's genealogy, tracing Jesus back to Adam. "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Luke 3:38, again with a capitalized word!

Eve was not disappointed!

God kept His Word to her!

Through Eve's son Seth, and many of his generations to follow, comes the legal line that Jesus possessed to properly identify Himself as the son of Adam. And the son of Abraham! And the son of God!

God honored a lady's faith!

And some lady is reading these pages today, one whose faith is being tested and tried by life's cruel circumstances or by the wicked devil or by some past sins or by her own doubts.

To you, dear Sister, let me say this.

Keep on trusting the Lord!

Lean on His Word, His many great Promises!

Give God time to work!

Pray and believe best you can!

Because God, the same God who never failed Eve, will not be unfaithful to you either!

It does not say so, but Hebrews 11 could have quite easily said: "By faith Eve bore her children, with the Messiah in mind!"

Ladies, not only do Martha and Mary and Rahab and Deborah and Sarah and other Bible women exhibit great faith, so does Eve!

"And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

God's "appointments!"

Wow!

                                                               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 5:

Today our focus will be the last few words of Genesis 4:25, "Abel, whom Cain slew." Just those short words.

There's a four word crime report!

"Abel, whom Cain slew."

This records the first murder in human history.

And it was premeditated apparently.

Hatred, that led to a killing, a homicide.

Here are the details: "Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering, but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him."  Genesis 4:2-8

The boys were religious, both of them.

Each approaches God, in an act of worship too.

Both brought offerings.

Now while it is true that Abel's offering would have contained blood and Cain's offering would not have involved any blood, it is also true that at times God readily and joyfully accepted either animal or vegetable gifts.

The burnt offering was a little lamb.

The meal offering, called the meat offering in the King James Bible, contained grain and oil, no blood at all.

God was pleased with both, if other conditions were properly met.

Primarily the condition of a pure heart.

Sincere and faithful love for our great God!

This Abel possessed, or so it seems.

This Cain lacked, obviously.

Cain may have thought that the rejection of his offering also meant his demotion from the highly desirable status of being the first-born of the family. But that was not necessarily the case.

Either way, Cain got mad!

So angry that he, instead of facing the consequences of his hardheartedness and insincerity, chose to end his brother's life!

"Cain slew Abel."

Still, God was patient with Cain, even after his grievous sin!

The incident we are studying ought to be a warning to each of us.

Jesus talked about murder some.

Let's listen. "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment. But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment." Matthew 5:21-22

The prelude to murder, in God's Eyes, is anger!

Anger without a cause!

Here's my point today.

Anyone angry?

At a brother or sister?

Physically or spiritually?

At home or work or church or anywhere else?

Be careful!

In God's Eye's you might commit murder!

John, Jesus' most loving Disciple, wrote this. He uses even stronger, more forceful words! "Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." 1 John 3:15

Is it that important?

If a person hates someone else, habitually, continually, non-stop, carrying a bitter grudge week after week, John just said, "Check to see if you are really saved!"

This Page started today with murder.

It's ending with hatred and anger.

And a reason to wonder if our faith is real ... if we hate our loved ones! Or are angry at them without a cause!

Wow!

In the heart of every true Believer in Jesus Christ there has been deposited a great reservoir of Love, God's Love! Love that cannot hate and hate and hate! Or stay angry day after day after day!

Lord, fill us with Thy Love!

That's exactly what Paul prayed consistently for his converts at the Church in Philippi. "And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more ...." Philippians 1:9

Lord, help us be more loving!

And less angry!

                                                   --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 6:

Genesis, along with much of the Old Testament, is a book of history. Almost a narrative, telling of the lives of common people, some godly and some ungodly.

For example, Genesis 4:26, which tells of Adam's Grandson, one of them anyway. "And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos."

The name "Enos" simple means "a man." In fact, "enosh" in Hebrew indicates a person who is frail, mortal and weak.

But after studying the self-sufficient, almost ego-maniac Cain for the last few lessons, it's refreshing to see Seth and his family!

I say that because Enos is a pleasant surprise.

His father apparently did not have too "high hopes" for this boy. Based on recent events, Genesis 4, things were not gliding toward holiness!

The opposite was occurring, ungodliness was enveloping the land!

So, along came Enos, just another "man!"

But then, apparently, God did something.

Something great!

Just as the line of Cain was disastrously wicked, so now will the line of Abel be gloriously pure and holy!

Through these descendents of Abel will some day come the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ!

And as we know now, He has come!

Enos, the "average" little boy with little or no "promise," is now a progenitor of the Christ of God!

Wow!

Salvation truly is by Grace!

This is the Lord's doing! It is marvelous in our eyes! These words echo Psalm 118:23, nearly word for word.

Here's the history of Enos. "And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan. And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died." Genesis 5:9-11

The lad Cainan is also a forefather of the Messiah!

Matthew tells us this, Jesus' geneology! "Jesus ... Which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Maleleel, which was the son of Cainan, which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." Luke 3:37-38

Someone today reading these paragraphs is rearing a little girl or boy.

An average child in many ways.

One of millions on earth.

Yet what potential rests in that little person's heart and mind and soul!

For good or bad!

Seth was no doubt pleasantly surprised!

God saved and used his boy Enos mightily.

Friends, he can use your child or grandchild or relative or student in Sunday School. God can touch that little life too!

We never know who will be saved!

Let's trust God to redeem our little ones!

And use them for His Glory!

For His Work!

Remember Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Don't forget that last phrase, "and thy house!"

Claim them for Jesus, including those little boys and girls too!

"Lord, save our children and grandchildren," we pray.

                                                               --- Dr. Mike Bagwell

LESSON 7, CONCLUSION:

In this concluding lesson from Genesis 4:25-26 we must discuss that last clause, thought it be for the second time.

We are merely told: "Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD." The noun Lord is capitalized here because the King James translators did so to indicate the use of the Hebrew word Jehovah.

The commentators do not all assent to a single interpretation of this statement. Opinions vary.

It can mean that at this point in time,  at the birth of Enos, men began to really pray, in earnest. Although we can be sure that Adam and his sons knew something of prayer already.

Another reading of our verse is that men now, since the descendents of Cain had become so outwardly wicked, that devout men started attaching to themselves the idea of holiness. They were followers of Almighty God, and not ashamed of the fact either. In that sense they began to call themselves by God's Name, as we "Christians" yet do today.

Yet a third possibility is that men now started calling "things" by the name of the Lord. This of course would be stark idolatry. Worshipping a piece of stone or a wooden statue. The grammar of the clause allows this, we are told.

And one Bible scholar teaches that our words today, our Bible verse, emphasizes the installation of preaching as a way of spreading the Truth of God. "Calling" on God as in expounding His Word, His Revelation thus far.

Then on a more general note, some preachers believe that our lesson,  "then began men to call upon the name of the LORD," simply refers to a time of revival that occurred in those days. Times of refreshing from the Lord!

Any of these ideas are possible, I guess.

But in truth the most important question remains to be asked. And here it is. Do I call on the name of the Lord?

Do you call on His Name too?

Are we praying?

Are we leaning on Him?

Do we trust Him?

Do I converse with the Saviour regularly?

That  those men long ago did was important of course.

But to you and me, our actions have an even greater impact!

Our relationship with God and His Son Jesus even determine our eternal destiny!

Heaven?

Or Hell?

"Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD."

Seriously consider these words!

Then let's act accordingly.

Listen to God in Jeremiah 33:3. "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not."

Surely enough has been said.

                                                                    --- Dr. Mike Bagwell