2A(intro)

©  Jeff Stacey   |   Last updated:  21 September 2016

CHART 2A:  GOD’S CONTINUING INTERACTIONS, IN GRACE, WITH ADAM AND EVE AND THEIR DESCENDANTS AFTER THE “FALL”

[GENESIS 4:1 – 6:8]

Introduction

2A(intro)1  The information about God and the history so far:  Charts 1A and 1B

Chart 1A set out the original framework of principles for life on Earth, the “rules of the game” that had been established by God [1B(intro)1].

Chart 1B then summarized how this actually worked out.  Adam and Eve initially enjoyed overwhelming blessings Gen 1:29,31,  2:9,23,24-25 in their fully intimate relationship with God Gen 2:8,15-16,19,22.  But then they were tempted by God’s Enemy [1B22 and 1B23].  Eve initially reacted by trying to resist, but Adam was passive [1B25(c)(i – iii)].  Tragically they both chose to disobey God [1B28(a) and 1B30(a)].

God first called Adam and then Eve to account.  He interrogated them, exposed their guilt [1B29(a), 1B31(a)] and passed judgment upon each of them [1B29(b, c) and 1B31(b)].   Adam and Eve suffered death, first spiritually and later physically [1B32(a)].   God expelled them from the Garden of Eden and the Tree of LIFE [1B32(c)].  Even the whole Earth suffered some alienation from God and terrible losses [1B32(d)].  God also put His curse upon His Enemy [1B32(b)].

The disobedience of Adam and Eve and its appalling consequences have become known as the “FALL”.  This is because their original perfection was lost, their direct and intimate relationship with God broken and the whole of God’s creation corrupted!  Truly a massive “fall”!

Yet God also showed mercy to Adam and Eve.  He demonstrated that He still loved them and had not abandoned them [1B33].  He kept open the possibility of some kind of positive future for them!  Might He even intend to somehow retrieve the post-FALL situation?  

It was now impossible for Adam and Eve to fulfil God’s intended roles for them [1B32(a)(i)].  That had depended on them remaining perfectly “in the image and likeness of God” [1A11(a)].  Instead they were now corrupted through having disobeyed God.  They had gained knowledge of evil as well as good [1B32(a)(ii)].  So some new or altered “rules of the game” would be required.

2A(intro)2  Chart 2A

Chart 2A sets out the information about God and His altered principles  –  His new “rules of the game”  –   for this post-FALL Era.  Again this Chart is based on limited data, GENESIS 4:1 – 6:8, a little more than two chapters and a total of 66 verses.  Some data from the preceding chapters are also used.

2A(intro)3    Information about God in GENESIS 4:1 – 6:8

God is recorded as speaking only four times in this whole Era.  Two of these were when He spoke to Cain Gen 4:6-7,9a,10-12,15a.  The other two were very brief and not addressed to any person.  He declared His initial judgment upon the wickedness of all people Gen 6:3 and then His coming universal judgment upon them Gen 6:7.

Other than these spoken words of God, His only other recorded actions were His placing of a protective “mark” upon Cain Gen 4:15b, His “taking away” of Enoch without dying Gen 5:24b and His showing favour to Noah Gen 6:8.  There are also two other brief general statements about God Gen 5:1b-2,  6:5-6.

So the sources of information about God are very limited.  Yet a complete framework of God’s principles for this Era can be discerned.  These are structured in the same layout as for Chart 1A.

2A(intro)4  The time-frame of Era 2

The genealogical data Gen 5:3-31,  7:11 indicate that this Era from Adam to the Flood spanned ten generations of great longevity and 1656 years,  as follows.¹

2A(intro)5   Controversial issues

As with Genesis 1 – 3, there are again some controversial matters in GEN 4:1 – 6:8.  These include such questions as:-

#       What were God’s requirements for Him to “look with favour on” an offering and the person who brought it? Gen 4:3-7a

#       Who were the people that could threaten Cain’s life? Gen 4:14c

#       What was the protective “mark” that God put upon Cain? Gen 4:15b

#       Where did Cain get his wife? Gen 4:17a

#       Did the people really have such long lives? Gen 5:3-32

#       How did God “take Enoch away” and where did he go? Gen 5:24c

#       Who were the “sons of God”? Gen 6:2a,4b

#       What kind of beings were the Nephilim? Gen 6:4a

Once more my approach is not to allow these issues to distract from the main focus and emphases of the biblical text itself.

Continue to 2A1

FOOTNOTES

1.  Unlike some other biblical genealogies, Gen 5:3-29 specifically details the direct sequence of fathers-to-sons generations and each father’s age when his eldest son was born.  On this basis it is possible to calculate the total period of time covered by this genealogy.(Return to reading).