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THE BEGINNING OF THE GODLY LINE   

GENESIS 4:25-26

THE BIRTH OF SETH – The first ray of hope – a special seed (4:25)

Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth (substitute, appointed one), saying, God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.

The story of the pre-flood world now reverts back to Adam and Eve. They give birth to another son, one who will replace (be a substitute for) the dead Abel.

The birth of Seth underscores the great distinction between the character of the godly line of the woman and the ungodly line of the serpent.

With Abel dead at the hands of his wicked brother Cain, God graciously provides a substitute to take his place and continue the promised line of the coming Redeemer.

Notice Eve’s self-centered statement at the birth of Cain, “I have brought forth a man.” This contrasts with her God-centered statement at the birth of Seth, “God has granted me another child.”

What Eve had to learn, and what God taught her through Cain’s subsequent sad history, is that the promised seed could never come by her or her husband’s own doing, but would be God’s gift.

How we see this beautifully fulfilled in the birth of Christ (the promised Seed) who was conceived of the Holy Spirit (not Mary and Joseph). He was a gift from God appointed in the place of (as a substitute for) sinners.

THE BIRTH OF ENOSH – The second ray of hope – spiritual revival (4:26)

Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.

While the forces of spiritual darkness were at work in the descendants of Cain, the unseen hand of God was active in keeping His promises and carrying out His purposes.

To Seth a son was born and he named him Enosh which literally means “weak or faint one”.

Seth was so overtaken with the moral, spiritual and physical weakness of the human race that he gave his son a name intended to communicate this truth. Instead of boasting about himself, as Lamech did, Seth confessed his need of God.

The ungodly object to lifting God up above and over man, because they say that to do so is to debase man and remove man’s dignity.

While we (believers) do not exalt man to an absolute position in the universe as do the secular humanists and evolutionists, we do recognize that man is created in the image of his Creator, an image that has been defaced and marred by sin.

It is humanism that debases man and Christianity that gives man the only true grounding for worth that he can possibly have.

The line of Cain not only has no regard for God, it also has no regard for mankind. They are totally self-centered and self-absorbed.

The line of Seth (for a season) had a right view of God and a right view of man. They understood God as their creator and law-giver, and they had regard for man as created in the image of God. Thus, they regarded man as having inherent value, in spite of his increasing wickedness.

The line of Seth had recognized that sin was no mere imperfection of human nature but something destined to destroy both the individual and culture unless it should be overcome by the grace and power of almighty God.

Calling on “the name of the Lord” means calling on God Himself. It is a technical term for worship in the Hebrew. It is associated with offering and sacrifice.

While Cain and his descendants were setting up their humanistic city, a heavenly one was developing. People were being brought together for the first time in public worship. This worship was associated with the line of Seth, who replaced Abel.