A Secret in Adam's Family Tree

Scripture: Genesis 4:26 – “To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.” (NRSVUE)

There are few things less interesting than other people’s family trees, especially if they involve ancestors you have never heard of. Unfortunately, there are lots of parts of the Bible that are long and meandering genealogies, the so-called “begats” that have thwarted many an attempt to read the Bible from cover to cover. But there are some hidden gems of information in those passages that have something to say to us even today.

Genesis chapter 4 is about the first generations of people after Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. It includes the well-known story of Cain and Abel and the perpetual mystery of where Cain’s wife came from. However, what I find more interesting than Cain’s wife is his children. For six generations from Cain, Genesis lists fathers, sons, and occasionally mothers. But it also points out the accomplishments of Cain’s descendants. They were the first to build cities, to raise livestock, to play music, and to make metal tools. All the marks of civilization.

But notice that these all come from Cain, the wicked son who killed his own brother. Adam’s third son is Seth, and it is from his line that we ultimately get the faithful Noah. What we are told about Seth’s son is that “At that time people began to invoke the name of the Lord.”

The early chapters of Genesis place civilization at odds with faith. Civilization makes our lives easier and can bring us prosperity and happiness, but those things are empty when unconnected to faith in God. And throughout stories like the Flood and the Tower of Babel, people who use the tools of civilization for their own advancement ignoring God’s justice always come to ruin.

I am reminded of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. At the end, in a scene cut from the movies, the Hobbits return home from their adventures to find that the wizard Saruman, known for his industrial ways, has polluted the simple farms of the Shire with factories and cut down beloved trees. Those in charge of the factories now control bands of armed men who keep the others in line. The Hobbits ultimately drive Saruman out and then begin the hard work of restoring a loving simplicity back to their home. I think that Tolkien, a devout Catholic, was echoing this idea that goes all the way back to Genesis. Too often the conveniences of modern life pull us away from God.

I write this on a fancy computer, having looked up passages on the Internet. A lot of parts of my life depend on modern inventions. But I also know enough to step back from time to time to connect with God. I remember that good things come from God. I hope that you will take time this week to step back. Think about whether the latest tools or technological fads are bringing you closer to God and the type of person God wants you to be. Take a break from the ways of the world and invoke the name of the Lord once more. You will be amazed at what a difference that can make.

Prayer: Lord, come into my life and let me know you. Let me love you as you guide me in paths of righteousness and peace. Amen.

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