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In this message we continue our study of the second fall of man. As we have seen in previous messages, in the first fall man ate something wrong. According to our human concept, this was not very serious. When I was a young Christian, I tried to argue with God, asking what was wrong with eating a piece of fruit. I met other Christians who held the same concept. However, if we proceed from Genesis 3 to Genesis 4, we shall see the evil things that issued out of that small seed.
The seed that entered into man in Genesis 3 is called sin by Paul in Romans 7. In Rom. 7:19-20 Paul says, "For the good which I will, I do not; but the evil I do not will, this I practice. But if what I do not will, this I do, it is no longer I that do it but sin that dwells in me." Although most Christians know that Gal. 2:20 says that it is no longer I but Christ who lives in me, not very many pay attention to Romans 7:20 which says that it is no longer I but sin that dwells in me. By Galatians 2:20 we can see that the Christ dwelling in us is a person. Christ, the very embodiment of God, dwells in us as a person. In the same principle, we can say that the sin which dwells in us must also be a living person. I have no doubt that sin is the embodiment of Satan. Christ is the embodiment of God dwelling in our spirit, and sin is the embodiment of Satan dwelling in our flesh. Satan, the evil one, has injected himself into our nature. This occurred in Genesis 3, but the issue of this injection appears in fallen man in Genesis 4.
This evil seed first expressed itself in a religious way, in the way of worshipping God. Can you imagine that the seed of Satan indwelling fallen man would cause him to worship God? Yet, as we have seen, this seed in Cain did cause him to worship God, not according to God's way or according to God's revelation, but according to his concept which was the concept of a fallen man. What is the concept of a fallen man? It is the expression of Satan in man. Never forget the incident recorded in Matt. 16:20-23 in which Peter expressed his concern for the Lord. Peter did not realize that Satan was present in his concept, but the Lord recognized it and called Peter "Satan." Thus, the concept of a fallen man is simply the expression of the indwelling Satan.
In Genesis 4 we see that the evil seed which had been injected into man in Genesis 3 firstly manifested itself in what was apparently a good thing — worshipping God. Never-theless, this chapter shows a further development of the seed: firstly into jealousy, then into anger, hatred, murder, and lies. Cain not only murdered his brother, but also lied to God Himself. Imagine that such a person dared to lie to God! After Cain slew Abel, God came to him in a kind and merciful way. In a sense, God did not come to judge or to execute the sentence of death upon Cain. God inquired of Cain as to where his brother was. This question indicated that the door of repentance was still open. If I had been Cain, I would have said, "Lord, forgive me for killing my brother. I committed such a sinful deed." Under the enlightenment of the gospel, I would have confessed and asked for forgiveness. But listen to Cain's answer: "I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen. 4:9). This answer was a big lie, the first lie in the history of the human race. John 8:44 makes it evident that Cain was not the only one telling the lie, but that the Devil also lied from the beginning. Cain was one with the liar, the Devil. Satan, the Devil, was the liar, and Cain cooperated with him to speak a great lie. The first lie on earth was not spoken to man, but to God. Notice now the development of the seed in Genesis 4: it began with worshipping God and developed into lying to God. Moreover, Cain was arrogant. His words, "Am I my brother's keeper?" show his arrogance. Now we can see to what extent man had fallen. Every evil thing found in Genesis 4 came from the little seed that was injected into man in Genesis 3.
This evil seed remains in our nature. Apparently, you may be gentle, nice, kind, and good; actually, the evil seed of Satan abides in your nature. Thus, we must take the way of salvation revealed by God. The seed of the woman will bruise the head of the serpent, the evil one, who is the source of all evil (Gen. 3:15). The seed of the woman, our Lord Jesus Christ, has bruised the head of the serpent objectively on the cross, and day by day He continues to bruise the serpent's head subjectively within us. Under the covering of the Lord's prevailing blood, I can testify that the indwelling seed of the woman has bruised the serpent's head within me several times today. As long as we do not care for the seed of the woman within us, Satan will still manipulate us. We have no way of escape other than believing that Jesus is the seed of woman who is daily and hourly bruising the head of the evil one within us.
There is no need for us to commit sinful acts in order to be sinful persons. As long as we are human beings, we are sinful. We are sinful by birth. In fact, we were sinful before we were born. Hence, we are a piece of sin. If you ask what I am naturally, I would reply that I am nothing but a piece of sin. I am defiled, polluted, and contaminated. I need the blood of God's Lamb to cleanse me. I need Christ as the seed of the woman to crush the serpent within me. However, if I worship God according to my own concept instead of taking God's way of salvation, I will immediately be under the control of the evil one. Although he may motivate me to worship God, he would, in so doing, take absolute hold of me. After causing me to worship God, he may develop in me to such an extent that I would become a liar and be arrogant in the presence of God. We all must see that the seed of every evil lies within us.
When I was a young Christian, I said, "Since Satan was in Cain and Cain was so evil, why didn't God just get rid of him? If I had been God, I would have sentenced him to death." But God was kind and merciful, leaving open the door of repentance to Cain and to all fallen people.
As a result of man's second fall, God pronounced a greater curse. "And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength" (4:11-12). These words were a warning to Cain. God seemed to be saying, "Since you have done such evil things, the ground will be under a greater curse than it was before. It was cursed because of the fall of your parents and so it brought forth thorns and thistles (3:17-18). Now, because of your further fall, the ground will receive a further curse. It will be cursed to the extent that regardless how much you labor upon it, it will not yield to you its strength."
Moreover, God told Cain that "a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth" (4:12). What is a vagabond? A vagabond, or a wanderer, is a person who has no goal, no home, no satisfaction, and no rest. A vagabond has no dwelling place and no comfort; he continually wanders on the earth, floating from place to place. God told Cain that he would become such a vagabond.
This sentence, however, was a merciful sentence. If, at any time, Cain would have repented and sought God's forgiveness, the Lord would have been happy to forgive him. Suppose Cain had said, "Lord, I was wrong. I didn't take the way that You showed to my parents, the way that my parents told me. Now I repent and take that way. Lord, forgive me." If Cain had prayed in this way, God surely would have forgiven him. But listen to Cain's response to God's merciful sentence. "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 everyone that findeth me shall slay me" (4:14). There is not the slightest hint of repentance. Cain was only bargaining with God, saying that he would be driven out from the face of the earth.
What does it mean to be driven out from the face of the earth? It is difficult for any reader of the Bible to understand this word. What do you think it means? Apparently, Cain was not driven out from the face of the earth. How could he be away from the face of the earth and continue to live? Remember that this word was not spoken by God, for He had only said that Cain would be a fugitive and a vagabond, not that he would be driven away from the face of the earth. Nevertheless, Cain understood God's words in this way, realizing that he was about to be driven out from the face of the earth. What does this mean? I shall answer this question later on in the message.
Cain did not repent. He argued in a fearful way. He was not afraid of God, but of being killed by others. Why did he have this fear? Because he had killed his brother. A number of times Brother Watchman Nee said to me, "If someone thinks that you might steal from him, that person must be a robber. Only a robber is afraid that others will steal from him. If you never steal from others, you will not think that others would steal from you." If you know nothing about robbery, you will never entertain the thought that someone might rob you. However, if you rob others, you will be aware of the danger of being robbed. Cain was afraid of being murdered because he had murdered his brother. Thus, he did not repent, but argued with God, saying, "It shall come to pass, that everyone that findeth me shall slay me." Cain knew that he had no safeguard. However, God was kind. God is always kind according to what we are able to receive. "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" (4:15). We see that God put a mark upon Cain. Do not ask me what this mark was, for I do not know. I only know that God marked Cain as a safeguard to him.
Cain, unrepentant, went his own way. His own way was to depart from the presence of God. "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden" (4:16). Adam was driven out of paradise, out of the garden of Eden, but Cain went away from the presence of God. Although he worshipped God, he eventually left the presence of God. What kind of worship was that? I hate any kind of worship that keeps people from God's presence. Do not say, "What is wrong with the way we are worshipping God?" It is wrong if it keeps you from God's presence. How terrible it is to be a person on this earth without the presence of God.
Now we return to the question we asked about the meaning of being driven out from the face of the earth. If you are a person who does not live in the presence of God, you have no place to live on this earth. The earth was made for the people who live in God's presence. In Genesis 4:14 the face of the earth is equivalent to the face of God. Although the words "face" and "presence" in verses 14 and 16 are translations of the same Hebrew word, the King James Version purposely used the English word "face" in verse 14 in order to match "the face of the earth" with "thy face," meaning the face of God. Cain said, "Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid." Thus, if you do not live in the face of God, you are not rightly living on this earth. If you do not live in the presence of God, you are robbing the earth. The earth was not made for those who are against God; it was created for the people who live for God. Therefore, if you have no standing in the face of God, you have no place on the earth. Hence, to be driven out from the face of God is equivalent to being driven out from the face of the earth. Logically speaking, this may not sound correct, but, spiritually speaking, it is accurate. If you are not in the presence of God, you will have the conviction that you have nowhere to go. You will have the sense deep within that you are a wanderer. You would even say, "There is no place on earth for me." However, when you are in the presence of God, every place is heaven. Every place is so pleasant. No one who lives in the presence of God would ever commit suicide. Only those who have lost God's presence to the uttermost and who have become vagabonds on the earth, people without a dwelling place, contemplate suicide. Our real dwelling place is the presence of God.
During World War II, because of my work for the church, I was put into prison by the Japanese army which had invaded China. Everything in that prison was dirty. That imprisonment was a real suffering to me. But the Lord was there, and I was in His presence. Never have I enjoyed the Lord's presence as much as during that period of imprisonment. One night I had a thorough dealing with the Lord. According to my sensation, it seemed as if the Lord were in front of me. My tears came down, and I said, "Lord, it is too good." That was my experience in prison. That prison became the heavens to me, and I dwelt with the Lord in the heavens.
Cain left the presence of God and went his own way. The first thing he did was to build a city. He produced a culture without God (4:16-24). In the Bible the concept of a city is very significant, and it is possible to trace a line of cities throughout the Scriptures, beginning with Enoch, a city built by Cain, and ending with the New Jerusalem, a city built by God. The city constructed by Cain will consummate in the Great Babylon. The city of Enoch was a counterfeit of God's building. It was not of God, but was initiated by Satan within Cain.
We must realize the source of human culture and the reason for its development. Human culture developed because humanity had lost God. Originally, God, the Creator of man, was everything to man. God was man's protection, maintenance, supply, joy, amusement, and defense. God was everything. In the garden, man had no need to do anything except to till the ground to cooperate with God. God was everything to man in the garden. However, when man lost God, he lost everything. He lost protection, safeguard, maintenance, supply, and amusement. This loss of God forced him to invent human culture. Because man had lost everything, he had to invent something.
Satan, working from within Cain, suggested to him that he build a city. Perhaps Satan said, "Cain, you are afraid that people will kill you. For your existence you need a city to protect you." Because he lost God, Cain was afraid. He had lost God as his supply, joy, and defense. The main purpose for cities in ancient times was for protection. Hence, Cain constructed such a city for his self-protection. In a godless culture people are forced to fend for themselves. Cain did not name the city Jehovah, but Enoch, after the name of his son. He gave the same name to his son and to his city, for, in a sense, his city was his child and he loved it as he loved his own son. It is very meaningful to note that the name Enoch means "initiated," referring to something initiated by Cain. Cain was the first city builder, the first city planner, and the first architect. Cain was an inventor, an initiator. However, the first item of his invention was not the city; it was religion. Firstly, he invented religion; secondly, he invented city building.
One of Cain's descendants was Lamech. The name Lamech in Hebrew means "strong," "powerful." Lamech, the seventh human generation, was a powerful person. Having two wives, he practiced polygamy (4:19). Thus, polygamy began in the city of Enoch in the land of Nod, which means "wandering." Lamech practiced polygamy in order to fulfill his lusts. Polygamy is a violation of the natural law ordained by God for man's existence. Marriage is necessary for human existence. However, marriage must be limited according to the principle of one wife for one husband. This principle was ordained by God to maintain human existence. Lamech was the first to break the divine principle in marriage. The first of his two wives was named Adah, which means "adornment." She was one who adorned and beautified herself. Adah was a wife of adornment. By having these two wives, Lamech's lust was exposed. One day Lamech boasted to his wives. "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" (4:23-24). Lamech was even more arrogant than his forefather Cain, boasting that he had slain a man for wounding him and had killed a young man for hurting him. Thus, Lamech was not only a polygamist, but was a murderer and an arrogant boaster. By reading this short portion of the Word we can see how dreadful was the first human culture, a culture without God. All these evil things must have occurred in the city of Enoch built by Cain. This may be called the city life, which was as evil as the life in the big cities today.
Adah, Lamech's first wife, bore Jabal and Jubal. Jabal was the father of cattle-raising (4:20). He invented cattle-raising for the purpose of making a living. He became a nomad, wandering from place to place, because he had no land that would yield to him its strength. No one in the United States is willing to be a nomad, because the land in this country is very fertile. Thus, there is no need for anyone here to be a nomad. However, Jabal found that the land would not yield its strength to him. This forced him to be a wanderer and to keep cattle that he might make a living. The matter of making a living for one's self is a main aspect of man's culture. The city was invented for man's existence, and cattle-raising was invented for man's living.
Jubal invented music (4:21). He invented harps and pipes. In fact, the very name Jubal means "jubilee" or "a joyful sound" or "music." What is music? Music is a type of amusment which makes people joyful. Why does man need such amusement? Because he has lost God as his joy. God is man's true enjoyment. A number of times in the past when my friends invited me to attend the movies with them, I said to them, "I don't need that. I have something much better than your movie." I don't even need to watch television, for I have a heavenly television. Everything in the New Jerusalem has been televised to me. I can never forget an experience I had when visiting the city of Houston. A friend was taking me on a tour of the city. However, I told him, "As long as I have seen the New Jerusalem, I don't need to see any earthly city." I am not speaking nonsense. I really mean it.
One day, in the year 1937, I was preaching the gospel in the capital city of Nanking. It was a good time of preaching, and the gospel was prevailing. After one of the meetings, a smart young lady, dressed in a very worldly and fashionable way, came to me and said, "Mr. Lee, I have been convinced by your preaching. I would even decide to believe in your Jesus. But this decision depends upon one thing. I am a lover of the theater. Tell me, after becoming a Christian, will I still be allowed to attend the theater?" That question bothered me a great deal. I realized that she was convinced and that she was willing to believe in the Lord Jesus. However, if I answered her question in a negative way, she would not decide for the Lord. Nevertheless, as a gospel preacher, how could I answer her in the affirmative? As I was considering the way to answer her, I looked to the Lord for a wise reply, and He gave me one. I said to this young lady, "You have your young son with you. Suppose that one day he plays with a sharp knife, and you feel that it is dangerous for him to do this. How would you deal with him? Would you force him to drop the knife, or would you grab the knife out of his hand?" She said, "No, I would simply throw some candies or apples on the floor. I'm sure that he would drop the knife and pick up the candies and apples. The knife would be gone because his hands would be filled with better things." Then I said, "It is exactly the same with you in attending the theater. If you will take Jesus, He will fill you up, and you will have no capacity for anything else." She said, "Marvelous, I will believe." Then I told her, "You must do it now." She replied, "Yes, I will do it now. I believe in the Lord Jesus." She was saved.
Why do people attend the movies and go dancing? Because they are empty. They do not have God as their joy. The reason I do not attend the movies is not because the church has a regulation against it. The church does not have a list of commandments against such things. However, although there is no such prohibition, I would not attend a movie even if you paid me thousands of dollars to do it. I have something better. I am filled with Christ and I have no capacity for anything else.
Jubal invented music because, at that time, man was empty. He was in vanity, and nothing could satisfy him. Since nothing could amuse him, he had to devise some amusement for himself. The principle is the same with every kind of entertainment today. People need entertainment because they do not have God.
Some of you are familiar with the story of the Welsh Revival which occurred approximately seventy years ago. During that time, in the whole island of Wales, all the theaters and amusement places were closed because all the people were saved. They had something better than worldly entertainment. They had Christ.
Lamech fulfilled his lusts, and Adah adorned and beautified herself with ornaments. Of these two parents Jubal, the inventor of music, was born. Here we see a family composed of lust, adornment, and amusement. What a family it was! Many families today are the same: the fathers fulfill their lusts, the mothers care for their dress and adornment, and the children pursue amusement. Is not this the modern family?
In Genesis 4 we can see two families in opposition to one another. Adam's family was a gospel-believing family. The father cut the way of believing in the gospel, the mother paved the way, and the son, Abel, walked on this way. But Lamech's family was a world-pursuing family. The father fulfilled the lusts, the mother cared for adornment, and the son, Jubal, pursued amusement. What a contrast! I do not like to be a member of Lamech's family. Praise the Lord, we are members of the gospel-believing family!
The seed sown in Genesis 4 will continue to develop until it becomes a harvest in the Great Babylon. Revelation 18 enumerates many items of merchandise, all of which are for three things — to fulfill lusts, to adorn people, and to amuse people. If you remove these things from human society, all of the department stores will be closed. What do department stores sell? They sell things for the gratification of man's lust, for the adornment of women, and for the amusement of young people. This is the reason that whenever I enter a department store I have the deep conviction that I am going into hell. My wife can testify that for over three years I have not gone into one department store. Thus, modern society is an enlargement of the record in Genesis 4. The principle of each item remains exactly the same.
Zillah, Lamech's other wife, brought forth Tubal-cain, who was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" (4:22), meaning that he was the inventor of weaponry. The weapons he produced were for the purpose of killing others. The modern arsenal is the full harvest of the weapons found in Genesis 4. All these weapons are, of course, for man's defense.
The name Zillah means "a shade," a "covering." What kind of covering does this refer to? The covering by weapons. One of Lamech's wives was for adornment, and the other was for a covering, a shadowing. She was used as a shade to cover him.
Thus, we see four items invented by the first human culture, a culture without God: a city for existence, cattle-raising for making a living, music for amusement, and weapons for defense. These four items are also the main aspects of modern human culture. They all came into being because man lost God.
If you analyze the present world situation in the light of history, you will discover that it is simply a further development of the human culture devised in Genesis 4. The present world situation, like the culture invented in Genesis 4, is composed of four elements: cities for man's existence, various means of earning a living, amusements, and defense.
A godless culture began to develop in Genesis 4 and will continue to develop until it climaxes in the Great Babylon. We thank the Lord that we are not in that culture.
We have seen that man has produced a culture without God. The issue of this culture is the fulfilling of lust, the committing of adultery, and the fighting against and slaying of one another. We have found both of these exemplified in the person of Lamech. Thus, we see from the holy Word that the small seed injected into human nature in Genesis 3 has developed to such a degree. To all the evils of Cain were added the fulfilling of lust and the fighting amongst the human race. How many evils have developed from the one small seed sown into human nature!
Zillah not only gave birth to Tubal-cain, but also to a daughter named Naamah (4:22). The name Naamah means "making herself lovely and pleasant." For what purpose did she make herself attractive? For the sake of man's lust. This also is an aspect of modern society. The young ladies are fond of making themselves pleasant and lovely. Hence, every item of contemporary culture, in seed form, was present in Genesis 4. Now we know the source of human culture. It came into being because man lost God.
If you read Genesis 5, you will discover that it lists the ages of all the people that it names. It tells us, for example, that Adam lived nine hundred thirty years. However, the genealogy in Genesis 4 does not list the years of any person. Why? Because this genealogy is the genealogy of the lost. All the persons in Genesis 5 were saved. Hence, that genealogy is the genealogy of the saved. The saved persons walk in the way of God and, as a result, their days and years are reckoned in His eyes. The lost people, on the contrary, are finished in His sight, and their days and years are not counted before Him. How long did Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain live? No one knows. But we are told clearly how long Adam and Methuselah lived — nine hundred thirty years and nine hundred sixty-nine years respectively. Genesis 5 also speaks of Enoch — a different Enoch from that found in Genesis 4 — telling us that he lived three hundred sixty-five years. His days and years were reckoned in the eyes of God.
