Fear No Fear

(All scripture from the World English Bible, ebible.org, all rights reserved)

“The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.” Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.“
(Genesis 4:1-2)

Here we see the beginning of the fulfillment of Adam’s prophetic naming of Eve as the mother of all humanity. This is the beginning of the trek that started with a family of four and has given us BILLIONS. Note that because of the culture at the time of the writing of this book, the legal authority came through the male line and so the males only are listed by name. BUT Adam and Eve had more sons AND daughters as well – they’re simply not listed by name (Genesis 5:4).

Here Eve uses the proper name of God for the first time. She is also the first human being recorded as mentioning God period (Genesis 3:3). Adam talks TO God, but it is Eve who frequently talks ABOUT God.

In the same sense that Adam and Eve had an intimate, experiential relationship that resulted in another life being brought into the world; Jesus taught that an intimate, experiential relationship with God is what eternal life really is (John 17:3). Just like Adam and Eve were blaming each other in the garden but now reconcile and come together, we too can put away our pasts in Jesus and come together in Him with salvation. As Eve was a co-labourer with God in birthing this child, so we are co-labourers with God in birthing the Father’s will here on Earth (1 Corinthians 3:9).

Childbirth is certainly a natural process, but it was a natural process set in place by God and touched in a special way by Him. Scientists have literally recorded the moment that life sparks in an egg (Flash of Light). God IS Light and from Him comes all things (Romans 11:36). From the very moment of conception we are human beings, made in His image and likeness, able to engage with relationship with Him – and all because He gifted us with the Breath of Lives way back when (Genesis 2:7). Eve – and all women – did a wonderful thing in birthing that child, and she did so because of God. That’s why she chose the name Cain. It means to acquire – often in the sense of acquiring a spouse, which Eve did with Adam. Interestingly, the name Abel means mist or vapour – a transient substance. Note that it was Eve who named and recorded the names of the children. Adam had named the living creatures, but here we see Eve being the perfect helpmate and taking up the responsibility of naming alongside him.

Everyone was very interested in this first son, Cain. Perhaps he was the seed who would bruise the head of the devil? The devil certainly felt it was a possibility because he seems to have gone to work on Cain quite heavily. The devil ALWAYS wants to see us fail, but we have the ability to stand on God’s Word and refuse to choose sin (Genesis 4:7; James 4:7). It’s always all about who we put in the primary place in our lives. Who we choose to believe and who we choose to obey.

Adam was a farmer and Cain followed in his footsteps. Abel domesticated and took care of sheep. We don’t know how long Adam and Eve went before the first pregnancy or how long it was before this verse when the boys are in their possessions. But Adam’s next child – after this narrative – happened when he was one hundred and thirty years old (130). So this part of their lives occurred sometime during the first century or so of their time outside of the garden (up to 129 years since it takes nine months to gestate and birth a child).

The sage Steinsaltz writes about these verses: ‘She continued to give birth to his brother, who was called Abel. In contrast to Cain, no reason is given for the choice of Abel’s name. Many explain that the name alludes to Abel’s sad demise; like hevel, vapor, nothing was left of him. His name can also be interpreted in a positive manner, as a reference to a breath of wind, as if the birth of Abel revealed something of a spiritual nature. If so, this passage touches on the foundations of human existence: The first child, Cain, sparked amazement at the birth process itself, whereas the second child, Abel, revealed the wonder of diversity, which is inherent in the human spirit. Although mankind would eventually become accustomed to these marvels, for Adam and Eve the fact that such diverse children could emerge from the same parents was truly remarkable. It is unknown how these two children differed from one another at birth, although the differences between them eventually manifested themselves in behavior: Abel was a shepherd; he would milk the sheep and shear their wool, but he did not eat their meat; and Cain was a cultivator of the ground.‘