LAMECH
1 John 3:12
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
Lamech was the great great great grandson of Cain, the world’s first murderer. We don’t know much about him, but what little we do know is not good. We know, for example, that he took two wives, despite the fact that the created order of things was for there to be one man and one woman in a marriage. We also read that he had four children, three of whom were significant pioneers in culture, as the world’s first nomadic herdsman, musician, and metallurgist.
The other notable thing about Lamech was his boastful threat. In Genesis 4:23-24, we read:
Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”
When God sent Cain away, after his murder of his brother Abel, Cain was anxious that people might kill him. So God decreed that anyone who killed Cain would suffer vengeance sevenfold. That is God’s prerogative. At first hearing, Lamech’s boast seems to be similar. However, the difference is that Lamech decided on this path of vengeance himself; it was not mandated by God. Moreover, it was disproportionate, because Cain was a murderer, whereas Lamech sought to kill people who had merely harmed him in some way.
Lamech took on to himself attributes which belonged rightly to God. Lamech’s boast is an example of how people are prepared to twist God’s words, in order to suit matters for themselves.
We see, Lord God, how so many want to set themselves up as little gods, and take on to themselves attributes which belong to You. Please make us humble, and obedient, that we might seek to do only Your will. Amen.
Taylor, P.F. (2007), The Six Days of Genesis, (Green Forest, AR: Master Books)
Image: Phillip Medhurst, Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported
1 John 3:12
We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous.
Lamech was the great great great grandson of Cain, the world’s first murderer. We don’t know much about him, but what little we do know is not good. We know, for example, that he took two wives, despite the fact that the created order of things was for there to be one man and one woman in a marriage. We also read that he had four children, three of whom were significant pioneers in culture, as the world’s first nomadic herdsman, musician, and metallurgist.
The other notable thing about Lamech was his boastful threat. In Genesis 4:23-24, we read:
Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”
When God sent Cain away, after his murder of his brother Abel, Cain was anxious that people might kill him. So God decreed that anyone who killed Cain would suffer vengeance sevenfold. That is God’s prerogative. At first hearing, Lamech’s boast seems to be similar. However, the difference is that Lamech decided on this path of vengeance himself; it was not mandated by God. Moreover, it was disproportionate, because Cain was a murderer, whereas Lamech sought to kill people who had merely harmed him in some way.
Lamech took on to himself attributes which belonged rightly to God. Lamech’s boast is an example of how people are prepared to twist God’s words, in order to suit matters for themselves.
We see, Lord God, how so many want to set themselves up as little gods, and take on to themselves attributes which belong to You. Please make us humble, and obedient, that we might seek to do only Your will. Amen.
Taylor, P.F. (2007), The Six Days of Genesis, (Green Forest, AR: Master Books)
Image: Phillip Medhurst, Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 3.0 Unported
A LESSON FROM AN HOURGLASS
Genesis 5:5,8
Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died….Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died….
Calculating the age of the earth, from empirical data, requires presuppositions. The scientists, who calculate the age of rocks using, for example, uranium-lead dating, are intelligent people, and completely capable of performing careful experiments. Their care, coupled with their technology, means that they make highly accurate measurements of the amounts of uranium and lead. But these measurements do not directly give us the age of the rock. In order to calculate the age, we must make three assumptions:
1. That there was no lead in the original rock.
2. That no lead was either added to or removed from the rock at any time.
3. That the half-life of uranium has never changed. The half-life gives us a handle on the rate of change of uranium to lead.
Imagine you find an hourglass on a desk. In order to calculate how long the hourglass has been running, you might measure the amounts of sand in the upper and lower chambers, and the rate at which the sand is flowing. Using this data, you could confidently calculate how long ago the hourglass was set up. But you do not know if all the sand was in the top to start with, and you do not know if the glass was shaken to speed up the rate of flow. Different assumptions give you a different answer, so the only reliable way to know the age of the earth is to use the information God gave us in the Bible.
Our thoughts are lower than Your thoughts, Lord. Help us to remember that You have given us so much information in Your word. May we not consider that we know better than Your word. Amen.
Taylor, P.F. (2015), The Biblical Age of the Earth, (Toutle, WA: J6D Publications)
Genesis 5:5,8
Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died….Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died….
Calculating the age of the earth, from empirical data, requires presuppositions. The scientists, who calculate the age of rocks using, for example, uranium-lead dating, are intelligent people, and completely capable of performing careful experiments. Their care, coupled with their technology, means that they make highly accurate measurements of the amounts of uranium and lead. But these measurements do not directly give us the age of the rock. In order to calculate the age, we must make three assumptions:
1. That there was no lead in the original rock.
2. That no lead was either added to or removed from the rock at any time.
3. That the half-life of uranium has never changed. The half-life gives us a handle on the rate of change of uranium to lead.
Imagine you find an hourglass on a desk. In order to calculate how long the hourglass has been running, you might measure the amounts of sand in the upper and lower chambers, and the rate at which the sand is flowing. Using this data, you could confidently calculate how long ago the hourglass was set up. But you do not know if all the sand was in the top to start with, and you do not know if the glass was shaken to speed up the rate of flow. Different assumptions give you a different answer, so the only reliable way to know the age of the earth is to use the information God gave us in the Bible.
Our thoughts are lower than Your thoughts, Lord. Help us to remember that You have given us so much information in Your word. May we not consider that we know better than Your word. Amen.
Taylor, P.F. (2015), The Biblical Age of the Earth, (Toutle, WA: J6D Publications)
THE WORLD BEFORE THE FLOOD
Genesis 4:20-22
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
What was the world like before the Flood? It is almost impossible to say. We know, from Genesis 6:5 that �the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.� Even so, we know that there were some people who worshiped the Lord�probably descendants of Adam�s son Seth (Genesis 4:26). We are also given a tiny insight into this unusual family of Lamech, the murderous, polygamous descendant of Cain. Lamech had four children, three of which (all sons) had important cultural implications.
- Jabal was the first of all nomadic hunters and herdsmen. Humanity did not have God�s permission to eat meat, until after the Flood. If Jabal was catching and rearing animals for food, as I suspect he was, then he was breaking God�s specific command on this matter.
- Jubal was a musician. He was the first to play on the �lyre and pipe�. This probably represents all stringed and wind instruments. Although many passages in the Bible extol the virtues and usefulness of music, especially when praising God, the presence of music in this wicked family reminds us that often today, music is used for evil.
- Tubal-Cain was the first person to work metals, such as bronze and iron.
These three pieces of technology combined do not tell us a great deal, but they do suggest that there was a considerable amount of technology before the Flood. Perhaps legends about a �lost Atlantis� are true, to the extent that there was a land lost beneath the Floodwaters; but it was an entire world, not just a mythical continent.
Heavenly Father, we look at the account of the world before the Flood with solemnity, knowing that our society too has neglected the things of God. We pray that You will keep us faithful to Your word in all our dealings with society. Amen.
Genesis 4:20-22
And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ. And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
What was the world like before the Flood? It is almost impossible to say. We know, from Genesis 6:5 that �the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.� Even so, we know that there were some people who worshiped the Lord�probably descendants of Adam�s son Seth (Genesis 4:26). We are also given a tiny insight into this unusual family of Lamech, the murderous, polygamous descendant of Cain. Lamech had four children, three of which (all sons) had important cultural implications.
- Jabal was the first of all nomadic hunters and herdsmen. Humanity did not have God�s permission to eat meat, until after the Flood. If Jabal was catching and rearing animals for food, as I suspect he was, then he was breaking God�s specific command on this matter.
- Jubal was a musician. He was the first to play on the �lyre and pipe�. This probably represents all stringed and wind instruments. Although many passages in the Bible extol the virtues and usefulness of music, especially when praising God, the presence of music in this wicked family reminds us that often today, music is used for evil.
- Tubal-Cain was the first person to work metals, such as bronze and iron.
These three pieces of technology combined do not tell us a great deal, but they do suggest that there was a considerable amount of technology before the Flood. Perhaps legends about a �lost Atlantis� are true, to the extent that there was a land lost beneath the Floodwaters; but it was an entire world, not just a mythical continent.
Heavenly Father, we look at the account of the world before the Flood with solemnity, knowing that our society too has neglected the things of God. We pray that You will keep us faithful to Your word in all our dealings with society. Amen.
CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE BIBLE
Genesis 8:21-22
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
When I was a boy, Summers were brighter and warmer than they are today. In Winter, we always had snowfalls, that made the place look pretty on Christmas Day, but the snow did not last long enough to cause damage. Before we knew it, the snowdrops and daffodils were announcing Spring.
Of course, it wasn�t really like that. Our memories sometimes play tricks on us, regarding the climate, but over the last 130 years or so, scientists have systematically measured different facets of the weather, and recorded them. It has become popular to note that the world�s average temperature, however that may be measured, is getting warmer. Or is it colder? Or is it just changing? No, it�s getting warmer.
Given that modern records began, as the world was emerging from the so-called Little Ice Age, it is undeniable that the average global temperature has increased during that time. Whether or not Global Warming occurs is not really the issue. The issue is two-fold: 1. Is the amount of warming really serious and 2. Has this warming been caused by human activity.
To answer just the first of these for now: the concern is that our climate will be catastrophically, and irreversibly changed, from the traditional seasons that we enjoy. However, in Genesis 8:22, God tells us: �While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.� While not denying human responsibility to look after the creation, in which God has placed us, we need to trust God�s word, rather than that of people.
Lord Jesus, thank You that You control even the weather. When You were on Earth, it was remarked that �even the wind and waves obey Him�. We worship the great, the only true God. Amen.
Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author
Genesis 8:21-22
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
When I was a boy, Summers were brighter and warmer than they are today. In Winter, we always had snowfalls, that made the place look pretty on Christmas Day, but the snow did not last long enough to cause damage. Before we knew it, the snowdrops and daffodils were announcing Spring.
Of course, it wasn�t really like that. Our memories sometimes play tricks on us, regarding the climate, but over the last 130 years or so, scientists have systematically measured different facets of the weather, and recorded them. It has become popular to note that the world�s average temperature, however that may be measured, is getting warmer. Or is it colder? Or is it just changing? No, it�s getting warmer.
Given that modern records began, as the world was emerging from the so-called Little Ice Age, it is undeniable that the average global temperature has increased during that time. Whether or not Global Warming occurs is not really the issue. The issue is two-fold: 1. Is the amount of warming really serious and 2. Has this warming been caused by human activity.
To answer just the first of these for now: the concern is that our climate will be catastrophically, and irreversibly changed, from the traditional seasons that we enjoy. However, in Genesis 8:22, God tells us: �While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.� While not denying human responsibility to look after the creation, in which God has placed us, we need to trust God�s word, rather than that of people.
Lord Jesus, thank You that You control even the weather. When You were on Earth, it was remarked that �even the wind and waves obey Him�. We worship the great, the only true God. Amen.
Image: Adobe Stock Images, licensed to author
DOES GLOBAL WARMING CAUSE ANIMALS TO SHRINK?
Genesis 8:21-22
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
A recent science article in London�s Telegraph newspaper stated:
Animals could start shrinking because of global warming, scientists have predicted, after discovering that mammals became �dwarfed� in a similar episode of climate change 50 million years ago.
There are so many problematic assumptions behind that sentence, many of which are not even addressed in the article.
�Animals could start shrinking� scientists have predicted� says the article. But a statement of what could happen is not really a prediction. It is an assumption. The article states that this shrinkage could be because of global warming. Of course, the implication of the text is that this warming is anthropogenic global warming; that is, caused by human activity. However, this is to assume that the phenomenon of anthropogenic global warming is established science. It is not.
The evidence offered for this prediction of dwarfing is that it supposedly happened before, 50 million years ago. This dating is based on the level of the layer, in which a particular fossil was discovered. Leaving aside, for a moment, our beef with this form of dating, we note that the fossil was of an animal claimed by evolutionists to be an ancestor of the horse, appearing to be smaller than the average horse. But this is one fossil. Could it simply be that this was a small example of the creature? Could it have been something other than a horse? And to what modern horse are they comparing sizes?
Evolution spins an entertaining story. For the truth of what happened in the past, we need divine revelation, and that is what we have in His inspired word, the Bible.
Father God, we thank You that we have the truth about how this world came to be, because You have revealed it to us in Your word. Amen.
Genesis 8:21-22
And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.
A recent science article in London�s Telegraph newspaper stated:
Animals could start shrinking because of global warming, scientists have predicted, after discovering that mammals became �dwarfed� in a similar episode of climate change 50 million years ago.
There are so many problematic assumptions behind that sentence, many of which are not even addressed in the article.
�Animals could start shrinking� scientists have predicted� says the article. But a statement of what could happen is not really a prediction. It is an assumption. The article states that this shrinkage could be because of global warming. Of course, the implication of the text is that this warming is anthropogenic global warming; that is, caused by human activity. However, this is to assume that the phenomenon of anthropogenic global warming is established science. It is not.
The evidence offered for this prediction of dwarfing is that it supposedly happened before, 50 million years ago. This dating is based on the level of the layer, in which a particular fossil was discovered. Leaving aside, for a moment, our beef with this form of dating, we note that the fossil was of an animal claimed by evolutionists to be an ancestor of the horse, appearing to be smaller than the average horse. But this is one fossil. Could it simply be that this was a small example of the creature? Could it have been something other than a horse? And to what modern horse are they comparing sizes?
Evolution spins an entertaining story. For the truth of what happened in the past, we need divine revelation, and that is what we have in His inspired word, the Bible.
Father God, we thank You that we have the truth about how this world came to be, because You have revealed it to us in Your word. Amen.
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