The Discovery of Genesis by C. H. Kang, Ethel R. Nelson
Authors: C. H. Kang, Ethel R. Nelson
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to him, ‘Not so! …’ And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who came upon him should kill him” (Genesis 4:12–15). The Lord showed Cain unmerited mercy — even though Cain, the older brother, was destined to be a vagrant, God promised him protection.
In the Chinese culture the elder brother is shown regard by using the respectful address elder brother , rather than calling him by name. He was literally the spokes man , and important representative for the family, as shown by this character. A similar characterhas the same pronounciation in the Chinese but means cruel, fierce, violent, or inhuman and is used in reference to killing. The figure itself shows a mark on the body, even as Cain, the original elder brother and the first cruel and passionate murderer had been marked by God. In the Chinese writingis used in many words to donote killing or cutting. Therefore this mark on the elder brother was very significant in designating him as a murderer. In past years, criminals in China were tattooed on the cheeks or forehead so that for the rest of their lives they would be recognized as outcasts from society. This custom could well have been derived from a knowledge of the ancient story of Cain. It is also surmised that by the broken mouth he was no longer regarded as the spokesman for the family.
“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him’” (Genesis 4:25). God’s original command to Adam and Eve was that they be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). After this, during their long lifetimes of nearly 1,000 years, in the perfection of newly created mankind, the time of childbearing for the women doubtless continued for hundreds of years, instead of the approximate 30 year fertile period of women today. The world was consequently rapidly populated and a fantastic population explosion resulted. The word posterity, descendants, afterwards depicts the first couple with something small, tender (a baby), following, one after another . They begat posterity afterwards, one after another.
Cain afterward built the world’s first city. “Cain knew his wife [his sister], and she conceived and bore Enoch, and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch” (Genesis 4:17). In the fifth generation of Cain’s descendants, the Bible records a man who was not only a polygamist but also a murderer. Thus the earth, very early, became divided into two factions. The wicked descendants of Cain arrogantly despised and rejected God. But the line of Seth were God-fearing. Of them it is written, “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26).
This term, “to call upon the name of the Lord,” is very significant and has been used in a special way throughout the Bible to indicate those seeking godliness. 1 n the Old Testament it was closely connected with the sacrificial services initiated at the time when God first provided garments of skins and expelled Adam and Eve from their garden home. Often the supplicant was rewarded by the manifestation of fire from heaven consuming the offering. 4
The sheep was the first sacrificial animal to be specified, and as previously mentioned, represented the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the promised Seed of the woman, who was to come in the line of the faithful descendants of Seth. The Chinese and the Hebrews, who were to come years later as the descendants of Abraham, presented these specific animal offerings to one Supreme God. 5 For the Hebrews this God was Elohim, Yahweh , or Shaddai. His appellation by the Chinese was ShangTi , meaning very literally, the emperor above . Note the interesting phonetic similarities between ShangTi (also pronounced ShangDai in some dialects) and
In the Chinese culture the elder brother is shown regard by using the respectful address elder brother , rather than calling him by name. He was literally the spokes man , and important representative for the family, as shown by this character. A similar characterhas the same pronounciation in the Chinese but means cruel, fierce, violent, or inhuman and is used in reference to killing. The figure itself shows a mark on the body, even as Cain, the original elder brother and the first cruel and passionate murderer had been marked by God. In the Chinese writingis used in many words to donote killing or cutting. Therefore this mark on the elder brother was very significant in designating him as a murderer. In past years, criminals in China were tattooed on the cheeks or forehead so that for the rest of their lives they would be recognized as outcasts from society. This custom could well have been derived from a knowledge of the ancient story of Cain. It is also surmised that by the broken mouth he was no longer regarded as the spokesman for the family.
“And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, ‘God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, for Cain slew him’” (Genesis 4:25). God’s original command to Adam and Eve was that they be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1:28). After this, during their long lifetimes of nearly 1,000 years, in the perfection of newly created mankind, the time of childbearing for the women doubtless continued for hundreds of years, instead of the approximate 30 year fertile period of women today. The world was consequently rapidly populated and a fantastic population explosion resulted. The word posterity, descendants, afterwards depicts the first couple with something small, tender (a baby), following, one after another . They begat posterity afterwards, one after another.
Cain afterward built the world’s first city. “Cain knew his wife [his sister], and she conceived and bore Enoch, and he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch” (Genesis 4:17). In the fifth generation of Cain’s descendants, the Bible records a man who was not only a polygamist but also a murderer. Thus the earth, very early, became divided into two factions. The wicked descendants of Cain arrogantly despised and rejected God. But the line of Seth were God-fearing. Of them it is written, “To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26).
This term, “to call upon the name of the Lord,” is very significant and has been used in a special way throughout the Bible to indicate those seeking godliness. 1 n the Old Testament it was closely connected with the sacrificial services initiated at the time when God first provided garments of skins and expelled Adam and Eve from their garden home. Often the supplicant was rewarded by the manifestation of fire from heaven consuming the offering. 4
The sheep was the first sacrificial animal to be specified, and as previously mentioned, represented the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, the promised Seed of the woman, who was to come in the line of the faithful descendants of Seth. The Chinese and the Hebrews, who were to come years later as the descendants of Abraham, presented these specific animal offerings to one Supreme God. 5 For the Hebrews this God was Elohim, Yahweh , or Shaddai. His appellation by the Chinese was ShangTi , meaning very literally, the emperor above . Note the interesting phonetic similarities between ShangTi (also pronounced ShangDai in some dialects) and
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