At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.
Genesis 4:26
Genesis is full of stories that we remember from our childhood Sunday school classes, but these very stories are applicable to our lives today, too. In Genesis, the Bible records that Adam had three sons: Cain, Abel and Seth. After Cain kills his brother Abel, he is banished from the family and forced to wander the earth.
Genesis 4:17-24 records the life of Cain after he was banished from the garden. Genesis describes Cain’s descendents – and their accomplishments. On the surface they are very successful. They build cities, create music, have businesses, and invent tools. One descendant named Lamech brags to his wives about killing a man and writes a poem about it. What kind of legacy did Cain leave?
After the birth of his younger brother Seth, the Bible records that “At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.” Chapter 5 is a long account of the descendants of Seth. Their names and life spans are listed, but very few other details are given unlike with Cain’s descendants. On the surface you may be tempted to skip over the whole thing and I used to wonder why God would include this family history in the Bible. I have learned there are lots of reasons, and here’s a big one – to show that God cares about individuals. He knows our names, and He counts the days of our lives. God knew each of these men, and He recorded their life spans in the Bible.
So, let’s compare families: Cain’s descendants vs. Seth’s descendants. What made the difference? Their relationship with God. Remember Cain went out of the presence of God after he killed Abel, while Seth’s descendants called on the name of the Lord. Cain’s family accomplished much by worldly standards, Seth’s family did not. The Bible never mentions Cain or his descendants calling on God, but Seth’s descendants became the Jewish nation and their family tree includes Jesus.
Our relationship with God affects more than ourselves. It affects our families. As Father’s Day approaches, think back on your family legacy. What kind of legacy did you inherit? One of worldly success or one of godly success? If you weren’t raised in a godly family does that mean you are out of luck? No! You have the opportunity today to choose to live for God and call on His name like Seth’s descendants. Cain and Seth had the same father and made very different choices in their lives.
This Father’s Day weekend, call your dad and tell him you love him. If it was a godly legacy, thank him for it. If it wasn’t a godly legacy, today is your chance to change that and begin calling on the
name of the Lord.
