4. THE FAMILY OF ADAM AND EVE Gen.4:13-5:6
BACKGROUND INFORMATION: It is said in the Hebrews something important about Abel: You have come to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does (Hebr.12:24).
What does the blood of Abel preach to us? What does the blood of Jesus preach to us?
4:13-16
What do you think about the answer Cain gave to God’s curse – what does it show of him and his relation to God (13-14)?
How can we see that God still loves Cain?
Consider various possibilities, what may have been the mark on Cain.
What do we know about the place where Cain settled to live?
4:17-24
What general observations can you make about the family of Cain?
Which parts of human culture originate from Cain’s family?
Compare verses 15 and 23-24 and think what kind of function did “the concept of revenge” have in Cain’s family?
How does the way of thinking in Cain’s family resemble the entertainment culture of our day/ the old samurai culture in Japan?
25-26. Remember that human beings became mortals only after the fall.
What gave Adam and Eve the strength to bear the consequences of their sins, when one son killed the other, and fled the country afterwards?
What did the parents think about their own fall at this point?
Adam and Eve had to live for many years only two of them; Seth was born when they were 130 years old (5:3). What do you think was their hope and comfort during that long time?
What could be the hope and comfort for the parents of our own day when they see their shortcomings and sins as parents?
What did the birth of Seth mean for his parents? Think of as many things as possible.
Verse 26b is thought to mark the beginning of regular worship on earth. Why did Adam and Eve start is now, not before and not after?
5:1-6
What does it mean that Adam was created in the likeness of God, but Seth was fathered in the likeness of Adam (1,3)?
Where did Cain and Seth get wives?
What might be the reason for the first people living into such old age?
In your opinion, was the life of Adam and Eve happy or unhappy? Give your reasons.
1.Cor.15:45-49. In these verses Jesus called the second Adam/ the last Adam.
What did God need another Adam for?
In what ways is Jesus like the first Adam, in what ways is he different from him?
In what ways are we all like the first Adam?
Why did the second Adam have to die on the cross?
When will we become like the second Adam?
The summary question:
Think all these four studies and answer the following question: What was the most important thing you learned about the first family on earth?
THE GOSPEL: Jesus made a completely new start in the history of mankind. He became another Adam, overcoming Satan’s temptations and resisting a fall into sin. Yet he agreed to suffer the punishment that the first family on earth deserved and as your family deserves.
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