Messages 24, 25, and 26 of the Life-Study of Genesis continue to cover the second fall of man. Two main things are covered in these messages: the result of the second fall and the way to escape the second fall.
The result of the second fall of man was an even greater curse than Adam experienced. Now, the ground was under an even greater curse in that it would no longer yield its strength. Also, Cain became a vagabond, a wanderer, a person with no goal, no home, no satisfaction, and no rest.
When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. (Gen. 4:12)
Cain went his own way in which he departed from the presence of God. Earlier in chapter four, Cain worshiped God according to his own concept, but his way of worshiping God kept him from God’s presence. It is a terrible thing to leave God’s presence. As Christians, our real dwelling place on the earth is the presence of God.
And Cain went forth from the presence of Jehovah and dwelt in the land of Nod, east of Eden. (Gen. 4:16)
The first thing that Cain did when he left the presence of God was to build a city and produce a culture without God. Human culture developed because humanity had lost God. Originally, God was man’s protection, maintenance, supply, joy, amusement, and defense. However, Cain had to invent something apart from God because he had left God’s presence. One of Cain’s descendants was Lamech. Lamech began the practice of polygamy by having two wives: Adah (meaning “adornment”) and Zillah (meaning “a shade”, a “covering”). Lamech also had three sons: Jabal was the father of cattle-raising, Jubal invented music, and Tubal-cain invented weaponry. Jubal invented music because he was empty, without God. This is the modern family today: the fathers fulfill their lusts, the mothers care for their dress and adornment, and the children pursue amusement. Why do people pursue worldly entertainment? It is because they are empty. But, if we are filled with Christ, then we do not have the capacity or desire for anything else.
The way to escape the second fall is to not serve God according to our own concept, to live for God and worship Him according to His way, to realize the vanity and fragility of human life, to call on the name of Jehovah, to bear fruit, to walk with God, to believe in God, and to believe in God’s word.
To call on the name of the Lord is not the same as praying. Prayer may be silent, but calling must be audible. The Hebrew word for call means to “call out to,” “to cry unto.” The Greek word for call means “to invoke a person,” “to call a person by name.” Calling on the name of the Lord is our spiritual breathing. This practice began with the third generation of the human race and continues throughout the Bible. Here are some examples from the Old Testament. There are also many examples in the New Testament.
Enosh “And to Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time men began to call upon the name of Jehovah.” (Gen. 4:26)
Abraham “And he proceeded from there to the mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar to Jehovah and called upon the name of Jehovah.” (Gen. 12:8)
Isaac “And he built an altar there and called upon the name of Jehovah.” (Gen. 26:25a)
Moses “For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as Jehovah our God is whenever we call upon Him?” (Deut. 4:7)
Job “I have become a laughingstock to my friends, I, who have called out to God and He answers me.” (Job 12:4a)
Jabez “And Jabez called on the God of Israel.” (1 Chron. 4:10a)
Samson “And Samson called on Jehovah and said, O Lord Jehovah, remember me, I pray.” (Judg. 16:28)
Samuel “Then they cried out to Jehovah and said, We have sinned, for we have forsaken Jehovah and have served the Baals and the Ashtaroth; but deliver us now from the hand of our enemies, and we will serve You.” (1 Sam. 12:10)
David “I called upon Jehovah, who is worthy of praise, And from my enemies I was saved.” (2 Sam. 22:4)
Jonah “Arise, call on your God. Perhaps God will give thought to us, and we will not perish.” (Jon. 1:6b)
Elijah “Then call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Jehovah.” (1 Kings 18:24)
Elisha “He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” (2 Kings 5:11)
Jeremiah “I called upon Your name, O Jehovah, From the lowest pit.” (Lam. 3:55)
Genesis chapter 5 shows us the example of Enoch. Enosh called on Jehovah, but Enoch walked with God. Our calling should be followed by walking.
“And Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.” (Gen. 5:24)
We should ask ourselves if God is walking with us or if we are walking with God. The Bible does not say that God walked with Enoch; it says that Enoch walked with God. In order to walk with God, we must be one with Him in our thinking, loving, and choosing. Walking with God implies that we have given ourselves to Him, that we will give in to Him and let Him take the lead. Although the ultimate issue of man’s fall is death, Enoch escaped death by walking with God! May we be those who daily call on the name of the Lord and walk with Him.
Links:
To read online: Living Stream Ministry
To purchase the Life-Study of Genesis: (Nook) (Kobo) (iBooks) (Kindle) (Print)
To listen to the corresponding radio broadcasts with commentary: LSM Radio
The result of the second fall was a greater curse, vagabondism, being cast out of the presence of God, to produce a culture without God. Originally, God was man’s protection, maintenance, supply, joy, amusement, and defense. After the second fall, human culture was produced because man lost God. There are four main items which comprise human culture- a city for existence, cattle-raising for making a living, music for amusement, and weapons for protection. Praise the Lord, in His recovery He has become our protection, maintenance, supply, joy, amusement, and defense!
“I have a heavenly television… One day in the year 1937, I was preaching the gospel… After one of the meetings, a smart young lady, dressed in a very worldly and fashionable way, came to me and said… ‘I am a lover of the theater. Tell me, after becoming a Christian, will I still be allowed to attend the theater?’ That question bothered me a great deal. I realized that she was convinced and that she was willing to believe in the Lord Jesus. However, if I answered her question in a negative way, she would not decide for the Lord. Nevertheless, as a gospel preacher, how could I answer her in the affirmative? As I was considering the way to answer her, I looked to the Lord for a wise reply, and He gave me one. I said to this young lady, ‘You have your young son with you. Suppose that one day he plays with a sharp knife, and you feel that it is dangerous for him to do this. How would you deal with him? Would you force him to drop the knife, or would you grab the knife out of his hand?’ She said, ‘No, I would simply throw some candies or apples on the floor. I’m sure he would drop the knife and pick up the candies and apples. The knife would be gone because his hands would be filled with better things.’ Then I said, ‘it is exactly the same with you in attending the theater… She said, ‘Marvelous, I will believe…’
Clinching the burden of this message is proportional to the vision and practice of God’s economy. We must first begin with a bird’s eye view of both the Bible and Genesis. Then, zoom in to stir up our appreciation of God’s full salvation.
The central thought of the entire Bible is seen in God’s divine dispensing. He desires to be one with man in an organic union to produce His corporate expression. Seed after seed of this divine thought is sown in the book of Genesis. The book of Genesis is composed of three sections- God’s creation (1-2:25), the serpent’s corruption (3:1-11:9), and Jehovah’s calling (11:10-50:26). The section of Satan’s corruption reveals to us the second fall and the way to escape.
Only by living under the divine dispensing can man escape the inward corruption of the fall. The way to escape the first fall is to believe in the Lord Jesus, the seed of the woman and to take God’s way of salvation. The cause of the second fall is man’s corrupt nature. Satan has injected himself into man, corrupting his inward nature. Now, in order to be saved from the second fall, we must not be presumptuous in our concept. We must live and worship according to God’s revelation, realizing the vanity of human life and the fragility of human life. When we are brought through these experiences, we will have a deep sense to call upon the name of the Lord. Before, there was an empty space, an eternal void. Now “you are made full in Him (Col. 2:10).” Previously, the fragility of human life was discouraging. Now, “Christ is the solid rock on which we stand, all other ground is sinking sand.” To call on Him is to say, “Oh Lord Jesus.” Breathing Him in stirs up the spirit! Isaiah 64:7 says, “And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.”
Calling on Him requires a pure heart (2tim2:22) and a pure lip (Zeph. 3:9). One must call upon Him with an open mouth (Psa. 81:10). Furthermore, it is helpful to have a calling companion, calling corporately, daily (Psa. 88:9), even as long as one shall live (Psa. 116:2). Amen.