“And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4: 24,25, KJV).  

“And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters” (Genesis 5: 7).

          It is interesting that Seth is even mentioned in the Bible; yet, he is vital to a story that has worldwide significance; that story is called “The Flood.” The story begins, however, long before the flood. It began when Cain killed his brother Able. Able was a godly man and Cain an ungodly man, but Able had no children for his heritage, though Cain had many children. (“Where was God,” as Dr. R. G. Lee might have cried?) And so it was that God gave Adam another son to take the place of Able. (Instead of Able)

          What is the significance of this short story?  Everything! All of history is bound up in this story. “And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos - then began men to call upon the name of the LORD” (Genesis 4: 26).

          Now again we have Cain, an ungodly man, and Seth (Instead of Able), a godly man, whose children inter-married and brought the wrath of God upon the whole earth called “the Flood” (Genesis chapter 6).

In studying the account of the condition that precipitated the flood, we come to some interesting passages relative to the marriage of the children of God marrying ungodly men. (Genesis 4:25-6:8) There are notable references that I wish to address in this regard. One, the first has to do with the reference to the “sons of God.” “And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God (Seth) saw the daughters of men (Cain) that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose” (Genesis 6: 1,2). 

(1)  Who are the “sons of God?” What does the scriptures have to say in this regard?

The Bible says, “ Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them.” Remember, these are the days when Satan is said, “to walk to and fro on the earth” (Job 1: 6, KJV)

In John 1:12 it is recorded,  “But as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.”

Again, Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”

It must be remembered that God has only One Son: “the only begotten of the Father,” (John 1: 14), and only through the “Promise” given to Abraham, and fulfilled in Jesus Christ can anyone be called “the sons of God;” therefore, when the sons of godly Seth and their sons married the daughters of godless Cain, the results was an offence to God: “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6: 5-9, KJV). It is to be observed that the offspring of this intermarriage were MEN, not half man and half god, etc).

 Secondly, there is a reference to Giants in the days of this account, called: “Nephilim,” men of renown, but this is not unusual, for when the twelve spies searched the land of promise, they were afraid when they saw the giants within the land. There are many such references to men with unusual large size found in the scriptures. (The story of David and Goliath is another such account)

          The question might be asked, but what about the time factor; did Seth’s lineage exist long enough to produce enough children to fulfill the demands that would be required to populate the earth as it was then. (See: Genesis 10: 25; 1 Chronicles 1: 19)? The answer is that Seth himself lived twice as long as the children of Israel lived in Egypt. I do not believe that the time-factor is of significance.

          Conclusion: As we read the account of Cain and Able in the scriptures, what message is there for us today? The rainbow is an ever reminder that God’s grace watches over us, and that the earth will not be destroyed by water; however, it is an ever reminder that there is a limit to God’s patience, and that there is a judgment day coming; not only for nations, but for individuals. The only hope for us today is in the Promise given to Israel, fulfilled in Jesus Christ (John 3:16).