Now Adam knew Eve
his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man
with the help of the Lord."
Gen 4:1-2
When Adam and Eve
were cast out of the garden, they entered into a terrifying new reality. Instead of easy harvest, thorns and thistles
grew, choking out the plants for food. Instead
of harmony came marital strife. Even childbirth itself, unknown to them up to
that point, became a painful and frightening experience.
When Eve bore their
first child, though, she forgot about the pain in the joy of a new person
coming into the world. She named him
Cain, which in it primitive root mean "to moan or wail." Out of the wailing came joy. He was the first joyful surprise they had
since they were cast out of the garden.
Eve's reference to
Cain as God's gift may have referred to the promise God made in Genesis 3:15,
when He put enmity between the seed of the woman and the Serpent. She may have thought Cain was that promised
seed that would redeem their family and save them from Satan.
Parents often think
that their children will redeem them by being better than they were. But as
often as not, they disappoint us. Our
children bear the sinful heritage that we have. We hope for better, and think if we give them
love and discipline they will be better
than we were. Sadly, they usually repeat
our mistakes.
Instead of a
messiah, Cain grew up to become a murderer.
He killed his brother Abel in a jealous rage. Cain was banished from the
rest of humanity. But even so, God placed a mark of protection upon him.
Cain could never
have been the promised messiah. God specifically said "The seed of the
woman" not the seed of the man.
Cain was born of the combined seed of a woman and a man, just as all
children are.
But God's promise
was that a woman would conceive without
a man. A virgin would be with child.
Much of the joy that
comes at Christmas comes from God's gift of children. Children
are our joy, but they cannot be our saviors, or our reason for
existence. They have the same sinful nature we have. They can be just as vain,
foolish, and selfish as ourselves. The
best thing we can give our children is a godly heritage from parents who know and serve the Lord.
Teach your children
right from wrong by giving them an example to follow. Remember, only one child
was called to be the Messiah--Jesus, born of a Virgin, Son of God and without
sin. Teach that Christmas was when God
sent His Son to be their Savior. Let them know that anyone can find the true
meaning of life when they look for it in Him.
"Father, help
us to find our true hope in your beloved Son, and seek His peace and protection
in Him always. Amen"
