Genesis

Gen 4:17 And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Everyone asks about this, but I never heard an explanation. Who did Cain marry? The only woman alive was Eve his mother and for that matter how did he populate a city?

Gen 6:1-4 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 saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.

Another old question which deserves an answer. Who were these Sons of God who interbred with the daughters of men and produced significantly different children?

Gen 6:7-8 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.

Everyone was evil enough to be destroyed except Noah and his family?

Also the rules have been changed. Why destroy the evil then and not now or at any time since?.

And why the animals? Couldn't god simply cause all the evil people to drop dead?

Gen 7:22 All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died.

Oh so the fish didn't die? Of course there would be a problem with the salinity of the water. In fact most fish would die but the writer didn’t realise that. What about dolphins who breath air?.

Gen 9:18-19 And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread.

Ah more incest then I assume.

Gen 12:11-19 And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon:
Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.
And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair.
The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.
And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels.
And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram's wife.
And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?
Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way.

Abram, another of god's favourites, lets someone have his wife to save his own skin and then god punishes them for an innocent mistake.

Ge:19:1-8 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;
And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night.
And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.
But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:
And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where are the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.
And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him,
And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.
Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.

God was about to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and Lot was one of the very few regarded by him as good enough to be worth saving. He had sent these two angels to tell him to pack up and leave. Lot knew the score and was prepared to offer his daughters to be raped rather then have them disturbed. They were not old enough to be married which in those days probably means under 12.

This is a horrendous story and I apologise in advance if anyone finds it upsetting.

Gen 22:1-2 And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

God tells Abraham to murder his own son and he agrees. What kind of a god would say such a thing and what kind of a man would be willing to do it?

Gen 22:9-10 And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Imagine if you can bear it the child tied down on the wood and his father about to cut his throat with a knife.

Gen 22:11-12 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

Ah just a trick then, a test. Well that's ok then isn't it. Except for the child who would remember the experience and except that this prophet is what Christianity is all about and what every Christian should strive to become.

updated 08-Jul-2004 9:51 PM