# 5 - The Descendants of Cain - In this episode of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein we explore the genealogy of Adam and his descendants, revealing God's faithfulness amidst human frailty. Discover the deep significance of these generations as they unfold the promise of redemption and point toward the coming of the Messiah.
Episode 5 of The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein is inspired by the Book of Genesis.
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Today's opening prayer is inspired by Psalm 136:1, “O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.”
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Show Notes:
(01:13) Intro with Yael Eckstein
(03:05) The Descendants of Cain - Cinematic Retelling
(18:26) Reflection with Yael Eckstein
Previously on The Chosen People, Kan where is your brother? God's question mirrored the question once posed.
To his father Adam.
Where are you?
God knew the answer. He was inviting Cain to dialogue with him, to acknowledge his mistakes.
Please stop, Oh blessed are you now?
Abel?
But now that the Creator's justice fell upon Cain, he realized he was wrong, woefully and terrifyingly wrong. The earth vibrated as if sobbing over Abel.
The earth that has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood will be cursed because of you. The earth will no longer give you its strength. You shall wander this land, hung, starved, undeprived.
Their sins mock them, but they were also sealed by God beloved and chosen to be heirs of his mercy.
In the wake of the fall. The story of Adam's descendants and folds into a saga of survival and promise. Shalloon, my friends, I'm ya l extein here in the Holy Land with the international Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and this is the Chosen People. In each episode, we'll explore epic tales inspired by the Hebrew Bible to uncover lessons that still resonate. Today, we will traverse tales of faith, failure, love and loss. We will press into the story of Israel. We'll discover what it means to live a life of purpose and step into the calling that God has for each one of us. God chose the nation of Israel on Mount Sinai. Through the story of the Jewish people, we will discover one abiding truth that we are all chosen for something great. In our story, so far, we've seen the world in its infancy, a masterpiece crafted by the hands of God himself. We've seen unity between God and man, man and woman, humanity and creation. And then we witness the fall of humanity, shattering the dreams of God and man. And as we turn to Genesis five, this story continues to unfold with the genealogy of Adam. It might not seem like a story, but this genealogy is a story of God's faithfulness in midst of human frailty. And it's a story of how the descendants of Adam and Eve fit into the grand narrative of Scripture. Together, let's discover how their stories intertwine in a world cast and darkness, and they shine the light of God's promise and to us all.
Adam cradled the new born Babe and looked out at the horizon. The dust lid skies were painted with strokes of crimson and charcoal. A chill bit at Adam's cheeks. He brought the babe close to his chest to shield him from the wind. He looked down at the sleeping child, its face tense, shut.
From the world.
The years had taken the glow away from Adam's eyes. They were lower, duller and worn from years of toil and loss. Yet this new child brought a lightness to Adam's countenance. A smile crested on the edge of his mouth as he stroked the infant's crinkled nose.
Your name will be sir.
You shall be my appointed son, chosen and set apart to here our family's heart break.
Adam's voice was soft, like worn leather. It had taken him years to recover from the loss of Abel. His death, coupled with Caine's exile, nearly destroyed Eve. Her flame flickered dimly now, But with the birth of Seth, perhaps the embers of hope would be found.
This world is cruel but filled with beauty.
O son subdue it here for it.
The babe opened his eyes slightly to look at his father's face. Adam saw a sea of possibilities reflected in them.
One day your mother and I will return to the dust, But through Yo you will live on, Like seeds falling from the trees.
Our legacy will continue.
Through Yo, through Seth, a lineage of redemption would fall, one that would last through destruction and despair. The earth was still young, and humanity multiplied from within small families and stretched outward. Came, driven by a restless ambition, ventured further east, carving a name for himself in the annals of history. His progeny, a dark brood, sowed the seeds of destruction, chaos, and pride, marring God's creation with their deeds. Seth, however, chose a different path, one laden with the weight of redemption. He bore the mantle of responsibility, determined to infuse the earth with the essence of God's character. Step by arduous step. In the twilight years of Adam and Eve, Seth fathered Enosh, a child destined to be a pivotal thread in the divine tapestry of redemption. Seth lived to see the birth of his grandchildren and great grandchildren, each a beacon of hope in a world teetering on the brink. Enosh begot Cannon, and sons and daughters flowed from his lineage, spreading across the earth. When Enosh's time came, he returned to the dust, as had his forebears. Cannon's first born, Mahalalel, continued the line his life a fleeting whisper, before he too succumbed to the curse of mortality. Mahalalel sired Jared, who in turn begot Enoch. The descendants of Cain and Seth fanned out across the land. Tribes formed, some finding refuge in the mountain ranges to the west, while others journeyed further east, erecting cities and towers that stood as monuments to their pride. Amidst these clashing legacies, Enoch walked, a righteous man, navigating the perilous expanse, seeking the Creator's light in a world fraught with darkness. Enoch paused at the Great Gates with a cart behind him. His son Methuselah padded close behind like a pup. Enoch despised these places. They were brewing with wickedness, yet he required the iron hoarded within.
Stay close to me, Meddie, keep your eyes sharp and your steps light.
Navigating the crowded streets, Enoch led his son through the chaos. Methusella clung to his father, eyes wide with fear at the vagrants and traders who argued with venomous tongues. Rough men lurked in shadows, predators seeking prey. Statues of wood and bone carved into disfigured and beastly warriors cast dark shadows that seemed to swallow the light. The father and son marched up a large dirt path carved from the stone side of the mountain. The path was large enough for five horses to trots side by side. The path led to a foreboding tower of wood, steel, and stone, from which smoke billowed, carrying the acrid scent of charred flesh. The sight and smell of it made Methusella pause. The towers seemed to him like a dragon's den, a mountain of evil and violence. Pikes holding up the severed heads of men and beasts were erected around the perimeter. The sight made Metthusella's stomach churn. He turned his chin up to his father, observing the resolute gaze he had. If knock was nervous, he didn't show it. At the entrance, they knocked on the gates, reinforced with rough metal and mammoth bone. They cracked open, revealing two guards with spears poised.
What's your business, My son and I have come to barter a for iron. I need more tools to tend my farm.
The men scanned them up and down, nodded, and opened the gates. Methuselah's eyes widened with terror when they entered. Sitting atop thrones hewn from the scars of the great lizards, were beasts like men. They were nearly ten feet tall, with arms like tree trunks and jaws like chiseledonyx. Their faces were deformed, with brows casting shadows over their serpent like eyes. Methuselah could feel their voices in his chest when they spoke.
If it isn't Enoch, the man who walks with the Creator himself, what brings you to our domain?
We need iron? Our tools have worn, and you have taken all the iron in the region. What will you give me in exchange?
So formal?
Why not stay a while? With us, n Og, you could tell us some of your favous tales about the Yellois. We have wine and women plenty.
I can ship a third of my next harvest in exchange for your iron. The summer has made the ground rough. Good tools would break the earth much quicker.
What's to stop us from just taking your farm, Nanoch? We've consumed other farms within our borders. How about we give your little plot of land rock?
That'd be unwise.
We see there, you forget who you're talking to.
The creature gripped the shaft of his spear with his monstrous paws. Murder was in his eyes. Methusela could tell he was ravenous for any excuse use to put Enoch's head on one of those pikes outside. Yet his father remained voice unyielding. He stood with a confidence that somehow towered over even these giants.
Take my land, consume it, and it will be gone. You and I both know you can't farm like the sons of Seth. But strike the steal with me and I'll give you a third of what I grow for the first harvest, and a sixth for the other three after that.
You sons of Seth. Think you're so clever, not clever enough to secure the.
Iron, not strong enough.
To strike down the great beast, to fortify your walls. Do we have a deal, car.
Enock, so Siria, so righteous y. You may be favored by the Creator, But tell me, do you bleed like the other sons of Seth? We cut open?
One stood from his throne, feet shaking the earth with each step. As he strode toward Enoch, his nostrils flared like a bull's. Methusala could have sworn he saw smoke smoldering out with each breath. Enoch remained perfectly still, chin up and pointed toward the giant. Methuselah tried not to shake, drawing strength from his father's resolve. The beast stood only a few feet away, blocking out the light from the fire. There was a long, unsettling pause. Methusela's throat clenched, keeping the breath from exiting his lungs. His father was still. The man's hulking frame leaned forward. He bore his teeth like a wolf and spoke.
You have a deal, Adoch, but failed to pay, and I'll take your wife, hate your children, and use your eldest as a toad.
I'm a man of my word, with the Creator as my witness, I shall pay my share.
Oh the Creator, you think hearing his name gives me comfort? Get out of here, and before I change my mind.
Enoch wasted no time. He turned on his heels and left Methusela padded behind him like a puppy. They left the city, its stench lingered on them for a while. They crossed the brook separating the city in their land, then scaled the grassy knoll. They made it to a small summit, A singular cedar tree swayed to the midnight breeze. Methuselah could see the stars twinkling through the breaks in the leaves.
What were those, father, Were they men?
Ah?
Yes?
And no, they're the nephelim, spawn of the sons of God and daughters of men. So they're sons of angels. Ah. Yes, Do you remember the story of the garden?
Matthusella nodded, waiting expectantly for his father to speak.
Our ancestors were enticed by the tree of knowledge. They wanted to be like God, exchanging his will for them for pride. And they fell still. They multiplied and began filling the earth. When the sons of Adam multiplied here on the world and daughters were born to them, the heavenly beings saw that they were good. Just as Adam and Eve took the fruit of the tree, the divine beings took the daughters of men what came from them with the Nephelim neither human nor divine, creatures born from lust and pride. So now they just rule this land like gods. They are chiefs in this land, but not gods. They think they're gods. They think their strength makes them divine. That there's only one God. He has made us in his image. We are his appointed stewards of the world. The Nephelem know this, and hate us all the more for it. They were terrifying. You're right to fear them, but don't fear their size or their strength.
Fear the evil they bring.
This earth has been corrupted, Maty, It's been tainted not just by the giants, but by the darkness that's spread in the hearts of men. I fear the Creator won't endure this evil much longer. Why is that evil grieves his heart? Dis corruption, this violence, it wasn't his intention.
Enoch sensed his son's discomfort. He brought him in close and sighed.
Walk with him, as I have teach your sons what I've taught you, Perhaps we will endure the judgment to come.
Enoch's words were edged into Matthusila's heart. The boy kept them close. He grew into a man watching his father faithfully walk with the Creator. So faithful was Enoch that he didn't taste the sting of death. His forefathers Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kennan, Mahalala, and Jared all returned to dust, But the Lord saw Enoch and spared him. One day, as Enoch walked along those same grassy knolls, he was taken up to be with his Creator. Enoch left the earth, and now it was Methusalah's turn to carry the torch of God's promise. Methuselah fathered Laymock and lived an abnormally long life. He lived long enough to meet his grandson Noah. He watched Noah closely, seeing Enoch's heart in him. When Methuselah passed, Noah was the last to honor the Creator. A solitary light in a dark world. He alone carried the torch of devotion. Misery and corruption had spread like a disease in the heavenly plain above earth. The Lord spoke, lamenting the state of his world.
My spirit shall not abide in Man forever, for he is flesh. A hundred and twenty years is what they will have left. I will blot out man from the face of the land, for I am sorry that I have made them.
A storm was coming, the purifying and terrifying work of God was at hand. Yet in the midst of it all hope still remained. It flickered like a faint light carried carefully by Noah.
Genealogies most of us find them boring. The names and ages feel like never ending list. But beneath the surface we have to see there's a message. Genesis five begins by saying, this is the written account of Adam's family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. Here's how it says it in Hebrew. In the scriptures, the Saifer Toldotta dam beyond bore Eloy Madam bid moo Asato. The great sage ben Azi said this verse is the basic principle of the entire Bible. Now, doesn't that sound strange? Of all the important verses in the Bible, of all the amazing and important Bible stories that we will study, of all the important lessons and commandments that the Bible gives us, how could this simple verse contain the essential principle to all of God's word. Well, let's think again about what it means to be created in God's likeness or God's image. As we have said, it means that we can always feel that God is with us, that he loves us, and that he forgives us for our sins. He provides us with a pure soul and wants us to do good things for ourselves, for our families, and for others in need. Now, as we will see, some of the generations in these genealogies that we're studying today respected that they were made in God's image, and others did not. Even today, some people recognize that they are made in God's image and they lived their lives by that idea, and other people don't. But we know that God shows us the right way to live. We know that to live in God's image means that we give to others, that we believe in justice, that we make this world brighter by doing good deeds that we pray that we connect to God. God tells us in his very own words in the Bible what it means to live by Him. What ben Azzi is saying here when we talk about this verse being one of the most important, is that as we study the Bible, just as we're doing right now, we need to remember that we are reading God's holy words. It's the same God in whose image we are created. We are created in God's image, and we're reading his desires for us. Isn't that incredible when you really think about how God wrote the Bible for us and that we are a part of him. Isn't that such a good feeling? One more thought about this seemingly simple verse. The phrase in this verse, it says written account, comes from a very simple Hebrew word, say fair. Well, say fair in this verse might be translated as written account, but what it really means is book. Maybe this verse is telling us all that each of us, from Adam and Eve right down to you and me, is a book, a story, a written account that God has not abandoned. Each one of us is a book about how we use that being created in the image of God, to change the world, to fix the world, and to make it beautiful. I know how I'd like my story to read, and I know that you know how you would want your story to read too. And those are the values by how we have to live our lives each day. Now, let's talk about Adam. Adam is the beginning. The story of Adam and Eve is foundational. Their story is our story. We see in them our own struggles, our own brokenness. But we see how sin has marred our relationship with God and with each other. But we also see hope. The Hebrew word for hope is tikuva, and we see redemption, the hope for redemption and the belief in redemption. Adam and Eve's genealogy in Genesis five is a testament to God's faithfulness that despite their failure, God's plan continues through their descendants, from Seth the appointed One, to Eno, who walked with God, to Noah, the bringer of rest. Each generation from Adam and Eve carries the promise of God's goodness forward. Now let's look at Enoch, who the Bible says walked with God in a world marked by sin and death. His faith stands out. He had a closeness with the Creator that set him apart from others. And then the Bible tells us that he was no more because God took him away. Eno didn't experience death, he was just taken up by God. In this we see a glimpse of a day when life triumphs over death, the possibility of Eden being restored once again to the time when there was no suffering. Enoch had a son, Mitusela, who was the oldest man to ever live. He lived wait for it, nine hundred and sixty nine years. But in Hebrew the name Mitusela has another meaning. Mitusela means in his death shall bring Now doesn't it sound a little bit ominous? What did Mitusela's death actually bring. Well? It brought the flood, It brought judgment. For every one of those nine one hundred and sixty nine years, God delayed his judgment, giving humanity more time to repent. Every year Mitusella lived was another year that the people could have turned their heart back to God, another year for Noah to build the ark, another year for the world to turn back to themselves, to turn back to truth, to turn back to God. But the world didn't repent, and when Mitusella died, the flood came, which we'll get to in the next episode when we explore Genesis six the story of his grandson Noah. But here in Genesis five, there's a rich legacy in these genealogies of Adam, who was created in God's image. It moves to Seth, the appointed one of Eno who walked with God, pointing to the hope of eternal life, of Mitusela, whose long life shows God's mercy before judgment. And all of those lead to Noah, the one through whom God would preserve humanity. So we have to ask, what is the thread running through all these generations that this scripture tells us about. Well, it tells us about one thing, God's promise to speak more on this genealogy, and what else it tells us is my good friend, Bishop Paul Lanier, thank.
You so much. I was just sitting here listening to you. Rightly, Note that just bringing up the word genealogy can sound so boring, can seem so uneventful unless you're doing what we're doing right now and searching the scriptures and studying the remarkable lives of men and women are fathers and mothers of the faith. But I've got a question. If God is eternal, meaning if God has always existed as he exists now and will forevermore exist and not just existing. If God is ruling and reigning and sovereign and sitting upon the throne where he has no peers, and he's omnipotent and omniscient and omnipresent and immute all of these glorious attributes. If that is God, and if you and I were created to be everlasting and we are, then where does this, this whole issue of genealogy and generations fit in. Well, that's really a great question. And you know that in the garden God had prophesied over Adam and Eve and said to them, if you doubt my word, if you deny it, if you disobey it, and you partake of the fruit of rebellion against the covenant between us, then in that day you will surely die. But when we've studied the scriptures, we find that they did not immediately fall lifeless to the ground when they disobeyed him. So what does it mean. Well, it means that tragically, something catastrophic was unleashed throughout the totality not only of their being, but all of creation itself. It diminished their minds in the thinking, their conversation between one another, how they related to each other, even to the garden, and how they related to goden Your Bible says that the Lord would come walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and how they would anticipate it, nothing like it. But once they had abdicated their identity, their position in God, strange things started happening. How Adam looked at himself, how they looked at one another, got to the point bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. And then God, it's not my fault, it's her fault. And then how they even related to him. God. They had once rushed to his coming with greatest anticipations because they loved him, and they loved those moments with him. But once they had diminished themselves through rebellion, the Bible says that they tried to hide themselves.
In the garden with the garden.
Can you believe this?
They so old fig leaves together and tried to cover themselves. I know that sounds so silly until I start thinking about some of the things I've tried to hide behind.
Maybe you have to.
And so there was life and death and life and death and life and death and generations genealogy. But this is what's beautiful about it. God has a remarkable plan for your life that's so extraordinary, so wonderful, that it takes more than your life to fulfill. It now requires generations, sons and daughters and grandchildren. And when I look at these men and women once they left the garden, I'm in awe. They did not die that day. They didn't die either next day or a year later, a decade, or even a century. These people lived for centuries. Can you imagine that. But as time passed by from the garden and they were distanced from the garden, their interaction with the glory of the Lord that had so permeated their very bones, their molecular constitution was now compromised, threatened, diminished, gone, and they were left then to wrestle with mortality. And so we have this genealogy. And for Christians we look in the New Testament at the first book, the book of Matthew, who was a CPAA tax gatherer, if you will, who thought very methodically, very logistically, was very important for Matthew that the Jewish people in particular know that Jesus was Jewish, and so Matthew includes three different genealogies of fourteen persons each.
Wow.
Wow.
But now I want to close my part of this by speaking to you directly, Elle, something I've already said to you privately, and I've spoken it publicly several times. But I want our people listening now to hear it. That's how indebted, how grateful I am to you for all you've taught me about Jesus of Nazareth. Now I'm not referring to Jesus Christ. That's a faith issue. That may be what I believe as a Christian about Jesus of Nazareth. But when I just think about not God's Son, but Mary's boy. Yeah, Ell, every time I see you in Israel and you're talking about the Sea of Galilee, Jesus of Nazareth was there, or Bethlehem or any of the other extraordinary places that you go as a Jew, and you share about the festivals and all the particulars of being Jewish. You help me understand more about Jesus of Nazareth, and I'm deeply grateful to you. Could I pray with you now, all of you. God is so good, and I just want to close my part with a blessing.
Father.
I thank you for these extraordinary people listening to us now, searching the scriptures, discovering much about you. I thank you for these moments. Now, bless each of us and our generations, and for all this we give you praise.
Men.
Before we go, let's go back to Enoch, who walked with God. Enoch wasn't just a man who knew or believed in God. He had an ongoing intimate relationship with God. Enoch's walk with God as a model for us all, not just on the Sabbath or Sunday, and not just during the good times, but every day, in every moment. But as we close, the reason why I bring up EEno once again and how he walked with God is because of this is because throughout the story of the Chosen People, walking with God is what has made us His chosen people. It's our very identity. From Eno to Abraham to Moses to David. What set these holy biblical figures apart? Wasn't there perfection? No, they weren't perfect. They sinned and they were flawed. But what made them perfect in God's eyes. What made them one of the Chosen People was their faith, and for us today this principle still stands. We are called to trust and to follow God next time from here in Israel, as we meet Adam and Eve. Their story is a lesson on what it means to be human, to walk with God and to live a life of purpose. I can't wait to study it with you. With blessings from the Holy Land. This is your el Exstein, and you are listening to the Chosen People.
You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the prey dot Com app today. This Prey dog comproduction is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabarger and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Bree Rosalie and Aaron Salvato. Special thanks to Bishop Paulinier, Robin van Ettin, Kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot com productions on the Prey dot com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.