Genesis 4:25-26 comments: Seth and Enos

4:25 ¶  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. 26  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.

Again, not reading the Bible like a textbook or the user’s manual to a computer we are unable to count how many times Eve gave birth to children. The Holy Spirit mentions only certain people throughout history and leaves out a great many whom we find important. The common sense likelihood is that she had many offspring before Seth and her children had many offspring by this time. By reading this literally though, if there were many other offspring what would Seth’s replacement of Abel mean? By the text here my opinion is that Seth replaced Abel as a man seeking God which pleased his mother greatly. Seth’s son, Enos, carried this tradition on as the use of the colon means that the clause after it explains in some important way what was stated before the colon. It is possible, as well, that the other children, if there were any as I have stated, were followers of Cain’s religion.

Romans 10:13  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Godliness in the wicked, pre-Flood world, was carried on by the descendants of Seth and salvation would come through their testimony. Here is a first example of men who worshipped and wanted to know God in a very real way standing against the world whose religion was about their own self-righteous justification and the feeling of spirituality they received from their meaningless rituals and prayers that are nothing more than chants. Their religion glorifies man, not God and is focused on them, not God. As Jesus pointed out;

Matthew 6:7  But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

In this way, the first part of Genesis tells the story of two religious traditions and we would do well to study that as one of the ways we look at it. Here we can see the yearning for Christ from the beginning, as Job said;

Job 19:25  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: 26  And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: 27  Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.