Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Genesis 4:16 ESV
To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.
Genesis 4:26 ESV
After their expulsion from the garden, Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel (Gen. 4:1-2). The two had different occupations and brought some of what they had produced to the Lord. As a shepherd, Abel brought the fat of his flock’s firstborn. As a farmer, Cain brought produce from the ground (Gen. 4:3-4).
The Lord looked with favor on Abel’s offering, but not on Cain’s. Why? We are not told. What we are told is that Cain was angry, ignored God’s call to do what was right, and instead killed his brother (Gen. 4:4-8).
And then Cain “went away from the presence of the Lord.” He rejected what God wanted and walked away. He would now live on his own terms without regard for what God might want.
Then, a third son was born to Adam and Eve to replace the dead Abel. He was named Seth, and Enosh was his son, with Noah coming several generations later.
And in the time of Seth and Enosh, people “began to call on the name of the Lord.” This expression is used elsewhere in the Old Testament as a form of worship. In contrast to the line of Cain, the line of Seth chose to worship God.
Two Different Choices
Cain and Seth grew up in the same family. They may still have lived in Eden, within sight of the garden. But they certainly grew up with the stories of the garden and the consequences of disobeying God.
Yet they chose two different courses for their lives, going in drastically different directions. One rejected God, while the other called on him. And we see this same choice repeated over and over again throughout Scripture and in our world today. Some will respond to God’s call, while others will turn their back on it.
Why do we make such different choices? Some would say that it is what we were predestined to do. But God’s plea to Cain to do what was right would seem to argue against that. We might also argue that the different choices we make are a result of circumstances. And while they certainly contribute, that cannot be the whole answer.
Ultimately, what causes me to make the choice I do concerning God’s call is a mystery. But it is a choice that comes from within me.
