Why is Cain not included in the "generations of Adam" (Gen 5.1)?
It is quite clear that we have two lines, or two orders, of generations presented to us side by side in Genesis chapters 4 and 5. The first, in Genesis 4, gives us the worldly line – Cain's line, for the natural in Scripture always precedes the spiritual (see 1 Cor 15.46). Cain was a guilty and unrepentant exile from God in the land of Nod, which means 'wandering'. He founded the first city and, with his descendants, Scripture records the rise of luxury and music. The seed of Cain seeks to improve the fallen creature, and endeavours to make a ruined world happy without God. It does so by building cities, inventing harps and civilising the world with its arts, striving to make life easy and the world a better place. While the age advanced in inventions, at the same time crime, lust, murder and violence increased. How typical of this day.
The name of Cain means 'gotten'. It speaks of the principle of covetousness that controls the world. In this connection it is interesting to see that we never read of the death of the family of Cain in Genesis 4, but we have the record of the godly line in Genesis 5, where we read repeatedly "and he died … and he died … and he died". The way of Cain is still very much alive around us today. The whole of Cain's line perished in the flood. But, in chapter 5, we can trace the line of faith which is derived through Seth. His name means 'appointed'. In Noah, the line of faith passed through the flood, and through that line is traced the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 2. All through Scripture these two lines are separate and distinct. Every attempt to commingle the two has proved disastrous.
John J Stubbs
If the Lord Jesus is "the door of the sheep" (Jn 10.7), who are "the shepherd of the sheep" (v 2) and "the porter" (v 3)?
The first five verses of John 10 are in the nature of an allegory; "This parable spake Jesus unto them" (v 6), so this is really a figurative discourse. The sheepfold (v 1) represents Judaism. Says the Lord Jesus, "he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep" (v 2). Here is the true "Shepherd of Israel" (Ps 80.1) who came to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Mt 10.6). Christ entered the fold (Judaism) by the door. He presented Himself to Israel in a lawful manner, in strict accord with the Old Testament Scriptures. He answered to all that was written of the Messiah.
We then read "To him the porter openeth" (v 3). The porter can identify a true shepherd and present him to the sheep. There can really be no doubt as to the identity of the porter in this allegory. The immediate reference was to John the Baptist, who opened the way for the Lord Jesus to enter upon His ministry and to claim His own people. John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord; he it was who formally introduced the Shepherd to Israel. In the wider application, the porter here represents the Holy Spirit, who officially vouched for the credentials of the Messiah and who now presents the Shepherd to men and women.
In verses 3b and 4, there is possibly a distinction between "the sheep" and "his own sheep". All the sheep within the fold heard the voice of the Shepherd; "the sheep hear his voice". "His own sheep" were known to Him, for He called them by name. These sheep were the elect of God among Israel. The call was to follow Him; to take their place with Him outside of Judaism. "The door of the sheep" (v 7) is to be distinguished from "the door into the sheepfold" (v 1). "The door of the sheep" is Christ Himself. It is not now a question of the Shepherd entering the sheepfold of Israel, but rather of the elect sheep coming out of Judaism through Christ, "the door of the sheep". There was no way out of the fold of Judaism but by Him. Thus the door in verse 7 speaks of 'exit' and not of 'entrance'.
David E West
