Q&A - All the People
April 25, 2021 Sunday Evening Study

One of the most beloved entertainment franchises in history carries a flaw, all things considered. This epic story has heroism, victory, life winning out in the midst of darkness and oppression. It exemplifies friendship and camaraderie. It is a beacon of hope for unity and even desegregation. We see action, we see worship, we see loyalty, we see love, and we see honor.

It is majestic - a true masterpiece. Except, Luke and Leia kiss each other in a very non brother/sistery way. NOPE! Seems like something Obi Wan should have informed Luke about on the way to the Death Star - just saying.

Question: Who was Cain’s wife? Or, by extension: Where did all the people come from?

Open with discussion - what does the group think? Can they support their argument?

Some theories:

Pre-Adamic People

Some have attempted to say that Cain's wife came from a race of Pre-Adamic humans who were around before Adam and Eve. The idea of Cain marrying someone from this race creates more problems than it solves. The Scriptures are clear that Adam was the first man created (Genesis 2:7,18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:45). Furthermore, his wife Eve was given her name because she was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20). 

“The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.” These two facts rule out the idea of some Pre-Adamic race from which Cain chose a wife.

Sons of God (Nephilim)

When we approach the time of Noah and the flood, it is stated in the Bible that there are Nephilim on the Earth, referred to as “Sons of God.” There is a lot of speculation about these people - not entirely human, not entirely angelic. Some state that these beings inhabited the Earth before and during the life of Adam. However, Genesis 6:1-4 indicates that they did not come on the scene until man had already begun to multiply over the face of the land. 

“When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit shall not abide in[a] man forever, for he is flesh: his days shall be 120 years.” 4 The Nephilim[b] were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.” The Nephilim were attracted by the daughters born to man, and they came and took them as their wives. This is a part of the specific corruption of the world that led to the flood.

Unnamed Multitudes

The most commonly accepted theory outside of the biblical account is that Adam and Eve were only 2 of many multitudes created - the narrative just follows their story because they were responsible for the Fall to sin. This theory would say that there were many other people on the Earth, we just are not told their stories. This theory creates a stumbling block for many Christians when questioned by skeptics. While we have already discussed how the Bible makes it clear that all people are descended from Adam and Eve, there is another consideration here - we have to be able to defend that all people came from Adam and Eve as believers because only the descendents of Adam and Eve can be saved.

What does the Bible say?

1 Corinthians 15:45 states that Adam was the first man. God did not begin by creating a full race of men - but one man.

Romans 5 teaches that we all sin because Adam sinned. The wage of sin - death - has been passed on to all of Adam’s descendents.

Man caused the fall and the penalty. Only a man could restore and redeem. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:45 - “Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”;[e] the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.” Jesus came as the second Adam, only lived the life without the fall.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 - “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”

Only descendents of the first Adam can be saved.

We are of one blood - all related.

Acts 17:26 - “And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place”

• Thus, if Christians are unable to defend that all humans, including Cain’s wife, came from Adam and Eve, how then can they understand the Gospel? How can we justify sending missionaries to every tribe and nation. It becomes necessary to accept the truth, albeit distasteful within the confines of modern society, that Cain’s wife was his biological sister - or possibly his niece.

What do we think of this? Can you justify to yourself why we must defend this truth? Why do you suppose this is acceptable to some people and not attractive to others?

How can we use our knowledge of this theory to help spread the Gospel?

Support - Genesis 5:4-5 - “The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.”

During their lives, Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. It is written by the Jewish historian Josephus that “the number of Adam’s children was 33 sons and 23 daughters.” Scripture does not tell us how many children they had, and even Josephus’ estimation is incredibly conservative if we consider a couple things:

• Adam lived 930 years
• They were commanded to be fruitful and multiply
• If one were to assume a child every decade for the first ⅔ of life, that is 60 children. Consider that every 20 years or so, the family would grow exponentially - Adam might very well have lived into the 45th generation of his offspring.
  
  Objections

  Incestual Law

  The biggest argument is against incest. We cannot marry our own relation. Yet we know from the previous section that if we are marrying a human, we are marrying our relation, as we are all of one blood and one descent.The law forbidding the marriage of close blood relatives was not given until the time of Moses in Leviticus 18-20. Therefore, there is no disobedience to God’s law when close relations - even Brother and sister, married in early times.

  • Abraham was married to his half-sister Sarai, and even that was 400 years before the law forbade it.
  
  

  Biological Ramifications - Birth Defects

  Today, it is against the law to marry between brother and sister. It is true that babies conceived between close relations have a better chance of defects deformation. The closer a couple is in relation, the more chance of deformity in their offspring.

  1. Each person inherits a set of genes from their parents. Genetic code today is filled with biological errors because of sin and imperfection in the world, and these things show up in a variety of ways. One person’s nose may not be exactly in the middle of their face or they may have a less square jawline or their ears lower than others - what we perceive as normal is just what we see as an average among the genetic defects of our time. Those with less defect - asymmetrical faces and unblemished skin and proportionate features are generally singled out as more beautiful than normal.
  2. The closer in relation that a couple is, the more likely that they will share the same genetic defects - especially if they are inherited from the same parents. This results in extreme defects and deformities in offspring. Conversely, the further in relation people are, the less likely they are to share the same abnormalities, which accounts for the surgence in fashion models and public figures in modern day stemming from mixed-race marriages - something that has, until now, been almost universally rejected in society. The truth is that as time goes by, as a human race we continue to degenerate by living under the curse of sin.
  3. This fact of present day life did not exist under Adam and Eve. They were created in God’s image - very good - without defect. When sin entered the world because of Adam, the perfect creation was introduced to death and decay, and began its process of degeneration. Romans 8:22-24

  “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved.”

  For Cain, he (and his wife) would have received little effect in their genes from the first generation - an impact that would grow over thousands of years. 

  1. 2500 years later in the time of Moses, degenerative mistakes would have accumulated to a point where God’s law becomes necessary for our own good, which very likely is where the stigma so prevalent today comes from. By this time, besides birth defects, there were plenty of people around who were only distant relation, removing the need for brother/sister procreation.
  
  

  It was not against the law, it was not considered taboo or even wrong, and there was no genetic danger. What occurred in Cain’s time is hard for us to understand because we cannot fathom the purity of life from that day.

  
  

  This speaks to unity. This was a heavy topic in Galatians, and was evident all through Jesus’ ministry. It is incredibly relevant today - We are of one blood.

  
  

  How do you feel about this? How can we get past our modern-day perspective and objections and see that not only is this the truth, but there was legitimately nothing wrong with it?

  How can we use our knowledge of this theory to help spread the Gospel?

  
  

  Other Questions:

  When Cain received the mark, of whom was he afraid that would kill him?

  Some claim that there had to be lots of people on the Earth other than the descendents of Adam and Eve or else Cain would not have been fearful for his life. 

  • First, one reason people would want to kill him would be if Abel was their close relation - say a brother?
  • Secondly, Cain and Abel were born some time before the event of Abel’s death. Genesis 4:3 - “And in the Process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.” We know Seth was born when Adam was 130, and was seen as a replacement for Abel. Therefore, it Abel could have easily lived 100 years - or more, allowing for the multiplication of generations in the meantime.
  
  

  Didn’t Cain find his wife in Nod, east of Eden?

  Genesis 4:16-17 - “Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,[f] east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.”

  The Bible does not state that he met his wife there, only that he “knew” her there - that she conceived there. There is no indication that there were people there - descendents of Adam or otherwise. In fact, in Hebrew, Nod means “wandering.” He literally went to a land of wandering, not a settled land filled with people.

  
  

  What can we take from this to enrich our own lives? (unity, all of one blood) (God’s perfect design and living in His image)

  How do we argue this truth with skeptics? Where are they most likely to try and poke holes?

  If it was perfectly reasonable, ok, and even blessed from brother and sister to marry then, what are some other examples where popular opinion has changed for the better or worse?

  How can we use our understanding of this “answer” to spread the Gospel?