Troublesome Topic: SHAYTH

Adam (“The red man made from dirt”) and Chavva (“The one through whom God gives life”) had another son and named him Shayth, which means “substituted.” This was 130 years after “The red man made from dirt” and “The one through whom God gives life” were created.

Then they had other children.

“Substituted” was 105 years old when he became a father, that means “The red man made from dirt” and “The one through whom God gives life” were 235 years old when they became grandparents (they did not serve as grandparents for the children of “Acquired from God.”)

“Substituted” named his first son Enosh, which meant “Weak, mortal man.” After his birth the text of Genesis tells us that “Then [men] began to call on the name of YHVH (read Adonai)” (Gen 4:26).

What does that mean? Had they not been calling on God before that?  Yes, they had been calling on Him, but at this point they became more intense in calling to Him. This tells us that the evil of evil men had become greater, necessitating greater commitment to God among those who wanted to do right.

I think that when “Substituted” was born, “The red man made from dirt” became passionate about living for God and he was very intentional about how he trained his children. He would not let them grow up in a vacuum of leadership or a dearth of spiritual teaching. He was also more conscious of the fact that he was producing children “in his own image” (Gen 5:3), which means he was passing on his fallen nature to his children. He often talked to them about that side of things as well.

“The red man made from dirt” and “The one through whom God gives life” knew God’s wrath, but they also were aware of God’s kindness. “The red man made from dirt” told anyone who would listen that the covenant they had violated did not presuppose the possibility of a second chance, and yet God promised to send someone who would crush the serpent’s head, someone who would undo what the enemy of their souls enticed them to do. “The red man made from dirt” was especially fond of reminding “The one through whom God gives life” that this special individual would come from a female, not a male.

It is possible that at this point in history, evil men began to worship substitute gods. That is why the text is specific that they began to call [earnestly] on the most sacred name of god, spelled YHVH. The name El became a common word meaning God in general; It is in the name ELOHIM; it is the name of a Babylonian god, and it is the basis for the Arabic name Allah. But YHVH is very specific; I don’t know of any manmade god that has a name close to YHVH.

In the place where “The red man made from dirt” and “Substituted” lived there was reverence for the true God, the Creator; this reverence created an atmosphere of peace and joy around them.

The next lesson in this study is Qayin Gained an Advantage.