Paul’s contrast in Galatians 5 between the works of the flesh and the fruit of the Spirit, a passage we’ve been working through for three weeks now on Sunday mornings, is perfectly illustrated in Genesis 4. In Genesis 4 we find the division of humanity foretold by God in his judgment on the Serpent in Genesis 3.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
The unfolding of this division is found in the very next chapter, and the enmity is manifested when Cain kills Abel. After Cain is driven out further east, we are given a brief synopsis of his descendants, their accomplishments, and the increase of their wickedness. The seventh in the line of Adam through Cain, the one who epitomizes the works of the flesh, is Lamech. Lamech is a murderous tyrant who takes what he wants and does what he wants at the expense of anyone else. Lamech makes this comment about his immunity from the consequences of murder:
If Cain's revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”
God had promised Cain that no one would take his life in retaliation for the murder of Abel. Anyone who came after Cain would receive sevenfold justice from God, or, in other words, perfect justice. But Lamech doesn’t need God. He will take care of it himself. Lamech’s revenge on anyone who would retaliate for his murder would be seventy-sevenfold. This is not justice, it is injustice. Not only that, but it is overkill. Lamech is the world’s first tyrant and he embodies the works of the flesh from Galatians 5.
God, however, is faithful to his promise and Eve has another son to replace Abel. His name is Seth. Seth’s son is Enosh and in his days people began to worship Yahweh (Genesis 4:26)
The audio for the sermon can be found here: The Division of Humanity
Thousands and thousands of years later, in the New Testament, Jesus would say something similar to what Lamech said. In Matthew 18 Jesus is giving instructions to his disciples about church discipline and what to do when someone sins against God and the congregation. At every stage of discipline, when the offender repents he is to be forgiven. The method of discipline is loving, humble, confrontation. The object of the confrontation is restoration. At the end, Peter comes up to Jesus and asks…
“Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.
It is an echo of Lamech’s threat of violence toward anyone who would try to confront him about his sin. Only it is the opposite. If Lamech’s revenge would be seventy-sevenfold, then the Christian’s willingness to forgive should be seventy-seven fold as well. In other words, just as there is no limit to the hate and violence of the wicked, so there should be no limit to the love and forgiveness of the believer. Where sin abounds grace abounds even more. The fruit of the Spirit is the opposite of the works of the flesh in every way.
Nowhere is it stated or implied that this is an easy thing. Nor does it seem just, at least not on the surface. But we know that the justice of forgiveness was settled at the cross and that we who are recipients of great grace must also be dispensers of it. Following his response to Peter, Jesus gives the parable of the unforgiving servant. You can read it in Matthew 18:23-35. Jesus makes it abundantly clear what he expects of his people when it comes to forgiveness. He expects us to be gracious and forgiving beyond reason, just as Lamech was vengeful beyond reason. We are to be imitators of Christ.