05. The Descendants of Corrupted Language!

05. The Descendants of Corrupted Language! “If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” (Genesis 4:23) After Adam was expelled from the Garden of Eden, his descendants, the sinful offspring of Cain, developed their way of life and culture into an even more sinful culture over the course of 7-8 centuries. Consequently, their opportunities and influence rapidly increased. This can be seen through their names, deeds, and institutions. Looking at the names of Cain’s descendants, Cain’s seventh-generation descendant ‘Lamech’ means “strong one,” Lamech’s wife ‘Adah’ means “ornamented one,” and Lamech’s other wife ‘Zillah’ means “tinkling one.” These names reflect the violence and pursuit of secular beauty of their time. Their deeds include ‘Jabal,’ who started the practice of raising livestock and became the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise livestock. ‘Jubal’ was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and pipe. ‘Tubal-Cain’ was the forger of all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron, and he built cities and made weapons and instruments, leading to a life of conquest and hedonism. This era also saw the practice of polygamy, deviating from God’s original plan of one spouse for Adam. This clearly shows the sinful life of that time. Especially, ‘Lamech’ held the weapons made by Tubal-Cain and the instruments made by Jubal in his hands, singing songs of hatred and revenge with a proud heart. He mocked God’s prohibition of revenge, singing: “If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” Lamech’s confession reveals the professional and comprehensive corruption of humanity as civilization progresses. His song of hatred and revenge represents the brutality and savagery of his time, disregarding the sanctity of life. “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for injuring me. If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech seventy-seven times.” What does this mean? The inventions of civilization harmed them, and their anger led to further killings, making their sins heavier and more numerous than Cain’s. The history of sin and suffering continued through Cain, with the inherent nature of sin in humans being perpetuated and developed through language and communication tools. “However, God did not leave the world to be filled only with the sinful descendants of Cain. He allowed Adam and Eve to have a new son, ‘Seth,’ to continue His will in the world. “God blessed the descendants of Seth and called them ‘people.’” What does it mean to be called ‘people’? Despite Adam already having descendants through Cain, God allowed Adam to have a new son, ‘Seth,’ to live according to His will. A true person is one who lives sincerely according to God’s will. God called the descendants of Seth, who had true faith, ‘people.’ They received God’s blessings and lived long lives. Adam lived 930 years, his son Seth lived 912 years, Enosh lived 905 years, Kenan lived 840 years, Mahalalel lived 830 years, Jared lived 960 years, Enoch lived 365 years, walking with God and living as a complete person serving God. Enoch maintained the perfect image of a person as planned by God, walking with God as His friend, and was taken directly to heaven without experiencing death, becoming the first of only two people in human history to do so. Methuselah lived 969 years, the longest in human history, Lamech lived 777 years, and Noah lived 950 years. These descendants of faith also could not live without communication and language culture. Language played an important role in their lives, facilitating communication with God and with family and neighbors. Language also helped grow and develop their culture and characteristics. What is human culture? It is the worldly and secular behavior patterns that rapidly spread and continued through Cain’s sin. This worldly culture grew and developed day by day through the language that came from the thoughts and lips of the corrupt. The result became increasingly terrifying. The descendants of faith through Abel, living under God’s providence, struggled and fell in the face of worldly culture. This phenomenon was not only of that time but has continued throughout human history, flowing down to us and to future generations like unceasing rain. When Noah was born and became active in his prime, human culture had completely deviated from the normal track and expanded uncontrollably. The world was filled with destructive and narcissistic activities stemming from the foundation of a corrupt life, and the truth could not shine. Therefore, the choice of whether to pass on God’s love received from Him to neighbors and descendants or to pass on this legacy of sin was left as the simplest or perhaps the most difficult choice for humans.