Woman’s Quest of Knowing Begat Disorder;
Disorder Begat Violence and Led to Laws
Satan’s deception to Woman, that she could be as God if she could obtain knowledge apart from God began the march into sin, chaos, disorder and death (Ge 3:1-7) {Ancient Battleground: Tree of Knowledge}. Woman raised her first son, Cain {Given of God}, to be the promised conqueror of Satan to return them to their pre-sin state; an impossibility (Ge 4:1-8). However, Cain descended into complete chaos and disorder and murder Abel, the Weak One, whom he was to protect when God chose Abel as patriarch instead of himself {God Offered Cain Control}. Cain left God’s presence and formed his own government in the Land of Wanderers {Nod}. Why, Laws?
Major Purpose of Laws: Order (Control);
Notice: Justice is NOT Defined
Sin had so completely ruined man’s original nature, made in God’s image, that it was beyond the control of the individual; which he proved by murdering Abel in violent anger (Ge 1:26-27). His prowess in agriculture failed him, God’s mark, that he could not support himself, forcing him to search for new means of surviving. Cain had a major issue to solve when he built the first city. How to prevent his subjects from destroying themselves and his newly created society (Ge 4:16-17). This is an essential problem for a leader without followers is simply another individual (Pr 14:28). He did this by controlling others through a new system called government built upon laws to achieve the lofty goal of justice. Thus, Cain, who was rejected as leader over God’s people, made himself king over others who had also rejected God’s guidance. Since he was one among many I am sure he used both persuasion via the development of a system that would reward those who supported his system and would punish those who would disrupt his new order. But, why would they follow him? Because he offered them justice; or more specifically, the opportunity to realize their dream of being as God. They could define their own morality code that would Control their more sinful elements to work together for the common goal of eternal life apart from God.
When sinful people are left to their own devices chaos, disorder, violence and death are the inevitable results with nihilism the only outcome (Ro 1:18-32). People would fight over necessities of survival relying on the survival of the fittest philosophy which was codified in the 19th century as evolution. Not only would this random, wanton violence prevent any growth, it invited the very real probability of extinction of the group. Yet, one cannot simply rule by force; Cain tried this route and failed. You cannot rule if you have to kill your subjects to maintain control. Cain had to offer the people something to incentivize them, something they yearned to have but could not obtain. He would offer them Justice; but, justice apart from God. Today we would simply call this fairness, a person getting what they deserved, as determined by society, for harming either the society as a whole or individuals within that society. Today we would call this division: Civil and Criminal laws. But, how could justice be defined that all would agree to accept?
Cain Offered a Way from Darkness Via
His, Satan’s, Concept of Laws and Justice
Every person’s soul was reproduced in God’s image, knowing morality though unable to achieve its goal of peace (Ro 1:19-20; Ga 5:19-23). But, lost people reject God, His truth and His morality which became a quandary. If Cain developed an arbitrary system of laws, no one would follow them. Eat subgroup would develop their own counter system of rules with each group doing what was right in their own eyes (Ju 21:25). Cain had to develop a source of morality apart from himself but that included himself as the conduit or legitimate arbitrator of the laws. In other words, Cain had to develop an idolatrous system based on a god with himself as intercessor between this god and society. Thus, the first Luciferianism pattern was born which continues even today and will eventually result in Antichrist and his False Prophet during the Great Tribulation (Re 12:17-13:18). Since lost mankind is largely empirical, their god would also have to have some physical presence on which to focus their worship; thus, idolatry was born. Cain would lead them out of the darkness of chaos, violence and want and into the light of order, control, justice and knowledge which would led to security and plenty.
The first priority of law was to protect society. Any provocation that appeared to be contrary to the order and existence of society had to be criminalized and swiftly punished. Hence, a policing force had to be developed as well as a system to public adjudicate the offense and dispense the required punishment according to defined rules or laws. This appearance of impartiality would be advertised as justice. Everyone would clearly know the rules and prescribed punishments; if these rules were administered equitably then members could agree that justice was accomplished. This is criminal law.
However, disputes between individuals or groups would also arise that could eventually disrupt the state; therefore, a system of laws had to provide relief along accepted lines for people to believe that their interests were being protected. This is civil law. As long as these rules were generally enforced equitably and punishments considered reasonable then the people would accept this system. Today, we call this government. These developments are not specifically discussed in Scripture but are logical inferences from the postdiluvian history of Genesis. Since there is nothing new under the sun, the events had to follow a antediluvian pattern which had to begin with Cain for his line developed the early trappings of civilization: husbandry; metallurgy; and music (Ge 4:20-21; Ecc 1:9-11). This society developed a concept of self-defense showing that violence remained a staple but that rules were in place to allow for order (Ge 4:23-24).
Another logical interference would be the division of labor in Cain’s society. Since Cain could not longer support himself from the land but still needed to eat, he needed other members of his society to work the land; they remained vegetarians at this time. We know that some tended to husbandry and some to tool-weapon development and even some to music and associated instrument developments. This required knowledge, knowledge that was previously unknown. the heritage of woman’s quest for knowledge to be as God was being fulfilled by Cain’s society. Cain and his group formed the religious-politico-social-governmental core group which guided the other members whose produced benefited society as a whole. Thus, centralized government was established; otherwise known as socialism. This appeared to be Nimrod’s form of government and was certainly the Bronze Age primary governmental form with smaller tribal groups operating on the periphery of these governments. This is Satan’s preferred government and it will be the governmental form of the Great Tribulation with the Antichrist as the central head and the False Prophet as the supporting religious arm because while government legislates morality, religion legitimizes the morality the government enforces.
Asclepius’ Staff: Tree of Knowing;
Tree of Death – Modern Societies
Modern societies compete for knowledge to control nationally and internationally. The knowledge that became known as science gave birth to the nation-state and industrial revolution that lifted entire peoples out of perpetual, historical poverty even to the spread of Christ’s Gospel of life around the world. Yet, its primary purpose was, and is, the coalescing of mankind back into a globalized, socialized society ruled over by an elite, Cain’s group, with the vast majority existing only to slave for the few. Yet even the elites are not free but are in bondage to their god, Satan (Jn 8:44). Yes, woman’s quest for knowledge brought death into the world and billions have died. She is the image of justice but it its a justice born of sin and does not seek God but its own self-justification at the expense of its members (Ro 2:1-11).
But, Woman was also blessed to be the conduit of the One who would bring true life to all mired in sin without hope (Ge 3:15; Lk 1:26-35; 2:1-7, 22-38). Christ was nailed to the Tree of Knowledge without God in our place though He was God. Through His death believers were brought into knowledge of God via the Holy Spirit and we will eat from the Tree of Life (Ac 2:1-4; 1Co 2:14; Re 22:1-5). Though darkness closes in we have the Light of Christ which never leaves us (Ga 2:20). We shall not be ashamed though many will for God’s justice is never blind (Ps 6:10; 34:4-5).