Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Where Did Cain get his Wife?

Where did Cain get his wife?
    
Cain lay with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Gen 4:17NIV

Some bible scholars have considered this question a hard nut to crack. My first daughter asked me this question during Sunday school. I did not want to give her what I read from books. So I took the question to the Lord in prayer. Below is my finding.
The Lord made me understand that there were no other humans living on earth as at the time He created Adam. He led to consider again the account of Adam;        

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.  After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Gen 5:3-4 NIV
This means that Adam had Cain before he came to 130 years. The scripture also said he had sons and daughters. There was no detailed account of his daughters but it is clear that those daughters of Adam were normal women who were matured for marriage by the age of twenty.  Except in cases of divine intervention, women entered menopause at the age of 45.
The Lord made me understand that Cain married one of his sisters. To back up this He reminded me that Abraham got married to his half sister. The law forbidding brothers from marrying sisters came in many years after- the days of Moses
Not only Cain, but the early human race was few and married among themselves.
Some people see bible account as if Cain did nothing until Adam died. An example of this kind of thing is the account of Abraham. Bible recorded that Abraham died at the age of 175 years. If one follows bible account it will seem like Isaac stood still until Abraham died. But let’s follow the story.
Abraham had Isaac at the age of 100; Isaac got married at the age of 40. Isaac did not have children until he was 60. If we add up, 60 years of Isaac meant 160 years of Abraham. If Abraham lived for 175 years, it means that Esau and Jacob were 15 years when Abraham died. By implication Esau and Jacob stood by as teenagers as Abraham was buried.
Cain married from the only available human race. There were no other humans on earth except those from Adam.

Please, let me have your reactions