I was talking to my father last night, who reminded me — by discussing the life of his father and his uncles during the war and depression — that prior to the devolution of society during the 1960s people did not have job security, changed careers multiple times, and not all marriages lasted.
There never was a golden age since the fall. But the conversation moved to the endgames of society, when things fall apart fast, rapidly, and generation after generation become more wicked. Today we look at a line that no longer exists. The Cainites: they are listed as people who were civilized, inventive, even creative.
And evil.
17Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city, and named it Enoch after his son Enoch. 18To Enoch was born Irad; and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael the father of Methushael, and Methushael the father of Lamech. 19Lamech took two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who live in tents and have livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22Zillah bore Tubal-cain, who made all kinds of bronze and iron tools. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24If Cain is avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy-sevenfold.”
25Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another child instead of Abel, because Cain killed him.” 26To Seth also a son was born, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to invoke the name of the LORD.
It is the very father of Tubal-cain, Jabal and Jubal who demanded that he be avenged 77 times — after killing a man. The father of technology killed.
One wonders if this still holds, given the rapid advances made in developing skills and fields from computing to high strength metallurgy to carbon fiber during the cold war: for if there is a rule 34 (if it can be thought, there will be a porn of it) there has to be a rule one (if it can be used to maim, harm and kill, it will be).
But this line died. It looked prosperous, but only a remnant comes out of the flood. ONly a remnant remained faithful. Left to our own devices, without knowledge of the law and without calling on God, our societies degenerate into violence, mistrust, and manipulation: there is no integrity, and therefore no one can take you at your word.
We may live in cities, but our lives become nasty, brutish and short.
And when the end game appears, when society becomes worse, Enosh gives us the correct response: it is time to call upon the name of God, and eschew those gods suggested to us by the society we are part of.
