17-18 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.

19-22 And Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. His brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23-24 Lamech 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. If Cain's revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech's is seventy-sevenfold.”

25-26 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the Lord. Genesis 4:18-26 English Standard Version

The Hebrew version of the Bible uses the word 'knew' for the act in which a child is conceived. The first time it's used is Genesis 3:7 where, after Eve and Adam had disobeyed God, we read “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” So the word implies that intimate nakedness belongs to the relationship of marriage. The fact that many people today have no embarrassment in flaunting their bodies shows they've lost the sense of shame that sin brought to Adam and Eve. Has society moved forwards or backwards?

Which leads to vs 19-22. Verses 17-18 give Cain's family tree leading up to a man named Lamech. He is the first man known to have taken two wives, thereby breaking the pattern God had given to Adam. But what is the interesting thing that we're told about his descendants?

We see that they developed the skills of tent-making, farming, music and metalwork. Evolutionists would have us believe that our ancestors were apes and clumsy cavemen, and that evolution was an upward process. On the contrary, what we see in today's verses is that mankind's skills and potential were there from the start. We see the outcome of those skills in the amazing technology of our generation. But what about mankind's moral evolution? What do vs 23-24 suggest?

Having already taken two wives, Lamech goes on to boast of a young man he killed in retaliation for a hurt caused! He even used words God had spoken to justify his actions. I'd say that from the earliest days mankind's pathway has been one of downwards degeneration. It led to the violence that filled the earth by the time Noah was alive, was evidenced by pagan idolatry in so many parts of the world, and is still with us in the carnal condition and shameless activities of people in the 21st century. What was the one ray of light midst the darkness that was spreading in the world? (vs 25-26)

The day came when some people began to call on the name of the Lord. When Seth (whose name meant 'appointed') was born to Eve, she perhaps thought he would be the one to end their woes after Abel’s death. But it wasn’t so. And as time went by and wickedness grew, so some people began to cry out to God. It may’ve been a cry for Him to send the deliverer He had spoken of. It may’ve been a cry for His help as ungodliness spread. In a sense, we do the same thing now whenever we pray to God and say “hallowed be your name; your kingdom come; your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” May we be among those who call on the name of the one God sent to bruise the serpent's head, the Lord Jesus Christ. The prophet Joel said: “It shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Joel 2:28-32)