Genesis 4 presents Abel, who brought to God an offering that was pleasing to Him (v. 4). This offering was probably instituted by God when He killed the animals to make coats of skin to clothe Adam and Eve after the fall (3:21). Thus, if it were not for the fall, man could not have experienced God’s pleasure as deeply. It may seem inappropriate for us to appreciate the fall, but we must admit that it is truly wonderful that although man is fallen and has a sinful nature, he can please God.
In the end of Genesis 4, at the time of Enosh, men began to call on the name of the Lord (v. 26). Thus, Genesis 4 reveals not only that we can please God but also that we can call on His name. It is by calling on the name of the Lord that we can participate in all His riches (Rom. 10:12). Without the fall, man would probably have never realized that he needed to call on the name of the Lord. The name Abel means “breath” or “vanity,” and the name Enosh means “frail, mortal man.” Because of the fall, man realized that he was frail and mortal and that his life was vanity. When man has no hope in himself, he is forced to call, “O Lord Jesus!” Many Christians today do not agree with the practice of calling on the name of the Lord. However, if they are in a car accident, they will spontaneously call on the Lord. We may refuse to call when we have no problems, but we are forced to call when problems come. Once we learn to call on the Lord, however, we will no longer need problems to force us to call. Whatever my outward circumstances are, every minute I call, “O Lord Jesus.” Therefore, everything is an enjoyment to me. This is possible because the way of calling on the Lord was pioneered by Enosh, the third generation of mankind. This is the revelation in Genesis 4.
In Genesis 3 and 4 God was moving and working, revealing the way for man to be living (3:15, 20), the way for man to please God (4:4), and the way of calling on the name of the Lord (v. 26). Then in chapter 5 God went on to reveal that man can walk with God (vv. 22, 24). God is the holy, almighty, bright, and glorious God, but Genesis 5 reveals that fallen, sinful man can walk with God, accompanying Him as He goes along. Without the fall, perhaps man could never have tasted the sweetness of walking with God.
After the way to be living, the way to please God, the way of calling on the name of the Lord, and the way of walking with God were all revealed, Noah was born (vv. 28-29). Noah was born from holy, godly forefathers. Adam’s death occurred not long before Noah’s birth (vv. 1-29). Thus, Noah undoubtedly inherited all the godly ways of his godly forefathers. He inherited the way to be living, the way to please God, the way of calling on the name of the Lord, and the way of walking with God, which was discovered by his great-grandfather, Enoch.
Although Noah inherited all these godly ways, God did not stop moving and working in Genesis 5. We may think that it is good enough to have the way to be living, the way to please God, the way of calling on the name of the Lord, and the way of walking with God. These ways are wonderful, but they are not enough. It is wonderful if a group of believers is living, pleasing to God, calling on the name of the Lord, and walking in the presence of God, but it is short of God’s building. The matter of building is revealed in Genesis 6 with the building of the ark (vv. 13-16).
God is not only living but also moving and working. He was moving on with Noah. Thus, Noah was not satisfied and contented with all the godly ways he inherited from his forefathers. God came to Noah with a new revelation, which was a further step of revelation. It seems that God was telling him, “Noah, it is good for you to adopt the way to be living from Adam, the way of pleasing Me from Abel, the way of calling on My name from Enosh, and the way of walking with Me from Enoch. All these godly ways are good, but none of them can fulfill My purpose or carry out My plan. This age has become altogether evil; it has become a crooked and perverted generation. I am finished with this age. I cannot carry out My plan with these people. I must terminate this age and usher in a new age.” To be living, to please God, to call on His name, and to walk with Him are godly ways, but they are not adequate to fulfill God’s purpose. They are not adequate to terminate the old generation and to usher in the new age. God seemed to be telling Noah, “My revelation to you is the ark. The ark is My salvation to you, but you must build it. You need to build the ark so that I can terminate this generation and carry out My purpose in a new age.” The ark typifies not a shallow salvation from perdition or hell but a deeper salvation, the highest salvation, one that saves us from this crooked generation to fulfill God’s purpose. This salvation needs our cooperation through our building. This is the main burden in this chapter.
When some Christians hear this word, they may say, “This is altogether too much. We need only to preach the gospel and help people to believe in the Lord Jesus, to love the Lord, to seek spirituality, and to be holy and good people living on the earth for the glory of God. As long as we do these things, we will all go to heaven. This is enough.” Some have said concerning me, “Do not listen to that little man from China. He is one of the Oriental mystics. His teaching is Oriental philosophy based on Chinese Confucian ethics. We have already heard the gospel. We already know that we need to believe in the Lord Jesus to be saved, and we already know the Bible. We do not need to listen to that little man from China.”
Noah probably experienced something similar. When Noah received the vision to build the ark, he probably told others, “God’s purpose today is to build the ark. God will terminate this generation by flooding the entire earth. We all need to enter into God’s purpose.” Although the Bible does not record whether Noah had any brothers or sisters, I believe that he had many siblings and relatives. Eventually, however, only eight persons accepted God’s revelation through Noah. Many must have mocked him, saying, “Noah, what are you talking about? Are you greater than our great-grandfather Enoch? He walked with God and was taken by God, but he never told us to build an ark. What you are doing is nonsense, Noah. Forget about it. You are crazy. We are building tents for people to live in. We are tilling the ground to grow food for people to eat. You are building an ark for a flood, but the sky is clear and the land is dry. What you are doing is not practical.” In principle, what we hear today regarding our practice of the proper church life to fulfill of God’s purpose is the same.