Cain left the presence of God and went his own way. The first thing he did was to build a city. He produced a culture without God (4:16-24). In the Bible the concept of a city is very significant, and it is possible to trace a line of cities throughout the Scriptures, beginning with Enoch, a city built by Cain, and ending with the New Jerusalem, a city built by God. The city constructed by Cain will consummate in the Great Babylon. The city of Enoch was a counterfeit of God's building. It was not of God, but was initiated by Satan within Cain.
We must realize the source of human culture and the reason for its development. Human culture developed because humanity had lost God. Originally, God, the Creator of man, was everything to man. God was man's protection, maintenance, supply, joy, amusement, and defense. God was everything. In the garden, man had no need to do anything except to till the ground to cooperate with God. God was everything to man in the garden. However, when man lost God, he lost everything. He lost protection, safeguard, maintenance, supply, and amusement. This loss of God forced him to invent human culture. Because man had lost everything, he had to invent something.
Satan, working from within Cain, suggested to him that he build a city. Perhaps Satan said, "Cain, you are afraid that people will kill you. For your existence you need a city to protect you." Because he lost God, Cain was afraid. He had lost God as his supply, joy, and defense. The main purpose for cities in ancient times was for protection. Hence, Cain constructed such a city for his self-protection. In a godless culture people are forced to fend for themselves. Cain did not name the city Jehovah, but Enoch, after the name of his son. He gave the same name to his son and to his city, for, in a sense, his city was his child and he loved it as he loved his own son. It is very meaningful to note that the name Enoch means "initiated," referring to something initiated by Cain. Cain was the first city builder, the first city planner, and the first architect. Cain was an inventor, an initiator. However, the first item of his invention was not the city; it was religion. Firstly, he invented religion; secondly, he invented city building.
One of Cain's descendants was Lamech. The name Lamech in Hebrew means "strong," "powerful." Lamech, the seventh human generation, was a powerful person. Having two wives, he practiced polygamy (4:19). Thus, polygamy began in the city of Enoch in the land of Nod, which means "wandering." Lamech practiced polygamy in order to fulfill his lusts. Polygamy is a violation of the natural law ordained by God for man's existence. Marriage is necessary for human existence. However, marriage must be limited according to the principle of one wife for one husband. This principle was ordained by God to maintain human existence. Lamech was the first to break the divine principle in marriage. The first of his two wives was named Adah, which means "adornment." She was one who adorned and beautified herself. Adah was a wife of adornment. By having these two wives, Lamech's lust was exposed. One day Lamech boasted to his wives. "And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold" (4:23-24). Lamech was even more arrogant than his forefather Cain, boasting that he had slain a man for wounding him and had killed a young man for hurting him. Thus, Lamech was not only a polygamist, but was a murderer and an arrogant boaster. By reading this short portion of the Word we can see how dreadful was the first human culture, a culture without God. All these evil things must have occurred in the city of Enoch built by Cain. This may be called the city life, which was as evil as the life in the big cities today.