SETH: A Pioneer among Christians

“I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.” Psalm 116:13

Have you ever wondered what it must have been like for Adam and Eve to begin a new life outside of Eden? What a shock it must have been to leave Paradise for a world that was tainted by sin. Many animals they had named and grown to enjoy were now their enemies. Their bodies became sore and bruised. They needed to provide their own food. They saw the first drops of sweat, felt the first sting of pain, smelled unpleasant things, and heard sounds of crying and screams that were all new to their world. They also witnessed death, something they had never known before. Nightmares, worries, and cares filled their minds as they continued to think back to what life was once like in that garden now closed to them.

God blessed Adam and Eve with two sons named Cain and Abel, but even that blessing turned into a horrible scene as Cain took the life of his brother. We can’t even begin to feel the pain that Adam and Eve felt when they realized what their single act of disobedience had caused.

Then Seth (“appointed one, substitute”) was born. It is interesting how Moses introduced Seth’s birth. First the Bible states that “when God created man, he made him in the likeness of God” (Genesis 5:1). But then we read that Adam “had a son in his own likeness, in his own image” (5:3). There was a distinct change that took place as a result of Adam’s sin. The likeness of God was gone.

Several things stand out regarding Cain. He was concerned that he would be a hunted man. He built a city for himself. His offspring practiced polygamy, enjoyed musical entertainment, fashioned weapons, and bragged about killing others. The race of Cain had become the seed of Satan, the children of the devil. They spent their lives caring for themselves with no thought of the Lord.

The opposite of Cain’s family can be seen in Seth. It was Eve who said of Seth, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him” (4:25). Eve was thankful that God had graciously provided a substitute through whom God’s plan of salvation would be carried out. Seth would be part of the line of God’s promise to rescue the world.

Although Scripture mentions little of Seth’s life, we can gain some very interesting insight regarding the naming of his son Enosh, which means “frail or mortal.” Seth realized the frailty and helplessness of mankind. He knew his strength came from the Lord. Scripture also tells us that from the line of Seth and Enosh, “men began to call on the name of the Lord” (4:26). This is the first mention of worshiping the Lord. Public worship now became part of the lives of God’s people.

Sadly, eight generations later we see how the lines of believers and unbelievers faired. Cain’s line increased in numbers as they enticed the descendants of Seth to join them: “The sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose” (6:2). By the time of Noah, there were only a few of Seth’s descendants who still remained true to the Lord: “Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (6:9).

In Adam and Eve’s world, filled with hurt and sorrow, God shone the bright light of his promise through their substitute son, Seth. God has kept that light alive through the generations, and he promises to continue keeping it aglow for all who confess Jesus as their Savior. Like Adam and Eve, no matter how dismal things around us seem to be, God provides us with substitutes and fills our lives with hope. Seth serves as a wonderful reminder of that hope.

Lord, thank you for showing us that you are always in control of our situation. In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.