Jamin Bradley

Many have heard about the “mark of Cain,” even though no one knows what it is. Whatever it was, its intent was to protect Cain from being killed by anyone now that he was a known fugitive for murdering his brother. This mark communicated in some way that if anyone killed Cain, vengeance would be taken on them seven-fold.

God does not favor the death penalty and had no desire for Cain to be killed, even though he had become a killer himself. Yes, God will require Cain to face a great punishment for his sins—but not death. God is trying to stop Cain’s sin from spiraling into more death, which will be unhelpful for everyone. There is always space for the generational hatred and bitterness of the Montagues and Capulets to arise if we don’t let God pave a new way forward.

Unfortunately, Cain’s descendant, Lamech, completely missed the point of this lesson. As the world’s first polygamist, he was already twisting the words that God gave to man. He did the same twisting to God’s words over Cain and took them to mean that he was invincible—that he could do whatever he wanted and get away with it. If God protected Cain after he murdered Abel, then God must protect him after he murdered someone. It was to him as though murder was an endorsement put upon his family line. And so, after Lamech killed a man, he declared that if Cain’s revenge was sevenfold, then his was seventy-sevenfold.

People tend to misunderstand God even when he speaks clearly. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why God doesn’t speak nonstop, why he keeps his words short, and why he sometimes chooses to speak through nudges, feelings, and impressions rather than statements. What words has he spoken over your life? Have you ever missed the point or misinterpreted what he said?