We have discussed some rather in-depth subjects here, but there is a question that I bypassed. After all, most of the major creation science organizations deal with it, so I made the erroneous assumption that it was not needed. That is, where did Cain get his wife?
While the question is an honest one for people who are new to biblical creation teachings, it is also treated like a "Gotcha!" question by atheists and other evolutionists. They act like it cannot be answered, therefore, Genesis is a myth. Or, therefore, evolution.
Who knows what they looked like? Here are two ladybugs from Pixabay / Ron van den Berg |
The quick answer is that if people actually read the text, Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. While the idea of incest is detestable for most people today, it was necessary back then if you study on it. Also, genetic degradation was not an issue yet, and God did not forbid marrying close relatives for another 2,500 years or so.
The longer answer brings in some important theology. For believer in theistic evolution, things get...truly bizarre. Only sons and daughters of Adam and Eve can be saved through Jesus Christ, and if Cain's wife came from somewhere else, it would mean that there is a race that cannot be redeemed. If people tamper with God's Word back in Genesis, they undermine the gospel itself!
Who was Cain’s wife? Who cares? At first glance, who Cain married seems little more than Bible trivia. But linger on it and you’ll discover important implications for the gospel.Here’s the concern: Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel, Cain killed Abel, and then Cain went off and had a family with his wife (Genesis 4:1–17). But where did Cain’s wife come from? It’s an age-old question with at least two distinct gospel consequences.
To read the rest or listen to the audio version, see "Does It Matter Where Cain Got His Wife?"