Before going to scripture, let's reason on why incest is medically unhealthy. The closer the relative, the more likely any resultant children will have birth defects. And yet, if we take the genealogy of mankind literal, there was a significant increase in the overall lifespan as we get closer to Adam, especially when we get past Noah. It seems as if Shem, Noah's second son, lived for 502 years after the Deluge. He died 13 years after Sarah did, and may have also been the one known as Melchizedek, though that is by no means certain. Abraham himself is recorded to have lived for 175 years, and his father Terah, of the 8th generation from Shem, lived 205 years. As you may be aware, Sarah was Abraham's half-sister as well as his wife, having the same father in common. (Ge 20:12) Incest became strictly forbidden at the institution of the Law Covenant. Why did God finally make this illegal? Likely because the genetics of mankind had finally broken down to the point where Moses, could pray.
The span of our life is 70 years,
Or 80 if one is especially strong. (or "because of special mightiness.")
But they are filled with trouble and sorrow;
They quickly pass by, and away we fly.
- Psalm 90:10
One could reason that at this point it became too dangerous for the offspring if this practice was to continue. The DNA of humans was becoming too greatly removed from perfection.
And yet we know marriage was sacred in God's eyes. Even before the Law Covenant, Joseph knew it was a sin against God if he was to sleep with his master's wife. And likely he knew that God nearly killed a couple kings because they were about to take Sarah as wife when they did not realize that she was already Abraham's. So it would be totally wrong to say Cain had relations with his own mother, Eve was not Cain's wife, but Adam's. So, where did Cain get his wife? (Ge 4:17)
"After this Adam named his wife Eve, (meaning, "LIving One.") because she was to become the mother of everyone living." - Gen 3:20
"Adam lived for 130 years and then became father to a son in his likeness, in his image, and he named him Seth. (Adam's 3rd son (Ge 4:25)) After becoming father to Seth, Adam lived for 800 years. And he became father to sons and daughters. So all the days of Adam's life amounted to 930 years, and then he died." - Ge 5:3-5
From these 2 scriptures we can understand that Cain's wife had to be a sister, or perhaps a niece.
Since Paul was referring to comparing spiritual things with spiritual and NOT earthly/literal/physical things with spiritual and we are on the topic of the creation, the tree of "KNOWLEDGE" of good and evil acquired by mankind, and where Adam KNEW his wife Eve, and conceived Cain, and where Cain got his wife, let's start with some scriptures.
Hosea4:6
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. (KNOWLEDGE)
Genesis5:1-2
In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (1 individual, mankind - created both male and female. The Lord God creating the soul/conscious and heart in one individual. Adam-soul/conscious, Eve-body/heart.)
Looking at Father and Mother now, Mankind created from the "dust of the EARTH."
Spiritually speaking, Earth as our bodies. Our physical aspect. Our mother.
-Heaven and Earth(Father and Mother)
(Spirit and body)
And the soul/conscious, and the heart all residing in the spirit and body.
-Spirit expressing itself in physical body. Spirit cannot manifest without a body and without the spirit the body is dead.
Adam living in perfect peace, bliss, state of heaven, oneness with God, residing in spirit(father) and body(mother) until he fell into a deep sleep and was given a heart and a mind, the capability of thinking/KNOWING, and feeling.
The mind and heart of Adam ran rampant with thoughts and desires. Knowledge, both of good and evil instead of just good(paradise).
The serpent, the wisest of God's creation- THE MIND, when carnally and earthly/worldly is enmity with God. (creates fear, doubt, ego, conceit, depression, stress, anger, etc.)
Romans8:7, Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
Let's get back to KNOWLEDGE and the soul/conscious(Adam) knowing his heart(Eve) and creating children (seed) bearing fruit inside of the body, either good fruit or evil fruit. These children and seeds grow together internally. Children(seed) being thoughts, desires, emotions. One seed leads to the next, join with others and creates the network of our own empires, sin, kingdoms within. The evil seeds devour the good seeds inside of us.
Man was given dominion over these thoughts, desires, and emotions (free will) in Genesis1:26. Notice initially all the seeds planted in Earth (the body) where all "good" and of God's kind. Transmission of knowledge INSIDE of a human, whether of God(good) or bad(ourselves).
Marriage is divine and spiritual, in the Lord. Our carnal minds choose to view scriptures naturally, literally, and historically... Hence.... Thinking of earthly common marriage amongst male and female, as well as typical earthly children. As we grow older, our minds and bodies and our hearts are conditioned and controlled to believe and think and know physical and outward aspects, they are doctrined, traditioned, etc by ourselves, mankind, and everything that has happened in our lives. Religious agenda, which is blasphemous. We must not pertain scriptures this way. Scripture is written of the Spirit of God, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
Spirituality is ALL WITHIN, INSIDE of us all, where any and all transformation takes place. God is concerned with the inner human, not the outer.
Jesus was tempted by the devil, his own MIND with the same thoughts, desires, emotions we feel YET he didn't cave to them, he didn't give in to the physical, literal, earthly, worldly aspect oh himself or things. He was led by the SPIRIT and not the MIND. He showed us a way out of this, how relying upon God and fasting(thinking only of God and eliminating all other thoughts) (meditation, being still and knowing and relying on God, sun and moon standing still, etc). He defeated the devil (MIND).... Where was Christ crucified... Golgatha... Interpreted: the place of the skull.... What's between the skull.... The mind.
So when you see God destroying and dashing evil children(seed) to pieces, that's God reigning in ones body conquering his enemies which are the network of sin(evil thoughts, desires, emotions) inside of an individual. Hence... The flood coming and destroying them all, washing, cleansing. Sodom, a kingdom of slavery to sexual immorality inside of an individual burned up by the Lord's coming and baptism of fire. Other evil countries and kingdoms created within our own minds and hearts.... Destroyed.
2 Corinthians 3:14-15,
14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.
15 But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart.
(Minds blinded and hearts veiled.... Those who still think literally and earthly and outwardly and vain interpretations of scripture.) When Jesus, Paul, and the apostles refer to the scriptures, they are referring to the Old Testament ONLY.) Christ and the entire New Testament can be found in the Old Testament, just different and older writers and words and slightly different metaphors.
Let's see what Godly knowledge is:
Isaiah11:2,
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.
(7 women taking hold of one man in Isaiah, no different then 7 churches in Revelation)
-Don't even get me started on the husband and wife, and the earthly and fleshly man thinking he has control and his wife should be in subjection to him, and the wearing of the covering. THE GREAT MYSTERY Paul speaks of concerning Christ and the church. Spirit and body, bridegroom and bride.
We all should be: Acts4:32,
And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
The temple of the Lord is our bodies in which the Spirit dwells. The house of the Lord is in is, the tabernacle is in us, the kingdom is within us. All inside. Spiritual. This gives new light on scriptures of Jerusalem, Judah, Zion, Israel(body), etc. Metaphors. Searching the scriptures and having earthly knowledge of them only carry us a tiny way, seeking the Spirit within takes us all of the way, having eyes to see spiritually and ears to hear spiritually. All about the old man, old world, ourselves gone and new man created and molded.
This sums up the spiritual and inner human VERY well:
Colossians 2:6-23King James Version (KJV)
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using
after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
The Spirit of God wrote these scriptures. It is vain and a mistake to take them earthly, literal, or historical in any way.
The Spirit teaches things written of Spirit. I understand this may be difficult to grasp, our own knowledge and everything we think we know, our ego's and conditioned and trained minds.... They never want to let go and be humbled and be taught by the Spirit. I used to be the same way until the light struck and I listened. Yes it was painful losing all of my friends and relationships at church and everyone thinking I'm crazy, but he who seeks to save his own own life will lose it and he who loses his life will save it. It's very painful, but in the end... Freedom, truth, peace, love, and oneness with the Lord has prevailed and its worth the end of our worlds we create.
