At that time men began to call in the name of Yahweh (Gen 4:26)
Let’s see where we are in human history here:
- God created Adam. (1st generation)
- Adam begat Cain and Abel. (2nd generation)
- Cain killed Abel.
- Adam begat Seth. (2nd generation)
- Seth begat Enosh. (3rd generation)
- At this time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
Each father begat a son and called his name. Then people began to call in the name of YHWH. Is there something in those sentence structures for us to understand?
And where are we in spiritual history of worship?
- Abel had brought a holy offering.
- Cain rebelled.
- Seth was holy, like Abel had been.
- Enosh was continuing the family heritage, while Cain was exiled.
- So by the time grandson Enosh was around, worship was being established, in the tradition of Abel (not of Cain).
Calling on the name of the Lord.
This is not the only time that the phrase is used. Ananias told “brother Saul” that he was to be baptized, “calling on his name.” The Psalmist says, “I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised.” Peter quotes Joel in proclaiming that “all who call upon His name” shall be saved. Isaiah quotes the psalm, saying, “Give thanks to the Lord. Call upon His name! Declare his salvation from day to day.” Paul tells the Romans that
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
So we should probably assume that calling upon the name of the Lord is a good thing, even an essential part of salvation itself. But why? And what does that mean, exactly?
Calling on and doing things “in the name” of the Lord is something that soaks into every act of the believer. In desperate times, we cry out to “the name of God” for deliverance. In baptism, we “call on the name of the Lord.” We pray “in the name of Jesus.” We gather as believers “In Jesus’ name.” Jesus said that whatever we ask when we pray in His name, it will be done. We find salvation and forgiveness and answered prayer in that name—the name that is above every name, the one who has been given all authority in heaven and on earth—the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Calling on the name of God implies that we have forsaken self-as-lord (the way of Cain), and followed instead the way of Abel and Seth and Enosh. The placement of the phrase in this context in Genesis seems to imply that calling on the name of the Lord may be the opposite of the proud and stubborn sin of Cain.
So it seems that perhaps the line of Adam through Seth and Enoch has discovered something: Repentance and reliance on the character and nature (“name”) of the Lord is the cure for self-will and reliance on self. A strong multi-generational family was beginning to incorporate intergenerational worship into their pattern of living.
But it does not last, you know. Each generation must decide to call on the name of the Lord. If the next link in the chain weakens, then what follows is unstable, as well. We are soon going to discover in Genesis that the entire human race has gone bad, and that every thought and inclination of their hearts was evil all the time. That’s pretty complete corruption. So, what happened between 4:26 and 6:5? It was, admittedly, hundreds of years and a handful of generations, but it doesn’t really take long, does it? The first generation to go astray remembers what it was like to grow up in a godly home, the second generation only has exposure through grandparents, but the daily example is already corrupt. By the third generation or so, any family remembrance of worship or calling on the name of the Lord is lost, and is not even part of distant memory.
The story of most every man in Bible times begins with his father, or even his grandfather. He would be known as Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, or Simon son of Jonah.
That third generation is critical, it seems.
God’s promise was to Abraham, but the promise began to come to fruition in his grandson Jacob—the third generation.
Timothy had a sincere faith that Paul says dwelt first in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice, passed down to dwell in him as well.
David was from the root of Jesse. David was a man after God’s own heart, and his son Solomon expanded the kingdom and pursued wisdom while pursuing the good life. By the next generation, his son Rehoboam listened to the wrong crowd and chose foolishly, and the kingdom split under his reign.
Generational curses are passed from generation to generation. God says multiple times that He visits “the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.”
On the other hand, generational blessings can also be passed on to a thousand generations, though they rarely seem to last more than three generations.
The children of Israel in Moses’ generation refused to trust in the name of the Lord enough to take the land, and they were destined to all die in the wilderness, so that only their children would be able to enter in.
So, what does it take for faith to continue through generations, leaving a spiritual legacy that runs up and down the family line? It’s simple:
One generation will commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. (Psalm 145:4)
The verses just before that one are also revealing:
“I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.”
God’s name, His nature and His character are the central topics of these verses.
In fact, God calls for fathers to saturate their homes with talk about the things of God. This was God’s command through Moses to Israel:
“You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.” Deuteronomy 6:7
History teaches us again and again that you can’t live off of your parents’ faith. Each generation must make its own choice to follow, or not to follow, the Lord of the ages. God doesn’t have any grandchildren, but He does have millions of children.
In some ways, this little statement in Genesis about people beginning to call on the name of the LORD is sad. After all, God had directly communicated with Adam, and even with Cain (of all people), but we don’t see Lamech or any others conversing with God. We have to go all the way to Noah before God speaks with an individual person again. Maybe calling on the name of the LORD is due to a certain distance and silence that had come between us and Him.
So, it is up to us, to you and to me, to choose to call upon the name of the Lord. Whether we are crying out in desperation for the first time, as lost prodigals seeking refuge, or we are walking by faith and declaring victory in His name, we equally depend on that Name. The name that is above every name. God called Himself I AM to Moses, and described Himself as “showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” And Jesus, His Son, promised that “I will be with you always, even to the end of the age.”
How do we call upon the name of the Lord? I’m glad you asked! Maybe it is a matter of saturation.
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
YOUR ENCOUNTER
One day I felt compelled to dwell on the phrase, and it struck me how many times we are told to “call on the name of the Lord,” or to “shout to the Lord.” And I felt the prompting to literally call on the name of the Lord. Not in a quiet, polite voice, but by shouting out loud, “Jesus!”
In that moment I was declaring that I depended wholly on Him, that I was not ashamed to bear His name, and that I would proclaim Him before the nations, bearing witness to all those in the room (and to anyone who happened to be passing by!). It was a humbling and bold venture for me.
I don't think that's an essential application of what it means to "call on the name of the Lord." Or maybe that's exactly what it is. If I am not willing to literally cry out to the Lord, then what do I mean when I contradict my recited words by using my indoors voice or singing sotto voce?
So let me encourage you: Don’t go halfway—let it out! Blow that shofar and don’t be ashamed! Let God know where you stand, as you scream out, “I cry out to You! There is no other name to declare but Yours! I call on the name of the Lord!” With the boldness and bravery of the singer warriors marching into battle, sing out loud,
“Give thanks to the LORD, for His steadfast love endures forever!”
Do you know why the armies of Israel placed the singers in the front of the battle line? It was because Jehoshaphat consulted with the people, and they all voted to put the Levites in the front. And do you know why the people recommended to put them out front? Because the day before the battle, in answer to the promise of God to be with Israel, the Levites all stood up to praise the LORD with a very loud voice!
You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.’ ”
Jehoshaphat bowed down with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the LORD.
Then some Levites from the Kohathites and Korahites stood up and praised the LORD, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.
Early in the morning they left for the Desert of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, Judah and people of Jerusalem! Have faith in the LORD your God and you will be upheld; have faith in his prophets and you will be successful.”
After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: “Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever.”
As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated.
Give that some soak time, and boldly call on the name of the Lord. Then reflect on your encounter, and write about your experience and share it with someone.