Charles, I “clearly” showed in the preceding post that God’s law existed prior to the flood. In addition, I showed how the post-flood law of Genesis 9:6 tied into both pre-flood Genesis 1 and 4. The Analogy of Faith –your question—has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt!

You need to get back to the original thread—! Thus, I will make only a few more comments:

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Charles said,

I agree that the law against murder is eternal law that existed from the beginning. Even so, The first time in the biblical chronology that positive law is overtly prescribed or mandated by God is in the Noachian Covenant. This is a fact. I dare you to disprove it.

The fact that the Genesis 9:6 mandate contains a penalty, retribution, to be imposed on anyone guilty of bloodshed, makes it unavoidably obvious that the mandate is positive law. Positive law without a penalty is a mere recommendation, because positive law without a penalty is positive law that can't be enforced by humans, and is therefore not really positive law at all. Again, both an inductive reading of Scripture and common sense make this unavoidably obvious.
Though your use of eternal and positive law is not consistent or biblical [your definitions/use/understanding are in question, et. al], please note that God imposed a (pre-flood) positive law [your use of term; actually God imposed an divine law which became human (positive) law] in Genesis 4:15, which was more than just a mere “recommendation!” Moreover, Adam was instructed by God concerning the forbidden fruit and it was his responsibility to insure that Eve and the future human race (i.e. be fruitful and multiply) obeyed such! Adam, the covenant head, was to enforce (pre-flood) human (positive) law — given by God!

Just in case you have forgotten, the “eternal/divine” law of God is suppose to be the human (positive) law to be practiced by humanity—man is not to be a law unto himself (that’s called sin)! Thus, it is all “eternal/divine” law (unless it is a law that is ungodly and then there is no obligation to obey it …Augustine states, "Consequently, every human law has just so much of the nature of law as it is derived from the law of nature. But if in any point it departs from the law of nature, it is no longer law but a perversion of law.")! Genesis 9:6; 4:15, and 2:16 are divine law given in time and when applied by man may be called human (positive) law for which man was/is responsible. Even you AGREED that “do not murder” is one of God’s eternal/divine laws, however, you have failed to include this in the remainder of your thought process! John Calvin said, "We must not imagine that the coming of Christ has freed us from the authority of the law; for it is the eternal rule of a devout and holy life, and must, therefore, be as unchangeable as the justice of God" (Commentaries on the Gospels, Vol. 1, p. 277).


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Charles states,

From the beginning God wanted people to live by their own consciences, i.e., by eternal law. He had so little regard for positive law that He put a mark on Cain to keep people from executing justice against him. I can't find any reason in Scripture to believe that Cain was special and deserved a mark, while Lamech was not special, and didn't. Since "God is not one to show partiality" (Acts 10:34; NASB), why should He prefer Cain over Lamech, or over anyone else? It doesn't make sense. What makes sense is that God wanted people to live by eternal law, and He allowed the global positive law against bloodshed only very reluctantly. He preferred a period of anarchy to show us how little regard He has for encouraging us to impose ourselves on other people non-consensually.
God DID NOT put a mark on Cain because he merely had little regard for “positive law,” but because it was part of His plan from the very beginning! God did not do this “reluctantly,” but foreknew it because He foreordained it [insert string of verses on foreordination]. If it was just “a period of anarchy” then why are there still murders today? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/drop.gif" alt="" /> Sin has run wild since the fall and will continue until …. (note sin continues in hell even after the Second Coming).

God’s purpose in sparing Cain is very evident from Scripture. There are two lines: (1) the seed of the woman — Abel, and (2) the seed of the Serpent — Cain. These lines may be traced throughout Scripture. God spared for His own purposes the person of Cain. Here we see that God even has a “divine” purpose for preservation of evil ...…(compare, Pharaoh in Romans 9:17, “For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, For this very purpose did I raise thee up, that I might show in thee my power, and that my name might be published abroad in all the earth.”). Was this relevant to Noah before the flood? Of course it was! How many Christians get discouraged when they see the wicked prosper – look at Cain’s line and see how they mastered several arts-they prospered (Gen. 4:17-22)! Many wicked prosper today as well during Noah's time (I'm building a boat in the middle of nowhere and my acquaintances are becoming millionaires .... ). However, the saint of God need not be discouraged for as God rose up someone to replace Abel, and Noah triumphed in the flood, so Christ HAS triumphed in the Church, et. al. This was to be a story of hope for Israel and it is a story of hope for the Church today!!!

Of course, Cain's condition may also be seen in light of the fall in Genesis 3, etc., etc., etc. God later looked at the world (Cain's kingdom) and said what before the flood?

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Gen. 6:5-8 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, "I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them." But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
God had a purpose and He fulfilled it according to His Divine counsel! The battle between the two seeds is one of God’s focuses throughout all of Scripture, et. al.

PS: Your straw is on fire. [Linked Image]

Reformed and Always Reforming,