Genesis 5
When Adam was 130 years old, God gave him another son instead of Abel and he called his name Seth. After that Adam lived 800 years, and had sons and daughters. At the age of 930 years, “he died.” In those days men lived to be very old. The oldest of all was Methuselah: he lived 969 years. Today, if a person lives to be 100, we think him very old. But he must die. How about Methuselah? Of him also it is written: “He died.” Would you like to live to be 969 years old? Many people would. Would they like to die then? No. Death is man’s enemy. Nobody likes to die, but in this world all except two men have died, Enoch and Elijah.
A little girl said, “Mother, how old must I be before I die?” Her mother was wise, so she gave her a piece of string, and said, “Go to the hillside and measure the graves.” She did that and found some very long graves. But she found some shorter, and some very small ones of little children. Are you too young to die? No. But if you are old you are sure that death is near. Soon people may say of you: “He died.” No one except the Lord Jesus Christ can take away the fear of death.
If you know the Lord Jesus as your Saviour, when death comes you will not be afraid, for that is the time you will go to the Heavenly home to be with Christ which is far better.
When Cain died, his body was put in the earth. He likely had a very great funeral for he had many children. But where has Cain gone? Was Cain’s spirit put in the grave together with his body? No, the body is just like a house for the soul. When Cain died, Cain himself was on his way to hell (1 John 3:1212Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. (1 John 3:12)) and when the day comes, he will stand before the Lord Jesus, the judge of all (John 5:2222For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: (John 5:22)). By what he has done he will be judged. The books, when opened, will tell all the bad works of Cain. It will be shown that he sacrificed to God without blood, and that he killed his brother Abel, and that he lied to God, and many other bad works. So Cain will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, to weep and wail forever. We read of the Day of Judgment, “Whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15)). This is the second death. But when Abel died, though his body was put into the earth, where has Abel gone? Abel had brought a killed lamb before God as if he said, “I ought to die and go into the lake of fire but please take the life of this lamb for me.” Then God put his name in the Book of Life.
In the same way, we come to God, and say, “I am bad, and should die, but Your Son the Lord Jesus has died for me. I take His death for me.” So I will never go to hell—with others weeping and wailing. Why? Is it because I am good? No! Or keep the commandments? No! My name is in the Lamb’s book of life only because of the precious blood of Christ. Is your name there?