Genesis 4:23 (7KB)

²³ And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I am saying: for I have killed a man to my wounding of my conscience and a young man to my hurt of my guilt.

These words were spoken by Lamech (the seventh in genealogy lineage through Cain). Lamech was aware of the murder of Abel and subsequent punishment of his forefather Cain for the shedding innocent human blood. But for unknown reasons Lamech felt such great condemnation that he imagined he was worthy of a greater punishment than the first murderer (his forefather Cain).

Genesis 4:8-9 (7KB)

⁸ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field." And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹ Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Lamech however was not the same as Cain who showed no remorse at all for the murder of Abel. When confronted with the sin and given opportunity to confess Cain only replied saying, "Am I my brother's keeper?" Thus, Cain showed no remorse at all for murdering his brother Abel.

Genesis 4:10-15 (7KB)

¹⁰ He said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground.

¹¹ Now you are under a curse and will experience a curse from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

¹² When you farm the ground it will be cursed for you and it will no longer yield its crops to you. You will be a fugitive, wandering the earth.”

¹³ And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!

¹⁴ You are banning me today from the blessings and fruitfulness of the land and have separated me from your presence. I will be a fugitive wandering the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.

¹⁵ So the LORD said to him, "Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him.

When sentence of punishment was pronounced upon Cain, he did not repent over the murder he committed but only lamented that his punishment was more than he could endure!

This is much different than Lamech (the later descendant of Cain) because Lamech was overcome by remorse and grief and self-condemnation. It seems that Lamech was beating himself with condemnation over something (which indicates that he was not a murderer at all). Even though the circumstances of the death of a young man were not given, Lamech is tormented by human guilt and condemnation. Possibly the death was an accident meaning that is was not a murder at all. Murderers pre-plan their murder and they do not feel remorse about it afterward. The guilt Lamech indicates that he is not a murderer as Cain his forefather was.

Deuteronomy 4:41-42 (7KB)

⁴¹ Then Moses set apart three cities [of refuge] beyond the Jordan to the east,

⁴² that the manslayer might flee there, who kills his neighbor unintentionally, without having hated him in time past, (without malice or aforethought), he could flee into one of these cities and save his life.

God made provision for those who accidentally killed a human (without previously having hated them and without malice and without aforethought). Those who killed someone by accident were not murderers and so God made provision for their protection.

Deuteronomy 19:4-6 (7KB)

⁴ “If someone kills another person unintentionally, not having hated him in time past, the slayer may flee to any of these cities to live in safety.

⁵ For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life.

⁶ otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated his unintended victim previously.

If someone accidentally killed a human (without malice or aforethought) then such a person was not a murderer and was unworthy of being executed for murder! God made provision for anyone who accidentally killed someone to protect their lives from being destroyed as murderers. This shows that God does not see accidental death as murder and such a case is entirely different than what Cain did who premeditated his murder of Abel in advance before he carried out the act of murder.

Murderers do not typically have remorse or guilt (except that they may play the part trying to reduce their sentence). Murderers like Cain are primarily concerned only about their punishment not about the murder. A murderer is sorry they get caught but not remorseful about taking a human life. It is therefore unusual that Lamech is feeling so guilty for having killed a young man which indicates Lamech was not a murderer (as his forefather Cain was).

Genesis 4:23 (7KB)

²³ And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I am saying: for I have killed a man to my wounding of my conscience and a young man to my hurt of my guilt.

This scripture therefore refers to the topic of human guilt. Lamech is an example of a human that was tormented by killing a young man (although the circumstances of this death were not given in scripture). Needless to say, however Lamech suffered great guilt and condemnation even asserting that if his forefather Cain was punished seven-times over then he himself was worthy of seventy-times-seven the punishment given to Cain! It is unusual that someone would judge themselves as worthy of unlimited punishment (many times more than a murderer)!

As long as a person believes they deserve it then the devil can heap condemnation upon them and render them tormented by guilt and ineffective in life.

This type of satanic condemnation is similar to the devil’s ploy of teaching false religious doctrines that God gives sickness to teach people a lesson. As long as a believer is deceived by this demonic doctrine then they will not resist Satan and so the devil has full access to heap sickness upon them without any resistance from them. Those who are deceived by this false doctrine will embrace sickness instead of resist it. What better way is there than for Satan afflict believers with sickness other than to teach them it is from God so they will embrace it?

The same is also true of condemnation when those deceived by it will feel the deserve it so they do not resist satanic thoughts but embrace them instead! If believers are not trained to resist satanic condemnation then they will be rendered ineffective by it and this condemnation can ruin their lives.

Demonic Condemnation

Revelation 12:10 (7KB)

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down.

The scripture above says that Satan is called the accuser of the brethren who accuses them before God day and night! It is therefore vital that new believers be taught about the schemes of the devil who will seek to use condemnation and accusation to render them as ineffective

Zechariah 3:1 (7KB)

¹ Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him.

² The LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan! Indeed, the LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?"

³ Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments and standing before the angel.

⁴ He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, "Remove the filthy garments from him." Again he said to him, "See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and have clothed you in a robe of righteousness!

⁵ Then I said, "Put a clean turban on his head." So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.

These scriptures above show that Satan had access to heaven and was accusing people before God. Satan was standing there accusing Joshua the high priests. This high priest was wearing filthy garments which represent human sin. But God removed the filthy garments and put clean clothing on Joshua and also a clean turban on his head which speaks of having thoughts of righteousness imputed to sinners as a free gift from God.

This is where new believers must be taught about the free gift of righteousness so that when Satan brings accusation against them, they can quote the scriptures regarding being righteous by a free gift. This knowledge can still the mouth of the accuser because the devil cannot argue with the righteousness that comes from God as a free gift. This free gift is like the clean clothing put upon Joshua the high priest in this vision and indicates that he was made righteous by God without having to earn it by human works of self-effort.

Old Testament Type and Shadow

Colossians 2:17 (NIV2011)

¹⁷ These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

A shadow is a dark image or outline but does not give a clear picture of an object and in the same Old Testament types and shadows give an idea or concept in a general manner. The same is true of the account of Abimelech who serves as a type of Satan to illustrate spiritual truth.

Judges 9:50 (7KB)

⁵⁰ Next Abimelech went to Thebez and besieged it and captured it.

⁵¹ But there was a strong tower in the city, and all the men and women--all the people of the city--fled there and shut themselves in; then they went up to the top of the tower.

⁵² Abimelech went to the tower and stormed it. But as he approached the entrance to the tower to set it on fire,

⁵³ But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and crushed his skull.

⁵⁴ Hurriedly he called to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and kill me, so that they can't say, 'A woman killed him.'" So his servant ran him through, and he died.

This is an Old Testament type and shadow that speaks of spiritual things. In this illustration Abimelech is a type of Satan and the people fled to a strong tower and climbed up high into the tower out of the reach of Abimelech. Seeking to set the tower on fire speaks of the adversary who wants to burn up the confidence of believers and bring condemnation upon them using his deception. But a woman dropped a millstone on the head of Abimelech and this crushed his skull. The woman speaks of the seed of the woman Eve who would give birth to the Messiah who would crush the head of Satan.

Genesis 3:14-15 (7KB)

¹⁴ So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.

¹⁵ And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”

These scriptures speak of the seed of the woman (who would later give birth to the Messiah) as crushing the head of Satan and defeating him.

Colossians 2:15 (NIV)

¹⁵ And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Jesus defeated Satan and triumphed over him through the redemptive work accomplished on the cross.

The story of Abimelech speaks of Satan trying to burn the people up with condemnation but having a rock of God's word dropped on his head to crush his satanic lies with the rock of God's word (which is the truth)! Jesus the Messiah was born of a woman and came to earth as a man and defeated Satan and purchased eternal life for all humanity so that whoever would call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

Romans 10:13 (NIV)

¹³ for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

When a person believes in Jesus as their Savior they are to be trained to know and understand that they are righteous in Christ by a free gift. They did not earn this righteousness but instead received it freely by the redemptive work of Christ. The knowledge of this truth will set them free from the condemnation of the devil. When the devil tries to condemn them they can drop the rock of God's word on the devil's head and break his satanic thoughts! They can say it is written, and then quote the scriptures to counteract the lies of the devil.

Romans 4:6 (7KB)

⁶ just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

⁷ "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.

⁸ Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."

There is a blessedness for the believer in that God imputes to them righteousness apart from works. The transgressions of the believer are forgiven and God does not impute sin to them. This redemptive knowledge is like a rock that can break the skull of the devil and crush is satanic thoughts of condemnation.

Whenever the devil attacks the minds of the believers they can counterattack using God's word and tell the devil that they are made righteous by the blood of the Lamb by a free gift through the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 18:10 (7KB)

¹⁰ The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous can run into it and are safe from the condemnation of the devil. They can rise up high above the devil's accusations because they know they are made righteous by the blood of Jesus.

Scriptures for Righteousness

Believers can memorize the following scriptures as a means of having a rock of God's word concerning righteous which they can quote against the onslaught of the enemy who would seek to bring condemnation upon them. There are many more scriptures that can be added to his list but the main point is that if the believers will fill their minds with God's word then God's word will be like light which drives away darkness of the devil's thoughts. They cannot meditate on God's word and meditate on demonic thoughts at the same time.

Psalm 103:12 (7KB)

¹² He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.

Hebrews 10:19 (7KB)

¹⁹ Therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus the Messiah,

Hebrews 4:16 (7KB)

¹⁶ Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Lamentations 3:22 (7KB)

²² Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

²³ They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness, O Lord!

1 John 1:9 (7KB)

⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 32:5 (7KB)

⁵ Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” and you forgave the guilt of my sin.

Proverbs 28:13 (7KB)

¹³ Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

Romans 8:1 (7KB)

¹ Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Jesus the Messiah.