Enmity

by Paul J Fowler

  “Indeed, the One God declared this many centuries ago, and I bear witness to these words!” Adam now spoke. “Eve establishes this testimony.”

  Eve rose from her place of honor near Adam and joined him.

  “We beheld the Serpent long ago, a great deceiver. And we heard God himself speak this judgment against him. Great is the Serpent’s hatred towards the One God. And great is the Serpent’s hatred of the people of the earth.” Eve declared.

  “Yet God has kept a people for himself. Our survival as a people is evidence of God’s faithfulness to His promise,” Adam resumed. “When Enosh was born. Some of our people returned to us. We called on the name of the Lord. Many times, Seth and I battled the Serpent’s children. But finally, we have found peace on this mountain.”

  Adam motioned for Lyssa and Jathan to stand and join them. As they did, some in the courtyard gasped as they realized which children had been attacked.

  “Evil came to our homeland today, to kill our sons and steal our daughters from us. Once again, Seth made intercession for us. He broke our enemy and left him bleeding. Seth and I will follow this trail of blood. When we find their resting place, we will send them to Sheol!” Adam thundered confidently.

  As Adam’s words were heard, loud shouts of agreement broke out from the crowd. The roar of approval was deafening, echoing off the stone walls of Har Shalem.

  “Tonight, we pray and make sacrifices. Our Melchizedek Kenan will govern with Enosh and Eve as his counsel. Mahalalel will be captain of the armies in Seth’s absence. War may be on our doorstep soon. Everyone must labor to this end. The One God has kept a people who call on His name. My children, let our labors honor His goodness to us!” Adam lifted both his hands as he finished speaking.

  Hands were raised in response across the amphitheater, and another wave of shouting started. A chant of “Yes and Amen!” began to be repeated across the plaza. Adam opened his palms to heaven in adoration to his God, humbled by the courage of his people. After a moment, Adam stepped back, bowed to Kenan, and rejoined Eve.

  Kenan asked for silence, and nodded to Enosh, bowing slightly to him. All who were seated rose as Enosh stepped forward and began to prepare the offering. Adam and Eve stepped back as Enosh, and his attendants came forward. Ahavva came to Seth’s side, together they watched their son pick up a perfect, young ram. The animal was unblemished and spotless, covered in a beautiful white coat. Enosh held the animal aloft so that the people could witness its value as a sacrifice.

  “Without the shedding of blood, sin remains. Forgive Your people our sins and iniquities!” Enosh spoke to the audience. “Accept this sacrifice and cover our sins. We are Your people. We call on Your name. Hear, people of Adam: The Lord thy God, The Lord is One!”

  The courtyard affirmed the cry for mercy with raised hands. Seth watched as Enosh was handed a knife by one of his attendants. Seth watched tears form at the corner of his son’s eyes. Quickly and efficiently, Enosh ended the animal’s life. An attendant held up a bowl to catch the blood which flowed from the wound. Enosh sprinkled some blood at the base of the large stones that formed a crude altar. The animal was taken from Enosh, so its body could be prepared to be burned.

  Years ago, Enosh had told Seth about a vision he was given.

  “I had a vision, Father. I saw a lamb that was so pure, I fell on my knees as my strength left me. The whiteness of his coat shined like the sun. I then begged God to spare me from his radiance. I saw the red blood of his sacrificial wound, but the lamb was alive and joyous. Then I knew we would not offer animals forever. Someday, something better would come. The Angel of the Lord then told me it must be this way for now.” Enosh never approached offerings again without tears.

  Seth held Ahavva close. Knowing he would leave soon, he relished every second of her contact. As the pieces of the ram were placed on the fire, the wind picked up suddenly. Crisp night air swept the last of the summer days heat out of the courtyard. Eve looked at the sky and nodded knowingly as the people of Adam were encouraged by this, regarding it as a sign of God’s favor.

  “God’s Spirit is moved by our sacrifice,” Eve said confidently.

  Eve then gathered Leera and Eleeza and took the girls to join Seth and Ahavva. They sat on one of the benches and watched Mahalalel as he led worship while the sacrifice was consumed. Seth smiled while watching his great-grandson stir the crowd. Everyone adored Mahalalel. He was handsome, gregarious, and loved to lead the city in celebrations. As Mahalalel began to clap, drummers took his rhythm and expanded it. Soon everyone was clapping, shouting, and a festive mood overtook the courtyard. Some Sethites began to leave their seats in the amphitheater. Instruments were played, and soon groups of young ladies and girls were dancing in circles, holding hands as they spun about.

  Seth’s daughters demanded he join in their circle of dance. Seth would never refuse them, and soon his daughters had him dancing, spinning, and laughing in their circle with him. Ahavva watched them, grateful they could create a happy memory with their father before he left. Amused, the girls soon demanded Ahavva join them.

  When the song was finished, Mahalalel walked to the offering fire, where he could be clearly seen. He then took a spear and raised it aloft. A hush settled over the courtyard. The musicians remained silent, only a deep rumble of percussion was heard. This was the war song Adam’s people often sang before a military action. Slowly the women and children moved to the edge of the open yard. Men of all ages, many of whom remained in their seats earlier, now stood and joined other men before the altar.

  Mahalalel sang slowly in a firm, loud voice;

  “The enemy has risen, He has trespassed our lands,

  Our warriors must take up their swords,

  Awake sons of God! Cry out for Justice!

  Receive the Zeal of the Lord!”

  When Mahalalel finished the verse, the tempo picked up suddenly, and other instruments began to play. All the generations of Adam joined in the chorus, singing and declaring the words forcefully. Leaping, dancing, and shouting erupted across the plaza as the music swelled in volume.

  “Stir up Thy Zeal in us O God!

  Stir up Thy Zeal in us O God!

  With the High Praise of God in our Mouths,

  And a two-edged sword in our Hands,

  We will execute the judgment written,

  On our Enemies!

  Stir up Thy Zeal in us O God!

  Stir up Thy Zeal in us O God!”

  The gathered crowd instantly ceased singing and dancing as Mahalalel sang the second verse.

  “Let God Arise and scatter His Foes,

  May the Godly Ones Sing His Praise,

  For the Lord has seen,

  And He will repay,

  Arise, Oh Ancient of Days!”

  The leaping and shouted quickly resumed as the congregants sang the chorus two more times.

  Mahalalel led the crowd in the closing declaration of the song.

  “This is the Honor of all His godly ones, Hey!”

  The final word was shouted with unbridled enthusiasm. Shouts of defiance and faith continued to erupt across the courtyard as Mahalalel returned to the head of the altar.

  “Let all who have taken arms to defend Har Shalem pray as one man!” Mahalalel declared, his voice again echoing off the courtyard walls.

  Mahalalel then began to recite the war prayer of Adam’s people. As he did, all the men who had served as guards or as soldiers in past wars stood at attention. Their voices grew in strength across the assembly as they joined in the recitation.

  “Blessed be my Rock!

  The LORD who trains my hands for war,

  The Lord who is my strength and shield,

  The Lord whose mercy covers me,

  Blessed be the Lord of Hosts!

  Mighty Angels go before us,

  Contend with those we
cannot see,

  Blessed be the Lord my Rock!”

  There was a moment of holy silence across the courtyard as the prayer was finished. Then a great shout erupted among the people. Even Mahalalel was surprised by the spontaneous clamor; he grinned broadly as he then blessed the people with hands raised. Instructions were repeated by Kenan before Adam’s people began to leave the courtyard for their dwellings. The mood was hopeful; Adam and his six patriarchs left encouraged as they walked to Adam’s home for a council of war.

  Chapter Nine

  War Council

  Hand in hand, Seth and Ahavva arrived at Adam’s home and crossed a small garden courtyard to pass into the meeting room. The spacious open room was arranged with cushioned seats in a large circle. Long ago, Kenan had made a bench for Adam to reflect his status as the senior patriarch. Adam insisted the chair be wide enough for Eve to sit with him. His chair was padded and inset with polished black stones. Adam would hate anything too ornate, so the finish was muted, but the craftsmanship was extraordinary. Each patriarch was designated a place. Their spouses could join them at their position while their attendants would sit on another bench just behind them.

  Unlike the men of Cain, Adam’s people only took one wife. Furthermore, Kenan was the last of the patriarchs to marry a sister, as Adam was warned by a revelation that the practice was designated by God only for a time. Other kingdoms of men still practiced it, attempting to elevate royal bloodlines. Seth was often disgusted at the treatment of women in the outer world of men, where women were regarded as property. In their city, women of all ages were treated with absolute respect. Likewise, Eve tolerated no disrespect from a wife to her husband. Such behavior would earn a swift rebuke from her. Adam and Eve expected their sons to listen to the counsel of their wives. As such, wives of leaders were welcome at a meeting such as this one, though not all would attend. For a Cain-ite wife to join a war council was unheard of.

  A table had been set near the entrance where those attending refreshed themselves. After a few minutes, Adam and Eve entered the meeting area, passing through a curtain that separated their private rooms from the larger chamber. Jerod and Enoch, who had just met with Adam and Eve privately, followed behind them and took their seats. Eve remained close to Adam, resting her hands on his shoulders after he sat down. After sacrifice, Eve had shaved Adam’s beard and trimmed his hair. It was his custom before leaving on a hunt. She kissed him on the cheek, enjoying the smoothness. Adam smiled with surprise at her display of affection.

  “Bearded, I look like a pagan god to the men of Cain.” He said to Eve as Seth joined them to take his seat. “I prefer not to look that way as I travel.”

  “Now you look two hundred years younger,” Eve said, laughing.

  “I will shave without prompting from an enemy if it pleases you so much,” Adam retorted. “Come now, Eve. Surely I look at least three hundred years younger?” Eve hugged him again and remained standing behind him.

  Seth stood near his seat, pleased to see his parents playful with each other. Most couples were more affectionate when a hunt would soon take a husband away, and Adam and Eve were no different. Seth was also amazed at how different Adam looked smooth-faced. When Seth was a child, Adam had darker hair. Now Adam’s hair was a lush, healthy color, vibrant platinum with a faint hint of gold. Men of other tribes who died within two-hundred years of life often had hair white and brittle. Adam’s hair looked not unlike the locks of the angelic adversary Seth fought earlier in the day.

  “My son, your dark hair favors mine. You truly are my visage, Seth,” Eve spoke to Seth as if reading his mind. “Your spirit is your father’s, though.”

  “Jathan’s coloring favors you as well, Mother,” Seth observed as Jathan took a drink from the tables across the room.

  “Yes, but he is built like his father,” Eve stated.

  Eve looked with pride at Jathan as he joined them. Adam and Seth were both tall and broad-shouldered. But Adam was thicker and carried more weight. Seth was narrow-waisted, his musculature conditioned for movement. Jathan, built like his father, would add more muscle weight as he aged and continued his training.

  “Jathan is the very image of you, husband, when we married,” Eve said to Adam as they both watched Jathan take his seat.

  Adam smiled and dropped his head to Eve’s side, who lowered her head close to his.

  “And you are still handsome, my husband,” Eve whispered proudly into Adam’s ear.

  “I cannot believe I was ever that young...” Adam said in disbelief as he looked proudly at Jathan.

  Seth looked quietly to his wife, wondering if Ahavva had listened to their parent’s words of affection towards each other. Her knowing smile indicated she thought the same as he had.

  Oh, the fights they used to have...

  As the bloodlines of Adam began to take their seats, Eve remained standing behind Adam. Seth made his place immediately to Adam’s right. Ahavva sat beside him. A total of seven generations formed the circle.

  Adam was seated at the head of the council of patriarchs, seven generational bloodlines of direct lineage. Adam was the son of God Himself, formed of earth and the breath of God’s spirit. Only Eve knew the entire story that, in fact, all humanity began from them. Adam was now six-hundred and thirty seasons old. While he was as physically vigorous as he was centuries ago, the real gift of time was Adam’s acquisition of wisdom and understanding. Adam now possessed an encyclopedic knowledge of agriculture, healing, biology, and physiology, which had been gained through six centuries of observation. Architecture, engineering, and applied physics were also cataloged when Har Shalem was being built. The scarcity and hunger of the early centuries were gone. Their stone city gave them security. Adam’s advanced knowledge safeguarded them from lack and sickness. Their superior war skills and weapons ensured their freedom. And yet, Adam knew better than to trust in what is seen and felt. As a people, he knew they were experiencing unprecedented, divine blessing.

  Behind Adam stood Eve. Tall and strikingly beautiful, she radiated strength and serenity to all in the council. She was revered among their people and deeply loved. Though Eve was strong-willed and possessed an inquisitive mind, she was known for her wisdom and joy. She had been broken by grief in ways only Adam could understand; deceived by the Serpent and expelled from paradise, the shared guilt of corrupting the earth itself, followed by the murder of her son Abel by his own brother. Even losing her son Cain to exile, though justified, had broken her heart. Adam and Eve grieved for twenty-eight years when their family was shattered; the years that followed were a blur of depression and anger. How she hated Adam during that time. Formed from Adam long ago, Eve once longed for an identity separate from him. Now she relished his headship over her life; now they were indeed one. The passage of time had taught them forgiveness, how to trust, and how to complete each other. Both confessed the other as the source of their strength. Eve relished the season their people now enjoyed, and she was determined that their enemy would not defile it.

  Both Adam and Eve grieved at the current condition of the earth, and they longed for the purity of the world they had known in ages past. But they had little time to mourn. The Serpent gave them no peace after they left the Garden, his hatred unabated. His attempts to crush their seed were relentless. The corruption of humanity by the Watchers further added to their pain.

  When exiled from Eden, Adam’s first action was to make guilt offerings before the One God. He had performed the priestly duties according to the instruction the Lord had given him in the garden. After his exile, Adam sought guidance from the angels who stood at the entrance to the Mountain of Eden. When Adam was uncertain what was pleasing to the Lord, he would inquire of the angels there. Adam was pained by his failure to protect his family from the Serpent and was determined to learn all that he could.

  Adam served as the Melchizedek over his people for over three hundred years. Me
lchizedek was a combination of two words; “Melek” which meant judge or ruler, and “Zadok” which means righteousness. While the term did mean ruler and priest, it reflected Adam’s understanding that his authority and priesthood were derived from God himself. The title was a combination of both words in the common tongue. Most humans spoke the same language, though the term was generally not understood outside of Adam’s people. To the outside world, the title was merely regarded as king-priest or priest-ruler, a designation of authority. Adam’s people would often say, “My King is Righteous!” as an expression of faith. However, the declaration was not in reference to the Melchizedek, but rather the One God who was their King.

  Years ago, Adam had reasoned that Seth should replace him as Melchizedek over their people. Seth had always assisted Adam in priestly functions and leadership of their people as their tribes expanded. Seth prayed over the matter and decided he had shed too much blood to be a suitable replacement as the Melchizedek. Adam was frustrated but respected Seth’s ability to discern God’s will. Enosh was the next logical choice, but Adam deemed him too young for the responsibility. After some more prayer and soul-searching, Eve advised them to go to a holy place and offer a sacrifice to seek God’s will.

  Adam and Seth left their people for Har Tavor, south of Kinneret, where they offered sacrifices and prayed.

  “It is Kenan,” Seth declared to Adam after a period of prayer. Adam agreed, surprised, but also convinced. It seems God had chosen someone even younger than Enosh.