Genesis 4:23-24

²³ Lamech said to his wives:

“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
    you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
    a young man for striking me.
²⁴ If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
    then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

So Lamech….what can we learn from him?

The account above gives the names of Cain’s descendants. But Lamech is described in a bit more detail, unlike the others. Also, he is 7th in the lineage from Adam through his son Cain. This makes him stand out and this should make us ask why. The author wants us to see something here. He is the first mention of someone having two wives and he is described to be an aggressive man. When God created and set in motion his perfect world, man was given one wife, a counterpart matching him. More than one wife was never in the plan of God’s world.

Then we get this speech that Lamech makes to his two wives. When I read it, I picture Lamech standing somewhere high beating his chest with boast. He is boasting about his ability to strike down and wound others and is also boasting that God will avenge him just like he promised to do with Cain. What a boast! What a bold claim! I think the author wants us to see an example of what never to boast about. Lamech is doing wrong and is boasting about it and claiming that God will avenge him.  

Even in this world we live today we see people doing things that we know are wrong and yet they boldly boast in it and boast almost flauntingly against the most high God. Yes, many people do wrong who may not know God but there are still many who do know and yet still sin and boast in it. Even we fall for this at times when we succeed in something, and we may feel that inclination to boast about ourselves and our abilities. But this is when we need to remind ourselves that we accomplish only because of God.

³¹ so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:31

We should boast but only in our Lord. The Bible tells us to boast in the Lord. We know that all that we do is because of Him and so it is only him we should boast in. So let us reflect and make sure that we give God all the glory and make a boast in Yahweh.