First Born

What would it be like to be in Eden? Where did Cain get his wife? What kind of parents were Adam and Eve? If you have ever wondered about these things or found the first chapters of Genesis hard to imagine… First Born might give you a new perspective. This story of Kayin (Hebrew for Cain) is true to the biblical narrative but fictional in its fleshing out of the ‘rest of the story.’ It aims to inspire the reader and to create a relational context for the dramatic events within the first family.Kayin, first born son of Adam, stands at the beginning of human civilization as recorded in Genesis. He is devoted to two things: Adah, the lovely woman he will soon marry, and agriculture – growing plants of all sorts. His passion for the second has him longing for a world with no weeds or thorns. His parent actually had that world and lost it. Kayin is sure that he would have made a different choice, given the chance. His younger brother Hevel says his is being arrogant but what does someone who sings to sheep know?A series of events drive Kayin into exile with only his Adah beside him. What will he do at this crossroads of his life? His father, Adam, told him that the choices of his heart will shape his future for good or ill. What will his choices be? Kayin is sure that his intelligence and hard work can build a world beyond his father’s imagination. Will his father respect that?This determined first born wants to be accepted and respected while not ‘needing’ anything from anyone – least of all the Maker of all things. His strong, creative wife stands shoulder to shoulder with him in hope and faith. This tale of choices that direct one man’s journey mirrors the story of man’s history still resonates today. This story is a work of fiction told with reverence for the Biblical record. Those who are familiar with the Bible might see these people as simple characters. I hope this story breathes life into them. We are sometimes told that the Bible is irrelevant to our day and the problems of our world. Perhaps you will find, as I do, that this story to as real, fresh, and relevant to the human condition now as when it was recorded over three thousand years ago. The same tensions between accomplishment and relationship, trust and self-protection, resentment and forgiveness, or sacrifice and self-gratification exist in our relationships today.Eden, Cain, Adam, Eve, creation, Genesis, history, ancient civilization, historical romance, middle east, pre-flood history