And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son—Enoch. (Genesis 4:17)

The Unknowns Will Not Save You

There are many great mysteries of the Bible, beginning with where Cain found his wife. After the Lord pronounced a curse on Cain for killing his brother, the text says that Cain knew his wife, and they had a son named Enoch. This mystery has puzzled people for as long as the earth has stood because nothing is said to his wife’s origin. There are apparent conclusions that must be made about his wife but never has the subject of one man’s wife taken up so much speculative fodder. Many unknowns have puzzled Bible students. What happened to the ark build by Noah after it landed on Mount Ararat. It is more remarkable that many still believe the ark’s remnants can be seen after thousands of years.  

Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. The Lord buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Peor, but no one knows his grave to this day. Later, Jude will tell how that Michael and the devil argued about the body of Moses. Nothing is known in scripture about this taking place. The Bible is silent. The ark of God was a holy and dedicated small box housing the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God, the rod of Aaron that budded, and a sampling of manna from the days of wilderness wanderings. Carried by Israel throughout the forty years of wandering, the Ark of the Covenant would not find a permanent home until Solomon built the Temple. In 586 B.C., Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, and the ark was never heard from again. It has disappeared from the pages of history.

The most incredible story ever told is the life of Jesus Christ, and yet 90% of the earthly life of Jesus is unknown. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke focus on three years in the life of Jesus. Matthew gives a few details about the birth of Jesus and the flight to Egypt but nothing else. Luke is the only writer that talks more about the early life of Jesus with details about the announcement of his birth and the trip to Bethlehem where Jesus is born and visited by shepherds that same night. He refers to the circumcision of Jesus, presentation at the Temple, and an event when Jesus is twelve-years-old and then nothing for the next eighteen years. Jesus is thirty years of age when He begins His ministry. John’s account of Jesus covers about twenty days in the life of God’s Son. There is so much that is unknown about the life of Jesus. Luke will offer a morsel of the teachings of Jesus when he writes to Theophilus in the acts of the apostles and refers to Jesus saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This account is unknown in the gospels.

What do the unknowns tell the world about the will of God? The secret things belong to the Lord and while there are myriads of stories never told in the Bible, what is revealed is what saves. There are many unknowns, but these will not save a man. The majority of the life of Jesus is never preserved in writing, and yet the portion found in nearly 84,000 words contains the message of eternal life. Men can spend a lifetime speculating about the mysteries of scripture. Sadly, energy is wasted and lost if this is all a man can focus upon. The Bible contains everything a man needs to know to save his soul. Some questions will never be answered because they are not relevant, pertinent, and essential to change a soul from the darkness of sin to God’s light. What is revealed in the Bible will save a man. Read it to be wise. Believe it to be saved. Accept it as final. It is only what is known that will save us.