A STUDY IN GENESIS
We come to the next part in our mini-series of A STUDY OF GENESIS. Today, we talk about the genealogy. Many people will gloss over what is happening in this chapter, but it is important for us to understand. It is here that we get an understanding of God’s rescue of our very souls. Even though this might seem not as important, if it is scripture it is very important. “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,” 2 Timothy 3:16.
This chapter explains why we can rightfully declare evolution to be false. We have a genealogy from Adam to Noah’s sons who are the founding fathers of the nations. There is no guessing, there is no theories, these are facts. However, it is here at this critical moment in time that the population of the earth begins to explode. We know from the previous lesson that mankind had begun to blaspheme the name of the Lord in these days. Mankind began to live wickedly. There are two sayings that come about during this time, which we still see their devastating philosophy today. The first is “Might makes right” and “Majority is right” Evil mankind starts to outnumber those following the Lord, in fact the numbers are so lopsided that this chapter helps identify the only people we know of following the Lord.
I would encourage you to stop here and read the entirety of Genesis chapter five.
While I want to highlight some important aspects, this is not an exhaustive list. A careful study of God’s word in Genesis chapter five should be done on your own.
Verse one reiterates the importance that mankind was made in God’s image. “This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.”
Verse two demolishes the unscientific claim of there being more than two genders. “ He created them male and female, and blessed them and called them Mankind in the day they were created.”
Verse three identifies Adam having a son; who, like him, also shared a love for the Lord. As born again Christians, do we not share the likeness of our heavenly father? This principle is found here, Moses, who wrote Genesis under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is identifying what Adam valued most. All the children were his, but Seth was a believer like his father. “And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”
Verses four and five should never have been there. “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters. 5 So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.” If Adam would not have sinned, this verse would not be there. Satan lied, he said “You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Genesis 3:4-5. The evidence reveals Satan/Lucifer, is a liar, murderer, and a thief.
In verses eighteen through twenty four, we come to one of my favorite characters in the Bible, Enoch!
“Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and begot Enoch. 19 After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. 21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
Enoch is an inspiration for all believers no matter the age they live in. He walked with the Lord, you could say they were jogging buddies, or hiking pals. Nevertheless, Enoch was in a relationship with the Lord. He talked for the Lord to the people, look at the book of Jude. I personally believe he is one of the contenders for the two witnesses found in the book of Revelation. Enoch lived 365 years, we have 365 days in a year, in his life he exemplified what we should be doing everyday. Ironically, Enoch did not die, but was raptured. For those who say the rapture does not exist, there are accounts of this throughout every age of human history done by the Lord. Enoch is taken up prior to the flood. Before God’s wrath, Enoch is taken up. As we will see later, Noah goes through God’s wrath while being protected. Right here we have a typology of the Church and the Jewish nation. One is to be taken out of the environment, while the other goes through.
The final verses bring a moment of God’s character to light that we see today. Names have special meanings in Hebrew and thus you can be given additional information. Methuselah’s name means something, which I will leave to you to research, however this treasure gives us a glimmer into the eyes of the Lord. God would not bring judgment down until Methuselah died, how ironic is it that the oldest person in human history on earth is Methuselah. God was very patient in bringing His wrath.
“25 Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. 26 After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died. 28 Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son. 29 And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.” 30 After he begot Noah, Lamech lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died. 32 And Noah was five hundred years old, and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
You see, each chapter of the Bible needs to have a careful examination given to it. We have only spent a few minutes in this chapter and we can already see answers to things that we did not know we would be able to. God is so good and His love for us is greater than just actions alone, but preservation of His actions through His word to us. Just imagine where we would be without chapter five of Genesis! I would encourage you to examine the rest of this chapter and see the amazing declaration of God to us. Next week we will see what Satan is doing during the exact same time God is preserving our rescue.
Hold until relieved, our Blessed Hope is coming
JL