Questions for Littles: What does Eve name the son whom she receives as a replacement for Abel? Once Seth has a son, what do men of His line begin to do? How does this compare with the line of Cain? What does 5:1 tell us was the original source for this genealogy of Adam? What points do v1-3 make about Adam and Seth that were not made about Cain’s line? What do all of these men (except one!) do at the end of their lives? How does v22 summarize Enoch’s life after he became a father? How is what v24 says about Enoch different from all of the other men in this line?In this week’s Old Testament reading, we read about the line of the sons of God. That’s the main point in vv1-3. God made Adam in His likeness, and Adam begot a son in his own likeness, after his image. This is the line of the seed of the woman. This is the line from whom would come the serpent’s-head-crusher. This is the line in the likeness of God. These are the sons of God. More on that next week!
Not only are these the ones who are conscientiously bearing God’s image on the earth, but as 4:24 tells us, these are the ones who are calling upon the name of Yahweh. You might have a translation with a footnote that says that the phrase can mean that men began to be called by the name of Yahweh. Whichever translation is correct, both meanings are true. The Lord both identifies with His people, and gives them worshiping hearts.
We shouldn’t skip over the fact that there was a book of Adam’s genealogy. That’s exactly what 5:1 says, and reminds us that God the Holy Spirit was actively preserving His Word for us from the very beginning of the world. While it is true that, by supernatural inspiration, the Holy Spirit could have dictated Genesis to Moses some 2500 years after the creation, this would have left prior generations entirely without the written Word. But we see that this was not so. Who knows what other documents, besides this scroll, were preserved with Noah on the ark, for instance?
Sometimes, university professors furrow their brows and say that these Bible books were based upon thousands of years of “oral tradition”—intending to conjure up foggy memories of playing the telephone game and learning how easily error creeps in over iterations. Now, that would have been no challenge to God the Holy Spirit, but these silly university profs don’t even have their facts right!
Back to the genealogy itself, while we are glad for the line of the godly, who worship God and belong to Him, there is a sobering refrain throughout the chapter: “and he died” … “and he died” … “and he died.” How badly Christ is needed! These all sinned in the first Adam. These all died in him.
Yet, we can be sure that the last Adam is coming! Otherwise, there would be no moral or legal basis for Enoch to escape death. But escape death he did! Now, fatherhood did something wonderful to Enoch. He starts out like the rest of the men, “Enoch lived 65 years.” But note the language change after he fathers Methusaleh: “Enoch walked with God three hundred years.”
The Lord often uses fatherhood to sanctify a man. Being responsible for an eternal soul and leading that child to know and worship the Lord can be used of God mightily not only in the child’s life but in the parent’s! But let us learn to be serious about passing godliness on. Methuselah and Lamech died in the year of the flood, but Enoch had other sons and daughters, as did Methuselah, as did Lamech.
That means that from this godly family came thousands, maybe millions of wicked people who perished under judgment. Oh, praise God that Christ came! But let none of us presume that we are His simply by virtue of our last names! Each of us must believe into Him for our own soul's salvation!
Whose likeness are you imaging? Which Adam are you in? What are you passing on to your children?Suggested songs: ARP78B “O Come, My People,” or HB132 “All Hail the Pow'r of Jesus' Name”
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