GENESIS 5 - From Adam to Noah

OVERVIEW

• Hebrew genealogies sometimes skip generations, just naming significant ancestors, making it difficult to determine length of time based on generations  <R1795>

• Using the genealogies from Genesis 5 and the sons, we know there are roughly 1656 years between the fall of Adam to Noah  <G70>

• Adam

• Seth

• Enosh

• Kenan

• Mahalalel

• Jared

• Enoch

• Methuselah

• Lamech

• Noah

• Shem, Ham & Japheth

NOTES BY VERSE

Note: each ** comment in this document is listed in numerical order according to the verse(s) from this chapter

** If we accept the ages in Genesis as literal, then we need to answer the question as to why these individuals lived so long; there are several possible reasons to consider as to why the ancients lived longer than modern humankind  <S188>

1. Created to live forever - Adam and Eve were created to live eternally; the introduction of sin brought on death

2. Lack of disease

3. Help populate the earth - if the earth were to be populated by humankind, then long life-spans at the beginning were somewhat of a necessity

4. Accumulation of knowledge - if the early inhabitants of the earth did live for long periods of time, then they would have accumulated knowledge to help them survive longer

5. Climatic conditions - there was a possible water vapor canopy that surrounded the earth before the Flood of Noah; this produced a worldwide greenhouse effect resulting in a mild climate and shielding man from harmful radiation (which has an effect on the aging process)

Genesis 5:5,8,11,14,17,20,23,27 NIV

[5] Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. [8] Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died. [11] Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died. [14] Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died. [17] Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died. [20] Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died. [23] Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. [27] Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

** God created the family unit to set the pace for which society was created; God designed the family and decided what it would be  <E54>

• God owns the family by ‘created fiat’ — not government or anyone else

• God backs the family when they operate as He created them to operate

• Men must take on the responsibility they have in the family, and own their mistakes, or paganism sets in  <E58>

• Families who choose to go their own way will ‘pick up the tab’ to fix the issues that arise

• The future of every civilization rests on the state of the family  <D40>

Genesis 5:1 NIV

[1] This is the written account of Adam's family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.

Proverbs 13:24 NIV

[24] Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.

Proverbs 19:18 NIV

[18] Discipline your children, for in that there is hope; do not be a willing party to their death.

Isaiah 3:12 NIV [When men do not lead]

[12] Youths oppress my people, women rule over them. My people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

** Two genders: male and female

Matthew 19:4 NIV

[4] “Haven't you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,'

Genesis 1:27 NIV

[27] So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Genesis 5:1-2 NIV

[1] This is the written account of Adam's family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. [2] He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

** Just as children often take on the likeness of their parents, God created man and woman in His image and called them 'mankind'

Genesis 5:3 NIV

[3] When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.

Genesis 5:1-2 NIV

[1] This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. [2] He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

** Enoch is a prophetic repentant figure in the book of Genesis who walked with God after he bore his son Methuselah

Genesis 5:21-24 NIV

[21] When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. [22] After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. [23] Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. [24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

** May our daily walk be as pleasing to God as Enoch who walked with Him for 300 years

• Enoch believed God existed, had faith in His word and believed God rewards those who believe in Him

• Enoch was taken by God and spared death because of his faith

• Just as God took Enoch to be with Him, so one day He will take all of those who believe in Him — maybe not in the same way but He will take us nonetheless  <C31>

Hebrews 11:1-2,5 NIV

[1] Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. [2] This is what the ancients were commended for. [5] By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

Genesis 5:23-24 NIV

[23] Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. [24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

** God does not equate His favor with the number of years we live on this earth, for Enoch "walked faithfully with God" yet God took him after approximately 1/3 of the time (365 years) as his predecessors (930-960 years)

Genesis 5:23-24 NIV

[23] Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. [24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

** The account of Noah’s flood is a picture foreshadowing the end times when Enoch (representing a Gentile) is taken away while Noah and his family (representing Jews) are saved as they go through the flood; much like the Church that will be raptured in the end times and the nation of Israel that will go through the Tribulation, with the Tribulation Saints surviving  <R173>

Remember: the purpose of the Tribulation is the salvation of the Jewish nation  

Genesis 5:24 NIV

[24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Genesis 6:6-8 NIV

[6] The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. [7] So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created---and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground---for I regret that I have made them. ” [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

** We don't learn much about the prophet Enoch in the Old Testament except in Genesis 5; we learn more in Hebrews 11  <F696>

Genesis 5:24 NIV

[24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Hebrews 11:5 NIV

[5] By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

** We learn that Enoch walked with God, and that God took him; the book of Hebrews thousands of years later tells us why  <G70>

Genesis 5:24 NIV

[24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Hebrews 11:5 NIV

[5] By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

** Enoch is a type of our future departure from the earth at Jesus’ appearing. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God because of his faith.  <B26>

Genesis 5:24 NIV

[24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Hebrews 11:5 NIV

[5] By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.

Genesis 11:4-6 NIV

[4] Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” [5] But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower the people were building. [6] The Lord said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them.

** Sometimes God removes a person from the earth so they do not experience death; early events as these mentioned in Scripture are precursors of the final Rapture when all living born again believers in Christ will be taken to be with Him

The list of those mentioned in Scripture who were removed or transported include:  <L1291> <G70>

1. ENOCH - disappeared to heaven

Genesis 5:24 NIV

[24] Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

2. ELIJAH - taken up in a whirlwind of chariot and horses; God promises Elijah will return again during the Tribulation

2 Kings 2:11 NIV

[11] As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.

Malachi 4:5 NIV

[5] “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes.

3. JESUS - ascended after His resurrection that marked the beginning of the Church Age

Acts 1:9 NIV

[9] After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

4. PHILIP - removed after baptizing the eunuch

Acts 8:39 NIV

[39] When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.

5. PAUL - caught up to the third heaven to witness the glory of God

2 Corinthians 12:2 NIV

[2] I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know---God knows.

6. RAPTURE of the Church - promise of believers in Christ removed before the Tribulation

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 NIV

[16] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. [18] Therefore encourage one another with these words.

7. TWO WITNESSES of Moses & Elijah - who will preach for 42 months; the world will rejoice when they are killed but astonished when God gives them life again and raises them to heaven

Revelation 11:8-9,11-12 NIV

[8] Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city---which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt---where also their Lord was crucified. [9] For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. [11] But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. [12] Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

8. TRIBULATION SAINTS - promise of those who believe in Christ during the last half of the Tribulation

Revelation 14:14-16 NIV

[14] I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. [15] Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” [16] So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

9. GATHERING OF THE DAMNED in the Valley of Megiddo or commonly known as Armageddon - unbelievers will be transported for the final battle at the end of the seven-year Tribulation when the Antichrist launches a final attack on Jerusalem; Christ will return to destroy the Antichrist and his armies then cast them into the lake of fire

Revelation 14:17-20 NIV

[17] Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. [18] Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe.” [19] The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. [20] They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Revelation 16:16-17 NIV

[16] Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. [17] The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!”

10. JUDGMENT OF THE DEAD - a time when unbelievers appear before the Great White Judgment throne to be judged for what they had done during their earthly existence

Revelation 20:12-14 NIV

[12] And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. [14] Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

** Methuselah is referred to with the timing of the flood, that God would destroy the human and animal populations after Methuselah died

• Methuselah lived 969 years, longer than anyone has ever lived

• He died, and the world was destroyed with a flood  <D41>

Genesis 5:27 NIV

[27] Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.

Genesis 6:5-7 NIV

[5] The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. [6] The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. [7] So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created---and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground---for I regret that I have made them. ”