The Godly Descendants of Seth.
Prologue: Genesis 1-11 • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction:
Introduction:
We have just read together, for the second week in a row, a text of scripture that is no often preached from. Forget being preached from, it’s another one of those that we often just skip over when we are doing our yearly Bible reading plans. Yet, as we said last week, even these genealogical passages of scripture are important and have been placed in the Bible for a reason.
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
So, yes, this list of names is important for us to study together today. In the second half of Genesis 4, we are given the lineage that descended from Cain. They were a godless and wicked generation who achieved great things like the invention of animal husbandry, music and metallurgy and at the same the same time the fell deeper and deeper into sin. After reading the about the lineage of Cain, we get a pretty dark picture of the pre-flood world. However, the pre-flood world wasn’t entirely dark. God raises up a godly generation that stood in contrast to the Cainite line.
That godly generation were descendant of Adam and Eve’s third son, Seth.
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 26 And as for Seth, to him also a son was born; and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.
This godly line descended from Seth proclaimed the name of the Lord.
While the linage of Cain in Genesis 4 gave no ages because they bore the curse of God on them and would not have any eternal history. The lineage of Seth gives the age of each of its’ patriarchs at the time they they had their firstborn son and the number of years they lived after the birth of their firstborn son, it also gives us the total years of his life.
We must understand that each and everyone of the names that are mentioned here are very important in the economy of God. Yet, we will see this morning that even though this is the record of the godly descendants of Seth, they are not the sinless generation of Seth. Even the “godly” generation have a dark cloud of death caused by sin that hangs over them.
Let’s make our way through our text together this morning as we’ll notice together:
A Wonderful Promise.
A Dark Cloud.
A Shining Hope.
1.) A Wonderful Promise: A People Created And Blessed By God. (v.1-2)
1.) A Wonderful Promise: A People Created And Blessed By God. (v.1-2)
v.1-2 provide a retrospective on the creation of man. In these 2 verses we are provided to wonderful details about mankind in general:
We have been created in the image of God (Imago Dei).
We have been blessed by God.
A.) God’s Image
V.1 calls our attention back to Genesis 1:27 where we read:
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
This is a tremendous detail and it’s placement here serves a purpose to remind the lineage of Seth and us by extension that though Adam and Eve had sinned and felt the consequences of that sin, and even passed the consequence of that sin onto all of mankind, the image of God stamped into mankind had not been wiped out.
Every human being past, present and future are image bearers of God and in bearing the “Imago Dei” in us we have:
The ability to hear God’s Word, animals don’t possess this ability. The only other created beings given the privilege of hearing God’s Word are the angels in heaven.
The charge to rule the earth in God’s stead.
26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The possibility of having an intimate spiritual relationship with God as His children.
B.) God’s Blessing.
Just as the image of God stamped into mankind was not destroyed by the fall, neither was the blessing placed on mankind by God. v.2 calls our focus back to Genesis 1:28.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
The blessing placed on mankind by God was that of procreation. Mankind was given the responsibility to fill the earth and they were blessed by God with the ability to do so.
The genealogy in Genesis 5 tells us that is exactly what the line of Seth did. Genesis 5 gives us ten generations of the line of Seth, but it is a selective genealogy as it only lists the firstborn in every generation. That means there is tons of room for exponential growth of the human population. We see that in the phrase “and had other sons and daughters” that runs throughout the whole of Genesis 5. Couple that with the average age of mankind in this chapter as around 900 years old and you really get a picture of just how massive the human population became very quickly.
The line of Seth in Genesis 5 show us mankind living out God’s blessing by multiplying and spreading God’s image throughout the world.
Genesis 4:26 tells us that not only did they spread the image of God around the world they also declared the name of God around the world.
2.) The Dark Cloud: Death Reigns. (v.3-20,25-32)
2.) The Dark Cloud: Death Reigns. (v.3-20,25-32)
Though the line of Seth propagated at massive rates and many (likely not all) worshipped the Lord, it wasn't all sunshine and roses.
The phrase “…and he died.” appears 8 x’s throughout this chapter of Genesis.
Repeat the phrase “…AND HE DIED” after each name/age (One single word in Hebrew)
Adam- 930
Seth- 912
Enosh- 905
Cainan- 910
Mahalaleel- 895
Jared-962
Methuselah-969
Lamech-777
This was part of the curse that the Fall brought upon the world.
Mankind, created in the image of God and bearing the blessing of God so full of potential marches ever so swiftly toward death. The day when the body returns to the dust from which God created it.
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
3.) A Brilliant Hope: Enoch, God took Him. (v.21-24)
3.) A Brilliant Hope: Enoch, God took Him. (v.21-24)
Enoch was seven generations from Adam and he paints a brilliant contrast between the descendants of Cain and the descendants of Seth.
In Genesis 4, seven generations from Cain, we are introduced to an evil man named Lamech. Who mocked God, bragged about murder and began the evil practice of polygamy.
In Genesis 5, seven generations from Seth we are told that “Enoch walked with God.”
There are only two people in the enitre Bible who are said to have “walked with God.” They are Enoch and his great-grandson Noah.
Walking with God describes the closest relationship a person can have with God. As if walking side by side.
There are only two people in the entire Bible who are said to have “walked with God.” They are Enoch and his great-grandson Noah.
Walking with God. Walking with God is far more intimate than walking in God’s presence or in his footsteps. These two phrases refer to someones blameless moral and ethical conduct. The minor prophets used this phrase to describe the way in which the priests would walk as they entered into the Holy of Holies in the temple where they would speak directly with God. It also indicates the deepest level of obedience. “Walking” is a metaphor for being in the same path and direction as God.
5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Enoch’s faith pleased God.
Hebrews 11:6 tells us what God pleasing faith looks like and helps us to know what Enochs fait looked like.
6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
God pleasing faith literally believes that “God is.”- That is to say that God is exactly who He says that he is. Enoch had a faith that said that the God of creation is the one and only God. The same is still true today. God is pleased with those who believe who wholly believe what God’s Word says about him.
God pleasing faith believes that God “rewards those who diligently seek him.”- That is to say that God positively equitable. Enoch would have also believed the reverse of this. That God judges those who reject Him and continue to go in their own way.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”
Walking with God consumed the whole of Enoch’s life. His entire life was deeply rooted into a deep and intimate knowledge of God. Enoch knew God! He believed in God with a great faith and he preached the righteousness of God with great fervor. For 365 years Enoch life was one of progressively waling closer and closer with God. Until the moment God decided to take him to heaven without having to taste death.
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
The question for us to consider in light of what we have learned this morning is: “How do we walk with God today?”
As descendants of Adam we have the image of God in us passed on to us from conception. This makes it possible for us to hear and obey God’s Word.
As descendants of Adam though, that image of God in us has been marred by sin and we are all marching day by day toward Death.
But, the wondrous truth is that God’s grace allows us the opportunity to know God intimately.
3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
The way we come to God is through his Son the Lord Jesus Christ and his death on the cross, his burial and resurrection from the grave. The cross is God’s supreme revelation of himself to the world.
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
When you see God in Christ pouring out his love for the world on the cross, you begin to understand. When by faith you receive Christ, you receive God. By growing in Christ, you become more like God. And when this happens you can begin to walk with God. As you draw nearer through the gift of divine intimacy, you will walk closer and closer to the heart of God.
And one day you will be no more, for God will take you to himself!
13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
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