Genesis Session 11
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One world… going in two directions. That is where we ended last week in our study of Genesis.
The split… if you will… took place when Cain could not control his rage against Abel. One brother was dead, the other a restless wander that lived life apart from God.
Cain began a society that lived according to the world.
Enosh (Adam’s grandson… son of Seth) experienced a time when men began to call on the name of the Lord.
Genesis 4 gave details of what Cain’s “legacy” looked like. Genesis 5 gives details of what Adam’s family looked like through his third son, Seth.
Genesis 5 is a genealogy… it’s one of those chapters that we often breeze through because… it’s not the most entertaining material. However, as we will see in a moment, there is some important information to be had when looking at the genealogy given in Scripture.
Never forget… ALL scripture leads to Jesus. It might be easier to recognize this in some passages and harder in others, but this book is a road map to the Savior, to His redeeming power.
This is God’s story… and Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end and all that is between.
God wants us to know His Son… WHY? Because our fellowship with God can only be restored through Jesus. No one comes to the Father except through… Christ!
This evening we are going to set the stage for a future study… a study of the flood. But before we talk about the world being covered in water, we need to look at how the world got to a place where God said, “that’s enough.”
Scripture wise, we end chapter 4 with a verse that says
26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
But just six verses into Genesis 6 we see a passage that shows how far the world had gone.
6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.
So tonight we look at the family line and the events that led up to the flood. We look at the genealogy of Adam and his family, and take note of some important details.
As we do so, we need to understand the Genesis chapter 5 may only be 32 verses long, but it covers 1,430 years!
A lot can take place in just under 1500 years! And here’s something crazy to think about… Adam was still alive when Noah’s father, Lamech, was born. Adam was Lamech’s great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather! (8th generation).
So we begin a study of over 1400 years of data given in less than 50 verses in Scripture.
From Adam to Noah… with a TWIST.
From Adam to Noah… with a TWIST.
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.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
The Bible gives us some important information that must be considered as we dive into this family tree. Verse one begins the revelation.
How was mankind made… specifically… in what image?
Mankind was made in the image of God. What does that mean exactly?
We were made in the “likeness of God.” We were made male and female and we were blessed.
Does anyone remember exactly how God “blessed” Adam and Eve after they were created?
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The blessing was to be fruitful… to have children… to fill the earth and subdue it - to be stewards over God’s creation.
But verse 3 introduces some information that is interesting.
When God created Adam and Eve, he made them in His image… but verse three says Adam had a son “in his own likeness, in his own image.” Why would this be noted in Scripture? What meaning could it have?
One, it points out that God’s blessing to multiply is still in effect. Adam and Eve had children as God blessed them to do.
Two, it points out a difference that we must note. Adam’s “image” had changed once sin had entered the world.
He was still made in the image of God, but his life was now stained with sin. That reality would be passed down generation to generation.
A father’s sin is NOT passed down to his children… but his children are born into sin.
“Generational curses” exist, but not by hereditary or genetic means like one might think.
Parents choose what they pass on to their children. Children will often follow in the footsteps in their parents.
If sin is displayed in the home, then sin can be expected in the generations to come UNTIL someone breaks the CYCLE.
If faith is displayed in the home, faith can be hoped for UNLESS someone breaks the FELLOWSHIP.
Ultimately each person is responsible for the choices they make… but chances are… they will take on the “image” of the generation before them.
What one generation ALLOWS (tolerates) is what the net generation will ADOPT (accept as normal).
Adam’s “likeness” including his now fallen spiritual state, will be passed on to EVERY GENERATION until the Lord returns.
But… God’s blessing… still remained. Again… God could have stopped it all with Adam and Eve and allowed them to remain in a shameful and fearful state. Instead, God showed them GRACE.
Genesis 5 shows God’s BLESSING upon Adam and Eve in MOTION despite the existence of SIN.
And what we will see is how the generations chose to live… with or without the Lord.
From Adam to Noah… with HOPE.
From Adam to Noah… with HOPE.
We are going to look at select passages from Genesis as I want you to see something very important in Adam’s family tree. Adam’s third son was Seth… born after Abel was murdered.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh.
Now… does anyone remember what was special about Enosh?
26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.
At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.
The birth of Enoch marked a point in time when people began to call on the Name of the Lord. We do not have many details as to what that looked like, but apparently he was a pioneer for public prayer and worship.
Remember, Cain’s ungodly family increased their self-reliance and started to center their lives around the secular arts and business.
In contrast, Seth’s family called on God. They remained dependent upon their creator.
With the mention given to us in Genesis 4:26 we see… HOPE. We see a family who desires to follow God and that hope spans across the generations.
Moving on in chapter five and covering a time span of four generations, we come across a birth announcement of another person of great faith.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
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.
Now consider this for a moment… Enosh was still alive when Enoch was born! And apparently the faith of the family was still burning strong.
Enoch walked faithfully with God… for 300 YEARS! His faithful walk is so impressive that is gets a second mention in verse 24!
Enoch doesn’t live 8-900 years like the rest of his family… but he doesn’t “die” a death like the rest of his family either. Scripture simply says what? GOD TOOK HIM AWAY.
Enoch’s lifestyle was a standard and a challenge to the ungodly. How do we know this?
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.”
Enoch actually spoke out against ungodliness and immorality. he kept warning people of God’s ultimate judgement on them for their ungodly conversations and behavior.
Enoch’s faith was so strong that God… took him away. Hebrews 11 confirms this.
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. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Lamech, Noah’s dad, was born before Enoch was taken by God. Enosh was still alive as well and… so was Adam.
Noah’s dad had access to three pillars of faith.
Adam - the man who literally walked with God in the Garden of Eden… the ONLY man to know what the world was like before sin was a part of it, was still alive.
Enosh - the man who began public prayer and worship of God… was still alive. In fact, he would still be alive when Noah was born!
Enoch - the man who stood against ungodliness and warned of the judgement to come… was still alive!
The legacy of faith was alive and in motion and still making a difference in the world. So much so we see something interesting take place when Noah was born.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.”
Lamech saw something special in his son.
Dads often do… but something set Noah apart. Lamech saw a change coming… and that change would come through Noah.
I find Lamech’s words to be interesting.
Noah would presumably ease the pain of the curse… which appeared to be increasing. Apparently, it was becoming more difficult to work the ground.
Could this be a sign that although the legacy of faith remained… that sin was also on the rise?
In almost 1500 years of time that passed, hope in God remained.
The Bible makes purposeful mention of leaders who kept the faith in motion. Leaders who followed God and remained in fellowship with Him.
Yes, sin was now a part of this world… but God’s blessing STILL remained and His love STILL remained. We can see the legacy of faith remain throughout the generations.
But something… happened. Something took place to cause everything to change course. That something that happened… was compromise.
From Adam to Noah… with COMPROMISE.
From Adam to Noah… with COMPROMISE.
1 When human beings began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, 2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. 3 Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.”
4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.
Something new is presented here… a timeline is not given, but some indicators are.
When human beings began to increase in number...
Again, the blessing of God is in motion. The population is growing and verse 2 highlights relationships that are illicit or forbidden. These relationships become central to the godlessness that was increasing on the earth.
First… who were the sons of God?
Some speculate they were angels. But this theory runs into a problem when you consider Matthew 22:30
30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
Angels are not given in marriage so this presents a problem with this theory.
Some would speculate the sons of God are dynastic rulers taking on many wives. Polygamy then being the sin.
Relationship were compromised by sin.
Lastly… the sons of God are the sons of the Sethites, and the daughters of humans are of the ungodly Cainites.
This would suggest in an unequally yoked situation. Those who feared God married those who did not. This would lead to a compromise of faith within the household.
And what was it that caused the sons of God to move in this direction? ATTRACTION. They saw the daughters as beautiful.
Where have we seen “attraction” lead to demise before this passage of Scripture?
With Eve in the Garden of Eden.
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The sons of God were compromised through attraction. They entered into illicit relationships and those relationships moved humankind to a place that would cause God to regret creating humans!
This one verse shows how sin, throughout the generations, crept its way in and made a mess of things.
But faith… never gave up. Even though sin would grow and bring the world to a place of godlessness that warranted its destruction… One man remained faithful. One man held on to the legacy of faith that had been passed down.
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
I pray we would choose to find favor in God’s eyes. I pray we would choose NOT to be compromised by the things that look attractive to us, but that we would remain faithful in the ways of God.
And… I pray we would pass that faith on to the next generation. Jesus has the ability to break the chains of sin that bind us. He wants to set all hearts free tonight… but we must be willing to walk away from the ways of the world.
Noah would be a different man… just as his father had said. As the level of sin increased, Noah would be the one who would choose to say no. He chose to stand… and he and his family would be the only ones left standing after God washed the godlessness away from this world.
We live in a world that is going in two different directions.. what way will you choose to go?