GENESIS

Notes on Genesis 5

Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him;
2 Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

Here is the definition of Adam. Names in the bible always stood for something or had a deeper meaning. Some names were prophetic. However, we don't ever want to make the mistake of using name meanings to define doctrine because we are at the mercy of historians, those that write dictionaries and different translations, cultures and such. Sometimes the bible itself will give the definition and in that case we assume it is reliable, otherwise, take the meaning as knowledge but not as doctrine.

AD'AM, n. In Heb., Man; primarily, the name of the human species, mankind; appropriately, the first Man, the progenitor of the human race. The word signifies form, shape, or suitable form, hence, species. It is evidently connected with Heb., to be like or equal, to form an image, to assimilate. Whence the sense of likeness, image, form, shape.

Adam's apple, a species of citron so the prominent part of the throat.

Ad'am's needle, the popular name of the yucca, a plant of four species, cultivated in gardens. Of the roots, the Indians made a kind of bread.

I don't picture Adam as a cave man type that needed evolution to evolve into something better. On the contrary, he would have been perfect in appearance with no disease or bad genes to cause any deformities. When sin entered the world followed by disease, that is when deformities and inherited disease began. After a few generations cousins could no longer marry without the risk of getting inherited diseases both mentally and physically. We now degenerate to something worse, not better. We do not evolve into a more perfect specimen. Because of sin, the perfect is now imperfect. We live by the mercy of God.

Genesis 5:3 And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:

Adam and Eve had many children but we see here that there would never be room to record the genealogies of all their children. The bible concentrates on the lineage from which Christ is to come. That line is from Seth. Seth didn't come along until Adam was 130 years. That age was considered young in the years before the flood. After the flood the age of men was much shorter. By that time inherited disease as the result of sin increased, the lives of men and women became much shorter. Also God shortened the lives of men to decrease the spread of sin. Had he not done that things would be worse than they are now.

Genesis 5:4 And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begot sons and daughters:
5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

If we take time to figure out the years of Adam, (I did it once) he actually lived to see Lamech the father of Noah. Some of that same line lived up until the year of the flood. Perhaps they had to die off before God decided to send the flood.

Genesis 5:6 And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enos:
7 And Seth lived after he begot Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters:
8 And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.
9 And Enos lived ninety years, and begot Cainan:
10 And Enos lived after he begot Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters:
11 And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.
12 And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalaleel:
13 And Cainan lived after he begot Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters:
14 And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years: and he died.
15 And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begot Jared:
16 And Mahalaleel lived after he begot Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters:
17 And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
18 And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and he begot Enoch:
19 And Jared lived after he begot Enoch eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters:
20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begot Methuselah:
22 And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters:
23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Imagine walking so close to God and being obedient to His word so much that God takes you to heaven without dying. Enoch was such a man. This may be a preview of what the rapture will be like just before the latter day tribulation period. Notice that he took Enoch out of the way before the judgment of the flood came. God has not appointed His faithful believers to wrath. I do wonder about how we see different types of escapes pictured here from God's judgment to come. Some died off before the judgment, one was translated or raptured, and one family was preserved and protected in the ark. See how we can't limit God to one way of doing things.

God doesn't do anything without a reason. Only two men are recorded to have entered heaven without first dying. One was Enoch and one was Elijah. Perhaps God has plans for them to return during the future tribulation period to preach to Israel. There are two witnesses that are to come in that time period. Some think it is Moses and Elijah because they appeared with Jesus. However, Moses finished his ministry and died a natural death. We know from the New Testament that Moses and Elijah were seen talking with Jesus showing us that although Moses died, he was indeed alive. It showed us also that Elijah was in heaven although he didn't die. The dead in Christ shall rise and those alive will be translated as Enoch and Elijah were.

We don't know too much about the ministry and words of Enoch but the apostles were familiar with it and Jesus also mentioned it. Whether or not the book of Enoch we have today is the authentic work of Enoch, we do not know but there was once a book written by him. We can trust our God enough to know that whatever we need is provided for us. The bible contains what is sufficient for our salvation in this present day. Enoch just might have a ministry to do at a later time. We just have to wait and see.

Genesis 5:25 And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begot Lamech:
26 And Methuselah lived after he begot Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begot sons and daughters:
27 And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.

Methuselah lived the longest of any man, at least what we have a record of. Some think Methuselah must have been wicked and died in the flood. Since long life is usually given to the obedient and those that honor their parents, I sort of doubt that he was a great sinner above anyone else because of his long life. Had he lived recklessly and in great sin enough to die in the flood, he most probably wouldn't have lived that long. He could have died just before the flood began. Some say the name Methuselah, actually means, "When he dies, the flood will come."

Genesis 5:28 And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begot a son:
29 And he called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.

Noah's name represented a prophecy that he would be the one that would be a comfort from the work and toil of hard labor.

Genesis 5:30 And Lamech lived after he begot Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begot sons and daughters:
31 And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years: and he died.
32 And Noah was five hundred years old: and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Noah was 500 years old at the start of his call from God to save the inhabitants of the earth from total destruction. Only a few out of perhaps billions of people were saved. That is a sad picture of the straight and narrow way to eternal life. God provides the way but few choose that way. So many choose to ignore God's ark of safety and go their own way. We now have an ark of safety in the one God sent to save us. This safety is faith in Jesus Christ. It is up to us to choose this way of salvation or refuse. God never forces salvation or conversion on anyone.

Genesis 6