Opening the Bible to Genesis 5 lands you right in the middle of a genealogy. That’s usually followed by skipping on to the next chapter. Most people skim through genealogies because the names are hard to pronounce. The family lines don’t make much sense, and there is no apparent real purpose defined in knowing all of these names. But there are four essential things in the genealogy of Genesis 5, and a super bonus reason at the end!
- God is showing us the lineage between Adam and Noah.
- God is showing us His Word is accurate.
- God is showing us sin equals death.
- God is contrasting the godly line of Seth with Cain’s ungodly line.
As with any genealogy, death plays an integral part as we watch generations come and go. But in all of the death, don’t miss the emphasis on the grace of God. There are references to life, fertility, Enoch’s personal relationship with God, and other blessings spread through generations of families. Families and family lines can indeed be messy and complicated for sure, but God’s grace is equally evident. Think of this, “Generational change can begin with you!”
Genesis is the book of the first Adam, and Matthew is the book of the last Adam, Jesus. We inherited sin, death, destruction, murder, violence, and eternal separation from God through the first Adam. Through the last Adam, all is redeemed and rescued! God still loved Adam & Eve in the garden and worked out His eternal plan of salvation through The Seed!
Remember this as it s to all the genealogies in the Bible; they are essential in giving us family lines and ties to each other, generationally. However, this is the key; the story and focus are only really interested in one line, the line of the Seed of the woman. The line that will crush the serpent’s head; the promise of Messiah, the Anointed One, The Redeemer, Jesus our Savior and Lord.
Now, what is the bonus found in this genealogy? It’s a unique hidden gem discovered through diligent Bible study!! I heard this discovery many years ago as a new believer listening to our guest teacher, Chuck Missler, and now I get to share it with you. The gospel message is found right here in some of the names mentioned.
I read the Bible in the English language because that’s the only language I’m proficient with. However, the Old Testament is written in the Hebrew language, and Hebrew can be very descriptive with its names.
Adam = Man.
Seth = Appointed.
Enosh = Mortal.
Canaan = Sorrow.
Mahalalel = Blessed God.
Jared = Shall Come Down.
Enoch = Teaching.
Methuselah = Death Shall Bring Forth.
Lamech = The Despairing.
Noah = Rest or comfort.
Here’s the sentence: Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.
Isn’t this amazing? God has so much awaiting us in His Word!
That is only the beginning. As my friend Pastor Ray Bentley has shared, “The message of God’s love and His plan for our redemption is breathed into the life of the universe and all of creation seen finally in Jesus Christ Himself, God in human flesh. In the earliest chapters of Genesis, God had already laid out His plan of redemption for the predicament of mankind.” The names tell a love story, fulfilled when Jesus shed His blood and gave His life on a wooden cross over 2,000 years ago.
Friend, Every name has a meaning. Even more, your name means so much to the heart of God! You have eternal meaning and value. But indeed, that meaning and value are genuinely realized when your life is aligned with the will of your Heavenly Father. So live for the Lord! Surrender. Live a life of surrendered obedience.
God’s heart to save you is revealed right in the beginning of the Bible. It’s not the invention of man or new or novel. From the garden of Eden, God has pursued sinful men and women to redeem them to Himself.
