The Generations of Adam – Genesis 5

Do the ages of these men seem too great?  Walton, in his commentary of Genesis, notes that “if these numbers sound incredible, the years attributed to the antediluvian Mesopotamian kings make Methuselah seem but an infant. In the Sumerian king list the shortest reign is 18,600 years, while the longest stretches to 43,200.”  We’ll notice after the flood that people start living less and less long.  Was there something about conditions before the flood that might have contributed to longer lives?  It seems so, but what it was we cannot say.

1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.  6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.  9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.  12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.  15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.  18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.  21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.  25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.  28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.  32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (Genesis 5, ESV)

Adam was made in God’s likeness, but his offspring were made in his likeness.  This incredible miracle of reproduction has always astonished us. Unfortunately, that likeness of Adam now includes a sinful disposition.  No one escapes this condition.  Paul speaks of this situation in Romans 5, indicating that we are all guilty in Adam and subject to death as law-breakers, even though we did not have the law until Moses.  In essence, in Adam, we broke the law of not eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

All of the names in this genealogy are important, but three individuals stand out, Adam being the first.  The second is Enoch.  Of him we are told that after he had Methuselah he began walking with God, a picture of intimate fellowship.  Whereas Adam and all his offspring die (“and he died,” etc.), Enoch did not die but “was not, for God took him.”  Where did God take him?  The only thing that makes sense is heaven, to where God Himself lives.  This will happen again in the life of Elijah, and again at the rapture, when the believers who are alive at Christ’s coming are immediately given resurrection bodies without having to die first.  A book or books said to be by Enoch are attributed by the Jews to this Enoch.

The third critical player is Noah.  His father predicts that his son Noah will bring an relief from the curse on the ground that leads to “painful toil.”  Can it be said that Noah (whose name sounds like the term for “release” or “rest”), accomplishes this?  He is instrumental in restoring a new human race after the flood destroys all others living, but the curse on the earth has not been rescinded (and won’t be until Jesus returns, Romans 8:20-25).   But such is the discouragement of this curse that the human race longs for its end.