LESSON 8 – THE GENERATIONS OF ADAM
Genesis 5
Preparing for Lesson 8
If our story had ended after Chapter 4 with the degeneration of man through the line of Cain, the outlook would be pretty bleak. Although Cain’s descendants were an intelligent and creative people, they were also self-centered and violent. They made the deliberate choice to live their lives without God, and as a result, the entire Cainite Civilization was destroyed in the Flood and all of their works along with them.
Next we come to the genealogy presented in Chapter 5: the generations of Adam. Many of us find genealogies to be only slightly more exciting than Leviticus, and it is tempting to simply skim over the details of the genealogy or even skip it altogether. But there is another verse in Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) that reminds us, “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” We can be pretty sure that this genealogy has something important to tell us or it would not be included in Scripture. So, let’s explore these verses and see what we can find.
Genealogies were very important in ancient times and their main purpose was to establish a family identity or family history. However, not all genealogies were created equal. It was a common practice for multiple generations to be omitted from a genealogy in order to compress a family history and yet maintain the integrity of that genealogy. When we study these ancient genealogies today, it is not easy to determine if generations have been omitted. One reason for this is because in ancient writings, words like ‘father’ and ‘son’ were also correctly interpreted to mean ‘ancestor’ or ‘descendant’. Only when independent resources are available can we know with certainty that some generations have been excluded. The Gospel of Matthew provides a great example of this. In Matthew 1:8, we are told that Joram fathered Uzziah, but in 2 Kings we learn that Joram was the father of Ahaziah, who was the father of Joash, who was the father of Amaziah, who was the father of Uzziah (2 Kings 8:24, 11:2, 14:1, 14:21…If you look this up, be aware that Uzziah was also known by the name Azariah). Remember, the main purpose of the genealogy was to establish a family identity, not to show every single branch on the family tree.
Now, in preparation for today’s lesson, please read Genesis 5.
Lesson 8: The Generations Of Adam
We can learn a lot by simply comparing the genealogy of Chapter 5 to the genealogy of Chapter 4. How do the two compare to one another and what can be learned from it? Roger Pasco says that the two chapters can be summed up in a single statement: “In the midst of spiritual and moral darkness, godly people remain faithful to God.”
Early in verse 1 we are reminded that God created mankind in His image, and this statement lets us know that while God’s image was marred by the fall, it was not destroyed. There is still hope for man.
Something that jumped out at me is that the genealogy in Chapter 5
makes mention of neither Cain nor Abel; it reads as though Seth was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve. The name ‘Abel’ means ‘breath’ or ‘vapor’ and the same word is actually translated as ‘meaningless’ in Ecclesiastes. This is because Abel’s short life did not have a chance to yield its fruit. Cain, being cursed by God, had no eternal history and is seldom mentioned in Scripture after Chapter 4. So, for all intents and purposes, Seth was indeed the firstborn son of Adam and Eve.
The Scriptures give credit to Cain and his descendants for their achievements in areas such as technological and cultural contributions. They were metal workers, artists and musicians. This does not necessarily mean that none of Seth’s descendants were involved in these worldly pursuits but rather they were characterized by their love for and obedience to God, thus producing godly seed through whom God’s purposes would be realized.
The Chapter 4 genealogy of Cain’s line does not provide any information concerning the longevity of his descendants. Seth’s genealogy in Chapter 5 gives us the age of each man when his son was born as well as their ages at death. Perhaps this is because, as stated above, Cain and his descendants had no eternal history and the entire Cainite Civilization was erased in the flood.
We all marvel at the genealogy in Chapter 5 in large part because of the extreme longevity of these men. No one in our modern world comes even close to the ages stated here. Adam lived 930 years, Seth lived 912 years and Methuselah was 969 years old when he died. Because of these extremely long lifespans, some commentators strongly believe that gaps were almost certainly left between the generations as described earlier in this lesson. The result would be that the lifespans of those included in the genealogy would appear to be unusually long, and that is in fact, what we see here.
On the other hand, this is the inspired Word of God we’re talking about. And although in ancient times, it was common for gaps to be left in genealogies, we need not think it was a required practice. In the
Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible we find support for the belief that the Genesis genealogies do not contain gaps. “Moses, who himself lived to be 120 years of age (Dueteronomy 34:7) intended that these figures (that is, the longevity of the men named in the Chapter 5 genealogy) be taken literally. This was a time when men were capable of procreating children at 182 years of age. Since it is impossible to accurately assess past conditions based upon existing conditions, why not accept these statements literally?” In addition, Isaiah 65:20 tells us that long lifespans will once again be commonplace during the Millennial Reign of Christ on earth.
Another consideration in support of these long lifespans is that the pre-flood environment on earth was dramatically different than it is today. In fact, scientists say that optimal conditions for life existed on earth prior to the flood and this could certainly have contributed to these longer lifespans. Some of these “optimal conditions” include, (1) a stronger magnetic field; (2) a more dense atmospheric pressure, (3) milder climate from pole to pole and, (4) plant life at the rate of perhaps four times more than it is today. (For more information on these points and more, please refer to Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation by Dennis R. Petersen).
We can see evidence of this by comparing the Chapter 5 genealogy (pre-flood conditions) with the genealogy presented in Chapter 11 (post-flood conditions). The oldest person included in the pre-flood genealogy was Methuselah at 969 years of age (Genesis 5:27) whereas the oldest person in the post-flood genealogy of Chapter 11 is Shem, Noah’s son, who died at the age of 600. Of the ten generations of Shem listed in Chapter 11, the youngest to die was Nahor, Abraham’s grandfather, who died at the age of 148. It is evident that the lifespans dramatically decreased after the flood. In fact, Moses died at the age of 120, and after him, only one person is recorded as having lived past 120 (Jehoiada died at the age of 130. See 2 Chronicles 24:15).
…and he died
In spite of the long lifespans of the men listed in the Chapter 5 genealogy, we consistently see the phrase, “…and he died”. Some commentators have suggested that this phrase was consistently included to refute Satan’s claim to Eve: “You surely will not die!”. But they did die, except for one exceptional man who walked with God.
…and he was not
Seven generations from Adam through Seth’s line came a man named Enoch.
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)
Think About This: Just as Enoch was seven generations from Adam through Seth’s line, Lamech was seven generations from Adam through Cain’s line. Enoch walked with God, but Lamech was a very proud man and boasted of being a murderer. You can revisit our discussion of Lamech in Lesson 7.
Only two men are said to have walked with God. One was Enoch and the other was Enoch’s descendant, Noah. The phrase, “and he was not”, means Enoch did not die! He was taken directly to heaven without having to die. The Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible points out that this is the first hint in the Old Testament of a belief in immortality.
Enoch undoubtedly received a spiritual body by being transformed, or translated, as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52. J. Vernon McGee describes it this way: “What do we mean by translation? Translation is the taking of a word from one language and putting it into another language without changing its meaning. Enoch was removed from this earth; he was translated. He had to get rid of the old body which he had. He had to be a different individual…yet he had to be the same individual, just as the translated word has to be the same. Enoch was taken to heaven.”
In what ways did Enoch walk with God? We find an explanation Hebrews 11:5-6.
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And 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 seek Him.”
Enoch lived during a time when wickedness, evil and violence prevailed on the earth, and yet Enoch was able to live by faith and please God. He believed with all his heart that God exists and that God is who He says He is. He also believed that God rewards those who seek after Him. Enoch also believed that God judges those who reject Him and continue to go their own way.
Believe that God exists (Hebrews 11:6). Live according to God’s principles (Matthew 6:33). Have faith in all that God promises in the Bible (2 Corinthians 1:20), including belief that God judges those who reject Him (John 12:48). Nurture a relationship with God by talking to Him in prayer (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and listening to Him by spending time reading His word (Romans 10:17). And learn to see yourself as God sees you, warts and all (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Most of us will indeed see death, but we must have no doubt that we
who put our faith in Christ will spend eternity in heaven with God.
Praise the Lord!
In our next lesson, we will begin to discuss the conditions on earth that precipitated the great flood. It will be an adventure so be sure to look for Lesson 9: The Storm Clouds Gather
Think About It, Talk About It
In ancient genealogies, it was acceptable for some generations to be omitted. What was the purpose of leaving gaps between the generations, and what was the result of doing so? Do you believe that some generations might have been excluded from the genealogies in Genesis? Why or why not?
What contrasts do you see between the genealogies of Cain and Seth?
What are some possible reasons for the long lifespans described in Chapter 5? Is it even possible that humans could live so many years? Why?
SOURCES
Deffinbaugh, Bob: Coming to Grips with Genealogies (www.bible.org)
Graham, Billy – Answers (www.billygraham.org)
Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible-NASB, AMG Publishers Inc.
Hughes, R. Kent – Preaching the Word – Genesis
Kitchen, K.A.: Ancient Orient and Old Testament (Inter-Varsity Press 1966)
Lanz, Eddy: The Toledot Structure of Genesis (Google: lanz-26January2018-Toledot)
Life is Short: Abel’s Destiny Hidden in the Hebrew Meaning of His Name, (www.hebrewversity.com)
McGee, J. Vernon – Through the Bible. Volume 1
Pasco, Roger – The Legacy of Seth – The Worship of God (www.bible.org)
Petersen, Dennis R., Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation (Creation Resource Publications)
What is a ‘Toledot? (www.gotquestions.org)
Why did the People in Genesis Live Such Long Lives? (www.gotquestions.org)