[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.
[3] And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, after his image; and called his name Seth:
[4] And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
[5] And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
[6] And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:
[7] And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat 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 begat Cainan:
[10] And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat 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 begat Mahalaleel:
[13] And Cainan lived after he begat Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begat 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 begat Jared:
[16] And Mahalaleel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters:
[17] And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years: and he died.
[18] And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch:
[19] And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat 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 begat Methuselah:
[22] And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat 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.
[25] And Methuselah lived an hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech:
[26] And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters:
[27] And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years: and he died.
[28] And Lamech lived an hundred eighty and two years, and begat 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.
[30] And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat 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 begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Commentary on Genesis Chapter Five
We have come to a shift in the flow of history regarding humanity when we cross the threshold of this fifth chapter of Genesis. Prior to making this crossing we have been tracking the lineage of the entirety of the race of men. Now we have come to a fork in that venture and have begun to follow the lineage which will eventually lead to the promised Messiah of Genesis chapter three and verse fifteen. Cain, and his descendants who followed his example have, by choice, disqualified themselves from inclusion in this lineage.
From this point forward we shall find that the raging battle between the followers of Christ and the followers of Satan will become intertwined only as the sons of darkness clash with the sons of light. The main theme if the Scriptures is the revealing of God, Himself, through Jesus Christ. Let us never lose sight of that. What we find recorded in the pages of Scripture is all directly related to this singular matter. There is a closely connected secondary theme which is that of the redemption of men from sin and unto Himself by God which also runs concurrently throughout Scriptures. Here in Genesis chapter five let us not fail to see that this is true even though we are about to read of the reign of death upon all humanity which came through the sin of Adam.
Note the opening passages here clearly identify the record as being that of HUMANITY, regardless of gender. It is written.
“This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.”
(Genesis 5:1-2)
The God of The Bible is gracious to both women and men without showing discrimination which would prevent either gender from coming unto Him and being received. As we seek to know more of the nature and character of this Great God through what we read, in even this seemingly gloomy listing of the death of each of those mentioned in turn, let us be reminded that the listing before us is not a complete nor extensive chronological manifest of all who lived during the generations enshrined here. Those who are important to the unfolding of the two major themes noted earlier are called forth to prominence here.
We were introduced unto Seth in the previous chapter. Following him we come to the name of one called Enoch. While the unbroken lineage which leads us to this one is important it is this man to whom we ought to pay close attention. He is introduced with the simple words, “And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch” (verse 18).
The arrival of Enoch upon the scene brings with it a shift in the attitudes of humanity toward God and Hios revealed ways. Concerning Enoch, we are told that this man was one who began to walk with God after the birth of a son when he was sixty-five years of age. It is written.
“And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:
(Genesis 5:21-24)
[22] And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat 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.”
Note carefully that there is a distinct change referenced in Enoch’s life activities before the birth of Methuselah and all of his days after that event. We are not told that he walked with God before that child arrived. Something caused a change. in how he related unto God with the birth of this child. It is the view of many conservative scholars that the something which so impacted this man was the revealed knowledge of the coming judgement of God upon a world of sin depraved and debauched humanity. Let us examine why this view is held by so many.
Our first key to this is the name which he gave this particular son. Methuselah is translated into, “when he is dead it shall be sent”. What could the “it” be that was to come? This is a reference to the cataclysmic outpouring of God’s righteous judgement upon a world that had become perverted and twisted beyond anything which even God found to be tolerable in spite of His tremendous grace. Remember that as the descendants of Seth were multiplying upon this planet so were the descendants of Cain, who had turned their faces away from God. The fact that Methuselah was the longest living human recorded in Scripture is a testimony unto the truth that God is longsuffering in His extension of grace unto us, for the record, as we shall see, tells us that in the year of Methusaleh’s death the great deluge which destroyed all of humanity, except Noah and his family came upon this earth.
Concerning Enoch, we are told that he was a man of faith. For it is written.
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
(Hebrews 11:5)
We are also told that this man, Enoch, was the first preacher to walk the earth for it is written.
“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
(Jude1:14-16)
[15] To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
[16] These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.”
It is not beyond reason to conclude that as he walked with God he also preached of the coming judgement upon humanity. It could be held that this was how Enoch pleased God. Let it be noted that Enoch is one of only two men of which it is said that he walked with God before the Great Deluge judgement. The other man, as we shall see a bit further on, is Noah.
In all of recorded Scripture Enoch is one of two men who we are told were taken into the presence of God without tasting death first. The other is the Prophet Elijhah. It is reasonable to hold that God had revealed unto this man that He intended to bring about the destruction of the warped and twisted humanity which had chosen to turn their faces from God as a whole. The naming of his son coupled with the recorded of his preaching support this.
Not only did the Ancients have the warning of the life and ministry of Enoch, as we have demonstrated, but they had the ever-present reminder of Methuselah in their midst right up unto the sending of the great cataclysmic deluge which ripped the earth apart and turned it inside out and wrought the death of all living creatures that walked upon this planet. Listed in this chapter we also find the birth and place in the chronology which we are studying of Noah.
Just as God had raised up Enoch, to preach on His behalf, He also raised up this man to take up the task of warning men and women that the outpouring of His wrath was coming. God is a just God. He will not leave anyone without a witness unto their need to repent and turn from sin unto Him. There will never be a person in the entirety of history who will be able to look God in the face and claim an exemption from His eternal judgment upon the basis that they never had some manner of witness from God. Concerning this very matter, The Apostle Paul speaks unto us in The Epistle to The Romans. It is written.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
(Romans 1:16-25)
[17] For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
[18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
[19] Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.
[20] For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
[21] Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
[22] Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
[23] And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
[24] Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
[25] Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.”
Take note of the revealed truth that God does reveal His intention to judge sin. It is mankind that refuses to acknowledge the truth of that revelation and substitute something more palatable unto themselves, just as Cain chose to substitute what he thought ought to be sufficient and acceptable unto God based upon his own wishes. It was this refusal to honor the God of Scripture as God which caused the record of death upon humanity, found here in Genesis five, to become necessary.
Paul, also writing in The Epistle to the Romans, tells us the following.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Romans 5:12-17)
[13] (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
[14] Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
[15] But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
[16] And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
[17] For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
As we close out our observations which we have taken care to discover concerning God in this chapter, let us think not only upon the sad truth of the death which awaits us at our time appointed, but also dwell upon the revelation of the grace of God as He deals with humanity which is found here. We have spoken of the raising up of people who were to witness unto their peers on God’s behalf. We have also spoken of the orderly transition from one unto another so that there is not a gap in the extension of God’s grace unto people. Something which was not commented upon earlier, which I feel is important in the recognition of God’s graciousness, is the fact that in the wake of the murder of their first-born son, God gave unto Adam and Eve Seth, who was presented in Abel’s stead. It was those who followed the God who had done this whose record we find laid out for us here.