The Generations of Adam
Text: Genesis 5
Core Idea: The truth is that no one knows when death will come and devour us. Then, let me ask you, “Are you prepared?” Knowing that Jesus is our only hope in death, let’s turn to Him today. Let’s anchor ourselves to Him, for He will give us life and life to the full.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, Lighthouse. It is great to see you. We are currently going through the Book of Genesis – looking at how all things started. And last week, we witnessed the devastating ramifications of sin as we saw Cain brutally kill his own younger brother Abel. Because Cain failed to guard his heart, sin that was crouching at the door of his heart devoured him – leading to this horrific tragedy. But what surprised us was the way God responded. Even though Cain remained arrogant and unrepentant, God still responded in grace. God’s heart for Cain was still filled with compassion and love – which is why He didn’t abandon him but promised protection over him. Now, the chapter ended by pointing out the legacy of Cain as his descendants became instrumental in helping civilization to advance greatly – through them, the economy expanded, the arts flourished, and technology improved. But despite the advancement in culture, the wickedness of mankind got worse and worse. We saw God’s design for marriage being distorted. We saw people wearing violence as a badge of honor. And we saw people regarding vengeance in terms of duty. All that to say, even though the line of Cain may have greatly advanced the culture, their efforts couldn’t make them holy and righteous before the Lord. In contrast, the legacy Seth left may not have been flashy – but it was what the world most needed as it led people to call on the name of the Lord. Then, today, we’re going to follow the line of Seth to see what God was doing to prepare His people for the Promised Deliverer. So, please open your Bibles to Genesis 5 – and I will read this for us.
1 This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, He made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And He named them “Mankind” when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died. 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Well, if you’re wondering, “What in the world is Woohyun going to preach from this passage?” you are not alone, as I was also thinking the same thing this week. Let’s be honest – this is the kind of passage we often skim through or skip altogether because we don’t really understand the significance of genealogies in the Bible. But hopefully, I can help change that by showing you the wonderful truths hidden in this text. Then, let me point out three things from this passage:
· THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
· THE GRACE OF GOD
· THE JUSTICE OF GOD
1) THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD
I don’t know about you, but one of the first things that stood out to me from this genealogy was how long these people lived. This comes as a shock to us because the average life expectancy for Canada in 2022 was 81 years old. Then, can you imagine living for over 900 years? No wonder people have a difficult time believing the Bible – it just seems unrealistic. But I firmly believe that this actually displays the providence of God because not everyone in the Bible lived this long. In one sense, it was a seasonal blessing. I say this because people’s lifespans noticeably shortened after the flood – in fact, it continued to go down as time passed. So, for example, Noah’s son Shem lived 600 years; his son Arphaxad, 438 years; his son Shelah, 433 years; his son Peleg, 239 years; his son Terah, 148 years; his son Abraham, 175 years; his son Isaac, 180 years; and his son Jacob, 147 years. Moses lived 120 years; Joshua, 110 years; and David, 70 years. All that to say, it’s no coincidence that people in Genesis 5 lived that long – it was because God providentially ordained it for a purpose. What’s that purpose? Well, the Bible doesn’t explicitly tell us why, but one of the best explanations was given by John Gill, an 18th Century theologian, who said this, “Though the length of time they lived may in some measure be accounted for by natural things as means, such as their healthful constitution, simple diet, the goodness of the fruits of the earth, the temperate air and climate they lived in, their sobriety, temperance, labour and exercise; yet no doubt it was so ordered in Providence for the multiplication of mankind, for the cultivation of arts and sciences, and for the spread of true religion in the world.” Let me quickly go through the reasons he offers.
First, for the multiplication of mankind. Verse 4, “Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.” We’re not sure how many children Adam had besides Cain, Abel, and Seth, but it’s clear that he had other children who must have married each other and produced children themselves. Actually, the fact that the phrase “had other sons and daughters” is repeated over and over again in this genealogy is significant because it shows us that the mandate to be “fruitful and multiply” did not pass away after the fall. Sin may have brought great pain to childbirth, but it could not rob them of their ability to give birth. God blessed them with longevity and many children so that they would be able to obey the command to fill the earth.
Second, for the cultivation of arts and sciences. Here’s what this means. Can you imagine what Da Vinci could’ve done if he had 500 more years? What if Mozart had 400 more years? What if Einstein had 300 more years? Can you imagine the impact these great minds could’ve had in arts, music, and science if they had lived as long as the people in Genesis 5? Now, using the same line of thought, can you imagine how quickly the culture must have advanced because Adam lived for 930 years? He would’ve had enough time to learn basic skills like how to work the field, gather, cook, build shelters, organize a community – and effectively pass the knowledge down to his children, who must have perfected them even more. Think about all the family recipes that were lost because there was not enough time for us to learn and master them. Think about all the techniques that were lost in medicine, music, or architecture because they were never passed down. Prolonging their lives was God’s providential way of empowering people to explore, learn, make progress, and teach others for the good of human civilization.
Lastly, for the spread of true religion in the world. Now, if you do the math, you’ll notice that Adam lived until Lamech was 56 years old. Think about how incredible that is, considering that Lamech was nine generations away from Adam. What this means is that everyone in this genealogy except for Noah must have had an opportunity to have a relationship with Adam – the first man ever to be created, the one who walked with God in the cool of the day. They didn’t just hear about God or all that happened in the garden from others. No, they heard it directly from Adam himself – which means that this wasn’t just a fairy tale. It was history for them, for the one who experienced it firsthand was standing before their eyes. They would’ve heard Adam urging them to stay true to the Lord as he reminded them about the One who will one day come to crush the head of the serpent and lead them back to the garden. Can you imagine how powerful this must have been? All that to say, God allowed them to live longer so that the faith could be passed down more effectively.
What does this mean for us? Well, think of it this way. If God providentially and intentionally allowed Adam to live long because it was important for Him to see the faith passed down effectively, what are we doing to make sure that our faith is being passed down to our children and those around us? Verse 1 says, “When God created mankind, He made them in the likeness of God.” And verse 3 says, “When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.” The truth is that this should give us a reason to celebrate because it implies that everyone still bears the image of God even after the fall. Sin may have distorted that image, but it wasn’t able to take that image away from us. Now, at the same time, this equally implies that everyone is also stamped with the image of their imperfect human parents. We don’t just bear the image of God but the image of sin as well. All of us received from our parents a legacy of sin – and whether we like it or not, we’re bound to pass it down to our children as well. No wonder we say things like, “Wow, I’m just like my dad/mom,” whenever we see ourselves committing the same sin that our parents were guilty of, or “Wow, you’re just like me,” whenever we see our children reflecting our sinful behavior right back at us. Just as we rebelled against our parents, our children rebel against us. Just as we’re selfish, arrogant, anxious, or lazy, our children are also selfish, arrogant, anxious, or lazy. Thankfully, the Bible tells us that there’s a way to break this cycle, for it tells us that there’s something else we can leave for our children – a legacy of grace. Well, how do we do that? By pointing them to the One who has overcome sin for us and modeling for them the joy of walking with the Lord. Brothers and sisters, there’s nothing more important than to pass down a legacy of grace for our children because what’s at stake is their souls. Understandably, our desire is to help them have a good life here on earth – but as Jesus says in Mark 8:36, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” Then, let’s be intentional in leading our children to know and love the Lord. Let’s teach them to read the Bible on their own, pray, and sing to the Lord. But if I can, I want to actually challenge you to go beyond your family and do this for other growing Christians in the church as well. In fact, let me speak specifically to the older men and women of our church. Just as God providentially allowed Adam to live long so that he could pass down the faith, I firmly believe that God has providentially led you to be at this church at this time so that you could invest in the next generation. Brothers and sisters, our young people need you to instruct them, guide them, and equip them. It would be great if you could live 900 more years to strengthen your faith and have enough time to pass it on – but the reality is that we don’t have a lot of time. Death will one day come, and we won’t be able to do this even if we want to. Then, let’s not waste the opportunities God has given us today. When you see a need, don’t wait for others to step up. See it as your responsibility to disciple the next generation because this is how we leave a legacy of grace.
2) THE GRACE OF GOD
Verse 4, “Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.” A lot of people assume that Adam and Eve had only three sons (Cain, Abel, and Seth) because we’re so familiar with their stories – but this verse clearly shows us that they had other children. There was an interesting article from The New York Times which reported that by tracing the DNA patterns found in people throughout the world, the scientists hypothesized that Adam and Eve must have had 10 sons and 18 daughters. I guess we’ll find out when we get to heaven – but the question that came to my mind as I thought about this was, “Why Seth? If there were other sons and daughters, why did God choose the line Seth to bring forth a Deliverer?” In fact, this question can be applied to every person in the genealogy. If Seth had other sons and daughters, why did God choose Enosh? If Enosh had other sons and daughters, why did God choose Kenan? You get the idea. Why were they chosen over others? Were they more righteous than others? It seems like Enoch definitely was. Verse 24 says, “[He] walked faithfully with God,” which, by the way, describes the closest personal communion one can have with God – this idea of always moving in the same direction as if they were glued together. If that’s the case, we could understand why Enoch made the list. But what about others? Did they walk with God just like Enoch? What was so special about them that they were chosen to be in this genealogy and had the privilege of bringing forth the serpent-crusher?
Answer: nothing. They didn’t make the genealogy because they were special but because God is good. They didn’t earn their way in, but they were rather invited in by the Lord. They were chosen not by merit but by grace – and that goes for Enoch as well. In fact, this is the message we see throughout the Bible. For example, Genesis 17:19-21. Now, the context is that God had just told Abraham that he would have a son with Sarah – but mind you, Abraham already had a son with Hagar named Ishmael. God said, “Your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac. I will establish My covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard you: I will surely bless him; I will make him fruitful and will greatly increase his numbers. He will be the father of twelve rulers, and I will make him into a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah will bear to you by this time next year.” Traditionally, the firstborn had the privilege and the responsibility of carrying down the family name. But here, even though Ishmael was the firstborn, God chose Isaac. Could Isaac have done anything before his birth to make him more worthy? Absolutely not. Then, why? Because it’s not about merit but grace. Another example – Deuteronomy 7:6-8. Moses told the Israelites, “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be His people, His treasured possession. The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you and kept the oath He swore to your ancestors that He brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the land of slavery, from the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” Israel was chosen not because they were the greatest (in fact, they were the weakest) – but because the Lord set His affection on them, because the Lord loved them, and because the Lord made a promise to their ancestors. Again, not merit but grace. Last example – Romans 9:10-12. In talking about Esau and Jacob, Paul said, “Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac. Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad – in order that God’s purpose in election might stand: not by works but by Him who calls – she was told, ‘The older will serve the younger.’” Again, not merit but grace. All that to say, everyone we see in this genealogy is not there because they somehow earned the right to be there. No, they’re there simply because God determined to use them to work out His plan.
What does this mean for us? Well, it definitely means that no matter who you are, no matter what you have done, and no matter what was done to you, you can still become part of God’s family. This genealogy is a message of grace and deep assurance that tells us no matter how much we’ve messed up, no matter how many family secrets we have, no matter how broken we feel, and no matter the sin in our lives, we can still be brought into the family of God and be used to accomplish His will because we’re chosen not by merit but by grace. Then, brothers and sisters, are you in any way questioning your worth today? Are you asking if you’re still good enough to be used by God after all that you’ve done this past week? If so, remember this truth and know that nothing will disqualify you from being part of God’s family. Nothing. Paul says it like this in Romans 8:38-39, “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Friends, you’re part of God’s family not because you’re special, not because you’re more righteous, knowledgeable, generous, connected, or skilled than others, but only because God has graciously invited you in. Then, even though the world may forget your name, your name will never be forgotten by the Lord – and He will use you to accomplish great things. That is what this genealogy teaches us.
3) THE JUSTICE OF GOD
One of the phrases repeated over and over again in this passage is, “And then he died.” With the exception of Enoch (I’ll explain more about him later) and Noah (he’ll get his in Chapter 9), this phrase is applied to every single person in this genealogy. Now, if the average lifespan was around 900 years, it’s possible that many of them may not have seen death for a while – which means that some of them must have asked themselves, “Wait, will we really die? I guess one can kill another, just as Cain did to Abel. But we’ve all lived for this long. Will death really come to all of us?” And the answer was a resounding yes, for everyone in this genealogy did die. Then, this genealogy is here to remind us that the curse of sin is ever present in our lives as well – that no matter how many years we get, no matter how healthy we are now, no matter how rich we may be, no matter how respected we are, death will not miss us. Every one of us in this room will eventually die unless the Lord returns to us first. It’s inevitable – and yet the truth is that many of us do our best to avoid thinking about death. In fact, we don’t even want to utter the word “death” – so much so that we often use euphemisms to describe death. We would never say, “He died.” Instead, we say, “He passed away. She’s resting in peace. He breathed last. She’s in a better place.” Why? Because the idea of death brings unbearable fear, pain, and sorrow to our hearts. I’m not sure if it’s because I turned 40 this year – but whenever I feel pain in my body, if my stomach hurts, for example, it’s not, “Man, what did I eat?” but I think of these two words, “What if?” And I get caught up in negative thoughts about death. Don’t get me wrong – I want to be with my Lord in heaven. I do look forward to life after death. But now that I have a wife whom I dearly love, two sons whom I could die for, and a church that I want to be part of forever, even though the idea of death had never bothered me before, it now feels agonizingly painful just thinking about it. Why? Because I don’t want to say goodbye. Death makes me feel like I’ll never be able to see the faces of the people I love, hear the voices of the people I love, and hug the people I love ever again. Death feels like the end. Of course, there are other reasons why we fear death. For example, we fear death because it robs us of everything that matters to us, everything that gives us meaning in life – our wealth, power, reputation, and accomplishments. They become absolutely meaningless in the presence of death. No wonder our hearts are gripped with anguish whenever we think about death.
The Book of Genesis clearly tells us that death is the result of our sin. Listen to the curse given to Adam in Genesis 3:18, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” What this means is that death displays the righteous justice of God, for we are receiving what we deserve. Then, is there any hope for us in the face of death? Verse 22, “Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Up until this point, the pattern people saw with every generation was that one’s life always ended in death. As a result, it must have made people believe that there was nothing beyond death. But for the first time in history, Enoch’s example must have made them wonder, “Wait, maybe death is not the end. Maybe there’s something I can look forward to even after death. Then, how do I get it?” Well, Hebrews 11:5-6 says, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” This tells us that Enoch didn’t experience death because he was commended as one who pleased God – as one who lived by faith in the Almighty God. Then, here, we see a great incentive to walk with God, but we also encounter a great problem – the fact that we’re not as faithful as Enoch. No matter how hard we try, we continue to find ourselves compromising in our holiness and committing the same sins over and over again. We are not righteous. We are not good. We always fall short of the glory of God. Then, again, is there any hope for us? Well, the Bible points us to another person who walked faithfully with God. In fact, He was perfect in all that He did. He was completely sinless in every way. He said in John 6:38, “For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but to do the will of Him who sent Me.” And in John 8:29, “The One who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” In fact, He remained obedient in all circumstances – Mark 14:35-36, “Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. ‘Abba, Father,’ He said, ‘everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’” All that to say, He was faithful in every way – and yet He wasn’t rewarded but was crushed by the Lord. He wasn’t taken into the presence of God but received the wrath of God. Now, He could’ve cried out for justice – “This is unfair. I’ve done everything You asked for, God. I deserve to be praised, not cursed. I deserve life, not death.” But He didn’t. He silently received the punishment. Why? 1 Peter 2:23-24, “When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly. ‘He Himself bore our sins’ in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by His wounds you have been healed.’” Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ substituted His place with us in that our sin was put on Him, and His righteousness was given to us. And as a result, He received the fullness of God’s justice, and we received the fullness of God’s grace. So, now, though we may die, it will not be the end of us. In Christ, our story will continue to eternity, for He has conquered the grave for us.
CONCLUSION
Lighthouse family, the truth is that no one knows when death will come and devour us. Then, let me ask you, “Are you prepared?” Knowing that Jesus is our only hope in death, let’s turn to Him today. Let’s anchor ourselves to Him, for He will give us life and life to the full.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) How does the idea of Adam personally passing down his experiences and faith challenge our understanding of generational discipleship? In what ways can you actively disciple others in your family or church to pass down a legacy of grace?
2) How does the concept of being chosen by grace (not merit) affect how we view our own worth and role in God's plan? Reflecting on Romans 8:38-39, how can this assurance shape how we approach feelings of inadequacy in our faith journey?
3) The recurring phrase “And then he died” emphasizes the reality of sin and its consequences. How do you reconcile the tension between the inevitability of death and the promise of eternal life in Christ? How does that impact the way you live your life today?