Mom has offered to write Chapter 5, the genealogy of the extremely long lived Patriarchs, for us! Which is exciting, I want everyone who wants to post something to let me know! If there is a specific chapter that you really enjoy and would like to share with everyone then write something up, and email it to me (adambrock25@gmail.com)! Then I’ll post it on the website!
But, since this is Chapter 5 and as I just discovered, Chapter 5 isn’t the most exciting read, Let me start off by providing everyone with visual assistance. (For the computerly challenged the best thing to do is to “right click, and open it in a new window” that way you can read mom’s post and reference the timeline.
Alright, that’s all from me. The rest is Mom.
The first thing that strikes me is Genesis 5:1 and 3:
(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.
(3)And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and had a son in his own “likeness” after his “image” and called his name Seth.
Now that man has fallen, we are born not in God’s image but in Man’s image? Until once again with the coming of the Messiah… We can be born again into his likeness
Romans 8:29 to be conformed to the “image” of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
The second thing I wanted to mention is the question of other children before Cain and Abel.
And Adam called his wife’s name Eve: because she was the Mother of all living. Gen 3:20
This is said before Cain and Abel are mentioned in Chapter 5:1
And Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bare Cain.
Is this because they had already had some children?
Alright now to the genealogy. The following genealogy is copied from Chuck Missler’s web page:
A Study of Original Roots
The meaning of proper names can be a difficult pursuit since a direct translation is often not readily available. Even a conventional Hebrew lexicon can prove disappointing. A study of the original roots, however, can yield some fascinating insights.
(A caveat: many study aids, such as a conventional lexicon, can prove rather superficial when dealing with proper nouns. Furthermore, views concerning the meanings of original roots are not free of controversy and variant readings.)
Let’s take an example.
The Flood Judgment
Methuselah comes from muth, a root that means “death”;1 and from shalach, which means to bring, or to send forth. The name Methuselah means, “his death shall bring”.2
Methuselah’s father was given a prophecy of the coming Great Flood, and was apparently told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld; but as soon as he died, the flood would be brought or sent forth.
(Can you imagine raising a kid like that? Every time the boy caught a cold, the entire neighborhood must have panicked!)
And, indeed, the year that Methuselah died, the flood came.3
It is interesting that Methuselah’s life, in effect, was a symbol of God’s mercy in forestalling the coming judgment of the flood.
Therefore, it is fitting that his lifetime is the oldest in the Bible, speaking of the extensiveness of God’s mercy.
The Other Names
If there is such significance in Methuselah’s name, let’s examine the other names to see what may lie behind them.
Adam’s name means man. As the first man, that seems straight forward enough.
Seth
Adam’s son was named Seth, which means appointed. Eve said, “For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.“4
Enosh
Seth’s son was called Enosh, which means mortal, frail, or miserable. It is from the root anash, to be incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness.
It was in the days of Enosh that men began to defile the name of the Living God.5
Kenan
Enosh’s son was named Kenan, which can mean sorrow, dirge, or elegy. (The precise denotation is somewhat elusive; some study aids unfortunately presume that Kenan is synonymous with Cainan.)
Balaam, looking down from the heights of Moab, uses a pun upon the name of the Kenites when he prophesies their destruction.6
We have no real idea as to why these names were chosen for their children. Often they may have referred to circumstances at birth, and so on.
Mahalalel
Kenan’s son was Mahalalel, from Mahalal which means blessed or praise; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means the Blessed God. Often Hebrew names include El, the name of God, as Dan-i-el, “God is my Judge”, etc.
Jared
Mahalalel’s son was named Jared, from the verb yaradh, meaning shall come down.7
Enoch
Jared’s son was named Enoch, which means teaching, or commencement. He was the first of four generations of preachers. In fact, the earliest recorded prophecy was by Enoch, which amazingly enough deals with the Second Coming of Christ (although it is quoted in the Book of Jude in the New Testament):
Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, “Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
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.”
Jude 14, 15
Methuselah
Enoch was the father of Methuselah, who we have already mentioned. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah.8 Apparently, Enoch received the prophecy of the Great Flood, and was told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld. The year that Methuselah died, the flood came.
Enoch, of course, never died: he was translated 9 (or, if you’ll excuse the expression, raptured ). That’s how Methuselah can be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father!
Lamech
Methuselah’s son was named Lamech, a root still evident today in our own English word, lament or lamentation. Lamech suggests despairing.
(This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain’s line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident.10)
Noah
Lamech, of course, is the father of Noah, which is derived from nacham, to bring relief or comfort, as Lamech himself explains in Genesis 5:29.
The Composite List
Now let’s put it all together:
Hebrew | English |
Adam | Man |
Seth | Appointed |
Enosh | Mortal |
Kenan | Sorrow; |
Mahalalel | The Blessed God |
Jared | Shall come down |
Enoch | Teaching |
Methuselah | His death shall bring |
Lamech | The Despairing |
Noah | Rest, or comfort. |
That’s rather remarkable:
Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.
Here’s the Gospel hidden within a genealogy in Genesis!
Well what do you guys think. Is it possible this genealogy is truly a prophecy of the plan of God?
Awwww onto the flood story, this will be exciting!!!!!!!
Good job Mom! I was more than a little happy that you agreed to take this chapter on. Since it was just a lineage, I didn’t think I’d be able to squeeze anything out of it. But you did! Very interesting too!
I don’t think that “in his likeness” is physical, I think it’s spiritual, man is no longer and will no longer be born pure spiritually because they are born into a world teaming with sin.
I agree with you, I think Adam and Eve did have other children. I wonder how many sons they had? And how many of their children left to live with their brother Cain? And after Seth’s birth was god still a big part of their lives? Is it possible that any of Seth’s line was married to the daughters of Cain? And how righteous do you think Adam and Eve continued to be?
I thought Mahalalel was the most interesting name – if his name means Blessed God do you think it’s possible that he was a King, or his father was a King and named his son something Kingly and divine sounding? Like how the Egyptians and most Kings ruled by proclaiming they were either chosen by or descended from gods…little g :).
Where else in the bible does it mention Enoch being taken into heaven? And has anyone here read the book of Enoch?
“This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain’s line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident.” So Missler thinks that Lamach’s murder in Genesis 4 was an accident? I disagree, that seems to be an very loose interpretation of that passage…”I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.” Just pointing that out.
Good Job Mom! Now to get started on chapter 6.
Thanks Adam I GREATLY appreciate your kudos and insight.
It sounds to me like Lamech’s double murder was not an accident but some kind of retribution or maybe self defense?
I’m so glad you wrote out the names and their meanings, Debbie. Creation and history are like an onion, with everything visible having a thousand other layers – whether we peel them back or not, they are there. Truly God loves us. At every turn He has left a map of some sort for us to Him. And how He uses individuals for His purpose, still maintaining their free will and somehow making it all turn out for their individual betterment is a feat of infinite, incomprehensible magnitude.
Jesus is the plan. Jesus has always been the plan. Jesus has always been willing to be the plan. Jesus helped create his own executioners, giving them the tools and the free will to do it. Indeed, God is Love.
Another thing that ignites the imagination is their long lives. We’ve had it explained from scientific types that it was the atmosphere, the oxygen content (as preserved and confined in things like amber), the magnetic force (calculated by the current degradation of magnetic force) and atmospheric pressure (measured somehow that I can’t remember). I think it’s probably accurate to the degree we have the ability to calculate and decipher, given the clues. Whatever it was, it ceased to be God’s will after the flood and he greatly reduced man’s life-expectancy (also greatly altered earth’s surface, weather and atmosphere). He didn’t want man living forever ( the angel guarding the tree of life) so perhaps a long life did nothing to enhance man’s nearness to Him. i.e. 2nd law of thermodynamics, things degrade, and a human heart not attached to God will fall farther away from Him given the time. Again, thank God for Jesus, as it is not our own effort that helps us finish the race and we are no longer subject to that law of decline if we are New Creations in Him.
Anyway, wouldn’t you have loved being Enoch?
As far as I know there is no book of Enoch. The Catholic church has many books that the early church did not recognize and were therefore not canonized. All I know of that remains of Enoch’s prophecies can be found in Jude vs.14 & 15.
Vs. 13 “These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.”
Vs. 14,15 “Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him’.”
The beauty of that prophecy to me is not that evil men will be judged, but that Jesus will return to earth with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones. Who are they? Us.
I. Cor 6:1,2
“If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?”
Col. 3:4
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
Rev. 22:12
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.”
Hebrews 12:2
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross…”
We are the joy set before Him! We are His reward — the reward for His suffering and He deserves the reward for His suffering. (a sobering, humbling thought) We are a reward because we are so deeply loved, and that not because of our beauty but because of His essence. We are a desperately unworthy part of a great love story. Thank God for the blood of the Lamb Who takes a ‘heart of clay’ and re-creates it.
Kathy thank you. So beautifully said. My heart was warmed while reading your reply.
Hope is waiting at the door!
I like the idea that humanities relationship with God is also subject to the third law of thermodynamics, everything degrades and breaks down over time. I can understand how unusually long life does nothing to enhance your relationship, all old age seems to do to people is make them crabby and considerably more cynical.
As far as the Book of Enoch…There is a book that is attributed to Enoch (traditionally), and it is kind of interesting…and slightly strange.
Inoformation on Book of Enoch:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Enoch
Book of Enoch
http://www.heaven.net.nz/writings/thebookofenoch.htm
Interesting read if anything…
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