- Adam (6/13/04) - 0 - 930
- (haa'aadaam [OT:120]): from 'adam [OT:119]:
to show blood in the face, to blush. 'Ruddy.'
He named all the creatures God put on the earth (Ge 2:20). He
was cursed to hard labor because he took his wife's word over that of
the Lord (Ge 3:17). He was clothed by God, in skins of an animal
- the first sacrifice (Ge 3:21). Adam's third son was named Seth,
because he was given in place of slain Abel (Ge 4:26). Adam's
descendants are listed in a chapter which opens very similarly to Matthew's
gospel: "This is the book of the generations
of Adam, whom God Himself made in His own likeness" (Ge
5:1-5:5). God named man and wife Adam when He had created them.
Seth was born to Adam when he was 130 years old, and he lived a further
800 years thereafter, with other children born to him. He was 930 when
he died. The first several generations in Luke's list appear in 1Chr
1:1-4, 17-19. This covers the range from Adam through Shelah, but
Cainan, at least at first appearances, seems to be an insertion into
this list. Job saw Adam as having sought to hide his sins (Job 31:33),
while he himself confessed them. When God lamented over the need to
punish Judah and Ephraim, He made clear that He was more concerned with
the heart and mind of man than with outward rituals of appeasement,
then noted that we had all faired no better than Adam, having all broken
with His covenant, and rebelled against Him (Hos 6:6-7). In spite
of the absence of written Law, death was the lot of all men after Adam
fell from grace, even of those whose sins were not like his. Adam was
a type of Christ (Ro 5:14). All
men die because Adam fell. Likewise all men are made alive because of
Christ (1Co 15:22). Adam became a life, Christ became a life-giving
spirit (1Co 15:45). Paul rejects the authority of women to teach
or direct men in the church because Adam was the first to be created,
establishing primacy of rank, and Eve was the first to sin (1Ti 2:12-14).
Enoch was of the seventh generation from Adam. He prophesied of the
day of the Lord (Jude 14).
- Seth (6/13/04) - 130 - 1042
- (Sheth [OT:8352]): from shiyth [OT:7896]:
to place. Put. 'Substituted.' Seth was born
the third son of Adam, and so named by Eve because he was seen as a
replacement for Abel after Cain slew him. Seth bore Enosh. After the
birth of Enosh, people began to call upon the LORD (Ge 4:25-26).
Seth was a son in Adam's own likeness [a true son].
Adam named him Seth. He was born in Adam's 130th year, and Adam lived
on another 800, dying at 930 years of age. Seth had Enosh when he was
105, and lived 807 years longer, dying at 912. After Enosh, he had other
children (Ge 5:3-8). The critical lineage for Israel is listed
in the opening chapter of 1Chronicles.
- Enosh (6/13/04) - 235 - 1140
- ('Enowsh [OT:583]): equivalent to 'enowsh
[OT:582]: from 'anash [OT:605]: frail, feeble, or
melancholy. 'A mortal.' Strong's notes that
the mortality evident in this name makes evident the state of man after
the fall of Adam. It was after the birth of Enosh that men began to
feel the need to call upon God (Ge 4:26). Enosh was born to Seth
when he was 105, and his father remained another 817 years, dying at
912. Enosh bore Kenan when he was 90, and lived a further 815 years,
having other children and dying at 905 (Ge 5:6-11). He, too,
is in the lists of 1Chronicles.
- Cainan {Kenan} (6/14/04) - 325 - 1235
- (Qeynan [OT:7064]): from qanan [OT:7077]:
to erect, a root of the word for a nest. 'Fixed.'
Born to Enosh in his 90th year, first of several sons and daughters.
Enosh lived for 905 years. At age 70, Cainan had his first son, Mahalalel,
living another 840 years thereafter, and passing away at the age of
910 (Ge 5:9-5:14). He is listed in 1Chronicles.
- Mahalaleel {Mahalalel} (6/14/04) - 395 - 1290
- (Mahalal'el [OT:4111]): from mahalal [0T:4110]:
from halal [OT:1984]: to be clear in sound or color. to
shine, make show, boast, to celebrate; fame; and 'el [OT:410]:
from 'ayil [OT:352] from 'uwl [OT:193]:
to twist, be strong and powerful; strength, that which is strong; strength,
mighty. 'praise of God.' Born to Kenan when
he was 70, and with his father for another 840 years, among brothers
and sisters. At 65, Mahalalel bore a son named Jared, and continued
on some 830 years thereafter, with other children born to him. He died
at 895 (Ge 5:12-17). He is listed in 1Chronicles. One
other of his name is noted in connection with the return from exile
(Ne 11:4).
- Jared (6/14/04) - 460 - 1422
- (Yered [OT: 3382]): from yarad [OT:3381]:
to descend, as to the shore, or an enemy, to bring down. 'A
descent.' Born to Mahalalel at 65, who remained another 830 years.
Jared was childless until the age of 162, at which time he bore Enoch.
He continued on another 800 years thereafter, living to be 962 (Ge
5:15-20). He, too, is in the list of 1Chronicles.
- Enoch (6/14/04) - 622 - 987
- (Chanowk [OT:3585]): from chanak [OT:2596]:
to narrow, initiate, or discipline. 'Initiated.'
There was another Enoch born to Cain (Ge 4:17-18) [thus,
initiated into the rebellious city of man.] Enoch, was born in
Jared's 162nd year, and knew his father another 800 years thereafter.
At 65, Enoch became father to Methuselah, and remained to see his sons
and daughters for another 300 years. In his 365th year, God took Enoch,
who had faithfully walked with Him, and Enoch was no more upon the earth
(Ge 5:18-24). He, too, is in the list that opens 1Chronicles.
It was by faith that Enoch was taken by God before death. His witness
pleased God (Heb 11:5). Enoch being of the 7th generation from
Adam, declared that the Lord would come with thousands of His holy ones
to judge the ungodly (Jude 14-15).
- Methuselah (6/14/04) - 687 - 1656
- (Matuwshaalach [OT:4968]): from math [OT:4962]:
to extend, an adult of full age, a man, and shelach [OT:7973]:
from shalach [OT:7971]: to send away, to send for; a missile,
a spear, a branch. 'Man of a dart.' Born to
Enoch in Enoch's 65th year. In his own 187th year, he fathered Lamech.
Methuselah lived to be 969, having other children as well (Ge 5:21-27).
He is in the list of 1Chronicles.
- Lamech (6/14/04) - 874 - 1651
- (Laamek [OT:3929]): 'powerful.'
There is a Lamech in the line of Cain, also descended from an Enoch,
and one whose name is similar to Methuselah, but of different meaning.
This Lamech fathered Jabal, Jubal, and Tubal-cain, the forerunners of
the rebellious peoples of the earth. He was a murderer, and swore to
be more odious than his father Cain. It seems that Lamech of Cain's
line, as well as his sons, perhaps predate Seth (Ge 4:18-25).
Lamech who is in the line of Jesus was son of Methuselah, to whom he
was born in Methuselah's 187th year. He bore Noah when he was 182, and
prophesied over him that he would give the world rest from the curse
God had placed upon it. Lamech lived to be 777, having other children
(Ge 5:25-31). He is listed in 1Chronicles.
- Noah (6/15/04) - 1056 - 2006
- (Noach [OT:5146]): from nuwach [OT:5117]:
to rest, settle down, dwell, remain, etc. "Rest."
Son of Lamech, who lived to be 777. Noah had his first children when
he was 500: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (Ge 5:29-32). Noah, like Enoch
before him, walked with God, righteous and blameless in his time (Ge
6:8-9). God warned Noah that the world was to be cleansed of mankind
because man had become so violent (Ge 6:13). Noah obeyed God's
instructions, regarding the building of the ark (Ge 6:22). These
instructions included taking seven of every clean, and two of every
unclean animal, as well as his own family, for the rains would begin
in another 7 days. In this, too, Noah obeyed the Lord (Ge 7:1-7:5).
Noah was 600 when the flood came. He gathered the animals, both clean
and unclean, putting them on the ark by pairs as God had commanded,
and the rains began on the 7th day, on the 17th day of the 2nd month
of Noah's 600th year, which rains continued for forty days and nights
thereafter. Noah, his three sons, and their wives all entered the ark
with the commencement of the rain with the animals in their pairs. Who
entered the ark, entered as God commanded, and God closed the door of
the ark when they were aboard (Ge 7:6-15). All but those who
were in the ark were destroyed by the floods, the waters of which remained
on the earth for 150 days (Ge 7:23-24). God, remembering Noah,
began the work of lowering the water, and on the 17th day of the 7th
month, the ark came to rest on Mt. Ararat. In the 10th month, mountaintops
were visible, so after 40 days, Noah sent a raven out, followed by a
dove. The dove returned. Seven days later, he tried again, and the dove
brought back an olive leaf, showing that the water was receding. Seven
days later, he once more sent the dove, but it did not return. So, on
the 1st day of the 1st month of his 601st year, Noah opened the ark.
By the 27th day of the 2nd month, the earth was dry (Ge 8:1-15).
God then instructed Noah to unload the ark, which he did with his sons.
Then, he built an altar, and offered from every clean animal. The Lord
responded with a promise not to curse the land again, nor to destroy
it again as He had done. This covenant promise will stand so long as
the earth remains. Days, nights, seasons, sowing and harvesting - this
things shall endure (Ge 8:15-22). God blessed Noah, along with
his sons, commanding them to multiply so as to fill the earth (Ge
9:1). God spoke to Noah and his sons regarding the covenant He was
establishing with them, as well as with all creation. Never again by
flood (Ge 9:8-11). From Noah's three sons, the whole earth was
repopulated (Ge 9:19). Noah became a farmer, and a vintner (Ge
9:20-29). At some point, he became drunk, and went to bed naked
in his tent. Ham, father of Canaan, saw this and told his brothers of
it. Shem and Japheth, upon hearing this news, took a garment between
them and, walking backwards into the tent so as not to look upon him,
they covered his nakedness. Noah awoke aware of Ham's misdeed and cursed
his son Canaan, while he blessed Shem and Japheth. Noah lived another
350 years after the flood, dying at the age of 950 (Ge 9:20-29).
A descendant of Joseph, through Manasseh named one of his daughters
after Noah (Nu 26:33, Nu 27:1-4). These daughters pleaded the
case for the women of Israel, those with no male relations to claim
their birthrights, before Moses and Aaron. These daughters married into
their own tribe to secure their inheritance (Nu 36:11-12). Later,
when Israel had entered the land, they came before Eleazer and Joshua
to enforce their right of lot (Josh 17:3). The sins of the world
have long since returned to the vileness that was mankind before the
flood, the days are like Noah's day in God's sight. Yet, He swore to
Noah that the flood would not be repeated, and He has also sworn not
to be angry with His bride (Isa 54:9). Still, in the unfaithful
country, when God determines to destroy it, even such as Noah, Daniel,
and Job could deliver none but themselves for all their righteousness
(Eze 14:14). Against God's wrath, their righteousness would not
suffice even to deliver their own children, but only themselves (Eze
14:20). When Christ returns, it will again be like the days of Noah,
when the people gave no thought to God, but lived as though He did not
matter, right up to the moment Noah entered the ark (Mt
24:37-38, Lk 17:26-27). All was eat, drink, and be merry, then
boom! Noah's obedience in preparing the salvation of his household and
thereby condemning the world was by faith. Thus he was made heir of
that righteousness which is alone by faith (Heb 11:7). Christ
died once for all. He being just died for the unjust so as to bring
us to God as those alive in the spirit. This same life He also proclaimed
to the spirits of those who died in their sins. They had been disobedient,
and God's patience waited for Noah to finish the ark by which he brought
no more than 8 people through God's wrathful flood to safety. Baptism
is like this, an appeal to God through the resurrection of Christ (1Pe
3:18-21). God did not spare the world, but He did preserve Noah,
a preacher of righteousness, along with seven others (2Pe 2:5).
