Week 3: Genesis 5:1-32

Week 3: Genesis 5:1-32

At A Glance:

Author: Moses or "P"

Form: Genealogy

Themes: The divine image and likeness being passed down through the line of Seth until the 10th generation.  The dedication of Seth's lineage until Noah.

Summary:  The second part of the pre-flood generations containing the genealogy of Seth to Noah and his three sons.  The genealogy is placed in contrast to Cain’s.  Where Cain’s children grew in sin until the 7^th generation, Seth’s children grew in holiness as they “called upon the name of the Lord” (4:26), “walked with God” (5:24) and “found favor with the Lord” (6:8).   Though sin has entered the world God’s plan is still greater.

Commentary:

5:1-2 – The return to the formula used in Genesis 1:26-27 indicates that this genealogy is from the priestly source.  God created humanity in his image and likeness, blessed them and named them “man” (“adam” in Hebrew). 

5:3 – We know that Seth is not the first born son of Adam, but here he is the son listed using the Gn 1:26-27 formula to indicate it will be through Seth that the blessing of God is passed.  This is in contrast to Cain’s line where we saw the evidence of the consequences of sin being passed on.  Cain’s line had seven names ending with Lamech’s song of total depravity.  Seth’s line is 10 names from Adam, the length of their lives (all over 900 years except Enoch and Lamech) shows their blessing and righteousness before God.  Below is a chart focused on the line of Seth with their name meanings and the length of their lives:

5:24 – Enoch is the seventh name on the list of descendants of Adam through Seth.  Where Cain’s descendant Lamech boasted of his sin, Seth’s descendant Enoch “walked with God”.  Rather than living a long life of blessing like his fathers before him, God “took” Enoch.  This word echoes from Psalm 49:15 and 73:24 speaking about how God “takes” the righteous away from the sting of death.  It is also echoed in 2 Kings 2:11 when Elijah is “taken” up in a whirlwind into heaven.  Enoch and Elijah are the only two persons in the Old Testament who are spared the corruption of death and are taken up into heaven. 

5:29 – Lamech here is placed in contrast to Lamech in 4:23.  Lamech (descendant of Cain) sang a song of boasting in his sinful triumphs, whereas Lamech (descendant of Seth) humbly asks for God to bring rest to them through his son Noah.  There is a play on words between Noah’s name (meaning “rest”) and Lamech’s prayer “bring us relief”. 

5:32 – Like Cain’s genealogy, Seth’s genealogy ends with the naming of three sons.  This is to further emphasize the contrast to Cain’s sinful line.  Where Cain’s sinful line is completed after the 7^th son, Seth’s line continues to the 10^th son (Noah).  Where Cain’s line represents the spread of sin, Seth’s line represents God’s undiminished commitment to his blessing in spite of human sinfulness.  The length of this genealogy reveals that even though sin is spread through the world God’s blessing is present and more powerful than the stain of sin.

Final Thoughts

            I think when we read scripture we can be tempted to gloss over the genealogies as if they are fillers, simply the author’s indication of time passing.  I think when we do this we lose out on an opportunity to listen to God speaking through the lives of those who are unknown to us (outside their being listed in the genealogy). 

            Each one of the men mentioned lived just short of 1000 years, 1000 being the “divine day” from Ps 90:4 “A thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday”.  Each of these men chose to live lives full of humility and close to God.  Their father, Seth taught his son Enosh to pray (Gn 4:26) and each father in turn taught their sons to walk with God unto the 7^th generation where Enoch’s “dedication” (pun from his name) to God lead to his preservation from the decay of death.  He was taken up by God.  Father’s teaching their sons to pray to God and walk in his presence will ultimately lead to Noah who “found favor with the Lord” (Gn 6:8).

            In my role as father to my sons, one temptation is to be like Lamech (descendant of Cain) and boast in myself.  It feels good when my children look up to me.  I can’t imagine a better feeling than when my sons call my name and run into my arms.  I’m tempted to want them to call upon my name for everything and to walk with me all the days of their lives, desiring only my favor and blessing.  But I am not their God.  Seth’s descendants lived this out in how they taught and raised their children.  I pray that I might have the humility and endurance to love my children into heaven by helping them see through the weak love of their earthly father, into the infinite love of their Heavenly Father. 

Lord, help me to teach my children to pray and to walk with you, desiring your favor and blessing above all other things.  Amen.

Please feel free to add your insights and comments…