Live Long and Prosper

Good morning, we are moving on to Chapter 5 of Genesis. When you first look at the fifth chapter of Genesis it appears to be nothing more than a list of names interesting only to historians and theologians. But there is a recurring theme which is of profound interest to every human being. The theme is: “he lived … then he died.” It is important to remember that man has been given only two things to master: “how to live” and “how to die.” Despite our ability to conquer space and disease and other massive challenges it is ironic that we still struggles with the problems associated with living well and dying nobly.

There are two preliminary matters which need to be addressed concerning the fifth chapter. First, the longevity of these remarkable gentlemen and, secondly, the period of time which elapsed during their lifetimes. Methusaleh lived to the ripe old age of 969 and his ancestor Jared lived only seven years less. We hear occasionally of remarkable people living in remote areas of Siberia whose age far outstrips the life expectancy of other groups, and, of course, considerable attention has been paid to their diets and lifestyles to see if we can learn their secrets. Apparently a steady diet of yogurt has played a major part in their unusual health and vigor! But their lives are infant compared to the Antediluvians. The Antediluvian period begins with the Fall of the first Man and woman, according to Genesis and ends with the destruction of all life on the earth except those saved with Noah in the ark. (Noah and his wife, his three Sons and their wives)

Some scholars have suggested that the ages are not to be taken literally or perhaps that the life spans related not only to a person but also to the family that sprang from his loins. Others wonder if “years” were calculated differently in those long ago days. While keeping our minds open to what researchers may discover in these areas scholars see no reason to doubt that these men were probably an exceptionally hardy breed.

This chapter is the only authentic history extant of the first age of the world from the creation to the flood, containing (according to the verity of the Hebrew text) 1656 years, as may easily be computed by the ages of the patriarchs, before they begat that son through whom the line went down to Noah.

Genesis 5: Outline

A brief restatement of the account of the creation of man, v. 1-2.

An account of the birth of Seth, v. 3.

Genealogy of the ten antediluvian patriarchs, v. 3-21.

Enoch's extraordinary piety, v. 22.

The transporting of Enoch to heaven without his experiencing death, v. 24.

The birth of Noah and the reason for his name, v. 29.

Noah's age at the birth of Japheth, v. 32. - (From Adam Clarke's Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1996 by Bible soft)

1. Summery of the Creation of Adam (vs. 1-2)

The brief introduction which summarizes the earlier chapters underlines this thought. For our purposes the brief repeating reminds us of the glorious beginnings of mankind (the word used in v. 2 is actually “Adam”). “Created,” “called,” and “blessed” are the operative words but things had changed dreadfully and perhaps this is demonstrated by the placement of the phrases “the likeness of God” (v. 1) and “his own likeness” (v. 3) referring respectively to Adam and the way he was created and Seth and the way in which he was begotten.

In this chapter we have the genealogical table of Adam with the names of the first ten patriarchs, who were at the head of that seed of the woman by which the promise was preserved, the posterity of the first pair through Seth, from Adam to the flood. Each reference to a patriarch gives four details: (1) his name, (2) his age at the birth of his first son, (3) the length of his remaining life, and (4) his age at death.

There are variations in the case of Adam, Enoch, and Lamech. Because we have an account of the ages of these patriarchs before and after the birth of those sons in whom the line was continued; we see the genealogy, which indicates the line of development, and furnishes at the same time a chronology of the pre-flood age. In the genealogy of the Cainites the ages are not given, since this family, as being accursed by God, had no future history.

On the other hand, the family of Sethites, which acknowledged God, began from the time of Enos to call upon the name of the Lord, and was therefore preserved and sustained by God, in order that under the training of mercy and judgment the human race might eventually attain to the great purpose of its creation. The genealogies of the primeval age are "memorials, which bear testimony to the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promise, as well to the faith and patience of the fathers themselves."

The longevity of the patriarchs (averaging 912 years, not including Enoch who did not die) may have been due to the vapor canopy, which was not dispersed until the flood. There has also been proposed that before the flood there was no disease or genetic abnormalities which would go a long way in contributing to the extremely long lives. Or simply the patriarch’s long lives were due to the fact that it took some time for the effects of sin to shorten man’s life span. The cause for their long lives is still speculation and will remain so until we can ask God about it face to face. And if you know Christ Jesus as Lord and Saviour you will see God the Father face to face one day, guaranteed. 27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30