One Degree to Another
Genesis 5 is the first of many biblical genealogies. While these “lists of names” trip up a large number of Bible readers, these inspired records are of strategic importance. Some of them make a theological point and some serve as introductions to new sections. Others are celebrations of God’s promise to multiply His people. These chapters should not be skipped and deserve our attention and thought.Typically there are two types of genealogies in the Bible. One is a branch genealogy. It follows all a person’s descendants. For example, a man might have three sons. The branch genealogy will trace the lineage of all three sons and the sons of all three sons, giving a complete picture of the first person’s descendants. Genesis 5 is what has been termed a linear genealogy. It begins with a central figure and focuses on one son in each generation. In this chapter we see a straight line from Adam to Noah.
The chapter begins with the phrase “this is the book of the generations of Adam.” Many see this formula as an introduction for new sections in the book of Genesis and this section covers the genealogy and reasons for God’s wrath before the flood. The writer reiterated man’s creation in God’s image and God’s blessing of the man and woman.
As the writer introduced each generation, he followed a similar pattern. “X lived for X years and fathered Y. He lived X more years after fathering Y and then he died.” In doing so, he reminded readers of Adam and Seth before he introduced them to Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, and Noah. The genealogy ends by naming the three sons of Noah. The only break from the pattern in the genealogy is Enoch. He didn’t die. We read that he walked with God and God “took him.” The writer does not elaborate on what happened and we are left to speculate that God simply took him into heaven and he did not go through the typical experience of death. Hebrews 11 confirms that this was the case.
This passage underscores a couple of important points. It demonstrates the reality of death in a post Fall world. Apart from Enoch, every person in this genealogy died and it reminds us that every person will face death unless Jesus comes back first. This terrifying reality forces every person to remember that they will eventually stand before God to give an account for the deeds done in their body. People do not have forever to decide if they are going to repent and come to Christ, so they must urgently make up their minds about what they are going to do with Jesus. The certainty of death also forces the Christian to consider how they are stewarding the one life that God has given them. This life should not be wasted, but instead should be lived for the glory of God.
Genesis 5 also continues the theme of the coming Redeemer who would liberate God’s people. They knew that there was a seed of the woman who would crush the head of the serpent, and every person mentioned in this genealogy is not the One. It could be argued that the entire Old Testament is a story of possible deliverers who either falls morally or fails to produce a lasting change in God’s people. Then they all die and the couple who don’t are taken directly into heaven. This prepares us for Jesus who never sins, produces a lasting change in His people, and is raised from the dead never to die again.
“Genesis 3“
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