The Sin Effect Day 3

You will need your Bible Today

Today's lesson is going to be a short and hopefully fun one.
I think it's reasonable to say that most people prefer to skim over, or completely skip genealogies in the Bible. In our Western culture lineage isn't all that important, so pages of so-and-so begat so-and-so don't exactly scream to us "vital information." Some genealogies in the Bible have clear importance, such as the ones in Matthew, Luke and John (technically John 1:1 is a genealogy). We may still skip them but we know that they trace Jesus' line back through the Old Testament, to fulfill the prophesies. Other genealogies, like the ones in Genesis appear to be little more than a transition from one period to another.
Genesis 5 would fall into the later category. In the text it bridges the gap from Adam and Eve to Noah, but we are going to dig just a little deeper and see what the Holy Spirit wove into this chapter.
Please read Genesis 5, if you have a piece of paper it might be fun to write down all 10 names.
Names in Bible times were very important. Sometimes they reflected the circumstances around birth or conception, other times they were prophetic of character traits or future events. In Genesis 5 we will find all of the above and more. Of the ten names that we are about to look at 8 have commonly accepted meanings, while two of them are debatable. This isn't an exact science but it is enlightening. I did not stumble across this myself, I first saw it in Learn the Bible in 24 Hours, by Chuck Missler, but rather then trusting in the research of someone else I have checked and double checked for myself. I hope you find this little exercise as amazing as I did.
Adam means Man. Genesis 2:7 and 2:20 use the same Hebrew word translated two different way, once man and once Adam. The words are interchangeable.
Seth means granted or appointed. This too we get from Scripture. Eve declared at his birth, "God has granted me another son." In the King James version the word is appointed.
Enosh means frail, feeble, mortal.*
Kenan means sorrow, or acquired depending on which root you link it to. **
Mahalal'el means praise or Splendor of God*
Jared is to go down*
Enoch means to teach.* Enoch is interesting for a couple of reasons. He was one of only two men in the Bible that did not die (Elijah was the other, 2 Kings 2:11). Genesis 5:24 says that, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." Hebrews 11:5 tells us that Enoch pleased God by his faith and God spared him from death. Jude1:14 reveals that Enoch had been a prophet. During his life (leading up to the Flood) Enoch proclaimed that God would judge and convict all the ungodly. His son's name showed that he truly believed the judgement was coming soon.
Methuselah means his death shall bring.*
Lamech likely means lament or despairing.** Though some scholars take it back to a root meaning powerful, destroyer, and others state that the meaning is unclear, it's possible that the text itself gives us a hint that leans toward lamenting or despairing. There are two Lamechs in Genesis. One in the line of Cain (Genesis 4:18) and this one in the line of Seth. Both are the only ones in their genealogy that speak and both lament their situation.
Finally Noah means comfort or rest. This is obvious from Lamech's lamentation, he says that Noah will bring us comfort (or rest) from all their trouble.
What is fascinating to me is what happens when you place the meanings of each of these names next to each other.
Man, appointed mortal sorrow, the Splendor of God shall come down teaching [that] His death shall bring [the] despairing rest.
How seriously cool is that. Woven into the tapestry of this mundane genealogy the Holy Spirit saw fit to prophesy the coming Christ. Now please don't get me wrong, I am not suggesting that we read into or manipulate Scripture to find hidden meanings. I am merely demonstrating that the Bible was written by the Holy Spirit. Every detail has meaning, and it all points to Jesus and only to Jesus. I find great comfort in knowing that God wrote the Bible with intention. It's not just a book about things that happened, or how we should live. The Holy Spirit took great care to point to our Salvation in every layer of the text. When John calls Jesus the Word made Flesh (John 1:14) he wasn't using a metaphor, he was being literal. Everything that Jesus is, the Bible says, and everything that the Bible says Jesus is. God intended us to see Jesus in every word. Only a supernatural power (the Holy Spirit) could weave the meanings, imagery and foreshadowing that is so interconnected, into a book written over 2000 years by 40 different men. If He took such care to get the message to us, how could we ever doubt that He cares for us. Oh how He loves us.
There is one last detail I'd like to point out in this chapter. Enoch believed that God's judgement on the sinful was coming quickly. He named his son Methuselah (his death shall bring) as a prophetic warning that God's mercy would come to an end. Methuselah's life was symbolic of God's mercy. What is awesome, and so very God, is that Methuselah lived the longest life of any man, before or since.**
"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise [judgement], as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9
What is true of Enoch's time is true in ours as well. Someday God will bring judgement to all the ungodly. Jesus will come again, but in His mercy and grace, our Lord continues to wait.


* Smith, Stelman; Cornwall, Judson. The Exhaustive Dictionary of Bible Names. North Brunswick, NJ. Bridge- Logos, 1998. pg 69, 164, 121, 69, 173.
** Missler, Chuck. Cosmic Codes. Couer d'Alene, ID. Koinonia House. 1999. pg. 73, 74, 72