Genesis 5 “More than a List of Names”
Intro: What do you see when you look at Genesis 5? A boring list of names? A chapter to skip over? Irrelevant to our lives?
-I hope that you will see with me that Genesis 5 is more than a list of names to skip over.
–This chapter teaches us about God, our fallen condition, and having a relationship w/God
-Especially seen when we consider the faith of Enoch: a man who ‘walked with God and was no more’
CONTEXT: Genesis is the book of beginnings
–Gen 1-2: Creation of world, Adam and Eve; Gen 3: Fall, but also promise of a deliverer (3:15)
–Gen 4: Life outside the Garden (Cain and Abel, no hope in line of Cain; birth of Seth and Calling on the LORD)
TODAY: Genealogies following line of SETH, from Adam all the way down to Noah (1,500 years!)
-Precious truths to perceive from the whole chapter, but we’ll especially focus on Enoch
2 Parts: 1. Some important observations from the whole; 2. Faith of Enoch
I. IMPORTANT OBSERVATIONS FROM THE WHOLE OF GENESIS 5
-What is the purpose of this list?
1. It is part of the story of Genesis, and advances the narrative from Adam to Noah (1,500 years)
-Alex Duke: “genealogies are like time machines” in Genesis
2. Shows God’s faithfulness to his promise of the Messiah.
-God, through the line of Seth, will bring about the promised Messiah of Gen 3:15
-NOTICE WITH ME…
1. Long ages of this period (SLIDE)
-Exceptionally long lives (900 years!)
-This is written as literal history, not myths or fable
-OBSERVE: All of Noah’s ancestors died before the flood (Methuselah in the year of the flood)
-Something was different before the flood
-We find it strange that they lived so long, but they would have found our lives oddly short
-PERSPECTIVE CHANGE: DEATH is what is abnormal, not long lives.
-We’ve just gotten to used to short lives, we don’t see this is not how it was meant to be.
2. Preponderance of DEATH
-Repeating phrase “and he died”
-Result of sin: Rom 6:23
-FAMILY TREE
-Brevity of life: one day our name and dates of life will be on a list (James 4:14)
GENESIS 5 CONFRONTS US WITH THE FACT OF DEATH
-We may try to avoid thinking about it, or talking about it, but it will come to us all (unless Jesus returns 1st!)
-Bible shows us the truth about this world: it is fallen, full of death.
-Considering this truth, leads us into wisdom: Ps 90:12 ‘teach us to number our days’
-Leads us away from wasting our brief time on this Earth and live in the fear of God (Scougal 127)
–GOSPEL: Here we see the REAL hope offered to us in the gospel: Jesus died and rose again.
-Through Christ we can have everlasting life.
- ENOCH: WALKING WITH GOD (Gen 5:21-24)
Gen 5:21-24 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
Hebrews 11:5:
5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. - ENOCH DID NOT DIE!
-God took him to heaven.
2. ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD (“walked with God”)
-WALK with God DEF: to be in a close fellowship with God.
-RELATIONSHIP of Love, Joy, and Dependence on God.
-MOSES also had this (Gen 6:9) ‘Walked with God’
WE WERE CREATED TO “WALK WITH GOD”:
1. We were made to “walk with God” à Garden of Eden before the Fall
-Created for relationship with God
-“Knowing God Personally” Tract
2. SIN has hindered us from walking with God
-We don’t want God, we ignore God, we are estranged from God
-NCC def of Sin “Rejecting or ignoring God in the world He created; rebelling against Him by living without
reference to Him; not being or doing what he requires in Law—resulting in our death and the disintegration of all creation.”
3. GOSPEL: Jesus came to save us from our sins and reconcile us to God!
-Col 1:21-22
-Reconciled with God!
4. CHRISTIAN LIFE: One of living with and enjoying God (Col 2:6-7)
–Scougal—not: 1 Mere intellectual assent; 2 Mere Religious Performance; 3 Zealous Emotionalism
-My own conversion: Moving from mere intellectual assent to a genuine relationship w/God
-Born again, to enjoy and live with God!
–SCOUGAL: pg 86
HOW DO WE WALK WITH THE LORD?
-LISTEN TO GOD: Read God’s Word
-Hearing from God in the Bible: 2 Tim 3:16
-TALK TO GOD: Prayer:
-Depending on God and pouring our hearts to God Ps 62:8
-RELY UPON GOD: By the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
-WORSHIP GOD: Treasuring God above the world (worship)
-“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength”
-OBEY GOD: Obedience.
-Treating God as God and doing the good works that He has for us
-TRUST GOD: By faith:
-2 Corinthians 5:7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
**QUESTION: ‘How is your “walk with the Lord” going?’
APP:
1. Encourage each other to grow in our walk with God
-Be intentional and ask about it and share about.
–ASK “What is God teaching you lately?” “How is your walk with the Lord going?”
–SHARE: Here’s something I’ve been learning about God lately from His Word.
2. See evangelism as invitation to begin walking with God
-Inviting our friends to know the most glorious person in all the universe!
3. Remember the gospel:
-Because of Christ, we are reconciled to God and have a REAL relationship with God.
