GENEALOGY: SO WHAT?
September 29, 2020 2024-05-10 13:06GENEALOGY: SO WHAT?
Could a genealogy of guys who lived really long lives be useful for showing us how to walk with God? Let’s take a look and see what we find. Right off the bat we’re given an account of Adam’s line:
The List Begins
When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathers a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. (Genesis 5:3-8)
And Goes On…
I’ll stop before your eyes glaze over, but suffice it to say that it goes on like this. Did you notice the formula? So and so lived a certain number of years, had children, and died. In fact, you probably start skimming over genealogies as we usually do when we recognize a pattern. We also have a tendency to get sidetracked by the ridiculously long lifespans, but that’s not really the point of the passage. No, I think what we are supposed to notice is that every entry ends the same: “and he died.”
Wait! Here’s Something Different
Genesis 5 says Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, had a son, named him Jared, lived another 830 years for a total of 895, and then he died. Jared lived 162 years, had a son, named him Enoch, lived another 800 years for a total of 962 years, and then he died. Enoch lived sixty-five years, had a son, named him Methuselah, lived another 300 years for a total of 365 years, and then “he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24)
The break in the pattern means that we should pay attention. Something’s different with Enoch. Verse 24 tells us that unlike the others in the genealogy Enoch walked with God. A quick scan of the next verses shows that Enoch was unique; all the other men on the list died. In the entire list of generations, one person managed to escape death, and we’re told he walked with God.
A Man Who Knew Who He Was and Where He Came From
For Enoch, walking with God was simply doing what was commanded. That’s why Jesus says, “If you love me you will obey my commands.” (John 14:15) Jesus echoed this concept of walking with God when he spoke to his disciples shortly before his death in John 15, saying “Abide in me and I in you.” (Verse 4)
It’s as much about being with Jesus as it is active obedience. This is sometimes hard for us to grasp. It’s not about perfection; it’s about knowing the one who created us. And it’s what separated Enoch from the rest of his genealogy.
