For the Genesis 5:6-14 PODCAST, Click Here!
6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. 7 After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died. 9 Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10 After he begot Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and had sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died. 12 Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel. 13 After he begot Mahalalel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years, and had sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died. ~ Genesis 5:6-14
Today, we continue our study of the lineage of Seth in Genesis 5 which presents quite a contrast to the lineage of Cain found in Genesis 4. In essence this is what this experiment all boils down to; whether we will be defined by the God of the Bible or will we be defined by the enemy of God. When we are being defined by God, we will be known as one who obey His word. Mind you, we will never be sinless this side of heaven but we can grow in recognizing the foolishness behind not being defined by God.
It is partly our skepticism that keeps us from being defined by God. The enemy has done a great job at convincing us that sin is fun and obeying God is boring; that is until sin catches up to us and starts ruining our lives. The age-old skepticism about the accuracy of the Bible finds no greater place to begin than right in today's passage. Many question, "Who lives to be 900 years of age?" We find it unimaginable that someone could live so long on this earth. And yet we can’t insert our current situation into what it was like at the beginning of time because so much is different in our world.
To the skepticism of those who have bitten off the enemies lies, we must respond with the fact that before the Flood, the conditions on earth were wildly different than they are now, some 6000 years later if not more. This is due to the fact that before the Flood during the days of Noah there was a vapor canopy surrounding the earth which kept out the harmful radiation from the sun. And, we all know that the aging of the skin and the human body is largely impacted by the UV irradiation from the sun. All things considered and taken in context, there is no reason at all to dismiss the accounts of the Bible and every reason to believe the people of Adam's day lived to be 900 years old or older.
In v.6-8 of today's passage we read, "6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and begot Enosh. 7 After he begot Enosh, Seth lived eight hundred and seven years, and had sons and daughters. 8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died."
When most come to this portion of the Bible, they move right on over the genealogy mentioned, thinking it not to be significant. When this is done a tremendous blessing is missed, as we shall see as we look deeper into this passage. There are so many hidden treasures in the Bible to discover and when we slow down long enough and investigate the quarry therein, we will be amazed at what we can discover. It is so true that when we seek we will find and when we knock the door will be opened to us. In fact, today's passage bears out this truth in an astonishing way.
In Genesis 5 there is a list of ten names that speak a message. Of course, the names are separated by many years and no human could have concocted such a story. But, nonetheless, the message is to be discovered by those who seek. The name "Adam," as we have already concluded means "man." This will become important to us soon as we seek out this hidden message. In addition, the name "Seth" means "appointed." Adam and Eve named him Seth because they figured that he would be the promised Messiah promised in Genesis 3. What Adam and Eve did not know in the naming of their son Seth was that he would be a part of a hidden message that would reveal the eventual Coming One from God. With the birth of Enosh, the son of Seth, we are given the next clue regarding the identity of the Messiah.
In v.9-11 of today's passage we read, "9 Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan. 10 After he begot Cainan, Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and had sons and daughters. 11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died."
The name of "Enosh" means "mortal." When we consider the first three names of this genealogy, the message hidden therein is taking shape. The message so far is "Man was appointed to mortal." This is only a portion of the message that God gives us in this chapter. You will have to stay tuned to our next study to discover the remainder of the hidden message. One thing is for certain in this passage: "Death is an appointment from God not an accident to stumble into."
In v.12-14 of today's passage we read, "12 Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalalel. 13 After he begot Mahalalel, Cainan lived eight hundred and forty years, and had sons and daughters. 14 So all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died."
Sometimes, the Bible’s most interesting messages are hidden in plain sight. In Proverbs 25:2 we read, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter." Then in Deuteronomy 29:29 we read, "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law." A careful consideration of this passage reveals that from the righteous descendants of Adam who are listed in today's chapter, in Genesis 5, the Lord Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament.
As we continue to study the names of these, it will become increasingly clear that God has hidden incredibly meaningful messages in the Bible to be discovered by those who are willing enough to seek. The name "Cainan" means "sorrow." And, the name "Mahalalel" means "the blessed God." When we put the meaning of the names of Adam, Seth, Enosh, Cainan and Mahalalel together we have part of the ultimate message that God has given to us. That message is "Man (was) appointed mortal sorrow (and) the blessed God..." It is becoming clearer now that half of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ has been given in this hidden message in Genesis 5. And, you can imagine where this message will go. Stay tuned for our next study which will reveal the remainder of this message.
