1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
Genesis 5:1–5 (ESV)
It is important to read these early chapters of Genesis with the understanding that we are reading a compressed history in which the purpose is not to give us all the historical detail, but to chronicle how God has, through the ages, worked to bring about the redemption of creation. In the process, we have certain individuals profiled. We can see the purpose, character, and heart of our God in the way He works in the lives of many very sinful men and women.
It is also important for us to keep in mind that most of humanity is never mentioned in the Bible but is nevertheless multiplying across the face of the earth, with all the ramifications that has for humanity as a whole. Notice that while they are not given any attention, Adam and Eve “had sons and daughters.” If you think about it, it doesn’t take long for us to begin to feel the distance between us and our relatives. By the time we are well into our adult years and we have some of the experience of life behind us, we begin to lose some of the closeness we had with cousins, aunts and uncles, and other relatives. Distance even begins to widen the gap in relationships with siblings. Life has a way of changing us. That said, consider what it would have been like for the family of Adam and Eve over their nine-hundred-year life span. These people were still producing children at four and five hundred years and more. How many great, great, great ….. grandchildren do you think Adam and Eve had?
At first, it was necessary and appropriate for families to intermarry. As the human race grew and the pool of sinful corruption grew, God began to change some of the life experiences He would allow us. For example, there came a time in Leviticus, when God gave Moses the law, that incest was strictly forbidden. Also, the length of life for any given individual was shortened. You can imagine the population issues we would have if we were still having children for several hundred years. Thank you, Lord, for that blessing.
The genealogy of chapter five ignores most of the human race that was in existence at the time and focuses on the line from Adam to Noah through the life of Adam’s son Seth. The reason? Because this would be the line through which God would ultimately bring forth His Messiah, Jesus. My prayer for you today is that you will not get so caught up in the details of life that you forget that God is all about saving us from ourselves, from our rebellion and selfishness. Our life in Christ is all that really matters. Everything else will one day go up in smoke.
My Prayer For You Today
you will align yourself with God’s purpose as you raise your family,
go to work and do whatever your life involves