[The following post is not a transcript of the video. It’s similar, but different.]
The Problem of Man: And He Died
Eight times in Genesis 5, we read three short words. (Do you think God wants us to notice them?)
They’re not the most cheerful words: And he died.
Death was not part of God’s original design for our world—the world God called good at Creation.
But then Genesis 3 happened, and death entered the world as the judgment for sin. Since we’re all born sinners, we all fall under the judgment of death.
This is the problem of man: We all die.
Or do we? Hmmm.
Genesis 5 introduces us to a man who escaped death.
If he could escape it, can we escape it, too?
The Hope for Man: Escape From Death
Abel’s family line ended tragically. He died at the hands of his own brother, Cain.
Cain’s line continued tragically. He and his descendants left the presence of God (Genesis 4).
Mercifully, Genesis 5 turns our attention away from tragic endings and onto the family line of Jesus Christ, Adam’s son Seth. Onto his genealogy, in fact.
Normally a genealogy doesn’t grab my attention, but God never includes anything in the Bible for filler. His Word never disappoints.
In the middle of a stream of miniature obituaries that ended with “and he died,” God performed a miracle for one man and gave hope to us all. Hope that we can escape death, too.
But before He revealed the miracle in verse 21, God reminds us of an important truth in verses 1 and 2:
God Creates. We imitate. And sin mutilates.
Our uncreated God created Adam and made him in His likeness—innocent and free of sin.
This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created.
Genesis 5:1-2 ESV
Then Adam fathered a son in his own likeness—the likeness of a sinner.
When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.
Genesis 5:3 ESV
Stuck in their own sin, Adam and Eve couldn’t create children free of sin. They could only give birth to sinners—imitations of the original design mutilated by sin.
Sin is in our spiritual DNA—our Dead Nature of Adam. So, we’re all born sinners and thus subject to the curse of death. But in God’s grace, He gave them extraordinarily long lives.
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.
Genesis 5:4-5 ESV
Adam lived for 930 years. Seth for 912 years.
No matter how long each lived, everyone shared a common ending: and he died.
Actually, everyone died except one—Enoch. God did something new with him.
(If you’ve wondered how and why they lived so long, I consider these questions here.)
Enoch—The Man Who Escaped Death
From verses 1 to 20 Moses recorded that Adam had Seth and died — who had Enosh and died — who had Kenan and died — who had Mahalalel and died — who had Jared and died — who had Enoch and escaped death.
“When Enoch had lived 65 years” [he was basically a toddler] “he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters, Thus, all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with GOD and he was not for God took him.“
Genesis 5:21-24 ESV
All the other fathers lived and died. Enoch walked with God and was not. He never died. He escaped it.
When he was a young man of only 365 years, Enoch had walked so closely with God, it was as if God said to him, “We’ve walked so far together, we’re closer to My home than yours. Let’s walk on home to Mine.”
Enoch walked with God like an adoring son walks with his father and tries to do everything his father does and longs to please him.
He wasn’t perfect. He was a sinner like us, but the author of Hebrews tells us why God chose to allow Enoch to escape death:
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.
Hebrews 11:5
Enoch pleased God by his faith—which is what it means “to walk with God.” It’s to truly believe and follow God so closely you could almost just step on into heaven.
God’s Promise to Christians: In Christ We Escape Death
Through Enoch, God gave us a powerful picture of Christ, who conquered sin and death, and the Christian’s future because Christ’s death and resurrection rescues us from sin and death.
Sin may look like it’s winning in the world, but God has always had perfect power over death. Sin and death do not have the final say. God does. His power is above all power.
He established death as the curse for sin, but He also ordained Jesus to conquer sin and death and set us free from their power.
Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.
Everyone who repents of sin and walks with God by faith in Christ receives eternal life in Christ.
Our bodies may die, but our souls will walk straight into heaven.
And one day, when Christ returns, everyone on earth who’s walking with God will escape death—like Enoch. God will take them up to heaven without even the sting of death.
What a glorious day that will be!
Enoch walked with God.
What Will They Say Of You?
It’s my deepest prayer that when my time comes to check out of here, it will not be said of me only that “Jean talked about God.” Or that “Jean made videos about God.”
I pray people will be able to say, “Jean walked with God.”
if I died today they might say, “Jean limped with God.” But, that’s okay. I’m a work in progress. We’re all a work in progress, and our Builder is God. He never fails.
Even if I limp into heaven, I’ll be there! Because Christ is my Lord, heaven is mine.
Are you walking with God?
If you are, keep walking. Never give up.
If you aren’t, today is the day of salvation. Don’t wait. (See how here.)
We all die—except Enoch and Elijah, which is a different story for a different day.
We all die, but for Christians, death holds no fear. It has no power over us.
Hallelujah!
I learn so much each time I hear you teach, Jean, and the time flies by. Thank you for in-depth looks into Genesis. The lessons on Genesis 5 are fascinating.
Thanks, Jeannie! The time flies for me, too, and I feel like I’m barely scratching the surface. My goal though is to share just enough incredible Truths about God in each chapter that anyone who reads my blog or watches a video will want to go study the Bible for themselves. I could never truly do it justice. But I love sharing it. Thanks for commenting!!