God Speaks
This is the written account of the descendants of Adam. When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself. 2 He created them male and female, and he blessed them and called them “human.”
3 When Adam was 130 years old, he became the father of a son who was just like him—in his very image. He named his son Seth. 4 After the birth of Seth, Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Adam lived 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth was 105 years old, he became the father of Enosh. 7 After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 8 Seth lived 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh was 90 years old, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 11 Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan was 70 years old, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 14 Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel was 65 years old, he became the father of Jared. 16 After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived another 830 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 17 Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared was 162 years old, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 20 Jared lived 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 23 Enoch lived 365 years, 24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.
25 When Methuselah was 187 years old, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 27 Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech was 182 years old, he became the father of a son. 29 Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.” 30 After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived another 595 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 31 Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Source: New Living Translation: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
The reflection and prayer in this blog post will cover Genesis 4:17-26 and Genesis 5:1-32.
Reflection: After being sent out of God’s (perceived) presence to the area of Nod, Cain began a family. He named his son Enoch as well as founding a city with that name. In the fourth generation from Enoch (all named in the scriptures), there was a man named Methushael who had a son he named Lamech. Lamech was a very influential man with two wives. Their various sons began various aspects of life, culture, and business: Jabal–nomadic herdsmen, Jubal–musical instruments, Tubal-cain–metal workers. Lamech was a violent and vengeful man. He told his wives that he had killed a young man who had attacked him. He said that if anyone killed him for that they should be punished seventy-seven times as compared to if someone killed Cain, they would be punished seven times. In verse 25 the focus shifts back to Adam and Eve continuing to move toward God, and their family line beginning again with Seth since Abel was dead and Cain was estranged from God and them. “When Seth grew up, he had a son and named him Enosh. At that time people first began to worship the LORD by name.”* Chapter five lists the names and ages of men in Adam’s line of descent from Seth to Noah. One person of special note is Enoch, the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked in very close fellowship with God. Then one day when he was 365 years old, he disappeared because God took him.
* Genesis 4:26 NLT
Prayer: Dear loving and caring Creator God, thank You for knowing and keeping track of all human beings, whether they are moving toward You or away from You. Please don’t let me do anything that would cause You to send me away from Your presence as You did Cain. Please help me to lead my family in righteousness instead of wickedness. I don’t want to promote my own interests and desires, but Yours. Help me to influence people for unselfish good instead of violence and vengeance like Lamech. Please help me to have a healthy, happy marriage to one opposite sex partner. May our children become good people who benefit the community and world around them. Instead of vengeance, may we extend grace and forgiveness (even seventy-seven times) while still holding the person accountable for their actions. Lord, please comfort those who have lost loved ones through death or estrangement as You did Adam and Eve; I trust that Seth and his son Enosh brought them great joy and comfort. By Your grace, may more and more people begin to worship the LORD by name. You know all the names and ages of people written in the Book of life. I want to be like Enoch, the father of Methuselah and walk in such close fellowship with You that You can take me home to be with You forever anytime You choose. For the glory of the LORD. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will be kind to the people I encounter today, whether they agree with me or are violently against me and everything I stand for.
- I will weigh my decisions based on whether they will move me toward the Lord God or away from Him.
- I will meet with the Lord to help me to be intentional about guiding my children to be good people who love God and their neighbor as themselves.
- I will help someone to do what they need to do to have their name written in the Book of Life.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.