Series: Flowers in the Desert
Genesis 5:1-2 ESV
Genesis 5:3-27 (Generations Adam to Methuselah)
Genesis 5:21-27
I Chronicles 1:1-4 ESV
Studying the generations and the ages of early men in scripture is interesting because it’s part of Biblical History. Just as interesting (in my humble estimation) is studying the earth and plant life. For example, for today’s illustration the Creosote Bush is thought to be one of the oldest plants on planet earth. It could be as old as 11,700 years old. THAT is one hearty desert plant!
When studying creation and humanity, and the ages of men (women weren’t listed) taking a look at the earliest generations listed in scripture and their ages gives us clues about our ancestors.
Genesis 5:1-2 says, “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.”
The generations of Adam (Genesis 5:3-27):
Adam beget Seth (and other sons and daughters)
Seth beget Enosh (and other sons and daughters(
Enosh beget Kenan (and other sons and daughters)
Kenan beget Mahalalel (and other sons and daughters)
Mahalalel beget Jared (and other sons and daughters)
Jared beget Enoch (and other sons and daughters)
Enoch beget Methusaleh (and other sons and daughters)…
And Methusaleh lived to be 969 years old.
Methusaleh is listed as the oldest man in the Bible.
In Genesis 5:21-27 we read, “When Enoch had lived 65 years, 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. When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.”
I Chronicles 1 lists the generations from Adam to Abraham. I Chronicles 1:1-4 confirms the generations from Adam to the sons of Noah: “Adam, Seth, Enosh; Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared; Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech; Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.”
The books of the Chronicles are important because the give us context and timing showing continuity. The “books of the Chronicles (are), two Old Testament books that were originally part of a larger work that included the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. These three (Ezra and Nehemiah were one book in the Jewish canon) were the final books of the Hebrew Bible. Together they survey Israel’s history from Adam to the activity of Ezra and Nehemiah in the period after the Babylonian Exile (6th century BC). The uniformity of language, style, and ideas marks the work as the product of a single author, known as the Chronicler, who probably lived about 350–300 B.C. (https://www.britannica.com/topic/books-of-the-Chronicles)
Now, I fully recognize I am a “geek” when it comes to studying scripture and how the canon was formed but it seems like great care was given to preserving the history and we can benefit from their work.
“The book of Chronicles, composed as one unified literary work, was produced by an anonymous author living in Jerusalem more than 200 years after the return from exile. Look at the genealogy in I Chronicles 3:1-34; this takes you six generations after the return from the exile that took place in the 530s B.C.E. Bible scholars refer to this author as “the Chronicler,” which is a pretty awesome title! 1 and 2 Chronicles is in large part a retelling of the story you read in the books of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. This is why the books often get overlooked, as readers assume it is just a repeat of what they already read. But this book is way, way more! The Chronicler was living at a time when the Jewish people had long resettled in Jerusalem after returning from the Babylonian exile.” (https://bibleproject.com/articles/chronicles-not-just-repeat/)
Even though some might tend to think some parts of scripture are a repeat, reiteration or in some cases additional information are helpful. In addition to the facts and figures, we can often obtain clues about the culture.
Think of it this way…I am a baby boomer and I can list the years baby boomers were born but those are just statistics. Adding cultural context to what was important to baby boomers tells a story about who we are and what was important to us. Scripture is the same. We learn from the generations and the numbers but we also learn from their stories.
The early generations in scripture show a pattern. Adam lived 930 years. Enosh lived 905 years. Jared liked 962 years. Methuselah was the oldest man whose age is listed in scripture. Subsequent generations gradually did not live as long.
While scripture does not tell us why (I leave that to you to ponder) but throughout scripture we see that God had and has a plan for man/woman and the planet earth.
For myself, the generations in my family matter. The women in my family are known to live much longer than the men. My Dad passed when he was sixty years old. At the time of this writing my Mother is getting ready to turn 96 years old and she has no health issues. She sometimes wonders why.
The answer is, because God makes it so.
Methuselah lived as long as God determined he should live.
My Mother will live as long as God determines she will live.
Some things are not for us to know or understand. The bottom line is…God is God and we are not.
That’s just the way it should be…
Spiritual Practice: God is God
Let God be in charge of your life.
In God, Deborah