Genesis Ch5v1-32 - Decline and Death

Turn in your Bibles please to Genesis, Genesis chapter 5.

Genesis 5 · chapter mention

Thanks Rob.

Genesis chapter 5, starting at verse 1. We're going to read the whole chapter together.

Genesis 5 · chapter mention

I could have been very mean and asked someone to read this chapter, but as we get into it,

you'll understand why I spare you.

Well, let's read together. This is God's Word, all of it recorded for our good and for our blessings.

So let's read from verse 1.

This is the written account of Adam's family line.

When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God.

He created them male and female and blessed them.

And he named them mankind when they were created.

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image.

And he named him Seth.

After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years and then he died.

When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enoch.

And when he became the father of Enoch, Seth lived 107 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years and then he died.

When Enoch had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.

After he became the father of Kenan, Enoch lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 905 years and then he died.

When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalel.

After he became the father of Mahalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years and then he died.

When Mahalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared.

After he became the father of Jared, Mahalel lived 830 years and, well, he had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Mahalel lived a total of 895 years and then he died.

When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.

After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years and then he died.

When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.

After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

Enoch walked faithfully with God.

Then he was no more because God took him away.

When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech.

After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years and then he died.

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son.

He named him Noah and said,

He will comfort us in the labour and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.

After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters.

Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years.

And then he died.

After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Jephthah.

Well, interesting.

Let's pray.

Father, we thank you that every person created and every name recorded is precious to you.

Just as we are precious to you and our names are known to you,

you know us intimately.

You knew the day we were born.

And you know the day of our passing.

And so we pray and ask that you, Father God, the Lord of Life,

would speak to us all today.

Speak to us in such a way as if we are hearing your very words,

that you may cause us to look to you in faith

and trust you for life.

In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen.

Well, what's the point?

Why bother reading a boring list of names that no one can properly pronounce?

It's like counting sheep.

It would put you to sleep.

Well, these genealogies, these lists of names that we have in Genesis

are crucial to the story of God's promise of redemption.

Look how it's introduced in verse 1.

This is the written account of Adam's family line.

The purpose is to help us follow God's redemptive plan

through God's chosen family.

To follow God's redemptive plan through God's chosen family.

Remember, God had promised that a seed from the woman,

one of her offspring, a son would come

who was going to destroy the work of Satan.

The seed would crush Satan's head.

A son would come and redeem broken lives

and restore this disordered world.

And that promise is traced through the son of Adam and Eve.

So go back to chapter 4, verse 1.

Adam made love to his wife Eve and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.

She said, with the help of the Lord, I have brought forth a man.

Expectations are running high that Cain is the promised redeemer.

But instead of defeating Satan, Cain sided with Satan

because he murdered his brother Abel.

But all is not lost.

Look at the end of chapter 4, verse 25.

Adam made love to his wife again and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,

saying, God has granted me another child in place of Abel since Cain killed him.

God's promise of a deliverer would come,

but not through the family line of Cain,

but through the family line of Seth.

You see, these names that are listed for us in chapter 5

is not a boring genealogy.

They are reminders of God's promise.

Every name written, every generation that passes

should encourage our faith that God is working out his plan of redemption.

In the course of history, people may reject God and rebel against God,

but no one and nothing can stop what God has promised.

Not surprisingly, the New Testament opens up with a genealogy.

Keep your finger in Genesis 5 and jump all the way to Luke chapter 3.

Luke 3 · chapter mention

In the New Testament, Luke chapter 3.

Luke 3 · chapter mention

Just as Genesis opens with the genealogy of the family line of Adam,

so the New Testament opens with a genealogy.

Luke chapter 3, and we're going to pick it up in the middle of verse 22.

Luke 3 · chapter mention

Here the author Luke introduces us to Jesus.

Jesus at his baptism.

And during the baptism, verse 22,

middle of verse 22, a voice came from heaven.

God is speaking.

You are my son,

whom I love.

With you I am well pleased.

Now Jesus himself was about 33 years old

when he began his ministry.

He was the son,

so it was thought of Joseph,

the son of Heli,

the son of Matat,

the son of Levi,

the son of Melchi,

the son of Janai,

the son of Joseph.

We won't keep going.

Let's jump to verse 37.

The son of Methuselah,

the son of Enoch,

the son of Jared,

the son of Mahalel,

the son of Kenan,

the son of Enosh,

the son of Seth,

the son of Adam,

the son of God.

Go back to Genesis 5.

You see,

God always delivers on his promise.

Of course,

it doesn't always look that way.

Humanity is suffering and struggling.

The world,

the physical world,

is creaking and groaning.

It seems like we're in free fall.

Well, all these genealogies,

the promised Redeemer would come,

and he did come.

He came in the person of Jesus.

So whenever you think that life is out of control,

re-read your genealogies.

Plod through those unpronounceable names,

and as each generation passes,

as we tick off every year,

remind yourself,

God is in control.

God delivers on his promise.

God is redeeming humanity,

and he will restore this broken world.

Rather than put you to sleep,

it's going to build your faith.

Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves,

aren't we?

You see,

this genealogy of Adam

is not just history in the past.

It's our story

and our future to come.

It's a story that moves us

from death into life.

Three things we're going to see

about ourselves

from this list of names.

First,

our family likeness.

Our family likeness.

The beginning of Adam's family line

reminds us of

our own family line.

First,

we're created in the likeness

of God.

Look at verse 1.

When God created mankind,

he made them in the likeness

of God.

It reminds us straight out

that we were created

to be like God.

For as we've seen already

in God's image,

when you look in a mirror,

as you did this morning,

you see a reflection of yourself.

It's not your true self,

but an image of yourself.

You see something of your likeness.

Now,

God has created us

to be

his likeness,

to reflect him.

We are to be a

visible representation

of the invisible God.

We are here

to display

his love,

his justice,

his mercy,

his purity.

God's intention

is that

he is reflected

in human form

and character.

So,

God wonderfully

creates

mankind

in his likeness,

and we have been

created

in that likeness.

Now,

God's likeness

is seen

in mankind.

Verse 2,

he created them

male and female

and blessed them

and he named them

mankind

when they were created.

There's

different kinds

of mankind

and the different

kinds

are male and female.

Both equally

reflect the

likeness of God.

One is not better

or less than the other,

equal in value

and worth

and dignity.

And while there's

maybe

male and female

in God's likeness,

that doesn't mean

to say that God

is 50% male

and 50% female.

No,

God is distinct

from humanity.

He's not like us.

He's not restricted

to physical body.

But yet,

together,

as man

and woman,

we reflect

his likeness,

we display

his character.

This

is who

we are.

This is

God's

beautiful

design

for humanity.

It's not

just history

in the past.

This

is our

identity.

identity.

This

is our

story.

But sadly,

it's not the

full story,

is it?

Because not

only are we

created in

the likeness

of God,

we are

fallen

in the

likeness

of Adam.

Look at

verse 3.

When Adam

had lived

130 years,

he had a

son in

his

own

likeness,

in his

own

image,

and he

named

him

Seth.

Like

Adam,

we are

now

cracked

image

bearers.

Instead

of reflecting

God's

beautiful

image,

we reflect

our own

broken

image.

Yes,

we're still

capable of

displaying God's

love and

justice,

but now it

is tainted

and distorted.

We are

not as we

should be.

we've

used this

illustration

before in

Genesis,

but I

want us to

think about

it again.

Imagine you're

looking in

the mirror

and reflecting

back at you

is your

image.

In fact,

the image

can appear

to you

almost

identical.

Now,

lift that

mirror off

the wall

and smash

it to the

ground.

Bits

fly everywhere,

chips and

cracks and

sharp edges.

Now look

down again

at those

pieces of

mirror on

the ground

and look

into it.

It's hard

to make out

your face,

isn't it?

The image

is now

distorted

and twisted

and out

of shape,

full of

cracks and

sharp edges.

Well,

that's what

we've become.

We no

longer reflect

the purity

and beauty

of God

fully.

it is

marred

and tainted

by our

life of

sin.

Instead

of reflecting

God to

each other,

we have

crushed and

corrupted

one another.

You see,

that's what

verse 3

is telling

us.

We have

inherited

Adam's

sinful

nature.

We now

bear his

likeness.

We reflect

his image.

We don't

become sinful.

We are

born

sinful.

In other

words,

I don't

sin because

I do

bad things.

I sin

because I

am sinful.

We enter

this world

as children

of Adam.

And as

hard as it

is for us

to read,

this is

my

history.

This is

your history.

This is

your family

history.

This is

who we

are.

We've

gone from

beauty

to

brokenness.

In fact,

we've

gone from

life

to

death.

So first,

our family

likeness

and second,

our impending

death.

Chapter 5

of Genesis

is actually

the second

genealogy,

the second

account

in Genesis.

the first

genealogy

comes for

us in

Genesis 2.

Have a

look back

at Genesis

2.

Verse 4.

Genesis 2,

Genesis 2:4

verse 4.

This is

the account

of the

heavens

and the

earth when

they were

created,

when the

Lord God

made the

earth and

the heavens.

This is

the history.

This is

the story

of creation

and it

is all

marked by

life.

Everywhere

at creation

is the

beginning of

life.

Humanity

is given

life.

God

breathed

life

into the

dust

and it

became a

living being.

And in

the middle

of the

garden,

you'll

remember,

was what?

The tree

of life.

This is

the world

as God

intended.

Mankind

enjoying life

in all its

fullness.

the one

thing that

is not

present in

creation

is

death.

Everything

is growing

and flourishing.

But all

that is

about to

change.

Back to

chapter 5.

All of

us

must die.

You see,

reading chapter

5 is like

taking a

stroll

through a

graveyard.

the family

line

continues,

but every

person

dies.

Verse 5,

Adam

lived a

total of

930

years and

then he

died.

Verse 8,

Seth

lived a

total of

912

years

and then

he died.

Verse 14,

Kenan

lived to

a total

of 910

years and

then he

died.

Verse 17,

Mahalal

lived a

total of

895

years and

guess what?

He died.

Verse 20,

Jared

lived a

total of

962

years and

well,

he died

too.

Verse 27,

Methuselah

lived a

total of

969

years.

The

oldest

person

recorded

in

scripture

and

then,

well,

he died.

And

verse 31,

Lamech

lived a

total of

777

years and

then he

had his

funeral as

well.

Now,

I don't

want you to

get distracted

by the

number of

years and

say,

come on,

nobody

could live

that long.

Don't

focus on

that.

Focus on

the fact

that there

is an

end to

the years.

Satan's

promise to

Adam and

Eve, do you

remember it?

You will

not certainly

die.

It's not

true.

It's a big

lie.

But we

live as if

it is true.

Every one

of us here

in this

room lives

with the

expectation

that you'll

go to bed

tonight,

you'll close

your eyes

and sleep,

and you

will open

up your

eyes and

wake up

tomorrow

morning.

Isn't

that what

we expect

to happen?

But there's

no guarantee.

The day

is going

to come,

maybe sooner,

maybe later,

when every

single one

of us here

will draw

our very

last breath

death, and

life will

end.

Jonathan

Mark

Grant

lived a

total of

49 years,

59 years,

and then he

died.

He died.

when we

die,

a post-mortem

will be

carried out

to determine

our cause

of death.

Perhaps it

will be a

terminal illness

like cancer,

maybe a

heart attack,

maybe it

will be

because you

were involved

in a serious

accident and

well, you

were maimed

in such a

horrific way.

maybe the

cause will

be unknown,

but some

reason will

be given

as people

talk.

How did

they die?

Well,

according to

scripture,

the cause

of every

single death

that takes

place on

planet Earth,

mine and

yours included,

is sin.

We die

because we

have rebelled

against God,

because we

have set

up to

overtake his

rule and

authority and

sit in his

place.

Death is not

just a

consequence of

sin, it's

the punishment

for our

sin.

Remember

what God

has said to

Adam?

If you

eat from

the tree

of the

knowledge of

good and

evil, you

will certainly

die.

If you

reject my

rule, if

you seek to

take my

place, I

am the

creator, but

if you

want to

put yourself

in place

of me,

you will

die.

Sin is

serious, it

is destructive,

and God

cannot allow

sinful humanity

to go on

wrecking their

lives and

destroying the

lives of

each other,

which is what

we do.

do.

So God

said to

Adam, you

will return

to the

ground since

from it you

were taken,

for dust

you are,

and to

dust you

will return.

Every

single

funeral, my

funeral and

your funeral,

yes, we

hope many

wonderful things

will be said

about us,

about our

wonderful life,

but it

will stand

before every

single person

as a reminder

that the

reason I

am in a

coffin and

I will be

buried in

the grave

is because

I'm a

sinner.

The

apostle Paul

reminds us of

exactly the

same, doesn't

he?

Romans 6,

23,

the wages

of sin

is

death.

At the

end of your

working week

or month,

you receive

your wage,

maybe it

comes in

direct into

your bank

account or

somebody gives

you an

envelope, but

you receive

your wages

for the work

you do,

you get

your payment.

Well, at

the end of

our life,

we're going

to receive

our wage

too.

We're going

to receive

our payment

for the

way in

which we've

lived our

life.

The wages

of sin

is death.

Our

family

likeness

are

impending

deaths.

Thankfully,

the story

doesn't end

there.

The story

of God's

redemption

moves us

from death

into

life.

Our new

life.

First,

death has

been interrupted.

As we

walk through

the graveyard

of chapter

five,

we come

across something

that should

fill us

with joyful

expectation,

where celebration

will overtake

the sorrow

and the

sighing.

Adam dies,

Seth dies,

Enoch dies,

Kenan dies,

Mahalel dies,

Jared dies.

Now look at

verse 21.

When Enoch

had lived

65 years,

he became

the father

of Methuselah.

After he

became the

father of

Methuselah,

Enoch

walked faithfully

with God

300 years

and had other

sons and

daughters.

Altogether,

Enoch lived

a total of

365 years.

Enoch

walked faithfully

with God,

then he

died,

because God

took him

away.

What?

Did you

read verse

24 carefully?

He didn't

die.

Enoch

walked faithfully

with God,

then he

was no

more,

because God

took him

away.

Death

has been

interrupted.

Death,

death,

death,

death,

life.

God

has

intervened

and spared

Enoch

from death.

Why?

Well,

twice we're

told in

those few

verses that

Enoch had

walked faithfully

with God.

That is,

he was a

man who

walked by

faith.

He trusted

in God's

promise of

a

redeemer.

He knew

that the

son of a

woman was

to come

who was

going to

crush

Satan's

head,

and he

longed for

God's

promise

redeemer.

Hebrews

helps us

to understand.

You can

follow it

on the

screen here.

I'll have

to go over

here and

read it

like this.

by faith

Enoch

was taken

from this

life so

that he

did not

experience

death.

He could

not be

found because

God had

taken him

away.

For before

he was

taken,

he was

commended

as one

who pleased

God,

and without

faith it

is impossible

to please

God.

It's not

because Enoch

was better

than anybody

else or

that he

sinned

less.

It's

because he

had faith.

It's

because he

trusted in

God's

promise to

deliver him.

You see,

death doesn't

have to have

the last

word.

God has

the last

word.

God is

saying

through Enoch,

although death

is the reward

of our sin,

although you

deserve death,

I am over

death, and I

can deliver

from death.

you can

have life.

You see,

God is not

vengeful.

He's not

joyfully

delighting in

judgment.

God longs

to deliver

us from

the curse

of death.

In fact,

this is only

the beginning.

God has

not only

promised to

interrupt

death,

but God

has promised

to undo

all the

brokenness

we see

in the

world.

there is

the undoing

of the

curse.

You see,

as we

trace

the family

line of

Adam,

as we

follow

God's

redemptive

plan,

God

shows us

what we

can expect.

Look at

verse 28.

When Lamech

had lived

182 years,

he had

a son.

He named

him Noah

and said,

he will

comfort us

in the

labour and

painful

toil of

our hands

caused

by the

ground

the Lord

has

cursed.

Now,

we know

what that

is to

experience,

don't we?

We live

in a

world

full

of

painful

toil.

we live

in a

world

that has

been

cursed.

The

effect

of

God's

curse

caused

by our

collective

sin

has

frustrated

this

physical

world

in which

we live.

That's

what

COP26

is all

about,

spread

across

our

news

every

single

day

on

every

news

programme.

The

world

coming

to

terms

with

climate

change

and

the

problems

that

man

has

caused.

Yes,

carbon

dioxide

is

causing

floods

and

famine

and

is

wrecking

lands

and

nations

and

people.

But

look

beneath

the

surface.

Behind

it all

is the

curse

of God

because

of

sinful

man.

We

have

not

looked

after

the

world

as

God

had

said.

We're

beginning

to

reap

what

we

have

sown.

And

while I

agree

we all

need to

work

hard

at

becoming

carbon

neutral

we

need

to

do

and

play

our

part

but

here's

the

problem

broken

humanity

can

never

fix

the

problem.

We

are

the

problem.

History

has

proved

that

with

every

new

generation

we

are

more

corrupt

than

ever

before.

We

need

a

redeemer.

We

desperately

need

a

savior.

And

our

redeemer

is not

Gretchen

Thunberg

or the

United

Nations.

God

has

promised

to

undo

the

curse

and to

bring

comfort.

Look at

verse 29.

He

had

promised

one

Noah

and he

said he

will bring

comfort

to us.

A

comforter

has been

promised.

Of

course the

ultimate

comfort that

we could

ever have

is one

who would

come to

deliver us

and undo

the curse

that we

live with.

When this

broken world

could be

redeemed

and this

disordered

world

could be

renewed.

Isn't that

the kind

of world

we all

long for?

Where death

has been

interrupted

and everything

broken is

made right

again?

well the

good news

for us

is God

has

interrupted

death

for us

and God

is undoing

the curse

for us.

This is

the solution

and here's

how.

Through

Jesus.

Turn with

me please

to Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

It will

help if you

follow along

in these

verses.

Romans

Romans 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5.

I want us

to be

really clear

about this.

We've been

thinking about

how God

brings us

from death

to life.

how he

interrupts

death

and how

he's

undoing

the curse.

And if

we're to

experience

this for

ourselves

that is

to no

longer

stay in

death

but move

to life

then there's

some things

we've got

to be

real about

and we've

got to

understand

here's the

first one

we've got

to recognise

that we

are

children

of Adam.

Look at

verse 12.

Therefore

Romans 5

Romans 5:12

verse 12

Therefore

just as

sin entered

the world

through one

man

came through

Adam and

death

through sin

and in

this way

death came

to all

people

all of

us

because

all

sinned.

Do you

get it?

We've got to

recognise this.

Because we

are children

of Adam

we too

will die.

it's the

wages

of our

sin.

That's

who we

are.

Now sinful

humanity

can't fix

that problem.

We need

a redeemer.

We need

redemption.

And that

redemption

is found

in another

man.

A better

Adam.

A greater

one to

come.

It's found

in Jesus.

So we

just don't

recognise

we're

children

of Adam.

we need

to receive

the gift

of

righteousness.

Look at

verse 17.

For if

by the

trespass

of one

man

death

reigned

through

that one

man.

So because

of the

sin

of Adam

death

has

reigned

through

that man.

How much

more

will those

who receive

God's

abundant

provision

of grace

and of

the gift

of

righteousness

reign

in

life

through

the

one

man

Jesus

Christ.

You see

Jesus

Christ

God's

Son

has

lived

the

perfect

obedient

life

for us.

He has

lived a

righteous

life.

A

life of

justice

and

purity.

Of all

the people

in Adam's

line

there was

one who

came

born of

a woman

Jesus

Christ

who

did

not

sin.

And

God

now

gives

to us

the

gift

of

Jesus'

righteousness

so that

our

sin

is

covered

so that

instead

of

sin

instead

of

death

there

is

life.

Think

of it

like

this.

If you

can imagine

this hand

my hand

here

is

Adam.

We

have

been

born

into

Adam's

family

line.

We

share

his

likeness.

We

have

his

image.

This

is who

we are.

In all

its mess

and all

its

brokenness

death

is to

come.

Now

think of

this hand

as the

life of

Jesus.

One of

the family

line of

Adam

but a

better

Adam

a

perfect

Adam

an

obedient

one

who

never

sinned

who

never

failed

who

bears

God's

image

fully

and

completely

who

reflects

the

likeness

of God

in all

its

beauty

and

God

says to

us

I

give

you

the

righteousness

of

Jesus

and I

can

cover

you

children

of

Adam

I

can

cover

you

with

the

righteousness

of

Jesus

so

that

your

sin

is

covered

and

dealt

with

so

that

when

God

now

looks

at

us

he

doesn't

see

broken

Adam

and

broken

children

of

Adam

but

he

now

sees

the

beauty

the

perfection

the

greatness

of

Christ

covered

in

Christ

how

could

we

possibly

receive

that

how

can

we

move

from

death

to

life

well

look

at

verse

17

again

the

middle

of

verse

17

it's

for

those

who

receive

God's

abundant

provision

of

grace

and

the

gift

of

righteousness

in

other

words

it's

it's

a

free

gift

what

better

gift

could

we

possibly

have

than

something

that

God

does

for

you

and

for

me

he

gives

us

his

righteousness

which

we

receive

by

faith

so

that

we

may

be

covered

once

and

for

all

remember

Enoch

who

didn't

die

but

God

just

took

him

Enoch

looked

forward

in

faith

to

the

coming

promised

redeemer

this

gift

of

righteousness

is

ours

as