“The Replacement” Genesis 5:1-32 February 9, 2020 Last Week Was a Vey “Dark” Message. the Sermon Had Five Different Titl
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Screen 1 “The Replacement” Screen 2 Genesis 5:1-32 February 9, 2020 Last week was a vey “dark” message. The sermon had five different titles: • “The Way of Cain” • “A Godless Pursuit of Happiness” • “A Godless Legacy” • “The Prodigal That Never Came Home” • “You Never Know Which Choice May Be The One You Are Remembered For” Any way you slice it, whenever you study the life/legacy of Cain—the very firstborn human being—the conclusion is the same—hopeless (spiritually speaking). The way of Cain was the way apart from God—separated to be a restless wanderer on the earth for as long as he lived. The truth in the account is found not only in the fact that he made a single wrong/poor choice—to murder his younger brother Abel—but in that he continually chose to live his life apart from God. His godless blood-line built empires and created industries: shepherding, music/poetry, metalworking (smith). The whole lot of them culminated in the wicked Lamech (see Genesis 4:23-24) who boasted of murdering a young man and being more powerful than God Himself--like great times seven. Grandfather, like great times seven Grandson: egotistical, wicked, arrogant, selfish, violent – separated from God [godless]—violent and murderous, but, the fourth Chapter closes out with: 1 Genesis 4:25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” Seth – literally means “appointed” or “put” in place of Cain; “replacement” Genesis 5:1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created Screen 3 man, he made him in the likeness of God. “generations of Adam” – this statemenmt signals a break—a major break—in the narrative which concludes in Genesis 9:29. The written account refers to a book— a previously written record that Moses drew upon to write this section of Genesis. (This does not change inspiration one bit—that God supernaturally preserved names, ages, etc. for Moses.) When God created man - this section goes all the way back to Genesis 1 (notice the contrast between how this chapter begins and how Genesis 4 began—Eve proudly boasts of her giving birth to Cain . .) “likeness of God” – or “the image of God” is used only four (4) times in the Old Screen 4 Testament (see Genesis 1:26; here; and 9:6) and three (3) times in the New Testament (see 1 Corinthians 11:7; Colossians 1:15; James 3:9). These texts should be weighed, not counted (Ralph Smith, Old Testament Theology, p. 234.) This speaks of the original creation (before the Fall). Genesis 5:2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named Screen 5 them Man when they were created. 2 “man” – is “Adam” (1) God’s naming of Adam/Eve appears here for the very first time in Genesis (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, p. 70). Immediately, in this section, God is cast into the role of a father who has named Adam as His son and Eve as his daughter. “blessed” – Throughout the remainder of the Book of Genesis, a recurring theme is that of the father’s blessing his children (see Genesis 9:26-27 [Noah/Shem]; Genesis 27:27 [Isaac/Jacob]; Genesis 48:15 [Israel/Joseph]; Genesis 49:1-28 [Jacob/all 12 patriarchs]. (I’m obsessed with this notion/concept/teaching “The Blessing”- John Trent. Men: challenge to find a child that does not and will not get their father’s blessing and give them yours!) Genesis 5:3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own Screen 6 likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. “130 years” – How are we to take these incredibly long life spans? Some have tried to propose that these are months rather than years that does not work— because Adam would have been eleven years old when Seth was born: Kenan (verse 12) would have been less than six years old, etc. Others have tried to say these years were mythological based on other documents in the ANE (Samarian kings list). NO—these were literal years. Based on Whitcomb and Morris, the canopy above the earth prior to the Flood filtered the solar rays and this caused the sun to haved no adverse effects on the longevity of these patriarchs (p. 404- 405). I believe the extremely long life spans were tied to the fact that mankind 3 was created to live forever physically so it makes sense that Adam and those close to him in birth would live much longer than you and me. *Contrast the life spans given in Chapter 5 with NO life spans even mentioned in Chapter 4.* “he fathered a son in his own likeness” – THIS IS A HUGE STATEMENT - even Screen 7 after the Fall, mankind still bears the image of God. The divine image is transmitted from generation to generation even after the Fall – HALLELUJAH! Remember, long story short, the image has to do with mankind’s ability to have a personal relationship with God. “Seth” – (2) literally means “appointed” or “put” in the place of the murdered Abel (he is the replacement). Neanderthal man (pre-flood human)– interesting facts: his brain size was larger than modern man, though he was shorter. He was very strong and muscular (far superior to the modern-day body builders in strength)—ROBUST. (He had vocal chords.) He could talk. He buried his dead. He drew paintings on cave walls. He used fire. He played the flute. But--he had very different DNA (of course, if he lived almost 1,000 years, etc. .) than modern humans. His pronounced brow (forehead) can be accounted for by the long term life span. WHY IS HE CALLED NEANDERTHAL MAN IF HE IS NOT A MAN? Genesis 5:4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he Screen 8 had other sons and daughters. 4 Genesis 5:5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. Screen 9 (The first Adam) Notice: “and he died” – the penalty for sin has taken effect. Genesis 5:6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Enosh – (3) literally means “a man” (Unger’s Bible Dictionary, p. 364). Genesis 5:7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons Screen 10 and daughters. Genesis 5:8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. “Seth” – “the replacement” lived a long, long life. A huge lesson from these verses and this chapter is that godliness/holiness –as a general truth—results in a long life. One of the Ten Commandments [number 5 in fact] says: Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be Screen 11 long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.” In Jesus’ day – the ancient Jews lived longer than Romans/Greeks before that. Genesis 5:9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Screen 12 “Kenan” – (4) a variant form of Cain. Genesis 5:10-11 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other Screen 13 sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. Genesis 5:12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. Screen 14 5 “Mahalalel” – (5) literally means “praise of God” (Amen!) or “praising god” (Gordom Wenham, Word Biblical Commentary, p. 127). [The best name yet!] Genesis 5:13-14 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had Screen 15 other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. Screen Genesis 5:15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 (The second longest living human recorded – Noah was third.) “Jared” - (6) “descent” (a going down – i.e. humble) (Unger’s, p. 652). Screen 17 Genesis 5:16-17 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. Screen Genesis 5:18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. 18 “Enoch” – (7) “dedicated” – note the contrast between the Enoch from the godly line of Seth and the Enoch of Genesis 4:17 (Cain’s descendant) – who was simply a builder of cities/a city. Enoch is the seventh generation from Seth – in Genesis 4, Lamech is the seventh generation from Cain. Genesis 5:19-20 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other Screen 19 sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. (Second longest life span in the Bible.) Genesis 5:21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Screen 20 6 “Methuselah” – (8) “javelin man” or “dart” – he was probably a hunter (PK) – longest living human recorded in the Bible. Genesis 5:22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years Screen 21 and had other sons and daughters. (The world’s first preacher.) “Enoch walked with God” – the very first human to be described this way. The only people group to be described in this way (besides a hand-full of individuals) in the Old Testament are priests. This phrase described the priest going about their duties in the Temple, etc. Enoch is really the very first preacher/priest, advocate of men to the Father.