1 Genesis 5.1-32 | Mission is Personal Introduction| The Line of Seth Genesis 4 records the continuing fall of man into further depravity. Sin is passed from father to son, and death destroys the family as a brother murders a brother. Banished by God’s justice, but protected by God’s grace, Cain leaves the presence of the Creator. In the spirit of unfaithfulness, his descendants proceed to build a civilization devoted to promoting, defending, and glorifying their own name. Like the majority of mankind, they refuse to acknowledge God or give thanks to Him. Exchanging truth for lies, they worship creation and live as lords of their own lives. In contrast, Genesis 5 is the record of the line of Seth—the line of faithfulness. Equally sinful and in need of grace, Seth’s names his first child Enosh, meaning, frail. They know how much they depend on and need God. Unlike their cousins, they devote themselves to proclaiming and glorifying the name of the Lord. They are taught to remember what happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve, to remember what happened in a field with Cain and Abel, and taught what happened in a boat with Noah and His Sons before the waters destroyed earth. Genealogies like this helped them to remember. Even though the Bible is full of genealogies, they are the most ignored parts of Scripture. Biblical genealogies are very different from modern genealogies. Modern genealogies are used to communicate important information about family lineage. Biblical genealogies, like the one found in Genesis 5 and 11 especially, tell stories. Unlike modern genealogies, Biblical genealogies will often not list every name, but particular ones. This one is written to connect the story of Adam and Eve with the story of Noah. They were written, taught, and memorized so that God’s people would remember where and who they came from. In 2Timothy 3.16, Paul reminds us that ALL SCRIPTURE is God breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. Scripture contains poems, geographic boundaries, building plans, letters, love song, and genealogies. Understandably, we are going to struggle to find personal application in many of those. This is especially true when it comes to a list of Hebrews names written thousands of years ago. But it is my conviction that the inclusion of biblical genealogies teach us something about how God works for us; the details of this particular genealogy equip us to work for Him. God works through HISTORY God works through REAL HISTORY. Genesis 5 identifies the line of Seth as the book of Generations of Adam. Genesis 1 taught us that we believe in a God who speaks Words. Genesis 5 reveals that we have a God who writes. The Word of God is not some heroic tale or epic myth among the other stories of the world. The Bible is the recorded history of all of creation in existence. It accounts for what happened before the beginning and what happens after it all ends. The story of God is not a fable—it unfolds at a specific time, in specific places, and through particular people and their deeds. God is moving in and through real history to bring his eternal plan to completion. We are the people of THE book of History. Paul, when speaking to the Athenian philosophers atop Mars Hill, reminds us of this perspective: The God who made the world and everything in it, being the Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one many every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him (Acts 17.24-27). God’s plan, and our existence really began in a middle-eastern garden with the family of Adam and Eve. 2 God wants us to remember Him in history. The narrative of life is not randomly constructed through a combination of accidents and chance. God is personally involved in unfolding his mission. The Biblical history of genealogies help us understand not only what God has already done up to this point, but also to believe that what God is doing in our lives fits into his purposes. God works through PEOPLE God not only works through real history, but REAL PEOPLE. God’s “book” is a record of “generations”—a word that will appear 11xs in Genesis. The unfolding of God’s mission includes real people, real families, with real names. The mission of God does not unfold through a series of WHATS but a line of WHOS. With every generation, there are group of individuals that become the “voices” most heard. It is likely that many of us could identity the “great names” of our generation. Likely, we would all remember various authors, pastors, teachers, and speakers who have said and done great things. I am certain that Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Francis Schaeffer, Ravi Zacharias, and the Tim Kellers’ would be included in the names we’d expect to hear. But there are many more names that we will never hear, or even think to remember. These are the names that the world, and even the church, would not think to include on their genealogies of greatness. But God works differently than we expect. God’s genealogy includes many small names and little deeds that God alone deems great. Restoration Road turned three years old this week. It was birthed out of Damascus Road which was planted nearly 10 years ago. Few know the names of those who helped to plant Damascus Road Church. Even fewer can recount the “insignificant” deeds of some very significant people—Nickels, Haksos, Wartes, Riche’s, Fikkerts, Stewarts, Loomis’, Warners, many more. These were the people who gave, sacrificed, and served that other might know the Lord. The ones who who made coffee, towed trailers, prayed, taught kids, held babies, cleaned floors, and loved the unborn, unwanted, and unclean. Many of them are here with us today. And when Restoration Road itself began…a genealogy with names like the Haksos, Hughes, Lewis, Kirkmans, McGills, Johnsons, Wheelers, which connected with other names like the Dixens, Hurzelers, Lees, Withrows, all of which played a role in helping this church grow. Not many will remember the names of those who sacrificed greatly because they did so silently. These are real people and God knows them by name. As Jesus shares a vision of the end of the world in Revelation 20.12-13 John writes: And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened., which was the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. God has his book. And even though genealogies helps us remember God, they also reveal that God remembers us. God works through a REMNANT There are many people born during this time, but this is the story of God working through a particular people among all people—the people of God. Cain’s genealogy lists seven generations, while Seth’s lists 10. This could lead us to conclude that the godly outpaced the ungodly in populating the world. Genesis 6 teaches us just the opposite. Most of the world followed the way of Cain. Most of the world grew darker and fell deeper into depravity. The moral decline became so bad that God himself declared “the wickedness of men is great and their intentions are evil continually.” In other words, the majority of the people on the earth hated God and were about themselves. But despite the darkness, God is at work. This is a theme throughout the Old Testament. During the time of judges, arguably one of the darkest time for the people of Israel, God was working. It was during this period that the story of Ruth takes place—a story of redemption. It was the prophet Elijah who, in 1Kings, defeated hundreds of false prophets and alone took a stand for the Lord. But when the queen threatened to kill him, he hid and cried out to God saying: I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am 3 left, and they seek my life, to take it away (1Kings 19.10). He is despairing…believing that he is the only one. But God responds saying: Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint kin over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. Yet, I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all knees that I have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him (1Kings 19.15-18).