Creation Lesson #11
Genealogies are Important (Genesis 4:16-5:32)
In this lesson we will learn some very interesting things from studying a genealogy. Many times we will simply read through a genealogy and not give it very much thought. But they are very important when studying the word of God. Many times God puts very detailed or valuable information in a genealogy that is needed to understand something very important concerning his word. Now in this lesson will not look at every verse or even every person but will try to show as many important things as we can.
Verses 16-24 : Descendants of Cain
Now the first thing that gives most people trouble is verse 17 and the fact that Cain has a wife. Everyone wants to know where Cain got his wife from.
1) The verse says he “knew” his wife not that he found her. So he did not go to Nod to get a wife. He obviously already had her when he left the presence of the Lord.
2) So where did Cain get his wife from? As a wise preacher said one time, “the same place you got yours from, your father-in-law”. Now that may be funny but it is true the only place Cain could have got a wife from would be Adam. He married his sister. There were no other created people besides Adam and Eve and God did not say they could not marry there sisters or brothers or other close relatives until the law was given.
- Lamech is the first polygamist. (verse 19)
- Jabal is the first to have cattle. (verse 20)
- Jubal is the first to use instruments (verse 21)
- Tubal-cain was the first to work with brass and iron (verse 22)
- Now some object here because they say that brass is not a natural element which it is not. They like to argue that no one of that day would know how to make brass. But the fact is that these men were living 7 and 8 hundred years they probably could do things with metal that we can only imagine. Just think if scientist could live that long today what they might accomplish.
- In verses 23-24 we see the first self defense killing. We will discuss this more in Ch. 9
Verses 25-26 :
Here we see Seth born and also we see that Seth will have a son called Enos. It is very interesting to note that it is not until after Seth is born that the Bible says “then men began to call upon the name of the Lord”. Obviously Cain and his descendants do not call upon the Lord.
Chapter 5
Verses 1-5 :
Here the genealogy stops for a moment and we learn some very important things.
Verse 1 says “This is the book of the generations of Adam. Now only one other book has a beginning even close to that. And it is Matthew.
Matthew 1:1 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
- That gives us two main characters in the Word of God. Adam and Jesus Christ.
- The verse that goes with these is 1 Corinthians 15:22 “ For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”
- Now this sums up everything. We die because of sin (James 1:14-15) and we get this sin nature from Adam (Romans 5:12-14). Therefore in Adam all die.
- The only way to have life is through the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 3:36 ; 10:10 ; 14:6 ; 1 John 5:10-13)
- You are either in one of two people you are in Adam or you are in Jesus. You either have death in Adam or Life in Jesus Christ.
- Therefore religion will not matter in the end you are either saved and in Jesus Christ or you are lost and in Adam and will die and split hell wide open.
In verse 2 we see that God called Eve Mrs. Adam therefore today a woman has no real name of her own. She either has her father’s name or her husband’s name.
Note in verse 3 that Seth is born in Adam’s image and not the image of God as Adam was created in. Adam had children after he sinned that is why we get sin from Adam as it says in Romans 5:12-14.
The first natural death is recorded in Genesis 5:5 that is interesting because the number 5 in the Bible is associated with death. See also Acts 5:5.
Verse 6-32 : The Descendants of Seth
In verses 21-24 we see the birth of Enoch. Enoch is a very interesting character in the word of God.
- When he was 65 years old he begat Methuselah.
- After that he is said to have walked with God for three hundred years.
- Then the Bible says he was not for God took him.
What happened to Enoch? He was taken up to heaven without dying (Hebrews 11:5). Only one other man has been taken up to heaven without dying and that is Elijah (2 Kings 21-11). But he will come back in the tribulation and be killed as one of the 2 witnesses.
- Therefore Enoch is a type of the church age saint that will be taken up at the rapture and will never die.
Now the name Methuselah means “when he is gone it shall be sent”. The reference is to the fact that when Enoch dies the flood will come. Now if you count the ages in the rest of the genealogies you will see that Methuselah out lives his son Lamech. And Lamech’s son was Noah and Noah went through the flood.
Now it is interesting to note that Lamech died at the age of 777 years old. That is significant because seven is the number of perfection or completion.
Creation Lesson #11 Handout
Genealogies are Important (Genesis 4:16-5:32)
1) Where did Cain get his wife from?
2) Who was the 1st polygamist?
3) Who was the 1st cowboy?
4) Who was the 1st human musician?
5) Who was the 1st iron worker?
6) What is the significance to Genesis 5:1?
7) What is the result of being in Adam? Give verses.
8) What is the result of being in Jesus Christ? Give verses.
9) What is Enoch a type of in the word of God?
10) What does the name Methuselah mean?
11) What is the significance concerning Methuselah’s name?
12) Who was the oldest man in the Bible and how long did he live?