- Adam
- Adam's Descendents
- Enoch
- Noah
- Abram
- Jacob
Adam
When you think about Adam in the Garden and consider life for him there,
do you think about the length of time he walked and tended this garden?
Was it a short timeframe... weeks, months? Just how long did it take
for Adam and Eve to make the run over to the forbidden tree and partake
of the one things God had told them was off limits?
Now how long was he in the garden before the fall? A long time. Adam and
Eve had grown accustomed to walking with the Lord. They knew His voice
and walked in intimate relationship with Him. Often Christians consider
who it would have been that Cain would have married. We wonder who Cain
was afraid would kill him, seeing he had committed the first murder, of
his brother Abel. Able would have been the brother to all others as
well. Where did everyone come from? Did Adam and Eve conceive children
in the garden? If so what kind of effect would Adam's transgression have
had on them?
Let's examine some of these questions.
Time. As we know it time did not commence until Adam brought death into
the world, by bowing his knee to Lucifer in obedience to his voice and
the act of high treason. Taking all that God had given him, and giving
it to His enemy. (Luke 4:6-7)
Interesting to note that Eve did not die when she partook. She did not
feel fear, nor did she even feel nauseous. She hands it to her husband
as she feels it is good. Try this sometime. Take a bit of an apple and
then hand it to someone beside you. This takes time. If she had felt
anything upon biting into the forbidden fruit it would have immediately
been felt. The facts seem to indicate that she did not die, spiritually
or physically until Adam’s transgression. Carefully read the account in
Genesis 3.
It seems that Adam, himself, held the authority over this realm and it
is not until HE eats that BOTH of their eyes are opened. (Gen. 3:6) The
effects were immediate. Fear and knowing nakedness. Previously they were
clothed in the Glory of God. (Psalm 8:5). As Moses was bathed in God’s
Glory and the people could not look upon him without a veil, so was Adam
and Eve, likewise affected by the permeating presence of God. This
would have immediately left them as they disobeyed. It did, but not
until Adam partook. Therefore Eve, when she ate, was unaffected. It may
seem to indicate that she was under the covering of her husband in the
covenant they had with God.
Gen. 3:16 - God says to Eve as part of the curse “I will surely
multiply your pain in childbearing” this would seem to indicate that
they were obedient to the first command to be fruitful and multiple. The
garden was the ideal place to reproduce within. The reason others are
not specifically mentioned is because they are not relevant to the story
of redemption that is brought through the promise of Jesus Christ who
is to come. The Bible takes great care in demonstrating to us the line
of Christ, so we can see His lineage and how the work of redemption
through the various prophetic messages from God through time were
designed to restore us to the ‘walk with God’, which is characterized by
intimacy with Him. For He so loved the whole of humanity that He gave
of Himself entirely to pay the price of our High Treason and win us back
to Himself. You were that important to Him.
Consider this... Adam, the bible tells us had named all the species of
animals that had passed before him. The estimated number of animals on
our planet falls somewhere in the
vast range of 30 million species (Erwin 1983, Wolosz 1988) - This is
in today's world. Pre-fall and pre-flood there was likely many more
species that would have made the parade before the first man. But even
with today's calculations and figuring on one species a minute doing the
walk-by, Adam would have been standing there, non-stop for over 56
years!
I think it is safe to conclude that Adam and Eve did not make a b-line
for the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil right away. It was in the
midst, or middle of the garden, and therefore would have been passed by
on a regular basis. How many times to you walk past the center of your
house? It was there in the middle to always be something they would pass
by and remember that they had a choice of obedience.
Therefore if they were present in the garden for a length of time that
would allow for child birth, it is reasonable to allow that they would
have had children, acting in obedience to the first command of God and
pleasing His heart by having children. Reasonable to conclude that they
had many, many children while in the garden. Possible? Yes. We have
already seen that death did not occur until Adam, the patriarch of the
family, partook of the Tree. When he ate all of mankind died. This can
explain who it was that Cain was afraid would kill him, and who he would
end up marrying.
Man was driven from the garden. The bible states that they - were lead
out of the garden and an angel was set to guard it's entrance.
It may be possible that all of the descendants of man would have been
expelled at this time. As Adam transgressed we are told in Romans that
death passed to all men or all of mankind. Eve immediately, upon Adam
partaking died. Spiritually first, and then over time physically.
Adam's Descendents
Following the murder of Abel, the bible tells us that Adam and Eve had
another son, Seth. Before we get into the study of these decedents, lets
recap some things.
God had prophesied in the Garden to Lucifer that the seed of the woman
would disarm and dethrone him. This was not a specific prophecy
regarding a specific individual, yet. Therefore anyone seen as though
they walked with God would be a threat to Lucifer. We see in the life of
Cain and Abel, two individuals who honor different paths. Cain felt
pride and self-righteousness in his own labours or work and Abel
respected the teaches and instruction he had received in regards to what
and how to sacrifice to the Lord.
Now, it may be that Abel as the keeper of the flocks was charging his
brother ever increasing fees for the lamb which Cain would have had to
purchase... no one really knows for sure. Nevertheless, as Abel
demonstrated his desire to keep the covenant with God, Lucifer worked
through Cain to strike him down.
Now years later... the bible tells us that when Adam was 130 years old,
Seth was born. Seth has a son when he is 105 years old. This makes Adam
235 years old when Seth brings his father, his first grandson. Remember
that Adam while he was in the garden was eternal. Death had no dominion
over him or for that matter over anything that God had created. God had
not made a world system or a system of nature that was dominated by a
death cycle. It was as system in balance in all things. There was no
death. Now after the fall, death entered both Adam's spirit instantly,
Adam's body which began to break down at the cellular level, and all of
nature reacted to this new cycle of death and the curse that followed.
Adam began to die now. Time started. Time - the system we develop to
track the progress of things and their decay. The bible tells us Adam
was 130 at the birth of Seth. Therefore he was 50 at some point, 25 at
some point, 1 at some point. When he walked the last time through the
gates of the garden and the doors closed behind him with the angel
guarding the way - Adam began dying and time commenced, tracking his
decline. 930 years later he passed away, death finally getting the
victory over his physical body.
But at this time that Seth brings his first born to the Patriarch of the
family, Adam is 235 and he is holding the first of the next generation -
his grandson. He holds this baby in his arms and with tears in his eyes
he declares the child's name: "You are 'Doomed to Die' - 'Mortal' -
that is literally what the name Enosh means. Adam calls his grandson
Enosh. Doomed to die. A significant reminder of the consequences of
Adam's sin. Adam, the father of mankind, who walked with God in intimacy
in the garden and enjoyed life eternal - traded it all for a lie - and
subjected all of his descendants to mortality - death.
Enoch
He was a fascinating character of which it is written - "He
walked with God, and was not for God took him." We know of Enoch that
his relationship with God was one of close intimacy and fellowship. Have
you wondered where he learned that this closeness with Jehovah could
exist?
When you study the time line from Adam to Enoch
you see that Adam, the father of mankind, was still alive and well when
Enoch was born. Adam was actually merely 622 years old at this point. As
a society that was Patriarchal (lead by the fathers - this was a
structure of culture where the eldest male was the dominate decision
maker of the family), Adam would have led his life in covenant
relationship with God, trying to minimize the effects of the curse that
he found in the ground that he toiled and in the death cycle that he saw
every day, all around him. All of nature, the bible says, 'groans under
the curse'. (Romans 8:22 - "We know that the whole creation has been
groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.")
This Adam saw evident all the time. The fruit of his sin, being revealed
in the death cycle that gripped creation. Adam also knew the promises
of God given in the garden. That there would be a seed come that would
reclaim that which was lost. A child born of a woman who would crush the
enemies head. Adam did not know who this would be, but he knew his
responsibility would be to train up a child in the way he should go.
This he did assiduously. He
saw once again the fruit of his sin in the garden, with the murder of
Abel; his son who followed the admonition of his father, and honored God
by properly sacrificing a lamb every year. By the time Enoch is born
Adam has been long teaching his children about life in the garden before
the fall, and instructing them on living in a covenant relationship
with God.
I can
see him as a young child sitting at the feet of the man who walked with
God in the garden, in the cool of the day and spoke with God on a daily
basis, living in close fellowship with him. Attentively this young child
would soak up all that his great-great-etc... grandfather was saying.
Adam was delighted to see a child of his so keen to know the God of
creation in a deeper way. Adam would have watched this young child grow
into a man whose heart was 'dedicated' to the Lord.
We
know that Enoch married for he became the father of Methuselah. Perhaps
it was Adam who was involved with naming these, his descendants.
Perhaps it was the immediate fathers. Either way we can see the gift of
prophecy at work as these children were born and their names decreed.
Enoch
means 'Dedicated', and his son, Methuselah literally means, 'When he
dies, Judgment'. It is obvious that at this time, a mere 687 years from
the fall of man, that mankind has been so depraved and moved so far from
God that, already God is planning judgment. Depending on how you
interpret Genesis 6, it may be that at this time angels reject their
place of overseeing man, and leave their natural realm to take wives for
themselves. The book of Enoch (not in the cannon of scripture) does
shed light on this time period and goes as far as naming some of these
fallen angels, ascribing to them the various things they taught man to
do, from creating musical instruments to metallurgy. The seed of this
union produced giants and the stature of these great beings was truly
disturbing. They were said to consume so much that they turned their
appetites to man himself. These ungodly beings knew of Enoch and feared
him for he walked with God and anything he said would come to pass.
Enoch comes to them with the prophecy of their coming judgment and doom.
They ask Enoch to intercede on their behalf to Jehovah, that perhaps
there would be mercy shown. The answer that Enoch returns with is a
emphatic no.
Another chain of thought is that the
'sons of god' reference from Genesis 6 is in fact the righteous line
from Adam mixing in marriage with the ungodly, idol worshiping line that
proceeded from Cain. That these two family lines mixed the knowledge of
God decreased as men began to make compromises and the passion in their
hearts turned from God to other things. Enoch comes to make the
prophetic proclamation and the resulting supplication has the same
results. Judgment is coming.
Noah
Methuselah is born when
Enoch is 65 years old. The young child has a name that reminds all that
judgment is coming. Every time someone would call him, they would make
that declaration- "When he dies - Judgment." We know that Methuselah
lives the longest of any one that has every come before or ever lived
since. This is a significant sign of God's grace to mankind in their
lifestyle of sinful rebellion towards their creator. God is patient, not
wanting any to perish. The appeal to man to repent is made over and
over again until a miraculous baby is born - Noah. According to the Book
of Enoch, Noah is born an albino, pure white. Lamech takes the newborn
to his father Methuselah who holds the child up and declares his name as
Noah. The masculine name Noah means 'Rest' which we see God providing
as the flood waters subside. Interestingly Cain's lineage had settled in
the land of Nod meaning 'Restless Wandering'.
When
Noah is born we find ourselves merely 1056 years from the garden being
shut to mankind. Much has happened in this first millennium. Man has
seen murder and idolatry, rebellion and all kinds of sins. A distinctive
separation has occurred between the line from Seth who choose to walk
in covenant and the line of Cain who have decided that their ways were
best. Noah lives for 500 years honoring the Lord, for the bible declares
that 'Noah walked with God'. Again this phrase to describe a man in
unity with the heart of God. A man who knew God's voice and had faith
tested and tried to obey the voice of God no matter what was asked of
him. Believe me, the command to build the ark would not have been the
first time Noah heard from God. Remember Noah 'walked with God'.
When
Noah receives the instructions to begin the largest floating zoo in the
world, his son's are not yet even born. It is not until two years later
that Noah 'begat' Shem. So who was helping Noah out with this massive
project prior to his son's being of age to be helpful?
First,
lets consider the culture of these ancient tribes. For many reasons
they were living together in clans. For security and a mutual use of
resources. Therefore it is unreasonable to imagine Noah off living on
his own, distant from his living father, grandfather, cousins, brothers
and sisters. Noah came from a family. He would not have been an only
child. Not in this culture, who prized children as an inheritance. Noah
we know spent 100 years building the ark. Genesis 5:32 tells us Noah is
500 years old and in Genesis 7:6 when the ark is complete we are told
Noah is 600 years old.
The year of the flood, counting
from the day Adam left the garden and time began - is 1656.
Six hundred years after Noah was born. Noah's father Lamech had passed
away in the year 1651, just four years earlier. No doubt he was active
in the construction of the ark right up until his passing. Methuselah,
who's name means 'When he dies, judgment' was born 969 years earlier in
the year 687. The very year that Methuselah dies is the same year that
the flood waters cover the earth. I know these two events coincide.
Further I am fully persuaded that on the very same day Methuselah
passes,
rain drops splatter Noah's face as he looks heavenward.
I wonder what Noah preached? Have you ever wondered what one of his
sermons would have sounded like? I mean would he have been a fire and
brimstone kind of preacher. Letting his listeners feel the conviction
of sin and the terror of the coming judgment of the Almighty! Perhaps he
was a grace man and let them know of God’s provision for them, if they
would only accept the free passage on the cruise ship he was building. I
wonder if preaching to his audience that joining the ‘Love Boat’ would
mean you’d have your pick of the best farmland when things got dry. I
mean, there would be zero competition!
Either way, what we have
here is a picture of a man God called to warn a generation that it was
time to get ready. It was the close of one age and the beginning of
another.
Noah was preparing himself and his sons for a totally
new world. Noah was on one side of an event that would forever change
the world. His sermons included the preaching that God was going to send
rain. Something no one had ever seen or even heard of before. This was
prophetic. This was looking into the future and proclaiming something
God was going to do. Now it took 100 years to come to pass. But it did
come to pass. For one hundred years Noah prophesied about coming events
and spoke often of a new world. Noah likely imagined what life would be
like after the flood waters subsided. I am sure his wife did. They had
to consider building their home again. They had to consider providing
for themselves food and shelter. Now they did have the ark. A ready-made hotel
for whenever things got dry. However, I suspect customers for this
hotel would be far and few between. Seriously though, the point I am
trying to make is that they had plenty of time to consider not only the
judgment in the flood waters that were coming, but also the life that
they would have afterwards. They knew that there was a great
responsibility on their shoulders.
Noah and who ever decided to
heed his call would have the responsibility to rebuild the world. They
had a chance to remake it in the fashion that God would have them. Start
anew with a Godly government. A Godly set of principals, to lead a new
generation into a ‘new world order’. Sorry… I couldn’t help but insert
that. But it was, it was God's order.
Noah was born 1056 years
after Adam left the garden. It was only 126 years earlier that Adam had
died. Yes, Adam lived 930 years. Seth, Adam’s son had died just 14 years
earlier. Enoch was already watching from above as he only lived for 365
years and then God took him up. His son Methuselah, and his son, Noah’s
Father, Lamech were alive and well. Noah was well acquainted with his
family. They were a tight close-knit tribe as the line of the righteous
followers of God’s precepts was. Noah was quite familiar with the
stories of the Garden of Eden and what life was like back then in the
beginning. Noah’s fathers had sat at the feet of Adam as he recounted
the stories of life in the garden and the walks with God in the cool of
the day. The influence of the fathers in these patriarchal societies
cannot be under-estimated.
Well, Noah knew perfectly well what
life was like when the first man walked with God. Noah knew so well that
he too, had a close and personal relationship with God. It makes me
smile when I watch movies about the flood, and God speaks to Noah. The
actor always has this scared and surprised look on his face like it’s
the first time he ever heard this voice. Hardly. Enoch, Noah’s
great-grandfather knew what it was to have a close relationship with
God. The Bible says he “walked with God” and he lived for only 365
years, and then he was not… for God took him. Noah’s family didn’t even
have to have a funeral!
Why is it important to know that Noah
knew what it was like to be the first man? Because he was about to be
that first man again! Starting out all over from scratch. After almost a
year in the ark it was time to open the door and step out onto dry
ground and a very quiet earth. No neighbor’s kids fighting next door, no
annoying dog doing some business on his front yard, just a quiet earth.
You see, Noah had been preaching about this for one hundred
years. Every night his head hit the pillow his imagination would roll
with the thoughts of what things would look like, how it would be and
how he was going to like being a part of this new thing God was going to
do.
He preached it and prophesied it for 100 years. He was
looking at it from one side of the event, one moment in history, his
moment. It was his time. It was his to look ahead into a whole new world
and a whole new time. It was such a world shaking event that the flood,
or ‘great deluge’ left its mark on the land we walk on today and is
contained within the culture of tribes the world over.
Now the
people in Noah’s day were just like you and me. They were busy and had
lives and loves, farms and friends, ambitions and goals and frankly
someone talking about the future that did not fit any of their
preconceived notions of what their future was going to be, had to be
crazy. They did not understand much of what Noah was saying; because he
was talking about an event that no one had seen before.
But we
cannot overstate the significance of the times in which Noah lived. He
was standing on the edge of time. One age was going to pass away and
another lay before him. All the prophecies that came before Noah were
not hindered by this event. They were seamless through time, flowing
like a river through the eddies of time.
Isaiah 55:11
...my
word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but
will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent
it.
Gods Word is a living thing, it is a part of God, it is God.
It lives and breaths in this dimension, accomplishing His will because
it is filled with the force that moves mountains in this dimension, it
is filled with faith.
There were words God had given in the
garden, as a prophetic utterance, that there was coming One that would
crush the head of the enemy, the word that Adam held in his heart, of a
redeemer for all mankind that could do what no man could do, and that is
to take the keys of authority from this new enemy man now had -
Lucifer. There were many prophecies uttered through this righteous line
of believers, from Adam to Enoch, from Methuselah to Noah himself that
were yet to come to pass. All these prophecies got on the ark with Noah.
They continued on, beyond the deluge of rain and the crashing of waves.
They were yet to be fulfilled.
Noah’s purpose in life was not
over with the building of the ark. It was not complete with the
gathering of animals, the feeding and shoveling he no doubt had to do
every day. His mission was not over when the rains stopped and the sun
shone again. His purpose was to raise a family that honored and feared
the Lord. To walk in covenant with Jehovah and replenish the earth with
children whose hearts were hot after God with a desire to know Him more.
God was to be their all in all. He was to be to them everything you
could imagine a God to be. It was God’s desire to provide for his
children, to care for them, to be their healer, their provider, their
savior. This has never changed. The new world that lay before Noah as he
opened the door was a new age and a new planet full of the blessings
and the provision of God.
I wonder if you have caught the correlation yet to where we are at
today. We stand on the edge of time. The close of an age, the beginning
of something totally new. So new that the world has no idea what to make
of it and the one body of people on this planet that should be prepared
and knowledgeable about it, seldom speak of it at all.
Abram:
Jacob:
Abram:
Jacob:
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