A Family Tree Series

Genesis 5:1-32

December 1, 2002

A friend of mine loves genealogy. He has researched his family back through untold generations. For years he loved to tell us about his Scottish heritage. He had a tie with his clan’s tartan, he had memorized his clan’s motto and he knew all about the clan’s history in Scotland. There was only one little problem. One day when he was researching historical documents he discovered that the first one of his forefathers off the boat had changed the spelling of his name. It was only one letter, an "O" in son rather than "sen" but it changed everything. He discovered he really hails from Sweden not Scotland.

I’ve always figured with family in Northern Ireland it was safer not to know too much of my family tree.

Genealogies - it is easy to want pass over them

1. What is the purpose of the list?

Godly line shows the image of God - even though fallen they still show the image

2. What about the ages?

Real ages in real years. Man was created perfect and it took time for him to run down.

3. What is the recurring theme?

And he died - the curse has taken effect even in the godly line of Adam

4. But What about Enoch? 21-24

Why did Enoch escape the curse?

- he was more godly - this is the godly line yet all the rest died

- can anyone do so much good that God will take them right to heaven?

It must have been by God’s grace and mercy that he delivered Enoch from the curse of death.

Only one other in whole New Testament - Elijah

However, according to the New Testament, this highly unusual translation to glory will one day be much more common.

Our Hope

1 Cor.15:51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--

52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.