God Displays His Sovereignty

“This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died… When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:1-5, 18-24, ESV).

We began to experience the so-called lockdown in 2020. Not only in our country, but also in other countries in the world. And the government implemented it, because of a virus. But many, especially those who believe in God, acknowledge that God is just using the virus and He is the One, who is in control over it.

Actually, God is in control not only of the virus, but also of typhoons, earthquakes, floods, of every circumstance, of every planet in the universe, of every cell in the body, of every speck of dust in the air.

According to His Word, He is Sovereign. He is actually in control of all things. In Proverbs 21:1, we read: “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he wills.”

It is paraphrased in the God’s Word Translation: “The king's heart is like streams of water. Both are under the LORD's control. He turns them in any direction he chooses.”

And this time we will take a closer look on His Sovereignty, as we discuss our topic, GOD DISPLAYS HIS SOVEREIGNTY, while we focus on our text (Genesis 5:1-5, 18-24).

As God manifested His control over all things, in what other ways He displayed His Sovereignty?

First, be reminded that Moses, the writer of Genesis, related to us the Goodness of God in creating man – not only giving him a good life, good upright spiritual position (chapter 1), giving him a good environment, giving him a good occupation, giving him a good companion, giving him a good command, giving him a good warning (chapters 2 & 3). But in spite of the goodness he enjoyed, he disbelieved the Good Word of the Good Giver. He succumbed to pride by expressing his disobedience, actually his rebellion.

So, he absorbed God’s judgement. He suffered spiritual death – cutting off his good relationship with God, making himself an enemy of God. And from then onward his physical body was destined also to die. In fact, as a rebel, his whole person deserved to suffer in hell for eternity for offending the Eternal God.

In chapter 4, Moses recorded what one who had inherited the sinful nature could do. Cain murdered his own brother.

Now, in our text, God’s Sovereignty emerges, at least in two ways. Where do we see it?

I – See It In His Judgement (verses 5 and 20).

We read verses 5 and 20, “Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died… Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.”

In verse 1, we read in part: “… When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God.” Adam was made in the likeness of God, but in verse 3, we read again in part, “… he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth.”

Adam was originally created in a morally upright state. But because of his disbelief and rebellion against God, the extent of God’s judgement against him was Sovereignly imposed up to his children. Everyone of us that came from Adam, though the image of God is still in us, it is already corrupted. We also bear the sinful nature of the first man.

And Moses wanted his readers to remember that God is Sovereign to execute His judgement even on those who inherited the corruption of Adam. Notice the words, “and he died” in verses 5 and 20. In fact, God caused Moses to write those words repeatedly! In verses 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, 31 – eight times.

Chapter 5 is not just the record of those who lived for hundred of years, but a display of God’s Sovereignty to impose His judgement of death – even on those who lived for more than 900 years!