1. Genesis 5 - When he dies it shall be sent
My grandmother lived until she was 108. Now that is a long life! At 90 I remember her going on expeditions with a lapidary club. She loved collecting rocks and climbing mountains and walking for incredible distances. She would talk about the old people in the nursing home in which she lived. They were younger than she was!
In Genesis 5 people seem to live for an incredibly long time. Like Adam, who lives for 930 years. And Methusaleh for 969 years, the oldest man who has ever lived. That’s impossible?!!! Well actually it’s not. According to Larry Richards, medical researchers now know that many if not most human diseases are genetic, caused when malfunctions occur in the duplication of the human genetic code. The wonder is not so much that they lived so long in the days when genetic deterioration was at it’s earliest stages. The wonder is how do we remain healthy enough in our lives to live as long as we do so many years later! The bible says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14)
Adam dies physically and the sad thing about that is that originally he was designed to live forever. But he sinned and death came into the world. God had promised that if he ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil then he would die. It took 930 years but the promise of death was fulfilled in full. He had known good before eating of the tree but now he knew what it was to disobey God and so he knew now what evil was. Along with this knowledge he immediately died spiritually in terms of his relationship with God and he began to die physically. Why didn’t God just put an end to his physical life immediately? Perhaps it was to give him time to repent and to teach his sons the lessons he had learned. We are not told.
Notice Cain is not mentioned in this genealogy. That suggests to me that this is a specific family line up to Noah. It suggests that this is the godly line, those who, as it says at the end of chapter 4, “began to call upon the name of the Lord”. This is not a full genealogy. The same method of writing a genealogy is used of Jesus line. Some people were missed out for the sake of emphasizing others.
And what about Enoch who it says “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” after he had lived 365 years (Genesis 5:24). What is that all about? Well he obviously had a close relationship with God, but before reaching the end of his life God just took him physically to heaven. Why? I don’t know! I’m just a Pastor! Give me a break! I don’t know everything! I just thought I’d mention it because it is interesting. The same thing happened with Elijah in 2 Kings 2:11, only he seemed to go with more flair in a whirlwind.
Some suggest that God took them before death because He wasn’t finished with their ministry yet. They say that they will be the two witnesses in the last days. The bible makes it clear that “it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27). So Enoch and Elijah have not died yet apparently and the Bible says Elijah will return to the earth to preach again (Malachi 4:5,6). That’s so weird! Then we have those who died more than once like Lazarus who was raised from the dead, only to die later on of course.
But getting back to Enoch and Elijah. So maybe these are the guys that appeared to the women at the resurrection (Luke 24:4) and to the disciples as they gazed up into the sky as Jesus ascended into heaven (Acts 1:10). And as I said, maybe they will be the 2 witnesses that appear in the last days in Jerusalem. Zechariah 4:14 speaks about "two anointed ones who are standing by the Lord of the whole earth." Could be the same guys waiting for the events of Revelation to occur. Revelation 11:7-12 says the 2 witnesses are men, not angels. Are you intrigued? I am. So follow it up for yourselves because I only have time left to speak about one more guy who appears in this chapter – Methusaleh.
Methusaleh got into the Guiness book of Records as the man who lived the longest. He lived 969 years, beating my grandmother by a long shot. His name Mehusaleh means “When he dies, it shall be sent”. Sounds like “If you build it, they will come” from the movie “Field of Dreams”. Enoch knew something prophetically and named his son Methusaleh “when he dies, it shall be sent”. God obviously told him something about the coming flood. The flood would judge the earth and God uses Methusaleh to give a warning. Strange thing to do – to name your son to be a prophetic warning to the people of the day that judgment was coming. But other prophets in the Bible did the same thing.
2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” God gave people time to repent in days of old. He gives you time today to give your life to Christ, come under His loving authority and live a life that counts for generations to come.
Live long lives that make a difference for God.
2. Genesis 6 - How would you like a name like “When he dies, judgment!”?
Did you notice in verse 3 that it says “My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, because he also is flesh; nevertheless his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.”
Does this mean that man shall live for 120 years? As I said, my grandmother lived until she was 108 but 120 is stretching it a bit.
I don’t think that the 120 years refers to how long we will live. In the context of this passage it refers to how long God will strive with the human race before finally sending the flood. 120 years of grace. They had 120 years of Godly men and women seeking to influence them towards repentance before they would be wiped off the face of the earth. Perhaps men like Methusaleh helped Noah bring this message to a stubbornly sinful and utterly corrupt people.
The name Methuselah means “When he dies, judgment”. It’s a prophetic name. Methusaleh was the oldest man who ever lived indicating that God held off judgment till the last minute. Again, this speaks to me of God’s grace.
I love the fact that God always gives us time to repent. He doesn’t just wipe us out like we deserve. He gives us time to choose to repent so that our lives can take on His purposes and make a difference. Or we can choose our own selfish desires which are of no earthly or spiritual value no matter how “renowned” we may be (Genesis 6:4).
God’s Holy Spirit strives with us as He did so long ago. The Bible says that has a ministry of “convincing the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8), but it is obvious that there comes a time when He says “Times up! Decide!”
In the times when Noah lived, men and women were so corrupt that God’s Spirit came to the end of striving with them. What a terrible thing to come to the end of God’s grace and face to face with God’s judgment instead.
I can’t help but to be reminded of 2 Peter 3:9 that says “The Lord isn’t really being slow about His promise, as some people think. No, He is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”
God describes us by saying that a human “also is flesh”. In other words he is not only a spiritual being but also a physical being. It seems that they had forgotten, like so many today, that we are spiritual beings, and that we can have a personal relationship with God. If we operate out of the flesh only, then we are no more than animals. If we operate from the spirit then our flesh comes into alignment with God’s will for us and we live a life that makes a difference in the world.
Romans 8:5 (AMP) says “For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit.”
Galatians 5:16-17 says “But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). For the desires of the flesh are opposed to the [Holy] Spirit, and the [desires of the] Spirit are opposed to the flesh (godless human nature); for these are antagonistic to each other [continually withstanding and in conflict with each other], so that you are not free but are prevented from doing what you desire to do.”
Walk and live responsive to and controlled by the Spirit today.
