“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!
We read in God’s Word, “…many died through one man’s trespass” (Rom. 8:15); “… because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man” (v. 17); “… one trespass led to condemnation for all men” (v. 18).
That should give us a grim picture of the seriousness of sin in the eyes of the Holy God. It’s just a single sin. But it brought condemnation for all men.
Before, when I read Genesis chapter 5, I could feel a sense of admiration for those who lived for several hundred years. But now I realize that those men were under judgement, condemned, under God’s wrath, spiritually dead and whether they lived physically even for more than 900 years, still they died.
A man could be admired because of his long life, because of his fame, because of his riches, because of his intelligence, because of his many accomplishments. However, no matter how nice or significant we can see in the person, he will still die.
It should be realized that death is not just an ordinary or natural thing. It should not be regarded lightly. It should remind us of God’s righteous judgement on man’s sinful nature.
As God’s children, who realize God’s Sovereignty in His judgement, what should we do?
First, we need not fear.
Our Lord Jesus told His followers, “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows” (Luke 12:4-7).
We need not fear, because He already regarded us as His friends – not enemies.
We need not fear, because though we die – our existence will just end on this earth, but will not suffer God’s wrath in hell. Who should fear are those under His wrath, for God has the Sovereign power to cast them into hell.
In our case, we need not fear, because even after our life on this earth, we are not forgotten by God and we are eternally safe in His good hands. We are valuable to Him.
As we see God’s Sovereignty in His judgement, we need also to ask forgiveness from God every time we sin.
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He did not tell them just to ask for their daily bread, but also to ask forgiveness for their sins.
Really I love what the answer of a brother, during our Bible study. When asked what he would pray for God to give or do to him, he replied emphatically that he would ask for the forgiveness of sin!
Do we also grasp the seriousness of our sin – no matter how small we perceived it? Do we hate it, as God hates it? So, do we avoid, refrain from or protect ourselves from it? And when we commit it, are we prompt to ask God for His forgiveness?
As we see God’s Sovereignty in His judgement, never take lightly of sin. Every death we know or we see should also remind us of the necessity of our repentance.
What other way that God displays His Sovereignty?
II – See It In His Grace (verses 22-24).
We read verses 22-24, “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.”
While eight verses of chapter 5 pointed out God’s judgement of death, in verses 22-24 we could see the brilliance of God’s grace.
First, be reminded of what grace is. It’s a favor extended by God to someone who is undeserving and unable to obtain it by himself.
We observe in our passage. God did something favorable in the nature of Enoch. Let’s realize that because of the corruption of man – because of his sinful nature – he is being hostile to God, running and hiding away from Him. That’s the nature of every man. But something happened to Enoch. He was changed. He walked with God. And the transformation happened to him “after he fathered Methuselah.”
Another favorable thing we note in the passage, it did not say that Enoch died. But, “… he was not, for God took him.”
To walk with God and not to suffer death proclaimed God’s Sovereignty in His grace. He could extend and enable us to enjoy His favor, though we are not inclined to and unable to and do not deserve it.
Some would claim that the passage implied that Enoch died. Though the passage did not say, “he died,” according to them, the words, “Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years” showed that he ultimately died. Further, the phrase “God took him” implied that his life was taken by God.
Though it’s a nice human reasoning, but we need to realize that Moses was consistent in using the words “he died” to refer in the death of someone in chapter 5. Why didn’t he use the same words to Enoch? Because when God took Enoch, He just took him from earth – living here for 365 years – and he did not suffer physical death. And it was made clear in the other text of the Scripture.
The final interpreter of the Scripture is the Scripture. We read in Hebrews 11:5, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.”
Now, we clearly see the Sovereignty of God in His grace. He enabled Enoch to have faith – he was commended as having pleased God. The next verse (v. 6) tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. And because of his faith, our passage says that he “walked with God.” (Remember Abel. Because of his faith, he “offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” (verse 4).
While Enoch, because of God’s grace, he received the faith, not only he was able to walk with God, but he also did not see death.
Do we also see God’s Sovereignty in His grace in our life?
Are we really recipient of His faith? So, like Enoch, are we also walking with God – living close to Him and within earshot of His words and proclaiming what He is telling us?
Do we really believe the words of Jesus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24)?
If we had examined ourselves and certain that we are in the faith, or we experienced the Sovereignty of God in our life, I would suggest at least two things:
First, maintain a humble attitude.
We ought to remember what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience -- among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”
We have no reason to elevate ourselves, because we once walked with the world, with the evil spirit, and with our earthly passions. We were “sons of disobedience” – rebels. We were “by nature children of wrath.”
Second, continue to be thankful to God.
Paul encouraged the Christians at Colossae that they should be “giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Col. 1:11-13).
Be thankful because we are the recipient of His grace to be in the Kingdom of Light.
So, as we perceive the Sovereignty of God in His grace, let’s maintain our humility. Let’s continue to be thankful to God.
CONCLUSION:
Before we end, remember the good command of God to Adam to “eat of every tree of the garden” – which, of course, included “the tree of life” – “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” he should not eat?
Believing the words of God, obeying Him, the man would have life eternal, but his disobedience to God’s words, he would suffer God’s judgement – death.
Adam rebelled against the Highest Authority. He rejected God’s words and wanted to be the one to determine what is good and what is evil. But God is Sovereign. He is able to impose His righteous judgement: death -- not only on Adam, but on all men represented by Adam, which included us. God is Sovereign in His judgement.
Thankfully, God is also Sovereign in His grace. He has chosen men, like Enoch, to have faith or to believe in His words, so they would have life – abundant life, not only more than 900 years, but eternal.
While Adam disbelieved God’s Word, it’s my prayer that all of us here believe His words, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him” (John 3:36).
