Genesis 5

Genesis 5 lists the generation from Adam to Noah.

This is a continuation of the genealogy that is listed in Genesis 4:17-26
Genesis 4:17-26 talks about two generations that descended from Adam.
That of Cain and Seth.
Cain’s descendants prosper materially, they developed and progressed in civilisation but their
morality were wicked.
But in v26 Seth descendants began to evoked the name of the Lord.
Meaning that they worshipped God.
In contrast in midst of civilisation progress the descendants of Seth worshiped the Lord.
Today the world is developing without limits,
A scholar by the name YuvalnNoah Harari, he is a historian. In 2015 He wrote a book Homo
Deus.
Here he writes about how humans have developed since the beginning of time. And also writes
about how humans will continue to develop. And he says that through advancement in the AI
technology humans will become like God. His arguments are convincing.
Today the Artificial Intelligence has developed so much.
And so today the world has developed so much. who is worshipping? Who is calling out the
name of the Lord?

The passage today continues the descendants of Adam to Seth to Noah.

Tracing of the generations plays an important role in our lives.
Last Sunday 21 May 2023 we had our silver jubilee and We traced our Church history,
remembering our pioneers. And before long it will be out in our souvenir. It will be recorded
in history.
In our Angami context we also trace who our forefathers are. To know who we are related to
from our mother side and also from our father’s side, but mainly when we are distributing clan
lands. And so Tracing our descendants gives us certain rights, or ownership or authority.
Similarly the tracing of descendants was very important for the Israelites.

Because for them this validated their right on inheritance. Numbers 26:55-56 reading through
we see the distribution of the inherited land. So tracing the generation is used for the
Appropriation of God blessing.
This was also important for validating their identity. Because only those who have their names
in this list belonged to Israel. Ezra 2:59-63 talks abou a family that returned from Exile who
claimed to be a descendant of priest but could not prove it and so they were debarred from
performing priestly rituals. They lost their descendant and they lost their identity.
There are, for the Israelites, many such significance for tracing the forefathers but among them
the most important for tracing their descendants is so that they validate their right of election
as a people of God. By tracing their lineage with Adam and Abraham the people of Israelites
validated themselves as God’s chosen nation, the people of God. Isaiah 41:8

In the Bible ther are mainly two types of geanologies; the first the horizontal listing of all the
members of an ancestor. (Gen. 10) this shows how different individuals are associate with each
other.
The second is the vertical extending from father to son to grandson, like our passage today
traces the individual’s forefather to establish their identity. And here especially to show who is
Noah
Genesis 5 mentions the name of 10 persons from Adam to Noah. And the bio data of the 10
individuals are given. They include; the name of the father, the father’s age when the son was
born, the name of the son, the subsequent years of the father, other sons and daughters, total
years lived by the father, and his death.

Vv1-3 This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humans, he made them
in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and called them
humans when they were created.When Adam had lived one hundred thirty years, he became
the father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth.

God created human in his image and Adam beget Seth in his image.

What does it mean that you and I are made in the image or likeness of God?

Humans created in the Likeness or image of God does not mean that humans are God or that
humans are in the same status as God, or that they are a replica of God in appearance

But here can mean two things

Firstly from Genesis 1:28

We are representative of God on earth, commissioned with dominion over the non-human,
God’s creation.

So created in the image of God means that we have dominion over the creation.

It’s not that the material things should dominate or control us but we should have dominion
over them.

But why is that we become so much prone to material things?

It’s because of our sinful desires.

John 16:33 …take heart! I have overcome the world.

Christ have overcome the world and it is only through Christ we can overcome the world

Secondly, to be created in the image of God means Genesis 1:22 &28

In V22 God says to the plants and the animals to multiply and to be fruitful

In V28 God says to human being to multiply and to be fruitful

But in Hebrew the wording are used differently

V22 more of telling the plants and animals

But in v28 the word ‘say’ in Hebrew connotes having a conversation

So to be created in the image of God is to mean that God has put in us so that God is able to
have a conversation with us. An interpersonal relationships with God. Communication.

Think about this ‘God converse with us’

From all that God had created only humans have been given the gift to be able to repond to
God’s love.

1 Corinthians 15:49 because we believe we bear the Image of Christ in us

how wonderful and amazing that because of Christ we can have a conversation with God.

How often do we forget such a blessing has been bestowed upon us.

Let’s not harden our hearts to God. He wants to talk to you.

When we look at Genesis 5 especially the life of those 10 people two things runs parallel.

The blessing of God and death

It says that Adam had had other sons and daughters and so did his descendants,

This is an allusion to the blessing of God in Genesis 1 to be fruitful and multiply. Fulfilment

Yet there is also death because of sin.

V5 Adam lived 930 years and he died, v8 Seth lived 912 years and he died

But why?

God said

Genesis 2:17 God tells Adam that “of the tree of Knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat,
for in the day that you eat of it you shall die”

Because of sin death came into this world.

An observation

God bless them and they were blessed, God said if you eat this you will die, Adam ate and
death came.

What does this tells us?

This tells us that the word of God is true it fulfills. And it will be fulfilled

Isaiah 55:10-11 for as rain and the snow comes down from heaven and do not return there until
they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, so shall my word be that goes
out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.

True n fulfils

If you accept it, you are wise if you disobey you will face the consequences.

Let us not be ignorant to the word of God but let us read it everyday, understand it and obey it.
It it’s the true word it is the living word.

The 10 person from Adam to Noah in Genesis 5 had other sons and daughters, and all of them
died but one

Genesis 5:21-24

Enoch walked with God

What do it mean to walk with God. Two things

Genesis 6:9 Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation; Noah walked with God.

So firstly when someone is walking with God it means they are living a life that is pleasing to
God. To life a righteous life to live a holy life.

Secondly, again in Genesis 6.

Genesis 6 The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth and God
decides to destroy humans along with the earth.

But Noah walked with God and so God tells Noah to built and Arc. This is it

And because Noah had an intimate relationship with God, God tells Noah what he had planned.
This is what it means to walk with God, an intimate relationships with him. You get to know
the plans of the other. Because you share.

Many a times we feels that God is far away, maybe because of our sin, we feel that we cannot
have a relationship with him or that he is way above us that we cannot reach him.

But Christ has bridged the gap though the cross.

And through Christ you and I can have a personal relationship with God our Father.

John 15:15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the
master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything
that I have heard from my Father.

And so to walked with God means to have and intimate relationship with God. When you have
an intimate relationship with God, he tells you what he is about to do. This is what the prophets
were like in the Old Testament were like. And this is what Jesus was like.
Today Nagas there are many Christians but there are few who walk with God. Talking to God
everyday. Walking with him.

Enoch walked with God and he had an intimate relationship with God and God took him, he
did not face death.

Conclusion
First, God made us in his image meaning that we can have a conversation with God , that we
can communicate with God
Second, because of sin there is death in this world, however God has not forgotten his blessings
to be fruitful. This tells us that God’s words are true and they will be fulfilled
Third, walk with God, have to have and intimate relationship with God, and he will tells us his
plans.
To close,
Who is Noah.
All those that were born of the seed of Adam saw death. And we are no excuse. All of us will
someday, if Christ does not come, will face death. This physical body will end in death.
From whom do you trace your genealogy?
Children of God John 1