HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Opening Prayer
Thank You, my Savior, for each day that You wake me up to live for You.
Read Genesis 5
From Adam to Noah
5 This is the written account of Adam’s family line.
When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind”[a] when they were created.
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 4 After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 5 Altogether, Adam lived a total of 930 years, and then he died.
6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father[b] of Enosh. 7 After he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Altogether, Seth lived a total of 912 years, and then he died.
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. 10 After he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Altogether, Enosh lived a total of 905 years, and then he died.
12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 13 After he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Altogether, Kenan lived a total of 910 years, and then he died.
15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 16 After he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Altogether, Mahalalel lived a total of 895 years, and then he died.
18 When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 19 After he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 26 After he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Altogether, Methuselah lived a total of 969 years, and then he died.
28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah[c] and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 30 After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Altogether, Lamech lived a total of 777 years, and then he died.
32 After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth.
Footnotes:
a Genesis 5:2 Hebrew adam
b Genesis 5:6 Father may mean ancestor; also in verses 7-26.
c Genesis 5:29 Noah sounds like the Hebrew for comfort.
New International Version (NIV)
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Reflect
Who are the most elderly Christians you know? What is one thing you might learn from them?In today’s chapter lots of people live to a (very) ripe old age, have children, and then die (usually). I always hope that Methuselah had invested in birthday-cake candles…
Anyway, this would have all sounded very odd to ancient readers, for two reasons. First, because these were ordinary men (involved with ordinary women, noting verse 2). They were “sons of Adam,” which meant “human” as we saw before. In other words, this is not a list of kings. In the ancient world every culture had its list of kings who were descended from the gods. But not Israel. Their holy book started with Adam and human sons. God’s story is for everyone, not just royalty.
Secondly, this list emphasizes that each man died. Their ages may look huge to us, but compared to the semi-divine kings of other stories, who lived for 30,000 or 40,000 years, “969” was a remarkably small number. So again, God’s story was for mortal human beings, just like us.
The seventh in line, Enoch, did not die. He walked with God, then and perhaps forever (24). Maybe that was a picture of what we all hope for in life. I’m not sure. One day I intend to ask God about it.
Apply
Genesis 5 was meant to surprise its readers, and remind them that God cared for everyone. Ask God to surprise you today by showing you someone unexpected for whom He cares.
Closing prayer
Thank You, Jesus, for those You have placed in my life to encourage me in the faith. Help me to be an encouragement too.
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