Walking With God
“Walking With God” Genesis 5 Sermon Date: November 13th, 2016 Reflections on Sunday’s Sermon
Prayer As you begin your study this week, spend some time praising God for who He is, confessing your sin before Him, and thanking Him for all that He has done for you. Praise Him for being the God of history who, in His sovereignty, orchestrated all things in order to bring about the salvation of His people through His Son Jesus Christ. Consider the words of this prayer taken from the book Prone to Wander by Barbara Duguid and make them your own before the Lord “Our great God, Before you we are full of vanity and iniquity. Our sin has forfeited your favor and corrupted your image, exposing us to the curse of your wrath. Though your law is written deeply on our hearts and consciences, we take little delight in it. You have delivered us from our sin, and continue to deliver us from our foolish weakness, but we are slow to proclaim your faithfulness and speak of your salvation to one another. When you rescue us from pits of destruction, we look on our sin lightly and take your grace and steadfast love for granted. Father, forgive us. Jesus, you are the Lamb for sinners wounded, and the Rock of our salvation. You withstood the heavy load of our guilt and delivered us from the penalty that we so richly deserved. You did not conceal the glory of your Father, but wrapped yourself in our flesh so that we could see and touch that glory and learn of his steadfast love and faithfulness. You proclaimed God’s salvation and deliverance with your lips, your life, your death, and your resurrection. Now, through the gift of faith, your obedience has become our own. Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness to us. Holy Spirit, we cannot deliver ourselves from our indwelling sin. Help us to find in Jesus the power of our salvation: his death is the center of all relief; his life is the source of all our hope and righteousness. Transform us, by your mercy and grace, into children who are more thankful for your kindness, more humble under your correction, more watchful against temptation, more eager to serve you. Give us hearts overflowing with joy in you and lips that boast often of Jesus Christ, our only hope in life and in death. Rescue us each day from the pit of our own self-sufficiency. May we look to Christ, our Rock and Redeemer, in times of sorrow and of peace, until the day when faith becomes sight and all is well with our souls. Amen.” 1
Scripture Genesis 5 – (English Standard Version) 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Handling the Word 1. Our passage this week opens with the words, “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (v. 1). That phrase is one that is repeated throughout the book of Genesis each time a new section is being introduced. How would you summarize this new section which begins in 5:1 and goes through 6:8? How does it connect to the previous section of 2:4-4:26?
2. Our text this week is largely comprised of a genealogical record of the generations from Adam to Noah. Using whatever Bible resources you have access to (i.e. the notes in your study Bible, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, etc.), make note of anything that you find particularly interesting about the genealogy provided in these verses. Why are genealogies (lists of names and generations) an important part of Scripture that should not be ignored?
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Understanding and Applying 1. In the opening verses of our passage, we are provided with several descriptions that point back to the original scene of creation in the garden. What aspects of the creation of mankind are reiterated in the first two verses of chapter 5? Considering all that had transpired since God created man and woman, why would these have been important reminders for God’s people? Why are these truths we still need to be reminded of today?
2. We are told in verse 3 that Adam fathered Seth, “a son in his own likeness.” This certainly means that Seth shared the image of God as his father Adam did, but it also means that Seth inherited the sinful nature of his father as well. As John Currid wrote, “Everything follows the seed of its own nature. No black crow ever produced a white dove, nor does a ferocious lion beget a gentle lamb, and no man polluted with inborn sin ever begets a holy child.” Is it difficult for you to embrace the reality that all human beings share the likeness of Adam in our sinful nature? Why or why not? What do Romans 3:9-26 and 5:12-21 have to say about humanity sharing the likeness of Adam and how we are to deal with the fact that we are like him?
3. One of the phrases that is repeated all throughout this genealogy is the phrase, “and he died” (v. 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, and 31). The consistent repetition of those words certainly serves as a reminder that death had become part of the human experience as a result of sin. Why is it important for all who are living to be reminded of the reality of death on a consistent basis (Ecclesiastes 7:2)? Is it hard for you to consider the reality of death in your own life? Why or why not?
4. What evidences of God’s grace and mercy do we see in this passage that offset the solemn reminder that death has become part of the human experience?
5. As we work our way through the genealogy, we encounter a man named Enoch, who is described differently than the rest of the men listed (v. 21-24). Rather than being told that “he died” like the others, we are informed that God “took” him instead. He was taken away by God rather than experiencing death the way that every other human being does. What does this exception to the reign of death teach us about our God and His relationship with death? What hope does this story give us in spite of the reality that we will all die at some point?
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6. We are also told that Enoch was exceptional because he was a man who “walked with God” (v. 22, 24). What do we know from Hebrews 11:5 that sheds light on what it meant for Enoch to walk with God? What does walking with God look like in our lives today (refer to Colossians 2:6, 1 John 1:5-7 and any other related Scripture that comes to mind)?
7. In regard to Enoch walking with God, A.W. Pink commented, “The word ‘walk’ suggests steady progress… Enoch did not take a turn or two with God and then leave his company, but he walked with God for hundreds of years. What a splendid walk! It was not a run, a leap, a spurt, but a steady walk.” What about that statement do you find particularly helpful as you consider your own walk with the Lord? Why do you find it helpful?
8. What an amazing testimony to the life of Enoch that the description we are left with after he departed is that he was a man who walked with God. If you were a part of a list of generations, what description would you want next to your name? Is there anything that you need to change in order for your life to truly fit the description you want to be remembered by? If so, what is it?
9. In verse 29, we are told that Lamech hoped his son Noah would bring them relief from their work and their painful toil. It is difficult to tell in what sense Lamech thought that Noah might bring relief, but we can certainly see that the brokenness and pain of the world made him long for a deliverer and one who would provide his people with rest. While Noah may not have provided the deliverance and rest that Lamech hoped for, as the rest of Noah’s story suggests, we do know that the ultimate Deliverer and One in whom true rest can be found (Jesus) would one day come through Noah’s genealogical line (Luke 3:36-38). How can we speak of Jesus Christ as our Deliverer and the One in whom we find rest if we still live with the pain and brokenness that resulted from the Fall? How does knowing Jesus as your Deliverer impact the way you see and interact with the broken world around you?
10. What do you feel that the Lord has been teaching you through His Word this week? What in your life needs to be prayed for, confessed, or altered as a result of what you have learned?
“The finality of death caused by sin, and so powerfully demonstrated in the genealogy of Genesis, is in fact not so final. Man was not born to die; he was born to live, and that life comes by walking with God… Walking with God is the key to the chains of the curse.” T.J. Cole 4
Prayer As you begin your study this week, spend some time praising God for who He is, confessing your sin before Him, and thanking Him for all that He has done for you. Praise Him for being the God of history who, in His sovereignty, orchestrated all things in order to bring about the salvation of His people through His Son Jesus Christ. Consider the words of this prayer taken from the book Prone to Wander by Barbara Duguid and make them your own before the Lord “Our great God, Before you we are full of vanity and iniquity. Our sin has forfeited your favor and corrupted your image, exposing us to the curse of your wrath. Though your law is written deeply on our hearts and consciences, we take little delight in it. You have delivered us from our sin, and continue to deliver us from our foolish weakness, but we are slow to proclaim your faithfulness and speak of your salvation to one another. When you rescue us from pits of destruction, we look on our sin lightly and take your grace and steadfast love for granted. Father, forgive us. Jesus, you are the Lamb for sinners wounded, and the Rock of our salvation. You withstood the heavy load of our guilt and delivered us from the penalty that we so richly deserved. You did not conceal the glory of your Father, but wrapped yourself in our flesh so that we could see and touch that glory and learn of his steadfast love and faithfulness. You proclaimed God’s salvation and deliverance with your lips, your life, your death, and your resurrection. Now, through the gift of faith, your obedience has become our own. Jesus, thank you for your faithfulness to us. Holy Spirit, we cannot deliver ourselves from our indwelling sin. Help us to find in Jesus the power of our salvation: his death is the center of all relief; his life is the source of all our hope and righteousness. Transform us, by your mercy and grace, into children who are more thankful for your kindness, more humble under your correction, more watchful against temptation, more eager to serve you. Give us hearts overflowing with joy in you and lips that boast often of Jesus Christ, our only hope in life and in death. Rescue us each day from the pit of our own self-sufficiency. May we look to Christ, our Rock and Redeemer, in times of sorrow and of peace, until the day when faith becomes sight and all is well with our souls. Amen.” 1
Scripture Genesis 5 – (English Standard Version) 1 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. 4 The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. 5 Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. 6 When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. 7 Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. 8 Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. 9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. 15 When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. 16 Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. 17 Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. 18 When Jared had lived 162 years he fathered Enoch. 19 Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. 22 Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. 25 When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. 26 Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. 27 Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died. 28 When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son 29 and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” 30 Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. 31 Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died. 32 After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Handling the Word 1. Our passage this week opens with the words, “This is the book of the generations of Adam” (v. 1). That phrase is one that is repeated throughout the book of Genesis each time a new section is being introduced. How would you summarize this new section which begins in 5:1 and goes through 6:8? How does it connect to the previous section of 2:4-4:26?
2. Our text this week is largely comprised of a genealogical record of the generations from Adam to Noah. Using whatever Bible resources you have access to (i.e. the notes in your study Bible, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, etc.), make note of anything that you find particularly interesting about the genealogy provided in these verses. Why are genealogies (lists of names and generations) an important part of Scripture that should not be ignored?
2
Understanding and Applying 1. In the opening verses of our passage, we are provided with several descriptions that point back to the original scene of creation in the garden. What aspects of the creation of mankind are reiterated in the first two verses of chapter 5? Considering all that had transpired since God created man and woman, why would these have been important reminders for God’s people? Why are these truths we still need to be reminded of today?
2. We are told in verse 3 that Adam fathered Seth, “a son in his own likeness.” This certainly means that Seth shared the image of God as his father Adam did, but it also means that Seth inherited the sinful nature of his father as well. As John Currid wrote, “Everything follows the seed of its own nature. No black crow ever produced a white dove, nor does a ferocious lion beget a gentle lamb, and no man polluted with inborn sin ever begets a holy child.” Is it difficult for you to embrace the reality that all human beings share the likeness of Adam in our sinful nature? Why or why not? What do Romans 3:9-26 and 5:12-21 have to say about humanity sharing the likeness of Adam and how we are to deal with the fact that we are like him?
3. One of the phrases that is repeated all throughout this genealogy is the phrase, “and he died” (v. 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, and 31). The consistent repetition of those words certainly serves as a reminder that death had become part of the human experience as a result of sin. Why is it important for all who are living to be reminded of the reality of death on a consistent basis (Ecclesiastes 7:2)? Is it hard for you to consider the reality of death in your own life? Why or why not?
4. What evidences of God’s grace and mercy do we see in this passage that offset the solemn reminder that death has become part of the human experience?
5. As we work our way through the genealogy, we encounter a man named Enoch, who is described differently than the rest of the men listed (v. 21-24). Rather than being told that “he died” like the others, we are informed that God “took” him instead. He was taken away by God rather than experiencing death the way that every other human being does. What does this exception to the reign of death teach us about our God and His relationship with death? What hope does this story give us in spite of the reality that we will all die at some point?
3
6. We are also told that Enoch was exceptional because he was a man who “walked with God” (v. 22, 24). What do we know from Hebrews 11:5 that sheds light on what it meant for Enoch to walk with God? What does walking with God look like in our lives today (refer to Colossians 2:6, 1 John 1:5-7 and any other related Scripture that comes to mind)?
7. In regard to Enoch walking with God, A.W. Pink commented, “The word ‘walk’ suggests steady progress… Enoch did not take a turn or two with God and then leave his company, but he walked with God for hundreds of years. What a splendid walk! It was not a run, a leap, a spurt, but a steady walk.” What about that statement do you find particularly helpful as you consider your own walk with the Lord? Why do you find it helpful?
8. What an amazing testimony to the life of Enoch that the description we are left with after he departed is that he was a man who walked with God. If you were a part of a list of generations, what description would you want next to your name? Is there anything that you need to change in order for your life to truly fit the description you want to be remembered by? If so, what is it?
9. In verse 29, we are told that Lamech hoped his son Noah would bring them relief from their work and their painful toil. It is difficult to tell in what sense Lamech thought that Noah might bring relief, but we can certainly see that the brokenness and pain of the world made him long for a deliverer and one who would provide his people with rest. While Noah may not have provided the deliverance and rest that Lamech hoped for, as the rest of Noah’s story suggests, we do know that the ultimate Deliverer and One in whom true rest can be found (Jesus) would one day come through Noah’s genealogical line (Luke 3:36-38). How can we speak of Jesus Christ as our Deliverer and the One in whom we find rest if we still live with the pain and brokenness that resulted from the Fall? How does knowing Jesus as your Deliverer impact the way you see and interact with the broken world around you?
10. What do you feel that the Lord has been teaching you through His Word this week? What in your life needs to be prayed for, confessed, or altered as a result of what you have learned?
“The finality of death caused by sin, and so powerfully demonstrated in the genealogy of Genesis, is in fact not so final. Man was not born to die; he was born to live, and that life comes by walking with God… Walking with God is the key to the chains of the curse.” T.J. Cole 4
