The Gospel In Genesis

In Genesis Chapter 5, we have the genealogy of Adam through Noah. This is one of those chapters which we often tend to skim over quickly as we pass through Genesis on our way to bigger and better things. But what if anything can we learn from this chapter. Remember 2nd Timothy 3:16 tells us that “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Even the parts of scripture we may feel are slightly less significant than others.

God of course always rewards the diligent student. Let's examine Genesis chapter 5 more closely.
In our Bible, we read the Hebrew names, but what do these names mean in English?

A Study of Original Roots:

The meaning of proper names can be a difficult pursuit since a direct translation is often not readily available. Even a conventional Hebrew lexicon can prove disappointing. A study of the original roots, however, can yield some fascinating insights.

(Please Note: many study aids, such as a conventional lexicon, can prove rather superficial when dealing with proper nouns. Furthermore, views concerning the meanings of original roots are not free of controversy and variant readings.)

So let’s just dive right in.

Adam:

Adam's name means man. As the first man, that seems straight forward enough.

Adam = Man

Seth:

Adam's son was named Seth, which means appointed. Eve said, "For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

Seth = Appointed

Enosh:

Seth's son was called Enosh, which means mortal, frail, or miserable. It is from the root anash, which is used to speak of mankind as a whole and his mortality. It also suggest the idea of being incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness.

Enosh = Mortal

Kenan:

Enosh's son was named Kenan, which can mean sorrow, dirge, or elegy.

(The precise denotation is somewhat elusive; some study aids unfortunately presume that Kenan is synonymous with Cainan.) Balaam, looking down from the heights of Moab, uses a pun upon the name of the Kenites when he prophesies their destruction.

Kenan = Sorrow

We have no real idea (besides being part of God’s ultimate plan, as to why these names were chosen for their children. Often they may have referred to circumstances at birth, and so on. )

Mahalalel:

Kenan's son was Mahalalel from Mahalal which means blessed or praise; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means the Blessed God. Often Hebrew names include El, the name of God, such as Dan-i-el, "God is my Judge", Beth-el “House of God” etc.

Mahalalel = The Blessed God

Jared:

Mahalalel's son was named Jared, from the verb yaradh; meaning shall come down or descend. This same word is used in Genesis 11:5 “And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded” as well as numerous other verses.

Jared = Shall Come Down

Enoch:

Jared's son was named Enoch, which means teaching, or commencement. He was the first of four generations of preachers. In fact, the earliest recorded prophecy was by Enoch, which amazingly enough deals with the Second Coming of Christ (although it is quoted in the Book of Jude in the New Testament):

“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, "Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against." Jude 14, 15

Enoch was the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah. Apparently, Enoch received the prophecy of the Great Flood, and was told that as long as his son was alive, the judgment of the flood would be withheld. And indeed the year that Methuselah died, the flood came. (See Section on Methuselah for explanation)

Enoch, of course, never died: he was translated (or, if you'll excuse the expression, raptured). That's how Methuselah can be the oldest man in the Bible, yet he died before his father!

Enoch = Teaching

Methuselah:

Methuselah comes from muth, a root that means "death"; and from shalach, which means to bring, or to send forth. The name Methuselah means, "his death shall bring". This apparently was a prophecy given to Enoch that the judgment of the flood would be withheld until the death of his son Methuselah. And just as his father Enoch had predicted, the year that Methuselah died, the flood came.

Methuselah was 187 when his son Lamech was born, and lived 782 more years after that for a total age of 969. Lamech had Noah when he was 182. 187 (Age of Methuselah when his son Lamech was born + 182 (Age of Lamech when Noah was born) = 369. So Methuselah was 369 years old when his grandson Noah was born. Scripture tells us that the flood came in Noah’s 600th year. 369 (Methuselah’s age when his grandson Noah was born) + 600 (Noah’s age when the flood came) = 969, Methuselah's age when he died.

It is interesting that Methuselah's life, in effect, was a symbol of God's mercy in forestalling the coming judgment of the flood. Therefore, it is fitting that his lifetime is the oldest recorded in the Bible, speaking of the extensiveness of God's mercy. Remember that 2nd Peter 3:9 tells us that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering towards us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Methuselah = His Death Shall Bring

Lamech:

Methuselah's son was named Lamech, a root still evident today in our own English word, lament or lamentation. Lamech suggests despairing. (This name is also linked to the Lamech in Cain's line who inadvertently killed his son Tubal-Cain in a hunting incident.) Lamech said in Genesis 4, “for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.” He is in despair over this young man’s death.

Lamech = Despair

Noah:

Lamech, of course, is the father of Noah, which is derived from nacham, to bring relief, rest, comfort, as Lamech himself explains in Genesis 5:29. When Noah was born Lamech, “called his name Noah, saying, This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed.”

Noah = Comfort

The Composite List:

Hebrew --------------------English
Adam-----------------------Man
Seth-------------------------Appointed
Enosh-----------------------Mortal
Kenan----------------------Sorrow
Mahalalel------------------The Blessed God
Jared----------------------Shall come down
Enoch------------------------Teaching
Methuselah----------------His death shall bring
Lamech--------------------The despairing
Noah------------------------Rest, or comfort

So let’s put all of this together:

Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.

That is rather remarkable; Here is a summary of God's plan of redemption, hidden here within a genealogy in Genesis!

Evidences of Design:

The implications of this discovery are far more deeply significant than may be evident at first glance. It demonstrates that in the earliest chapters of the Book of Genesis, God had already laid out His plan of redemption for the predicament of mankind. It is the beginning of a love story, ultimately written in blood on a wooden cross which was erected in Judea almost 2,000 years ago.

Taken from: "A Hidden Message: The Gospel in Genesis" by Dr. Chuck Missler – http://www.khouse.org/articles/1996/44/