This is the list of the descendants of Adam. When God created humankind, he made them in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them ‘Humankind’ when they were created.
When Adam had lived for one hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his likeness, according to his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
When Seth had lived for one hundred and five years, he became the father of Enosh. Seth lived after the birth of Enosh for eight hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
When Enosh had lived for ninety years, he became the father of Kenan. Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan for eight hundred and fifteen years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
When Kenan had lived for seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel for eight hundred and forty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
When Mahalalel had lived for sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared for eight hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.
When Jared had lived for one hundred and sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. Jared lived after the birth of Enoch for eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
When Enoch had lived for sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah for three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him.
When Methuselah had lived for one hundred and eighty-seven years, he became the father of Lamech. Methuselah lived after the birth of Lamech for seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty-nine years; and he died.
When Lamech had lived for one hundred and eighty-two years, he became the father of a son; he named him Noah, saying, ‘Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.’ Lamech lived after the birth of Noah for five hundred and ninety-five years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Lamech were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died.
After Noah was five hundred years old, Noah became the father of Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
The desire to show that the history of Israel was no human accident, but that from the beginning it had been shaped by the sure and sovereign will of God, Genesis has constructed for us a genealogy. The descendants of Israel begin the telling of their history with the purposeful creation of Adam by God and then trace their genealogy from Adam to Noah, and then from Noah to Abraham.
This long chapter of begatting is P’s (the priestly source) attempts to draw a divine origin for the people of Israel, probably over and against the other surrounding peoples, such as the Babylonians. In such manner Israel becomes the People of God and all other civilizations become the “other” and need not be treated as equal.
For one, this would allow the People of God to justify their entry into the Promised Land as conquerors. So you could see how P would want to re-write divine origins to justify the actions of the nation. In a way it makes perfect sense.
It also allows a people to perform acts of brutality and aggression as the Chosen People of God. It is this same mentality that has lead the United States of America to the belief that their way of life is the best, since they are the new chosen people. Which prompts the desire to impose their way of life upon others in the name of freedom.
Aside from this there are a few other things that I wish to draw your attention to and perhaps this may support the idea that P has revised some of the early tradition and oral sources of J and E. In the previous chapter Cain knew his wife and she bore Enoch. And from Enoch line comes Lamech. But in this chapter we pick up the genealogy from Adam’s third son, Seth.
And from Seth we get a line that leads to, well you guest it, Enoch. Then it leads to Mathuselah and then Lamech, just like the previous chapter.
Is this P blending again, or is this a different genealogy altogether, but wiyj the same names? After all, the people of Israel cannot be descended from Cain; they would have to have a divine ancestry that traced back to Adam through his third son or they would be just like everyone else in the world. So is this revisionist again? Or are there two genealogies wit the same names?
The next thing of course is Enoch himself. Enoch walked with God. Does this mean he was a priest or prophet? Did he somehow know God while others did not? It would seem to be the case to me at least that he did know God in a special way.
And then he is no more because God takes him. Takes him where? Heaven? Since all others die, this seems very important in some way. Later in the tradition there is Elijah, who was taking up bodily into heaven, but others die and then ascend, like Moses. So is this a case of bodily going to heaven? Is it like Elijah’s bodily ascension?
Whatever the answer is, the importance of having a genealogy that has divine origins or divine creation is very important to every culture. As such we should not be surprised to see such a genealogy amongst the Hebrew scriptures, nor surprised that Christians claim this same genealogy.
The question is this though, does one need claim this genealogy to be considered made in the image and likeness of God?
I’d argue “no.”
The series of genealogies that appear throughout the Old Testament and in Matthew and Luke each have a specific purpose: to demonstrate the spread of God’s chosen people; to help trace King David’s lineage through the patriarchs; and to help prove that Jesus came from kingly stock (on both sides of the family!).
Through Jesus’ sacrifice, however, we lose the need to connect to God’s chosen; we’re ALL God’s chosen through the sacrifice on the cross. We can all trace our lineage through Christ in a metaphorical way to connect with David, Abraham, Noah, Adam, and God.
Nevertheless…what great food for thought.
I would argue no as well. To answer the exact question you have asked, “does one need claim this genealogy to be considered made in the image and likeness of God?”
Well check this out. Adam came in the image of God, Correct? Then Seth Came from the Image of Adam or man. So Adam came perfect as God was perfect, then man sinned against God. So Seth would of been created in the image of man not the image of God, He would of been a product of sin not of perfection like Adam. Thus every one born after Adam was in the image of man not in the image of god. What the genealogy dose is show is Gods Covenant with man and who it would be through, take Abraham and then Isaac for example it, would be fulfilled through this blood line.
The only way to become in the “Image of God” now is through the reconciling of Jesus Christ and accepting what he did on the cross, The atonement for sin. And believing it and taking Christ to be your savior. Without that we are still in the image of man and spotted with sin.
A little something to think about. If Adam was created in the image of God, and God is perfect, can God create something that will therefore not be perfect? In other words can man or sin undue what God created? And if so, what does that say about God?
All I know the bible says when we see him we will be like him.
@ Marty: God did create Adam and Eve perfectly. They chose to corrupt the perfection. What the action of sin (transgression of instruction) did was break the connection between man and divine. A scuba diver’s life source is the air tanks he carries. If he looses connection to his air tanks then his life decays. When he is reintroduced to the air tanks then his life proliferates.
It is good to question all things as even the Bibles says to do so, but hold to what is good.
@seeker but if Adam en Eve were erfect then they wouldn’t chose to corrupt the perfection because they are perfect.
Also it’s implied, repeatedly, that the generation after Cain and Abel was created by sex among siblings, or I guess sex between parents and children. The scriptures don’t seem to say otherwise. According to Darwinian evolution, incest is NOT necessary.
By “repeatedly” I mean this same is true for creating the generations after Noah’s children (who were all male).
> If Adam was created in the image of God, and God is perfect, can God create something that will therefore not be perfect?
How can something be perfect if it is lacking something, such as freedom of will?
> In other words can man or sin undue [sic] what God created?
Of course. How about the life that God created? “…for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die.” Gen 2:17.
> And if so, what does that say about God?
That even though perfection was lost by the first man, God was still was able to come into human form and offer a way to regain it: “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (Heb 5:9).
There is a distinction between God creating something that has free will, opposed to God creating something that does not. God created Man, God gave Man free will, Man chose to disobey God, Man had free will to choose right from wrong, Man chose wrong. God created Angels, God gave Angels free will, Lucifer chose to disobey God, including a third of all created Angels chose to disobey God and follow Lucifer. Lucifer and a third of all created Angels chose wrong. God did not create Sin, he gave created corprial beings the right to choose between Good and Evil, he allowed it, he willed it. He rewards obedience, and he punishes disobedience, yet he forgives through his Son Jesus Christ. We are all the descendants of Noah, Noah is the descendant of Adam, the Adamic bloodline was corrupted by the Son’s of God (Fallen Angel’s) “Demons” as they are most commonly referred to now. Satan new God would one day send his Messiah, but he knew not when. God flooded the world due to the procreation of fallen Angel’s with human Women and Man’s iniquity. He chose Noah and his Wife, three Son’s and three Daughter in Laws to begin an Noahic bloodline for purity beyond Man’s iniquity and a corrupted bloodline caused by Demon’s procreating with Women. Without Adam, we would not have Noah, without Noah we would not have ourselves. Genealogy concerning Scripture is 100% accurate and important, it is in stages of Covenant’s that God’s will has assured us our Salvation as Believers in Christ our Lord.
Thanks for the comment Allen. But the problem remains. Can God create something in His image that is not perfect, or perfectly obedient if you like? Or can God create a stone so heavy even He cannot lift it? Of course this philosophical problem that can never really truly be solved, but it does give us something to think about when trying to understand the nature of God and therefore something of our own nature.
And has we look to the nature of God, we are often drawn towards love. That God is love, for instance, “that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son.” That makes me wonder whether God does in fact punish for all eternity those that disobey. That certainly doesn’t seem like love, but more of a jealous and vengeful God (which is how the Hebrew Bible portrays God).
It raises questions surrounding Grace and Mercy, in getting the things we do not deserve (Grace) and not getting the things we do deserve (Mercy). And are these gifts of Grace and Mercy subject to the human act of believing? Of a human work, a spiritual work? If I believe I am saved…not God saves me, but I save myself through belief. That seems rather dangerous territory.
As noted in my original post though, there seems to be two distinct genealogies blended together here, which would imply therefore that the genealogy in scripture is in fact not 100% accurate, but has been adapted for reasons that the editor, in this case P, can only answer. But then again is a genealogy even necessary? The covenant is no longer past through blood, as in parents to children, like in the people of Israel. Now the covenant is past in baptism, regardless of genealogy. Which I think speaks to the nature of God, of love. That all are graciously accepted into the kingdom of God.
But shouldnt all but Noah, and his children be dead because God made a mistake with mankind they weren’t perfect, hence the flood? And how godlike is the unmistakable incestuous cousins marrying and having children… This all is far from divine to me
Thanks for the comment Barry. Up to this point the flood as not yet happened. The genealogy is meant to draw a lineage from Adam to Noah, so that we can say Noah is made in the image of God.
I am also uneasy about whether or not God made a mistake with mankind. To say so is to imply God is not perfect.