♰ St. Mark Coptic Church 11th Grade Genesis 5: From Adam to Noah Ψαλμός (The Emotions of Jesus) Left: Why do the nations rage, And why do the people imagine a vain thing? Right: The kings of the earth rise up, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the LORD and against His Anointed: “Let us break Their bonds asunder And cast away Their yokes from us.” Left: He who dwells in the heavens shall laugh them to scorn; The LORD shall have them in derision. Right: He shall speak to them in His wrath, And trouble them in His anger: “I was established as King by Him On His holy hill, Zion.” Left: “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, Right: ‘You are My Son, Today have I begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. Left: You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Right: Now therefore, be wise, O kings; Be instructed, you judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, And rejoice in Him with trembling. Left: Kiss His Son, lest He be angry, And you perish from the way, For His wrath is quickly kindled. Right: Blessed are all who put their trust in Him. * * * “From Adam to Noah” (Genesis 5) Characters 1. God 2. Adam ..... 930 3. Seth ..... 912 4. Enosh .... 905 5. Kenan .... 910 6. Mahalalel 895 7. Jared .... 962 8. Enoch .... 365 [1] 9. Methuselah 969 [2] 10. Lamech ... 777 11. Noah 12. Shem, Ham, Japheth Adam’s Line This is the written account of Adam's line. God (note that it begins with God) When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man.” Adam When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. Seth When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. And after he became the father of Enosh, Seth lived 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. Enosh When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan. And after he became the father of Kenan, Enosh lived 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. Kenan When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. And after he became the father of Mahalalel, Kenan lived 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. Mahalalel When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. And after he became the father of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. Jared When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. And after he became the father of Enoch, Jared lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. Enoch When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (Note that in Cain’s geneaology, the cousin at the same generation as Enoch was Lamech, a vengeful killer.) Methuselah When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. And after he became the father of Lamech, Methuselah lived 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. Lamech When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.” After Noah was born, Lamech lived 595 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. Noah After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth. NOTES Enoch The Ethiopian Book of Enoch is action packed. Talked about angels being cast to earth to mend their ways. Methusaleh Lived the longest years on earth in history. Name sounds like “When he dies, we will send it.” One of the prophesies in the book of Enoch (about Methusaleh) is, “When he dies, we will send it.” What do you think is the “it?” Check this out. Jude 14-15. Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, “to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” That is God’s judgement. Notice that it came long before Noah himself. In fact Enoch was taken before Noah was born (see the Genesis timeline). Q: What is the meaning of Methusaleh’s life time and the length of time between this judgement and the onslaught of the flood itself? A: The length of his life indicates God’s patience. There are poems people wrote on the mouth of Methusaleh asking, “How long O Lord?” His life is a witness to the longsuffering of the Lord. In the poetic words of Methusaleh is described the status of the world in his time. What were people saying and doing. Enoch received God’s judgement before Methusaleh was born. So God waited almost a millenium. What was going on got even worse than before. By letting these things go on, the human race would have eradicated itself. When men ignore God, they eat each other like a cancer. A tumor starts eating the regular flesh until there is no more and then it dies from within, by eating itself. Enoch was righteous enough to be taken in rapture. Therefore his descendants must also be worthy of saving, such as Noah. So what saved Noah -- the ark? Only physically. What truly saved him? The water! Because of the water, Noah was given a chance when the evil that was spreading on the worth was treated. God gives Noah a new chance on the earth. Otherwise God will have to wipe it and start over. But God said, let’s give it a chance. What about all these bad people who went to Sheol/Hades/Hell before the flood? Check this out... 1 Peter 3:18-22. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. 21 There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. Questions about this reading: 1. Who went to the spirits in prison? Jesus 2. How he went? In spirit through the cross. Like Jonah going to save a wicked people. They have no clue. These people were given a chance to hear the message of God. 3. Note that God was waiting. Gave them a chance until they exhausted all their chances. Then He sent His Son. He doesn’t leave anyone. Five questions in general about the Bible, you should always ask yourself: 1. God. What does this story tell us about God? He is patient, eager to save all, not to wipe and start over. 2. Church. What is the Church? Why do we need to have a Church? What do we do? The ark is the church. There is one genus, one creature that will not be killed. The sea creatures. That is one of the symbols of Christians. The live in the world, but they are not of the world. They are not killed by the flood. Live fish swim against the current. So the fish are on God’s side. That is why the early Christians drew a fish. 3. Commandment. What is required of me? What should I (not) do? Do not use the name of God in any kind of common. I would prefer not to mention the name of God in any casual conversation. It is profane to use the name of God outside of prayer. If we do, it can happen that you are saying profane words and you insert the holy name with it. Almost like I am eating anything and I eat a piece of the Body of Christ with it. What if we mis-pronounce the name of God. We have to understand the name of God has power. We say, O God, the Great the Eternal. 4. Prayer. How can I pray, communicate with God, “walk with God?” Continuous relationship at all times. He said “walk with me and be perfect.” We are required to walk with God. We should go His way. We should seek His life. Not merely invite Christ into our life, but for us to seek His life. “Leave your father and come to a land I will show you.” 5. What is the meaning of this story? We should have hope that God seeks us, unlike any of man’s false gods, fabricated deities, and fictitious mythologies. ### References about Christ enlightening the souls in hades... Sirach 24:45 I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord. Hosea 13:14 I will ransom them from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from Death. Zechariah 9:11 As for you also, Because of the blood of your covenant, I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit. Colossians 2:15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. 1 Peter 3:18-22 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also HE WENT AND PREACHED TO THE SPIRITS IN PRISON, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. 1 Peter 4:1-6 Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles—when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED ALSO TO THOSE WHO ARE DEAD, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. Coptic Anaphora Ⲁϥϣⲉⲛⲁϥ ⲉ̀ⲡⲉⲥⲏⲧ ⲉ̀ⲁ̀ⲙⲉⲛϯ ⲉ̀ⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲓⲧⲉⲛ ⲡⲓ̀ⲥⲧⲁⲩⲣⲟⲥ. He descended into Hades through the Cross. Armenian Anaphora Իջեալ ի ստորին վայրս մահու մարմնովն՝ զոր ի մերմէս ընկալաւ յազգակցութենէ. եւ զնիգս դժոխոցն աղարտեալ հզօրեղապէս, զքեզ միայն ծանոյց մեզ ճշմարիտ Աստուած, զԱստուածդ կենդանեաց եւ մեռելոց։ Descending into the nether regions of death in the body which he took of our kinship, and mightily breaking asunder the bolts of hell, He made You known to us, the only true God, the God of the living and of the dead.