Genesis 5:21. A Ticking Time Prophecy

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Genesis 5:21 “And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:”

    Like Lamech, the assassin descendant of Cain, Enoch was the 7th generation from Adam (Counting Adam as the first generation. See also Jude 1:14). The generational gap from Adam is about the only thing the two men have in common, however, except perhaps the slightly extended length of commentary about them as compared to the rest of the men in each genealogy (Compare Genesis 4:19-24 and 5:21-24). Beyond that, everything is stark contrast: while Lamech plumbed the depths of wickedness, Enoch ascended the heights of godliness. 

    Enoch copied his grandfather and started his family at age sixty-five. His son’s name Methuselah in the original Hebrew is a compound of two words:  math,  meaning “an adult (as of full length),” which derives from mâthay, meaning “to extend; properly extent of time, when (either relative or interrogative) long,” and, -Shelach, the meaning of which is “a missile of attack, that is spear, also figuratively a shoot of growth, that is, branch:” This word derives from shâlach which means "to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications) bring, cast (away, out), forsake, give (up)” (Ibid). 

    In synthesis, Methuselah literally means, “when as an adult his time extends and reaches its full length, then comes the attack, or the forsaking and giving up.” In other words, when Methuselah would die, then the world would be given up to divine justice, forsaken and cast away. Thus Methuselah’s name was a dire warning of judgment to come, and his life was a ticking time prophecy. How can we be sure? Firstly, Enoch had the gift of prophecy and preached of the coming judgment of God (Jude 1:14-15). Secondly, the math in the coming verses confirms that Methuselah died the very year that God destroyed the world with water.

     What would happen if we were to follow the example of Enoch and not only seek righteousness for ourselves, but disciple our posterity? Wouldn't our families also become living sermons to warn the world?  

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Ezra James
The Word of God is bread from heaven. God sent it, but we must gather it, appreciate it, digest it, and live by it. These days it is increasingly scarce. Many are starving for it and don't know it because they keep feasting on bad bread that doesn't satisfy. But if we would learn to carefully gather up the fragments of the True, Heavenly Bread of Life, we would always enjoy a feast of crumbs, because even God's crumbs are miracles mighty to save (Mark 7:24-30). ESPAÑOL: La Palabra de Dios es pan del cielo. Dios lo envió, pero debemos recogerlo, apreciarlo, digerirlo y vivir por él. Hoy en día es cada vez más escaso. Muchos están muriendo de hambre por falta de él sin saberlo porque se alimentan de pan falso que no satisface. Pero si aprendiéramos a recoger cuidadosamente los fragmentos del Verdadero Pan Celestial, Pan de Vida, siempre disfrutaríamos de un banquete de migajas, porque hasta las migajas de Dios son milagros poderosos para salvar (Marcos 7:24-30).