10.10.26 – Introducing the "End Times" Ezer Kenegdo, Part 3

Today, we get one step closer to the days of Noah... yippee! But... before we get to him, there is a genealogy in Genesis 5 that is noteworthy for its emphasis on death—each entry ends with the phrase, "and he died," unique among Genesis genealogies. You would think it is obvious that within a genealogy you have "and he died," but there is more to the story, for sure. Amazingly, there is a break with Enoch, who walked with God (Gen. 5:22), but the phrase "and he died" begins again with Methuselah (Gen. 5:20, 27).

Drumroll, please... At the end of the chapter, we are introduced to Noah, the son of a new Lamech. Lamech gives Noah his name as part of a prophecy that Noah will bring comfort from man's toil, which comes from the soil (adamah) which the Lord cursed (arur) (Gen. 5:29). Then Lamech dies, and the chapter ends in the middle of Noah's genealogy (Gen. 5:32). This is a cliffhanger—we are not told that Noah dies, but we are also not told how Noah will fulfill the prophecy of his name by reversing the curse on the soil (adamah). Before we launch forward too far, let us do a quick review...

Adam was meant to be an avad (servant) of the adamah (soil), but failed, and now the adamah is arur (cursed) abur (because of) Adam, yielding only thorns-and-thistles bread, not fruit, man's original food.

In losing the freedom to have full access to the garden full of fruit trees, man lost direct access to the Tree of Life, and death became a reality… is that true, or just what we have been taught?

Mankind, in spite of their knowledge of good and evil, has chosen a life of disobedience to what God has commanded. They failed to learn good judgment—the only judgment rendered has been from Lamech, a corrupt ruler.

Man has become an ishah-taker (woman-taker), with Lamech. Hearkening back to ishah's curse, ish (man) is ruling harshly with ishah.

Man has become an ish-killer, disregarding the necessity to be a brother's keeper, first with Cain, and now with Lamech. The adamah is full of the dam (blood) of ish.

Is any of this sounding familiar to the time we live in?

Up to this point in the story, the outlook is bleak. Man has not been a faithful ruler over creation (Gen. 1:26–28; Heb. 2). Instead, all aspects of creation have been breaking down, and the cursed soil is soaked with blood. And now, we are introduced to Noah, the man who will reverse the curse of Adam and Cain on adamah.

In Genesis 6, we get a summary of mankind after they had "begun to multiply on the face of the adamah" (Gen. 6:1). The sons of God see that the daughters of man (adam) are good, similarly to how the ishah saw that the tree of knowledge was good for food. So they take wives for themselves, whoever they choose, with an emphasis on using them however they want (Gen. 6:2). Instead of filling the earth God's way (Gen. 1:26–28), they have filled it with evil (Gen. 6:5) and violence (hamas) (Gen. 6:11). Like Cain, all the children of Eve have been mastered by sin. Lamech's sin of murder and ishah-taking has spread over the whole earth. Because of this, the earth is now ruined (shahat) (Gen. 6:11–12).

God responds in kind; just as mankind has spread evil on the earth and ruined (shahat) it, so God will ruin (shahat) them (Gen. 6:13). We see echoes of Genesis 1 here, but with a twist. God is going to blot out mankind, beast, creeping crawling things, and fowl of the heavens (Gen. 6:7)—the same list of animals God originally created on days five and six. The language in Genesis 6:12 also echoes creation: "God saw the earth, and behold, it was ruined." What was good and meant to be filled with life is now filled with evil and violence and is ruined, and so God will ruin it all, undoing His creation.

Shabbat Shalom!
Alan


“The Gospel in Genesis 5” refers to the interpretation that assigns English meanings to the Hebrew names of the ten patriarchs from Adam to Noah, revealing a continuous Messianic message.


Meaning of the Names


* Adam: Man

* Seth: Appointed

* Enosh: Mortal

* Kenan: Sorrow (or dirge)

* Mahalalel: The Blessed God

* Jared: Shall come down

* Enoch: Teaching (or dedicated)

* Methuselah: His death shall bring

* Lamech: The despairing (or brought low)

* Noah: Rest or comfort


"Man is appointed mortal sorrow, but the Blessed God shall come down teaching, and His death shall bring the despairing rest."

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