It is written:
“This is the book of the genealogy of Adam. In the day that God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.” (Genesis 5:1)
Found within Genesis 5 is the record of patriarchs from Adam to Noah. These descendants also provide a partial genealogy of the Messiah’s bloodline. Amazingly, when we carefully examine the meaning of the names of these ten men, we see a stunning prophecy of the Messiah Himself. Missler has well and powerfully written:
“”Since there is such significance in Methuselah’s name, let’s examine the other names to discover what may lie behind them. (Bear with me on this: it’ll be worth it!) The first name, Adam, , adomah, means “man.” As the first man, that seems straightforward enough. Adam’s son was named Seth, , which means “appointed.” “When he was born Eve said, “For God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.”15 Seth’s son was called Enosh, , which means “mortal,” “frail,” or “miserable.” It is from the root anash: to be incurable, used of a wound, grief, woe, sickness, or wickedness. It was in the days of Enosh that men began to defile the name of the Living God.16 Enosh’s son was named Kenan, from 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, employed a pun upon the name of the Kenites when he prophesied their destruction.17) We have no real idea as to why these names were chosen for their children. Often they may have referred to circumstances at their birth, etc. Kenan’s son was Mahalalel, from , which means “blessed” or “praise”; and El, the name for God. Thus, Mahalalel means “the Blessed God.” Often Hebrew names included El, the name of God, as Dani-el, “God is my Judge,” Nathani-el, “Gift of God,” etc. Mahalalel’s son was named Jared, , from the verb yaradh, meaning “shall come down.” Some authorities suggest that this might be an allusion to the “Sons of God” who “came down” to corrupt the daughters of men, resulting in the Nephilim (“fallen ones”) of Genesis 6.18 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,…Enoch was the father of Methuselah, whom we have already mentioned. Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah.19 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. The year that Methuselah died, the Flood came. 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.20) Lamech, of course, is the father of Noah, , which is derived from nacham, “to bring relief” or “comfort,” as Lamech himself explains..“Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest.” Here is a summary of God’s plan of redemption, hidden here within a genealogy in Genesis!…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. This is also one of many evidences that the Bible is an integrated message system, the product of supernatural engineering. This punctures the you presumptions of many who view the Bible as a record of an evolving cultural tradition, noble though it may be. It claims to be authored by the One who alone knows the end from the beginning.21 It is astonishing to discover how many Biblical “controversies” seem to evaporate if one simply recognizes the unity—the integrity—of these 66 books. Every number, every place name, every detail—every jot and tittle—is part of a tightly engineered design, tailored for our learning, our discovery, and our amazement.” (Chuck Missler, Hidden Treasures In The Biblical Text, 1443-231 (Kindle Edition, emphasis added, M.T.); Coeur d’Alene, ID; Koinonoia House)
My friends, everything in Scripture points to Jesus of Nazareth. These names were given centuries before the Messiah was born. Indeed, they are considerably older then Moses himself, as Moses was referencing the ancient “book of Adam” when he wrote this account in Genesis (Genesis 5:1).
Truly, Jesus is Lord.
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