18 Now Jared lived 162 years, and fathered Enoch. 19 Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he fathered Enoch, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.

21 Now Enoch lived sixty-five years, and fathered Methuselah. 22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he fathered Methuselah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

25 Now Methuselah lived 187 years, and fathered Lamech. 26 Then Methuselah lived 782 years after he fathered Lamech, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 27 So all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.

28 Now Lamech lived 182 years, and fathered a son. 29 And he named him Noah, saying, “This one will give us comfort from our work and from the hard labor of our hands caused by the ground which the Lord has cursed.” 30 Then Lamech lived 595 years after he fathered Noah, and he fathered other sons and daughters. 31 So all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.

32 Now after Noah was five hundred years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 5:18-32 (NASB)

As we continue the genealogy from Adam to Noah, there are three notable things we want to focus on.

Walked and was not

Jared had a son, Enoch, and like the rest, lived X number of years then died. Enoch had a son, lived 365 years…then God took him. The first thing we notice is that Enoch “only” made it to 365 years. But that is inextricably tied to v24, “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him”. What in the world does this mean?

Walking is synonymous with living our lives. We’re encouraged as believers to “walk as Jesus walked” (1 John 2:6) – to live our lives as He lived His. Paul tells us to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way…” (Coll 1:10). “Man was not born to die; he was born to live, and that life comes by walking with God. Walking with God is the key to the chains of the curse.” (planobiblechapel.org quoting Cole)

Guinness record holder

We noted previously that people lived loooong lives. Of course, someone has to be the oldest. Surprisingly enough, it’s not Adam, the first man. The record goes to Methuselah who lived not a century, but almost a millenia! He lived 969 years. But that was not his most significant role. He fathered Lamech who fathered Noah.

Sign of completion

Lamech is the father of Noah. We know that The Lord wipes out mankind and starts over again with Noah and his family. So Lamech represents the last generation who were pre-flood / didn’t make it past the flood. He is the last one who’s age is listed before the flood. The flood was God’s judgment on mankind for decline into utter depravity. 

How long did Lamech live? 777 years. In the Bible, 7 is the number of completion and 3 is the sign of holiness. This is not coincidental. I just noticed this while preparing this post. The length of his life, I have to believe, was specifically timed by God (as all lives are) for this purpose – to signify the “fullness of time”. God says to Noah in Gen 6:13, “The end of humanity has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of people”.

RЯeflection

• How’s your walk? Are we walking with the Lord, living our life as Jesus lived His? Do we daily, even moment-by-moment, trust Him, die to ourselves, do the good works He prepared for us, love Him and others?