Showing posts with label generations. Show all posts
Showing posts with label generations. Show all posts

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

In Genesis it says “He created male and female he created them” but then it tells about Adam and Eve. So were we created at one or two times?

So go grab your Bible and read Genesis 1:27 (this is the verse you are asking about) and then also read the story of Adam and Eve which begins with Genesis 2:4 and goes to the end of chapter 4.

I can see why you asked this question, there is a lot of information and it is a little difficult to put together, isn’t it?

Here’s the deal … Genesis 1:27 is introducing the idea that humans (both male and female) are created in God’s image. God is telling us that we are the crown of His creation! And we are created to have a spiritual relationship with Him, a kind of relationship that no other created being (not dogs, elephants, monkeys, porpoises, or anything else, no matter how smart) can have with Him. That’s cool, and that’s what Genesis 1:27 is all about.

Then in Genesis chapters 2 and 3, the Bible starts telling about Adam and Eve and gives some details of their account (or story).

Finally, check out Genesis 5:1-3, which begins talking about Adam’s descendents.

Now that you have read everything about Adam and Eve, here is a fun fact about how all this information is made into a story and why –
• The word “Genesis” comes from the Greek word “geneseos” which means generation!
• Genesis includes the stories (accounts) of ten different generations – starting with Adam. This is important. While Genesis speaks of Adam’s story a couple of times, all of it together – not just the account of Adam and Eve, but of all the generations (Noah, Shem, Terah, Ishmael, Isaac, etc), show God’s love for mankind and His preparation of Israel as His chosen people!!

I know that it seems like there are different stories, but it really is just one grand story with different important parts. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have more questions!

Saturday, 1 August 2009

Why did Adam and Eve live so long?

I’ve always wondered that myself. I don’t recall that answer ever being directly answered by scripture, so I put on my detective hat, pulled out my magnifying glass and went digging.

Following an in-depth exploration of the subject, I came to this conclusion: There isn’t a direct answer. BUT, I had so much fun checking it out that I thought you might enjoy a little trip through my findings.

Chapter 5 of Genesis lists all the life spans of Adam and his descendants from Adam to Lamech (Noah’s dad). This is where we see crazy stuff like Adam living 930 years, his son Seth living 912 years, great great great great great (is that enough “greats?”) grandson Methuselah living 969 years, and on it goes through verse 31, then we come to Noah. Of course, along with Noah came the flood. He ended up living 950 years (Genesis 9:29).

n Genesis 11 we’re given the “records of the generations of Shem (v.10)” Shem is one of the 3 sons that rode on the ark with Noah, surviving the flood. This passage reveals a gradual decline in years lived. Shem lived 600 years, his son Arpachshad (say THAT 3 times fast!) lived 468 years, his grandson lived 433 years and on down it goes (with a few exceptions like Eber and Terah who lived a little longer than their surrounding relatives). So, after the flood, people were living 600, then 400ish, then 300, then 200 years. Shem’s line was so traced because it delivered Abraham and eventually, Jesus (if you’re interested, go to Matthew 1:1-17).

I do think it’s interesting how the years went down after the flood (which happened because God was sorry He made us and “every intent of the thoughts of [our hearts] was only evil continually”). Following the flood, we went increasingly down and things began to stabilize with Abraham who became the father of the Jewish nation. He lived 175 yrs., his wife 127, his son Ishmael 137, his son Issac 180. Skip forward a few generations and Moses lived 120 years while next-in-command, Joshua, only lived 110 yrs.

This is where it gets fun. Did our God cut down the life spans because we kept sinning against Him? Did He decide we wouldn’t need to live as long once Israel became established as a nation? Too much junk food and TV time? Too much hair spray that destroyed the ozone and lets cosmic radiation harm life ont he planet? What do YOU think?