Genesis Framework Part 54

Genesis Framework

GF 54 Genesis 5:28-29
September 18, 2016
Part 54

NKJ Genesis 5:28-29

28 Lamech lived 182 years, and had a son.
29 And he called his name Noah, saying, "This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD has cursed."

(15) Enoch’s Letter to Methuselah (Enoch 81.5 – 82.3)

81.5 And these three Holy ones brought me and set me on the earth in front of the door of my house, and said to me: “Tell everything to your son Methuselah, and show all your children that no flesh is righteous, before the Lord, for He created them.

This ordering of the chapter at (15) seems to make sense, because it begins with Enoch being returned to his home after having been with the Watcher angels, who literally return him, exhausted but well informed, to the front door of his house. However the ordering is classified, this chapter stands satisfactorily on its own, so the editor (Andy McCracken) kept it in the same order previously determined in the Ethiopian manuscripts.

This is the origin of the show and tell method, the idea of exhibition. Enoch is to tell everything he learned by God-revelation while in heaven, to his son Methuselah, and show (explain) to all his children that no flesh is righteous, before the Lord, for He created them.

Unless I am mistaken, the theological implication of this statement is that it is a clear proclamation of the doctrine of Total Depravity. Then, those in heaven layed out the following plan to Enoch…

81.6 For one year we will leave you (Enoch) with your children, until you have regained your strength, so that you may teach your children and write these things down for them, and testify to all your children. And in the second year we will take you from amongst them.

Methuselah now becomes head of the family (since Enoch had been taken off to live with the Angels ( 81.6), a year after he wrote the book).

In the meantime, Methuselah's son Lamech is now grown up, and his first son is born.

At chapter (10) The Book of Methuselah 106.2, we get a description of the child who will be named Noah, as we also gain insight into the reason this child was considered unique.

(10) The Book of Methuselah (Enoch 106.1-107.3)

106.1 And after those days my son Methuselah chose a wife for his son Lamech and she became pregnant by him and bore a son.

106.2 And his body was white like snow, and red like the flower of a rose, and the hair of his head was white like wool. And his eyes were beautiful and when he opened his eyes he made the whole house bright, like the Sun, so that the whole house was exceptionally bright.

It seems this child had white or blonde hair, a red birthmark, and perhaps blue eyes. Even more surprising, at 106.5, we learn that this is what the Watchers look like.

What might explain this strange circumstance?

If some of the wives of Enoch's family were descended from the runaways, then Lamech could easily have had an unexpectedly blonde-haired child.

106.4 And his father Lamech was afraid of him, and fled, and went to his father Methuselah.

106.5 And he said to him: "I have begotten a strange son; he is not like a man but is like the children of the Angels of Heaven, of a different type and not like us. And his eyes are like the rays of the Sun and his face glorious.

106.6 And it seems to me that he is not sprung from me but from the Angels and I am afraid that something extraordinary may be done on the earth in his days.

106.9 And he ( Enoch) answered me ( Methuselah), and said: "Because of a great matter I have come to you, and because of a disturbing vision, have I come near.

106.10 And now hear me, my father, for a child has been born to my son Lamech, whose form and type are not like the type of a man. His color is whiter than snow, and redder than the flower of the rose, and the hair of his head is whiter than white wool. And his eyes are like the rays of the Sun; and he opened his eyes and made the whole house bright.

Enoch would have recognized this description out of his familiarity with the Angels of heaven.

Brace yourself for this next verse.

This statement has created a great deal of dissonance for me, so I can imagine how you might respond to it as well.

The only thing that keeps this verse from being a total “deal-breaker” as far as my personal sense of validation of the authenticity of the Book of Enoch, is the fact that Methuselah’s description is based on Lamech’s testimony given him; and Lamech had already been
overwhelmed; we might say he was in a state of shock and awe over seeing how strange looking his child was.

From Lamech’s choice of words, it is obvious that this experience had heightened his senses to an overload; because he had been groping to find adequate words to describe what he saw; furthermore, he was also overstressed by the challenge of having to simultaneously interpret the meaning of this strange event.

Here it is.

106.11 And he was taken from the hand of the midwife, and he opened his mouth, and blessed the Lord of Heaven.

I am more inclined to take this as the interpretation of a hyped father who heard some kind of vocalize emanate from his child, attributing it to holy praise to God, rather than to conclude that the child was actually speaking linguistically intelligible words of praise; so, I have decided to let this one pass.

And, I will let you draw your own personal conclusion on the matter as you see fit.

106.12 And his father Lamech was afraid and fled to me. And he does not believe he is sprung from him but thinks him to be from the Angels of Heaven. And behold, I have come to you, so that you may make known to me the truth."

106.13 And I, Enoch, answered and said to him: "The Lord will do new things on Earth, and this I have already seen in a vision, and made known to you. For in the generation of my father, Jared, some from the height of Heaven transgressed the word of the Lord.

106.14 And behold, they commit sin and transgress the law, and have been promiscuous with women, and commit sin with them, and have married some of them, and have begotten children by them.

106.15 And there will be great destruction over the whole Earth, and there will be a deluge, and there will be great destruction for one year.

106.16 But this child, who has been born to you, will be left on the Earth, and his three sons will be saved with him. When all the men who are on the Earth die he and his sons will be saved.

Now, don’t be confused, the next verse is a re-iteration of the description of Enoch’s vision and the trouble wrought by the runaway Angels, and not a continuation of the vision post-Flood.

106.17 They will beget on the Earth giants, not of spirit, but of flesh, and there will be great wrath on Earth, and the Earth will be cleansed of all corruption.

106.18 And now make known to your son Lamech that the one who has been born is truly his son. And call his name Noah, for he will be a remnant for you and he and his sons will be saved from the destruction which is coming on the earth because of all the sin and all the iniquity, which will be committed on the Earth in his days.

106.19 But after this,…

The “this” appears to refer to the subsequent sinning of mankind in general following the arrival of the runaway Angels upon the Earth; or does it?

…there will be yet greater iniquity than that which was committed on the earth before. For I know the mysteries of the Holy Ones, for the Lord showed them to me and made them known to me, and I read them in the Tablets of Heaven.

107.1 And I saw written on them, that generation upon generation will do wrong, until a generation of righteousness shall arise, and wrongdoing shall be destroyed, and sin shall depart from the earth, and everything good shall come upon it.

107.2 And now, my son, go, make known to your son Lamech, that this child that has been born, is truly his son, and this is no lie.

“and this is no lie”

Don’t be put off by this phrase…

Many times, Jesus used it’s equivalent; “Truly, truly, I say unto you.”

Editor-
“The naming of Noah at 107.3 is interesting, since it links the name to the word comfort. Noah still sounds like the Hebrew word for comfort, and a similar story is told at Genesis 5:29.”

107.3 And when Methuselah had heard the words of his father Enoch – for he showed him everything which is secret - he returned, having seen him, and called the name of that child Noah; for he will comfort the Earth after all the destruction.

NKJ Genesis 5:28-29

Lamech is disturbed about his baby's unusual appearance, and goes to see his father Methuselah.

This section seems to have been written by Methuselah, to reassure his son about the birth, written as though it was a reply to Lamech from Enoch himself.

This takes us back to (15) Enoch’s Letter to Methuselah (81.5 – 82.3), where we end up getting far more information than we might have otherwise expected...

82.1 And now, my son Methuselah, all these things I recount to you, and write down for you. I have revealed everything to you, and have given you books about all these things. Keep, my son Methuselah, the books from the hand of your father so that you may pass them on to the generations of eternity.

82.2 I have given wisdom to you, and to your children, and to those who will be your children, that they may give it to their children, for all the generations, forever, this wisdom that is beyond their thoughts.

82.3 And those who understand it will not sleep, but will incline their ears that they may learn this wisdom, and it will be better for those who eat from it than good food.

This, in turn, takes us to an earlier time in Enoch’s life…

83.2 Two visions I saw, before I took a wife, and neither one was like the other. For the first time, when I learnt the art of writing, and for the second time, before I took your mother. I saw a terrible vision and concerning this I made supplication to the Lord.

83.3 I had lain down in the house of my grandfather, Malalel, when I saw in a vision how Heaven was thrown down, and removed, and it fell upon the Earth.

This is somewhat of a strange expression; nevertheless, it makes good sense.

83.10 And then I rose and prayed, and made supplication, and wrote my prayer down for the generations of eternity, and I will show everything (in writing) to you my son Methuselah.

Let’s fill in the gap (83.4-83.10), just to see how extensive in time and comprehensive in scope Enoch’s first vision as a young man actually was.

83.4 And when it (Heaven) fell upon the Earth, I saw how the earth was swallowed up in a great abyss, and mountains were suspended on mountains, and hills sank down upon hills, and tall trees were torn up by their roots, and were thrown down, and sank into the abyss.

This description apparently refers to a heaven-sent deluge of destructive rain falling down in great torrents upon the earth and rising out from within the earth, in such vast quantities that it created an abyss such as had never before been seen by mankind.

83.5 And then speech fell into my mouth, and I raised my voice to cry out, and said: “The earth is destroyed!”

83.6 And my grandfather, Malalel, roused me, since I lay near him, and said to me: “Why did you cry out so, my son, and why do you moan so?”

83.7 And I recounted to him the whole vision, which I had seen, and he said to me: “A terrible thing you have seen, my son! Your dream vision concerns the secrets of all the sin of the Earth; it is about to sink into the abyss and be utterly destroyed.

83.8 And now, my son, rise and make supplication to the Lord of Glory, for you are faithful, that a remnant may be left on the Earth and that he may not wipe out the whole Earth.

83.9 My son, from Heaven all this will come upon the Earth, and upon the Earth there will be great destruction.”

83.10 And then I rose and prayed, and made supplication, and wrote my prayer down for the generations of eternity, and I will show everything to you my son Methuselah.

The most comprehensive vision of Enoch is captured in the Book of Enoch in the chapter (18) entitled Prophecy of the Animals (85.1-90.42).

Next Week

Many will be surprised on the Day of Judgment when they discover that it was just as the Word of God says; only the righteousness of Christ is able to save you.All men are sinners and no one can save himself. God is just, so He must punish sin; but He is also merciful, moreover gracious, and offers His Son as the perfect sacrifice in order to purchase a place for you in heaven, which He offers to you as the free gift of eternal life. As we continue to examine man’s earliest duties with regard to the covenant of works, although they can be categorically divided into two distinct types of classes; one in relationship with God, and the other in relationship with fellow man, all covenant stipulations are expressions of the will of the Lord. The law of the covenant is the law of man’s image-sonship.

Jesus is God Incarnate

In order to pay the debt of our sins, He came from Heaven, having been sent by the Father, where He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father even unto the shameful death upon the cross in order to pay the debt of your sins.This gift must be received by faith, believing that Jesus’ perfect life and Cross Work was His complete and necessary Atonement for your sins, in your behalf.Faith is a gift that comes by the Power of God the Holy Spirit working in a person’s innermost being. The Holy Spirit has the authority and power to quicken your dead spirit, to make it come to life. If you have not done so before this moment, ask Jesus to forgive you your sins, tell Him you’ve stop trying to be your own savior, and ask Him to come into your life right now, and to give you eternal life. Then, in faith believing, thank Him for the gift that He is giving you, the one He paid for in full in your place, in Jesus’ name,AMEN