As believers, we are familiar with the word gospel, or good news. We hear it and speak of it frequently. However, you may be surprised to know that the gospel is first spelled out in the book of Genesis, chapter 5. The Holy Bible is not just a collection of 66 books, written by 40 authors, over the course of thousands of years. It is living and active, wholly holy, and bears the supernatural nature of The Author who guided the pen. This set of books is inexhaustible
A mind-blowing example of this supernatural message system can be found hidden in Genesis chapter 5. It requires the diligent student to look behind the names in Noah’s genealogy to find that our great God of Salvation had already laid out His plan of redemption for mankind in the earliest chapters of the Book of Genesis.
We must never skip mindlessly through the genealogies laid out for us in the Scriptures. They are invaluable for many obvious reasons and also for many reasons that still remain a mystery. Let’s take a closer look at the meaning of the Hebrew names recorded in the lineage of Adam through Noah revealed to us in Genesis 5.
The Lineage of Adam Through Noah
ADAM: Adam’s name means man
SETH: Seth’s name means appointed
ENOSH: Enosh’s name means mortal, miserable, frail
KENAN: (Some translate Cainan) means sorrow or dirge
MAHALALEL: Mahalalel’s name means Blessed El (God)
JARED: Jared’s name means shall come down
ENOCH: Enoch means teaching
METHUSELAH: Methuselah means his death shall bring
LAMECH: Lamech means lament or despair
NOAH: Noah means comfort or rest
The gospel message hidden in the earliest genealogy of Genesis 5 is fascinating and life giving!
Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (and) His death shall bring (the) despairing comfort (or rest).”