This is not a well known part of the early history of man kind after the creation of man and man's fall (sin), but it does reveal a great deal about the development of human kind in this early period.
Mark Tronson is one of those theologians who believes the Bible and takes the text as being not only instructive for wholesome living but also it gives us an essential understanding of the history of man.
He recognises that when the text provides one verse to describe the entire life and contribution of a person, but there is obviously a whole lot more about that person's in that one verse.
He offers the illustration of the famous swimmer Dawn Fraser who won Olympic Gold in the same 100 metre event at three successive Olympics, yet her life was much more than that one aspect of her life.
So too in the Genesis account of the chapter 5 where we read of people and what they were specifically engaged in and the highlight of their life and contribution.
Lamech was the seventh generation from Seth – there was Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah and then Lamech (the father of Noah)..
When Enos comes on the scene, the text of Genesis 4 verse 26 reads as follows:
"(Seth) called his name Enos; then began men to call upon the name of the Lord."
The other side of the family leads to polygamy and ultimately the Flood which was sent to destroy the wickedness of man.
The family line from Seth however had a focus on the Lord and this impacted subsequent generations. This becomes evident when we read about Enoch who walked with God and Methuselah who was a godly man.
Lamech, the son of Methuselah came from a family that honoured God as his grand father Enoch's faith in God was such that he followed the Lord in all that he undertook as reflected in Hebrews 11.
What does the text say about Lamech the father of Noah?
Genesis 5 verse 27 and 28: "Lamech begat a son. And he called his name Noah, saying: This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord hath cursed."
First, Lamech had a divine revelation that his child had a special place in the plan of God. He was born into a godly family, where his grand-father Enoch never saw death, but was taken to be with God. In hind sight we recognise this.
There is another longer term application in that we too are called to continue our lives in service to God although the Second Coming of Jesus Christ might come at any time. There is both an urgency about the 'coming destruction – the Flood' and today's application, the 'Second Coming' of Christ, yet an equal requirement that we serve as if there is a tomorrow and a day after and a day after that ….
The following chapter (6 verse 2) God restricts the age of man due to the wickedness of men and women to 120 years. Prior to this, Chapter's 4 and 5 deal with long lengths of life. Was this part of God's wisdom to restrict evil upon the earth?
As stated in the first of this series, The Genesis Record by Henry Morris published by Baker Book House first published in 1976, on page 154 provides a statistical list of:
1. Year of Birth of each Patriarch
2. Age at Birth of Next Patriarch
3. Year of Death.
Morris says of this: "There is no reason to think there are any "gaps" in this record, or that the years are anything other than normal years … The record is perfectly natural and straightforward."
He says further: "... Adam lived until Lamech (the father of Noah) … and Noah was born only fourteen years after the death of Seth. Most likely, the oldest of the living Patriarchs maintained the primary responsibility for preserving and promulgating God's Word to his contemporaries.
Morris goes on: "Since both Enoch and Lamech were outlived by their fathers, there were only seven men in the line before Noah who had this responsibility. This probably explains why, in II Peter 2:5, Noah is called "eighth preacher of righteousness."
The Genesis story in this capsule of time, has a specific purposes in instruction to benefit to us today. This 10 article series has looked at this specific period in history recorded in Genesis 4 and 5.