An Advent Journey
by Jeff Anderson
FOLLOWING THE SEED FROM EDEN TO BETHLEHEM
Day 3 - An Advent Journey
Login
ADAM & EVE... & FRED FLINTSTONE
Enos/Enosh (3) & Cainan/Kenan (4)
Genesis 5:9-14
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.
There’s a growing debate about the historical placement of Adam. How long ago was he on earth? Based on the Bible’s genealogical accounts, we can date the account of Adam to roughly 4,000 BC.
Yet even Christians still have questions: Was Adam even real? Perhaps Adam and Eve were figurative characters? Is Genesis completely true? Maybe it’s poetic!
Here’s the problem. If Adam was not real, then when did Bible characters become real people? At what point did Bible cartoons become Bible history?
If we can’t trust the accounts of Adam, then what about Noah? Or Abraham? Or David?
Is the Bible part history and part make-believe?
For our Advent journey, we’re taking time to get to know each generation in the line of Christ. Because the Bible contains careful genealogical accounts, we’re treating them seriously.
After Adam and Seth, we arrive at Enos and then Cainan (Enosh and Kenan are the Hebrew names).
We know very little about these men. But the Bible tells us their placement in the line of the Seed – their age when they had sons and their age when they died.
In a sense, the Bible is a collection of birth certificates. It’s an official book of names and families – these families are connected by God’s sovereignty to bring about the Seed.
Each of these fathers have a place in biblical history. Some of these names are familiar to us as the Bible contains a fuller account of their lives.
Other names - like Enos and Cainan - are unfamiliar. All we know is where they fit in the line of the Seed.
For me, these men are as real as men like Abraham Lincoln or Benjamin Franklin. I’ve never met Lincoln or Franklin, but I believe they truly existed in our history.
I don’t personally know the fathers in the path of the Seed (Enos, Cainan, etc), but I believe in their role in the Advent Journey.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does it surprise you that Christians who claim to believe the Bible still question the existence of characters in the Bible’s genealogies? What would you tell them?
Bible Reading Tip!
Kenan and Enos are Hebrew names (Old Testament). Cainan and Enosh are Greek names (New Testament). Depending on your Bible translation, sometimes a name variation can be a completely different name, but most often a name variation will be minor.
For this Advent Journey, I’ve used mostly names and scripture references from the ESV Bible translation.
We look forward to your comments and questions below!
If you want to share this Bible reading plan with friends and family, here is the link:
https://bttb.org/An-Advent-Journey
Enos/Enosh (3) & Cainan/Kenan (4)
Genesis 5:9-14
9 When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. 10 Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. 11 Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 12 When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. 13 Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.
There’s a growing debate about the historical placement of Adam. How long ago was he on earth? Based on the Bible’s genealogical accounts, we can date the account of Adam to roughly 4,000 BC.
Yet even Christians still have questions: Was Adam even real? Perhaps Adam and Eve were figurative characters? Is Genesis completely true? Maybe it’s poetic!
Here’s the problem. If Adam was not real, then when did Bible characters become real people? At what point did Bible cartoons become Bible history?
If we can’t trust the accounts of Adam, then what about Noah? Or Abraham? Or David?
Is the Bible part history and part make-believe?
For our Advent journey, we’re taking time to get to know each generation in the line of Christ. Because the Bible contains careful genealogical accounts, we’re treating them seriously.
After Adam and Seth, we arrive at Enos and then Cainan (Enosh and Kenan are the Hebrew names).
We know very little about these men. But the Bible tells us their placement in the line of the Seed – their age when they had sons and their age when they died.
In a sense, the Bible is a collection of birth certificates. It’s an official book of names and families – these families are connected by God’s sovereignty to bring about the Seed.
Each of these fathers have a place in biblical history. Some of these names are familiar to us as the Bible contains a fuller account of their lives.
Other names - like Enos and Cainan - are unfamiliar. All we know is where they fit in the line of the Seed.
For me, these men are as real as men like Abraham Lincoln or Benjamin Franklin. I’ve never met Lincoln or Franklin, but I believe they truly existed in our history.
I don’t personally know the fathers in the path of the Seed (Enos, Cainan, etc), but I believe in their role in the Advent Journey.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Does it surprise you that Christians who claim to believe the Bible still question the existence of characters in the Bible’s genealogies? What would you tell them?
Bible Reading Tip!
Kenan and Enos are Hebrew names (Old Testament). Cainan and Enosh are Greek names (New Testament). Depending on your Bible translation, sometimes a name variation can be a completely different name, but most often a name variation will be minor.
For this Advent Journey, I’ve used mostly names and scripture references from the ESV Bible translation.
We look forward to your comments and questions below!
If you want to share this Bible reading plan with friends and family, here is the link:
https://bttb.org/An-Advent-Journey
- Follow & Post
- Login
It really doesn't surprise me at all. There are too many so-called Christians who either cherry pick their belief system in order not to appear weird to their secular friends. Or, they prefer a faith that is free from the "problem passages" of Scripture. Very simply, the Bible firmly teaches that every word of the Bible is God-breathed, making it "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Every Word is true, period.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (2 Ti 3:16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (2 Ti 3:16). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
Yes it does surprise me ! Gods word is true , we out our faith in those words and believe in them !
We have to trust and believe that His Word is true
1 reply
We must believe the entire Bible. It makes no sense to pick and choose verses or books to believe.