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2-13-11. Genesis 4:25-5:32. What Ever Happened To Seth? – Message and Questions

What Ever Happened To Seth?

(A Man Whose Faith Influenced The World)

seth

 

Link to the Kevin’s Bible Material                   Link to “What ever happened to that person?” series

Genesis 4:25-5:32

Key Verse 4:26                                                                                       Kevin E. Jesmer   2-13-11

 

“Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.

At that time men began to call on the name of the Lord.”

    Today we want to look closely at a little known, but very influential, man of God, named Seth. After the double tragedy of loosing two sons, one to murder and the other to the power of sin, God granted Adam and his wife a third son, Seth. His descendants through Seth were different from the descendants of Cain. Cain’s descendants were corrupt and full of violence, but Seth’s descendants called on the name of the Lord (4:24). Seth bore the image of his father Adam, and the image of God. The Bible says that when Seth’s son Enosh was born, people began to call on the name of the Lord. God used Seth and his family to influence the all the people towards faith in God. His descendants form the slender, unbroken thread of God’s life in people. Through such people as Seth, hope is always alive. Through a study of this passage we will see how God works in the world to turn the hearts of the people to him in prayer and worship. We will see the importance of one man of faith. May God also work in our hearts, so that through our lives, people at NIU and DeKalb may call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Part l:  The Birth Of Seth (4:25; 5:2-3)

                              

At the murder of Abel and the loss of their son, Cain, to his sin, Adam and Eve could have easily given up on God and life. They could stop trying to move forward and building a future for themselves and their people. But they did not succumb to despair. Look at verse 25, “Adam lay with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth, saying, ‘God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.’” She said, “God has granted me…” They named their son, Seth, which means “granted”. There is no trace of bitterness in her words. Adam and Eve never blamed God for what happened to their kids. They attributed the birth of their child to God’s grace. They did not blame each other either but loved each other and set out to build their family. They continued on their mission from God to be fruitful and multiply. (Gen 1:28) They had hope for a future beyond their pain.

 

How easy it is for us to give up when we have experienced failure and tragedy in our lives. We end up blaming God and each other for the way things work out. These things make us fall into such a deep sense of despair that we don’t want to try again. How many parents in Adam and Eve’s situation would not want to parent another child? How many, when experiencing failure in college, would never want to study again? How many in ministry, when they have tasted rejection and no outer fruit, even after decades of sacrifice, would just want to close up shop?  The majority. There is only a few, who, in the depth of their dungeons of despair have faith enough to look up to heaven to try again, and again and again. It takes faith.

Mother Theresa once wrote poem, that holds a dear place in my heart. It is called, “ Anyway” It was written on the wall of Mother Teresa’s home for children in Calcutta, India. It was even written on the wall in Mother Teresa’s own room.  These words express the spirit in which she lived her life. Listen closely… “People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.  Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives.  Be kind anyway. If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.  Succeed anyway. If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.  Be honest and sincere anyway. What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.  Create anyway. If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous.  Be happy anyway. The good you do today, will often be forgotten.  Do good anyway. Give the best you have, and it will never be enough.  Give your best anyway. In the final analysis, it is between you and God.  It was never between you and them anyway.”  Forgive and be kind and succeed anyway. Be honest and sincere and happy anyway. Create anyway. Do good anyway. Give your best anyway. Such was the atmosphere of the home in which Seth was born and such can be the atmosphere of our own house churches and ministry here at NIU UBF. A positive attitude, full of faith to move ahead despite of anything that has happened or is going on around us.

Part ll: Seth…A Man In The Image Of God (5:1b-3)

Seth was also a man who grew in the image of God Look at Genesis 5:1b-3, “When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them ‘man.’ 3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.”  According to the Law of Syllogism, if A = B and B = C, then A = C. In the same way, since Adam was made in the image of God and had a son in his own image, then Seth also bore the image of God. What does it mean, that Seth was made in Adam’s image, who, in turn was made in the image of God? The image of God is God’s character and personality. God is holy, just, truthful, full of sacrificial and unconditional love, righteous, hopeful, kind, pure, gentle, joyful and powerful.  Jesus is the exact reflection of the image of God. (Hebrews 1:3) Seth bore the image of God.

 

Does that mean that he is perfect? By no means. Seth was still a sinner, born into a fallen world. He was prone to sin and his weaknesses just like another person. But, unlike Cain, Seth bore God’s image. As he engaged in a positive spiritual struggle to do what is right before the eyes of God, he grew in God’s image. He became more holy, more just, more truthful and loving. His was a journey of growth in the image of God. In life we can grow in two ways, we can grow in the image of God or in the image of the devil. It all depends on our personal spiritual struggle to come to God in repentance and faith. Also, have you noticed that when children fix their eyes and a certain adult, they begin to become like that adult? They start to dress like them and talk like them. Likewise, growing in the image of God depends on fixing our eyes on Jesus.  It is a life long journey that will not end until we are resurrected and go to heaven. Then we will be like him.

 

Part lll: Seth…A Mortal Man Who Had Faith (4:26a) 

 

Seth was keenly aware about the reality of life in this fallen world. Look at verse 4:26a, “Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh…” Enosh, literally means “mortal.”  Seth saw people living a long time in the world. How easy it would be for him to think that life in this world as actually as good as it gets…that life in this world is the only thing worth living for. That is what Cain felt. He tried to immortalize himself through building a walled city and naming it after his son. But Seth was not deceived. He remembered God’s word to Adam, “…from dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Gen 3:19b) Seth’s naming of his son reminds us that we are on a pilgrimage.  The truth is that we came from God and we are going back to God. While living in this world we learn faith. We learn to love God and love one another. We draw near to Him as we prepare for eternal life.

 

The Bible teaches us that we must always be aware of the end of our days. King David says in Psalm 39:4-5, “Show me, O LORD, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath.” (2010 NIV) James says in James 4:14b “…What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” There is a certain disposition to those who know that they are mortal beings. They see the world as it really is, with eternal life on mind. Peter writes about the practicalities of this hope.  He says in 1 Peter 1:13-15, “Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do.” Seth knew that he while living in this world he needed to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness. (Matt 6:33) May God open our spiritual eyes to adopt the world view of Seth.

 

But nowadays our young people forget that they are mortal.  We ignore our seniors and hide them away in nursing homes. They die alone in private rooms in hospitals. They are cremated so that no one can even see a tombstone. Our Hollywood stars spend millions to hide their age with one plastic surgery, and one “insanity workout” after another. Technological advances and media bolster the culture of perpetual youth. People, who forget they are mortal, spend their whole hearts trying to living a better life in this world, rather that living for the Kingdom of Heaven. I personally thank God for my nursing job. Through it, I am always confronted with end of life issues each time I go to work. I can keep the proper perspective and understand that we are mortal and that we must engage in a holy pilgrimage.

 

The fact that he named his son, Enosh, after a spiritual epiphany, revealed that Seth had spiritual priorities. Cain built a city and named it after his son Enoch. Cain was living for his glory and the glory of his son. Seth had a son and named him after an eternal, spiritual truth. Seth lived his life for the glory of God and wanted the same for his children.

 

Part lV: People Began To Call On The Name Of The Lord (4:26b-5:32)

 

After Seth was married and started to have children, something wonderful happened among the populace. Let’s read 4:26b, “…At that time men began to call on the name of the LORD.” Somehow, because of Seth’s family’s influence, people began to call on the name of the Lord. The prevailing culture was influenced by Cain and his descendents. It was filled with violence, pride and misuse of the word of God. (Gen 4:23-24) The spiritual awakening occurred at this most improbable time. The revival, brought about through Seth’s family, flowed counter to the prevailing godless culture. Any work of God, in any generation, will flow counter to the majority culture in which is resides.

 

Nowadays, our young people are falling away from Jesus at 4-5 times the historical rate. (Dr. John Armstrong 2010) People are thinking that Christian life is all about doing acts of charity only. Calling on the name of the Lord does not seem to be a goal. We think that the current of the prevailing godless culture is to too strong to swim against. But we can see that through the influence of one family of faith, our young people in America can begin to call on the name of the Lord, even in today’s context!

What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? Well, for one, it means to pray to God. We call out to Jesus in times of distress and in times of thanksgiving; in times of plenty and times of want. Crying out to God means that there is a recognized need in us. St. Augustine once said that there is a “God sized” hole in each person’s heart. Those who cry out to God realize that only God can fill that void. There is a worship song called “I Cry Out”. One of the lyrics reads, “I cry out…for your love to revive us…cry out”. Some of us have given up crying out to Jesus. We don’t even cry out to others. We silently remain in our despair hoping things will get better. For some, it never does. But when we cry out to the Lord, things change. May we decide to cry out to Jesus each and every day.

There is only one way that people can begin to call on the name of the Lord. Paul tells us very clearly in Romans10:14-15 which read, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”  The ministry of the word of God is the key to helping people to begin to cry out to Jesus.  Seth and his family must have literally preached about God and taught others about faith and worship. Our mission is to teach God’s word until our Bible students can seek after Jesus and begin to call on his name. When they do then they come to know God personally and grow in an intimate relationship with him.  The word of God is the seed, and men and women who call on the name of the Lord are the outer fruit.

People whom help others to call on the name of the Lord have a unique quality. They break through barriers to befriend others whom they normally wouldn’t be friends with and minister to them. They are more then just friendly with people. They do more than just quickly hand out a gospel tract. They have a sense of mission in their hearts. They move beyond friendliness to actually plant God’s word along with prayer until the person they serve can begin to call on the name of Lord independently. (That is discipleship.) They also keep going with a hope and a prayer in their hearts that there will be a spiritual awakening in the land. They are a good influence, like salt. Salt permeates through a pot of food until it becomes more flavorful. Jesus says that Christians must be the salt of the earth.  (Matt 5:13) This is why our ministry constantly prays that American may be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.

If we faithfully teach the word of God, then eventually, those whom we minister to will call on the name of Jesus. I thank God for helping me see this happening in a few students hearts. I can see Steve praying to God and being faithful. I can see Cornel being inspired by nine Bible verses and copying them down on a piece of paper. I can see Joey rejoicing that God is helping him to get rid of some idols in his heart and sharing his epiphanies with is friends on Facebook. I can see Jason loving the word of God and having a hope and a vision to grow as a Bible scholar. I can see DeKalbHigh School students calling on the name of Jesus every week through FCA. I can see Hope and Sarah calling on the Lord every week at ClintonRosetteMiddle School. I can see all of you growing spiritually and calling on the name of the Lord. It is all because of the faithful study of the word of God. May God raise up five Bible teachers among us in this year so the students of NIU, KishwaukeeCollege and DeKalb can call on the name of Jesus. May God work through us as he worked through Seth and his family.

In chapter 5 we get a glimpse of Seth’s family tree. Seth’s life of faith was an important link in Adam’s line. We can learn several things about Seth through this genealogy. First, Seth’s descendants were part of the solution…Cain’s was not. Both Cain and Seth had an Enoch in their family line. Enoch was Cain’s son. He was a godless megalomaniac like his father. (3:17) Seth’s g-g-grandson was an Enoch also. But this Enoch had faith. He walked with God and was taken away by God to heaven. (5:22) Cain also had a great grandson named Lamech. His Lamech was a boastful, proud and violent man who twisted the word of God for his own benefit. (4:23-24) Seth’s Lamech was a his g-g-g-grandson. This Lamech was the father of Noah. (5:29) He was a hard working, gentle man. Most likely he was a man of faith to nurture and raise such a godly son, as Noah. Here we see two different men and two different influences on their descendants.

 

Second, Seth left a great legacy of faith. By examining the name list, we see that there are some men of faith. For example Enoch and Noah were godly men whose lives were found worthy of special mention in this genealogy.  Enoch walked with God and even experienced a bodily resurrection, and Noah obeyed God by faith and became a source of salvation for mankind.

 

Third, Seth was a good influence on those who came after him. Though there are only a few verses about him, he is famous. He is known for his spiritual life for thousands of years. People lived by faith because Seth lived by faith. People believed that they can make a difference in their society because Seth believed it. Today, we need to think about the influence of our lives. We need to go beyond our own needs and wants and think about our spiritual legacy. Will our kids and grandkids follow Jesus, like Seth’s decadents did? Will our culture be changed through our life of faith? Let’s take time to think about these matters.

 

Fourth, the people of great faith, are always a minority. They are never the majority. There is always a remnant. We should not be surprised, nor discouraged about this, feeling like we are the only ones. It is God’s grace that we can be a remnant people of God. The Bible says that many are called and few are chosen. (Matt 22:14) They are the holy stump in the land from which new works of God can sprout. The “remnant of God” have always been used by God to keep the lamp of faith burning in the darkness. Rejoice that we are called to live as a remnant people of faith. Live as God’s remnant. Keep the faith. Live like Seth and be salt of the earth. Preach the word. of God. Minister to others. Dedicate your family to this same task. Then through you, God will do a mighty work and people will begin to call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Part l:  The Birth Of Seth (4:25; 5:2-3)

 

  1. How did Adam and Eve respond to the murder of Able and the loss of their son,

Cain? (25) What does this show about their attitude towards God and life?

 

  1. What did they name their son? What does the name mean? What does this

show about their faith and their relationship with God?

Part ll: Seth…A Man In The Image Of God (5:1b-3)

  1. What kind of man was Seth? (Gen 5:2-3) What does it mean that Seth was made in the

image of Adam?  What is the image of God?

 

Part lll: Seth…A Mortal Man Who Had Faith (4:26a) 

 

  1. What did Seth name his son? What doe this mean? What was Seth keenly aware of?

(Psalm 39:4-5; James 4:13-15; 2 Cor 4;7) What should be our response to this

revelation? (1 Peter 1:13-15)

 

  1. What happened in the world after Seth started to establish his family? (4:26b) How did this spiritual movement flow counter to the prevailing culture? (Gen 4:23-24) What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?

 

Part lV: People Began To Call On The Name Of The Lord (4:26b-5:32)

 

6.     What is required for people to begin to call on the name of the Lord? (Ro 10:14-17)

What does teach us about the importance of the ministry of the word of God? (Acts 6:3-

4) How did Jesus reveal this faith? (Luke 9:1-2)

 

7.    What does Seth’s example show about the influence of one man of faith? (5:13) Explain

how Seth and his family were like salt?

 

  1. Think about Samuel and his ministry. What was the spiritual condition of Israel when

Samuel was a young boy? (1 Sam 3:1) How did God reveal himself to Samuel? (1 Sam

3:21) What was Samuel’s attitude towards the word of God? (1 Sam 4:1)

 

  1. Think about King Jehoshaphat. What did he do in his realm? (2 Chron 19:4-10) What

was the result of his ministry of the word of God? (2 Chron 20:4; 13; 27-30) How can the

ministry of the word of God come through you? How can people in your part of the

world begin to call on the name of the Lord?

 

  1. Who were some of the people of faith who were descended from Seth’s line? (Gen 5:24;

Gen 5:28) How can we establish a legacy of faith in this generation?

 

 




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