IDEA: The genealogies in Genesis 5 serve a literary purpose.

TEXT: "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found because God had taken him'; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:5-6).

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (Genesis 5:21-24).

PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the contribution genealogies in the Bible can make in our thinking.

Have you ever traced your family tree?

Why does a family tree fascinate us, but seem more like a "week" to other people? Genealogies about other people's families tend to bore us.

I. In a chapter we would be tempted to skip, there are some things we ought to note.

It sounds like a list of people that have nothing much to do with us, like someone else's genealogy. We're tempted to skip over it as the simply the record of long-dead people.

At the risk of boring you, listen again to Genesis 5.

II. What stands out to you?

The age of the people.

Why are all of these people so old?

What does the writer do to make Enoch stand out from all the others?

The writer of the letter to the Hebrews was intrigued by him and wrote: "By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, 'and was not found because God had taken him,' for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God."