A Mark of Faith in a History of Death

The time warp is winding down. We have been carried from Adam to Seth and from Seth to Enosh and more. Each man, in his own way, called upon the name of the Lord, fathered a son, and died—except Enoch. Compelled by the birth of his son, he turned to God and was raptured. He was a glimpse of hope. His son, Methuselah, was a prophetic warning to all people that God’s judgment was coming.

Methuselah fathered Lamech who, like his grandfather, found significance in the life of his son. He “called his name Noah,” which meant “to bring relief or comfort.” Lamech was a third generation preacher of his day. He believed God and identified the toil of the field as the curse of sin. Only through God’s promised offspring would things change.

“Out of the ground that the Lord has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” With the earth in a state of despair, those who called upon the name of the Lord were eager to see relief. The field was their enemy. Food was scarce. People were violent.

Lamech anticipated a relief from the curse of sin. Would his son bring that relief? In a very significant way, he would. Relief would come. God would deliver. But, Lamech’s son would only be a hint of the full and final relief to come. In the past generations, God had given men skills to build farming tools in order to ease their struggle for food. In the generation of Noah, God would cleanse the earth, help it to produce more, and give the animals to man as a source of nourishment. Lamech was a mark of faith in his generation.

Reflections

1. What did you learn from this part of the story? What can you say about Lamech and his faith in God’s promises?
2. How would you describe God’s character in this passage? In what ways did He show mercy to sinners and kindness to those who trusted Him?
3. How does this lesson help you today? In what ways can you be more faithful to the Lord and rely on His promises?

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