The Divine Lineage
There is an ancient rabbinic saying, “When a righteous person comes into the world, goodness comes into the world.” Lately, I often wonder is there is such a person living. I remember when Mother Theresa was alive; it seems that the world was more at peace. Ever since the passing of her and Pope John Paul, the world seems a little less joyful. In fact, a sense of ambiguity seems more prevalent creating animosity and disillusions in all levels of our society. But this is not only in America; it is all over the world. No one is immune. It is because of the ancient rabbinic saying that I wanted to consider what has happened to us and the world. It was not difficult to decipher our condition by simply determining how or when a “righteous person” would be born; by following the lineage of mankind.
According to the bible a “divine lineage” was devised by God (Deuteronomy 7:6, 14:2). How this lineage became about is described in Genesis. Right after the completion of Creation and the creation of man, called it period year “zero” is when humanity time really begins. Adam being the first to be created was to become the cornerstone of this divine lineage. According to the Bible in Genesis 1:27 is when “humanity’s clock” begins. This was right after the creation of Eve, the birth of Cain and Abel, and later on the death of Abel at the hands of Cain (Genesis 4:8), and God serving Cain with an eternal punishment and was sent away (Genesis 4:16). The Bible tells us that at the age of 130 years old, Adam had a son in his likeness and he was named “Seth” (Genesis 5:4). It is with the birth of Seth that the genuine “Divine Lineage” begins. Something to point out here that is worth mention is that Eve gives a name to their first born by declaring, “I have gained a male child with the help of the Lord” (Genesis 4:1). What was the meaning of such a statement? Simply, God forgave her for her actions at the Garden of Eden but it was also to experience what God said she would go through at child birth (Genesis 3:16)
However, for Abel there is no reference regarding the meaning of his name. The bible simply tells us that he “became a keeper of sheep” (Genesis 4:2). The quandary here is why she did or at least the Bible did not mention that his name could mean, “Father (Aba) and El, God.”The implication here may be that God already knew that Abel was to become a victim at the hands of his brother Cain, just as it has happened during the “Divine Wars” in which Lucifer and his bands of angels were banned from heaven. Seth was an inspired name just as Cain, it means “God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel” (Genesis 4:25)there are no such other emotional feelings or features describing the joy of a mother until the “matriarchs” Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel who named according to their feelings and emotions (Genesis 21:6, 25:22, 29:31). Herewith, is a table of the beginning of the “Divine Lineage” by starting from year “zero”, the number of the generation, the name of the patriarch, at what age the patriarch’s first born was born, how many years the patriarch lived after birth of his first born, the total years the patriarch lived, and the name of first born (the subsequent patriarch).
Year Generation Name 1st Born Birth at Lived Total Years 1st Born
0 1 Adam 130 800 930 Seth
130 2 Seth 105 807 912 Enosh
235 3 Enosh 90 815 905 Kenan
325 4 Kenan 70 840 910 Mahalel
395 5 Mahalel 65 830 895 Jared
460 6 Jared 162 800 962 Enosh
622 7 Enosh (note1) 65 300 365 Methuselah
687 8 Methuselah 187 782 969 Lamech
874 9 Lamech 182 595 700 “Noah”
1056 10 Noah 500 600/350 950 “Shem”
The above table is provided for the reader to be aware that from Creation of Adam to Noah, they are ten generations. During the 7th generation, Enosh walks with God and God took him (Genesis 5:24). Ancient writings declared that God showed Enosh all that would be before Shem’s lineage to include the slavery of the people in a foreign land and that is one of the reasons God took him. This is the same story told to Abraham many centuries later (Genesis 15:13-14). In other realms, God did not want for Enosh to witness the outcome of the divine beings and the Great Flood.
According to the Bible, Noah has three sons, “Shem, Ham, and Japheth” (Genesis 6:9). Each one had a wife. No names are given for them in the Bible. They are speculations by some scholars that they were descendants from Cain’s lineage but I am not convinced of this. Many of the ancestors had other sons and daughters. Noah, a righteous man would have considered wives for his sons from Seth’s descendants.
There is very little said in the Bible as to what Noah did before God’s calling to build an ark, and neither is at what year Shem, Ham, and Japheth each were born. The only entry you can find is in Genesis 5:22 in which it is said, “…when Noah had lived 500 years, Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.” Of course, some scholars believed that the brothers were threesome birth but this is incorrect because it is later indicated that the boys were born at different years by the way the writer of the Bible interpreted the actions of each one of them providing a ranking of each (Genesis Chapters 10 and 11). In some passages Japheth and his descendants are given priority (Genesis 10:2) followed by Ham’s descendants, and addressing Shem’s descendants last (Genesis 11:10). However, after the discovery of Noah’s nakedness by Ham, and Noah cursing Canaan, Ham’s descendants instead of Ham (Genesis 9:22), this passage almost tends to indicate that Ham happens to be the “youngest son”, thus it seems that Shem is the oldest and Japheth the middle one, and Japheth by his honorable act of covering the nakedness of his father is bind together with Shem toward a prosper future whereas as Canaan, Ham’s descendants are cursed forever (Genesis 9:26).
So, Noah was 500 when he begot his three sons according to the bible. Even thou, the Bible may imply simultaneous birth (triplets); I am convinced that the bible would have highlighted this event, therefore if Noah had Shem at 500 years old, within the span of 10 years all three would have been born. Also, possibly, Shem could have been born during Noah’s 500th year, around 1556 (1056 + 500). The other two brothers could have been born within three years to ten years after Shem but most likely born from 1557 to 1560 after creation. It is also very possible that their birth occurred much earlier than 1575 making them old enough to help Noah in building the ark at much older age. This assumption would be based on the years people of their time lived longer before the Great Flood (Genesis 6:3).
The Bible indicates that Noah’s three sons had wives and assisted in the construction of the ark. The question that has eluded scholars is, “how long it took to build the ark?” Based on the dimensions (450 feet x 75 feet x 45 feet), availability of materials, daylight and season elements, I believe that it would have taken Noah and his three sons as minimum at least 50 years to construct the ark. A more realistic time would be, almost 100 years because the need to acquire the building materials and shape it to the form necessary to build the ark. But fifty years even thought to us is a long time in Noah’s time it would be a short period.
Let’s consider this “building time factor” a little closer. According to the Bible Noah had his son at 500 year old and according to the Bible, Noah was 600 when he entered the ark (Genesis 7:11). Therefore, it may have taken either; 13 to 20 years for three sons to reach an age they could help with the construction of the arc. Another 45 to 50 years to frame the ark and another 15 to 20 years to complete the ark. Second it would have taken many years to gather the animals requested by God. In various Hollywood films about the floods, it always seems that there is always someone helping Noah, other than his sons. In the latest film, “Noah”, the film depicts fallen angels helping Noah. Good strategy but not realistic. The Bible would have indicated that Noah would have had assistance in building the ark but it is more realistic that he and his sons built it alone during a period of almost 90 or more years but not more than 105.
I am a strong believer that from the beginning of creation to the end-of-the world, humanity is within a parameter of existence of this “Divine Lineage” and supported by “mathematical principles” Somehow, our destiny even though it may have small changes, for the majority of it, we are under a well define mathematical periods or phases. For example, it is with Noah where the first principles begin. Noah’s existence culminates with a 10th generation period of 1050 to 1056 years after creation. This means that the “the Great Flood” that destroyed most of the existing humanity of that time except for Noah, his wife, his three sons and wives took place around 1550-1560 after creation, coincidence? Not really! The second 10th generation culminates with the life of Abraham at 1948 – 1967 years after creation. Abraham becomes the 20th generation. In our time, 1948 has an important meaning because during our life time on May 1948, the people of Israel became a nation, coincidence? Not really!
Up to Noah’s time, mankind lived to be in the hundreds of years. But with the introduction of the Flood, God decreed a shorter life span for humanity (Genesis 6:3). It was just the beginning of humanities next evolution of existence. Throughout this portion of the Bible there seems to be no remorse, or a sense of forgiveness. In fact, up to the day that God shut the door of the great ark, people mocked, ridiculed, and maybe even cursed Noah thousands of times. It would not be unusual for even Noah’s wife and his sons to once-in-awhile question his motives and determination. After all, God only talked to Noah and not his family (Genesis 6:13). Such an atmosphere must have been heartbreaking for Noah but his faith in God was much stronger. The world that surrounded Noah was very corrupt (Genesis 6:12) and in an urgent need of rectification (Genesis 8:15-17). The only sadness found during the flood period is not from mankind but from God Himself. Not even Noah felt remorse or sadness. He did not spoke to God about the other descendants as we see with Abraham that pleads for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. It was a touching moment or at least one that described how heartbroken God was, “…and His heart was saddened.” (Genesis 6:6). Through God’s regret we are confronted with God’s grief stricken heart. For God to have such regrets, mankind was very, very sinful. According to the Scriptures and ancient writings, mankind had committed various sinful acts before God but seven out of all of those committed were unforgiveable. The seven deadliest sins were, “immorality, perversion, lawlessness, betrayal, worshiping idols, blood sacrifices (blood from live animals), thievery or robbing” (Genesis 6:11-13). It is based on these seven sinful principles that God condemned humanity to perish in the floods. After the floods, seven righteous principles were enacted for the new descendants to adhere to and avoid destruction by God. These were the new principles, “Justice, refraining from blaspheming God, Idolatry forbidden, no sexual perversion, no bloodshed, no thievery or robbing, and not to eat meat or cut from a living animal unless properly performed.” These principles pretty much resembles some of the mandates given at Mount Sinai and we know them as, “The Ten Commandments.” The principle or law of the meat it is still conducted with special rituals and process. It is well known as “koshering”.
In the next chart I will discuss the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth. I will also discuss the erecting of the Tower of Babel and whose descendants were they culminating with the birth of Abraham, the 20th generation of the Divine Lineage. Until then, may the Lord bless you and keep you safe, Shalom!