This is not a well known part of the early history of man kind after the creation of man, and man's fall (sin), but it does reveal a great deal about the development of human kind in this early period.
Mark Tronson is one of those theologians who believes the Bible and takes the text as being not only instructive for wholesome living but also it reveals the essentials to understand man.
He recognises the contribution of a person, there is obviously a whole lot more about that person's life than that one verse.
Yesterday he gave the illustration of the famous swimmer Dawn Fraser who won Olympic Gold in the same 100 metre event at three successive Olympics, yet her life was much more than that one aspect of her life.
So too in the Genesis chapter 4 and 5 where we read of people and what they specifically engaged in and that single highlighted aspect of their life.
Enos the first son of Seth comes from a different line from his cousins which we have been looking at over the previous six articles.
We see here a significant change when Enos comes on the scene. Seth his father was the third son of Adam and Eve, and all grand-parents know how they dot upon their grand children, especially their first grand child.
The text of Genesis 4 verse 26 reads as follows:
"(Seth) called his name Enos; then began men to call upon the name of the Lord."
The other side of the family leads to polygamy and ultimately the Flood which was the method by which God judged the wickedness of man.
Adam and Eve had Enos on their knee as grand parents and taught him the love of God and how He still loved them although they had sinned. They would have told him the story of Cain his uncle and how he killed his other uncle Abel and how the earth cried out.
Reading on in Chapter 5 we see how Enos had child after child after child, and the Psalms speak of children as blessings and finally, the text reads in Genesis 5 verse 9 "and he begat sons and daughters".
These two things we can say of Enos:
First, he was associated with a turning to the Lord, the first revival and for that he is remembered forever. It is also the first mention of prayer in the Bible. Prayer is the mainstay of a vital relationship with God. Calling on the name of the Lord is indeed, prayer.
Second, his progeny as a blessing from the Lord, is recounted in order that every generation might give thanks for a life given to God. I recall praying at my eldest daughter's wedding for the children of their children, as did the great grand parents of the famous 19the century evangelist D L Moody.
The Genesis story therefore in this capsule of time, has a specific purposes in instruction to benefit to us all today. Tomorrow we'll look at Enoch.
