You might be scratching your head if you made it through today’s reading, Genesis 5. Are you wondering, What’s the point? There is a reason genealogies don’t feature in our favorite memory verses. If you skimmed this reading, I hope you at least caught the four little words repeated throughout the chapter: “…and then he died.”
The stark reality of life’s brevity is evident. But we can rejoice as we read Genesis 5 because God also gave us Romans 5: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned… if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (v.12, 17). Romans 5 gives the backstory to Genesis 5 and God’s wonderful solution to the depressing refrain of death.
Jesus lives, and no fear of death should distress those made alive by faith in Him.