Scripture

Our verse for today comes from Genesis 5:4, “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he had sons and daughters.” 

Background

Can you imagine you and your spouse having and raising children for eight hundred years? Some of us might be a little more open than others to that idea, but the thought of changing diapers for eight hundred years is mindboggling. And imagine the family dynamics as Adam and those that followed lived for hundreds of years, sharing in the joy of watching generation after generation grow up, while continuing to have little ones that were hundreds of years younger than their nieces and nephews. But when God created Adam and Eve, He told them to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And so they multiplied. But family life for them didn’t get off to such a great start. After some time of raising two boys, Cain the eldest killed his younger brother Abel. The first offspring from the initial couple created by God Himself, His first grandson if you will, turned out to be a murderer. So now what do they do? What would you do? If you had been given direct instructions from God, and your first attempt to follow them had turned out to be a complete disaster, what would you do? What kinds of questions might Adam have asked of God about Cain? How much guilt do you think mom and dad felt? Their son, the first one they raised, killed his brother and went out from the presence of God. 

Application

So what did they do? Well, at one hundred and twenty years of age, Adam and Eve had another child, named Seth. They decided that they were going to do what God had told them. Even though they had doubts, failures, and unanswered questions, they moved forward and continued to multiply. Perhaps some time passed and they did some serious soul-searching. But they did continue to obey and trust. And what became of it? Seth had a son named Enosh, and the Bible says during that time, men began to call on the name of the Lord. Was this the first revival, born out of failure, trust, and obedience? Maybe so. And eight hundred years later, Adam could see the fruits of his labor. He had not given up. Nor does God, and neither should we. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, ask God for the faith and obedience to multiply for eight hundred more years, regardless of how much time you have left. Expect Him to use you as you trust and obey, overcome and succeed. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words