Preflood responsibility to God  by Bill Bennett

   I was thinking about the knowledge man has of God in relationship
to the age mankind.  Adam would have had an intimate knowledge of
God (Genesis 3) and so would Adam's decendants - I am startled at
what I have discovered!

Father      Son      Son's   Total   Year of  Adam's
                     birth  Lifespan  death    Age

ADAM        Seth at    130    930      930     130
SETH        Enosh at   105    912     1042     235
ENOSH       Kenan at    90    905     1140     325
KENAN       Mahalael    70    910     1235     395
MAHALAEL    Jared       65    895     1290     460
JARED       Enoch      162    962     1422     622
ENOCH       Methuselah  65    365 *    987     687  "raptured"
METHUSELAH  Lamech     187    969    -1656-    874  died in flood?
LAMECH      Noah       182    777     1651    1056  3 yrs pre-flood
NOAH  Shem, Ham Japeth 500    950     2006    1556
FLOOD  --------------  600    ---     ----   -1656-

   To help understand this better (I hope all my calculations are
correct), the "Son's birth" is the age of the father when his son
was born.  "Total Lifespan", "Age at Death", "Adam's Age" all refer
to the "father" or person who's name is in capitals.

   Noah's knowledge of God could have come from several people even
though Adam was dead at Noah's birth, Noah could have hear from Enosh,
or Adam could have told Methuselah (Noah's grandfather).  Methuselah
would have known all about God from Adam, but also the Flood! [note
the year of his death!]

   How complete was the fall of man?  Both Methuselah and Lamech would
have had first hand knowldege of the corruption of mankind just before
the flood, and probably an intimate knowledge of God!  Obiviously,
there would have been NONE judged by God during the flood that
DID NOT have an intimate knowledge of God, or at least a very good
understanding of the "fall" and God's righteousness.

   Can you imagine how deep their responsibility really is before God?
With full knowledge of God's holiness and His abhorrance to sin,
these people were literally blastpheming God!  The more I think about
it the more I realize how patient and long suffering God was toward
them; and how just God is.  Ignorance of God could not even be
considered as a factor in this case.  This is probably one of the
clearest demonstrations of the total and completeness of the fall
of man.  These men had a GREATER knowledge of God than we have,
and still deliberately sinned, knowing God would judge them some
day.  These men LOVED sin - and MOCKED God.

   Is there anything but evil in the unregenerate man's heart?
After reading Genesis 5 & 6, I am convinced that the fall of man
is total and complete; without him ever able to redeem himself.

   Bill Bennett

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