(Genesis 5:1) “This is the book of generations of Adam. In the day when God created man, He made him in the likeness of God.”
“One generation passes away, and another generation comes, but the earth abides forever” (Ecclesiastes 1:4).
“It is worthwhile for anyone to have behind him a few generations of honest, hard- working ancestry. – George Apley (1937)
I happened to notice when I read Genesis chapter five that Adam’s generations began with Seth instead of Cain. In Genesis chapter four, we have the generations of Cain, which were not included within Adams’s generations. I wondered if they were considered unworthy to be mentioned in Adams’s ages, for we see pride, polygamy, and murder among the descendants of Cain.
When we die, we leave very little behind us: our name, reputation, example, and children. (2 Timothy 3:15) “and that from infancy you (Timothy) have known the sacred scriptures, which are capable of giving you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.”
This contrasts dramatically with the experience of many children in our generation. Their first knowledge of God comes as they are thrust into Bible class, where a stranger takes up the extraordinary task of teaching our children of God. Their initiation to the world of spiritual things is better later than never, but it places the youngster at a disadvantage. Timothy was taught about God when he was an infant by his grandmother and mother. I am sure that both Timothy’s grandmother andmother were proud of Timothy and pleased to have him mentioned in their “book of generations.”
Timothy’s fine character was due to the efforts of his own family. We often complain about the younger generation not being spiritual or faithful as we or our previous generations. It could be because we did not do our part in encouraging our children through example and teaching. In Judges 2:10, it was reported that “later there arose a generation that knew not God….” Why?
It could have been the fault of the previous generation (Deuteronomy 4:9).