Genesis 5 contains a genealogy from Adam to Noah’s sons: Shem, Ham and Japheth. There are a few things to note in the genealogy.

Seth is listed as the son of Adam. Neither Cain nor Abel is included. In Chapter 4 it mentioned that it was Seth’s line that continued a relationship with God. That is the only line that this list acknowledges.

Verses 18-24 speak of Enoch, the father of Methuselah, who walked with God. He never died, but rather was taken by God, a precursor of Elijah. Methuselah, of course, was the oldest person, living 969 years.

Finally, we come to Noah. His father received a prophecy regarding him: “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the toil of our hands.”  This is a direct response to the curse given by God to Adam and Eve that they would have to toil to make the ground produce. In chapter 6 we find out that Noah found favor with God.

I find it interesting that in the hundreds of years represented in this genealogy only three people (Enosh- chapter 4, Enoch- chapter 5 and Noah- chapter 6) were found to have a good relationship with God. How pervasive the sin of Adam and Eve was to taint their family tree in such a profound way. We need not be surprised when we hear of families continuing to live in the same unhealthy manner generation after generation. It is not recent news.

Genesis 6 opens with a continuing deterioration of humankind. Things have gotten so bad that people are not able to think of anything but evil thoughts. The Lord, who just 5 chapters earlier had deemed His creation very good, now is sorry He put humankind on the earth. He is ready to blot out all living creatures on the earth and in the air. (I find it odd that God doesn’t seem to want to blot out sea creatures, just an observation.) The only exception to this regret is with Noah, a righteous man. He has found favor with God.

So God decides to save Noah and his family. In essence, God is making a new creation with Noah and his family taking the place of Adam and Eve and their children. While Adam and Eve were found lacking, noah is found to be righteous. He will make a more suitable first man. Just as Adam had some say about the animals and birds that were created in the first creation story, Noah has some say about the animals in this second creation story. He will be able to choose which animals will be saved to begin creation anew.

God has chosen to let the waters which covered the earth in the beginning to cover the earth again and wipe out every living thing: humanity, animals, birds, and plants. God gives very precise instructions of what Noah needed to do to save creation. Noah does everything God commands. He builds an ark, selects the creatures to be saved and brings all the plants needed for food (the first seed bank).

Matthew 3 tells another re-creation story of sorts. Jesus’ cousin, John the baptizer is doing his job to prepare people for Jesus ministry. He is telling them to change the way they think about  things (repent) to recognize that  the kingdom of heaven  has come. These are prophetic words which would remind the hearers of similar words spoken by Ezekiel, Zechariah and Isaiah. Even his dress is reminiscent of the great prophet Elijah. As people hear and see John, Messianic prophecies probably go through their minds.

The Jordan River was often used for purification rituals in Jewish culture. It is very fitting that John would choose this place to baptize those who repent. As John sees the religious leaders of the day coming to be baptized, he knows that they are doing this for appearance’s sake, not because they have truly had a change of heart and mind. He admonishes them that they are not entitled to receive this baptism just because they were born into the right family and come from the right ancestry. They need to show that their lives have been changed. Repentance is not merely an act, nor is it merely saying one is sorry, it is a complete changing of one’s thoughts and attitudes: what was once considered to be all right is now understood to be against God’s will and the desire is turned totally toward doing His will.

John is telling the leaders about one who will be able to read their hearts and clear away those who are not bearing good fruit when Jesus comes to be baptized. John recognizes him at once. He knows that Jesus is the one who should be doing the baptizing.

Jesus, though, is to be baptized. This is a symbolic re-creation where the waters cover all that is unrighteousness and subject it to death (just as in the days of Noah). What rises from the water is all righteousness. God proves this to be true by sending His Spirit to attest to Jesus as His Son. In our own baptisms we also experience a re-creation. The old life that is enslaved by unrighteous, evil thoughts is replaced by Jesus’ righteousness. We then have the ability to truly repent, to change beliefs and thinking toward right things, and bear good fruit befitting our repentance.