The book of Genesis mentions two men by the name of Lamech. One was the son of Methushael, the other was the son of Methuselah. The first Lamech was evil and the second was righteous.
Lamech – Son of Methushael
This evil man was Cain’s great-great-great grandson, and he walked in the steps of Cain’s wicked life. After Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden for disobedience to God’s command, Eve gave birth to two sons – Cain and Abel. It came to pass that both offered sacrifices to God. Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock.
The Lord accepted Abel and his offering, for it was an act of obedience to His command that required a blood offering for the forgiveness of sin. But He did not accept Cain and his offering for it was not an act of obedience to God’s command (Genesis 4: 1-8). Abel’s offering was a demonstration of faith (Hebrews 11:4). Cain’s offering, in contrast, was an attempt to earn salvation by works.
Cain was very angry, and he killed his brother Abel. So, the Lord punished him saying, “When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth” (Genesis 4:12). And the Lord gave him a mark lest anyone finding him should kill him (Genesis 4:15).
Afterwards, Cain settled in the land of Nod where he raised his own family away from the righteous children of God (Genesis 4:16–18). One of his offspring was called Lamech, who took for himself two women as wives – Adah and Zillah. In addition to his sin of polygamy, he killed a man that wounded him (Genesis 4:23). And he said to his wives, “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold” (Verse 24).
Lamech – Son of Methuselah
This rightouss man was a descendant of the godly Seth. After the death of Abel, the Lord gave Adam and Eve another son, they named Seth. This was a godly man and his descendants walked in the path of God. Seth’s great-great-great grandson, Enoch was such a holy man that the Lord translated him to heaven when he was 365 years old (Genesis 5:22–24).
Enoch’s son Methusaleh was also righteous and lived to be 969 years old. “Methuselah lived one hundred and eighty-seven years, and begot Lamech. After he begot Lamech, Methuselah lived seven hundred and eighty-two years, and had sons and daughters”(Genesis 5: 25,26).
Lamech lived one hundred and eighty-two years, and had a son, they named Noah. For they said, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed” (Genesis 5: 29). The name “Noah,” means “to comfort.”
After Lamech begot Noah, he lived five hundred and ninety-five years, and had sons and daughters. So, all his days were seven hundred and seventy-seven years; and he died (Genesis 5:30-31). He was a holy man who followed in the footsteps of his exemplary grandfather Enoch and his godly, long-lived father Methuselah.
After the death of Lamech, Noah, lived among a very evil world (Genesis 6:90). But he found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). So, God commanded him to build an Ark to save his family and the animals because God intended to destroy the world by the flood for their great wickedness (Genesis 6-7).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
