Genealogies are boring, but they are important. They provide historical context and fill in many of the factual details. It is assumed this is not a complete genealogy, because most Biblical genealogies aren’t. With that being said, if we calculate the time from Jesus back to Adam using this chapter, we land somewhere in between 4000 and 5000 years. This could be skewed if there are missing generations, however, the more pressing question lies in the difference between that timeframe and what science has indicated.
Let me first say, I am not one to debate young earth vs old earth. There is no reason to divide over such an issue. I know some people who believe that one side or the other has compromised Scripture but the Christians I have spoken with mostly agree it is a matter of interpretation. In other words, it’s been my experience that (generally-speaking) Christians on both sides of this debate do not compromise the core doctrines of the Christian faith. Young-earthers read Genesis literally and old-earthers read Genesis figuratively. It’s an interesting discussion, but again, not worth dividing over.
What is my take on it?
Adam and Eve were created with age already built into them. We don’t know how old they were, but we know they didn’t start at zero. It’s impossible to grasp how this played out. However, this is most likely true for the animals as well. What makes us think the same would not be true for the natural world? God could have easily created a world with billions of years already in its history. This would support the young earth theory and probably where I would ultimately lean, but again, it’s not a core issue to get hung up on.
We will never figure out God completely. Not even close. Whatever we believe about Him, He’s certainly bigger. This begs the question of whether we waste our time trying to figure out what He hasn’t told us instead of what He has. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we should give up searching for answers to questions that are placed in our heart. Facts are useful and incredibly assuring, however, faith is always greater. A simple, child-like faith is one that believes our Father even when we can’t understand everything.