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5 This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.
When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.
When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.
When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died.
When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.
When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.
When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.
When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.
After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
(ESV)
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.