Today, we’re going to read Genesis chapters 5 and 6 and Matthew chapter 4.

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Are you ready to start? Let’s go…

The Lifespring! Audio Bible

Genesis 5

5:1 This is the account of the descendants of Adam. When God created man, God made man in his likeness.

5:2 He created male and female, and blessed them. And he named them “Man”.

5:3 At the age of one hundred and thirty years, Adam became the father of a son in his own likeness, and in his image. He named him Seth.

5:4 And after the birth of Seth, Adam lived eight hundred years, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:5 Adam lived nine hundred thirty years, and then he died.

5:6 At the age of one hundred and five years, Seth became the father of Enosh (EE-nosh).

5:7 And after the birth of Enosh (EE-nosh), Seth lived eight hundred seven years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:8 Seth lived nine hundred twelve years, and then he died.

5:9 At the age of ninety years, Enosh (EE-nosh) became the father of Kenan (KAY-nun).

5:10 And after the birth Kenan (KAY-nun), Enosh (EE-nosh) lived eight hundred fifteen years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:11 Enosh (EE-nosh) lived nine hundred five years, and then he died.

5:12 At the age of seventy years Kenan (KAY-nun) became the father of Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel).

5:13 And after the birth of Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel), Kenan (KAY-nun) lived eight hundred forty years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:14 Kenan (KAY-nun) lived nine hundred ten years, and then he died.

5:15 At the age of sixty-five years Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) became the father of Jared (JAY-red).

5:16 And after the birth of Jared (JAY-red), Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) lived eight hundred thirty years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:17 Mahalalel (muh-HAH-luh-lel) lived eight hundred ninety-five years, and then he died.

5:18 At the age of one hundred sixty-two years, Jared (JAY-red) became the father of Enoch (EE-knock).

5:19 And after the birth of Enoch (EE-knock), Jared (JAY-red) lived eight hundred years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:20 Jared (JAY-red) lived nine hundred sixty-two years, and then he died.

5:21 At the age of sixty-five years, Enoch (EE-knock) became the father of Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh).

5:22 And after the birth of Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh), Enoch (EE-knock) walked with God three hundred years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:23 Enoch (EE-knock) lived three hundred sixty-five years.

5:24 And Enoch (EE-knock) walked with God, then was gone because God took him.

5:25 At the age of one hundred eighty-seven years, Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) became the father of Lamech (LAY-mek).

5:26 And after the birth of Lamech (LAY-mek), Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) lived seven hundred eighty-two years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:27 Methuselah (meh-THOO-suh-luh) lived nine hundred sixty-nine years, and then he died.

5:28 At the age of one hundred eighty-two years, Lamech (LAY-mek) became the father of a son.

5:29 And he named him Noah and said, “He will bring relief from the work and the toil of our hands caused by the ground which was cursed by the LORD.

5:30 And after the birth of Noah, Lamech (LAY-mek) lived five hundred ninety-five
years more, and he had other sons and daughters.

5:31 Lamech (LAY-mek) lived seven hundred seventy-seven years, and then he died.

5:32 At the age of five hundred years Noah became the father of Shem, Ham,
and Japheth (JAY-feth).

Genesis Chapter 6

6:1 When the numbers of men began to increase on the earth, and daughters were born to them,

6:2 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they took as their wives all that they chose.

6:3 And the LORD said, “My spirit will not struggle with man forever, because he is flesh. His lifespan shall be one hundred twenty years.

6:4 There were Nephilim (NEF-uh-lim) on the earth in those days, and afterward also, when the sons of God had sexual relations with the daughters of men. And they gave birth to children, who became great and famous men long ago.

6:5 The LORD saw that man had become wicked on the earth, and that his thoughts and desires were continually evil.

6:6 And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was broken.

6:7 So the LORD said, “I will clear man, my creation, from the earth. Not only man, but also animals and every living thing that moves on the earth and the birds of the air, because I am sorry that I made them.

6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

6:9 This is the account of Noah’s family. Noah was a righteous man and he was without blame in his time. And Noah walked with God.

6:10 And Noah was the father of three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth (JAY-feth).

6:11 And God saw great corruption and violence on the earth.

6:12 God looked upon the earth and saw how corrupt it was because man was evil.

6:13 So God said to Noah, “I will destroy all living things, because they have filled the earth with violence. I will destroy them and the earth.

6:14 “Build an ark from cypress wood. Make rooms in the ark and cover it inside and out with pitch.

6:15 “This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be four hundred fifty feet in length, seventy-five feet wide and forty feet high.

6:16 “Make a roof for the ark, and leave an opening of eighteen inches below it. There is to be a door in the side, are it shall have a lower, a middle, and an upper deck.

6:17 “I will flood the earth with water in order to destroy all living things. Everything on earth will die.

6:18 But I will make a covenant with you. And you, your wife, your sons, and your sons’ wives will board the ark.

6:19 And you shall bring a male and female of every species of living thing into the ark to keep them alive with you.

6:20 Two of every species of bird, two of each species of livestock, two of every living thing that moves on the earth are to come with you, to be kept alive.

6:21 Take with you every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it so that you and they will have food.

6:22 So Noah did as God commanded him.

Matthew Chapter 4

4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil.

4:2 And after he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was very hungry.

4:3 When the tempter came to him, he said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these these stones to become bread.”

4:4 But Jesus answered him, “It is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

4:5 Then the devil took him up to the holy city, and he sat him on the highest part of the temple,

4:6 And he said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, because it is written, “He shall make his angels responsible for your care. They will hold you in their hands, so that not even your foot shall strike a stone.”

4:7 Jesus answered him, “Again it is written, “You are not to test the Lord your God.’

4:8 Then the devil took him up to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

4:9 And he said to him, “I will give you all of this if you bow down and worship me.”

4:10 Jesus answered him, “Leave this place, Satan! It is written, “You shall worship and serve only the Lord your God.”

4:11 Then the devil left him, and the angels came and cared for him.

4:12 Now when Jesus had heard that John had been thrown into prison, he went back to Galilee.

4:13 And he left Nazareth and went to live in Capernaum, which is by the sea of Galilee, near the area of Zebulon (ZEB-you-lun) and Nephtali (NAFF-tuh-lye),

4:14 that what the prophet Isaiah (eye-ZAY-uh) had said would be fulfilled:

4:15 “The land of Zebulon (ZEB-you-lun), and the land of Nephtali (NAFF-tuh-lye), on the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.

4:16 “The people who lived in darkness saw a brilliant light, and to those who lived in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up.”

4:17 From then on, Jesus began to preach. And he said, “Turn from your sins because the kingdom of heaven is near.”

4:18 As Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon
(who was called Peter) and Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea because they were fishermen.

4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

4:20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the
son of Zebedee, and his brother John, in a boat with their father Zebedee. They were mending their nets, and he called them.

4:22 And immediately they left the boat and their father to follow him.

4:23 And Jesus travelled all around Galilee, teaching in their synagogues,
preaching the Good News of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and disease among the people.

4:24 News about him spread throughout all Syria, and people brought to him everyone who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, those who were demon possessed, those who had epilepsy, and those who were paralyzed. He healed them all.

4:25 People from Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea (jew-DAY-uh), and across the Jordan followed him.

Conclusion

So that’s today’s reading. Did you catch the part in Genesis where it said:

6:6 And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was broken.

God’s heart was broken. Why do you suppose that was? Could it be because God loved his creation deeply? But when He saw how wicked man had become, he knew that in order to keep the hurt and pain that would inevitably come as a result of the wickedness, he had to destroy it all. I don’t see it as a wrathful action, but a loving one, so that the one man who had found favor in the sight of God might survive. I liken this to something like cancer surgery. In order for the body to survive, the cancerous tumor must be removed. God saw that all mankind had become evil, except for this one man, so for him, for Noah, God removed the cancer. And man began again.

What are your thoughts? Comments are welcome.