We Are All of One Flesh

When God created us, he made humans in His own image; male and female He created us. And when we were created, He blessed us, and named us adam, meaning man. Adam is linked directly by an unbroken line of descendants to all men, past and present, including Our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When Adam was 130 years old, he fathered a son in his own image and named him Seth. Seth was 105 years old when he fathered Enosh; and he lived another 807 years, and he fathered numerous sons and daughters; and Seth died when he was 912 years old. Enosh was 90 years old when he fathered Cainan; and he lived another 815 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Enosh died when he was 905 years old. Cainan was 70 years old when he fathered Mahalelel; and he lived another 840 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Cainan died when he was 910 years old.

Mahalelel was 65 years old when he fathered Jared; and he lived another 830 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Mahalalel died when he was 895 years old. Jared was 162 years old when he fathered Enoch; and he lived another 800 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Jared died when he was 962 years old. Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. He lived another 300 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Enoch lived 365 years. And Enoch walked with God, then he vanished, for God took him. And Methuselah was 187 years of age when he fathered Lamech; and he lived another 782 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Methuselah died when he was 969 years old. Lamech was 182 years old when he fathered Noah; and he lived another 595 years, and he fathered sons and daughters; and Lamech died when he was 777 years old. Noah was 500 years old when he fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

God sent a great flood to punish the wicked. Noah and his family were the only survivors of the Great Flood; and Noah lived another 350 years after the Great Flood, being 950 years of age when he died. Two years after the Great Flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arphaxad; and Shem lived another 500 years, and he fathered numerous sons and daughters. Arphaxad was 35 years old when he fathered Salah; and he lived another 403 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. When Salah was 30 years old, he fathered Eber; and he lived another 403 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. When Eber was 34 years old, he fathered Peleg; and afterwards he lived 430 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. When Peleg was 30 years old, he fathered Reu; and afterwards he lived 209 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. When Reu was 32 years old, he fathered Serug; and afterwards he lived 207 years, and he fathered sons and daughters.

When Serug was 30 years old, he fathered Nahor; and afterwards he lived 200 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. At the age of 29, Nahor fathered Terah; and afterwards he lived 119 years, and he fathered sons and daughters. Terah lived 70 years, and he fathered Abram.

When Abram was 99 years old, God established a covenant with him and changed his name to Abraham, meaning father of nations. Abraham was 100 years old when his son, Isaac, was born to him; and he died at the age of 175. Isaac, who lived to be 180 years old, fathered Jacob. God tested Jacob and, finding Jacob up to the struggle, changed his name to Israel, meaning prevails with God.

Jacob had 12 sons by four wives. Their descendants formed the 12 tribes of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Gad, Judah, Issachar, Zubulun, Ephraim, Manasseh, Benjamin, Dan , Asher, and Naphtali. Two years after Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, the Lord directed him to take a census of all men qualified to go to war and the army of Israel was found to number 603,550.

Judah, Jacob's fourth of six sons by Leah, met and married a Canaanite girl who gave him three sons, Er, Onan, and Shelah. Er married Tamar, but was a wicked man and the Lord killed him. Then, Onan married Tamar as the law required, but he also fell into disfavor with God and was killed. Subsequently, Judah was tricked into sleeping with his sons' wife and she gave birth to twin sons, Perez and Zerah.

Perez was the father of Hezron. Hezron fathered a son and named him Ram. Ram fathered Amminadab. And Nashon was born to Amminadab. Nashon fathered Salmon, Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, and Obed fathered Jesse. Jesse had seven sons. His youngest son, David, became the second and greatest king of Israel. He was also king of Judah.

David ruled over Israel for 40 years. Bathsheba bore him a son, Solomon, who succeeded his father on the throne. The Lord came to Solomon in a dream and offered him whatever he desired. Solomon chose wisdom and God was pleased that he had not chosen riches or long life.