The Mystery of God's Strength

Zeroa is the Hebrew word for "arm" or "strength."  When we think of God's strong arm, we think how He is mighty and invincible.  No force in all the universe, no person or demon can ever even hope to defeat Him.  His very words have the power to create or destroy.  A man will live or die at the very whim of God.  He is the most terrible and awesome force in the universe.

Isaiah 53:1 says, "Who has believed our message?  And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?"

Have you seen the strength of the lord and just how mighty God is?  If you read the rest of Isaiah 53  you will find that the Zeroa of God, in this chapter, is a person.  A person who has no beauty or attractiveness.  A person despised and forsaken.  He is a man of sorrow and full of grief.  The Zeroa of God is pierced, crushed, scourged and during it all he was silent.

Jesus Christ is the Zeroa, the strength, of God.  Even though he was righteous and blameless, he suffered the torture and death we dealt to him.  He could easily have simply stopped it all and destroyed all people if he so desired.  He had the power and the right to never go through that pain and suffering.

The Zeroa of God is found in His love.  Love so powerful and strong, the arm of God Almighty was weak, broken and died on a cross for you.

Photo Credit: Crown of Thorns by Waiting for the Word

Training in Christ.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want him."  

When I was a young boy that is what I thought the 23rd Psalm was saying.  Of course today I know better, but really I am still that little boy who didn't understand what the Bible was saying.  The difference is that today I have a little bit of training and the Holy Spirit to help me.  To understand what God is saying in the Scriptures, both training and the Holy Spirit are needed.

Training in language, customs,  geography, history, the sciences, archeology and many other fields of study can be beneficial to understanding the Bible.  There are so many people out in the world who have PhDs and all sorts of titles who have an abundant amount of training but do not understand what God is saying in scripture because they deny the teaching of the Holy Spirit.

Then there are people who have little to no training, but they do know and listen to the Holy Spirit.  True born again Christians who follow God but perhaps because of where they live, they are not able to get any type of education.  A Christian mentor who follows the scripture would be a great help.  A pastor or someone to disciple them could help them to grow, but even without that help, they still do have the Holy Spirit.

These people will not grow as fast as someone with a Christian education but they will grow.  They are more likely to fall away because they have no one to help guide them, but if they trust God they can come through the most devious of Satan's traps.  They will gain their training the hard way but it can be done.  The Holy Spirit alone can train a Christian who believes the Bible is the Word of God.

Too often a Christian, who doesn't know scripture but has accepted Christ, will not do the required work to educate themselves and therefore they remain babes in Christ.  They think that being saved is enough for them and they will not try to learn more about God and His Word.  I believe most Christians fall into this camp.  People who only do what is comfortable and easy.

Both a godly education and the Holy Spirit are required to grow in Christ.  Without both, you can never become the disciple of Christ you were meant to be.  I was very blessed to be able to go to a Bible-believing college and to have strong Christians in my life.   I have tried to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and I have failed Him so many time, but I will not give up.  I will try to learn more about my Lord and Savior.  I will listen closely to what the Holy Spirit says.  I hope you will as well.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, but rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2

Photo by John-Mark Smith from Pexels

What is Love?

Love is putting yourself in the place of another.  When you love someone you feel their pain and share their joy.  When they are burdened, you share that burden with them.  Where they are poor, you share out of your abundance.  Love willingly suffers to bring healing.

The greatest example of Love is God Himself who came into this world to share the pain and suffering of this life. He laughed with us and cried with us.  He lifted burdens and gave life to even the most despised and rejected people. Jesus even lifted the burden of sin by being tortured and murdered for our sins.

The love of God did not end at the cross.  Even today He wants to share our burdens.  He cries when we cry and rejoices when we rejoice.  He wants to walk with us through life and share all that you experience.  He desires to teach us about His love so that we can follow His example and love others.  We are to put ourselves in the place of others just as He did.  Just as God came down from the throne of Heaven to this world, we are to go where ever needed to share the Love of God. We are to put ourselves into the place of another.

Photo Credit: help by Rachel

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

St. Paul's Prison Cell

When I read about people in the Bible being imprisoned, I think of dungeons like in the movies.  Jail cells with rock walls, iron doors, and barred windows.  I can imagine Paul and Silas in a damp prison like that as they pray, sing and worship God.

When Paul went to Rome and was imprisoned the first time he was chained to a guard and lived under house arrest.  Visitors would come and go and Paul was able to do almost anything he pleased as long as he remained in the house.

The second imprisonment in Rome was not as friendly.  In the book 2 Timothy, Paul tells how he is abandoned by others.  The second letter to Timothy is the last epistle by Paul in the New Testament.  Soon after writing to Timothy Paul was beheaded.

Back in the early 80s, I was in Rome and was able to visit the cell in which Paul was imprisoned as he awaited execution.  I don't know how long he was there but I hope it was only a few days and not months.

The cell now has stairs going down into it but back then the only entrance or exit was a hole in the floor where the prisoner was lowered down into the cell.   The cell was carved into the rock below the prison.  The cell's stone walls were cold.  The hole above would be where food was lowered to the prisoner and when it was covered over, there would be no light.  It would be absolutely dark.

I remember standing in that room thinking of how dreadful it would be for Paul, isolated from everyone.  No sounds could reach you. No light to see by. Being swallowed by the earth and left in darkness until they come to kill you.

What was Paul thinking during that time?

"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only but unto all them that love his appearing."  2 Timothy 4:6-8

Paul was at peace.  Being in a dark cell didn't matter because he knew God was there with him and Paul had accomplished the will of God for his life.  Being in a lightless cell did not change the fact that he trusted God and would praise and glorify Him until his last breath.

Whether we are living in times of comfort, or in times of distress, can  we say with Paul, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."  Romans 1:16

Creation Day or Eons?

The "Gap" theory states that there is a gap of millions of years between Genesis 1 verse 1 and verse 2.  In that gap evolution took place from the time of the Big bang until the fall of Satan and a great war occurred which destroyed all creation.  God then re-created what we have today.

Just as the "Day-age" creationist try to answer the problem of Evolution, by saying each day in creation is actually millions of years, the Gap tries to reconcile the Bible and Evolution.  The problem with both of these is that if what they say is true then GOD LIED!!

There is a lot of biblical evidence against these two theories but lets look at just one.  When did death come into  the world? Death is a result of sin and there was no sin in the world until Adam and Eve sinned by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Genesis 2:27

If death never occurred before the fall then the dinosaurs could not have died out millions of years ago. Every animal and plant which was born or planted would still have been alive and well.  Of course this is all impossible.

God does not lie.  Even if you do not see how what God says could be true, believe the impossible from God before you believe what your own eyes sees. 


Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

Christians Do Not Have Blind Faith

I have heard people, including Christians, talk about blind faith.  They seem to think that faith is blind and to trust God is to blindly walk through life only believing and never having anything solid to show for why they believe.

I am a skeptic.  I do not accept something on pure faith.  I need something to show that what I believe is true. When a preacher says something from the pulpit that I believe is non-scriptural I search it out and see if either I have something new to learn or the preacher has something he needs to unlearn.  I do not like the concept of blind faith and will not trust God by blind faith.

So if God told me that the center of the earth had greatest party room ever, would I believe Him?  I would be first in line for a ticket to the center of the earth. Yes.  Yes, I would believe the most ridiculous and mind bending things if God told me.  Am I accepting what He says with bind faith?  NO!  Never!

Just as you trust that chair you are sitting in because it has proven itself faithful to hold you, I trust God because He has proven Himself faithful.  God's track record for truth and faithfulness is totally pure and spotless.  His prophecies of future events have been correct every time.  His promises are fulfilled.  His name is unblemished with anything false.

I have seen Him also working in my life.  He has always been faithful to me personally.  I have witnessed God in other peoples lives and again He has never failed.  I have seen lives miraculously changed from the pits of Hell to an abundant life of peace and love, because God has always been faithful to His word. 

When the all powerful, all knowing, trustworthy proven God of the universe speaks, I listen with a firm belief that has been tested.  I do not have blind faith.  I have a knowledgeable faith in the one who has proven Himself.   

Photo Credit: Yelp Edinburgh's January Elite Event: Dining in the Dark @Edinburgh Larder Bistro by Yelp Inc.

What do you Actually Own?

What do you possess?  I mean, what do you actually own in your life?  If someone were to ask me what I own, I would say a car, house, furniture, clothing, food and a lot of other things, but do I really?

There is no true verb for "to have" in the Hebrew Scripture.  You can not say "I have this or that."  By the Hebrew language you can not possess anything in this world.  It is simply an illusion.  There is nothing in this world which you can keep.  It is only temporarily entrusted to you.  What you think you have, you really do not.  If you fight to keep what you have you are fighting for what you do not have.

God is the only person who actually owns anything and He allows us to be stewards of some of His earthly riches.  Even your own life is not your own but God's; therefore the burdens in our lives are not ours but God's also.

The only things we can give to God which belongs to us are our sins and our will.  The only thing a Christian can truly possess is God Himself.  When you have nothing but God, you own everything.

Photo Credit: A vintage Jaguar XK150 on show at Hinton Ampner in Hampshire by Anguskirk


Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

No Fears! No Worries!

Would you like to live a life without fear and worry?  It seems impossible in this fallen world filled with violence, war, sickness and death. If it was impossible than why would scripture so many times tell us not to fear or worry?

The people with no fear are not extreme sports athletes who do death defying stunts.  The answer is not in being brave.  The mystery of where to find a worry free, fearless life is found in the Bible.  If we really believed it we would be closer to a fear free life.

"Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.  The LORD, the LORD himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation." Isaiah 12:2

When Isaiah says "I will trust and not be afraid" he is not just talking about fear of death and where we would go afterwards. If we truly trust God with our lives, we would have no fear.  We would know that God loves us too much to let unnecessary pain in our lives.  Yes, some pain is necessary in order to grow in Him and to serve Him, but even then God is there beside us.  The life of a Christian will have have pain, suffering and even death because of the fall of man. But God is love and in the love chapter of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, it says that love always protects.  God protects us from Satan's plans, so the we can follow God's plan for our lives.

So what do you have to fear?  What do you have to worry about?  The God who loves you more than anything you could imagine is with you; protecting you.  You just need to rest in Him.  Trust that you are in His protective hands where you can just peacefully curl up and sleep soundly; knowing that He is watching over you.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be trouble and do not be afraid."  John 14:27

Photo Credit: Panic by Nate Steiner

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

The Death Penalty for a Lie

It just doesn't seem fair that we should be thrown into Hell for telling a little white lie.  In fact there are lots of small sins that we feel shouldn't send us into eternal damnation.  So why would a loving God have such a harsh punishment for such a little thing?

God is the ruler of all the universe.  He is king of everything and everyone is living within His kingdom.  God sets forth laws which are beneficial to the people of His kingdom.  They are laws which are established out of love.  His nature is one of love and protection.

When we go against any Law of God we are saying that God was wrong to establish that law.  We are telling God "I know better than you do.  I should be the King and not you."  We are attempting to tear God off the throne and establish ourselves in His place.  What we are doing is treason.

Throughout history anyone who tried to take down the authority of a nation was deemed a traitor.  It was the most horrendous crime you could commit.  The penalty was death, and usually a very horrible and prolonged death.

All sin is taken very seriously by God because it is a direct attack against Him and undermines the loving protection He gives to all people.

Photo Credit: Flames by Jaymann91


Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

Remembering Those in Heaven

The death of Billy Graham got me thinking of family and friends who are in Heaven.  People that though they are no longer living in this world, I will be able to see again soon.

My mother went to Heaven in March of 2012.  She was diagnosed with cancer in 2002, but believed that God told her that her time on earth was not yet done.  God told her she had ten years yet before she would meet Him, and it was ten years later that she did exactly that.

Another that I look forward to meeting is Jess.  He was an old Navy boatswain's mate whose son was murdered and Jess brought his son's murderer to belief in Christ.

One of the people I look forward to meeting the most is Loyal Anderson or, as everyone called him, Butch .  We grew up together and though he was a couple of years older than me, we became good friends.  He had a motorcycle and we would ride to nearby towns and do things that could get us into trouble but we never got caught.

He got into trouble with the law (thankfully I was not with him) and the judge gave him the choice of jail or joining the military.  He signed up for the Army and was sent to Vietnam.  The army did not help keep him out of trouble.  He started his own whore house to pay for the drugs he used.

When he got back to the states he started selling drugs and got caught by the police, but only for possession.  The judge gave him a choice, Jail or Teen Challenge.  He went to Teen Challenge where they helped him kick drugs.

Butch had used a lot of LSD and he would get a lot of LSD flashbacks.  More than once he would be singing in the Teen Challenge choir and suddenly go on an LSD trip.  During choir practice one day he went on a trip and the choir leader got mad.  "Ok, that is enough of this."

He marched up to Butch, put his hands on Butch's head and prayed that God would cease these flashback and they would never come back again.  Butch suddenly was out of the flashback and that was the last LSD flashback that ever happened.

After Teen Challenge Butch went to Bible School and became a preacher.  He got married and had children.  He loved the lord and served him until a car accident took his mortal life.

But all these people are not dead; only their bodies are dead. Someday I will be able to see them again and enjoy their friendship.  Christ has conquered death.

Cold Blooded Evil

In the Scriptures, the serpent is a symbol of evil.  That does not mean that the serpent is evil, but that it represents evil.  The cold blooded serpent moves by twisting its way to its destination.

Evil is also cold blooded and twisted.  Just as a snake twists its body to move, evil twists the truth.  It will twist all that is pure, good and Godly into something defiled and vile.

Deception is cold blooded. Gossip is cold blooded. Illicit sex is cold blooded.  Hatred, slander, revenge, and even pride are all cold blooded.

God desires that those things which are cold blooded to be cast from us.  They are finite while that which is of God will endure forever.  The evil cold blooded things must give way, in the world and in our lives, to the goodness of God.

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

What You were Meant to Be

There were fishermen who daily worked long hard hours to make a living. Those men became fishers of men.  There was a shepherd who stood outside in the rain and cold, day and night.  He set the slaves of Egypt free.  Just ordinary people who God took and used in mighty ways.

Look back on your life.  From the vantage point of where you are now, you can see how God led you, protected you and molded you to become the person you are today.  It was not that He suddenly took notice of you saying, "OH WOW!  Look at what he is doing.  I think I can use him."

Before time began, God planned out who you would be and how to get you there.  You have the choice to follow God but once you choose God, you are on your way to the greatest adventure of your life.

Perhaps you saw yourself as just a retail worker, but God sees you as a teacher of His word to others.  You have worked in an office all your life, but God sees that you are an encourager to people who need to be uplifted. It does not matter where you start out or where you are today.  God sees you as who you truly are.  God is forming you into a holy vessel for His own purpose..

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you;..." Jeremiah 1:5a

Jesus's Evil Twin

Pilate stood before the crowd of Jews with two men on either side of him.  On one side was Jesus, the Son of God and on the other was Jesus, the son of his father.  When offered to release Jesus who had done no wrong or Jesus who was a famous criminal, the crowds freed the evil Jesus and called for the crucifixion of the righteous and sinless Jesus.

The story found in Matthew 27 calls the one set free Barabbas.  In Matthew 27:16 the most trusted ancient text the full name given is Jesus Barabbas.  It is much more likely that the name Jesus was deleted, is some text, out of respect for the Messiah rather than added.  

What does the name Barabbas means? Bar means "son" and abbas means "father".  So Barabbas means "son of the father"  

To explain the mystery of why these two identical men were brought forth to the people we must go back to the time when God gave Moses the laws found in Leviticus. In Leviticus 16 God instructs that the high priest should take two goats that were identical in appearance and cast lots for them. One goat would be sacrificed for the sins of the people, while the other goat would be freed.  Two goats where presented to the people; each with a separate destiny.  

This act of choosing which goat was to live and which was to die was a fore shadowing of  the coming Messiah.

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries 

What God Needs is....

Are you fulfilling the needs of God?  Are you accomplishing what God needs you to do?  Have you ever thought about what God needs?  Have you ever given any thought to meeting God's needs instead of your own?

I hope not because God does not need you.  There is nothing you can do that could ever fulfill something that does not exist.  God has no needs.  God is self-sufficient.  In eternity past, before the creation of time and this universe, there was God.  Nothing else.  Just God.  He didn't need a Heaven or a throne.  He didn't need a world with air, water and dirt.  God had no angels to serve Him and no men to worship Him.  There was only God.

Everything that was created was not created out of His need for them, but out of His desire to love and to serve.  You were created so that He could love you and bless you.  He desired to help you to be perfect in your life.  While you do receive so many blessings from God, you were not created for that purpose.  Your purpose is to learn from God's example and to bless others.

God does not need your sacrifice.  Cut down every tree in your country to burn on an altar and slaughter every cattle as a burnt offering, and you still would not meet a need of God. God needs nothing but He does desire for you to know Him and have a heart of love like His.

"Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything since He gives to all life, breath and all things." Acts 17:25

Dry Bones

The Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 AD, but it wasn't until 73 AD that the last of Israel was truly conquered. The fortress of Masada held out against the Romans until finally the last zealots, numbering about 1000, killed themselves so that the Romans could never have the victory of actually defeating them or sending survivors into slavery.

When Masada was excavated in the 1950s, they found a scripture buried in the ruins, Ezekiel 37: 1-14. This is where God shows Ezekiel a valley full of dry bones and ask "Son of man, can these bones live?"  God then tells Ezekiel to prophesy over the dry bones to put on flesh and skin and to live.  And the dry bones did and they stood up like a vast army.  God then says that He will bring the Jews up from the grave, they will will live again in their own land and God will put His spirit into them.

On May 14th 1948,  for the first time since the fall of Masada, Jews lived under the banner of their own nation.  God brought them out of the grave of history back to life just as Ezekiel pronounced He would.  Today Israel lives by the grace of God.  They have their own land back, they speak the same language as they did 2000 years ago. They have the shekel as their currency again. No people have ever come back from destruction like this before and become a nation again.  God brought them back from being dry bones to being a living nation of people that someday Jesus Christ will return and rule.

Photo Credit: Masada, Israel by Miguelsihman

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

All is Soap Bubbles!

Back in college, I had a teacher who taught that the word "Vanity" in Ecclesiastes could be rendered as "Soap Bubbles". 

"Soap bubbles of Soap bubbles, saith the Preacher, soap bubbles of soap bubbles: all is soap bubbles." Ecclesiastes 1:2

It does sound kind of funny like that but it is also very true. Vanity is the pride and admiration we have for our own selves or our accomplishments.  "Oh look how beautiful I am."  "I am the best at this activity."  "I am better than they are."  "I am more humble than anyone I know."

It is all soap bubbles.   It looks pretty right now but it only lasts a moment before "POOF!" it is gone. Your beauty or strength will fade.  Your accomplishments will be forgotten and beaten.  Today you might be on the top rung of the ladder but tomorrow you could be thrown to the ground.  And so often we deceive ourselves on just how great we are.

Nothing in this world will last.  Someday it will all burn.  Someday you will come to see that your life was full of soap bubbles.

The only solid, lasting things in life are the things of God.  Strive to please God and do His will and you will gain rewards that last for eternity.

"For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 2 Corinthians 5:1

To Kiss God

I love God.  I desire to see Him with all of my heart.  I know I will be so happy, but I wonder what I will do when I see Jesus face to face.  What will any of us do?  Will we cry with joy?  Will we hug him and never want to let him go? Perhaps we will fall down before him and kiss his feet.

Do you desire to give God a kiss?  Did you know that you can kiss God even now?  In the Greek New Testament, Proskuneo is translated as worship.  Pros means "towards" and kuneo means "to kiss"  It is the idea of so adoring Him that you throw yourself down and kiss His feet.

Would you like to give God a kiss?  Worship Him!  Right now you can give the Lord a kiss by worshiping Him.  Sing a love song to Him. Pray and tell Him how much you love Him.  Worship Him and kiss God.

Photo Credit: kiss by summerbl4ck

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

My Worst Fear

I am afraid of heights.  That is my worst fear for myself.  Losing a loved one would be much worse but for my own self, me being up high is fearful.  

It is actually irrational, but back in college I climbed a very tall extension ladder, stood on the top rung of it to wash a window.  When I came back down, I had gained a fear of heights that over time has only gotten worse.

It might seem rational.  I could fall and get badly hurt or even die, but I have even gotten butterflies looking at videos from high places.  Now let's take a look at this rationally.

Take your greatest fear: water, heights, spiders, clowns, women with red hats or anything else you might fear. Now, what is the worst thing that could happen to you?

Let's say you have a fear of riding in a car.  The worst thing that could happen is you get into an accident.  What is the worst result of that accident?  You die.  What is the worst thing about dying?

If you are a Christian, the worst thing that could happen is you go to Heaven and be with God for eternity.  Hmmmm.  Not a bad result for your worst fear.

The worst result for me with heights is that I fall, die and go to Heaven.  I admit that I still have that fear even knowing that the worst thing that could happen is to meet my Lord and Savior face to face, but there is hope even in my worst situation here in this world.

Trusting in God does not mean our human emotions, such as fear, are eliminated.  However, it does mean we can go forward in spite of our fears, trusting Him as we follow Him.

"When I am afraid, I put my trust in you."  Psalm 56:3

The Spirit and Wind of God

The Hebrew word Ruach means spirit, wind, breath.  When God breathed life into man He not only gave him physical breath, but God gave him a spirit.  Since the time of the fall man's spirit was dead; no longer in touch with God.

The Spirit of God is also the Wind of God, blowing towards the Holy.  When a believer in Christ tries to walk away from the will of God, he will be walking against The Wind.  The Holy Spirit pushes against him making it more difficult to walk away from God.  God will never stop your walking, but he will resist your leaving.

When you walk towards God The Wind has your back and helps push you towards God.  Everything that is done for God is then easier because of the Holy Spirit in your life.

Photo Credit: high winds by Bradley Fulton

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

Unicorns are Real

According to the King James translation of the Bible, Unicorns exist.  They are mentioned in 9 verses.  For example Job 39:9-10 says, "Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?  Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the furrow? or will he harrow the valleys after thee?"

This is not some mythological creature Job is talking about.  It is quite evident that God is speaking of an actual creature.  Can we be expected to believe that unicorns at one time existed?  If they did, could they even be alive today?  The problem lies in not what is written in the text, but in our understanding of what is written. 

When we hear the word unicorn we think of a horse with a long spiraling horn jutting out from its forehead, but the definition found in the 1828 edition of Noah Webster's Dictionary says, "an animal with one horn; the monoceros.  this name is often applied to the rhinoceros."

When the King James Bible was written people who read it understood that a unicorn was a rhinoceros and not some horse with a strange growth protruding out of its head. Sometimes our modern western eyes, come up with some strange ideas of what God is saying?  KJV was translated over 400 years ago in 1611, not 2011. It is a great translation, but you have to read it from the 17th century Englishman's perspective.

"Study to shew thyself approve unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." 2 Timothy 2:15

Photo Credit: Unicorn by plaisanter

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries

The Genesis Genealogy Mystery

How many times have we come to a genealogy with unpronounceable names saying this weird named guy begat another weird named guy who begat a third weird named guy?  Who cares?  It is the boring part of the Bible we generally just skip so we can find something much more interesting.

One thing we can always be sure of is that God never puts anything in the Bible without a very good reason.  Lets take a closer look at the names found in the genealogy of Genesis Chapter 5.  It starts with the first man Adam and ends with Noah.  In order they are:

Adam means "man"

Seth means "appointed"

Enosh means "mortal" or "miserable"

Kenan means "sorrow"

Mahalalel means "The blessed God."

Jared means "shall come down"

Enoch means "teaching"

Methuselah means "his death shall bring"

Lamech means "the desparing"

Noah means "Comfort" or "rest"

Put it all together it reads: "Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) The blessed God shall come down teaching.  His death shall bring the despairing comfort, rest."

Photo Credit: Family Bible Scans by amidfallenleaves

Previously posted on my site Biblical Mysteries