Reading this part of Genesis, it is helpful to remember two things: That the events actually happened; and that the people actually lived.

     According to Biblical genealogy, Enoch (not to be confused with Cain's son of the same name) was born in Seth’s line when Adam was 622 years old. He was part of the 7th generation of Mankind: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, and Enoch.

     Because of the long lives lived at that time, Enoch would not only have been familiar with many of his ancestors, he would have been able to speak with them and learn all about the beginnings of things. He would even have been able to speak directly with Adam.

     Another very interesting thing happened because of the long lives people had. Even though Moses lived much later, the narrative of the Genesis account could have been relayed to him over a relatively short distance: Moses could have learned of it from his father Amram, who could have learned it from Levi, who could have learned it from Isaac, who could have learned it from Shem, who could have learned it from Methuselah, who could have learned it from Adam.

     Interestingly, the scriptures indicate that the history of Adam was written down:

 

     "This is the written account of Adam’s family line." -Genesis 5:1

 

     Lamech, Noah’s father, a descendant of Seth (not to be confused with Cain's descendant of the same name) was part of the last generation that lived during Adam and Seth's lifetimes. But Adam and Seth never knew Noah. They both died before he was born.

     Enoch, Noah's great-grandfather, was taken by God after a relatively short life, and therefore missed the Flood by 669 years. Noah’s father, Lamech, missed the Flood by five years. But Methuselah, Noah's grandfather, only missed the Flood by less than a year.

     As mentioned, Noah’s father Lamech was part of the last generation that Adam and Seth knew. Adam died 56 years after Lamech was born. Seth died 112 years after Adam. When Noah was born, his father, Lamech, said:

 

     "This one will bring us comfort from our labor and from the painful toil of our hands because of the ground that the LORD has cursed." 

-Genesis 5:29

 

     How did Lamech know that? Could someone have told him? Who might have revealed God's role for Noah to Lamech? Perhaps someone who was said to have walked with the true God- Lamech's grandfather, Enoch. We know Enoch preached righteousness and warned of a coming judgment. Perhaps God had informed him that his great-grandson, whom Enoch would never meet, would serve God’s purpose one day. Perhaps Enoch told his son, Methuselah, and Methuselah told his son, Lamech.

     Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared: What did these men all have in common? They were all direct ancestors of Noah, and lived lifespans that overlapped his. Enosh lived during the first 85 years of Noah's life. Kenan lived during Noah's first 179 years. Mahalalel lived during 234 years of Noah's lifetime; and Jared for 184 years. Keep in mind that Noah was born after Enoch was taken, but Enoch might have shared with his father Jared; his grandfather Mahalalel; his great-grandfather Kenan; and great, great-grandfather Enosh some of the things he learned from walking with the true God. They in turn could have shared these things with Lamech and Noah as well.

    With Methuselah’s death, Noah left no ancestors behind when he entered the Ark. But if he had brothers and sisters, cousins and nephews and nieces, none of them seem to have listened to his preaching. None of them were saved during the Flood.