Adam himself was dealt with not merely as a private individual, but as head and

representative of unborn millions who had no voluntary association with his deeds (e.g.,

Rom. 5: 14-21); the penalty threatened in the garden of Eden was suspended and endured

by Christ instead. This substitution was typified to Adam and Eve in the provision of the

"coats of skin" (Gen. 3: 21). By reason of death provision is made in the law for "that

son that is priest in his stead" (Exod. 29: 30).

The principle of substitution is seen in the choice of Levites, "all the firstborn are

mine", said the Lord, "for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I

hallowed unto Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be"

(Numb. 3: 13). Although such was the case, yet the Lord immediately before had

introduced the principle of substitution, saying, "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites

from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn" (verse 12). The firstborn of

animals also were the Lord's, yet provision is made in Exod. 13: 13 that "every firstling

of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb". The reader will call to mind the many passages

in the New Testament where the Lord Jesus is said to suffer or die for us, and we would

commend to the earnest student a thorough examination of this wondrous theme. We

must turn back for a moment to Gen. 5: to make one other observation concerning Seth.

Gen. 5: commences the book of the generations of Adam; there, Cain and Abel are not

mentioned. After the statement of the creation of Adam in verse 2, the book of the

generations of Adam goes straight on to the birth of Seth, and he it is who heads the list.

The substitute is here seen in an undisputed position, Cain and Abel are never again

mentioned in the O.T.

In the genealogy given in I Chronicles 1: 1, the order of Gen. 5: is retained, viz.,

"Adam, Seth, Enosh".  In the genealogy of the Saviour by Luke the same is true

(Luke 3: 38). Now just as Cain and Abel never come into the book of the generations of

Adam, but that honour is unreservedly given to Seth, the substitute, so in the Person of

Christ, the last Adam, the second man, the whole creation will recognize in Him, and not

in Adam, the One to whom dominion belongs, the glorious head of a new creation, the

"former things", like Cain and Abel, having passed away.

In the book of the generations of Adam are two significant entries. The first is that of

Gen. 5: 5:--

The second is that of verses 23, 24:--