Gen 5:21-24 (KJV)Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:Gen 5:22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:Gen 5:23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:Gen 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he [was] not; for God took him.
We read the first few chapters of the bible, and we’re
struck by a mix of emotions. The first chapters deal with the creation and the
more you meditate on it, the more glorious it becomes. The next chapter deals
with Adam and his sin. And we read about the seed of Adam proving it’s tendency
to sin in Cain. We continue to read about the diverging genealogies of Seth and
Cain and we reflect on the loss of fellowship that man experienced.
In the midst of that gloom comes Enoch – A man whom the scripture
records had “Walked” with God. Oh behold the glory of a man once again restored
to the pre-sin state of being able to walk with God. Before Adam sinned, he
walked with God. He fellowshipped with God. He conversed with God. God must
have shared his heart with him, for Man was made for fellowship with God. And
then came the serpent and the sin in Adam – where Adam hid himself from God and
stopped the fellowship.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please and be satisfactory to Him. For whoever would come near to God must [necessarily] believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him [out].
Enoch must have read the record of Adam handed down to
generations (about his initial walk with God, about sin, about the lord’s
sacrifice to cloth them, Abel’s sacrifice, etc). This man must have believed
that there was indeed a God. He must have got a revelation that there is a God
who likes to talk and walk with men. I imagine Enoch initially talking to God
softly – and saying “God – talk to me”. And then as God
talked, Enoch talked back and continued into an “awesome” relation. I imagine
the joy the lord felt during this fellowship was the same that Jesus felt when
he talked to the woman at the well (for that was the will of the father). It is
likewise for us – for when we initially sit with the word of God, we may speak
to God tentatively – unsure of our standing with him. Once we speak and once
the word speaks to us, we start growing in the love relation with the father. It's humbling that Enoch managed to do this, at a time when the neither the holy spirit was sent down nor the Word of God existed.
As he talked, he also walked with Him. The bible says
(Amos 3:3) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
Here was a man who was
agreeing and completely finding himself acceptable to the creator of the
universe – because he agreed with the principles taught by God. We need to come
to a state where we accept the principles of God without rebelling. I see so
many beloved children of God who love the lord but are not prepared to agree
with him on many godly principles – like worshiping him alone, experiencing
death and resurrection through the ordinance of water baptism, tongues, etc. When we agree
and obey to the small commands of God, he leads us into a fuller experience of
himself.
To walk with someone means you have to walk at his pace. Not
faster, not slower. Enoch slowed down his life to enjoy the fellowship of the
Father God. The scripture records nothing of Enoch except for the fact that he
had offsprings and he walked with God. The other aspects of his life were not
significant enough to be recorded in the word of God. He may have been a farmer
or a shepherd – but it doesn’t matter to God. All it matters is, he continued
the line of God and he walked with God. In a way, God is speaking to his
beloved children (the blood-cleansed believer) – all it matters is that you
have spiritual children and that you walk with God.
When you walk with someone (imagine, with your earthly
father), there may be times when you don’t speak much, but still enjoy your
fellowship. And there may be times when there’s profuse conversation. Times of
sharing of plans and concerns. Times of correction as a mature son. We’re
certain that Enoch received many revelations and prophecies. I wish to remind
you of two of those recorded in the word.
- The flood – The flood of Noah was made known to Enoch – God must have revealed to him his heart of sadness for the evil that abounded the earth. Enoch prophetically named his son “Methuselah” – meaning, “It (judgement) shall happen when he dies”. It is a picture of the longsuffering of God that he was the man who lived longest on this earth.
- Coming of the lord with 10000’s of his saints – This was literally at the other end of the timeline of earth. God must have revealed his heart to Enoch (like giving him a preview of the book of revelation)
Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,Jude 1:15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard [speeches] which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
365 years on this earth, and Enoch achieved more than what
any man had till then. In those days, 365 years was like 30 years of today. But
those 365 years were spent in full fellowship with the lord. And the love
relation between them got so intense that the lord must have said “Enoch, I
want you here with me. I cannot be away from you.” The wages of sin is death,
but here was Enoch who overtook death and was taken up into the heavenlies by
God. Likewise we are to be blameless and walking with God so that the lord will
find us ready when he comes down to rapture his saints. (Yes I do believe we're living in the times when the lord will come and we will be with him in the heavenlies)
Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
This man sought the lord all the days of his life. He walked
with him. He was cleansed by the lord’s presence and fellowship. And the lord
rewarded him with an eternal joyous fellowship.
Dear Christian friend,
We live in very perilous times – every sign is there of
these being the days like the days of Noah and Lot where sin abounded. The few
verses of Enoch in the word is speaking to us the heart of God
- Be in fellowship with God
- Use the presence of the word of God (bible) and the holy spirit (who was given to you when you got saved) to experience the fellowship of God
- Walk with God at his pace and Agree to his commands
- Make time for your daily hourly fellowship with your father
- Christianity is a joy of being restored in relation with the Lord God
- Have faith that the lord will talk, answer you
- Let us wait in the joyful hope of the imminent coming of the lord and savior Jesus Christ !
No comments:
Post a Comment