October 03, 2023 – Tuesday
Jude 1:14-16 NKJV
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” 16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.
Jude 1:14-16 NIV
14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These people are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
Comments
I am using these three verses that preceded yesterday’s verses to introduce Enoch to you. Our verses today begin by telling us that Enoch was the seventh from Adam. That may not make any sense to you, but if you go to Genesis chapter 5 you will discover in verse 18 Enoch was born of Jared when Jared was 162 years old. And in the next two verses we read, 19 After he begot Enoch, Jared lived eight hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died.
Enoch’s father Jared lived to be 962 years before he died. So, what is the big deal about Enoch? Well, when he was 65 he begot Methuselah. Most of us Christians and non-Christians alike are familiar with the name of Methuselah. He was after all known as the man who lived the longest life, 969 years. And he was the grandfather of Noah. Yes, that Noah! But wait a minute, let’s back up to Enoch, how long did he live? We don’t know because in Genesis 5:23-24, we read 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. If we stopped reading there, we might wonder what’s the big deal, he only lived less than half as long as his father Jared or his son Methuselah. But we are not going to stop there as the next verse reads, 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Enoch walked with God! And God took him! He didn’t die, instead he had lived on earth for 365 years when God took him. Three questions arise here. First, how long did he walk with God? Second, what does it mean Enoch walked with God? Third, what does it mean God took him? The first question is the easiest to answer if we back up to verse 22 which tells us, 22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. Thus, Enoch walked with God for 300 years. To put this into more modern terms, if Enoch was born in 1658, Methuselah would have been born in 1723 when Enoch was 65 years old. Then Enoch began walking with God for 100 years until 1823, another hundred years until 1923, and another 100 years until 2023 whereupon God took him. That was Enoch’s ‘short’ lifespan here on earth.
Looking at our second question, what does it mean Enoch walked with God? The key word in this short statement is with. From Strong’s Concordance, it is from the G854 eth with the meaning with (denoting proximity) which only makes sense. If you are to walk with someone, you need to be in close proximity with that person. MacLaren provides a great word picture of this, Two men traveling along a road keep each other company. ‘How can two walk together except they be agreed?’ The companion is at our side all the same, though the mists may have come down and we cannot see Him. We can hear His voice, we can grasp His hand, we can catch the echoes of His steps. We know He is there, and that is enough. After much more MacLaren concludes with, An old mystic says: ‘If I can tell how many times to-day I have thought about God, I have not thought about Him often enough.’ Walk with Him by faith, by effort, by purity.
Just before his concluding comment above, MacLaren answers our third question, what does it mean God took him? He writes, Enoch ‘walked with God,’ and, of course, ‘God took him,’ There was nothing else for it, and there could be no other end, for a life of communion with God here has in it the prophecy and the pledge of a life of eternal union hereafter. A better explanation is found in Hebrews 11:5 (per Guzik) that tells us, “the foundation of Enoch’s walk with God: By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.You can’t walk with God or please God apart from faith.”
Bottom Line: Walking with God requires being aware of Him and welcoming His presence by faith.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, Thank You for the incredible example of Enoch. Help us to live in such a ways as to keep You near as we walk through this life. – In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
RileyD, nwJ
Riley D. Driver – Pastor