Gênesis 5
Charles Spurgeon · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 5
Spurgeon - The way to please God, then, is to believe in Him—and if there is any possibility of entering heaven without seeing death, faith alone can point the way. You cannot be Enochs unless you please God, and you cannot please God unless you have faith in Him. If we cannot get a translation as Enoch did, let us not be content without getting God’s good pleasure as he did. Oh, that it may be said of us that we pleased God! Then we shall, one way or another, conquer death; for if we do, we shall triumph over the grave. And if Christ shall come before we die, we shall triumph in the coming of Christ. Anyhow, faith shall be more than a match for the last enemy. Spurgeon - “Enoch walked with God.” - He walked with God 400 years. This implies perseverance. You have received Christ; persevere in receiving him. You have come to trust him; keep on trusting him. You hang about his neck as a poor, helpless sinner; remain hanging there. Abide in him. Spurgeon - GENESIS 5:21–24 OUR reading leads us to think upon that eminent saint of the antediluvian church, Enoch, the seventh from Adam. "21, 22, 23, 24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." Here it is worthy of notice that the sacred writer says once that Enoch “lived;” but he changes the word and writes Enoch “walked with God;” thus teaching us that communion with God was Enoch’s life, and truly so it ought to be ours. He was not a mere talker about God, but a walker with God. This holy patriarch lived in unbroken intercourse with the Lord for three hundred years, not now and then visiting with God, but habitually walking with him. This is a point of great difficulty. To draw near to God is comparatively easy; but to remain in undivided fellowship, “this is the work, this is the labour.” Yet the Holy Spirit can enable us to accomplish even this. Continued communion is what we should aim at, and we should not be content with anything short of it. Some excuse themselves from seeking after unbroken fellowship with God because of their calling, their circumstances, and their numerous engagements. Enoch had the cares of a family upon him, and he was also a public preacher, and yet he kept up his walk with God: no business or household cares should make us forget our God. Society with God is the safety of saints, it is their solace and delight, it is their honour and crown. More to be desired is it than gold, yea, than much fine gold. Happy was Enoch to enjoy it so sweetly, and so continuously. The long intercourse of this good man with his God ended in his being borne away from earth without death to that place where faith is lost in sight. He did not live like others, and therefore he did not die like others. Paul tells us a little more concerning this holy man, and we will gather up the fragments of his history which remain on record, that nothing may be lost. HEBREWS 11:5, 6 - Faith was the spring from which his communion was derived. Works do not make us walk with God; but faith brings us into his presence, and keeps us there. It is very likely that Enoch’s pious conversation did not please men, but that little mattered since it pleased God. Spurgeon - MEDITATION—to be Practised - THOSE who would be in health do not sit still in their houses to breathe such air as may come to them, but they walk abroad and seek out rural and elevated spots that they may inhale the invigorating breezes; and thus those godly souls who would be in a vigorous spiritual state, do not merely think upon such holy doctrines as may come into their minds in the ordinary course of thought, but they give time to meditation, they walk abroad in the fields of truth, and endeavour to climb the heights of gospel promises. It is said that Enoch walked with God: here is not an idle but an active communion. The road to bodily health is said to be a footpath, and the way to spiritual health is to exercise one’s self in holy contemplation. (Feathers for arrows) David Olford has an interesting introduction to his famous father Stephen Olford's devotional notes According to Your Word - Just after the Second World War, sensing a deep spiritual hunger, my father was refreshed and revived during a time of personal retreat with the Lord. Shortly thereafter, he met Billy Graham (1946). Due to young Billy Graham's similar spiritual hunger, the two arranged to meet in Wales for a time of retreat together. It is my understanding that one of the subjects discussed during this time together was the devotional life or the “quiet time.” According to Your Word reveals that the “quiet time” was already a discipline in my father's life before this important meeting in 1946. These devotionals are evidence of a thoughtful and prayerful reading of the Word of God that was (and would be) a regular feature of my father's life. My father practiced the quiet time until his death at age eighty-six. His sudden departure reminds me of the Scriptural account of Enoch who “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Ge 5:24). We miss Dad greatly, but we know that his walk with God continues above. (According to Your Word) Enoch walked by faith. Paul charges believers today to "Walk by faith not sight." (2 Cor 5:7+) Robert Neighbour-Sermons and Bible Studies - By faith Enoch walked with God. He walked with God in the midst of an age that was fast corrupting itself and turning away from Jehovah; he walked with God in the midst of his own home, where he begat sons and daughters. Surely we then may walk by faith in this our day. To be sure sin is much the same as it was in Enoch's day; but we have added light and increased blessings — should we not have a greater faith? Closer, Lord, to Thee I come, Light of life Divine; Through the ever Blessed Son, Joy and peace are mine; Let me in Thy love abide, Keep me ever near Thy side, In the "Rock of Ages" hide, — Closer, Lord, to Thee. JUST A CLOSER WALK WITH THEE I am weak but Thou art strong Jesus keep me from all wrong I'll be satisfied as long As I walk, let me walk close to Thee Just a closer walk with Thee Grant it, Jesus, is my plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be When my feeble life is o'er Time for me will be no more Guide me gently, safely o'er To Thy kingdom's shore, to Thy shore Just a closer walk with Thee Grant it, Jesus, is my plea Daily walking close to Thee Let it be, dear Lord, let it be Enoch "Walked With God" He "walked with God!" Could grander words be written? Not much of what he thought or said is told; Not where or what he wrought is even mentioned; He "walked with God"—brief words of fadeless gold! How many souls were succored on his journey— Helped by his words, or prayers, we may not know; Still, this we read—words of excelling grandeur— He "walked with God," while yet he walked below. And, after years, long years, of such blest walking, One day he walked, then was not, God said "Come! Come from the scene of weary sin-stained sadness! Come to the fuller fellowship of home!" Such be the tribute of thy pilgrim journey When life's last mile thy feet hath bravely trod— When thou hast gone to all that there awaits thee, This simple epitaph—"He walked with God!" (Ge 5:24) —Poems for Sunshine and Shadow Below are the other OT (Lxx) passages where euaresteo is used to translate the Hebrew verb halak. It is notable that in all these OT uses of euaresteo we find depictions of men like Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and David, whose lives were characterized not by perfection but by direction. That is to say that their lives manifested a general tendency toward godliness and toward their future promised home in heaven. As a corollary, if you believe you are headed for heaven in the future, your life should reflect it on earth in the present! If it does not, you might be deceiving yourself (study 2Cor 13:5-note) and your life might not be pleasing to God now or then (cp Mt 7:21-note, Mt 7:22, 23-note). Genesis 6:9 These are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God (Hebrew = halak; Lxx = "Noah was well-pleasing to God"). NET Bible note on Ge 6:9: The construction translated "walked with" is used in Ge 5:22, 24 and in 1Sa 25:15, where it refers to David's and Nabal's men "rubbing shoulders" in the fields. Based on the use in 1Sa 25:15, the expression ("walked with") seems to mean "live in close proximity to," which may, by metonymy, mean "maintain cordial relations with." Genesis 17:1 Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty (EL Shaddai - God Almighty); Walk (Hebrew = halak ; Lxx = be "well-pleasing to") before Me, and be blameless. Genesis 24:40 "And he said to me (Isaac speaking), 'The LORD, before whom I have walked (Hebrew = halak ; Lxx = "well-pleasing to"), will send His angel with you to make your journey successful, and you will take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father's house; Genesis 48:15 And he (Israel or Jacob is speaking - Ge 48:14) blessed Joseph, and said, "The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked (Hebrew = halak; Lxx = "well-pleasing to"), the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, Psalm 26:3 (David writes) For Thy lovingkindness is before my eyes, And I have walked (Hebrew = halak; Lxx = "well-pleasing to") in Thy truth. Psalm 56:13 (David writes) For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk (Hebrew = halak; Lxx = "well-pleasing to") before God In the light of the living. Psalm 116:9 (Author not stated) I shall walk (Hebrew = halak; Lxx = "well-pleasing") before the LORD In the land of the living. Spurgeon comments: This is the Psalmist's second resolution, to live as in the sight of God in the midst of the sons of men. By a man's walk is understood his way of life: some men live only as in the sight of their fellow men, having regard to human judgment and opinion; but the truly gracious man considers the presence of God, and acts under the influence of His all observing eye. "Thou God sees me" is a far better influence than "My master sees me." The life of faith, hope, holy fear, and true holiness is produced by a sense of living and walking before the Lord, and he who has been favored with divine deliverances in answer to prayer finds his own experience the best reason for a holy life, and the best assistance to his endeavors. We know that God in a special manner is nigh unto His people: what manner of persons ought we to be in all holy conversation and godliness? (2Pe 3:11-note) WALKING - James Smith I. Before God: Divine Inspection (Gen. 17:1). II. With God: Divine Companionship (Gen. 5:22). III. After God: Divine Leadership (Deut. 13:4). IV. In God: Divine Indwelling (Col. 2:6). And the last includes all the others. FAITH - James Smith 1. The Ear of Faith, 1 Kings 18:41 2. The Eye of Faith, 2 Kings 6:17. 3. The Feet of Faith, Genesis 5:24. 4. The Hand of Faith, Acts 3:7. 5. The Heart of Faith, Rom. 10:10. PLEASING GOD. - James Smith "Ye ought to please God" (1 Thess. 4:1). I. Those who are not pleasing God. 1. They that live ONLY FOR THEMSELVES are not pleasing God. "We ought not to please ourselves, for even Christ pleased not Himself" (Rom. 15:1-3). Self is all the god that many worship. 2. They that only seek to PLEASE MEN are not pleasing God. "Do I seek to please men? If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ" (Gal. 1:10). 3. They that are IN THE FLESH cannot please God. "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit" (Rom. 8:8, 9). 4. They that have NO FAITH cannot please God. "Without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb. 11:6). A man might have faith in the minister, in the Church, and Bible, and yet have no faith in God. II. Those who are pleasing God. 1. Those who ASK RIGHT THINGS from God. "David asked for an understanding heart to discern between good and bad, and the speech pleased the Lord" (1 Kings 3:9, 10). 2. Those who are SEPARATED FOR GOD. "No man that warreth entangleth himself, that he may please Him who hath chosen him" (2 Tim. 2:4). How numerous are the entanglements! 3. Those who are WHOLLY YIELDED TO GOD. Now God "working in you that which is well-pleasing in His sight" (Heb. 13:20, 21). 4. Those who WALK WITH GOD. "Enoch walked with God" (Gen. 5:24), "and he pleased God" (Heb. 11:5). 5. Those who PRAISE GOD. "I will praise the Name of God. This also shall please the Lord" (Ps. 69:30, 31). All singing is not praising. God judgeth the heart. III. Promises to those who please God. 1. "Their ENEMIES shall be at peace with them" (Prov. 16:7). This is a different thing from being at peace with our enemies. They surrender. 2. Their PRAYERS shall be answered (1 John 3:22). If we are always doing what pleases Him we may always expect what we ask. 3. Their NAME shall be everlasting (Isa. 56:4, 5). "Choose the things that please Me, and I will give an everlasting name." "They shall be called by His Name, and His Name endureth for ever." Steven
Gênesis 5
Spurgeon - Enoch - Genesis 5:24 We are told that ‘he was not’. Those who believe that the word to ‘die’ means to be annihilated, would have been still more confirmed in their views if the words ‘he was not’ had been applied to all the departed, for if any expression might mean annihilation, this is the one. ‘He was not’ does not, however, mean that he was annihilated, and neither does the feebler term of dying signify anything of the kind. ‘He was not’ means he was not here, that is all. He was gone from earth, but he was there, where God had translated him. He was, he is, with God. Do not grudge him his avoidance of death. It was a favour, but not by any means as great as some would think, for those who do not die must undergo a change and Enoch was changed. ‘We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.’ The flesh and blood of Enoch could not ‘inherit the kingdom of God’: in a moment he underwent a transformation which we will have to undergo in the day of the resurrection; and so, though he was not on earth, he was translated or transplanted from the gardens of earth to the Paradise above. If there is any man in the world that shall never die, it is he who walks with God. If there is any man to whom death will be as nothing, it is he who has looked to the second advent of Christ and gloried in it; if there is any man who, though he pass through the iron gates of death, shall never feel the terror of the grim foe, it is he whose life below has been perpetual communion with God. Go not about by any other way to escape the pangs of death, but walk with God, and you will be able to say, ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ Genesis 5:21-32 Charlie’s Walk On The Moon February 6, 2010 — by Dennis Fisher Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. —Genesis 5:24 The documentary In the Shadow of the Moon includes the story of Charlie Duke, one of the Apollo 16 astronauts launched to the moon in 1972. While the command ship orbited the moon, Duke and another astronaut landed the lunar module Orion on the moon’s surface. After 3 days of running experiments and collecting lunar rocks, the Apollo 16 crew safely returned to earth. Later, Charlie had a spiritual transformation. He said it began when his friend invited him to a Bible study. After the meeting, Charlie prayed to Christ, “I give You my life, and if You’re real come into my life.” He then experienced an indescribable peace. It was so profound that he began to share his story with others. Charlie told them, “My walk on the moon lasted 3 days and it was a great adventure, but my walk with God lasts forever.” The Bible tells us of another man who walked with God. “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Gen. 5:24). His spiritual walk with God was so close that God took him directly into eternity (see Heb. 11:5). We can learn a lesson from Charlie and Enoch. For believers, no matter where our journey leads, our walk with God will last for eternity! Let me walk with You, dear Savior, Side by side and hand in hand; Keep me clean and pure and faithful Till I reach the heavenly land. —Hess Keep eternity’s goal in sight by walking daily in God’s light. Steady or Erratic - How would you describe your spiritual life? Is it marked by steady growth as you walk in fellowship with Jesus and learn from Him each day? Or is it an up-and-down kind of roller-coaster ride with times of intensity followed by seasons of indifference? Too many people are "religious only by fits and starts," remarked the noted American pastor Jonathan Edwards. Used by God to spearhead a powerful revival in colonial New England, Edwards said churchgoers are "like the waters in the time of a shower of rain, which during the shower, and a little after, run like a brook and flow abundantly, but they are presently quite dry, and when another shower comes, then they will flow again. Whereas a true saint is like a stream from a living spring which, though it may be greatly increased by a shower of rain and diminished in time of drought, yet constantly runs." If someone were to monitor our lives, would our discipleship be characterized as "fits and starts" or like "a stream from a living spring"? Could we say that we, like Enoch, "walked with God"? (Gen. 5:22). Dear Jesus, take my heart and hand, And grant me this, I pray, That I through Your sweet love may grow More like You day by day. --Garrison Discipleship demands discipline Private: Every Step Counts - People who want to feel better, reduce stress, and shed unwanted pounds are discovering that walking may be the best exercise of all. A fitness philosophy of 10,000 steps a day, which first took hold in Japan, is gaining popularity in other countries. Experts advise starting slowly and working toward a higher goal, realizing each day that every step counts. It's even more important to stay spiritually fit by "walking with God," which the Bible describes as an intimate, growing relationship with the Lord. "Enoch walked with God three hundred years" (Genesis 5:22). "Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God" (Ge 6:9). Both men are mentioned in Hebrews 11, where they are commended for their faith. "Enoch … had this testimony, that he pleased God" (v.5). "Noah … became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith" (v.7). To walk with God, we need to keep in step without running ahead or lagging behind. Along the way, we talk with the Lord, listen to Him, and enjoy His presence. We trust His guidance when we cannot see what lies ahead. It is not just the destination that's important, but the journey we take together. Knowing God will take a lifetime, Walking with Him day by day, Learning all we can about Him, Loving Him in every way. —Sper You are headed in the right direction when you walk with God. Keeping Clean - A writer who visited a coal mine noticed a perfectly white plant growing by the side of the entrance. The author and the other visitors with him were astonished that there, where coal dust continually blew and settled, this little plant would be so pure and white. As the people watched, a miner took some black coal dust and threw it on the plant, but not a particle stuck. The visitors repeated the experiment, but the dust would not cling. Nothing could stain the plant's snowy whiteness. This illustrates what every Christian life should be like. We live in an evil world, surrounded by ungodly influences. It is our mission to be pure amid all this dirt and remain unspotted from the world. How is this possible? Enoch lived in the days before the flood, a time when "the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually" (Gen. 6:5). Yet the Bible tells us that "Enoch walked with God three hundred years" (Ge 5:22). Let me walk with You, dear Savior, Side by side and hand in hand; Keep me clean and pure and faithful Till I reach the heavenly land. -Hess We live in the world, but the world must not live in us. Walking With God As we read through the Bible, Genesis 5 sounds like the records kept down at the county courthouse. Name, age at death, survivors. But in this terse list, we are suddenly confronted with a man who stands out from everyone else. "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him" (v.24). We don't know much else about Enoch. He probably took care of the herds, worked the land, cared for his family. Whatever his duties were, we know that he had an ongoing conversation with God. Enoch expressed his joys, his hurts, his confusions, and the responsibility he felt for his children. He walked with God. Enoch came to love what God loves and hate what God hates. More interesting, though, the Lord was pleased with Enoch (Heb. 11:5). One day He must have said something like: "Enoch, we've come a long way together. Why don't you just come on home and stay with Me." The ancient writer simply reports, "And he was not, for God took him" (v.24). Savior, let me walk beside Thee, Let me feel my hand in Thine; Let me know the joy of walking In Thy strength and not in mine. --Sidebotham A Commitment To Walk - One thing that impresses me about my wife is her commitment to walk two to four times a week for at least an hour. Come rain, snow, sleet, or shine, my wife layers up or down (depending on the weather), puts on her headphones, and off she goes walking through our community. My wife’s commitment to walking reminds me of a man named Enoch. Genesis 5:18-24 is a short paragraph about his life, and it shines like a diamond amid the earthly record of deaths. In a storyline where the funeral bells tolled out their mournful drone (“and he died” is repeated eight times in the chapter), there is a ray of hope—Enoch walked with God. What did it mean for Enoch to walk with God? It describes Enoch’s close communion with God—as if literally walking by His side. Also, it refers to Enoch’s unswerving obedience to God in a corrupt culture. God rewarded Enoch’s faithfulness by taking him to heaven while he was still alive. Death would not have the final word in God’s creation. He walks with me, and He talks with me, And He tells me I am His own; And the joy we share as we tarry there None other has ever known. —Miles © Renewal 1940 The Rodeheaver Co. DON'T BE A "SPIRITUAL VAGRANT" - And Enoch walked with God, and he was not; for God took him. Genesis 5:24 - Efficient leaders of organizations and responsible individuals set specific goals for which they constantly strive. A vagrant, on the other hand, is an extreme example of one who has no such purposes in view. He does not hold a steady job, does not obligate himself for the purchase and maintenance of a home, and often has no loved ones for whose future he is concerned. The utter aimlessness of such a life was strikingly demonstrated by the tramp who declined a ride someone offered him, saying, "No, thank you! I am not going any place, so I am just as well off here as I would be 10 miles farther on." All who do not believe in God are in a sense "spiritual vagrants" — living without an ultimate aim or goal. The Christian, however, knows where he is going. He also perceives his purpose — "To glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever." Moreover, Hebrews 11:1 says that a believer's faith gives him absolute assurance that he will certainly enjoy the "things hoped for," and that "the things not seen" are definite realities. For this reason he seeks to please the Lord by worshiping in an acceptable manner like Abel, by walking in fellowship like Enoch, and by working faithfully like Noah. These men believed in God and directed their efforts in doing His will. They did not wander aimlessly through life without purpose or goal. Neither should you. Dear reader, what is your highest ambition? Are you truly seeking to glorify God and do His will, or are you a "spiritual vagrant"? When you pass from this earthly scene may it be said of you as it was of Enoch, he "walked with God." Such be the tribute of thy pilgrim journey When life's last mile thy feet have bravely trod— When thou hast gone to all that there awaits thee, This simple epitaph—"He walked with God!" —Anon. Our lives constantly manifest what we truly think about God! Vance Havner - THERE'LL BE A WAY Enoch walked with God.... Genesis 5:24. I live, when on the road, in motels most of the time. I like to walk, but motels are made for motorists, not pedestrians, and usually they stand on highways and crowded traffic intersections. Sometimes it has looked to me on arrival that walking would not be possible, but I have never failed to find some way to take a stroll. If you really want to walk with God, there'll be a way. It may not be ideal, it may lead through a dark valley or over rugged mountain passes, but there'll be a way. An invalid spending life between bed sheets can still walk with God. Paul did it in a Roman prison awaiting execution. It may not be your way or my way, but still in God's way there'll be a road to walk with Him. (All the Days) Keep Step with God Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5:24. Enoch did not run ahead of God or lag behind Him. He walked with Him. Some go too fast, they hasten to an immature and superficial experience with God, and their consecration is not thorough. They make a mechanical "decision," but the depths have never been stirred. Or else in a spell of emotion they make a hurried covenant with God but have no root or depth. Others go too slowly. They are so afraid of a false decision that they make none. They spend nights praying for what is already theirs in Christ. They go into vagaries and extremes of "seeking," and sometimes become unbalanced. There is a happy balance here. All that we need is in Jesus. Let us make no cheap and quick committals until all has been laid at His feet and we really mean business. Long hours of prayer are necessary only if we are stubborn, God is not slow to hear and answer. If we really mean business we need not tarry. Christ is here now, immediately accessible. No use wasting time afraid we are not "sure." We can never be sure of ourselves; He is the sure One! Walk with God. "Run not before him." Lag not behind Him. (Day by Day) Vance Havner - "Vival" or Revival? Enoch walked with God. Genesis 5:24. Enoch did not need a revival every year to keep him going. Most Christians and churches need a periodic stirring up, but it should not, and need not, be so. We are in danger of thinking of revival as an occasional shot in the arm, a spurt of religious enthusiasm that soon plays out. God never meant that His children should live by fits and starts, an up-and-down experience. Some husbands and wives live that way, with periods of indifference, quarreling, and then making up again. How much better is that steady and constant companionship, not perfect, but faithful and dependable day by day! With churches on almost every other corner, it is pathetic that we should have to have a special reviving every year. If we walked with God and kept up to date with Him we should never need to call in a preacher to get us back to normal. For real revival is simply normal New Testament Christianity, not an unusual religious spree. If we had a daily "vival" we should not need an occasional revival. Let us walk as children of the day and we shall not need to be awakened every year. (Day by Day) Hebrews 11:4-6; Genesis 4:1-5; 5:18-24 Without faith it is impossible to please God. - Hebrews 11:6 TODAY IN THE WORD When veteran FBI agent Robert Hanssen was arrested earlier this year and charged with spying for Russia, many people who thought they knew Hanssen expressed their surprise. One neighbor said about the accused spy and his family, “They go to church every Sunday--if that means anything--loading all six kids into the van.” This person’s telling comment reminds us that the way we worship and the way we walk, or live our lives, needs to be consistent with what we say we believe. The author of Hebrews pointed to Abel and Enoch as worthy examples of what it means to worship and to walk by faith. Most people remember Abel as part of a famous brother pair, and as the first murder victim in history at the hands of his brother Cain. But it was Abel’s act of worship, bringing a sacrifice to the Lord, that earned him God’s favor and a place among the Bible’s faith heroes. It’s interesting that the Scripture does not say exactly why Abel’s sacrifice pleased God, except that he obviously offered it in the right spirit (Gen. 4:4-5). It could have been more costly than Cain’s offering, since Abel’s required sacrificing some of his sheep. Whatever the reason, Abel understood that he needed to approach God in humility and faith to secure His approval. Abel’s offering, and the heart attitude it revealed, marked him out as a righteous person. God was so pleased with Abel that He made Eve’s second son an example of faith for every generation by including him in this list of godly examples in Hebrews. Enoch is the classic illustration of what it means to walk by faith. In the Bible, “walk” is a synonym for our daily life. Enoch’s life was so consumed by his relationship with God that he simply disappeared one day (Gen. 5:24). The Scripture suggests that God enjoyed fellowship with this amazing man so much that He didn’t allow Enoch to experience death, which in the Old Testament always meant separation from God. TODAY ALONG THE WAY We can’t study the lives of Abel and Enoch without examining the quality of our own worship and walk. QUESTION - Why did God take Enoch and Elijah to heaven without them dying? ANSWER - According to the Bible, Enoch and Elijah are the only two people God took to heaven without them dying. Genesis 5:24 tells us, "Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away." 2Ki 2:11 tells us, "Suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind." Enoch is described as a man who "walked with God for 300 years" (Genesis 5:23). Elijah was perhaps the most powerful of God’s prophets in the Old Testament. There are also prophecies of Elijah’s return (Malachi 4:5-6). Why did God take Enoch and Elijah? The Bible does not specifically give us the answer. Some speculate that they were taken in preparation for a role in the end times, possibly as the two witnesses in Revelation 11:3-12. This is possible, but not explicitly taught in the Bible. It may be that God desired to save Enoch and Elijah from experiencing death due to their great faithfulness in serving and obeying Him. Whatever the case, God has His purpose, and while we don’t always understand God’s plans and purposes, we know that “His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). GotQuestions.org Genesis 5:24 Hebrews 11:1-6 Walking With Him December 13, 1999 — by David C. McCasland Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. —Genesis 5:24 One hot summer day my daughter and I were enjoying the slides and tube runs at a waterpark. While waiting in line for one of the rides, I overheard a man ask, “Does anyone know where this line is going?” The person next to him said, “I don’t have a clue.” I chuckled at their apparent ignorance, but then I realized that I didn’t know where the line was going either. It didn’t make any difference, though. It was a dad-and-daughter day and we were having a good time. It wasn’t important where we were going; it was being together that mattered most. That experience caused me to ponder my attitude toward what we often call “walking with the Lord.” Are we so worried about where we’re headed in life that we fail to enjoy being with Him each day? Isn’t our life of faith more a matter of companionship than getting somewhere? Enoch, the Old Testament saint, “walked with God three hundred years” (Gen 5:22). And then he just walked off the earth into God’s presence without even experiencing death (Heb. 11:5). We may not know where life’s road will take us, but we can enjoy the journey if we are walking with our Lord. Thank You, Lord, for walking with us As our guardian, friend, and guide; Help us sense Your loving presence Every day, close by our side. —Sper You're headed in the right direction if you're walking with Christ. A W Tozer - THE WALK OF FAITH Enoch walked with God…for God took him. Genesis 5:24 There are spiritual lessons for every Christian believer in the life of godly Enoch, seventh generation from Adam through Adam’s third son, Seth. We are impressed that he could resist the devil and find fellowship with his Creator God, for he lived in a worldly society headed for destruction. Enoch’s daily walk was a walk of faith, a walk of fellowship with God. The Scriptures are trying to assure us that if Enoch could live and walk with God by faith in the midst of his sinful generation, we likewise should be able to follow his example because the human race is the same and God is the same! Beyond that, Enoch reminds us that the quality and boldness of our faith will be the measure of our preparation for the return of Jesus Christ to this earth. We walk by faith as Enoch did, and although it is now twenty centuries after Christ’s sojourn on earth, we hold firmly to the New Testament promise that our risen Lord will return to earth again! F B