Gênesis 5
Steven Cole · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 5
Cole - The Epitaph of Sin (Genesis 5:1-32) When asked what he would like his epitaph to read, Johnny Carson quipped, “I’ll be right back.” He won’t be back from the grave, of course. Nobody will. While we all may have differing epitaphs, there is really only one epitaph for the fallen human race: “He died.” Genesis 5 shows us that the epitaph of sin is death. It’s a chapter many would be inclined to skip. Perhaps in your Bible reading, you skim these verses, wondering why they are in the Bible. Gen 5:1-3 tell us why: Moses takes us back to Genesis 1, before the fall, to show that God’s original purpose for man, created in His image, is now to be carried out through Adam’s line through Seth, not through Cain. But there is a marked difference since the fall: While Adam was created in God’s likeness (Ge 5:1), he became the father of a son in his own (Adam’s) likeness (Ge 5:3). While people after the fall retain a vestige of the divine image (Gen. 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; James 3:9), they also contain the image of their parents, born in sin. God’s purpose is now realized through those who by faith are of the line of Adam through Seth, not through Cain. The line of Cain looks impressive on the surface. But it was progress without God, which is not true progress Adam’s descendants through Cain fall under the heading, “Cain went out from the presence of the Lord” (Ge 4:16). But even so, they made great progress in many areas. The line of Cain looks impressive on the surface. But it was progress without God, which is not true progress. The descendants of Seth fall under the heading, “Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord” (Ge 4:26). With a couple of exceptions, not much is said of these men or their achievements, except that they had children, lived so many years, and died. The line of Seth reminds man of his mortality. But through Enoch, it also shows the hope of eternal life for those who walk with God. Also, it was through the line of Seth that God raised up Noah, and through him came Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and, eventually, Jesus Christ. Moses wrote these words to the Israelites who were poised to enter and conquer Canaan. They were prone to rebel and return to Egypt or to join the idolatry and immorality of the pagan nations around them. Moses wrote Genesis 4 and 5 to show them that they needed to follow the line of Seth, not the line of Cain. Moses is saying to his people, “As you go into a godless culture that will have many temptations, including the temptation to make progress without God, be careful! Remember that you will die, and that you live in this fallen world by calling upon the name of the Lord, by walking with God.” His words are just as practical for us as they were for ancient Israel. We, too, live in a pagan world that tempts us to forget the shortness of life and join its progress without God. God is saying, “Remember as you live in this glittery world that you will die, and walk with Me.” Because of sin we all must die, but those who walk with God have the hope of eternal life. 1. Because of sin we all must die. God’s word is always true. Satan is a liar. God said, “... in the day that you eat from [the tree of the knowledge of good and evil], you shall surely die” (Ge 2:17). Satan said, “You surely shall not die!” (Ge 3:4). Chapter 5 shows who was right. God’s warning was no idle threat. The repeated phrase, “and he died” sounds like a funeral bell, tolling eight times throughout the chapter (Ge 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 27, and 31). It tells us that ... A. ALL MUST DIE. We need to feel the force of God’s judgment upon sin. This chapter follows the godly line of Seth, of those who called upon the name of the Lord, not of those who went out from the presence of the Lord. But even so, we read over and over, “and he died, ... and he died.” Even though they lived long lives, they died. Memento mori, “a reminder of death” We don’t like to think about death, especially our own! It used to be more common. Jonathan Edwards, at 19, resolved among other things “to think much, on all occasions, of my dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” In the Middle Ages it was common for scholars and other men of prominence to keep a skull on their desk to remind them that they, like the victim, must die. The Latin name for such a skull was a memento mori, “a reminder of death” (James Boice, Genesis [Zondervan], 1:238). It sounds gruesome to us. But Genesis 5 is God’s memento mori, His reminder to us that all must die. Why? B. SIN IS THE CAUSE OF OUR DEATH. Death entered the human race through Adam’s disobedience. Paul put it, “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). “For the wages of sin is death ...” (Rom. 6:23). When Adam and Eve sinned, instantly they died spiritually--they were separated from God. But also they began to die physically. With them it was a longer process than it is with us, but it was set in motion the minute they sinned. Seth, born in Adam’s likeness, inherited a sin nature which he passed on to his descendants. Adam’s sin brought death to all. Critics scoff at the long lives attributed to the patriarchs. While there could be some gaps between the names listed, there is no reason, except an arbitrary bias against the Bible, to doubt the ages given. There is good reason to believe that before the flood, conditions on earth were different than they are now. A cloud canopy could have protected the early human race from the aging process known to be accelerated by the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Also, God is the one who determines the length of man’s life (Ge 6:3; Ps 90:3, 10; 139:16). If God determined that the early human race live to be 900 to populate the earth rapidly and to advance civilization, and later He shortened that life span to teach us the penalty for sin, who are we to scoff at the historical record? The point is that sin is the cause of death in the human race. A popular idea promoted in our day is that death is a natural part of life. We are born, move through life, and then we die. Man is just like the animals, going through the life cycle. But that line of reasoning dilutes the reality that death is God’s judgment on our sin. Death is not natural. It is a horrible reminder that we have wronged the holy God and that someday we all must stand before Him. We can try to block it out of our minds, we can joke about it, but we are still going to die. The only way to live wisely is to keep in constant focus that whether I have less than 24 hours, or a few years, it is certain that I am going to die and stand before a holy God. I’d better be ready to meet Him! If this genealogy just recorded that each man lived, had some children, and died, it would be a bleak picture. But in the middle of this dismal pattern, there is a bright exception: “Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Ge 5:24). If that were the only verse in the Bible about Enoch, what actually happened to him might be a mystery. But Hebrews 11:5 makes it plain that “Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death.” With Enoch the death bell did not sound. His life shows that . Genesis 5:6 Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. begat - Ge 4:26 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Seth lived one hundred and five years, and became the father of Enosh. Gleason Archer in Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties - Why is so much emphasis put on the antediluvian genealogy in the Bible? If the whole world was destroyed with the Flood, wouldn’t everybody be of the same bloodline through Noah and his family? In other words, aren’t we all related? Yes, we are indeed all descendants of Noah, for all other families in the antediluvian human race were destroyed by the Flood (so Gen. 7:21: “And all flesh that moved on the earth perished, birds and cattle and beasts … and all mankind”). The reason for the genealogical listing in Genesis 5 was to give the family line of Noah himself, since his descent from Adam through the covenant line of true believers was a matter of prime importance. Likewise in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ, as given in Luke’s gospel, these same antediluvian ancestors are listed (see Luke 3:36–38) to show that the Second Adam was descended from the first Adam. Furthermore, the godly walk of leaders like Seth, the son of Adam (Gen. 4:26), and his son Enosh was a matter of great importance; so too was the close fellowship Enoch had with God before the Lord took him at the age of three hundred years to dwell with Him in heaven’s glory. Genesis 5:7 Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Then Seth lived eight hundred and seven years after he became the father of Enosh, and he had other sons and daughters Genesis 5:8 So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. QUESTION - Why did the people in Genesis live such long lives? ANSWER - It is somewhat of a mystery why people in early chapters of Genesis lived such long lives. There are many theories put forward by biblical scholars. The genealogy in Genesis 5 records the line of the godly descendants of Seth—the line that would eventually produce the Messiah. God possibly blessed this line with especially long life as a result of their godliness and obedience. While this is a possible explanation, the Bible nowhere specifically limits the long lifespans to the individuals mentioned in Genesis chapter 5. Further, other than Enoch, Genesis 5 does not identify any of the individuals as being especially godly. It is likely that everyone during that time lived several hundred years. Several factors may have contributed to this. Something happened at the global flood to shorten men’s lifespans. Compare the lifespans before the flood (Genesis 5:1–32) with those after the flood (Genesis 11:10–32). Immediately after the flood, the ages decreased dramatically and then kept decreasing. A key may be in Genesis 6:3: “The Lord said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.’” Many people see the reference to “a hundred and twenty years” as the new, divinely appointed limit on man’s age. By the time of Moses (who lived 120 years), lifespans were much lower. After Moses, only one person is recorded as having lived past 120 (2 Chronicles 24:15). One theory for why the people of Genesis lived such long lives is based on the idea that a canopy of water used to surround the earth. According to the canopy theory, the water “above the firmament” (Genesis 1:7KJV) created a greenhouse effect and blocked much of the radiation that now hits the earth, resulting in ideal living conditions. At the time of the flood, the water canopy was poured out on the earth (Genesis 7:11), ending the ideal environment. The canopy theory has been abandoned by most creationists today. Another consideration is that, in the first few generations after creation, the human genetic code had developed few defects. Adam and Eve were created perfect. They were surely highly resistant to disease and illness. Their descendants would have inherited these advantages, albeit to lesser degrees. Over time, as a result of sin, the human genetic code became increasingly corrupted, and human beings became more and more susceptible to death and disease. This would also have resulted in drastically reduced lifespans. GotQuestions.org Genesis 5:9 Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan. Cainan - Heb. Kenan, 1Ch 1:2 Lu 3:37 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Enosh lived ninety years, and became the father of Kenan Genesis 5:10 Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters. begat - Ge 5:4 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Then Enosh lived eight hundred and fifteen years after he became the father of Kenan, and he had other sons and daughters Genesis 5:11 So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. died - Ge 5:5 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died Genesis 5:12 Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. Mahalaleel - Gr. Maleleel, Lu 3:37 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. Genesis 5:13 Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters. and begat - Ge 5:4 Then Kenan lived eight hundred and forty years after he became the father of Mahalalel, and he had other sons and daughters - Mahalalel means 'praise of God,' Genesis 5:14 So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died Genesis 5:15 Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. Jared - 1Ch 1:2 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. Genesis 5:16 Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. he became the father of Jared, - Ge 5:4 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: 1 Chronicles 1:2 Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Luke 3:37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, Then Mahalalel lived eight hundred and thirty years after he became the father of Jared, and he had other sons and daughters. Genesis 5:17 So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died. died - Ge 5:5 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years, and he died - His name means something like "praising God" or "praise of God." He is the fourth in descent from Adam in the line of Seth. Genesis 5:18 Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. Enoch - Ge 4:17 1Ch 1:3, Henoch, Lu 3:37 Jude 1:14,15 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Jared lived one hundred and sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch - Enoch means "dedicated" and was the father of Methuselah and an ancestor of Jesus (Lk 3:37+). QUESTION - Who was Enoch in the Bible? ANSWER - There are at least four different men in the Bible named Enoch (Genesis 4:17; 5:18; 25:4; 46:9). We should note that, in Genesis 25:4 and Genesis 46:9, the NIV gives the name “Hanok,” while some other translations, such as the Darby translation, give the name “Enoch” instead. In both verses, the name “Hanok” is from the same Hebrew word translated “Enoch” in Genesis 4:17 and Genesis 5:18. Other translations say “Hanoch” or “Henoch.” The only difference is one of English spelling. It is only the Enoch mentioned in Genesis 5:18 that the Bible gives any significant information about. This Enoch was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Adam. Genesis 5:22–24 says, “After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” Hebrews 11:5 gives a little more detail: “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: ‘He could not be found, because God had taken him away.’ For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” This being “taken away” is what Enoch is most famous for. Only two people in the Bible are said to have been chosen by God to escape death, Enoch and Elijah. Enoch appears to have been given this privilege due to being a man who walked faithfully with God (Genesis 5:24) and pleased God (Hebrews 11:5). For what purpose was Enoch taken away? The Bible does not specifically say. The most common assumption is so that he could serve as one of the two witnesses, alongside Elijah, in the end times. There are also three pseudepigraphal books using Enoch’s name, with 1 Enoch being the most well known, often referred to as the Book of Enoch. None of the pseudepigraphal books of Enoch were actually written by the biblical Enoch. However, since the biblical book of Jude quotes from 1 Enoch and attributes the quotation to the biblical Enoch (Jude 14), at least that one small prophecy must be truly attributable to the biblical Enoch. Enoch draws a lot of attention due to the mystery surrounding him. Far too much speculation has gone into how and why God took Enoch away. Instead of conjecturing, we should be seeking to follow Enoch’s example by being men and women who walk faithfully with God and seek to please Him with our lives.GotQuestions.org Genesis 5:19 Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters. and begat - Ge 5:4 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Then Jared lived eight hundred years after he became the father of Enoch, and he had other sons and daughters Genesis 5:20 So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died. he died - Ge 5:5 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years, and he died Genesis 5:21 Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Methuselah - Lu 3:37 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah QUESTION - Who was Methuselah in the Bible? ANSWER - Genesis 5 tells us about Methuselah, who was the son of righteous Enoch. Enoch is one of only two people in Scripture who did not die but were transported miraculously into heaven (Genesis 5:24). The other, Elijah, was taken up to God in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). When Enoch was 65, he became the father of Methuselah, who lived to be the oldest person on record in human history, at 969 years old. Methuselah had a son named Lamech who became the father of Noah (Genesis 5:26–29). It is interesting to note that both Lamech and Methuselah were alive when Noah was building the ark, but they both died before the flood. Some have suggested that Noah’s grandfather Methuselah died the week before the flood, citing the fact that God told Noah and his family to enter the ark seven days before the rains came (Genesis 7:1, 10). It has been speculated that this seven days was a period of mourning for Methuselah, as was common in humanity’s early history (see Genesis 50:4; 2 Samuel 11:27). While we cannot know this for sure, Scripture does seem to say that, when the flood came, no righteous people were left on the earth except for Noah and his family (Genesis 7:1). Because Methuselah was raised by righteous Enoch, and Methuselah’s grandson Noah also walked with God, it seems likely that Methuselah himself was also a godly man. Lamech, too, may have obeyed God and even helped his son build the ark. This family line from Enoch to Noah, descended from Adam’s son Seth, appears to have been God-honoring and the only ones through whom God could work His plan to save the world. Whether Lamech and Methuselah helped to build the ark, we don’t know. But we do know that there is much more to the lives of the people we read about than the Bible tells us. They were real people with real relationships and real struggles just as we have. There is also much more to the story of Noah building the ark than we are told. He worked for many years to build it, and it is doubtful that he worked alone. Was Noah preaching truth to the neighbors who helped him (see 2 Peter 2:5)? Did his father Lamech and grandfather Methuselah help? Methuselah would have known about God’s coming judgment and the reason for the ark, yet he is not mentioned by God as a possible occupant of the ark. He must have also known that he would die before the flood came. He must have understood that the Lord knows the ones who are His and delivers them from His judgment (Malachi 3:16–18). We may not live to be 969 like Methuselah, but, if we belong to God, we can have Methuselah’s peace concerning God’s coming wrath upon the world.GotQuestions.org Genesis 5:22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters. Ge 6:9 17:1 24:40 48:15 Ex 16:4 Lev 26:12 De 5:33 13:4 28:9 1Ki 2:4 2Ki 20:3 Ps 16:8 26:11 56:13 86:11 116:9 128:1 Song 1:4 Ho 14:9 Am 3:3 Mic 4:5 6:8 Mal 2:6 Lu 1:6 Ac 9:31 Ro 8:1 1Co 7:17 2Co 6:16 Eph 5:15 Col 1:10 4:5 1Th 2:12 4:1 Heb 11:5,6 1Jn 1:7 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passages: Colossians 1:10+ so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; IMITATING ENOCH'S WORTHY WALK Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had other sons and daughters - Enoch is an example of a life to imitate as he had a long obedience in the right/righteous direction! The fruit of Enoch's long walk is described in Genesis 5:24. BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION OF A WORTHY WALK The Bible defines a worthy walk as consisting of the following A worthy walk is a walk in... the Holy Spirit (Ro 8:4-+, cp Gal 5:16+, Gal 5:25-+) humility (Ep 4:2+) purity (Ro 13:13+; Ep 5:3+) contentment (1Co 7:17) faith (2Co 5:7+) righteousness (Ep 2:10+) unity (Ep 4:3+; Php 1:2+) gentleness (Ep 4:2+) patience (Col 1:11+) love (Ep 5:2+) joy (Col 1:11+) thankfulness (Col 1:12+) light (Ep 5:8+, Ep 5:9+) knowledge (Col 1:10+) wisdom (Ep 5:15+) truth (3Jn 3, 4) fruitfulness (Col 1:12+) In short, “The one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6+), because that pleases God (1 Thes 4:1+). How is it possible to walk worthy? Good question! It is learning to walk like Jesus walked. See The Holy Spirit-Walking Like Jesus Walked! Or to answer another way how we walk worthy? In a word... You honor God's Name When you call Him your Father And live like His Son. THOUGHT: “Am I conducting myself in a manner worthy of the Gospel?” is a good question for us to ask ourselves regularly. To reiterate this important point -- Right thinking should always lead to right conduct. Knowledge and obedience go together. One cannot separate learning from living. The idea of "worthy" is that the conduct of the saints weigh as much as the character of Christ. Why? Because when we are surrendered to His will, He is living His life through us via His indwelling Spirit. Ultimately His conduct is the only conduct which is truly worthy, for no other conduct would balance God's perfect scales. Christ alone pleases the Father completely and as we allow Christ to rule and reign in our lives, our lives become pleasing to the Father. Genesis 5:23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years - Enoch has the shortest lifespan of all the men mentioned in Genesis 5. Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. BGT Genesis 5:24 καὶ εὐηρέστησεν Ενωχ τῷ θεῷ καὶ οὐχ ηὑρίσκετο ὅτι μετέθηκεν αὐτὸν ὁ θεός LXE Genesis 5:24 And Enoch was well-pleasing to God, and was not found, because God translated him. KJV Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. NET Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and then he disappeared because God took him away. CSB Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him. ESV Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. NIV Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. NLT Genesis 5:24 walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. NRS Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him. NJB Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God, then was no more, because God took him. NAB Genesis 5:24 Then Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer here, for God took him. YLT Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walketh habitually with God, and he is not, for God hath taken him. GWN Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; then he was gone because God took him. BBE Genesis 5:24 And Enoch went on in God's ways: and he was not seen again, for God took him. RSV Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. NKJ Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. ASV Genesis 5:24 and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. DBY Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. BHT Genesis 5:24 wayyithallëk Hánôk ´et-hä|´élöhîm wü´êneºnnû Kî|-läqaH ´ötô ´élöhîm P NIRV Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God. Then he couldn't be found, because God took him from this life. RWB Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. WEB Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God, and he {was} not: for God took him. walked - Ge 5:21 he was not - The same expression occurs, Ge 37:30 42:36 Jer 31:15 Mt 2:18 for - 2Ki 2:11 Lu 23:43 Heb 11:5-6 1Jn 1:7 Genesis 5 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: 2 Kings 2:11 (ELIJAH TAKEN TO HEAVEN) As they were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up (Septuagint = analambano) by a whirlwind to heaven. 1 John 1:7+ but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. Jude 1:14+ It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, Hebrews 11:5+ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. ENOCH'S DEVOTION TO GOD A MODEL FOR ALL BELIEVERS Enoch walked with God - The Septuagint translates walked (Hebrew = halak) with the verb euaresteo which means to be well-pleasing, to behave in a manner that is pleasing to another. See study of related word euarestos. While clearly other men walked with God, it is interesting that Enoch and Noah are the only two people in the Bible who are specifically said to have walked with God (Gen. 5:22; Gen. 5:24; Gen. 6:9) NET Note has an interesting insight on Hebrew verb halak noting that "The rare expression “walked with” (the Hitpael form of the verb הָלָךְ, halakh, “to walk” collocated with the preposition אֶת, ’et, “with”) is used in 1Sa 25:15+ to describe how David’s men maintained a cordial and cooperative relationship with Nabal’s men as they worked and lived side by side in the fields. In Ge 5:22 the phrase suggests that Enoch and God “got along.” This may imply that Enoch lived in close fellowship with God, leading a life of devotion and piety. An early Jewish tradition, preserved in 1Enoch 1:9 and alluded to in Jude 1:14+, says that Enoch preached about the coming judgment. You are headed in the right direction when you walk with God! And he was not for God took him - This phrase gives hope to all who believe in God and Christ, not a hope so, but a hope sure that we too will one day be escorted into the presence of Jesus, either by the rapture or by falling asleep in Jesus. The Septuagint translates the Hebrew "took" with the very metatithemi which literally, refers to causing a change from one place to another and to transfer or transplant. This is the very verb used by the writer of Hebrews... By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; AND HE WAS NOT FOUND BECAUSE GOD TOOK HIM UP; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. 6 And without faith (FAITH THAT OBEYS) it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.(Heb 11:5-6+) The closer you walk with God, the less room for anything to come between. Ray Pritchard - What does it mean to “walk with God?” Walking can be defined as a series of small steps in the same direction over a long period of time. In Enoch’s case, he began walking with God after the birth of his son Methuseleh. Perhaps he was like many men who don’t get serious until they look into the face of their firstborn son or daughter. Suddenly they realize the heavy weight of responsibility that is upon them. Many men have gotten serious about marriage and fatherhood and their faith because of the birth of a baby. Perhaps that’s what happened to Enoch. In any case he walked with God for 300 years.Walking implies a number of things. First, you have to be in the same place at the same time. If I’m on 5th Street and you are on Dogwood Lane, we are both walking but we are not walking together. And if we are on Broad Street but you are there at 7:00 a.m. and I am there at 2:45 p.m., we still aren’t walking together. Second, you have to be going in the same direction. If you go east and I go west, we aren’t walking with each other. Third, you have to be going at the same pace. If you speed walk and I stroll along, we might both be having a good time but we aren’t walking together.Walking together implies a shared commitment to be at the same place at the same time going in the same direction together. The best illustration that comes to mind is not walking but riding bikes. For the last several years I’ve spent a lot of time riding my bike. I have a daily route laid out that takes me through Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park. I can do 11.2 miles in 44-48 minutes, depending on the time of day and the traffic. Until recently I’ve always ridden alone. About three weeks ago my wife Marlene decided to start riding with me. I was delighted and cleaned up an old bike we had in the garage. We took a few short rides together, and when I saw how much she enjoyed it, I took her to a bike shop in Chicago and bought her a very nice bike. Yesterday we got up early and took our first long bike ride together. It was early, the weather was nice, and the streets were almost deserted. We got our bikes out, put on our helmets, and prepared to set off. As we started peddling, Marlene said, “Which way?” “Go right and right,” I said, meaning, “Turn right out of the driveway and then turn right on Randolph Street.” She was slightly ahead of me as we turned right out of the driveway. A few seconds later we came to Randolph Street and she kept right on going through the intersection. She went “right and straight” instead of “right and right.” So now I was faced with a dilemma: Turn right on Randolph and ride by myself or go straight and ride with my wife. Well, that wasn’t a hard decision. I went straight, followed Marlene, and we had a great ride together. (When I told this to the congregation, I said there are several applications to that story and I would let them figure it out.)For Enoch to walk with God, it meant that every day he got up and said, “Lord, where do you want to go today?” And wherever God went, Enoch went too. He set his heart to walk with God, by his side, in the same direction, at the same pace, all day long. And so he did, day after day, week after week, year after year. Because his heart was set to follow the Lord, he walked with him as a habit of life. Eventually, he didn’t have to think, “Will I walk with God today?” That decision had been made long before, and he simply continued in the same direction he had started.We often have trouble with this because we say, “Lord, today let’s go right and right.” And the Lord says, “You think so?” And off we go together, us and the Lord, but as soon as we get started, the Lord goes right, then suddenly he turns left, then he stops, we circle the block, and then the Lord leads us in a brand-new direction. With each turn we have to decide whether we will follow our own inclinations and walk alone or whether we will put our agenda aside and simply let the Lord lead us moment by moment, step by step, wherever he wants to go. That’s what it means to walk with God. He leads and we follow. Any other plan is bound to fail.One day Enoch and God had walked so far that God said, “Why don’t you come home with me?” And Enoch walked beyond space and time into eternity. He “was not” because God took him off the earth and allowed him to enter heaven without experiencing death. It is the picture of the coming Rapture of the Saints (I Thessalonians 4:13-18) and a reminder that death will not have the last word. One day death itself will be destroyed once and for all (I Corinthians 15:26).What a blessing it was for his children that Enoch left behind such a testimony. Some buy Bibles bound in leather. They received theirs bound in their father. And he walked with God in an ungodly age. Jude 14-15 reminds us that Enoch was a preacher of righteousness who declared the truth of God to an ungodly generation. If he walked with God in such moral darkness, we can too.
Gênesis 5
Cole - The Epitaph of Sin - WE MUST WALK WITH GOD. (1) A walk with God is begun by faith. The world takes note of those who achieve in science or business or entertainment. It makes celebrities of notorious criminals. But God takes note of the person who walks with Him by faith. Hebrews 11:5-6 states, “By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God. And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” Enoch believed God; God rewarded him accordingly. The starting place of a walk with God is to come to Him in faith. You must trust in the sacrifice He has provided for your sin in the Lord Jesus Christ, just as Abel, by faith, offered to God a bloody sacrifice, and was accepted on that basis (Heb. 11:4). You must put off any trust in your own goodness or works and rely solely on Christ’s death as the just penalty for your sin. (2) A walk with God is helped, but not guaranteed, by a godly family. The people in this chapter are related to one another, as are the people in chapter 4. The contrast of the two families, Cain and Seth, shows us the importance of godly families. In just seven generations from Adam through Cain we come to the arrogant, violent Lamech. In seven generations from Adam through Seth we find the godly Enoch and, later, Noah. It’s not certain, but Enoch could have begun his 300 year walk with God after the birth of his son, Methuselah (5:22). Often the birth of a child makes us think about the kind of life we’re leading and the kind of example we’re going to set for our children. God uses that to bring us to repentance. God often works through families to call people to Himself. There’s both good news and bad news in this observation. The good news is that any person can be the start of a godly line that will be used to turn many from their sin. Although you may have come from a godless family, if you will walk with God, your children and grandchildren can have the privilege of being raised in a godly home, where the love of Christ reigns. Of course that means that those of us who have had the privilege of being raised in a Christian home have a great responsibility to carry the torch ourselves and to hand it on to our children. That leads to the bad news--that it only takes one generation to turn a godly family into a godless one. At the time of the flood (four generations from Enoch), Noah and his sons were the only ones on the face of the earth whom God saw fit to save. Enoch and his descendants had other sons and daughters than those mentioned here by name (5:22, 26, 30). Apparently they followed the way of the world, not the way of the Lord. Consequently they all came under God’s judgment in the flood. Matthew