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He walked with God Some of you may be like me in that whenever I come to the dull lack luster begats or genealogies I want to just skip over them. Gen 5 is just one of those chapters. As you labour through this chapter you see a pattern, the number of years lived before they begat their first son, what that son’s name is, the number of years they lived after that begettal, the total number of years they lived and a statement, a sort of dirge or funeral bell toll “and he died”. But if you failed to carefully read through Gen 5 you would have missed a brilliant gem stone because God when He inspired the writing of this portion of scripture it is as if He felt a need to add something when He speaks of Enoch. It is as if God stops and says I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge Enoch in a special way. In Gen 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. It behooves us likewise to pause at this brief yet strikingly commendable testimony God preserves of this man, Enoch. He walked with God. What does it mean to walk with God? Obviously the term “to walk with God” is a figurative expression. It conveys something more than following God which connotes a sense of obedience to God. It conveys something more that walking before God which many of the patriarchs did being aware of God who watched over them. To walk with God would certainly encompass these yet more so in that it reflects a much more intimate relationship When we look at the other references to Enoch we get a sense what it is to walk with God. There are 3 other scriptural references to Enoch. One in Luke that gives the genealogy of Christ, Enoch being a forefather of The Messiah. The other 2 are in the book of Hebrews and Jude. Let’s begin by looking at Heb.11: 5. “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. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God (Or as it is translated in the RSV draws near to God) must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” There is more to this statement than might at first be apparent. With out faith, that deep abiding faith in God that results in action, we can not please God. For even the demons believe and tremble. Walking is an action; it is down the road less traveled and through the narrow gate. True faith, living faith in God motivates one to action. That is the litmus test for true faith. Faith with out works in not true faith. “For he who comes to God” i.e. draws near to God “must believe that He is”. “And that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him”. That is to say if we are to walk with God and thereby please God, we have not only to recognize that He is The true God but that He desires a personal relationship and who rewards those who diligently, not casually seek such a relationship with Him. Seeking diligently requires great effort and God’s Spirit. How then must we seek this personal God we call our Father? By communicating with Him in prayer, talking to Him and listening to what He says in His Word. We can not know God with out the Spirit of God because the things of God can not be understood by the spirit of man only the spirit of God. We should pray daily that God will fill us with His Spirit. Now let’s look in the book of Jude verse 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." We learn here that Enoch was whole-heartedly involved in doing a work in what appears to have been a very decadent, licentious society. He prophesied of the return of Christ and warned of cataclysmic events that would take place as a result of man’s disobedience. Being involved with and making every effort to warn humanity, desiring that they should turn from their evil ways is part of what walking with God entailed. Walking with God to align our will with His. Amos 3:3 asks the question “can two walk together unless they be agreed.” That would certainly include what is right and wrong, moral standards but also purpose and direction. When we read the genealogy in Gen. 5 we find the most remarkable testimony of Enoch. All the other individuals undoubtedly were good servants of The Most High they lived their many years but Enoch lived 65 years then walked with God 300 years. We can choose to live life, our three score and ten so to speak or we can choose to walk with God having a wonderful loving harmonious and intimate relationship with Him.
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