YOU TOO CAN WALK WITH GOD

YOU TOO CAN WALK WITH GOD

Genesis 5:21-24 (KJV)

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.

The first, and arguably best Old Testament picture of the blessed hope of the Christian is found in the account of Enoch.

The account is simple, pure and removes all fear from the word, “he was not.”

Honestly, who does not possess a fear of the inevitable day?

We know it will happen.

It happens to everyone.

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

·   Rich and poor

·   Famous in infamous

·   Young and old

·   Male and female

·   Powerful and subject

·   Overt and introvert

It doesn’t matter. No one has ever escaped it.

Not that we wouldn’t like to.

Mankind has invested almost everything to find some way to extend life, if not to defeat death.

They tell us that we should: 

·   Eat right to live longer

·   Exercise to live longer

·   Lose weight to live longer

·   But not too much weight to live longer

·   Visit our doctor to live longer

·   Take vitamins to live longer

·   Take prescriptions to live longer

·   Wash our hands to live longer

One of the first things scientists wanted to study once we could go to outer space is the effect it has on aging and find some secret to slowing down the process.

I read the other day a headline that said that new science believes cryogenics, freezing people, is going to be the secret to cheating death.

I read a headline that said scientists in some country have gotten approval to use stem cells to resurrect the dead.

We want to live.

Even more, we don’t want to die!

And here we have, in the very first pages of the Bible, a man who did not die.

Just in case someone might think we misunderstand, God said in Hebrews 11:5 (KJV)

By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; …

That word translatedis a powerful one. 

It means to transfer.

Enoch never died. He just transferred from one place to the next.

The Bible says: 

·   Enoch walked with God and then

·   Enoch was not because

·   God had taken him

Hebrews 11:5-6 (KJV) connects Enoch’s walk with God to the concept of faith.

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.

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

John Gill says of Enoch’s walk

He walked in the name and fear of God, according to his will, in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord then made known; he walked by faith in the promises of God, and in the view of the Messiah, the promised seed; he walked uprightly and sincerely, as in the sight of God; he had familiar converse, and near and intimate communion with him

Cambridge Study Bible Notes says,

The phrase …, has passed into common use to express intimacy of communion with God. It denotes more than either standing in His presence, or walking before Him, or following after Him. It combines the ideas of fellowship and progress. It is the picture of one who has God with him in all the various scenes of life.

I want to preach to you this morning on the subject,

You Can Walk With God.

Isn’t it true?

Enoch’s walk with God seems supernatural because Enoch’s translation to heaven is supernatural.

It is impossible, we suppose, for us to experience Enoch’s translation, therefore, we suppose, it is impossible for us to walk with God as he did.

I will confess that there are some extraordinary circumstances in Enoch’s case:

·   People lived a LOT longer than we do and

·   We don’t see people translated every day[1]

But beside that, Enoch’s circumstances were not so much different than we face right now.

Consider with me

I. THE ADVANCE OF WICKEDNESS

Genesis 4:1-10 (KJV)

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

I am not going to try to detail for you a timeline for the advance of sin.

Let’s just realize that, from the time of Adam and Eve’s sin, to the time they realized that their children carried the sin nature wasn’t even hundreds of years.

Cain’s first sin was in not bringing to God the appropriate sacrifice

He thought God ought to be happy with whatever he chose to give God.

His second sin was in being displeased with God for not accepting his offering

I ask you, who is God in Cain’s eyes?

He believes he is.

God is second to him. 

·   He thinks God ought to be pleased with whatever he does and

·   He thinks he is in a position to condemn God for not being pleased 

His third sin is in killing his brother

See how sin is progressing so quickly?

Cain’s sin sets up what is to be the epoch struggle between good and evil.

The rest of chapter 4 is taken up with Cain’s family tree.

This killer has children – an ungodly line and, what do you know, they produce killers.

Genesis 4:23-24 (KJV)

And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

·   Adam and Eve sin against God then

·   Cain sins against God, and his brother then

·   Lamech sins seventy times worse than Cain

Consider with me next

II. THE PROMISE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Genesis 4:25-26 (KJV)

And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

Genesis four has the ungodly line of Cain.

The chapter ends with the birth of Seth and

Genesis five shows us the godly family of Seth.

There is a striking contrast between the Bible’s accounts of the two lines.

Genesis 5:5-11 (KJV)

And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.

And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos:

And Seth lived after he begat Enos eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters:

And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years: and he died.

And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Cainan:

And Enos lived after he begat Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters:

And all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years: and he died.

All the way through chapter five you will find the words, “and he died.”

Check it out.

It never says that Cain’s line died.

We know they did, but the Bible doesn’t say so.

I think that speaks to how we sometimes perceive life.

We tend to think all the bad things happen to the good people.

It’s easy for us to look at the other side and think they have it so easy:

·   They don’t get sick

·   They don’t have work trouble

·   They just keep getting stronger and stronger and

·   They just keep getting richer and richer

Even the Psalmist felt like that:

Psalms 73:2-14 (KJV)

But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm.

They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish.

They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily.

They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High?

Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.

For all the day long have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.

It’s a false perception, that the wicked have no troubles.

Psalms 73:17-19 (KJV)

Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.

Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction.

How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors.

We come into the house of God and we are reminded of reality.

The wicked face a judgment more terrible than we could ever wish upon them.

So Enoch’s godly line develops alongside Lamech’s wicked on.

But all the while God is preaching to them a message of hope.

The Hebrew names of each of the men listed in Genesis five combines to preach the truth of judgment and salvation.

Adam                    man

Seth                       appointed

Enos                      mortal

Cainan                  sorrow

Mahalaleel            The Blessed God

Jared                     shall come down

Enoch                    teaching

Methuselah          his death shall bring

Lamech                 despairing  

Noah                     rest or comfort

Put it all together and it means, 

“Man [is] appointed [to] mortal sorrow; [but] the Blessed God shall come down teaching; His death shall bring [to] the despairing rest, or comfort.”[2]

I can see a picture of the whole history of mankind in chapters 4-8.

·   The rise of false religions (chapter 4)

·   The reality of true faith (chapter 5)

·   The terror of the Tribulation (chapter 6)

·   The Millennial Kingdom (chapter 7)

·   The new earth (chapter 8)

I realize that my comparison has to be taken with a bit of salt, but I do not think I am far off.

Matthew 24:36-39 (KJV)

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

In the middle of all of this consider

III. ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD

Genesis 5:22-24 (KJV)

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.

·   While evil men seemed like they got away with everything and

·   While God’s messages seemed like it was hidden in the little things

Enoch walked with God.

·   He was faithful to God and

·   He loved God and

·   He worshiped God righteously

·   He believed God’s promises

He had sons and he had daughters, and cared for them.

·   He worked to provide for them

·   He taught them to love God too[3]

And he kept on walking with God. The Bible tells us that twice.

Until God took Him.

If we go back to the picture I think is being painted, Enoch’s translation, looks to me like a picture of the rapture of Christians into heaven.

·   Right before the trial that tried the earth (the Flood)

·   Right in the middle of living in the midst of this struggle between good and evil

·   Right when it might look like evil was getting the upper hand.

Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Ever wonder what Enoch would have done if God had not taken him?

I’ll tell you – he would have kept on walking with God.

Conclusion

Jesus said in John 14:1-3 (KJV)

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

That’s a promise.

·   He is coming again

·   He is coming for us

·   He is coming to take us out of this world and into heaven

When will that happen?

I don’t know.

Will it happen before I die?

I don’t know.

But I’ll tell you what we ought to do until it happens; we ought to walk with God, and keep on walking with God.

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[1]There are only two in the entire 4000 year history of the Bible, Enoch and Elijah. Even Jesus, who entered this world through a miraculous conception, left it the same way we all do – in death.

[2]I took this information from https://evidencetobelieve.net/design-in-genesis-5/, accessed 1-12-19, but the first time I heard this was just after I became a Christian and started attending church. My pastor, Fred Scudder preached a message on this probably in 1980.

[3]I believe it is implied in Methuselah and Noah.