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Today, we are gonna talk about Enoch. When you come to think of Enoch, what comes into your mind first? Well, most of you might say, “Walking with God.”
Actually, one of my biggest interests these days is walking with God. Whenever I read the Bible, pray, or do ministry, I keep asking myself this question: “Am I really walking with God?”
Brothers and sisters, what does it mean to walk together? It means walking along the same road with someone. We call that person a partner. In that sense, a husband and wife are life partners who walk through life together.
Think back to when you were dating. I’m pretty sure that you spent a lot of time with your wife before you got married. You went on many dates with her. You see each other almost every day. Right? Maybe you walked together in downtown areas(like Shinjuku, Ginza, Shibuya, and Harazuku) walked in a park, or spent time by a lake, a river, or the seashore. But when you were walking together, did you walk far ahead of her? Or did you stay far behind and simply follow her? Of course not. When we are dating, we walk side by side. We don’t walk far ahead or far behind. You walk hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, matching each other’s pace and steps.
And do you remember what you did while you were walking with your wife? As you walked, you probably looked ahead, but you also glanced at your wife with loving eyes. Maybe you held hands. Maybe you linked arms. Perhaps you even put an arm around her shoulder as you walked. But most of all, you talked with each other. You shared your thoughts, your dreams, your concerns, and the little things that happened during the day. The conversation just kept going as you walked together. Sometimes there may have been moments of silence. But even that silence was not awkward. You joked with each other. You laughed and laughed together. This is how I understand walking together.
Walking with God in the Bible is similar to this. Of course, walking with God means much more than simply walking together. It means having a close relationship with God, trusting Him, and living in obedience to His will. It means talking to God in prayer and listening to His voice through His Word. It means living each day with an awareness of His presence in every part of our lives. Just as you talk with someone you love while walking together, I was talking with God. I asked questions, listened, and sometimes simply waited. As I did, I was walking down the road of life with God. In Genesis 5:24, it says, “Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Enoch was more than a man who simply believed in God. He was a man who lived in close fellowship with God. So this is how I would define walking with God: “Not walking ahead of God. Not falling behind God. But living life together with God.”
How about you? Are you walking with God today? Or are you running ahead of Him, following only your own plans and ideas? Or perhaps feel like God is far away. As we study God’s Word today, I hope each of us will take some time to examine our own hearts.
Brothers and sisters, let me ask you a question. How many generations was Enoch from Adam? He was the seventh generation from Adam. Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, and then Enoch. Oftentimes, we find the genealogies in Genesis boring. But God did not record these genealogies without a purpose. These genealogies show us how God’s plan of salvation was passed down from generation to generation. Adam and Eve’s first son was Cain, and their second son was Abel. Tragically, Cain killed his younger brother Abel. It was the first murder in human history. What a terrible tragedy!
Why did Cain kill Abel? Cain became angry and jealous because God accepted Abel’s offering but did not accept his. God warned Cain about the sin that was growing in his heart, but Cain did not overcome his anger and jealousy. In the end, he killed his own brother Abel.
When Cain killed Abel, people may have thought that the line of faith had come to an end. But God was already preparing a new way. He gave Adam and Eve another son. His name was Seth. The name Seth means “appointed” or “given in place of another.” Abel was gone, but God’s plan was still alive. God continued the line of faith through Seth. So Seth was more than simply Adam’s third son. He became a symbol of God’s restoration, grace, and hope.
The same is true in our lives. Sometimes we experience failure. Other times we lose things that are precious to us. Still other times our plans fall apart. But God is always preparing a new beginning. Even in the middle of disappointment and despair, God continues His work and carries on the line of faith. The most well-known son of Seth was Enosh. In Genesis 4:26, it says, “At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.”
This is a very important verse. It was at this time that people began to seek God. They began to worship Him. In today’s language, we could say that a worshiping community was beginning to take shape. Perhaps we could even call it the first worship revival in human history.
The name Enosh does not simply mean “man” or “human being.” It refers to a weak and fragile human being. It’s like someone who is mortal and cannot live forever. People usually begin to seek God when they realize their own weakness.
When we think we are strong, when we think we can handle everything by ourselves, we don’t look for God. But when we reach the limits of our own strength, we begin to go to God and kneel down before Him. That is why the name Enosh teaches us an important lesson. Brothers and sisters, weakness is not a bad thing. It’s not a curse. In many ways, weakness can be a blessing. Our weakness can become the starting point that leads us to God. When we honestly admit our weakness, we begin to depend on God instead of ourselves. Isn’t that true?
In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, the Apostle Paul says, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” And then he says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong.” When we are weak, our mighty God works within us and through us. Amen.
Now let us go back to Enoch. In Genesis 5:21-23, it says, “When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 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.”
Here we find something very interesting. Enoch was not a man who walked with God from the very beginning of his life. The Bible says that he walked with God for 300 years “after he became the father of Methuselah.” Brothers and sisters, how long did Enoch live on this earth before God took him to heaven? He lived 365 years. That means Enoch did not walk with God during the first 65 years of his life. That may be a little surprising, but at the same time it gives us comfort. To be honest, I used to think that Enoch walked with God every single day of his 365 years on earth. But that was not the case. For the first 65 years of his life, he was not known as a man who walked with God.
Anyway, something changed in Enoch’s life after his son was born. The Bible does not tell us exactly why this change happened. But one thing is clear. The birth of Methuselah became a turning point in Enoch’s life. In other words, Enoch finally woke up spiritually after becoming a father. Enoch had probably heard many stories about creation, the Garden of Eden, and the fall of mankind from his father and grandfather. What is even more interesting is that when Enoch was alive, Adam was still living. Adam lived a very long life. Actually, Adam lived 930 years. So we can guess Enoch may have heard firsthand stories from Adam himself. Adam may have said to him, “Don’t make the same mistake I made. Obey God’s Word no matter what the cost.” Unfortunately, it seems that Enoch did not take Adam’s words seriously. Adam may have warned Enoch, but it seems that those words went in one ear and out the other.
Thankfully, Enoch returned to God after he got married and had a son. Perhaps when he became a father, he began to understand a father’s heart. Maybe he started to see life differently. Maybe he began to feel a greater sense of responsibility. Perhaps he came to understand God’s heart a little better than before.
I can relate to that. As I have raised my three daughters, I have found myself praying much more. When it comes to my own problems, I can give up, endure them, or somehow get through them.
But it is different when it comes to my children. Their problems feel different. As a father, I want to solve them no matter what. Sadly, I often find that I cannot. I become painfully aware of my own limitations. And that is when I find myself drawing closer to God. I find myself kneeling down before Him. Brothers and sisters, God often uses different circumstances to bring us back to Himself. For some people, it is an illness. For others, it is failure. For others, it is a financial hardship. And for some, it is their children. The important thing is not what the turning point is. What matters is whether that turning point brings us back to God. Enoch returned to God, and after that he walked with God for 300 years. And God was pleased with him. Brothers and sisters, God is still speaking to us today.
“Walk with Me.”
Now, God invites us to walk with Him, matching His pace and stride. Brothers and sisters, talk to God in prayer. Listen to His voice through His Word. And live each day with an awareness of His presence.
Let us pray.
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