An Amazing Opportunity!

Genesis 5:21-24 -When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. ESV

I’ve set for myself a new challenge. I want to see how long it will take me to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, no listening, just reading. On my last challenge I wanted to see how many times I could read the Bible in a year and I read it three times, about four months each time. So I started tonight in Genesis, because I’m on my “stay at home-cation” and as I was reading, something jumped out at me. So I am stopping to blog!

The Bible tells us that after Enoch fathered Methuselah, he walked with God. I took a look at my Logos commentary of Genesis and discovered that the phrase “walked with God” literally means, “pleased God”. This correlates with Hebrews 11:6 that tells us that Enoch pleased God, for 300 years! He had no Bible, no church, no pastor, and he wasn’t baptized with the Holy Spirit and yet for 300 years, he pleased God.

The time that God had with Enoch was so sweet, that He just took Enoch with Him. He was, and then he wasn’t! He was in a sense “raptured” or “caught away” to be with the Father! Now this isn’t news to me about Enoch walking with God and being taken by God and it probably isn’t news to you either. But let’s see what might be news.

First, God was so blessed by Enoch’s decision to walk with Him after having Methuselah, that Methuselah is recorded as the longest living individual in the word. When we were growing up we all knew who the oldest person in the world was because we would often say that someone was as old as Methuselah. We may not have known who either of them were, but we knew he was the oldest person to live!

Here’s another one I didn’t connect with. Enoch lived 365 years. We live 365 days in a year. Now, I found that to be interesting. One may have nothing to do with the other, but I think so. I think those 365 years of Enoch’s life blessed God so much that He made a memorial to him by making the year 365 days! Again, I can’t prove it, but it jumped out at me as I was reading.

I wish I knew what caused Enoch to be able to walk so steadfastly with the Lord for so long. There is no record. I have seen people struggle to walk with God for weeks, or months at a time, so this is monumental for someone without an example. Adam didn’t do it! But in the midst of the genealogies in Genesis, the writer stopped at Enoch and made note of his pleasing God. There are no miracles noted and nothing he accomplished in this life, but he got God’s attention and kept it! What could it have been?

When we read Hebrews 11, because it begins with the word “by faith” we automatically think that Enoch had great faith. I won’t even try and change our thinking on that. What I will say is this, I believe it was their relationship! It had to be! Enoch obviously decided after Methuselah was born that he was going to take every opportunity to get to know God. We see no evidence of Enoch moving mountains. We have no evidence that he saw, received, or did one miracle. (Although in 300 years there may have been plenty). But he walked with God in such a way that He was pleased and just took him to be with Him forever!

When I think of walking with God, I think of Him walking in the cool of day with Adam and Eve. Surely it was for fellowship. And when I think of the ultimate purpose of salvation, to restore our fellowship with the Father, I again think, Enoch understood true fellowship! When the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus, the first thing God said was, “This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased.” And Jesus hadn’t done a single thing at that point that is recorded in God’s word.

I think we spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to please God. We know that it pleases Him when we read the Bible, when we pray, when we obey Him, and even when we fellowship together. But I think that He is simply pleased by our continual fellowship. Today it is called, cultivating the Presence the Lord. Simply put, acknowledging His Presence throughout the day, every day. Talking to Him at every opportunity without having a need to bring to His attention, or even a desire. Just enjoying the reality of Him! Singing a song to Him, listening to what He has to share.

I’m going to spend more time just being with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I want to please Him. Not by my works, or how fast I can read through the Bible, but by my love for Him! What will you do with this “amazing” opportunity? Wonderful Jesus!