“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away” (Genesis 5:21-24, NIV).
“So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking” (Ephesians 4:17, NIV).
Genesis Chapter Five is one of such boring chapters in the Bible. It contains the list of people that lived and died for nothing spectacular. In this list is the story of a man that was distinct—Enoch. He lived the shortest time of all the people in the list, but he lived with a purpose, and the chroniclers of the Holy Scriptures recognized it. Twice in the less than five verses that were devoted to him, it was recorded that he walked with God for most part of his years. A Bible commentator put it thus: “[Enoch] 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….” In the Bible, another phrase for “to walk” is “to live.”
Enoch distinguished himself from the other people in the list by living his life for God. God rewarded him in His own way. The nature of this reward has become a subject of controversy among Bible scholars. However, what matters here is that God took note of Enoch’s distinction and rewarded him for it.
God is looking for people that will distinguish themselves in this perverse world by walking with Him. He wants people that will determine to walk or live in His fear and will, walk or live in all His commandments and ordinances, walk or live by faith and total trust in Him, walk or live uprightly and sincerely, and walk or live in intimate communion with Him. He is ready to reward such people accordingly. Will you be one of such people? This year, determine to be distinct!
In His service,
Bayo Afolaranmi (Pastor).
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Genesis 5 is one of the most wonderful Gospel messages; look up the definition of each name, write them in order and then read them out loud; you will hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and you'll hear it from The Book of Beginnings and in the chapter that speaks of grace. Five (5) is the number of grace and it's not coincidental that we find it here. Enjoy! But, never say Genesis 5 is boring! You'll see.
