WEDNESDAY 10th
Hebrews 11:5 Faith and our walk with God
ENOCH. We will consider Enoch over two devotions.
Enoch gets little mention in the Scripture, and yet each time he is, we gain some information that brings to us an encouragement so that as we glean from him and the other characters in Hebrews chapter 11 we will also learn to walk by faith.
There is an Enoch mentioned in Scripture in Genesis 4:17-18, this is not the Enoch we are considering today. This Enoch in Genesis 4 is the son of Cain, one of the characters we looked at in the previous devotions.
We will divide Enoch’s life with four points, a portrait of his life, his profession of faith, his rapture, and his prophecy.
A portrait of Enoch – So far while looking at Hebrews 11, we have had the word APPROVED (Friday 5th) and ACCEPTED, (Tuesday 9th) today we have APPOINTED.
The Enoch we are considering is first found in Genesis 5:18-24. He comes from the lineage of Seth, the son born to Adam and Eve following the murder of their son Abel in Genesis 4:25 we read, ‘For God has APPOINTED another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.
In this context APPOINTED speaks of God’s purpose being fulfilled in the earth, through a family, and through an individual, which will become evident through the annals of history. It is through this ‘APPOINTED’ son, Seth we can see God’s pre-planned mission to redeem mankind being fulfilled and Enoch has a part to play in it, for in Genesis 4:25 we have the word SEED, which speak, of reproducing, fruit bearing, or continuation. And the line of Adam through Seth . . . Enoch . . . etc. eventually brings us to the New Testament.
From Enoch’s first mention in Scripture, we next read of him in 1 Chronicles 1:1-4, showing the appointed seed lineage, ‘Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Muhalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Ham and Japeth.
From this we discover that Enoch was the great X5 grandson of Adam, And Enoch’s great grandson was Noah, but even ‘more importantly’ when we come to Luke 3:37-38 he is mentioned again, this time more clearly we can see his involvement in the ‘Redemption’ story,‘. . . the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, the son of Cainan, the son of Enos, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.’ (see all the verses in Luke 2:23-28)
As you go through the generations, from Seth the APPOINTED down through Enoch, etc we come to Joseph the man in the New Testament APPOINTED by God to be the earthly father of the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is all so important for the fulfilment of Scripture, which was for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem.
Luke 2:1-7 ‘In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.’
The next portrait of Enoch is in our Scripture text Hebrews 11:5, and then the final portrait is to be found in the book of Jude 1:14. ‘It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Beheld the Lord come, with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgement on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deed) which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinner, have spoken against Him.’
So that is our portrait of Enoch found in the Scriptures – a handful of mentions and yet an important man in the purpose of God, and one from whom we can learn some lessons.
But before we move to the other points tomorrow, for today we will consider the word APPOINTED a little more. It is important for each one of us as the children of God, the redeemed of the Lord to discover what he has ‘APPOINTED’ us to – that is to discover as Romans 12:1-2 say that which is his good, acceptable and perfect will for our lives.
I believe God has ‘appointed’ each one of us into the Church, 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 ‘Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.’
There is an appointment, an appointed place in the purpose of God for each one of us within the body of Christ in which he has placed ALL of us as living stones.
Consider also, John 15:16, ‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and APPOINTED you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.’
The challenge for us today is this, are we fulfilling that which God has appointed us to be and to do within his body, the Church and within our own personal walk with him?
I have chosen to include a hymn here which came up in a conversation that I had with John Armstrong on the phone yesterday (June 2nd)
When we walk with the Lord
In the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way;
While we do His good will,
He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Trust and obey,
For there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus,
But to trust and obey.
Not a shadow can rise,
Not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear,
Not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.
Not a burden we bear,
Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss,
Not a frown or a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.
But we never can prove
The delights of His love,
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows,
And the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.
Then in fellowship sweet
We will sit at His feet,
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way;
What He says we will do;
Where He sends, we will go,
Never fear, only trust and obey.
J H Sammis CCLI788682