Genesis 5:21-24, Hebrews 11:2, Jude 1:14

Summary: Enoch is mentioned in only a handful of verses, yet his influence as a man of God made an impact in his time and the times to come.

The Bible tells of men and women who were used by God as judges, warriors, kings, statesmen, prophets, and preachers. The Bible does not hold back on showing us that they were also susceptible to a range of faults, failures, and sins that caused some, like Samson and David, to live with the consequences of their rash, foolish, and often tragic actions.

As closely as Moses walked with God, he was forbidden by God to enter the Promised Land with the children of Israel because of his temper and disobedience. There were kings who started out well, like Solomon, who built the Temple and led the people in prayers of thanksgiving to God on the day when it was completed and consecrated. In later years, Solomon did not walk with God and started to worship the false gods his numerous wives had brought into Israel. As a result, the kingdom was torn in two, and a succession of both godly and deviant rulers eventually brought down both kingdoms; the nation went into exile under a succession of empires.

The lives of these noted leaders and warriors varied with their times and ages. Some had a long, fruitful life, while some came and went like the wind, making little if any impact on the history of Israel. However, this does not negate or minimize in any way the value and purpose that each life has in the course of history, no matter how long they lived. Your own life is a gift from God, and you are here at this exact time for a reason. What you do with it is going to make a difference for good or bad.

In our journey through the opening chapters of the book of Genesis, we come to a list of names. These names represent real people who lived real lives, yet Scripture gives us little more than the fact that they bore sons and daughters and died, having lived for hundreds of years. The first twenty verses of Genesis 5 are devoted to recording these names and little else. Then our attention is drawn to one particular name, that of Enoch, the father of Methuselah who would live 969 years, and with his death would come God’s judgment upon the world by means of the flood. The verse that stands out in the midst of this list of names is the one that says Enoch “walked with God.”

At the end of Genesis 4 and the birth of Seth, we read that men “began to call on the name of the Lord.” This shows that the wickedness of men was beginning to infiltrate minds and hearts to deter from the guidance and direction of God in order to pursue their own particular interests and the sinful ideas that hardened their hearts toward God. Humanity was starting to sow the seeds of their coming destruction. Yet, God always has His remnant followers who are faithful to Him and will not allow sin to draw them away from His will and direction. This is the legacy of Enoch.

At some point in his life, the growing evil in the world became a source of grief and revulsion to him. He called on the name of the Lord and, in turn, received the blessings of salvation and fellowship. Enoch saw God as a Friend who would always be with him, and God used Enoch in the role of a prophet, warning both his and future generations of the coming of the Lord to this world with His saints to exact judgment and vengeance on His enemies.

There is a “Book of Enoch” that has a collection of teachings on fallen angels and other topics dealing with the last days and the judgments of God, yet God saw fit to not have it as part of the canon of Scripture. God’s Sovereign use of Enoch was for him to give a warning to wicked men that a day of judgment was at hand, that sin would not be tolerated, and that all people need to repent and turn to God for salvation.

The Bible says that Enoch “walked with God, and then was not, for God took him.” Of all the people listed in the Scriptures, only Enoch and the prophet Elijah were given the privilege of entering heaven without dying. Some Bible prophecy teachers believe that Enoch and Elijah will be the two witnesses described in Revelation 11.

Enoch’s departure into heaven is considered by many Bible prophecy teachers to be an example of the promised “Rapture” of Christ’s true church taught in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15. Enoch’s life consists of a handful of verses yet shows what someone can do for the glory of God in a brief span of time.

God is ready to use you for His grace and glory. Be certain that you have an authentic walk with Him, spend time with Him in prayer, read His Word, and then prepare yourself for what He has in store for your life.

donaldwhitchard@outlook.com

www.realitycityreverend.com

John 8:12; “Then Jesus again spoke to them saying, ‘I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the Light of Life.'” John 9:5; “While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.” John 12:46; “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.” (ESV – all emphasis mine)

Several more passages: John 3:19; “This is the judgment that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.” 1 John 1:5; “This is the message we have heard from Him and proclaim to you, that God is Light, and in Him is no darkness at all.” Revelation 21:23; “And the City has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives its light and its lamp is the Lamb.”

And then a passage full of hope for all believers; “1 John 1:7; “But if we walk in the Light as He is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

Paul proclaimed that the Light was for everyone, not just the Jews, in Acts 13:47-49; “For so the Lord has commanded us, saying I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring Salvation to the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many were appointed to eternal life believed. And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.”

Jesus Himself made it known that He did not come just for the Father’s chosen people but for every human that would ever live. John 10:16-18; “And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to My voice. So there will be one flock, one Shepherd. For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of My own accord. I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”

For all who believe that the Jews have been replaced and are no longer God’s chosen people, Jesus made it clear that He came to earth for the Jewish People and also for all non-Jews or Gentiles. The main stipulation is that Jesus be received and accepted as our only way to Eternal Salvation. John 14:6 is very specific about this; “Jesus said to him, I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through Me.”

For all the false prophets today who are saying there are many ways to heaven, that Jesus was just a good prophet, and the Bible is just a bunch of ancient stories that don’t really apply today: how about 2 Peter 3:8; “But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

The evil in this world is increasing every day, just as our Savior, Paul, James, Peter, John, and others said it would. There is a darkness that is trying to overshadow everything holy and to make the sins of this world enticing. With every fiber of our being, we must hold on to the “Light,” which is Jesus, our Eternal Savior. One day, in the not-too-distant future, all true believers, no matter what nationality they are, will be taken up to meet Jesus in the air to be with Him forever. Therefore, we look to Him to be our “Lighthouse” and keep our focus on Him. In 1970, Ronny Hinson wrote a song called “The Lighthouse.” It is a powerful message of hope for all who will listen to it.

1.) There’s a lighthouse on a hillside that overlooks life’s sea. When I’m tossed, it sends out a light that I might see. And the light that shines in darkness now will safely lead me Home. If it wasn’t for the Lighthouse, my ship would sail no more.

Ref.) And I thank God for the Lighthouse; I owe my life to Him. Jesus is the Lighthouse, and from the rocks of sin, He has shown a light around me that I might clearly see. If it wasn’t for the Lighthouse, tell me, where would this ship be?

2.) It seems that everyone about us says tear that old Lighthouse down. The big ships just don’t pass this way anymore, so there’s no use in standin’ round. Then my mind goes back to that one dark, stormy night when, just in time, I saw the Light. Yes, it was the Light from that old Lighthouse that stands up there on the Hill. (ref)

Each and every day, we see more and more end-times prophecy being fulfilled. While unbelievers are looking for some man-made efforts to make things better, all of us who have received and accepted Jesus as our Savior are encouraged that we will be Home soon. Compared to eternity, our lives on this earth are but a blink of an eye.

For those who have not and will not receive the Son of God as their Savior, the “eye-blink” here will turn into an eternity in total darkness in the lake of fire. Hell was made for Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41), but all who take their last breath here without Jesus as their Savior will join them for eternal condemnation (Revelation 20:11-15).

What’s so sad is that many find this impossible to believe. Our Father did not make it difficult to receive eternity in Heaven, but humans try to make it hard. Satan is very adept at tempting souls through his lies. The “Did God really say?” line has been his best one ever, starting in the Garden of Eden. It is still effective even now.

This world is passing away, and all who are attached to it will find themselves lost forever. All who admit that we are all sinners and confess this to the Savior, all who believe that Jesus died for us and His blood was shed as a perfect sacrifice for everyone as a free gift from the Father, and finally, all who call on Him will be saved (Romans 10:9-13).

Don’t make it more difficult than this. The steps are there for us to follow and are just as they were provided by our Heavenly Father. Forever is a long time to make the wrong choice. Satan already knows what his fate will be, and his desire is to pull as many souls into hell with him as possible. He also knows his time here is getting short.

Call on Jesus to be your Savior, as Acts 4:12 plainly states; “And there is Salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

There are real lighthouses in areas where ships pass in the night to help them stay on the right course and not run aground. Jesus is our Eternal Lighthouse. Keeping focused on Him will lead us directly Home to a place prepared for us by Him (John 14:1-3). Yes, we will all slip and sin as long as we are in these human bodies, but the promise of forgiveness in 1 John 1:8-10 will get us back on course.

Today would not be too early to ask Jesus to come into your heart and be your Lighthouse and Savior forever.

Come, Lord Jesus!

huebshman46@gmail.com