This is the start of a new section in the Book of Genesis – remember that expression "the generations of…"? In chapter 4 Moses has dealt with how sin spread amongst the descendants of Adam and Eve and the focus there had been upon ungodly descendants notably Cain and his offspring. Eve's firstborn had not turned out to be the promised seed of the woman but was rather a representative of the seed of the serpent.

Ch.4 ended with a further birth announcement – Seth was born and he was seen to be a replacement for Abel who had been murdered by Cain. Ch.5 picks up again on Seth and traces his line of descendants as far as Noah preparing the way for the Flood Narrative.

Death

There are a number of things of which we need to take note in this chapter: Moses is concerned with more detail here than he had been in describing the descendants of Cain in ch.4. In ch.4 we here of sons being born but nothing of peoples' ages. In ch.5 Moses suddenly seems to be fascinated with the passage of time and repeatedly tells us how old folk were. However the most striking thing as we read through this chapter is the fact that all of them are dying. We read that sorry refrain over and over again "and he died" eight times in fact in this one chapter.

We are so used to this sort of thing that we're hardly struck by it at all but this is really the first time we hear of people dying from natural causes in the Bible. Cain killed Abel, yes, and Lamech boasted of killing another in ch.4 but here for the first time we read of death becoming a regular factor in human affairs.

And so it continues with us today – the older we get the more people we have known are affected by death – they are called away out of this world. There is of course life – God has told mankind to be fruitful and to replenish the earth – and so we're told of successive generations of children being born – but the common lot of mankind is death. Some may live for longer periods, some may live for shorter but all die.

All that is except one man in this chapter and it is with him that we must stay this evening.

You know to whom I'm referring don't you? And if you don't you'll read about him in v.18-24. There where the pattern that Moses has been recording for us is broken. We expect to read at the end of v.23 having been told that all his days were 365 years "and he died" but we don't. What in fact is written is found in v.24

"Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him."

And what an extraordinary thing that is!

But there he is shining like a beacon in a dark place. Death on all sides – is there no hope, no escape? And Enoch's experience is there shouting out that there is hope – the seemingly inevitable cycle of birth followed by death can and will be broken. In the cemetery that is Gen.5 there is one gravestone not to be found, no epitaph to this man!!

Death looms very large in Gen.5 but there is one greater than death, one whose power is final and ultimate and that is God Himself. Even the grave is under His authority! Death is the fruit of sin and as sin spread to the whole human race and affected every single member so death was reigning but Enoch's experience points us forward to the coming of that one promised in Gen.3 – the one who would crush the serpents head; the One who would conquer death itself having being "bruised" upon the cross in the process.

What do we know about Enoch?

Heb.11:6 "By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God."

Enoch is not held up to us as an example so that if we follow his example we too may avoid death! However his life does tell us that he pleased God. And we can certainly learn from that! Learning to live properly and to please God is important. It is not that by our own efforts at upright and moral living we may win some favour from God but as we come to Christ:

Jn.6:29 "Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”"

The reality of our believing is not demonstrated by the loudness of our profession but by the transformation the gospel produces in our lives. Paul frequently spoke of this:

Rom.12:1 "I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

Eph.4:1 "in a manner worthy of the gospel"

Phil.1:27 "Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ"

Col.1:10 "walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Peter too was concerned that the believer life a careful life:

1Pet.2:11 "Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul."

John records Jesus as saying that the disciple will be known not by his profession but by the fruit he bears. And of course the practical James makes it very plain that "faith without works is dead". An untransformed life is an impossibility for the real Christian!

But what might such a transformed life look like? The writer of Hebrews tells us that Enoch provides us with just the kind of life that can serve as an example for us. He writes about Enoch in that great chapter 11 of Hebrews that chapter that speaks of faith. Faith was a reality in the life of Enoch and so it must be with us too.

We look at Enoch not to marvel at a man but to see how grace works itself out wonderfully in a human life!

Enoch walked with God

In the space of just a few verses Moses tells us not just once but twice that Enoch walked with God. And this is something very remarkable. Not many folk in the Bible are described in this way. But now we find a man whose whole life is summed up this way "he walked with God". His great grandson was to be similar – we read in 6:9 that Noah too walked with God in the midst of a crooked generation. But not many more are mentioned – would you be?

And as we look at Enoch we can see in what circumstances he did so.

a. We've already highlighted faith – in Hebrews this is linked to pleasing God. It is interesting to note that in the Greek translation of the OT instead of saying Enoch walked with God it has Enoch was "well-pleasing to God". The attitude that pleases God is not some lukewarm or tepid commitment but that robust faith which is whole-hearted. Such had Enoch.

b. He walked with God out side of Paradise. Adam and Eve had known the Lord walking in the garden and calling to them but they hadn't valued fellowship with Him and had turned away in disobedience. Everything was propitious for them but not so for Enoch

c. He walked with God in ordinary everyday family life – while having a larger family he continued to walk with God. He did not withdraw to lead some isolated monastic style of life but amidst all the normal hustle and bustle of family life he maintained a regular ongoing walk with the Lord.

d. He walked with God over a long period of time – for 300 years at least. Here was no flash in the pan, no brief dose of religious enthusiasm but day after day, month after month, year after year he simply kept on walking with God. This was not something he did on one particular occasion – no, it was his habitual behaviour.

What does it mean to walk with God? What is involved?

1. This is not something that just happens – thought and commitment is involved: Listen to how Amos writes:

Amos 3:3 "Do two walk together, unless they have agreed to meet?"

Have you thought about what is involved – do you really want to walk with God? You must decide that this will happen otherwise it never will!

2. This walking must go on and on – it must be faithful; it will involve holding fast when everything shouts out to give it up. It will mean clinging on when there is little or nothing that encourages us to do so.

3. It means taking God's commands so seriously that our whole lifestyle is characterized by obedience and submission to His will. It will mean the abandonment of customs and traditions that go against God's revealed will.

4. It will mean being careful, being watchful and setting the sights high. The aim of the one walking with God will be to be blameless – such an aim will not tolerate slackness or tame excuses.

5. It will be respectful – God will not be trifled with. When His ways are not understood they will nevertheless be honoured – God is God!

6. Just as God will be trusted and respected so self will be regarded with a certain suspicion. To put that another way the life of the one who seeks to walk with God will be marked by humility – personal weakness and frailty will be acknowledged and recognized. God is the one to be trusted not self.

7. Such a walk will be open for all to see – the one who walks with God walks in the light – nothing that smacks of the shadowy, seedy side of life may be allowed in such a one.

8. Walking with God is something that God Himself requires of His people:

Deut.10:12 "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the LORD, which I am commanding you today for your good?"

Mic.6:8 "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

9. To walk with God also means paying attention to His tremendous promises which are frequently linked to conditions that must be fulfilled if benefit is to be enjoyed:

2Cor.6:16 "For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people."

And this encouraging promise is closely tied to the need of separation from all that is unholy, impure and unclean.

10. To walk with God also in the Bible often has a plural element to it – the high achievement to be aimed for is not an individualistic walk with God but a corporate one. There are indications of this already in the OT. In Hosea while the northern kingdom was abandoning the Lord we still read of the southern kingdom viewed as with God:

Hos.11:2 "Ephraim has surrounded me with lies, and the house of Israel with deceit, but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One."

So as we see increasing infidelity in our nation as a church let us take inspiration from Judah's example at that similar period in their history.

Jesus in the NT made tremendous promises concerning communion with God and with Himself to His disciples. In John 14 we read of the Spirit coming not merely to walk with His people but to indwell them

Jn.14:17 "The Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you." Cf. 2Tim.1:14

And again in the same chapter Jesus speaks of coming with the Father to make their home with the believers:

Jn.14:23 "Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

Indeed the very last book of the Bible portrays our Lord as walking amidst the candlesticks – that is He is seen to be present in the midst of His churches.

May it be said of us as it was of Levi of old:

Mal.2:5-6 "He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity."