Happy Wednesday, everyone! Know what? We serve an Almighty God. I just needed to say that today. I’ve watched Him move MIGHTILY in the past couple of weeks. We live in the victory of Psalm 18 right now, the victory of a God who loves us and is quick to contend with what contends with us. Oh, yes, He’s awesome. And if you’re walking any sort of fiery path right now, you need to leap over to Psalm 18 and let it grip you right in the faith.
As much as I’d like to go all over Psalm 18, Genesis 5 is where we are today, and it’s no less amazing.
Genesis 5:24 (GWT)–Enoch walked with God; then he was gone because God took him.
Genesis 5:24 (NIV)–Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 5:24 (AMP)–And Enoch walked [in habitual fellowship] with God; and he was not; for God took him [home with Him].
I could go through every translation of the Bible with this verse, and I did it for a reason. The point is, Enoch walked so closely with God that it’s implied that, one day, he took one more step and found himself in the presence of God Himself, done. It isn’t said as in other places that Enoch “went to be with his fathers” or “went to sleep” or even the less poetic “died.” One day, he simply ceased to be. Now, am I saying he didn’t die? I have no idea. I wasn’t there. It’s implied he simply translated straight into God’s presence, but ultimately, isn’t that what a believer’s death is? Transition from here to the Almighty?
Either way, whether Enoch died physically or not, how amazing is that little one-line testimony? How incredible was his relationship with God that God made certain his name was in the word as one who walked closely with Him and then got to go and be with Him? Oh, that God could say the same of me!
What would it be like to walk that closely with God? It gives me chills to think of being shoulder to shoulder with Him. I wish the English language had better words, because describing what I’m thinking right now is next to impossible. Let me point this out, though… Enoch makes me believe that it is possible to really, truly communion with God right here on earth. That there is more than what I have. And Enoch makes me want that “more.” After all, he was only a man. He was no better or worse than me or you. He simply made a choice to walk with God.
It makes me think of Moses, who actually saw God. (Now there’s another good-cold-chill kind of story right there!) Moses, who was so deep in God’s glory that he had to cover his face so people could look at him. To have God seen all over my face!
I want that! I want it so badly! It’s like I’ve heard Beth Moore say, I want Him to take one more scale off of my eyes every day so I can see Him better today than yesterday! I want to make that choice, like Enoch, to walk with God. Scary? Yes. But the rewards, the communion… Can it get any better than that?
-JB
I love your writing, it not only makes me think, but often gives me chills. As I read this section of scripture, I found that I had already underlined this same verse. It was all I had underlined in this section. I am not sure I’ve ever really thought about the wording here until now. What did happen to that guy? After reading your post I keep picturing Back to the Future. Not that he went to a different time, but you know that part where the car is going along and then it is just gone? It was there, and gone, but still somewhere. I just picture Enoch walking along and then “poof,” but instead of going back in time, he is in heaven walking next to Jesus. I don’t know, I can’t really explain what’s in my head, but this is one of those “God things” that blows my mind up!
AMEN! Love it when God “blows my mind up.” He’s so cool. You have to love how He works!
I found it interesting that all the patriarchs that lived before the flood lived 900 years or more each. After the flood, the years of life diminished quite a bit. Could it be that God felt the longer a man lived, the more trouble he could get himself into? Just a thought I had while reading this chapter.
Sandy
Interesting that the flood was the dividing line, especially since He said way before that that He was going to limit our years to 120.