IMITATE THEIR FAITH/ENOCH -- "HE HAD PLEASED GOD WELL"

ENOCH had lived a long time. It might hard for us to imagine, but that man's life stretched back for some 365  years-more than four very long life spans by today's standards!  But he was not truly old, not in the world of his time. Back then, some 50 centuries ago, people lived far longer than they do today. Adam, the first man, had been living for over six hundred years when  Enoch was born, and Adam lived on for another three centuries!  Some of Adam's descendants lived even longer than that. So at 365 , Enoch may still have looked fairly vibrant, like a man who had much of his life yet ahead of him.  In fact, though, he did not.

Enoch was likely in grave danger.  Picture him on the run, unable to put out of his mind the reaction of people to whom he had recently spoken a message from God.  Their faces were twisted with rage.  Those people hated him.  They despised his message, and they loathed the God who had sent him.  They could not strike out at Enoch's God, Jehovah but they could certainly strike out at this man! Perhaps Enoch wondered if he would ever see his family again. Did he think of his wife and daughters or one of his sons Methuselah or of  his grandson Lamech.? (Genesis 5:21, 23, 25) Was this the end?

Enoch is a somewhat mysterious figure in the Bible record.Only three short Bible passages deal with him at any length.  (Genesis 5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5; Jude 14, 15)  However, those verses provide, in effect, brushstrokes to paint a picture of a man of great faith. Do  you provide for a family? Have you ever faced the struggle of standing up for  what you know to be right? If so, you may learn much from the faith of Enoch.

Next time: IMITATE THEIR FAITH/ENOCH - "ENOCH KEPT WALKING WITH THE  TRUE GOD"

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