IMITATE THEIR FAITH/ENOCH /"He Had Pleased God Well"

ENOCH had lived a long time.  It might be hard for us to imagine, but that man's life stretched back some 365 years - more than four very long life spabns 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 living over six hundred yaers when Enoch was born, and Adam lived on 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 left ahead of him.  In fact, though, he did not. 

Enoch was very likely in grave danger.  Picture him on the run,unable to put out of his mind the reaction of people to who 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 certainluy strike at this man!  Perhaps Enoch wondered if he would ever see his family again. Did he think of his wife and daugthers of of his son Methuseleh or of his grandsom 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.  (Genesis5:21-24; Hebrews 11:5; Jude 14, 15)  However, those verses provide, in effect, enough brushstrokes to paint a picture of a man with great faith.  Do you proved for a family?  Have you ever faced the struggly of standing up for what you know to be right? You may learn from the faith of Enoch

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

From the jw.org publications