Enoch: A Great Man of Devotion

Text: Genesis 5.18-24, cf. Heb 11.5 Title: “Enoch: A Great Man of Devotion” Topic: Devotion to God Series: “Great Men of Genesis” Occasion: Weds 4-22-2020, Duncanville FWB Church Introduction: Chapter 5 is a lengthy passage of genealogies. All of which follow the same pattern: A lived X number of years and had son named B. After B was born, A lived X number of years and had other sons and daughters. A lived a total of X number of years and he died. We don’t tend to find such passages in the scripture very interesting. But there is one man in this chapter who does stand out from the rest, and his name is Enoch. Who is Enoch? Philo of Alexandria provides an etymology for the name Enoch (חֲנוֹךְ) from חָנַן “to be gracious.” [On Abraham 2.17]. The meaning of a person’s name is not very important to us but in the ancient world one’s name was taken as an indication of their character. Reading of the Text: Gen. 5.18-24. Gen. 5 doesn’t give a detailed story about Enoch and his life. This led later writers to embellish the story and add further details in the apocryphal and pseudigraphal books [1 Enoch (Greek, Aramaic, Eithiopic), 2 Enoch (Slavonic), 3 Enoch (Hebrew)] . Enoch was not just an interesting man to Jewish mystics. The New Testament counts him among the Great Heroes of Faith. In Heb.11.5 Enoch is commended as one who pleased God. What made Enoch a Great Man? Genesis 5 may not give us a detailed picture of Enoch’s life, but what we are told about him reveals that Enoch was a great man of devotion. I. The Form of Enoch’s Devotion – he walked with God Men may devote themselves to many things. The men of Genesis devoted themselves to many things. 1) Some devoted themselves to their livestock – Jabal (Gen 4.20) 2) Some devoted themselves to their music – Jubal (Gen 4.21) 3) Some devoted themselves to their craft – Tubal-cain (Gen 4.22) 4) The sons of Javan devoted themselves to exploration (Gen 10.4-5) 5) Cush devoted himself to war, conquest, and city building (Gen 10.8-12) 6) The men of Babel devoted themselves to making a name for themselves (Gen. 11.4) Men today can devote themselves to many things. 1) Some are devoted to their jobs 2) Some are devoted to their team 3) Some are devoted to their family 4) Some are devoted to their pleasure We could go on and on, but let us notice the form of Enoch’s devotion. The scripture states that Enoch walked with God. Notice that this is the thing that makes Enoch stand out from everyone else in this list: Enoch had devoted himself to God. The phrase “walked with God” is significant. It implies fellowship and communion. It is an echo of Gen. 3.8 where God walks in the Garden of Eden. Enoch enjoyed something that Adam and Eve had lost, he enjoyed something that Cain had forfeited, and he enjoyed something that the other men of his day had not found – the joy of fellowship with God. Truthfully there is nothing greater that a man can devote himself to than to God! II. The Duration of Enoch’s Devotion – for 300 years One of my favorite movies is the film Grease. It is the story of Sandy, a girl who is hopelessly devoted (the title of one the songs) to Danny, a boy who is still learning the meaning of devotion. You see Danny was devoted to Sandy during the summer when he and Sandy spent every day down at the beach, but once school was back in session and he was around his friends he was no longer devoted to her and treated her as a jerk. Sandy perseveres and wins Danny’s devotion again and he invites her to the dance, only for Danny to be easily swept away by an old girlfriend. One of the best lines in the film is when Sandy’s friend Frenchy asks Sandy if she is going to go to Thunder Road to watch the big race. Sandy asks, “Do you think he’ll notice me Frenchy?” And Frenchy replies “Honey unless you’ve got fenders and hubcaps he’s not going to notice you” indicating that Danny was more devoted to his car than he was to his girl. This on again off again devotion is all too common in high school romances, but sadly it is all too common in many men’s devotion to God as well. 1. Get saved and are devoted to God…. Until football season comes 2. Are devoted on Sunday mornings, but not on Monday mornings 3. Are devoted to God, but allow their friends and their jokes to intimidate them But notice Enoch. Enoch is remarkable not only because he was devoted to God while others around him were not, but he is remarkable for the duration of his devotion. He walked with God for 300 years! Enoch’s devotion was not a fad. His devotion did not wax and wane. His devotion was persistent. Enoch did not start and then a few years down the road give up or go on to something else. He was devoted to God for the long haul. As a matter of fact he was devoted to God until the end of his earthly life. Enoch was 65 when his son Methuselah was born, at that time he began to walk with God. Enoch walked with God for 300 years. Enoch was 365 years when the Lord took him. He walked with God from the time he was 65 for the rest of his life. Enoch didn’t just start strong, he finished strong! III. The Reward of Enoch’s Devotion – he was no more because God took him away. For his devotion God rewarded Enoch greatly. A. The reward of escaping death One of the things that is striking about Genesis 5 and Enoch is that for every other person in the chapter we are told: A lived X number of years, and then he died. But for Enoch we are told “Enoch lived 365 years and he walked with God, then he was no more because God took him away.” The implication is that Enoch did not die, but was carried away by God. What is implicit in Genesis 5, Hebrews 11 makes explicit. Hebrews 11 states: By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. Heb. 11.5 The only other person we know whose earthly life ended in such a glorious fashion was the prophet Elijah, whom scripture tells us was taken into heaven in a whirlwind chariot of fire with fiery steads as he was walking with Elisha (2 Kgs 2.10) One of the many rewards that the Lord has promised to those who are fully devoted to him is escape from death. The Lord redeems those who are devoted to him so that they never need to experience spiritual death in Hell and he even redeems us from physical death as he will resurrect us on the last day. B. The reward of escaping life When the Jewish philosopher Philo spoke of Enoch, he had a slightly different take on Enoch’s reward. Philo understood the words “and he was no more” as “and he could not be found”, and understood this to mean that Enoch had been elevated in his lifestyle so that he was no longer found among the wicked and involved in plots and schemes. He had learned from walking with God a life of solitude that insulated from the corruption of the world around him. [On Abraham, III.19-V.27] There is some truth in what Philo says. The rewards of God for those who are devoted to him are not simply other-worldly. It benefits a man in this life to be devoted to God as well. Don’t believe that? Just ask the man whose marriage was saved because he devoted himself to God. Ask the man whose addiction was conquered once he devoted himself to Christ. Ask the man whose finances were straightened out once he devoted himself completely to God. Truly there are great rewards for a man’s devotion to God both in this world and in the world to come! Conclusion: A great need in the church is great men of devotion!