Walking With God In The Valley of Death

As we look here in Genesis 5, we find ourselves continuing to look through the grim glass of darkness. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sin against God and plunge humanity in sin and death. In Genesis 4, things intensify as we see Cain murder Abel and the construction of a wicked society with the climax of it’s wickedness being Lamech who boasts about murdering a youth man. And here in our text today we see an overview of genealogies highlighting God’s faithfulness as He continues to faithfully provide children to mankind moving closer to the day the Deliverer would come. But as we read through the text there is one phrase that leaps out constantly at and us and that is the phrase, “and then he died”…

And that’s certainly dark isn’t it? But that’s the point that we’ve seen since chapter 3. It’s even what we will continue to see throughout the rest of the Bible and even as we lift our eyes to look at the world, we will continue to see the effects of sin upon the totality of the world full of death, deceit, heartache and sin. And as you go out tomorrow and you’re bombarded with the thinking of this world it certainly takes a toll on you doesn’t it? You look on Instagram and Facebook and there’s a world celebrating sin against God, you look on TikTok and there’s temptation there, you go to school and you’re tempted to give into the pressure of being like everyone else and as you go through your day, your week, your life you begin to feel drained and discouraged.

Well, in the midst of this passage marked by births and deaths, there is a diamond that comes glistening out of no where that serves as a great motivation to us and that is in v21-24 where we find a guy by the name of Enoch who’s life is marked by a close walk with God, but his story doesn’t end like the others. We never read, “and then he died.” Instead we read, “Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.” In the midst of darkness, there is a beacon of encouragement in this passage for us.

As we look at the world around us, it’s dark and that can be discouraging so I want to speak for just a few moments on “Walking with God in Dark Days.” as we see the faith of Enoch on display because he was certainly a different man. For instance, in Genesis 4 we read of Cain’s cold, apostate heart but here we read of a heart in deep communion with God. And surprisingly, just as Lamech, Cain’s grandson, is the 7th generation from Adam, so is Enoch. So with these cousins we have the climax of wickedness thus far in Lamech and the climax of faithfulness with Enoch.

And with that being said, I want us to look at this text and think, “In this darkness of this world, I want to boldly live for Jesus.” But what does that look like?

To walk boldly I should:

Enjoy Communion

Here in the text we see that after the birth of his son Methuselah, who’s name means “When He Is Dead It Shall Be Sent” or “After him, it comes.” Enoch’s life is defined as one being wholly dedicated to relationship with God most likely because the Lord revealed to him that there was something coming after Methuselah (Next week we will see that the year Methuselah dies, the flood comes.). What we see here is that Enoch had a relationship with God.

In Hebrews 11:5-6 we read that was a guy who enjoyed communion with God, who knew God was personal and present in his life.

Hebrews 11:5–6 NKJV

5 By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Enoch knew God and he enjoyed the God that knew him. In Genesis 3 we find that Cain builds a city and names it after his son named Enoch. So the wicked Enoch was known by men, but the Enoch here was one who was known by the God of Creation.

Psalm 37:4 says,

Psalm 37:4 NKJV

4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Do you have that kind of heart towards Christ? Do you love Him? Do you delight in Him? Augustine said this about Psalm 37:4, “It’s as though you asked asked the question, “Show me the riches of the land where You want me to live!” and He says, “Delight yourself in Me.”

Illustration: On January 20th, 1981 we finally recieved our American hostages back from Iran and the first thing they did once they got back to the States was they bowed down on the dirty tarmac and kissed the ground because they knew where they had been and were they were now. I believe that we’ve stopped enjoying the presence of the Father because we’ve forgotten what it was like to be separated from Him.

See, Worship is a response to a relationship. If you love someone, you want to express your love! But we don’t fellowship with God daily, because we don’t feel He meets our needs.

Enoch’s life was one that was pleased God and it was one that pleased God.

When you are out in the sun, you cannot help but feel warm— sometimes even hot. When you are out in the snow, you cannot help but feel chilly—even painfully cold. The environment around us makes a difference. Similarly, living in the atmosphere of God’s joy will naturally make you more joyful

Establish Consistency

Practice makes perfect. To see improvement in anything, you must be consistent.

Hebrews 11 tells us that Enoch had a testimony of being a man who pleased God and Genesis tells us that he lived a life like that for at least 300 years. If there was one word that comes to mind here, it’s that he was consistent. As a matter of fact that goes along with our lesson on faithfulness from Sunday. That we should be people who are reliable, consistent, and faithful!

Andrew Murray said, “Let the presence of God be thy one desire; the will of God thy one choice; the help of God thy one trust; the likeness of God thy one hope. Let every day, the most ordinary one, the most difficult one, be a day with God, as one of the days of heaven upon earth, a day of which faith is the beginning and the end.”

Colossians 2:6 NKJV

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

The life of Enoch was one characterized by faithful communion to the Lord. But what does that look like?

Express Commitment

In Order To Please God, We Must Walk With God In Faith

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

2 Corinthians 5:7 NKJV

7 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

But what does that look like?

To Walk With God Is To Realize God In Daily Life

Let me give you a quick observation from Hebrews 11:6

He believed God lives

Jordan Peterson, a well known psychologist, said this concerning Christians, “I wonder what would happen if they actually believed?” We say that God is alive, we sing songs, we attend Church, we have verses in our bios on Instagram, but do we believe that to be the case? The reality is that our behaviors tell us what we really believe. We can’t enjoy communion with a God that we don’t even believe is there.

But not only did he believed God lives, but he believed God was involved. The text says that, “He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.” and Enoch was a man that seems to have testimony that he knew the fruit of such seeking.

Genesis 5:22–24 (NKJV)

22 After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

The text tells us that Enoch walked with God. To walk with God here means to have close, intimate fellowship with. It means that he walked where God led him and that it was a walk of commitment.

Walking by faith means living life in light of eternity and to trust God with the circumstances of your life.

Would you say that defines your life? Do we trust God with the circumstances of our life?

Walking with God is to realize He is present, in all of your decision making and actions in your daily life.

Over the last several days I have stayed up till between 10 pm to midnight working on a messed up HVAC issue at the house and it’s tried my patience a few times. One thing I have to remember as I walk through my day and I’m tempted to lose my cool or to grow frustrated is that God works all things for good and that He, in His sovereignty, is allowing me to face this for the benefit of my growth and for His glory.

To Walk With God Often Means To Walk Against The Culture

In Jude 14-15 we read,

Jude 14–15 NKJV

14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

and next week we will look at Genesis 6 which will also show how wicked the world was at the time.

But in the midst of a wicked world full of the effects of sin around Enoch, he remained faithful to God regardless of the atmosphere around him. And as the culture around us continues to grow increasingly secular the division between how you see the world, as someone who knows God, and how they see the world, as people who hate Him, is going to grow larger and larger. And so we have to have our hearts set upon Christ firmly.

Matthew 6:24 NKJV

24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Matthew 10:34–39 NKJV

34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 35 For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; 36 and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ 37 He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. 38 And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.

The sword that Christ is speaking of is not literal, but a symbol of conflict. The peace that he came to bring is not the absence of strife but the overcoming of sin and the bringing in of the salvation of God. And when you declare the truth to a world that hates it, there will be hostility. So you must be commited to the truth of Christ above all other commitments in your life.

Years ago I heard a lesson illustration on thermostat and thermometer Christians

Conclusion

So, how can we walk with God while surrounded by temptation and discouragement?

Psalm 37:1–5 NKJV

1 Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. 2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. 3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.