THE FAITH OF ENOCH

In Genesis 2 it is written, that the Lord spoke to man: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” The Lord made the Covenant of works with man, who accepted all the conditions thereof. It was their greatest pleasure to live to God’s honor. When the deceiver came, it became evident that men chose for satan’s service, instead of for the service of the Lord. One of the consequences of sin was death, as the Lord had said before. However old the people became on the first world, some even over nine hundred years, but all had to die. In Genesis 5 we find the genealogy, age and death of the patriarchs. Time and again it is repeated there, that they were born, lived for so many years, begat sons and daughters, and died. Six times in a row we read that the one after the other died. But then between the dark shadows of death falls the light of life. In the seventh from Adam, who lived in the midst of death, because all people must die, we find the hope of life. The seventh from Adam ascended on high and therein he is a type of the promised seed of the woman, Who would come in the fulness of time. He has said of Himself: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.” Of the seventh from Adam, Enoch, we will try to write a few words, with the help of the Lord. Of him is written in Hebr. 11:5,6, which speaks of ENOCH’S FAITH.

1) the revealtion of his faith.

2) the fruit of his faith.

3) the necessity of faith.

On the first world did not only the people multiply, but also sin. The enmity, whereof was spoken by the Lord, right after the fall, became more and more visible. Cain has killed his brother Abel; later on it became worse and this finds its height between Lamech and Enoch, whereof is written in Genesis 4 and 5. Lamech from the family of Cain had two wives, who gave birth to three sons, which were of great importance for the human race, as they were inventors. Of Jabal is written, that he was the father of such as dweil in tents, and of such as have cattle. Jubal made harps and organs and Tubal-cain was the first smith. However, all these good gifts of the Lord were misused in the service of sin and the world, to defy the Lord. They used their inventions to their own benefit, to honor themselves, to defeat the Creator and to give free rein to their passions. Is it not the same in our days? All the developments of the last century are in the service of satan. Steam, electricity, atomic energy, chemistry and technical science etc, they are in general, used to the dishonor of God and the destruction of men. The inventions themselves we may not condemn, because the Lord gave the wisdom for it, but our corrupt nature misuses them. So it is also with the means of communication; T.V. can be used in a different form for navigation and air traffic; so it can be a blessing. But satan got control of it and he is using this to the destruction of our society, churches and families. How vain are all the pleasures of this world, as the poet writes:

Though in life he wealth attained,

Tho’ the praise of men he gained,

He shall join those gone before,

Where the light shall shine no more.

Crowned with honor tho’ he be,

Highly gifted, strong and free.

If he be not truly wise,

Man is like the beast that dies.

So the first world made itself ripe for the judgments of the Lord, while art and technique developed more and more. There were also giants on the earth, people of great length and strength. We have them also in our days; not literally of course, but figuratively in politics, in science and in sport. They are feared or worshipped, wherein we see the foolishness of man, because whatever position we have in this world, for all it is true what Solomon says: “There is a time to be born and a time to die. All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked.”

In the beginning the righteous lived separated from the world, but this did not last. The sons of God, the children of Seth, took of the daughters of man and gradually they became conformed to this world. It is the same what happens in our days. In former days we lived separated in many things, but now there is almost no difference between us and the world. This is not only in clothing, but in all the customs of the world. Let us not forget, that we cannot serve two masters; it is God or the mammon!

The separation from the world is visible in face, dress and talk. This is not a false devotion as among the Pharisees; no, it is upright, out of the bottom of their heart, as it is impossible for them to live with the world; the love of the Lord is bestowed upon them, which makes them long to please the Lord in all their ways. There will always be shortcomings in their life, as the sanctification is only in beginning here in time; but this grieves them, more than anything else, as the Lord is so worthy to be served!

When we see the practice of our days, we must with sadness repeat what is written in God’s Word: “How is the gold become dim!” What sadness must fill our heart that a mourning veil seems to cover the church, because of our own iniquities. Herein we feel also that we cannot mourn from ourselves, but that the Lord must bring us to that place, that we would rend our clothes, because of our sins and the darkness in the church. There is so little progress in the spiritual life of the church, because we want only to increase while the Lord leads His people in the way of decreasing, in the way that they must die. When we compare the church with former days, we must confess that Zion is brought very low. The children are come to the birth, but there is no strength to bring forth. May the Lord show us the great danger wherein we are personally, ecclesiastically, and nationally. When we see this, we begin to cry for mercy. Then all those inventions of the world are not so important anymore, but the question is born: “Is there a way to be reconciled with God?”

In those days, which was a very dark and wicked time, 622 years after the creation, Enoch was born. Did he as all the others also serve the world? By nature he had no desire to serve the Lord and he would like the pleasures of the world better than such a strict life, as some say, which is the portion of God’s people. If there were no election, although this doctrine is despised by many, Enoch would never have asked for the Lord. There are people on this world, that are so thankful that there is a predestination and an election, otherwise there was no hope for anyone. From eternity the Lord decreed that there would be a remnant out of the fallen human race, that would be saved out of free sovereign grace. The name of Enoch was also written in that book of life. This eternal counsel of the Lord is worked out in time, in the moment and under the circumstances as He decreed. That good work of the Lord became visible when Enoch was 65 years old, when his son was born. How free the Lord is! Often the Lord uses the death of a beloved relative, an accident, sickness, etc, that we see the shortness of life and under the ministration of the Holy Spirit, we have no rest anymore. Here it is the year that his child is born. When we expect an addition to the family, is that also a cause of prayer? Did we flee with the needs of mother and child, but also with the needs of our own soul to the Lord? Enoch’s child was born with pangs, it came crying into the world; this same was felt in the soul of this father, because of the sin and the separation from the Lord. Do we also know these times in our life, that we experienced this? Nothing has any value for such people, but the favour of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We don’t know the details of Enoch’s conversion, but it became visible in his life, as we can read in our text: “For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” But how did this become visible? When we flee to the Lord and may have the living hope that the Lord wil hear us in all our needs, that is grace.

The Lord Jesus has promised, that all things which we will ask in his Name will be given by the Father. It is greater grace, when we may trust in the Lord in great temptation. But to walk with God, is the greatest grace we can receive from the Lord, and this is written of Enoch. This walk with God we must not take literally, but in the figurative sense and means a holy life, separated from the world, their bad manners and customs. This showed his tender relation with God. Because how can two walk together, except they agree? The Lord has been the first in the life of Enoch, He poured love in his heart and Enoch desires to return this love; this is evident in his life, because he cannot do one step without the Lord. For before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. By faith a sinner is united with Christ and all his benefits he shares in God’s favor. This happens in regeneration, when the dead sinner is made alive; however, the comfort of these blessings are missed, wherefore the ministration of the Holy Spirit is so necessary. If we miss faith, we are not in Christ and miss everything. When we are in our natural state, we cannot meet the Lord and have no access to the Father. It is a wonder that sinners can become partakers of the merits of Christ. He fulfilled everything, because in Him God’s fury is ended and His wrath appeased. In Christ only it is possible for Enoch to please the Lord, because He is the Lamb of God, which has been slain from eternity, when He gave Himself as the Mediator of the Covenant.

This walking with God does not mean that he never sinned; no, Enoch also had his shortcomings and sins. He was in the world, but not of the world. It was visible in his whole life, that the honor of the Lord was bound on his heart. He stands up for the Lord’s rights, he warns against sin by words and deeds. He is not proud of himself that he is better than the other inhabitants of the world; he does not hate the people either, but he hates their works. He warns them out of love, because he cannot see that his neighbour will be lost. He felt something of that in his own life, and this he does not wish to anyone. If there is love in our heart for the lord, then there will also be love for our neighbors, to seek their temporal and eternal welfare.

Now Enoch saw in their inventions a great danger, that they would fill their heart and that no place would be left for the service of the Lord. It is the same in our days, nearly all the inventions are instruments against the Lord. No time is left for the Lord and His service, but we all must give an account of our deeds. So Enoch spoke to them in love, but also in holy wrath, as he was grieved by their ungodliness, as it is written about Lot: he vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds.

Is it the same with you, when you hear or see sin? When we read the newspapers, therein you can find sin and how it is propagated, the places of sin are mentioned; when you come on the street, in bus, train or airplane, everywhere you hear that the world does not take in account that there is a God in heaven, Who will come back to every deed in our life. How painful it is to hear and to see sin, but it is worse to find the sin in our own life, while the Lord can call us every moment before His judgment seat. With Enoch, it becomes impossible to live any longer in communion with the world. Enoch shrank when he heard that the Name of the Lord was taken in vain. Although he warned them time and again for all their sins, it had no result. He became tired of sin and asked the Lord: “Forget not the voice of thine enemies.” And the Lord showed him the future judgments that would come. A righteous God must punish sin. To Enoch was made known the decrees of the Lord, as we can find in the epistle of Jude. As a faithful servant of the Lord, he could not keep it inside, but he must speak of it. When it is a soft matter, people are in general not so difficult; if we hear of the judgments of the Lord, because of our sins, then it is different. His words brought much opposition and hatred forth from the children of Cain. This is no wonder: “A servant is not greater than his Lord. They have persecuted me, they will also persecute you.” Still he could not be silent. The more sin increases, the more he became a preacher of penitence. “The Lord will come with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard sppeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” A day of judgment will come, this is very certain. Does Enoch think of the great flood? Do we read of angels in the history of the flood? No, therefore we think that he speaks of the day of judgment, when Christ will come on the clouds of heaven to judge the quick and the dead! He may see this by faith. More than five thousand years ago the Lord had revealed to his servant that this terrible day would come for the wicked, but also that it would be a day of deliverance for the church militant. He did not only speak of the judgments, but also of the necessity of conversion. He brought Law and Gospel, that it is possible for sinners to be saved out of free grace, without our works. Still they did not want to listen, they did not humble themselves, but mocked and ridiculed Enoch, who remained faithful. This is also our calling on the place which the Lord has given us. Even when the people do not listen, this does not dismiss us of our duty to testify: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” May the Lord bind this word on our hearts, that we may feel the responsibility before God and men. We are also our brother’s keeper, to warn when this is necessary.

Norwich

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