Enoch escapes death altogether

Published 12:10 am Saturday, July 4, 2020

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Karen Stevens

Have you ever thought about Enoch?  From the Bible, we know that Enoch was Adam’s great-great-great-great grandson (and Noah’s great grandfather) who lived a holy and faithful life to the Lord.  He also becomes the father of Methuselah, the longest-living man. (Methuselah must have obeyed Enoch on everything because God said He will bless us with a long life if we obey our parents.)  You know that Enoch was blessed by Methuselah just by how long Methuselah lived.

Throughout Enoch’s three-plus centuries on earth, he has had numerous offspring.  Enoch is also only one of two people, taken straight to heaven, escaping death altogether.  Wouldn’t that be great!

Also, what a great legacy to leave for your children and your great grandchildren.

I recently got to hold my second grandchild, so it makes me pause and wonder what they will say about me when I leave this earth.

I am sure Enoch had many faults.  (I hope so at least!)

We read in the Bible about the many flaws of King David and it gives us hope knowing that we aren’t perfect, but God loves us anyway.  That’s not to say to become complacent about our moral behavior and our spiritual walk with God’s high standards, but to be able to pick ourselves up when we have stumbled and know that God will be there.

We don’t read about Enoch’s flaws, so we just have to wondered what his bad habits were.

But then on the flip side, maybe that is why he was able to do such great miracles because he did not succumb to his flaws, therefore not producing bad habits.

Bad habits are like a noose around our necks.  The noose gets tighter and tighter the more bad habits we develop to the point of barely breathing through our day to day lives.

Did you know that Elijah was the only prophet of God left at the time, and was outnumbered by 450 prophets of the enemy?  (1 Kings 18:22).

Enoch stood with God against all of his opposers.  I barely can stand against one of my ruthless enemies much less 450.  But Enoch knew God, walked with God, was friends with God.  He knew God would complete whatever Enoch ask because Enoch knew he was standing for God.

Is that your motto in life?  Are you standing for God no matter what?  I know I struggle daily with deceitfulness, doing good deeds for others, loving my brother as myself, etc.

Did you ever wonder why God allowed some in the Bible, to be deceitful?

Abraham told the King that Sarah was his sister, yet God still protected her and did not let the King sleep with her.  He protected Abraham and then had the King give him livestock, 1000 pieces of silver, servants etc.

It doesn’t seem fair that God would reward Abraham with goods for being deceitful?  Abraham was forced to leave his home due to the famine, but still God chose to cover his deceitfulness.

I still cannot grasp my mind around this but God is God, and I accept what He wants to do.  I may not like it because I like things to be fair for everyone across the board, but I must be missing something that God did not choose to include me in.  Just as he asked Job, “Were you here when I created the Universe?”  Well, no I was not.

God’s word tells me He is a just and fair God and I believe that, so anything I do not understand I have to accept and know that God is in control.

Karen Y. Stevens is Executive Director, Meals on Wheels