Long life – Something everyone wants to have. To live a quality life as long as we possibly can. Who wouldn’t want that? In today’s world we sometimes hear of someone living to be 100 or more. In modern times the oldest recorded life is 122 years. But in the early days of the Bible, they lived lives that would make 122 seem like a young person not yet wet behind the ears! “You really believe that?” I hear someone ask. I suppose I am just that dense because quite frankly, yes, I do. 122 might be the oldest modern day recorded life, but Methuselah, the son of Enoch, lived the absolute longest recorded life attaining the ripe old age of 969 years! Wow, what a life he must have lived!
However, it isn’t Methuselah we want to talk about, but his father, Enoch. His life span made him a youngster compared to his son, for Enoch only lived a measly 365 years on Earth. Genesis 5:21-24 records, “Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixtyfive years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Enoch lived only 365 years, but in reality, he lived much longer because according to what is written here, he is still alive with God! “Impossible!” you say? Once again, I suppose I am just simple-minded enough to believe what the Bible says.
The key to this verse is that Enoch walked with God. The Hebrew interpreted as “walked” also means that he went with God, or followed God, or traveled with God. It means that he put God first in everything that he did and his relationship with God was the most important thing in his life. Now, the Bible doesn’t say this but I personally believe that the full meaning of this is that Enoch was only one of two men (that we know of) who lived life attaining as much perfection as they possibly could, and so God took them on to be with Him without them experiencing death. The only other one recorded was Elijah who was taken to heaven in a chariot of fire (2 Kings 2:11).
The man who walks with God, who goes with God, will not be one who simply speaks some words with his mouth but makes no commitment in his heart. It isn’t about attending a service, or simply being dunked in water. No, it is much more than that. It requires one to fall in love with Jesus Christ, realizing the utter destruction he has escaped, and dedicates his life, doing everything his hands find to do for the Lord (Colossians 3:23). By the way, it should go without saying, but for the benefit of those who need to hear it, the word used for “man” is a general term that includes all of humanity; men and women.
The man who walks with God will also be eager to please God. Hebrews 11:5 tells us, “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.” The man who goes with God seeks to please God. That’s what Enoch did. We know from the next passage we will explore, that Enoch was a writer. But writing wasn’t what was the most important thing in Enoch’s life. It was his complete mission which was to please God. No matter what we might do in life, regardless how important we might think it to be, the main thing we must do is to please God.
The third thing we must do to be people who go with God is to be a witness for Him. We mentioned above that Enoch was a writer. He wrote a book in which his words were recorded. Here’s the passage: “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 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.’” (Jude 1:14). Enoch, only in the seventh generation from Adam, realized how important it was to be a witness to those in this world who are bound in wickedness. Sin is a killer. It always has been and always will be. He warned the inhabitants of our planet even then of the coming of the Lord. When He came, He would rid the world of wickedness and sin. Those who refuse to become people who follow Him will suffer eternal death.
I want to be a man who goes with God, don’t you? I don’t know if it will keep me from death (but it will from eternal death). I have no idea if I could ever hope to gain perfection to the point that God would remove me from this Earth without dying, but probably not. However, it shouldn’t keep us from living our lives in pursuit of such a noble mission and we should at least try. Want to take a walk with me?
— Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.” Visit our website at spiritbread.com to download these and more completely free of charge.