PLEASING GOD!
The life of faith always pleases God; He loves to be trusted. Faith and trust in God's
teaching should always be on our minds, like it was during Enoch's time. Enoch's faith and trust in God and his
loyalty to God met his Creators divine approval. Enoch's life and character were a demonstration of what God
would have all men be like.
Enoch has very little information recorded in the Bible about him. There are only ten verses from both
the Old and New Testaments that survey his biography. But those ten verses provide astonishing information!
While many heroes of the faith were martyrs, the same type or pattern of death never approached Enoch.
He completely escaped its clutches and was translated like Moses and Elijah were.
From the limited information available about Enoch, we find three words that speaks of his approved
righteousness. Hebrews 11:5 asserts, "he pleased God." "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see
death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that
he pleased God.
Moses was marked by meekness, Samson was distinguished by incredible strength, Daniel exemplified
unwavering devotion. Ezekiel is remembered for his visions, Paul is heralded for his passionate preaching and
writing of scripture. John is known for his apocalyptic disclosures. But Enoch's career is distinguished by
pleasing God. That is quite a legacy! Will our legacy be pleasing to God?
The New Testament calls us to be holy in I Pet 1:16, repeating the Old Testament command that we be
holy because God is Holy. "But as He which has called you is Holy, so be you holy in all manner of conversation;
because it is written, be you holy; for I am Holy."
Rom 8:1, points to the possibility that all who want to walk according to the spirit can do so, if they want
to repent of walking in the flesh. Notice, where Paul exhorts us to to purge out old leaven. "Your glorying is not
good. Know you not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that you
may be a new lump, as you are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: therefore let us keep
the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread
of sincerity and truth" (1 Cor 5:6-8). This purging is not just a one time event, but it is to be done continuously.
Repentance is for those God has called as well as those who are newly called.
We are called to be holy, and we are to pass down a heritage of living holy for God. But what is the key
to all that we do? How can we walk as holy as Enoch walked? The key to walk as holy as Enoch did, is to be
pleasing to God with our every action and breath we breath.
Enoch lived in the days immediately preceding Noah's flood. Historians refer to this as the antediluvian
age. The age before the deluge. At that time the Bible describes the earth as being filled with violence. It was
a time when man's wickedness ran un-restrained and their hearts were bent on devising plans of deceit and
evilness. That sounds like today!! But despite this decadence- Genesis 5: asserts that there was one man,
Enoch, whose was intimately acquainted with following God and who fellow-shipped with Him for 300
consecutive years. "Enoch lived sixty-five years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch
walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. And all the days of Enoch were three
hundred sixty and five years: and Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him" (Gen 5:21-24).
The word "took" means: God broke upon Enoch's activity, and suddenly captured him, and he was gone.
It was at an instant like a flash of lightning.
Now lets look back and explore some highlights from Enoch's life that the Bible mentions. Notice first
that the Bible says that Enoch changed for God. Look at Genesis 5:21-22 once more. "Enoch lived sixty-five
years, and begot Methuselah. After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had
sons and daughters." When you study these verse, you can see that something significant had occurred in Enoch
life, when he turned sixty-five.
Enoch living his first sixty-five years, was humanly set in his ways, and then suddenly, his entire
character, disposition, thinking, and behavior were overhauled. Everything about him was directed toward God.
When Genesis says, "Enoch walked with God," that word walk is a graphic Hebrew word. It means he
mentally "walked, literally, figuratively, continually" and was enlightened with God. He willfully applied
himself before God. That means he lived with integrity, faithfulness, and with a constant awareness of God.
One of the most profound challenges on earth is for people to modify their behavior! Think about it. We
can launch a shuttle into orbit, split the atom, encode a billion bits of information on a computer chip, instantly
e-mail, or fax information around the globe, But behavior modification surpasses all man's challenges. Just ask
a person who is dealing with a destructive character flaw in their mate or teenager. Talk to counselors that deal
with people who are struggling against habits, addictions, or obsessions. Changing our behavior is only a God
given ability!
Man is plagued with a rebellious, untamed nature that struggles against keeping God's
commandments. But that doesn't mean we can't change. It doesn't mean that we should give in to sin and hoist
the white flag in surrender. We have to bridle our behavior and seek to serve God.
The essence of Christian living is all about change! It's an experience that ultimately changes us from
being self-centered to being submissive to God's unselfish teachings. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, I say to you,
unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven,
(Kingdom of God). Rom 12:2 tells us, to "be transformed by the renewing of your mind," Paul said in 2
Corinthians 3:18, we are in the process of "being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as
by the Spirit of the Lord." Philippians 3:21, Christ's ultimate intention is to, Transform our lowly body that it
may be conformed to His glorious body,
When we accept Christ at our baptism as our personal Savior, we are agreeing to change! that's what a
spiritual conversion is about! It means we are willing to permit Christ to intervene and make changes at every
point necessary in our attitude, ambitions, conversation, and associations!
There is a reason God wants us to change. It's to glorify our heavenly Father and to infuse us with the
fruits of His Holy Spirit that brings, peace and joy. Peace and joy are found in one person, Jesus the Christ.
If conquering could bring satisfaction Alexander the Great would have been the happiest man on earth
because he conquered the entire known world. But just before falling on his sword he lamented, "there are no
more worlds to conquer." If popularity could bring fulfillment then Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Whitney
Houston should have never died from a drug overdose. Fulfillment comes through one person our Lord of Lords
--Jesus the Christ, not the attachments to this world! Christ alone furnishes peace, joy and satisfaction.
That's the lesson from Enoch's life. Enoch, after sixty-five years, changed for God's way of life. But
secondly, Enoch not only changed to God's way of life, he aimed for God. What do I mean by that? Look once
again at Gen 5:verses 21-22, "When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. And
after he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God."
Enoch intentionally directed his life toward God. He made God his target and walked with Him.
What are you aiming at today? What is your target? What are you pursuing? There are several ways you
can determine what you are aiming at. When you analyze your spending habits it becomes apparent what your
target is. When you determine where the bulk of your time goes, it becomes obvious what you are pursuing. God
tells us to buy the truth and sell it not, (Pro 23:23), but are we listening? You can determine what your character
target is when you examine the people you continually fellowship with.
Here is what we have to understand about the concept of aiming. Aiming isn't accidental, it's deliberate!
You aim a gun at a target--Deliberately. When you play baseball, basketball or golf, you aim at a
target--Deliberately! And, right now, your life is aimed at either a target of the world, or the target of God's
kingdom, and your aiming is not accidental, it's purposed and deliberate.
Enoch knew this at age sixty-five. He re-directed his focus from the world around him and zeroed it
upon God's kingdom. God's way of life!
You can occasionally stumble upon good fortune in life. You can seem to get a 'good break at times. But
one thing you will never do accidentally and that is devote yourself to God and commune with Him. There's
nothing coincidental about your calling; it's determined!
Notice what Paul meant when he wrote, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this One
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press
toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:13-14). Pleasing God
requires a steady aim at God. Like an archer steadily looking over his crossbow toward the bull's eye. God
doesn't aim at man, - man aims at God!
Nowhere in scripture is God pictured imitating the fruits of
the flesh. The purpose
of Christ descending from Heaven to earth wasn't to diminish
Christ's deity, it was to
elevate man. Christ taught us how to love, show mercy, and speak the truth,
so that we could imitate
the fruits of His Holy Spirit. If you please God, it won't be accidentally, it
will be purposed and
aimed!
When reading of Enoch's amazing change of character, we can
come to the conclusion
something startling happened to him. He had a life-changing
experience, like Jacob at
Bethel or Moses at the burning bush. It was a defining moment that
created a desire to live to be in
God's kingdom, even though the world was totally depraved.
Did you notice when Enoch's defining moment was? It was at the birth of Methuselah. Here was a child
with a special name. Scholars tell us his name meant "In the year of his death, it shall come!" From the moment
Enoch named his son, God must have spoken to Enoch to name his son Methuselah. Enoch knew something
catastrophic was coming. And it caused him to re-arrange his entire life. It literally brought the fear of God into
his life.
People will amend their ways when they understand the wrath and retribution that is in store for the last
days. Just as God destroyed the earth with a flood, He has warned mankind of a great tribulation that will plague
the end-time generation. And yet, people live without the faintest fear of his coming tribulation. When man
comes to really understand the terror at Christ's return it will bring sanctifying and God's presence into their
lives. Notice what I John says, "We know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him
as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).
When the called out one lives with an awareness of Christ's soon return, they will be encouraged to truly
live Godly Holy lives. They will not think twice about postponing God's holy time.
Enoch not only changed for God and aimed for God, he proclaimed for God. God's called that have
changed and have aimed for God, want others to enjoy the peace and satisfaction that God offers. Once they
have repented of their sins, they want others to discover God's goodness so they have to boldly proclaim God's
good news from His word in the Bible. When one set a good example one testifies of God's goodness, His love
and they proclaim His glories and warn of Satan's evil dangers. It isn't enough to twist our heads back and forth
in disgust when we see the world's evil, we have a vocal responsibility to speak up. That's what Enoch did. He
lived in a world that was desperately depraved.
In writing about Enoch Jude made it clear that he warned his generation of their wrongdoing. example:
If you see your child playing in the path of oncoming traffic your immediate response would be to head toward
him and scream a warning. If we love God's called children, we must cry aloud and warn them of God's annual
Sabbath, and of His coming judgment. Just as Isaiah was told to do in Isaiah 58. "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up
your voice like a trumpet, and show My people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins" (Isa 58:1).
We are the ones to sound that alarm.
When Enoch prophetically proclaimed to his generation, he spoke of the Lord's second coming. When
reading Jude verse 14, indicates that Jesus the Christ will come in our generation! "Now Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints" (Jude
14). [NKJB]. How does that verse indicate Jesus Christ could come in our generation? Here's why: Jude notes
that Enoch was the "seventh from Adam."
Bible scholars agree that God has established a correlation between numbers and there meaning in
scripture. For example scholars believe the number one conceptualizes unity; Two signifies difference; The
number four symbolizes the totality of the earth; Six represents man; The number eight signifies new beginnings;
The number forty designates a human generation; And the qualitative significance of seven represents the
fullness - complection or the totality of something. It's used to typify a completed period. This imagery is used
repeatedly in scripture:
The creation of the heavens and earth took seven days. All was completed in that time frame. God
instituted seven annual feasts for Israel, the full requirement out line for salvation. It took seven days of
marching around Jericho and the city was completely destroyed. Zechariah 4:10 says God looks at everything
with seven eyes, that is, comprehensively. Christ's words in Matthew 12:43, concerning the seven evil spirits
returning to a man implies total possession.
Apostle John writing Revelation uses the number seven frequently: there are seven churches addressed;
seven apocalyptic visions, each having seven items of concern; seven angels with seven trumpets; seven seals;
seven vials; seven thunders; all taking place in a seven-year tribulation-period. And then, after this recurring
series of sevens, John announces the world's termination. It's over, everything is complete, and God's judgment
has consummated. How does this number relate to Enoch? Again Jude 14 says: Enoch, the seventh from
Adam, prophesied about theses men. "See the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His Holy ones."
After six generations struggle with sin, Enoch, being of the seventh generation, was instantly translated
some where and after 6,000 years of human history struggling with sin its our generation that will be entering
the seventh millennia, seventh thousand year. Millions during this seventh millennia will experience an
unleavened change.
Who at this time will experience seeing Christ at His coming? Matthew 24:31 tells us, He is coming for
His elect: "And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect
from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other."
Luke 12: 40 declares, He
is coming for the prepared: "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour
you do not expect." I Thessalonians 5:23 says, He is coming for the blameless: "May your whole spirit, soul,
and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. " And Simon agreed in 2 Peter 3:11-12, "You ought to live Holy and Godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming." I
John 2:28 says, "And now, dear children, continue in Him, so that when He appears we may be confident and
unashamed before Him at His coming." And last: Revelation 3:11 says, "He is coming for those who are
persevering in the faith and truth: "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your
crown."
Jesus Christ is coming to transform those, like Enoch, who please Him. James Russell
BLESSINGS FOR OBEDIENCE
1 "Now it shall come to pass,
if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I
command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth.
2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD
your God:
3 Blessed shall you be in the
city, and blessed shall you be in the country.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of
your body, the produce of your ground and the increase of your herds, the increase of your cattle and the
offspring of your flocks.
5 Blessed shall be your
basket and your kneading bowl.
6 Blessed shall you be when
you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
7 "The LORD will cause your
enemies who rise against you to be defeated before your face; they shall come out against you one way and flee
before you seven ways.
8 The LORD will command
the blessing on you in your storehouses and in all to which you set your hand, and He will bless you in the land
which the LORD your God is giving you.
9 The LORD will establish
you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your
God and walk in His ways.
10 Then all peoples of the
earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.
11 And the LORD will grant
you plenty of goods, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your
ground, in the land of which the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
12 The LORD will open to
you His good treasure, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season, and to bless all the work of your
hand. You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
13 And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you shall be above only, and not be beneath, if
you heed the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, and are careful to observe
them.
14 So you shall not turn aside
from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to
serve them"
(Deut 28:1-14). NKJV