Christ in Enoch (2)

Having commenced a brief consideration of Enoch, we noted that his name means "dedicated" and in this he illustrates for us the Lord Jesus who is the only fully dedicated Man who ever lived.

Looking in some more detail at the record of Enoch we discover that he is mentioned in the Bible in Genesis 5, Luke 3, Hebrews 11, and Jude.

In Genesis 5.21-24 we read that Enoch "lived sixty and five years and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God ... and he was not; for God took him". In Luke 3, Enoch is mentioned in the genealogy of the Lord Jesus. Hebrews 11.5 records "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". And, finally, in Jude v14 we read that " Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied ...".

Enoch was Different

Throughout Genesis 5, it is repeatedly stated that a person "lived" so many years, and then "he died". While the record of Enoch begins with the expression "Enoch lived sixty and five years" (5.21) there is a sudden and suggestive change in the next verse. There it states "And Enoch walked with God" (v22) and this is repeated "Enoch walked with God" (v24).

What marked Enoch out as different was his life. He walked in communion with God, he lived life in  companionship with God. This of necessity meant that he lived in conformity to God's character.

To whatever degree this was true in the life of Enoch, it was much more true in the life of the Lord Jesus. As to communion with God the Lord's ear was ever opened to hear "as the instructed" (Isaiah 50.4). He was also confident that the Father's ear was ever opened to Him, "And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. And I knew that thou hearest me always ..." (John 11.41-42).   

The prophet Amos wrote "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" (Amos 3.3) and the reason for the closeness in communion, and the perfect companionship of the Father and the Son, is that they are ever, eternally, and perfectly in agreement. There could never be so much as the suggestion of any moral difference between the will of God and the will of Christ for this would be to suggest that the will of one or the other was less than perfect!

Enoch was Delightful 

Hebrews 11 records that Enoch "pleased God". This was a result of his trust in God, for "without faith it is impossible to please Him" (Heb 11.5-6).

And what of the delight that the Son of God gave to the Father? At His baptism, the heavens were rent apart, and the word of the Father was heard "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3.17). The Lord Himself, speaking with the insight of deity, states "I do always those things that please Him" (John 8.29).

Never was the Lord more delightful to the Father than when He hung in shame upon the Cross. There He "hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Eph 5.2). The sweet savour of the devotion of Christ, fully manifested in His whole-hearted offering of Himself to God at Calvary, was tremendously pleasing to God. May we enter into God's assessment of His Son!

Enoch was Delivered

A contrast that marks Enoch out from all others in this chapter of death is that he "was not; for God took him" (Gen 5.24). The writer to the Hebrews expands, stating that Enoch was "translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him" (Heb 11.5). 

Enoch was a dependent, distinct, delightful, dedicated man, and God, in grace, delivered him from death, taking him immediately into His presence. And Enoch is the prototype, for the promise of 1 Corinthians 15.51 is that "we shall not all sleep [i.e. die]". For all Christians there is a hope that we shall not see death. The "Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout", and for those who are "alive and remain" we will be "caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess 4.16-17).

The Lord Jesus possessed all of these commendable features in perfect measure, added to which He was the sinless Son of God, but He was not delivered! Oh the mighty wonder of this! Jesus, the perfectly sinless, fully consecrated, impeccably holy, completely delightful, Son of God - died! The reason for this has been discussed in previous posts (see here). May we just be thankful that He did die! For, if Christ had not died then there would be no hope of salvation, no hope of forgiveness, and no hope of heaven for us.

"Jesus death upon the tree
Means eternal life to me
Means that grace o'er sin had sway
Means that love has had it's way

Yes Jesus loves me,
He died upon the tree".