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". 

Christ in Enoch (1)

In our last post we noted that Genesis 5 is the chapter of death. And yet, within the confines of this chapter we read of a man who did not die. There are only two such persons in the Old Testament, Enoch and Elijah, and both are most instructive.

We intend to see in the life of Enoch the following truths:

1. Enoch was Dedicated
2. Enoch was Different
3. Enoch was Delightful
4. Enoch was Delivered

In this post we will consider the fact that:

Enoch was Dedicated

The name "Enoch" means dedicated, and we want to see in him an illustration of the Lord Jesus Christ in His dedication to God.

There are two men named Enoch in the book of Genesis. In Ch 4 we read of the son of Cain who is called Enoch (4.17-18). This Enoch represents dedication also, but not to God. He was, as representative of all Cain's posterity, dedicated to the world, and his own self-promotion. In Ch 5 however, the Enoch whom we are considering was certainly dedicated to God, in this way he is a delightful reminder of the dedication and devotion of Christ.

Unrestricted dedication, and unfettered devotion, consecration, and commitment, was seen in every step of the Saviour. When asked by a scribe "Which is the first commandment of all?" He answered "The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment..." (Mark 12.28-30). 

This commandment, while being the divine requirement, was only ever obeyed fully in the life of the perfect Man, the "man approved of God" (Acts 2.22), our Lord Jesus Christ.  To "love" in the way intended in the command involves placing priority upon the will of God, and fulfilling every desire of God. Only "Jesus, the Son of God" did this. He was dedicated:

Volitionally: "all thy heart". The "heart" in scripture is often considered the seat of the will, the core of the whole person. This necessarily precedes all other aspects of dedication. If my will is not aligned to God's will, if I cannot say "Not my will but thine be done" (Luke 22.42), I am not dedicated to God. 

Emotionally: "all thy soul". The "soul" in scripture often refers to the seat of the emotions. If the will is first submitted to God, the emotions will soon follow - not vice-versa. The feelings of the Lord Jesus were always in complete alignment with that of His God: He hated what God hated and loved what God loved.

Intellectually: "all thy mind". The "mind" refers to the intellect. So, as the boy of 12, the Lord Jesus was to be found in the temple, with the doctors "both hearing them, and asking them questions. And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers" (Luke 2.46-47). While it is true that the Lord Jesus was omniscient (being God, He could not be anything else), yet in Luke's Gospel He is presented to us as the perfect Man, and thus His knowledge here is that which was learned when with open ear, in the presence of His God he was taught as "the instructed" One (Isaiah 50.4 JND). 

Physically: "all thy strength". This refers to the physical energy expended in patient, devoted service. The Gospel of Mark stresses this. He "came not to be ministered unto, but to minister" (Mark 10.45), and His strength was used ever in the pursuance of the will of God, and in accomplishing the work of His God. Consider the delightful view of the Saviour in John 4 "being wearied with his journey, [He] sat thus on the well..." (John 4.6). 

He has left us "an example that ye should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2.21), and incorporated in this example is His dedication to the will of God. What about our will, our emotions, our intellect, and our physical strength? Is it all for God? May it be so!

Our next post will be a continued consideration of Enoch who is marked out as different from others, and delightful to God, and delivered from death. All of this, either by comparison or contrast, illumines for us the perfect life of the Saviour.

A perfect path of purest grace,

Unblemished and complete,

Was Thine, Thou spotless Nazarite,

Pure, even to the feet.

Thy stainless life, Thy lovely walk,

In every aspect true,

From the defilement all around,

No taint of evil drew.

No broken service, Lord was Thine,

No change was in Thy way;

Unsullied in Thy holiness,

Thy strength knew no decay.

The vow was on Thee—Thou didst come,

To yield Thyself to death;

And consecration marked Thy path,

And spoke in every breath.

Morning by morning Thou didst wake,

Amidst this poisoned air;

Yet no contagion touched Thy soul,

No sin disturbed Thy prayer.

Thus, Lord we love to trace Thy course,

To mark where Thou hast trod,

And follow Thee with loving eye,

Up to the throne of God.

(Wylie Macleod)