1998-10-31 - Genesis

The Genesis Series, Part 8

I'm not sure just what to make of certain events in Scripture when I just glance at them without reviewing related passages and some axiomatic fundamental truths. As you study through Genesis you get to this fellow named Enoch who lived to be 365 years old and then God takes him away. So I get out the books and I get out the Bibles and I start to explore to find out more about disappearing people in the Bible. Well Enoch was not the only one to do this. The prophet Elijah kind of walked off the earth too. And in the New Testament there is the doctrine of the church being caught out of the earth to forever be with the Lord. And the Lord Jesus after His resurrection ascended into the clouds also. I actually came to my best conclusions about Enoch when I took into account the story of Noah and the Ark from both the Old Testament and from the New. Sound confusing well, in the course of my study I came across some interesting things and I guess for what it's worth I will share them with you. As always all Scripture will be from the 1901 ASV unless otherwise noted.

Why or for what reason would God take Enoch away like this? -and- How does this story affect me?

Genesis 5:18-24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat 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.

Well for the sake of understanding, this is the part where Noahs' ark comes in. I hope as you read through this the blanks will get filled in for you. There are so many scripture references that I hope you have time to print this out and review them.

The ark is an illuminating picture of our salvation in Christ

1 Peter 3:18-22 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

The salvation and the ark were planned by God, not invented by humans. There is only one way of salvation and there was only one door in the ark. The ark was made of wood, speaking of the humanity of Christ: He had to be born as man in order to save us. The word for "pitch" in Gen.6:14 is the same as the word "atonement" used later in the OT. God invited Noah and his family into the ark

Gen 7:1 And Jehovah said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Once they were in, God shut them in so that they were secure

Gen 7:16. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God commanded him: and Jehovah shut him in.

The ark saved not only humankind, but also the creatures within it, just as Christ's death will one day deliver creation from the bondage of sin

Rom. 8:18-23 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward. For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for our adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The ark saved Noah and his family from judgment because they believed God's promise

Heb.11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God concerning things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Christ saves us from the wrath to come as we believe Him.

I Peter 3:18-22 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who is on the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

This passage connects the ark with the resurrection of Christ; the waters buried the old world but raised Noah to a new life. Noah was faithful to obey all that God commanded; Jesus said, "I do always those things that please Him"

John 8:29 And he that sent me is with me; he hath not left me alone; for I do always the things that are pleasing to him.

Noah was brought safely through the floods; Christ went through the flood of suffering and came out in victory.

Ps. 42:7 Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.

Noah went out of the ark, the head of a new creation with his family; and Christ came out of the tomb, the Head of the new creation, and the Father of a new family.

Noah went through the judgment and was kept safe, just as the believing Jewish remnant will go through the Tribulation to establish the kingdom on the earth. Enoch was raptured before the judgment came.

Gen 5:21-24 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: and Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat 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.

Heb. 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and he was not found, because God translated him: for he hath had witness borne to him that before his translation he had been well-pleasing unto God:

Just as the church will be raptured before the wrath of God is poured out upon the world.

1 Thes. 1:10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, who delivereth us from the wrath to come.

I Thes. 5:9-10 For God appointed us not into wrath, but unto the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.

Now let us consider the flood from a prophetic standpoint and what it means to people in our generation

Jesus Christ teaches that the days before the rapture and the Tribulation will be like the days of Noah

Luke 17:26 And as it came to pass in the days of Noah, even so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Matt. 24:37-39. And as were the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall be the coming of the Son of man.

We are living in the "days of Noah" today. We see such parallels as the multiplication of people in the "population explosion", moral corruption of every kind, violence, the expansion of arts and industry, lack of conscience, even for murder and true believers being in a minority . But keep in mind that "the days of Noah" were also days of witness. In fact, God had told Enoch that judgment was coming, and he warned the people

Jude 14-15 And to these also Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord came with ten thousands of his holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their works of ungodliness which they have ungodly wrought, and of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Methuselah, Enoch's son, was born in the year 687 and lived 969 years. He died in the year 1656, the very year the flood came! In other words, God gave the wicked world 969 years of grace. And for the last 120 years of that period, Noah was preaching and preparing the ark.

Gen. 6:3 And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not strive with man for ever, for that he also is flesh: yet shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.

1 Peter 3:18-20 Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water:

Today, God warns that judgment is coming 2 Peter 3 by fire not water, but few listen, and even fewer believe. My prayer is that you are listening and even more than that I pray you believe.

II Peter 3 This is now, beloved, the second epistle that I write unto you; and in both of them I stir up your sincere mind by putting you in remembrance; that ye should remember the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandments of the Lord and Saviour through your apostles: knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God; by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for these things, give diligence that ye may be found in peace, without spot and blameless in his sight. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also, according to the wisdom given to him, wrote unto you; as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; wherein are some things hard to be understood, which the ignorant and unstedfast wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, knowing these things beforehand, beware lest, being carried away with the error of the wicked, ye fall from your own stedfastness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and for ever. Amen.

In His Service,
Liv4Yeshua

liv4yeshua@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org/