Men in the Bible: Enoch – the Man with the Longest Walk with God Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days…
Men in the Bible: Enoch – the Man with the Longest Walk with God
Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him. – Genesis 5:22-24
The man in the Bible whom we shall be focusing on today is Enoch, the son of Jared. Enoch enjoyed arguably the longest unbroken relationship with God of all the people in the Bible and post-biblical days. He walked with God for 300 years!
Imagine having God for company and being His presence for 300 years. Some man Enoch must have been. Even in an era with no technology and other distractions as we have today, the era of Enoch obviously had its own fair share of distractions that did not allow anyone else before or after him to be so profiled as having that length of walk with God.
300 years!
If this were not a remarkable feat, it would not have been mentioned in the Bible when profiling Enoch in the genealogy. However, because it was a notable feat and an unusual development, even we who are around several thousand years after get to read about Enoch and his walk with God today.
While Enoch had the advantage of living in an age with lesser distractions than ours, that did not negate the commitment and steadfastness he must have invested in maintaining an ongoing relationship with God. Also, holiness is the highest form of piety, for without it no human can see God (Hebrews 12:14). Therefore, having a 300-year long relationship with God tells us the sanctified life Enoch must have led. He must have been pure in his thoughts, blameless in his speech, sincere in his attitudes, righteous in his actions, undefiled in his ways, and spotless in his company.
And God must have enjoyed his company so much that He just took him away at such an early age to keep him from being stained by the corruption of the world (Genesis 5:24). Enoch living for 365 years can be described as untimely departure, in an era when the average age was 907.5 years. But God took him away and relocated him closer to Himself so He could enjoy his presence the more.
Therefore, Enoch was not just the man with the longest relationship with God, he was also the man that God took away.
Men in the Bible: A Blind Believer After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your…
Men in the Bible: A Blind Believer
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” But Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!” And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.” Then He brought him outside and said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness. – Genesis 15:1-6
Another lesson we can learn from Abraham and imbibe for a lasting walk with God is blind faith. Abraham was a blind believer with an unquestioning belief in God’s promise, even without proof or evidence to validate it.
From the scenario that played out in the reference passage above, God came to assure Abraham that He had his back and would protect and reward him. These were desirable attributes enough, but they were not the priority of Abraham at that time as he was still without a child, even in his late 80s. He did not hesitate to bring this to God’s attention, but what happened next marked a turnaround in their relationship.
God asked Abraham to come out at night and count the stars in the sky, which Abraham could not do. God then replied by saying that was how the descendants of Abraham would be uncountable.
For someone in his early 20s, that would sound like a harebrained promise, even if he were to give birth every single day of his life. But for Abraham in his 80s at that time, that must have sounded far-fetched. However, he chose to believe God, not minding how impractical or unreasonable His promise was. And this pleased God greatly.
The fact that Abraham, who had seen enough of the world and could not be easily fazed by certain developments, would hear that, even in his advanced age, he could still father children who would give birth to several other children without number was enough to impress God. That was blind faith at its best. God said it, and Abraham believed it, without doubts, questions, or debate. God was impressed.
God was so fascinated with Abraham’s disposition that He attributed it as righteousness to him. Righteousness is the state of being that one must attain to relate with God, and by exercising blind faith or being a blind believer, Abraham attained this height. Although he had many other sterling qualities as a person, some of which we had considered in this series, they did not qualify him for righteousness. But by believing the seemingly impractical promise of God, without doubt or question, he attained righteousness. We all can learn from that.
Men in the Bible: The Man that Found Grace in the Eyes of God But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. – Genesis 6:8 The bible personality…
Lessons from a Man Who Found Unusual Grace in God’s Eyes
But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. – Genesis 6:8
The bible personality of our spotlight today is Noah, a man said to have found grace in the eyes of God. This appendage to the name of Noah was interesting because, until that time, no one had been so described before. So, it makes one curious to know what he did to have impressed God to the point of hitting grace, the ultimate divine endowment.
Verses prior to and after our reference passage provide us with a rich context of what made God enamored with Noah so. Verses 5-7 of Genesis 6 paint a grim picture of the sociocultural milieu that Noah lived in: ‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.”’
Reading further down in verses 11-12, the picture was even grimmer: ‘The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.’
This was the reality of Noah’s time. that was the order of the day in the society he had to live in. However, to his credit, Noah was rather different from the lot of the people. Whereas everyone else was corrupt, vile, evil and wicked, he made a different choice, Whereas he was surrounded by vices, he chose to be virtuous. While his friends and relatives thrived on sin, Noah chose the path of righteousness. When everyone else was scheming and taking advantage of each other or the system, Noah was upright and sincere in his own dealings. Little wonder he found grace in the eyes of God. It was so easy to stand out as the shining light in the midst of the pervasive darkness that defined the time.
The Bible describes him as a ‘just man, perfect in his generations’ and someone who ‘walked with God.’ That was the testimony of Noah, which made him a darling to God and His favorite person at that time.
We often hear various admonitions to ‘dare to be different,’ particularly in relation to a good cause. However, as popular as the saying is, and as fluid as it may sound, it is not an easy thing to do. Conformity is far easier and fancier to do than being different from everyone else.
Even the best of us will admit the pressure that choosing a different route brings. Not to mention that the best of us may also be among those mounting pressure on us to conform and do what everyone else is doing, as long as that is okay and does not hurt anyone or violate any fundamentals. And here lies the danger of conformity. It is not everything we are pressured to conform to that is evil or bad in itself. However, that something is okay does not make it expedient for everyone to do.
Noah was different in his days. He was noble, righteous, pure and godly in the midst of a perverse and wicked generation, not minding the pressures he must have contended with daily to let down his guard and be like everyone else. He did not, and that was why he found grace in the eyes of God.
Another lesson we can learn from God is His disposition to a balancing act. He is not a God of extremes. Even though some who profess to follow Him go to extremes in His name or make extreme claims on His behalf, extreme is not a label that one can pin on God. He balances the acts.
Understanding God: He is Not Moved by Sentiments
Another lesson we can learn from the personality of God is that sentiments do not move Him. Therefore, He cannot be deceived into making a wrong judgment or call, as humans tend to do.
Understanding God: He is A Creator
He is a Creator. This is not to be interpreted loosely, particularly in the light of our contemporary use of the word. God is the ultimate Creator, as He created all things, even the ends of the earth (Isaiah 40:28).
Understanding God: God of the Beginning
There is no better way to begin this journey of exploring the people and entities in the Bible than to start with God. He is not just the beginning but is the origin of all things.
Women in the Bible: A Paragon of Beauty
What made Sarah’s beauty so compelling that kings and nations took notice? Explore the deeper layers of grace, favour, and mystery surrounding one of Scripture’s most unforgettable women — and discover why her story still provokes wonder today.
Men in the Bible: A Man of Ambition and Adventure
Terah may not have reached Canaan, but his courage to start a life-changing journey laid the foundation for Abraham’s destiny. Discover how ambition and bold steps mark a life of significance.
Men in the Bible: An Impetuous and Impudent Man
A revealing glimpse into a man whose choices exposed deeper issues of character, showing how hastiness and entitlement can quietly shape a destiny, and why his story still speaks to us today.
Men in the Bible: A Man with Little Foresight
Sometimes what looks like a smart choice can hide the seed of a mistake. This reflection from Scripture invites us to think again about how foresight — or the lack of it — shapes a man’s story.
Men in the Bible: The First Man to Tithe
Before laws, temples, or traditions, one man honoured God with his substance. Abraham’s tithe was not commanded, demanded, or enforced. It flowed from reverence.
Fathers in the Bible: A Destiny-Shaping Father
What makes a man a truly aware father? Discover how one man’s prophetic foresight shaped his son’s destiny and changed generations forever.
Add Daily Dew Devotional & Inspirational to your Homescreen!
