12 September 2005

A Study of Enoch

Genesis 4.17-24
17Then Cain's wife became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and they named him Enoch. When Cain founded a city, he named it Enoch after his son. 18 Enoch was the father of[g] Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. Methushael was the father of Lamech. 19Lamech married two women--Adah and Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to a baby named Jabal. He became the first of the herdsmen who live in tents. 21His brother's name was Jubal, the first musician--the inventor of the harp and flute. 22To Lamech's other wife, Zillah, was born Tubal-cain. He was the first to work with metal, forging instruments of bronze and iron. Tubal-cain had a sister named Naamah.
23One day Lamech said to Adah and Zillah, "Listen to me, my wives. I have killed a youth who attacked and wounded me. 24If anyone who kills Cain is to be punished seven times, anyone who takes revenge against me will be punished seventy-seven times!"

Genesis 5.3-28
3When Adam was 130 years old, his son Seth was born,[c] and Seth was the very image of his father.[d] 4After the birth of Seth,[e] Adam lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 5He died at the age of 930.
6When Seth was 105 years old, his son Enosh was born. 7After the birth of Enosh, Seth lived another 807 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 8He died at the age of 912.
9When Enosh was 90 years old, his son Kenan was born. 10After the birth of Kenan, Enosh lived another 815 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 11He died at the age of 905.
12When Kenan was 70 years old, his son Mahalalel was born. 13After the birth of Mahalalel, Kenan lived another 840 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 14He died at the age of 910.
15When Mahalalel was 65 years old, his son Jared was born. 16After the birth of Jared, Mahalalel lived 830 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 17He died at the age of 895.
18When Jared was 162 years old, his son Enoch was born. 19After the birth of Enoch, Jared lived another 800 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 20He died at the age of 962.
21When Enoch was 65 years old, his son Methuselah was born. 22After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived another 300 years in close fellowship with God, and he had other sons and daughters. 23Enoch lived 365 years in all. 24He enjoyed a close relationship with God throughout his life. Then suddenly, he disappeared because God took him.
25When Methuselah was 187 years old, his son Lamech was born. 26After the birth of Lamech, Methuselah lived another 782 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 27He died at the age of 969.
28When Lamech was 182 years old, his son Noah was born. 29Lamech named his son Noah,[f] for he said, "He will bring us relief from the painful labor of farming this ground that the LORD has cursed." 30After the birth of Noah, Lamech lived 595 years, and he had other sons and daughters. 31He died at the age of 777.
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Things we know about Enoch from the Biblical narrative:
1) There are two Enoch’s in Genesis. One is a descendent from Cain, the other from Seth, the son who replaced Abel in the minds of Adam and Eve.
2) Enoch is the 7th Generation from Adam. He’s the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah.
3) Enoch walked in fellowship with God.
W Hebrews 11.5ff says that Enoch had faith in God
W Jude 14 & 15 states that Enoch spoke and rebuked those who spoke of God wrongly
o From 300 BC to 300 AD there was a vast array of Extra Biblical Enoch literature which celebrated Enoch’s heavenly secrets. This literature is the source work for Jude’s comments.
o Raises a question: if Jude uses extrabiblical material do you?
4) Enoch did not die – God took him away.

Possibilities from the things we know:
1) Two Enoch’s
W Augustine and Derek Kidner see the development of two branches of humanity in the two lines from Cain and Seth. Kidner describes it as the war like versus the godly. Augustine uses the language of the people of the earthly city and the people of the City of God.
2) The 7th Generation
W Significant in the rest of scripture
3) Walked in Fellowship with God
W For the Patristics (ancient fathers of Christendom) there was a presupposition: Adam lived long enough to see Enoch. Enoch was a revelation to Adam of what he was supposed to be, of what Adam missed.
W Enoch prefigures others who will walk with God: Noah, Abraham, Moses
W John Chrysostom noted: Enoch never said, “I am impeded by the flesh, so I cannot win out or take on myself efforts to acquire virtue.” That is Enoch doesn’t assert that he’s unable to walk with God because of a fleshly hindrance.
o Chrysostom’s contribution raises at least a review of the Doctrine of Original Sin as proposed by Augustine and adopted by the church in the west.
4) Did not die
W This happened again with Elijah
W Ambrose said he was swept away on the fiery wings of the Holy Spirit
W Ephram the Syrian said that Adam saw his ascent so that Adam would not fear that he was murdered and that the goal of paradise regained existed
W Cyprian suggested that God took Enoch away early in life so that he would not be corrupted by the world
W Tertullian suggested that Enoch and Elijah’s death were postponed. He suggested that they will die so as to extinguish the anti-Christ with their blood. (Revelation 11)
o Tertullian seems to view death as necessary? Why is this so?
o

Enoch Lessons:
1) Walking with God portrays and intimacy that is the essence of OT and NT piety. Legalism, both of the OT and NT kind are far from the devotion that God desires.
2) Enoch gives shape to what we mean by Faith
W Not merely a mental state of mind
W It’s a walking, living before God
W It’s speaking rightly about God to others. From this extends remarks about God’s character and other people’s character. It nips gossip and character assignation in the bud.
W He doesn’t blame “the flesh” as a hindrance to following God. This enables us to view the flesh as God’s creation and that there does not, nor should there be a separation between the flesh and spirit.
3) Enoch hints at the victory that is to come, the victory over death. That we were not made to die, but made to walk in fellowship with God and God will make a way for that to happen.

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