And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
_Genesis 5:24
Enoch is famous for having walked with God. Genesis 5:24 describes it in thirteen words: And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
I’ve heard this verse explained something like this: One summer evening God and Enoch were out walking together enjoying the beautiful countryside and lost track of time.
Suddenly they noticed that the sun had dipped below the horizon and darkness was approaching. Realizing how far afield they had gone, God said, “Enoch, we’re closer to my home than yours, just come home with me tonight.”
I don’t know if that is how it happened, but I can see something like that happening.
But what is not as commonly remembered about Enoch is that the bible states twice (not just once) that Enoch walked with God.
The other occasion – the first occasion – is earlier, in Genesis 5:22: After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years and had sons and daughters.
Isn’t it interesting that it was after Enoch became a father that he began walking with God?
Enoch was 65 years old when his firstborn arrived. That means that he walked 65 years without God. I wonder what he was doing. Sixty-five years of ignoring God, going his own way, having his own say.
But one day a new heart started beating, two bright little eyes opened and looked upon the world, and more importantly, looked into the face of their father.
Their eyes met, Enoch looked into the face of a child made in the image of God but also made in his image. His blood and DNA ran in the veins of that little boy.
It must have been an earth-shattering event for a guy who had lived 65-years mostly for himself.
I don’t know how Enoch felt at that moment, but I remember how I felt when my I’m-now-a-father” moment came.
There’s a lesson here.
Before Enoch walked with God and was not (Genesis 5:24), Enoch first walked with God and was… a father (Genesis 5:22).
There is a huge difference between was not and was.
Before God put his arm around Enoch on the country road that evening so long ago and said, “Enoch why don’t you just come on home with me tonight?” God first put his arm around Enoch and said, “Are you willing to be there for your son?”
“I’ll help you. I’ll walk with you through the process. Matter of fact, you can’t really do father right without my help. But first, you’ve got to be willing to step up and live for someone besides yourself.”
Living for others…
That’s the essence of maturity.
Living for others…
That’s the message of Christianity.
Have you ever drove over a speed bump without slowing down? Maybe you were distracted and didn’t notice the speed bump up ahead or you were in a hurry and just plowed on through. (A big oops! If you’re holding a cup of coffee!)
Speed bumps are put there to get our attention; to slow us down, to remind us that there are others around and we need to adjust our lives accordingly.
For Enoch, the birth of his son appears to have been a speed bump. For sixty-five years he had been living the good life, but once little Methuselah came along he realized he needed to live the guided life.
Using the boxing world, after the birth of his first child, Enoch realized that he needed to start actually landing some punches. Shadow boxing and stutter steps was not enough, being a father meant actually getting in the ring and fighting for something…more importantly, fighting for someone.
One day, one way are the other, you are going to be a “was not…”
The important question on that day will be what “was” you while you still walked on this earth.
How you answer that question will be the difference between a life well lived and a life that was wasted.
The ONE THING 