Key Verse: “ Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. And after he fathered Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered other sons and daughters. So Enoch’s life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him.” (Genesis 5:21-24 CSB)
Not too much is known about the generations that followed Adam and Eve up until the time of Noah. For the most part, we are only told who fathered whom, and how long each of them lived.
But we are introduced, as part of the family records of Adam, to a man named Enoch who lived six generations after Adam and Eve. Enoch’s father was Jared, and Enoch himself fathered Methuselah, along with many other sons and daughters. Enoch lived an impressive 365 years. In describing the years of his life, we are simply told that, “Enoch walked with God; then he was not there because God took him” (v.24).
The phrase “walked with God” describes the overall direction of Enoch’s life. Without a doubt, he was imperfect. He surely had his moments of failure, just like the rest of us. But the pattern of his life was such that he lived for God. Though imperfectly, Enoch walked faithfully and in close fellowship with the Lord. The author of Hebrews described him by saying, “Before he was taken away, he was approved as one who pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). Enoch’s legacy was one of faithfulness to God. His life was pleasing to the Lord.
At the end of his life, God took Enoch away into heaven. Similar to Elijah’s experience who “went up into heaven in the whirlwind” (2 Kings 2:11) of a chariot and horses of fire, Enoch was one of the few people who did not experience death at the end of his life here on earth (Hebrews 11:5). God took him, and he was no longer here. But until that occurred, Enoch simply walked with God. This was the legacy of his life.
At the end of your life, what will be said of you? As people look back on however many years you are given by God, how will they describe you? What will be the legacy that you leave?
God has already told us what we ought to be striving for, with the help of the Holy Spirit. “He has told you each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love faithfulness, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). We are to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received (Ephesians 4:1). We are to seek to please God in every way, just like Enoch did, by bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the knowledge of God (Colossians 1:10).
At the end of the day, it’s the only thing that truly matters. Will we be men and women who are known as those who walked with God?
Prayer: God, I thank you for the privilege of walking closely with you day by day. Help me to live humbly and faithfully in every situation I face today. Thank you for your abundant grace when I stumble along the journey. May the legacy of my life be my relationship with you. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
