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Book of the Generation
There are numerous times the phrase, "generation
of," occurs in the scriptures. However, there
are only two times in scriptures in which the
phrase, "book of the generation of," is found:
1. Gen. 5:1 "This is
the book of the generations of Adam."
2. Matt. 1:1 "The book
of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of
David, the son of Abraham."
This
invites us to compare the two "books." Since,
Genesis chapter 5 is the book of the generation
of Adam, we note that the emphasis of this book
is on death. Over and over again we are told of
eight individuals who lived and the last thing
said of them is "and he died" in this chapter.
It would be fair to say that this chapter is the
book of death. The deaths in this chapter are
brought about by the sin of Adam.
In
contrast, the book of the generation of Jesus
Christ in Matthew chapter 1 has an emphasis on
life. The word, begat, is used thirty nine
times, in this chapter. The fortieth birth was
that of Jesus Christ. Death is not mentioned in
this chapter.
The
verse in 1 Cor. 15:22, "For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ shall all be made alive" is
illustrated by these two "books." Adam brought
death into the world; Christ gives eternal life
to his elect world.
Another comparison in these two books is the
consequences of the actions of the two to whom
the books are named. Adam brought sin and death
into the world through his disobedience of the
commandment of God. Christ is the savior of
sinners: "And she shall bring forth a son, and
thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins." Through his
obedience to the commandments of God he
delivered his people from the consequences of
sin and death.
Furthermore, Genesis chapter 5 gives us the
several descendents of Adam in descending
order. This is like a polluted fountain flowing
from Adam to his posterity. In contrast, the
first chapter of Matthew shows us the one who
stopped the pollution and cleaned it up. The
fountain led to Christ, but he being conceived
of the Holy Ghost had no sin and committed no
sin. As the redeemer of sinners he was the
perfect sacrifice for their sins. According to
2 Cor. 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for
us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the
righteousness of God in him." Christ, like the
tree that Moses cast into the waters of Marah,
is the tree of righteousness cast into the
polluted waters of Adam who cleansed those
waters for his elect children.
Enoch
Gen. 5:18 "And
Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and
he begat Enoch: 19 And Jared lived after he
begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons
and daughters: 20 And all the days of Jared were
nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died.
21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and
begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God
after he begat Methuselah three hundred years,
and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the
days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five
years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was
not; for God took him."
Additionally, we read of Enoch in Heb. 11:5 "By
faith Enoch was translated that he should not
see death; and was not found, because God had
translated him: for before his translation he
had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But
without faith it is impossible to please him:
for he that cometh to God must believe that he
is, and that he is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek him."
According to the scriptures we read of only two
men that have been taken into heaven without
dying. These two men are Enoch and Elijah.
These men are examples of those who will be
alive at the second coming of Jesus. Those of
the elect who are alive at the second coming of
Jesus will not die corporeally, but will be
changed and made like unto the glorious body of
Jesus.
There
are many lessons taught us in the above passages
of scripture concerning Enoch:
1. First, Enoch was a
descendant of Adam and, therefore, bore the
sin-cursed nature of man. According to the
scriptures we all died in Adam and he brought
us, through his disobedience to the law of sin
and death, into a state of being dead in
trespasses and sins. Rom. 3:9-18 tells us:
"What then? are we better than they? No, in no
wise: for we have before proved both Jews and
Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is
written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none
that seeketh after God. They are all gone out
of the way, they are together become
unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no,
not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre;
with their tongues they have used deceit; the
poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth
is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet
are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery
are in their ways: And the way of peace have
they not known: There is no fear of God before
their eyes." This was Enoch's condition as well
as our condition prior to being born of the
Spirit of God. Enoch was a sinner and at one
time he was dead in trespasses and sins.
2. Enoch lived in a
wicked world which at the time was greatly
corrupted. In Gen. chapter 6 before the flood,
God gives us this statement of the condition of
mankind: 5 "And God saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, and that every
imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually. 6 And it repented the
LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it
grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I
will destroy man whom I have created from the
face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the
creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it
repenteth me that I have made them." Also, the
following verses tell us more of the condtion of
man in the pre-flood world: 11 "The earth also
was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled
with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth,
and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had
corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God
said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come
before me; for the earth is filled with violence
through them; and, behold, I will destroy them
with the earth." Thus, Enoch was living in a
world that was even more violent and corrupt
than the world we are living in today!
3. Further, Enoch did
not have the benefit of the gospel of the grace
of Christ or of the scriptures to encourage him
unto godly living. There were no gospel
preachers to preach unto him, nor did he have
the benefit of the organized church and godly
men and women to encourage him.
4. There are certain
legal requirements for people to live in
heaven.
a. Their
sin debt must be paid.
b. They
must have been born of the Spirit of God.
5. No. 4 above begs the
question: "How can a man who was born before the
law was given and before Christ died live in
heaven with God?" The answer can only be found
in Christ's covenant work in the covenant of
redemption. The covenant of redemption is
stated for us in Rom. 8:29, 30: "For whom he did
foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might
be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover
whom he did predestinate, them he also called:
and whom he called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified."
Therefore, Enoch had to be one whom God chose in
Christ before the foundation of the world.
Moreover, God predestinated Enoch to be
conformed to the image of Christ. In addition,
Christ called Enoch into spiritual life in the
spiritual birth. Furthermore, Christ died on
the cross to redeem Enoch of his sins. Finally,
Christ translated Enoch that he should not see
death and changed his vile body to be like the
glorious body of Christ. All of this proves
that works of righteousness nor gospel obedience
are instruments to cause one to be born again
and saved from ones sins.
6. We have the evidence
of Enoch's new or spiritual birth as he walked
by faith for three hundred years. Faith is a
fruit of the spirit. Therefore, a person must
be born of the Spirit before he can walk by
faith.
7. To walk by faith
(the word, walk, here indicates how one lives
one's life) when there was no scriptures to
guide Enoch required Enoch to be in close
communion with God. Since the Old Testament
scriptures would not be given for over 2,000
years, Enoch, no doubt did much praying that God
would direct his walk. Enoch did not walk with
God one day and then live after the world the
next day. Enoch walked with God for three
hundred years. Thus, he had a constant walk and
communion with God. However, Enoch was also
living in this world and continued with his
duties and responsibilities in this world as the
scriptures tell us that after the birth of his
first born child and he began a walk with God
that he also had sons and daughters born unto
him. Some people seem to think that for a
person to have a walk with God that he can think
and do nothing else but think and meditate on
God and spiritual things. Obviously this was
not the case with Enoch. He lived his daily
life, but he did it in such a way as to please
God. This is what we should strive for.
8. Enoch had this
testimony that he pleased God. God was under no
obligation to translate Enoch, just as he was
under no obligation to translate Elijah.
However, it pleased God by his grace to
translate both of these men. They both had the
testimony that they pleased God. They, however,
are not the only ones that pleased God, but the
others were not translated. Many of God's
children have pleased God by walking by faith.
We should, likewise, strive to please God by
walking by faith. When we think of all that
Christ has done for us, it stands to reason that
we should desire to please God. We do this by
walking by faith and not by sight.
9. Enoch, no doubt, was
a great example to others, just as he continues
to be an example to us today. We should strive
to live our lives in such a way as to be an
example for others to emulate. We can do this
when we walk by faith and live each day striving
to have fellowship with God and pleasing God. |
