The Bible Project Podcast - Genesis Part 47 - Enoch's Prophecy (Gen 5: 21-23)

Today's Reading
21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 

(Gen 5: 21-24)

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Transcript

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Remember last episode we reached the end of chapter 4 and we we're told that Seth’s line began to call on the name of the Lord.So, Genesis 5 is the continuing history of the godly line through Seth.We are given a list of people we are told how long they live for when they had a child and when they die. So, what's the point of the genealogy of chapter five. 

I also said last time that I was not going to read the whole passage but if you open the text available in the transcript of this message, I will try and point out the relevant parts.  Things get interesting when we come to one outstanding individual, he's obviously outstanding because what is said about him is so radically different than everything that said before, look at verses 21-24 

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 

(Gen 5: 21-24)  

I want to pause here, and I want to talk about Enock.The only other person in the book of Genesis of whom it is said they walked with God will be Noah in chapter 6 verse 9 The little prefix with seems to indicate intimacy, fellowship, close communion.The suggests to me a lifestyle that is characterized by devotion. Walk with God is a lovely metaphor of living your life in relationship with God. Hebrews chapter 11:5 throws some further light on this matter.  

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: 

(Heb 11: 5a)  

So put those 2 verses together and it all adds up to say Enoch was an outstanding individual who walked with the Lord and with whom the Lord was so well pleased, he didn’t experience death. There is a something else we should know about Enoch. Come with me to the Book of Jude and look with me at verse 14 

14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones. 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. 

(Jude v14)  

It seems, not only did Enoch walk with the Lord but he prophesied the Word of the Lord also.  In fact, according to Jude verse 14 he prophesied about the return of Christ in judgement. But he not only prophesied for a future generation, he also prophesied for his own generation. Have you noted that the quoted age of Enoch is much shorter than the other men mentioned in the list of the first human descendants?  Enock was the exception to the often-repeated phrase in chapter 5 “and then he died”. But Enoch did not die, he was translated directly to heaven. The New Testament also confirms for us that Enock was translated in Hebrews Ch 11.  So, the reason he lived a short life is because God took him, and the Lord took him as a relatively young man. 

One other point needs making.  Enoch’s prophecy was not just for future generations to come like us today  It was also to his generation also.Let’s look again at those verses. 

21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. 

(Gen 5: 21-24)  

Enoch’s fathers someone called “Methuselah”. Many ‘commentaries both ancient and modern have noticed the fact but the name Methuselah means “when he dies it shall be sent”. Some have even translated it as “God’s judgement follows me”. Think about that he names his son Methuselah and in doing so gives a prophecy and a warning. The promise is that judgement will come but not come until his son dies. The warning is that judgement will come once his son dies. Methuselah live 969 years longer than any other man whose age is recorded in the bible.   

Think about that for a minute what’s Methuselah did is he prophesied the coming judgment of the flood and named his son to signify the prophecy. The same year Methuselah dies the flood came so both the promise and the warning came to pass. We already know Enoch was a prophet, we know that from Jude. But also, he names his son in such a way as to warn of the impending judgement and flood. And look, the day his son died the rain began to fall. So, God said I'm, warning you judgement is coming but it's not going to come until he Methuselah dies and interestingly Methuselah gets to live longer than anybody else in the bible as an illustration of gods long suffering before judgement. And we will pause at that point and pick up the story with the generations from Methusaleh through to Noah