Genesis 5:12-23

Kenan lived seventy years, and became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived after he became the father of Mahalalel eight hundred forty years, and became the father of sons and daughters and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred ten years, then he died.

Mahalalel lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Jared. Mahalalel lived after he became the father of Jared eight hundred thirty years, and became the father of sons and daughters. All the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety-five years, then he died.

Jared lived one hundred sixty-two years, and became the father of Enoch. Jared lived after he became the father of Enoch eight hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. All the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty-two years, then he died.

Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he became the father of Methuselah three hundred years, and became the father of sons and daughters. All the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.

Now we come to another amazing thing about this genealogy. Everyone lives and then dies except for one man. Enoch lives for a short 365 years and then “was not.”

I believe that this shows us something beautiful about God’s character. God longs for humans to walk with Him. Notice that the Bible tells us that it was after the birth of Methuselah that “Enoch walked with God.” The Bible doesn’t tell us that anyone else walked with God like Enoch up to that time. The fact that Enoch only lived 300 years after he started walking with God suggests that God decided to spare Enoch from more years of life on the cursed earth as he wasted away to his death. He lived less than half the time on earth that others did but apparently accomplished more than the rest.

Doesn’t this tell us that God values our relationship with Him more than every other accomplishment? We must walk with Him because we want to. When we walk with God, we please God, and because of what Jesus has done, we can walk closer than Enoch could at that time. We should take the wonderful opportunity we have to enjoy the rest of our lives in a close relationship with God.