Sermon Tone Analysis

*Thomas** S. Myers*

 

*Walking With God*

*Genesis 5*

 

            Note with in Genesis chapter 5:5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20

 

And he died... and he died, ....and he died.

It reads like an obituary column.

One wonders whether it is worth reading.

And if you are reading the Bible through in a year, you may be tempted to skip this section of Scripture.

But it is a mistake to ignore these genealogies because they were placed here for a reason.

Some scholars suggest that what we have here is not individuals, but clans, family groups.

They say the years that are given are the grouping of the entire clan.

But what they fail to realize is that these names are real individuals.

Seth the son of Adam is clearly as an individual.

ADAM             - MAN

 

SETH               -  is APPOINTED

 

ENOSH            - MORTAL

 

KENAN           - SORROW;

 

MAHALALEL- THE BLESSED GOD

 

JARED            - SHALL COME DOWN

 

ENOCH           - TEACHING

 

METHUSELAH - that HIS DEATH SHALL BRING

 

LAMECH        - THE DESPAIRING

 

NOAH -           - REST OR COMFORT

            Man is appointed mortal sorrow; but the Blessed God shall come down teaching that His death shall bring the despairing rest.

Some you may be wondering, did people really live to be 100's of years old?

Yes they did.

ILLUSTRATION:  Canopy Theory.

So they did live longer, but death was still there.

Death still had a claim upon all.

And old legend tells of a merchant in Baghdad who one day sent his servant to the market.

Before very long the servant came back, white and trembling, and in great agitation said to his master, "down in the market place I was jostled by a woman in the crowd, and when I turned around I saw it was Death that jostled me.

She looked at me and made a threatening gesture.

Master, please lend me your horse, for I must hasten away to avoid her.

I will ride to Samara and there I will hide and Death will not find me."

The merchant lent him his horse and the servant galloped away in great haste.

Later the merchant went down to the market place and saw Death standing in the crowd.

The merchant went over to death and asked, "Why did you make a threatening gesture?"  Death said, "It was not a treating gesture, it was a look of surprise.

I was astonished to see him in Baghdad, for I have an appointment with him tonight in Samara.

The Bible says,* Genesis 3:19*

 

*19** By the sweat of your face*

*You shall eat bread,*

*Till you return to the ground,*

*Because from it you were taken;*

*For you are dust,*

*And** to dust you shall return."

NASV*

 

            But as you keep reading in Genesis chapter 5, someone doesn't die.

*Genesis 5:21-24*

*21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years, **and** became the father of Methuselah.

22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had /other /sons and daughters.

23 So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years.

24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

NASV*

 

            *"GOD TOOK HIM...,* what does that mean?

Turn to Hebrews 11:5

 

*Hebrews 11:5*

*/5 /**By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.*

*NASV*

 

            God took Enoch, physically, bodily to heaven.

Enoch didn't die.

He walked with God, and God took him home.

Let's look at the life of Enoch.

*FIRST -- THE WORLD THAT ENOCH LIVED.*

Did you know that Adam was still living when Enoch was born?

Most people do not realize that Enoch lived during the lifetime of Adam.

Adam was 622 years old when Enoch was born.

Let's look at the world in which Enoch lived.

What was it like to live in the times of Enoch?

Look at Genesis chapter.

*A.

THERE WAS THE DECLINE OF THE               FAMILY.*

*Genesis 4:19*

*19 And LAMECH took to himself two wives....  NASV*

*            *What was God's plan for marriage?

It has always been one man and one women until death due them part.

But in Enoch's life time they were getting married and getting divorced.

And getting married and getting divorced.

and if that wasn't enough they were now getting 2 wives.

What I am says is this, that the family life had deteriorated in the time of Enoch.

*B.

THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN CRIME.

*

*            *

*Genesis 4:23-24*

*23 And Lamech said to his wives,*

*“Adah and Zillah,*

*Listen to my voice,*

*You wives of Lamech,*

*Give heed to my speech,*

*For I have killed a man for wounding me;*

*And** a boy for striking me;*

*24 If Cain is avenged sevenfold,*

*Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold."**

NASV*

 

*            *Listen to this guy Lamech.

His life was marked by violence.

Now why did the Holy Spirit record all this?

It was to let us know, that the same mess that Enoch lived in is the same mess that we live in.

And yet he still walked with

Go

 

*SECOND -- WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO WALK WITH GOD?*

 

*First*, it means he went in the same direction God went.