Walking with God through Pandemic

Genesis 4:17-26

The Descendants of Cain Among the Descendants of Adam

Adam and Eve gave birth to Cain and Abel. Cain, and his offspring (especially Lamech, who was the seventh generation after Cain) was a clan that deserted God (Genesis 4:17-24). Several generations of this clan built a society which was highly civilized, affluent, indulgent, and self-contented.

So, we see that people sought after wealth, technology, and sophisticated civilization instead of God in the midst of sin and death. The Scripture portrayed Lamech as a great achiever, yet his entire life revealed his carnal character, for example, he was greedy, conceited, exploitative and revengeful.

People, who were created in the image of God, during this time did not conform to God’s desire. God’s image had distorted. Later, the clan of Cain was destroyed in the flood. However, Seth and his descendants, who were another clan coming out from Adam, preserved their honor and reverence towards God. Seth was the son given to Eve by God (in replacement of Abel). Seth gave birth to Enosh, and “At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.”

The Bible writer reminded us great human achievements might not be necessarily from God, and please God. Those who trust in God and please God come from the clan of Seth. Let us explore the lives of Enoch and Noah, the two descendants of Seth.

Enoch Walked with God (Genesis 5:21-24)

Chapter 5 of Genesis records Adam’s descendants. It starts with Adam and ends with Noah. Every man was under the curse of death, and his end was nothing else but “died” (5:5,8,11,14,17,20,27,31, except for one man, and that was Enoch (5:24).

The difference between Enoch and the rest was that he “walked with God” (5:22,24). Hence, he did not encounter the end like Adam’s end (“you will surely die.” ）Enoch discovered the secret of regaining one’s life after man’s sin and living under the curse of death, and that was to “walk with God”.

This current pandemic threatens the lives of many. Many parts of the world are plagued with the sting of death. But God is the source of life. Let us walk with God closely during this time. God’s presence will ensure that we have life.

Noah walked faithfully with God (Genesis 6:5-10)

In Genesis 6:9, the author used the same word to describe Noah, that Noah “walked with God. Since people on earth had deviated from God’s way, all the inclination of their hearts was nothing but evil. Thus, God regretted creating human and he sent the flood to wipe off all creatures on earth and in the air.

The flood was anti-creation. It reversed the creation account, whereby the earth returned to its original state - formless and void. Yet God commanded Noah to build an ark. Noah’s family and the animals were brought into the ark to survive the flood.

God rescued Noah because he “walked with Him”, and “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord”……Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.”（6:8-9）He did not corrupt the way of God (6:12).

A Reminder to the Present-Day Church

Since the time human ancestors fell and sinned, sin had entered the world and spread its influence until now. There is no difference between today’s world and Noah’s time. For example:

1.      The God that Enoch and Noah worshipped in the Old Testament time was the same God we worship in our New Testament time.

2.      There were no changes in men’s hearts since our ancestors sinned. Human hearts engross in sins.

3.      The society that was depicted in chapter 4 of Genesis was not much different from ours now. We (like Enoch and Noah) live in affluent cities and all the so -called modern development may indeed draw us away from God.

4.      Because of sin, man’s image (which is created in the image of God) was distorted, and the relationship between man and God was broken. To make our vanity meaningful, we satisfy ourselves with all kinds of idols, and we replace God with worldly things. Man creates our own gods in accordance to our own desires, and we do not seek our life purposes from God. Instead, we allow material, position, and fame to become our master.

5.      There are incidents today, which reveal the human wickedness in national political arena as well as in international relationships. God will still judge the nations and their people, as He did in Noah’s time.

Thus, Enoch and Noah, who walked with God, teach us important lessons today.

Application

Enoch and Noah walked with God means that there is an intimate fellowship with God. It is something more than living a life that pleases God, but also to enjoy His presence. It is a life that seeks God, worships God and fellowships with Him.

Enoch and Noah lived a lifestyle that is separated from the world. They lived for God. Though they lived in this world, they did not belong to the world. Hebrews 11:38 says that the world was not worthy of such people of faith.

Like Enoch and Noah, we live now in a world which is full of evil and uncertainties (Covid-19 pandemic, confrontation between two super-powers, economic downturn, and etc.). How then shall we still live in peace and be secured? Are we walking with God? Do we influence other or are we influenced by them? Do we have hope towards our future? Do we have hope after this life? Are we still living in stability and joy during the stormy days?

The book of Hebrews says something like this in relation to the rapture of Enoch and the deliverance of Noah’s family:

By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5)

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. (Hebrews 11:7）

In between these two verses is verse 6 which says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

This is the true meaning of “walking with God”—seeking God and trust Him daily! Thank God that we are truly blessed to live in this day for there is one difference between Enoch and Noah’s times in comparison with ours, and that is, Jesus had come and, on the cross, He bore our sins and died our deaths. By this, our sins are forgiven.

Jesus arose from the grave three days after His death. Jesus overcame death, and He enabled those who put their trust in Him to receive life, and even more abundantly. Let us give thanks to God and praise Him!

Enoch walked with God for three hundred years. When everyone “lived”, Enoch instead “walked with God.” While everyone “died”, Enoch was “taken away by God.” Enoch’s life was transcendent, and he conquered death.

Noah was a righteous man or a perfect man. It did not mean that he never sins, but it meant he loved God and obeyed Him wholeheartedly. Noah’s life of walking with God means a life that was completely submitted to God and a life that practiced God’s Word and His truth.

It is a life that lives not by sight but by faith. It is doing God’s will and pleasing Him in every sphere of our lives and not following the patterns of the world. Moreover, it shall be a life that seek to die to self and to give up our love for the world.

The sins of this era and that of Noah’s era had equally saddened God’s heart, and will invite God’s grave judgement. How is your life today? Are you walking intimately with God?

We who trust in Christ have to hold steadfastly to our faith, to walk with God and to live for Him until the very end. Ultimately, we will surely conquer death and receive eternal life, and be able to live an abundant life in this world now.

Conclusion

The clan of Cain was highly civilized among Adam’s lineage, but they also exposed their arrogance and wickedness. They died in their sin eventually. The clan of Seth was a godly offspring who sought God. Among them was Enoch, who was the first ray of hope while Noah was the second ray of hope.

Enoch walked with God closely and he surpassed the curse of death. Noah also walked with God closely. He came not just to save himself, but mankind from the curse of the judgment of flood. He enabled mankind to receive rest and comfort.

The lives of Enoch and Noah testify that, God never forsake us nor leave us helpless in an environment that is full of despair and overshadowed by death. God’s grace is sufficient for us. We must be grateful today for God’s grace has sustained us to move forward in this pandemic.

We are more blessed than Enoch and Noah because Christ had come to accomplish our salvation. We just need to receive him as our savior, and all of our sins would be forgiven. Then we must continue to trust Him sincerely, and walk with him daily.

The Holy Spirit will live within us to renew and cleanse us, and to help us walk with God daily, so that we would be transformed in our mind into the likeness of Christ more and more. The Holy Spirit will also fill us and empower us to serve God and to witness for Him.

Throughout these pandemic days, let us take a step of faith to submit fully under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Let us walk closely with God daily and to embody a Christ-centered life. We will surely experience a blessed life that transcends death, as Christ has promised to give us.

Paul reminded us that one day we shall be taken away like Enoch in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 -18:

“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

We must not be complacent living in sins and motivated by our “old self”, since now we have received the saving grace of Christ, and the Holy Spirit moves in our hearts to love God. We are new creation in Christ, and our walk should be worthy of the grace of Christ.

May the Holy Spirit spur us now so that we can be awakened inside out, and we will take action to die to the world, so that the fashion and pattern of this world will not hinder our walk with God. And we shall walk with God closely through this pandemic.