Living by Faith
Hebrews 11 begins by telling us what faith is: Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen (Heb 11:1). The “hoped for” things we are sure of, are things God has promised. The “unseen things” we are convinced of, are things God has revealed. So, faith believes what God has revealed and trusts what God has promised.
Now, what does it mean to live by faith? God teaches us by pointing to real-life examples of faith in action. Each of them highlights a distinct aspect of faith.
Look at Abel and can see from his story that faith listens to God. Abel was commended as righteous because of a sacrifice that God accepted. He offered a first-born lamb from the flock. A life was laid down for him.
Abel’s sacrifice of a lamb from the flock points forward to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Offering the lamb was a sign that Abel was trusting in God’s promise. And that promise was fulfilled when Jesus laid down His life for us on the cross. God gave his one and only Son as the sacrifice for our sins.
Abel knew that a life must be laid down because God had revealed it, back in the garden of Eden when He made garments of skins to clothe Adam and Eve.
God had revealed the acceptable sacrifice and faith listens to what God has revealed.
Hebrews 11 paints a picture of what a life of faith looks like. Each story fills out the picture. Today we come to the story of Enoch, where we learn that faith walks with God. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him (Heb 11:5).
The story of Enoch is told back in Genesis 5, where God records the generations from Adam to Noah.
Ten generations are recorded. We read here about Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah.
Two Questions:
1. Why are these names recorded?
If you look at the end of Luke 3, you will see that this is the line of descent into which Jesus Christ was born.
What matters about them is the relationship they have with Jesus. And that of course is the thing that ultimately matters about us all.
Joseph Parker says, “The fifth chapter of Genesis is the beginning of that long series of characters in human history which are extremely uninteresting. Such people as Enosh, Mahalalel, and Jared are respectable plodding quiet men who said goodnight to one another regularly, remarked briefly upon the weather and died.”
The most important thing about you – what will matter about you forever is not how many people know your name, or not how many people follow you on social media. It is not a list of great things that you have accomplished. It is the relationship you have with Jesus.
2. Why did they live so long?
The lifespans of these generations are about ten times as long as our lives today. Adam lived 930 years (Gen 5:5). Seth lived 912 years (Gen 5:8). Enosh lived 905 years (Gen 5:11).
This was God’s provision for multiplying the human population in its earliest generations. After the time of Noah and the flood, human lifespans come down rapidly to what we are used to today.
These first generations lived for many years, but they had one thing in common:
All the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died (Gen 5:5).
All the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died (Gen 5:8).
All the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died (Gen 5:11).
This grim reality runs like a relentless drumbeat throughout the chapter. It is like the sound of a train on the tracks when it gets up to speed, “and he died, and he died, and he died.”
This runs through the whole chapter with one exception. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him (Gen 5:24).
By any standards this is a remarkable story. Suddenly there is a break in the clouds. Light shines into the darkness, and we have reason to hope that the reign of death may not be forever. This story points us to the hope we have in Jesus who broke through the power of death and ascended into heaven.
God “rewards those who seek Him” (Heb 11:6). What is the reward? The reward of seeking God is finding Him. God said to Abraham, “Do not be afraid… I am your shield, your very great reward (Gen 15:1 NIV). God is the reward of those who seek Him.
God invites you to live in the constant, conscious enjoyment of His presence. If you seek Him, you will find Him. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart (Jer 29:13).
SOL.PAULOSE