Book of the Generation

             There are numerous times the phrase, "generation of," occurs in the scriptures.  However, there are only two times in scriptures in which the phrase, "book of the generation of," is found:

                        1.  Gen. 5:1 "This is the book of the generations of Adam."

                        2.  Matt. 1:1 "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham." 

            This invites us to compare the two "books."  Since, Genesis chapter 5 is the book of the generation of Adam, we note that the emphasis of this book is on death.  Over and over again we are told of eight individuals who lived and the last thing said of them is "and he died" in this chapter.  It would be fair to say that this chapter is the book of death.  The deaths in this chapter are brought about by the sin of Adam. 

            In contrast, the book of the generation of Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 1 has an emphasis on life.  The word, begat, is used thirty nine times, in this chapter.  The fortieth birth was that of Jesus Christ.  Death is not mentioned in this chapter. 

            The verse in 1 Cor. 15:22, "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive" is illustrated by these two "books."  Adam brought death into the world; Christ gives eternal life to his elect world.

            Another comparison in these two books is the consequences of the actions of the two to whom the books are named.  Adam brought sin and death into the world through his disobedience of the commandment of God.  Christ is the savior of sinners: "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."  Through his obedience to the commandments of God he delivered his people from the consequences of sin and death.

            Furthermore, Genesis chapter 5 gives us the several descendents of Adam in descending order.  This is like a polluted fountain flowing from Adam to his posterity.  In contrast, the first chapter of Matthew shows us the one who stopped the pollution and cleaned it up.  The fountain led to Christ, but he being conceived of the Holy Ghost had no sin and committed no sin.  As the redeemer of sinners he was the perfect sacrifice for their sins.  According to 2 Cor. 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."  Christ, like the tree that Moses cast into the waters of Marah, is the tree of righteousness cast into the polluted waters of Adam who cleansed those waters for his elect children.


Enoch 

            Gen. 5:18 "And Jared lived an hundred sixty and two years, and he begat Enoch: 19 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 20 And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. 21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: 22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: 23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: 24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him."

            Additionally, we read of Enoch in Heb. 11:5 "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

            According to the scriptures we read of only two men that have been taken into heaven without dying.  These two men are Enoch and Elijah.  These men are examples of those who will be alive at the second coming of Jesus.  Those of the elect who are alive at the second coming of Jesus will not die corporeally, but will be changed and made like unto the glorious body of Jesus. 

            There are many lessons taught us in the above passages of scripture concerning Enoch:

                        1.  First, Enoch was a descendant of Adam and, therefore, bore the sin-cursed nature of man.  According to the scriptures we all died in Adam and he brought us, through his disobedience to the law of sin and death, into a state of being dead in trespasses and sins.  Rom. 3:9-18 tells us: "What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.  They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.  Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes."  This was Enoch's condition as well as our condition prior to being born of the Spirit of God.  Enoch was a sinner and at one time he was dead in trespasses and sins.

                        2.  Enoch lived in a wicked world which at the time was greatly corrupted.  In Gen. chapter 6 before the flood, God gives us this statement of the condition of mankind: 5 "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. 7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them."  Also, the following verses tell us more of the condtion of man in the pre-flood world: 11 "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. 13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth."  Thus, Enoch was living in a world that was even more violent and corrupt than the world we are living in today!

                        3.  Further, Enoch did not have the benefit of the gospel of the grace of Christ or of the scriptures to encourage him unto godly living.  There were no gospel preachers to preach unto him, nor did he have the benefit of the organized church and godly men and women to encourage him. 

                        4.  There are certain legal requirements for people to live in heaven. 

                                    a.  Their sin debt must be paid. 

                                    b.  They must have been born of the Spirit of God.

                        5.  No. 4 above begs the question: "How can a man who was born before the law was given and before Christ died live in heaven with God?"  The answer can only be found in Christ's covenant work in the covenant of redemption.   The covenant of redemption is stated for us in Rom. 8:29, 30: "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.  Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."  Therefore, Enoch had to be one whom God chose in Christ before the foundation of the world.  Moreover, God predestinated Enoch to be conformed to the image of Christ.  In addition, Christ called Enoch into spiritual life in the spiritual birth.  Furthermore, Christ died on the cross to redeem Enoch of his sins.  Finally, Christ translated Enoch that he should not see death and changed his vile body to be like the glorious body of Christ.  All of this proves that works of righteousness nor gospel obedience are instruments to cause one to be born again and saved from ones sins. 

                        6.  We have the evidence of Enoch's new or spiritual birth as he walked by faith for three hundred years.  Faith is a fruit of the spirit.  Therefore, a person must be born of the Spirit before he can walk by faith. 

                        7.  To walk by faith (the word, walk, here indicates how one lives one's life) when there was no scriptures to guide Enoch required Enoch to be in close communion with God.  Since the Old Testament scriptures would not be given for over 2,000 years, Enoch, no doubt did much praying that God would direct his walk.  Enoch did not walk with God one day and then live after the world the next day.  Enoch walked with God for three hundred years.  Thus, he had a constant walk and communion with God.  However, Enoch was also living in this world and continued with his duties and responsibilities in this world as the scriptures tell us that after the birth of his first born child and he began a walk with God that he also had sons and daughters born unto him.  Some people seem to think that for a person to have a walk with God that he can think and do nothing else but think and meditate on God and spiritual things.  Obviously this was not the case with Enoch.  He lived his daily life, but he did it in such a way as to please God.  This is what we should strive for.

                        8.  Enoch had this testimony that he pleased God.  God was under no obligation to translate Enoch, just as he was under no obligation to translate Elijah.  However, it pleased God by his grace to translate both of these men.  They both had the testimony that they pleased God.  They, however, are not the only ones that pleased God, but the others were not translated.  Many of God's children have pleased God by walking by faith.  We should, likewise, strive to please God by walking by faith.  When we think of all that Christ has done for us, it stands to reason that we should desire to please God.  We do this by walking by faith and not by sight. 

                        9.  Enoch, no doubt, was a great example to others, just as he continues to be an example to us today.  We should strive to live our lives in such a way as to be an example for others to emulate.  We can do this when we walk by faith and live each day striving to have fellowship with God and pleasing God.