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Bob Myhan Methuselah, who lived 969 years, is known as the oldest man in the Bible (Genesis 5:27). Yet he died before his father did. How could this be? The answer is fairly simple, although it defies the human experience and challenges the Christian’s faith. Very little information is given about Methuselah’s father, whose name was Enoch. He is mentioned by name seven times in Genesis, chapter five, but almost all the information is genealogical. He is never again referred to in the Old Testament, and in the New Testament he is only mentioned three times. So we are given very few details about him. But what little is revealed speaks volumes. “And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24). We are told three things about Enoch in this passage. (1) He “walked with God,” (2) “he was not” and (3) “God took him.” Obviously, Enoch did not literally and physically walk with God, because “God is Spirit” (John 4:24) and does not have a literal, physical flesh, bone and blood body (Matthew 16:19; Luke 24:39). Enoch walked with God figuratively and spiritually. But what did Moses mean by “he was not, for God took him”? Of those mentioned in Genesis five, Enoch is the only one of whom it is not said, “and he died.” Instead, it is said, “and he was not, for God took him.” It is therefore evident that the reason it can be said that the world’s oldest man died before his father is that his father never died. Rather, he was taken bodily from the earth, as a reward for having walked with God. The writer of the book of Hebrews tells us this in clearer language: “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’: for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God” (11:5). We are told here, not only that he was taken away, but also why he was taken away. He was taken away because he pleased God. But how did he please God? He pleased God by his faith (11:6). Thus, Enoch walked with God figuratively and spiritually, in that he walked [lived his life] by faith because he believed that God is, and that God is a rewarder of those who seek to please Him. Of course, God has not promised to reward our faith by taking us bodily from the earth so as not to see death. But He has promised us a crown of life (Hebrews 9:27, 28; Rev. 2:10). Guest Writer: Eddie R. Littrell This goes to the bottom of things. Justice maintains the right relations between and among men. It holds the balance fairly between conflicting interests, coordinating the rights of each. The love of justice has been said to be the moral element of piety. Justice is peculiar in that there are no degrees of it, as there are of traits like goodness and generosity. A man that is less than just is unjust. He might do a hundred kindly deeds but if he fails in one act of justice the blemish is fatal to his character. We consider such to be true in physical matters, and such is also true in spiritual matters. There is a great need for members of the body of Christ to be just in their actions. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy, his “son in the faith,” in the ways of righteousness. He admonished him to “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Timothy 4:12). To sum it up, we could say that Paul was telling him to live “justly.” Paul said in, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17). We find in the word of God the pattern of justice and righteousness. John tells us “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous” (1 John 3:7). Jesus Christ is the pattern of living righteously and justly before all. Being “just” means being characterized by truth, fairness, and impartiality. Jesus was and is the embodiment of truth. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Everything He did was according to the truth revealed from above. He was also the perfect example of fairness. Everyone has the same provisions and opportunities in Him. It is through Him and by Him that we have “all spiritual blessings” (Ephesians 1:3) and have been “made alive” (Ephesians 2:1). And He has never shown partiality. His blessings have never been based on social, ethnic or national distinctions. “God is no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:35). And neither is His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, thinking on things that are just means thinking on things that are founded on truth, fairness, and impartiality. For in thinking on these things we will be taking the first step toward doing them. Remember, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7). Guest Writer: Charles “Skip” Sebree Is truth the same as error? That is not difficult to answer. It is obvious that a falsehood is not the same as the truth. Yet, it is a very popular idea in religion to say that it does not matter what one believes, so long as one is sincere. The same idea is expressed in the saying, “We’re all going to the same place [heaven], just on different roads.” If this is true, then there is no difference between truth and error. One can follow falsehood and be in the same relationship with God as one who is following truth. The consequence of following error would be the same as following truth. What does God say? In John 17:17 we learn that God’s word is truth. Thus, one can easily establish what is true in religion by reading it in the Bible. There is no other source of religious truth. In John 17:20-21 we learn that truth unites. A characteristic of truth is that it does not contradict itself. Thus, in following truth one will be united in faith and practice with all others following the truth. Following error results in confusion and division. But, does it make a difference? Jesus says in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Does it matter to you whether you are set free from the burden of sin? If so, then determining what is truth is essential, because the truth makes you free, not falsehood. Religious error does not accomplish the same as truth. Those who do not love the truth and who believe a lie will perish (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Jesus promised that His apostles would, by the power of the Holy Spirit, receive all truth (John 14:26; 16:13). Once they revealed this truth, they were able to say, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:8). Such strong Language ought to impress upon our minds that there is great difference between truth and error and that it does make a difference what one believes and practices. To be saved, one must follow the truth of God’s word. |