Genesis 5:21-24 Commentary
THOMAS SCOTT COMMENTARY
Verses 21-24. “Walking with God” is a figurative description of the intimate communion which subsists between a merciful God and true believers. “Can two walk together except they be agreed?” (Am 3:3.) Without coincidence in sentiment, judgment, and disposition, there can be no cordial union or harmony. But man is naturally partial to those things which God abhors and forbids, and averse from those which he loves and commands. Man’s understanding is darkened, his judgment perverted, his affections depraved, and his taste vitiated by sin; so that, in almost every thing, his views, his choice, his desires and pursuits, are the reverse of those which h the Scripture requires. Thus he is induced to talk contrary to God, to contract guilty, and merit condemnation. A sinner’s walk with God, therefore, commences with the change of his judgment and disposition by divine grace. Then he begins to repent of his sins, to despise the world in comparison of the favour of God, to “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” to seek forgiveness and acceptance in the way of God’s appointment, and to devote himself to His love and service, and the pursuit of holiness. Having been thus reconciled to God, he walks with him by habitual repentance, and “faith in our Lord Jesus Christ;” in a realizing regard to the presence of God in his whole conduct; a daily dependence on his promise, providence, and grace, for all things needful for soul and body; and a continual attention to his word, that from thence he may learn His truth and will, and derive the peace and comfort of his salvation; by pouring out his heart before the Lord in fervent prayer and grateful praise; by a believing, reverential, and delightful attendance on all the ordinances of his worship, and an open profession of his faith and love; by a conscientious obedience to all his commandments, without regarding the praise or censure of men; by submission to his providential appointments; and finally, by attention to every relative obligation, a careful improvement of every talent, a circumspect conversation, and endeavoring to “adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things,” and to recommend religion to all around him.—The Lord, on His part, answers the expectations of those who walk with him. He supplies their wants, interposes in their emergencies, and evidences His care of them. He meets them in his ordinances, teaches them from His word, answers their prayers, accepts their services; communicates, by His Spirit, wisdom, strength, and consolation to their souls, and is indeed their Guide, Companion, and Counselor through life: and at length he meets them at death, and takes them into “His presence, where is fullness of joy.” Thus ends the walk of faith; for thenceforth they walk by sight, and see him as he is; being for ever with him, and like him in holiness and felicity.—But “Enoch was translated that he should not see death” (Heb 11:5-6). In the prime of life, according to those times, he was taken from earth to heaven, in the body, without feeling the pangs of death, “having received this testimony, that he had pleased God.” Therefore “he was not” on earth: neither his friends nor his persecutors could find him. He was a preacher of righteousness, and if we may judge by the specimen left on record (Jude 1:14-15), his plain and alarming address could not fail greatly to enrage the daring sinners among whom he lived. But God effectually rescued him from their malice, testified his approbation of his conduct, and gave a convincing proof of the invisible world, and of the future state of recompense. ‘It is possible also that the translation of this holy man might be conferred, in order to show what should have been common to all, had man persisted in his obedience—a translation from the earthly to the heavenly paradise.’—Fuller.
THOMAS HAWEIS COMMENTARY
Verses 21-24: In the foregoing generations, nothing is said of their characters; their descent bids us hope, they imitated their father. But here God singles out one to be the imitation of future ages, as he was the glory of that in which he lived.
Observe,
1. His conversation in the world. He walked with God.
(1.) His practice was agreeable to God’s will: he maintained a happy communion with him; his soul was weaned from the vanities of the world, and fixed on God as his only portion. Note, The life of every Christian is walking with God. 1. As a reconciled sinner, through the blood of Christ. 2. As a restored soul, through the Spirit of Christ. 3. As an obedient servant, according to the word of Christ. 4. As an observant worshipper in all ordinances: and an attentive improver of all providences. 5. As happy in the fellowship obtained with God, through his dear Son. 6. As a constant expectant of God’s appearing to take us to himself, that we may behold his glory.
(2.) His preaching. He not only himself lived for God, but he labored for God. Jude 1:25. Boldly rebuking sin, and encouraging the faithful in their adherence to God, from the prospect of the appearance of the Lord to judge the ungodly, and to reward his saints.
(3.) His perseverance herein. To the end of his days. –There seems no reason to apprehend he did not walk with God before; we are assured, however, after he begat Methuselah, he did three hundred years. Every true saint of God is known by his perseverance. It was a long while to live thus in a wicked world, but he walked by faith. Note, True Faith never faileth.
2. His translation from earth to heaven. It was his business and happiness to live for God; it is his reward to live with God. He was in the prime of life when God took him: had not, according to general reckoning, lived out half his days: but surely he was a wonderful gainer by the exchange. He quitted a wicked world, for a heavenly kingdom, a life of toil, for a rest in glory; a scene of vanity, for bliss eternal. Note, We ought not too much to lament for our dear friends that die in the Lord, lest our selfishness, rather than our affection, appear. Though the child be robbed from the tender parents, the husband from his weeping family, or the zealous minister from his desolate flock: the loss indeed is ours, the gain is theirs. They have lived enough whom God takes to himself: the days that are cut off from the labors of time, shall be added to the rewards of eternity. –Early deaths, and sudden deaths, are reckoned untimely; but who can think it untimely to go to the bosom of Jesus? or who should grieve that
No painful agonies need to untie, The soul that’s ready to ascend on high, And mourns its exile from it native sky?
3. The manner of this translation. He was caught up, perhaps visibly, as Elijah afterwards, into heaven: his body changed, in the twinkling of an eye, from corruption to incorruption, from dishonor to glory, from natural to spiritual, and his soul freed from every spot of sin, made meet for an inheritance among the saints in light. We may not hope for such a change, but we expect an equivalent; the arm of death which snatches the believer from the earth, shall carry him to the place whither Enoch is gone before.
4. The grand principle, which influenced him to such a conduct, and brought him to such an end; Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Heb 11:5 Note, (1.) Faith only can enable us to walk with God. (2.) Thus shall we please God. (3.) God will testify his pleasure in such a walk, by his witness in our hearts now, and by his approbation in a judgment day. (4.) Eminent believers shall have singular honors, as one star differeth from another in glory.
0 comments:
Post a Comment