Country Living 2 | Part 2 of 2

Greetings MOL Family!

Welcome back to the conclusion of Lesson 2, in this country living, 4-lesson study. Last week, we discussed the faithfulness of some of the ancient patriarchs and prophets, and the experience with Christ that was theirs. May we also enter into this experience, today!

Enoch, the Adventist Preacher

Now there’s something else that Enoch did. He is again mentioned in Jude; the 14th verse of the one chapter in this little book:

And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. – Jude 14 -15

Enoch was the 7th from Adam, down the line: Adam, Seth, Enos, Mahalaleel… on down to Jared and Enoch. Enoch was the 7th. He prophesied. Was Enoch a prophet then? Was he a preacher? – Yes. What did he preach? He preached the advent of our Lord – “Behold the Lord cometh with 10,000 of His saints to execute judgment upon all. He preached the coming judgment. Today he would be called an Adventist preacher, wouldn’t he? Because the word ‘Adventist’ means one who’s talking, and preaching, and believing in the coming of our Lord. Advent is another word for coming. So, Enoch was an Adventist preacher way back there before the flood. So, we’re in good company when we proclaim the coming of our Lord, aren’t we?

And notice (don’t miss this): The very man God sent with that message, God translated him without dying. Is God going to take some people today who proclaim His advent and get them ready to be translated without seeing death? Wouldn’t you like to join Enoch in that program? Oh friends, we can. God grant it for everyone.

How Did He Walk With God?

In  Genesis the 5th chapter, what did it say that Enoch did? — He walked with God. This, of course, relates primarily to his spiritual experience. It was very literal with Enoch. They didn’t have any jet planes back there, or any automobiles. When Enoch walked, he was walking with whom else? – God. When he did his preaching, he did it how? — He walked with God. When he went from his home in the hills to the cities of the plains, to give the judgment message, he walked. When he went home, he walked. But he always walked with Who? – God!

Wouldn’t that be wonderful friends? When Enoch walked with God it was not in a trance. It was in the common, daily experiences. You know what it means to walk with God? Let’s see if we can find out:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? – Amos 3:3

What do you say? Can they? The answer of course is no. Suppose I say to you, “Will you take a walk with me?” You may say, “Where are you going?” You ought to say that. And Enoch, before he walked any place, he found out whether God would agree to go with him, right? Is that a safe thing to do? Wouldn’t it save people a lot of trouble today if they’d ask God whether He’ll go with them or not, before they walk, or get in an automobile, or an air plane, or anywhere? “Will you go with me Lord?”

Enoch walked with God. He honored God in every affair in life. In his home and in his business he enquired, Will this be acceptable to the Lord? – My Life Today, pg. 98

His great desire was to please who? – God. Not merely on the worship day, but every day of the week. Not merely in what’s called ‘religious work’, but in his business. Now that’s an interesting expression, “in his business”. Apparently, Enoch had a business as well as being a preacher. I wonder if I’d be laboring the point if I said he was a self-supporting missionary. He certainly believed in country living.

Now I want to bring you what I think is one of the most interesting statements from the Bible Commentary, Book 1:

He, Enoch, did not make his abode with the wicked. He did not locate in Sodom thinking to save Sodom. He placed himself and his family where the atmosphere would be as pure as possible. Then at times he went forth to the inhabitants of the world with his God given message. Every visit he made to the world was painful to him. – S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Vol. 1, pg. 1087

Now was he a preacher? – Did we prove that from the Bible? He preached far and near, in the cities as well as in the country. But he didn’t live in the city in order to reach the city. That’s the point I wanted you to see. Read that last sentence again:

He did not locate in Sodom thinking to save Sodom. He placed himself and his family where the atmosphere would be as pure as possible. Then at times he went forth to the inhabitants of the world with his God given message. Every visit he made to the world was painful to him. – Ibid

Now think of it, you get the picture. Where did he live? – In the country. He believed in country living just like Seth, and Enos, and Abel, and Adam and Eve. He never got the city mind like Cain, but he went to the cities of the Cainites to preach to them. Why? — Because he loved people. God hates sin, but He loves sinners.

Enoch hated the worldly sinful rebellion, but he loved the people. He went where the people were, but he didn’t live there; why? – Because he knew he would lose his power if he spent too much time [there]. Every visit he made it says was painful to him. Listen friend wherever/whenever the sin and vice of this world gets comfortable to us, and we get comfortable with it, we’ve been around it too long; whether it’s going to the city, or bringing the city to our living rooms with the TV, or radio, newspaper, magazines, [or any of our devices]. I repeat, whenever the things, the wickedness, the crimes, the vice, the fornication, and the adultery, and all the other sins of this wicked age; whenever we get comfortable with them, we’ve been around them too long. We need to get into Enoch’s program in spending some time alone with God,under the trees, working in the garden, doing things with God. And if we’ll do that, will God go with us down to the cities to help us to reach people?

Now this next sentence is the one that thrills me [read carefully].

He saw and understood something of the leprosy of sin. After proclaiming his message he always brought with him to his place of retirement some who had received the warning. – Ibid

Isn’t that wonderful? Did he catch fish? Human fish, people. Well that’s what he was there for. He went down to the cities charged with the power of God and preached the message. And every time he went back to his country retreat he took somebody with him. How many, we’re not told. Sometimes probably more, and sometimes less; but the point is, he expected results and he got results. The reason he got results was he was so charged with power in that country atmosphere, with prayer and meditation, seeking God with all his soul. I wonder what he brought them there for?

Oh friends, if you were back there in the days of Enoch, and your heart had responded to Enoch’s appeal to leave the life of sin and get ready for the coming judgment, wouldn’t you have been glad for a chance to go out with Enoch and live with him for awhile?

Some of these became over comers and died before the flood came. – Ibid

Some of them became what? — Over comers. They quit their fornication and adultery; they quit their habits of life, of eating and drinking, that were dragging them down. They quit their worship of idols. They quit the whole thing. They responded when Enoch preached, and came out and learned the rest of the program out there. But now notice the next sad statement:

But some had lived so long in the corrupting influence of sin that they could not endure righteousness. – Ibid

Isn’t that too bad? Oh, I can see them dear friends. There’s Enoch out there and he’s got a group of people that have come with him a week ago, two weeks ago out to a 5-day plan, stress control, and all the rest – you know. But somebody says one morning, “Enoch I’m afraid I’ve got to go back home.” “What’s the matter?” “Well, there’re some things I’ve got to take care of down there.” You know what he’s got to take care of? — He’s wanting to get back to the old life; the habits are calling him.

Can he be saved? Enoch may plead with him, he may pray with him, but where does the choice lie? It lies with the individual just as with Cain and Abel. The same environment brought out Cain’s choice to rebel, Abel’s choice to be loyal. So my dear friends, you and I, if we’re going to follow Enoch’s program, we’re going to get our arms around people and try to bring them into a better way of life, aren’t we?

Some will and some won’t, but we should work for every soul as though that were the only one in this world. Thank God. Enoch walked with God.

Enoch’s [Eden] Program

There’s something interesting about that expression back in Genesis 5, will you look at it again?

And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. – Genesis 5:21-22

Does that mean that Enoch didn’t know anything about God until he was 65 years old? – Oh, no.

…after the birth of his first son, Enoch reached a higher experience; he was drawn into a closer relationship with God. He realized more fully his own obligations and responsibility as a son of God. And as he saw the child’s love for his father, its simple trust in his protection; as he felt the deep, yearning tenderness of his own heart for that first-born son, he learned a precious lesson of the wonderful love of God to men in the gift of His Son, and the confidence which the children of God may repose in their heavenly Father. – Patriarchs and Prophets, pg. 84

You see dear friends, he’d been living for God all along. But when that little boy started to put his fingers in daddy’s hand and walk with his daddy; and little Methuselah started to follow daddy around, Enoch got closer to an idea of what it meant to him to follow God around, and walk with God. Do you see? God intends that every human experience shall in one way or another, draw us closer to Him.

Oh friends, I thought about what a wonderful program Enoch must have had out there. It took the whole family didn’t it? — Father, and mother and the children. I like, in my imagination, to watch as the family is looking down the road for Enoch… someone says, “Oh, there comes daddy, and he’s got somebody with him”. There is Methuselah, he’s the oldest boy. Do you suppose the children said, “Oh my, why does daddy always bring people home, it means more work for us?” Do you suppose Enoch’s wife felt bad when she saw Enoch bring home people for supper?

And more than supper, to stay so they could get some help. Does it mean more work for her? Oh friends, Enoch’s program is very practical, I can tell you that. There’s hard work to it and heart breaks too. But oh, it’s worth everything to get some people out of the cities of Cain, and into the land of life and love; out of the program of rebellion, and vice, and crime, and into the sweet experiences of joy and fellowship in Christ.

Is Eden’s program better than the world’s program? Do you believe it? Unless you do, you’ll never be able to be successful in Enoch’s program.

There’s a little song that expresses this experience we’ve been studying – with the children of God living in the country, and reaching out for the heavenly land. Turn to Hebrews the 11th chapter again. What do these patriarchs confess that they were (The last part of the 13th verse)? – Strangers and pilgrims on the earth. And then the 14th verse:

For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. – Hebrews 11:14

God bids His people on the earth, Before He comes and calls them hence;
To live unknit to home and hearth, Like far bound travelers in tents.

We’ll live in tents until our feet shall, Reach the land by sin untrod
The gates of pearl, the golden street, Whose Builder and Maker God

It is His will that we should pass, Like strangers, separate and aside;
From all the vain and worldly mass, That crowd the Babylon of pride.

Now, I want you to pay close attention to the last stanza; it’s an appeal:

Oh brother, whatsoever chain, Binds us to fleshly lusts and strife;
Here let us rend it in God’s name, And live henceforth the pilgrim life.

Oh brother, whatsoever chain, Binds us to fleshly lusts and strife;
Here let us rend it in God’s name, And live henceforth the pilgrim life.

We’ll live in tents until our feet, Shall reach the land by sin untrod;
The gate of pearl, the golden street, Whose builder and whose maker God.

Oh friends, it’s the greatest thing in the world to have a part in it. Helping people solve problems. Helping people get away from the things that drag then down in heart attacks, and cancer, and things that are worse, in a spiritual way – depression, darkness, crime, vice; to help people get their feet planted on the eternal Rock. It’s worth everything. You’re all invited to have a part in it, and many of you are already. Come in friends, it’s wonderful. I know it’s hard work, but everything in life is one way or another. Why not get something that will last forever?

We’re told that people ridiculed and made fun of Enoch, because he didn’t spend his time gathering gold and silver, and building great houses and having great possessions. Enoch was a successful man, but not in that way. Instead (don’t miss this) of piling up piles of buildings, and property, and money in this world, he was translated to Heaven without seeing death. He’s in a golden city where they use gold even to pave the streets. He’s there right now.

Oh, dear ones, what a shame to sell the heritage like that so cheap – put it on the auction block and let the world bid it. There’s nothing the world can bid for your life that could begin to compare with what God has already given for your life. You know how valuable you are? You’re valuable that Jesus would give His life just for you. That’s what Abel saw, and that’s why he brought the lamb. That’s what Enoch saw, and that’s why he lived the way he did. This is why all the people down through the ages have rejoiced to bare witness to Him, and worked for Him, and lived for Him, and died for Him. Because they’ve seen the love that Jesus has – wonderful love!

Oh Lord, we’re so glad for Jesus, our Friend, our Savior, there at the mercy seat in the heavenly Sanctuary. We thank Thee that Enoch’s up there with Him, and Moses and Elijah and others who won the race, gotten the victory and stand there with Christ in prayer and intercession, on our behalf.

And Lord, we pray that all will decide to give their lives to Thee in Enoch’s program. Those who battle with self and with sin, give them the victory, and show them that God is on their side, the side of victory! We ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Stand, with God, on the side of victory; and share with others the hope that you have received! One of the ways we become overcomers is by helping other to overcome…

Please don’t forget to invite other precious souls, to join us weekly! 

-Continue on to the next study-

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* This study has been adapted from classes taken by Elder W.D. Frazee.