living by exception

Genesis 5:²² After the birth of Methuselah, Enoch lived in close fellowship with God for another 300 years, and he had other sons and daughters. ²³ Enoch lived 365 years,²⁴ walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him.

Genesis 6:⁹ This is the account of Noah and his family. Noah was a righteous man, the only blameless person living on earth at the time, and he walked in close fellowship with God. 

Genesis 6:²² So Noah did everything exactly as God had commanded him.

We are reading through Genesis 4-10 this week in our study of the Old Testament.  Most of this passage reflects the negative consequences of people living in conflict with God.  We first learn about Cain, who wants to appear to have a relationship with God by bringing a sacrifice, but doesn't want to let God into his heart to affect and correct his heart and attitudes.  Then we learn of generation after generation of people who, for the most part, seem to ignore God and go their own way.  But there are two exceptions that we see: Enoch and Noah.  Enoch is said to live "in close fellowship with God" and God actually scoops him up and takes him before he actually dies.  Later, as mankind grows increasingly corrupt, God is ready to wipe out all men and animals and just erase the blackboard...He is said to regret ever making man.  But Noah stands alone as a man who seeks to follow God with a right heart and mind and because of Noah, God decides to start over and wipe out the rest of mankind with the flood.  He will "reboot" and restart the populating of the world based on this righteous man and his progeny.  It occurs to me that to follow God you may be in the minority...to truly love and serve the Lord from the heart, you may be an exception.  It can take some courage to be willing to be different, to be willing to be even excluded, shunned or considered "uncool" to have a real and sincere and humble attitude toward God.  But good things happen in us and good things happen through us when we follow the example of the exceptions like Enoch and Noah!

Blessings,

Rob Smith