Our word for today is the umbrella word that God uses to describe the consequences of sin or rebellion against Him. It is מות die, dying, death, perish. It is used 840 times in the Old Testament. If you recall we have already had this word of the day back in Genesis chapter 3. So why are we looking at it again? Well because in reading through the Bible when you get to chapter five this word just dominates the entire section. מות is used 8 times in Genesis chapter five alone. That is a lot. God thinks it is important that we face the sobering reality that sin has consequences just like God warned Adam and Eve before they sinned. This also gives us a historical record of every living person from the beginning. What does this chapter point out that they all had in common. All of them came to the same end. Everyone died that is except Enoch who walked faithfully with God. I encourage you to read this chapter and let this word sink in as you read it over and over again. The chapter starts with God created them and blessed them then one after the other they lived so many years then died. Adam lived so many years then died, Seth lived so many years then died, Enosh lived then died, Kenan lived then died, Mahalalel lived then died, Jared lived then died, Methuselah lived then died and Lamech lived then died.
In a real physical way, they no longer lived on this earth and God said that it would happen, and it has and still is happening to this day. But the good news is that we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ because of his victory over death. So even though we all die we can all live because Jesus is the resurrection and the life. Jesus asked Mary whose brother had just died four days earlier this question in John 11:25-26 “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Notice that Jesus is not asking Mary or any of us to have some vague general faith but rather a specific belief. Are we trusting in Jesus to raise us from death if we die before he returns? And Enoch the only person in history that did not face physical death is an example to us as God identifies him in Hebrews 11:5-6 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
