Chapter 7 — SETH AND ENOCH

Seth was a good man, the same as Abel, he did what was right. But Seth inherited no more natural goodness than Cain inherited; Seth was born with sinful desires in his heart. But Seth accepted the grace of God in his life. His father, Adam, gave him faithful instruction about how to do God's will.SRme 1.175

Seth honored God by obeying Him. He lived in a different place from where the evil descendants of Cain lived. He did the work Abel would have done if Abel had lived--the work of trying to get sinful people to respect and obey God.SRme 1.176

Enoch was a holy man. He served God with all his heart. Enoch realized how evil the descendants of Cain had become, so he did not live among them. But he tried to help the wicked people realize they were doing wrong. There were some people on the earth who still loved and worshiped God. But most of the people did not love God. Enoch decided not to associate with wicked people daily because he was afraid they might influence him to change his ideas about God. Enoch wanted to keep thinking about God, and respect His holy character.SRme 1.177

Enoch was upset and sad as he saw the wicked people disobeying God's law every day. He decided to live in a place that was separate from the wicked. Enoch wanted to spend much of his time alone with God in meditation and prayer. Enoch asked God to help him know better what God wanted him to do, and to help him do God's will.SRme 1.178

God sent His angels to teach Enoch His will. Angels told Enoch that God would not allow the great wickedness and rebellion of the people to go on forever. God planned to destroy the wicked people by a flood of water that would cover the earth.SRme 1.179

Adam and Eve had been made to leave the pure and beautiful Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden stayed on earth until just before the Flood. God had planted and blessed the garden in a special way. So before the Flood He took the garden to heaven. God will return the garden to earth when sin is removed. When God brings the Garden of Eden back to earth the garden will be more beautiful than when He took the garden to heaven. God has kept the garden to show how perfect the earth was before the curse of sin came on the earth.SRme 1.180

God explained the plan of salvation to Enoch in great detail. The Holy Spirit who inspired the prophets showed Enoch future events. Enoch was shown what would happen to people who would live after the Flood. He also was shown the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. (Read Jude 14)SRme 1.181

Enoch was troubled about what happens at death. He thought that both the good people and the wicked people would return to dust and that would be their end. He did not understand clearly that the righteous people would live again. In a prophetic vision Enoch was told that the Son of God would die as the sacrifice for our sins. He also was shown Christ coming in the clouds of heaven with the heavenly angels. Christ would give life to the righteous dead and would raise them from their graves.SRme 1.182

Enoch also was shown how wicked the world would be when Christ comes the second time. The wicked people would be boastful, proud, and self-willed. They would be in full rebellion against God's law and would reject the only true God and the Lord Jesus Christ. They also would deny that they needed Christ and His blood to save them and forgive their sins.SRme 1.183

Enoch saw that the righteous would receive a crown of glory and honor from God. But the wicked would be separated from the presence of God and would be destroyed by fire.SRme 1.184

Enoch faithfully told the people all that God had revealed to him by the Holy Spirit. Some people believed what Enoch said, and they turned from their wickedness to love and worship God.SRme 1.185