Long before a beautiful town in California burned, John Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Long before Milton wrote, humankind lost paradise. As we begin with the beginning again this year, I am reminded of the losses caused by sin in the Genesis story. Adam and Eve get evicted from the garden. Cain kills his brother and ends up a wanderer. Worst of all Adam and Eve’s progeny never get the experience of walking with the Lord in the cool of the day.
As we have noted before, the Bible, which contains many stories, really tells one story. The outline goes like this: the good, the bad, the new and the perfect. In Genesis we see the breaking of the world. Will things ever get better again?
Genesis gives glimpses of hope. Seth is born after Abel is murdered. People begin to call upon the name of the Lord (4:26). People are born, give birth to children, live a long time and die (5:3-32). Then comes Enoch who lived a comparatively shorter life. Enoch not only prayed but he walked with God (5:24). He became wonderfully thick with the Almighty. Then one day God took him to his own house.
The beautiful world is broken. But it will not always be so. Enoch reminds us that we can set ourselves apart by walking with God. Call upon the Lord today. Walk with him. Dallas Willard said, “If you want to go to God, start now.” It is never too soon to practice his presence.
