A Small Footprint

Rev. Sudha Mehta©

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Genesis 5: 24 Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away. (BSB)

A Pre-Rapture Rapture is what happened in the case of Enoch! Perhaps most of you have never thought of this, but Enoch was the first person ever to be raptured bypassing Death, just carried to Heaven.

Interestingly, not much is written about him in the Canon of the Bible. Extra Biblically speaking there is the Book of Enoch that is available for anyone to read. I look at it as a history book. It was not considered inspired, and so it was not included in the Canon of 66 books of the Bible. However, apparently Jesus didn’t dismiss this guy or his writings.

He makes a brief appearance in the fifth chapter of the Book of Genesis. To be clear there is another Enoch in Chapter 4 of Genesis, who was born to Cain. This is NOT that guy. We are following the line of Seth who was Cain’s younger brother born to Adam and Eve, after Cain killed Abel.

It was Seth’s line that Jesus came from, so we will stay with it.

Genesis 5: 21When Enoch was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah. 22 And after he had become the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 So Enoch lived a total of 365 years.

24 Enoch walked with God, and then he was no more, because God had taken him away. (BSB)

footprints from istockphoto

That is it! This is all the Bible records of the 365 years long life of this man called Enoch in the first book of the Old Testament.

Just a small footprint!

Yet He is in the lineage of Jesus:

Luke 3: 23 Jesus Himself was about thirty years old when He began His ministry. He was regarded as the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, . . . Follow the generataions and you will see verse

37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.(BSB)

There you have it, Enoch was the 7th generation from Adam and in the lineage of Jesus, linking Jesus to Adam, who you will note is also called the son of God. Adam was created, Jesus was and is the Creator . . . but that is a subject for another time.

Aside from this in the New Testament there is only the following :

Hebrews 11: 5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see 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.(BSB)

This is absolute confirmation that he didn’t just die and disappear, his body never to be found, rather, he was taken by God without seeing Death. We are told he was one that pleased God.

The writer of Hebrews found Enoch’s faith important enough to include him in the Bible’s Hall of Faith.

Then Jude says:

Jude: 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, also prophesied about them:

“Behold, the Lord is coming with myriads of His holy ones. 15 to execute judgment on everyone,

and to convict all the ungodly of every ungodly act of wickedness 

and every harsh word spoken against Him by ungodly sinners.”(BSB)

So, Jude quotes Enoch as being the source of a tremendous prophecy given approximately 4000 years before Jude lived, telling us of a moment when the Lord Jesus will return to Earth with myriads of His holy ones. You should know the “holy ones” referred to here are those Christians yet to be taken in the Rapture. 

We are also told by Enoch that upon returning Jesus will execute judgment upon the ungodly! Know of any ungodly people in the World today? I am certain you do! Pay attention to his words . . . the ungodly will be punished for every ungodly act AND every harsh word spoken against Him!

This should give you pause! It is so egregious, I wonder how many Christians need to repent of having uttered harsh words against our Lord! Just sayin’!!

Angry People from stream.org

God walked with Enoch and communed with him as a close friend.

footprints from nutritiouslife

It would be fair to say that Enoch walked so closely with God, that God just said “Come on over to my home,” and he did.

Rapture of Enoch from matthewsample2.blgspot

No death needed! He left us a small footprint but Heaven records him as a mighty saint!

(Just a fun side-note: You may be impressed that he is in the lineage of Jesus. I was, until something  occurred to me! You and I also are descended from Enoch!! 😲

Think about this: virtually every human is a descendent of Noah. Since Noah, his wife, three sons and their wives were on the ark, and no other humans survived the flood,  we can all trace our ancestry to Noah through one of his sons. Enoch was the great grandfather of Noah, so, even though he was raptured before the flood, we are all related to him.)

God had conversations with Enoch that he recorded just like the other prophets. So, while the entire book of Enoch was not included in the Canon, we know that Jude quoted him when writing his own epistle that is in the Holy Writ. The Book of Enoch was taught at the Yeshiva (Jewish boys school). When Jesus was here on Earth, He also attended Yeshiva in order to have a Bar Mitzvah! He also would have been taught this. In Heaven He already had many years of sweet fellowship with Enoch yet our Lord laid His Divinity aside when He took on human form.

So, what does this have to do with my title “Small Footprints?”

Enoch had a small footprint in the Bible but a mighty impact on all humanity from the vantage point of Heaven. Note that I am not speaking of the Books of Enoch and Jasher. Reason is simply that most Christians have little or no knowledge of them.

There are many in the Bible that have a lot written about them. Many good godly men like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, as well as many really bad people such as Ahab, Jezebel, Saul to name a few. There are major prophets, and there are minor prophets. All have larger footprints than Enoch. Even the one chapter of Jude, 25 verses, just like Philemon. Enoch has only 9 verses in the entire Bible that speak of him. Yet in these 9 verses we get a record of a man hugely regarded in Heaven and on Earth. Deeply loved of God as a friend, trusted to know the secrets of Heaven and to reveal prophecy thousands of years before the time of it’s fulfillment.

Another such man is Melchizedek. mentioned in a count of ten verses in the Bible. I may write a post about him another time.

In every era gone by as well as contemporary times there have been men/women who have left a large footprint as their legacy in the advancement of the Gospel, and we are grateful for it. There have been periods of revivals where  men/women have led the charge bringing Fresh Fire from God to Nations, and thus countless numbers have found Christ and taken refuge in Him as their Savior.  Full lists of Church fathers, and pioneers in the work can be found easily even on line. In todays age of Technology many continue to proclaim the Name of God via TV and the Internet and in the process make a name for themselves leaving some very big footprints! The World population is closing in on 8 Billion. TV and satellite are in the most remote places giving people access to information they never imagined. 

And yet . . .  the most effective work is done by the ones who leave a very tiny footprint.

I know missionary outreaches led by teams that go two by two (Bible style) to the most remote lands, crossing over hills and mountains, valleys and rivers bringing the message of a loving God to those that dwell in darkness. They use cars, motorcycles! Where there are only dirt paths they use bicycles. If there is no path at all, they still carry a backpack and go trekking through dangerous jungles dodging snakes, guns and arrows and more. 

missionary photo godtv

Using tiny row boats they cross danger infested rivers carrying flyers in local languages and a Bible. For fame and fortune?? To have a large footprint in order to impress God and man??? NO! Just a love for God and humanity!!

missionary photo pinterest

I know of secret house Bible meetings in Countries where persecution abounds. Risking their very lives, these warriors continue to share and encourage others in the love of Christ, desiring Zero footprint yet changing lives forever. These are well noted in Heaven!

praying grandma photo pinterest

Many of you will say Amen to the sentiment expressed in the photo above. Grandmas have a small footprint, but their prayer rings the loudest in Heaven! I know this personally!!

There are friends and neighbors that encourage one another in the Lord by praying together, sharing each others pain in difficult times, carrying one another’s burdens just the way the Lord said to do. Small footprints!

Friends of mine have a heart for the poor and the homeless in the dangerous parts of the city. They take food, clothing, provisions, to the poor along with the Gospel, loving and praying with them. The threat of bullets flying or having to dodge drug needles everywhere they step doesn’t deter them. Bad weather only propels them to do more not less. Small footprints!

I know people who minister to drug addicts, lost and wayward young people. They do all they can to guide them back to health and wholeness and in process giving them the greatest gift of the Gospel.  Small footprints!

street ministry photo southerntidings.com

There are others who with joy, make food for the homebound elderly, clean for them, take them to medical appointments, do chores like mowing and fixing things for the invalids just out of love for the Lord and His people. Small footprints!

This is where Christianity Happens!

Isaiah 58: 9b If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and malicious talk, 10 and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then your light will go forth in the darkness, and your night will be like noonday. 11The LORD will always guide you; He will satisfy you in a sun-scorched land and strengthen your frame.(BSB)

I have seen lives change for the better too many times in my life. Most of these were not changed by Mega churches, or TV ministers from the World across, rather they were changed by the invitation from a caring neighbor reaching out when they were in distress, in lack, or in pain. They were touched by someone who left a very small footprint yet made a very large lifechanging impact.

Years ago a client asked me what I get out of counseling. I told her I am one little person and cannot reach everyone for the Lord, but if I can reach one sitting in front of me and help that one to recover and be whole in Christ, then he/she goes out and touches another and does the same. Then that person repeats with another. It is one hand extended to reach another. Therein lies my fulfillment. She was touched enough to ask “Can I be your hand extended?” Decades later she continues to touch many lives as a counselor herself. Small footprints!

Whatever you do today, I hope you do not get discouraged by the size of your footprint. I believe in Heaven the size of your footprint matters little, the size of your heart for the Lord . . . on the other hand . . . is the measure He will use to gauge your success or failure.

Have a sick neighbor? Make a casserole and drop it by with a short encouraging note!

Know someone who just lost a loved one? Find a way to invite them over for a cup of tea. Let them know you are praying for them. Give a hug, shed a tear with them.

Someone you know lost a job? How about getting some groceries for them? Bring some encouraging words, pray with them. Perhaps offer to do some chores while they go job hunting.

Have a few neighbors that do not know Christ? How about opening your home and inviting them for a Bible Study? Make coffee, put out some cookies and share the Word.

The impact you have with one on one connections is far greater than you imagine. 

DO IT in the New Year!

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