So how is it possible to have a pure heart in
the middle of the competing demands on our attention every day, most of which
are necessary or good? Is a pure heart really possible in the 21st century?
There’s a fascinating biography in the Old
Testament that describes this spiritual possibility. The story of this man’s life
is told in only six verses, the first four being in Genesis 5. “When
Enoch was 65 years old, he had a son named Methuselah. After Methuselah was
born, Enoch walked with God 300 years more and had other sons and daughters. So
Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked with God; one day Enoch could
not be found because God took him.” (Genesis
5:21-24)
Imagine having that kind of longevity! There’s a
guy with good genes! Of course, according to Bible history, people in those
days lived a long time—consider that his son Methuselah ended up living for 969
years—but that is another story. The point is, life was very long in those
days. So imagine the dynamics of trying to live a spiritual, God-connected life
for that long. As the story states about Enoch, there were several “modern-day”
realities he faced during his life.
He had family obligations as a father and
husband. So you know his life was filled with things screaming for his
attention every day. Also, he lived at a time when the world was incredibly
evil. In fact, the next story (Genesis
6) goes on to describe the world being so wicked that God has to step in
and intervene lest the population destroy itself. So you can imagine Enoch’s
long life is filled with all kinds of attention-getters beckoning for his heart
and mind.
But in the midst of all of these focus-grabbers,
says the story, Enoch walked with God. What does that mean? How does he do it?
The New Testament talks about Enoch this way: “Before Enoch was taken, the
Scripture says that he was a man who truly pleased God.” (Hebrews
11:5)
How did Enoch please God? Was he completely
sinless in his life, never making any mistakes or having any failures so God
was happy with him? The next verse puts it this way: “Without faith it is
impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that God is real
and that God rewards those who truly want to find him.” (Hebrews
11:6)
In other words, the secret to Enoch’s walk with
God, his spirituality, is that he learned how to place God in the center of his
heart. He was willing to place his trust and belief in God. He truly wanted to
find God and enjoy his relationship with God. That fact that the original story
in Genesis uses the word “walked” with God implies going on a journey with God.
In other words, Enoch takes God with him into every aspect of his life.
Everywhere Enoch goes, God goes with him. Enoch is conscious of God in
everything he does. Enoch believes that God is real and so places God at the
center, allowing that priority to affect every other demand on his life.
The Jews have a tradition called “mezuzah.” On
the right side of every Jewish doorpost is nailed a small piece of parchment
rolled and inserted into a wood, metal, stone, or ceramic case called a
mezuzah. On the front of the parchment are lettered the twenty-two lines of the
Shema, the Hebrew prayer from the Torah about God being the only God and that
they will worship God with all their heart, mind, soul and body. The Hebrew
word “Shaddai” (God Almighty) is inscribed on the back in such a way that it
can be seen from the outside. As people go in and out the door, they touch the
mezuzah, sometimes then touching their lips in a “kiss,” as a visible reminder
of what they want to focus their lives on.
This mezuzah was a ritual code that said to
everyone entering and leaving that home, “As for me and my house, we shall
serve the Lord.” Touching of the mezuzah and saying this prayer serve as
regular reminders of who they belong to and what place they want God to occupy
in their lives.
Enoch figured out meaningful and powerful ways
to “mezuzah” his world, ways to help him grow his own soul and spirituality by “modulating
the mundane into the eternal.” One author, in writing about the life of Enoch,
commented: “The infinite, unfathomable love of God became the subject of Enoch’s
meditations day and night; and with all the fervor of his soul he sought to reveal
that love to the people among whom he dwelt.” (White, p. 84)
How did he do that in practical, tangible ways?
How did he develop this perspective and experience with God?
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