The Life of Enoch

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains the first side of his 'triangular frame' for biblical interpretation: reading history and biography in light of Genesis 3:15. He details the injection…

Enoch's life is described as a 'mini-mural' with three frames: his feet (walked with God), his mouth (witnessed for God), and a strange blank space (went with God), illustrating the distinct aspects of his biblical portrait.

And in the subsequent morning sessions, God willing, we shall examine his life under these three categories. However, I want to explain to you this morning why I am dealing with the life of Enoch as I proposed to deal with it, However, I want to explain to you this morning why I am dealing with the life of Enoch as I proposed to deal with it, and to set forth some biblical perspectives which not only are operative in our study of the life of Enoch, and to set forth some biblical perspectives which not only are operative in our study of the life of Enoch, and to set forth some biblical perspect...

3:47 - 5:11 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin explains the first side of his 'triangular frame' for biblical interpretation: reading history and biography in light of Genesis 3:15. He details the injection…

The biblical portrait of Enoch is likened to a work of art set within a special frame and matting, which represents the hermeneutical principles for understanding his life.

There's an empty space, and there are people, relatives, but in the place where Enoch once walked and talked, he walked. So whether we think of Enoch's life and ministry as set before us in these three portions of the Word of God as a single portrait with the various features of the face highlighted by the biblical record, or a mini-mural, that portrait or mural does not come to us in the scriptures merely tacked on the wall with a thumbtack, but rather it comes to us set as end. As any great work of art is usually set in a very special framework, and usually between the frame and the work of ...

5:12 - 6:36 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God has buried the diamond of this marvelous promise amidst this horrible curse pronounced upon the serpent. Amen.

The hermeneutical framework is described as a 'triangular frame,' with each side representing a fundamental principle for interpreting biblical history and biography.

ours is a triangular frame. And the life of Enoch, and the matting which is within the frame and sets forth something of the beauty and the glory, the challenge, the challenge of the life of this man is that to which I would direct your attention this morning in terms of three very fundamental, very elementary principles which, as I've already indicated, I trust you will find helpful, not only in the study of Enoch, so that when certain observations and applications and doctrines are extrapolated from the life of Enoch, I will carry your conscience that this is a proper handling of the word of...

6:36 - 7:47 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God has buried the diamond of this marvelous promise amidst this horrible curse pronounced upon the serpent. Amen.

Genesis 3:15 is called the 'first piece of wood on our triangular frame,' visually representing its foundational role in biblical interpretation.

That's the first piece of wood on our triangular frame. That's the first side of the matting, or the framing.

7:48 - 7:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God has buried the diamond of this marvelous promise amidst this horrible curse pronounced upon the serpent. Amen.

God's gospel promise in Genesis 3:15 is described as a 'diamond' buried 'amidst this horrible curse pronounced upon the serpent,' highlighting its preciousness and context.

There is a thread of mercy in it, except perhaps if we would consider the very ongoing existence of the serpent and that malicious spirit who stands behind him and spoke through him, his being sustained in existence, if we could regard that a mercy, then apart from that it is judgment unmixed with mercy. But then in verse 15, still speaking to the serpent, still speaking in a context of judgment and maldiction, he says, And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed, he shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Then in verse 16, God directs his...

10:18 - 11:41 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek to discern what God is doing to perpetuate the enmity and move towards its consummation in every biblical history and biography.

The imagery of bruising the serpent's head is explained by the practical example of how one kills a serpent (by striking its head, not its tail), emphasizing the decisive nature of the victory.

But not only is their enmity injected, I will put enmity, enmity perpetuated, thy seed, her seed, but thirdly, the enmity consummated. Look at the language. He shall bruise thy head, and, and thou shalt bruise his heel. The enmity will be ultimately consummated when the head of the serpent, the most vital part in the serpent, when you wish to kill a serpent, you don't throw a rock on its tail.

16:27 - 17:05 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek to discern what God is doing to perpetuate the enmity and move towards its consummation in every biblical history and biography.

Every person in biblical history is depicted as a 'player that comes upon the stage' or part of a 'great chorus of the sweep of humanity,' illustrating their role in the unfolding drama of Genesis 3:15.

He, not they, but he shall bruise thy head. One who comes out of the seed of the woman generically, such a one will utterly crush the head of the serpent, but in the process, his heel, a part of him, but not a vital organ, will be bruised in the process. And here then, in this opening language of God's curse upon the serpent, God infolds this marvelous gospel promise that he intends, intends to come in sheer sovereign grace and mercy and break up this alignment, and through the person of a singular seed, will ultimately crush the head of the serpent, though in the process, his heel will be bru...

17:44 - 19:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Approach the study of Enoch's life determined to inculcate doctrine and allow Scripture to reprove ethical abnormalities.

The reproving function of Scripture is illustrated by 'holy tweezers pinching nerves' of ethical abnormalities, causing an 'ouch' reaction, signifying conviction of sin.

This is God-breathed Scripture. Therefore, I'm going to approach the study of the life of Enoch with the conviction that within those portions of Scripture there is doctrine, and you ought to approach it determined to inculcate that doctrine. There is reproof to become through this congregation and find raw nerves of ethical abnormality and to pinch them right on the end until all over this place there's ouch. And if there's no ouch, either the preacher's not doing his job or you've got a hard heart.

30:29 - 31:10 Read in full sermon

The point: Approach the study of Enoch's life determined to inculcate doctrine and allow Scripture to reprove ethical abnormalities.

The process of reproof and correction is likened to locating and removing a 'sliver' and then teaching how to avoid the 'bush' where it was acquired, emphasizing God's desire for healing and prevention.

What are the ouch words of ethical abnormality and pinch? But God's no killjoy. He just likes to hear us saying ouch. He's located the sliver.

31:10 - 31:28 Read in full sermon

The point: Use biblical biography to extract, confirm, illustrate, and enforce doctrine; to expose and reprove sin and error; to correct and point to right ways of thought and action; and to train in practical godliness.

If preaching doesn't pinch nerves, it's as if 'someone's broken off the end of the tweezers,' implying a failure to apply the reproving power of God's Word.

It's to be instructive. Preaching that doesn't make you think and stretch your brain is not handling the Word of God right. But it's also to be a monitory. If it pinches no nerves, someone's broken off the end of the tweezers because the tweezers are embedded in the Word of God itself.

32:55 - 33:18 Read in full sermon

The point: Read, study, and preach biblical history and biography in the light of our Lord's use of biblical history and biography.

Martin injects humor into the Sadducees' scenario about the woman with seven husbands, suggesting her death was a 'blessed death' given their lack of hope in resurrection.

She went through seven of them and after that she died. After going through seven husbands, who were in any way hobnobbing with Pharaoh's Sadducees and was a blessed death.

50:21 - 50:31 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The third side of the frame is the Lord Jesus's own use of biblical history and biography. Martin demonstrates how Christ extracted profound doctrinal and ethical truths from…

Martin recounts his own experience of picking and eating ripened grain from a field, illustrating what the disciples did on the Sabbath and making the scene more relatable.

I remember out at the Mid-America conference on a road where I used to run and the grain had ripened and once I got over the casuistry of wondering whether I was stealing a man's grain, I wanted to see what that was actually like. So I took a few heads of ripened grain, rubbed them between my hands and blew the shucks off. And I tell you, you talk about a real health food mouthful. Of pure grain right out of the field.

54:42 - 55:05 Read in full sermon

The point: When studying Enoch's life, ask where he fits in the unfolding drama of enmity, whether he is part of the seed of the serpent or the seed of the woman, and how he conducted himself in a wicked age.

The limited biblical data on Enoch's life is described as the 'Holy Ghost came with a palette and just had a very limited number of colors,' emphasizing the precision and intentionality of the scriptural record.

Very little data. It's as though the Holy Ghost came with a palette and just had a very limited number of colors. And he's painted that portrait with that part of his palette in Genesis, Hebrews, and Jude. But as we come to study this man's life let's study it with a view to seeing what is God doing to fulfill his ancient promise.

61:38 - 62:06 Read in full sermon