Day 11 – And He Died

Yesterday I wrote about starting over after we sin. Adam and Eve started over after they were removed from the Garden. Cain started over after killing his brother. We are encouraged to start over when we sin, not to pretend our sin had no effect, but to recall that God loves us and continues to give us a new chance.

Today’s reading from Genesis (you can read the entire passage below) begins a tradition of the Holy Scripture of naming the generations of someone holy and blessed by God. There is one common theme among every righteous person in the Scriptures, except for two. Today we hear about the first. At the age of more than 300 hundred, Enoch suddenly was no longer found on the face of the Earth.

It is important to notice that in today’s reading we find the repeating phrase, “And he died.” This phrase is not used for Enoch, but rather “and he was not, for God took him.” The other righteous man never to die in the Old Testament was the Prophet Elias who was also taken by God before he died.

You might wonder why I’m focusing on death today. These men died as did everyone else in the Old Testament, but our Great Lenten Journey especially through our fasting, acknowledges death as our human reality. Saint Paul says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6.23) Orthodox monastic tradition has a constant consciousness of death.

Finally, on Holy Friday at the end of our entire journey, we will hear almost in the same fashion of today’s reading, that Christ died. Thankfully Christ’s death was life-changing for us so that our death would only be temporary. That will be the ultimate start over in heaven with God, and that is what our entire Great Lenten Journey is all about.

This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived a hundred and thirty years, he became the father of a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he became the father of Seth were eight hundred years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.

When Seth had lived a hundred and five years, he became the father of Enosh. Seth lived after the birth of Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

When Enosh had lived ninety years, he became the father of Kenan. Enosh lived after the birth of Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.

When Kenan had lived seventy years, he became the father of Mahalalel. Kenan lived after the birth of Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.

When Mahalalel had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Jared. Mahalalel lived after the birth of Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred and ninety-five years; and he died.

When Jared had lived a hundred and sixty-two years he became the father of Enoch. Jared lived after the birth of Enoch eight hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were nine hundred and sixty-two years; and he died. When Enoch had lived sixty-five years, he became the father of Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after the birth of Methuselah three hundred years, and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.