For my online Old Testament class I have decided to do an assignment where I post it in my blog every week. So here goes the first entry :)
Whom God Calls, He Qualifies:
I am reading in Moses and God is describing how the people are in those days. He is so angry at them for holding their own counsels in the dark, devising murder, denying God, and they are not keeping the commandments. While I was reading that, I thought about what God would say about the people of today. It would probably sound something like that but with more things that they are doing. God asks Enoch tell the people to repent. Enoch's reaction is that he is slow of speech and just a boy, so why is he the one that God is calling to do all of this? This part reminded me of Joseph Smith, being just a boy but he did so much for this gospel. It's incredible if you really think about it. It doesn't matter what time period it is, I don't think I could do what some of these people have done at such a young age. I wouldn't have been mature enough. I remember when I was younger I was very shy, especially with adults. I have grown out of that but it would still be a hard thing to do at 19. But then again there are 19 year olds all over the world doing just that. I suppose when it is the Lord's work at it is something that is so desirable and sweet, it ends up not being as hard as we think it is.
The Lord reassures Enoch that He is with him. God walks with Enoch. It is just amazing to me for someone to go from no self-confidence at all in telling people to repent to help raise up this wonderful nation that is so great that God takes them up to be with Him. He made people tremble so that they could not stand in his presence. Enoch's faith must have grown so much because the Lord protected him and was with him always. I think the Lord does the same for other people but in ways that we might not recognize. Definitely we see this all the time in church callings. Someone doesn't think they will be able to do a good job or aren't worthy enough to have such a high calling. But these callings are from the Lord and He will help us do anything. I think this story comes out even in small things like if we are scared to do things on our own. The Lord is with us so we are really never alone. Even when we give talks, we might be nervous but it ends up being just fine. I recently had an experience with this. On Easter Sunday, my friend and I were going to sing in sacrament meeting. Thank goodness we had sacrament first because I was dying just waiting to finally get the song over with because I was so nervous. My heart kept beating, I was hot, I just tried not to think about it. I finally said a little prayer in my heart to help us to do well and to help me not be so nervous and to just calm down. Sure enough I did calm down some and we sang our song beautifully. We made no mistakes and I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be.
To sum it up about what the bible says about Enoch and his people is that the people were wicked. So of course God calls on someone to tell them to repent and that was Enoch. Enoch feels inadequate and the Lord lifts him up and is with him. Enoch keeps prophesying unto the people and he tells them how he saw God, face to face. He talked with God. God told him who to go tell to repent and Enoch went and didn't say anything else because he knew God was with him. Enoch led the people of God. Even in battle people were in fear because he walked with God. They were so righteous that God took them up to live with Him. I think this is a powerful testimony of showing us that we can do anything that God asks us to. He will not ask us to do anything that we cannot handle. Reading through this challenges me to have a different outlook with callings and other things and to not be afraid because God is with me.
