The Faith of Abel, Enoch & Noah - Types of Christ

Vol 1 - No 6, February 11, 2004

The faith of Abel, Enoch and Noah as types foreshadowing The Man of Faith:

In our first five studies we observed Adam's lack of faith in God's Word, which he worked out in disobedience. As a result he became disassociated and alienated from his Creator. His sinful nature passed on to everyone born from his seed and his first son Cain also rejected God's Word and became a murderer. It went downhill from there as we saw that every imagination of the thoughts of men were continually evil. The earth was corrupt and filled with violence and it thus became necessary for God to destroy everyone except those with Noah in the ark. However, in the midst of that evil time are accounts of God's saving grace, which He provided by the power of His Word to Abel, Enoch and Noah, each of whom received it by faith and in obedience.

An estimated 1646 years passed between the creation of Adam and the flood. This calculation is based on life spans of Adam and the men born after him. By computing the length of their lives, along with the chronology of events that follow in the Old Testament, the creation of Adam is estimated to have occurred in the year 4004 BC and the great flood of Noah in 2348 BC. (See Appendix 50 of the Companion Bible.) During the 1646 years between the creation of Adam and the flood, many hundreds of thousands of people lived. We don't know the total number of people who followed God by faith in His Word. The scriptures name only Abel, Enoch and Noah.

These three men were believers and examples of God's grace during that time. They also were, both individually and corporately, types that foreshadowed The Son of Man, Jesus Christ. The lives of Abel, Enoch and Noah point to the fact that Jesus fulfilled God's Word by His faith therein in worship, in walk and in deliverance from sin. When Jesus began His ministry among men, His father God said from heaven, "this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased," (see Matthew 3:1717 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

; 17:5, Mark 1:1111 And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

and 2 Peter 1:1717 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

.) Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Abel, by offering a sacrifice that was pleasing to God and being murdered for his righteousness was a type of the man Jesus who by faith in God's Word, offered Himself as the only sacrifice for sin acceptable to God. Christ died for our sins. John 1:2929 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

- "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." I Peter 3: 18 - "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:" As Abel was killed by his brother, Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples and turned over to the government by His own brethren for crucifixion.

For us today, Jesus Christ's personal sacrifice has paid for our sins but Romans 12:11 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

is the Word of God to us regarding sacrifice - "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." And like Abel and Christ we are called upon to suffer for His sake, Philippians 1:2929 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake;

- "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake;" and II Timothy 3:12 - "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."

Enoch was a type of the man Jesus, who by faith in God's Word, walked with God. In John 10: 30 Jesus is quoted as saying "I and my Father are one," and in John 5:19 & 3019 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,

29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

He is quoted as saying He can do nothing of Himself because He sought not His own will but the will of the Father Who sent Him. This means the Man Jesus walked in perfect harmony with God. And, He was caught up into the heavens after His resurrection from the dead.

For us today, we who have faith in God's Word walk by faith not by sight - see 2 Corinthians 5:77 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:)

. We are to "walk" not after the flesh but after the Spirit and by doing this we do not fulfill the lusts of the flesh but produce the fruits of the Spirit, see Romans 8:1 - 41 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

and Galations 5:16 - 26. And, like Enoch and our savior Jesus Christ, we look forward to being caught up to heaven to be with our Lord Jesus Christ, see I Corinthians 15:51 - 58 and I Thessalonians 4:13 - 18.

The flood brought judgment and death to all who were not in the ark. Noah, or more specifically, the ark that Noah built, pointed to the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the world of sin. Matthew 24:3737 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

- "But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be." See also verses 38 & 39. And, see Revelation 19:1111 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

. But John 6:3737 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

instructs "All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast Out."

We today who believe in the saving work of Jesus Christ are assured that we are in Him as Noah and his family were in the ark. According to Colossians 2:1212 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

we today who have faith in God's Word are "Buried with Him (Christ) in baptism, wherein also ye (we) are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God Who hath raised Him from the dead." This baptism does not speak of being dunked into water in a physical ceremony, this is the baptism by the Spirit into Christ's Body as described in I Corinthians 12:13. We, who are in Christ, are delivered from the judgment that will befall this world.

What proof do we have now that Christ died for our sins and that His death, burial and resurrection justifies us before God and this is all we need for a proper and right relationship with God? What evidence presents to us that if we do believe that Christ died for our sins we have assurance of eternal life with Him? We have God's Word. And, we place our faith in His Word. Hebrews 11:11 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

, "Now faith is the substance (or title deed) of things hoped for, the evidence (or the proof) of things not seen."