Enoch ‘Was Not’ because He ‘Was Not’
(Genesis 5:18-24)
“Jared lived 162 years, and begot Enoch. [19] After he begot Enoch, Jared lived 800 years, and had sons and daughters. [20] So, all the days of Jared were 962 years; and he died. [21] Enoch lived 65 years, and begot Methuselah. [22] After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years, and had sons and daughters. [23] So, all the days of Enoch were 365 years. [24] And, Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
(C.S. Lewis) – “Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased!”
I. Enoch ‘was not’ conformed to his culture and his world.
(Heb. 11:5-6) – “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him;’ for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. [6] But, without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
First, we can conclude that Enoch pleased the Lord, AND this certainly indicated a direct correlation between Enoch’s non-conformity to his world and culture, and pleasing God. We read in James 4:4 – “…Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
I believe Enoch personified here on earth God’s definition of true Biblical faith. When it comes to Biblical faith and its definition, Hebrews 11:6 is the gold standard verse. And, it is fair to conclude that the Lord used Enoch’s earthly example as the template for true children of God to live by.
1) Biblical faith believes what God says. (Heb. 11:6) – “…He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” When the Lord tells all His children (Rom. 12:1) – “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service;” then, by true, Biblical faith, the true child of God must believe God expects him/her to do this!
In 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 – when God inspired Paul to pray that the Thessalonian believers would experience God’s provision of entire sanctification – and concluded his prayer with a sovereign promise from God, “faithful, who also will do it;” the Christian is to believe that God wills all Christians to be entirely sanctified; and, that our faithful God will entirely sanctify the believer!
2) True, Biblical faith obeys what God requires. (Heb. 11:6) – “…He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” The second element of true, Biblical faith requires the act of the will. If you want to be a true Christian, a true child of God, then you must do what God requires! Total, genuine, Biblical, obedience unto the heavenly Father is not an option; it is a requirement! (Prov. 8:17) – “I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” (Jer. 29:13) – “…you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” The Christian must – by faith –turn over to the Holy Spirit’s full control every aspect of his/her life! (Eph. 5:18) – “…do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but, be filled with the Spirit…”
(*This is VERY important) – The truly born-again child of God must not proceed to this third element involved in Biblical faith until he/she is certain he/she has successfully completed the first two elements in their walk and relationship with Jesus Christ! Successful completion is measured by a clear conscience and an unconditionally surrendered attitude of heart and mind toward God!
3) True, Biblical faith trusts in and rests upon what God promises. (Heb. 11:6) – “…He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” First, one “trusts in” what God has promised because God’s Word is immutable (un-changing) and eternal. (Psalms 119:89) – “Forever, O LORD, Your Word is settled in heaven.” (Matt. 24:35) – “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My Words will by no means pass away.” Also, Hebrews 11:1 tells us that Biblical faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The words “substance” (hupo’stasis) and “evidence” (eleg’chos) are better translated “confidence” and “certainty” respectively. Faith brings confident certainty! A person has not exercised biblical faith if he is not able with complete confidence to trust God to do what He promised!
II. Enoch ‘was not’ controlled by his culture and his world.
(Jude 14-16) – “…Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, [15] to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. [16] These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage.’”
We learn something important about Enoch’s career while here on earth – He was a preacher! We find here that Enoch’s life was not controlled by the world! He was a man who was separated to the task of getting out God’s message! This is not a very popular line of work these days; probably not very popular in Enoch’s day as well. Not many people today are committed to the task of proclaiming the message of God. (Matt. 9:37-38) – {Jesus}”said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. [38] Therefore. pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” I count it a privilege to labor for the Kingdom of God! What an honor to be an emissary of the Lord of Hosts!
Enoch ‘was not’ conformed to his culture and his world, he ‘was not’ controlled by his world, finally…
III. Enoch ‘was not’ condemned with his world.
(Heb. 11:5) – “…before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.”
(Rev. 14:13) – “…I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, ‘Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”
(Heb. 4:9-11) – “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. [10] For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. [11] Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.”
(Rev. 20:6) – “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”
(1 Thess. 4:14-18) – “…if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And, the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then, we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And, thus we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”
(Heb. 9:27) – “…it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” [v. 28] “…Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”
*Enoch had this testimony: that he was in God’s favor because he pleased the Lord! This testimony undoubtedly spoke to the world around him. But, this same testimony testified unto Enoch himself that he was forgiven, that he was saved, that he had hope…And, God simply came and took him to his heavenly home!
