Enoch: A Walk of Faith
Hebrews 11:5
Three men were at a funeral of a friend, and the pastor asked, “What do you want your friends to say about you when you are laying in a casket?”
• After the service they began thinking about it, and one man said, “I want my friends to say that I was a good person.”
• The second man said, “I want my friends to say I was a giving person.”
• The third man without any hesitation said, “I want my friends to say, ‘Look, he’s moving!’”
Most of the time we have a problem coming to grips with what’s going on around us, or what is most important until there is a divine encounter. Only then do we realize that all the things that we were so worried about really aren’t that important.
Like when a person contracts cancer or some other potentially fatal disease. All those things that bothered them are no longer the main concern.
Therefore, it all boils down to a couple of things, well really just one that really is the most important, and that is a genuine, vibrant, and real relationship with Jesus Christ.
In God’s Hall of Faith found in Hebrews chapter 11 there is a man by the name of Enoch whose walk with God was so pure, so vibrant, and so honest that to God this is what it is all about.
Look at how the Bible describes Enoch’s life. It’s only 13 words, but in these 13 words we find a faith so powerful and so vibrant that God couldn’t wait any longer.
“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24 NKJV)
In these early chapters of Genesis, especially chapter 5, the Holy Spirit chronicles a record of Adam’s family tree down through Noah and his sons. And while these guys lived for a long time, they all died. That is, all but one, Enoch.
And while Enoch is mentioned less than a handful of times throughout the Bible, he was blessed with one of the most incredible distinctions and testimonies ever given, and that is he walked with God, and then suddenly he goes missing because God took him to be where He is.
Since we are in this series about the forefathers of our faith, and looking at the type of faith that pleases God, Enoch’s faith saw God wanting to be with him. Now that’s some faith. But what insight can we gain from such a brief account?
Enoch Demonstrated Faith Through Attitude
“Enoch walked with God”
As a high school prom was approaching, one young man asked is father if he could borrow his 1963 Corvette to take his date to the prom. His dad said, “If you can improve one letter grade in each of your classes and get your hair cut, then I’ll let you borrow the car.”
A few weeks later the boy managed to pull up all his grades, and so he went back to his father to show him and asked for the keys. The dad said, “Sorry son, but you didn’t get your hair cut.” Indignant the boy replied, “Come on Dad, even Jesus had long hair!” The father smiled and said, “Yes, and Jesus walked everywhere he went.”
Now, this isn’t the kind of walking the Holy Spirit had in mind. The term walk, as used here is synonymous with a person’s way of life. In other words, how you walk is how you live your life. Enoch lived his life in such a way that it was pleasing to God.
But what was it about his walk that made it so special? Well, the clue might be found in the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Church.
“Walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:1-2 NKJV)
Paul was saying that if we want to live a life worthy of someone who has been chosen by God and who has come into a saving relationship with Jesus, we need to have an attitude of humility, gentleness, patience, acceptance, and love.
Humility is an attitude that recognizes our faults and failures. Gentleness is the action associated with humility. Further, we are to patiently accept one another as he said, “bearing with one another in love,” forgiving them as God has forgiven us, and then accepting them as God has so gracious accepted us.
The prophet Micah said, “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you. But to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8 NKJV)
Enoch Demonstrated Faith Through Association
While Enoch walked with God, which demonstrates his faith through his attitude, even more significant was Enoch’s association, which is revealed in the second half of this phrase.
“Enoch walked with God”
The focus is on Enoch’s deep abiding relationship with God. Now, God could have chosen to define His relationship with us in any terms that he wanted, yet He chose to describe Himself as our Father. That’s the type of relationship God wants to have with us.
However, this is hard for some to imagine given their relationship with their earthly fathers. But to get the full idea, Max Lucado describes this relationship like this. ?
“If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, he’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and he chose (to live in) your heart…Face it. God is crazy about you.”
Concerning this relationship with God as Father, the Apostle Paul said, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father.’” (Romans 8:15 NKJV)
The word “Abba,” is the Aramaic for our English word, “Daddy.” When we come to faith in Jesus Christ, and receive the Holy Spirit, God brings us into His own family and allows us to call him, not just Father, but Daddy, or Papa. It is therefore a word of complete intimacy. This is the type of relationship that Enoch had with God.
Enoch Demonstrated Faith Through Ascension
“For God took him”
Can you imagine how difficult it must have been to walk with God during those pre-Flood years, when gross immorality and godlessness were rampant, and only a small remnant of people remained faithful to God?
Oh, wait a second, I think we can. I guess Solomon was right when he said that there in nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).
Just like everyone else, Enoch was living in the shadow of God’s judgment, and by what we are told in the book of Jude, Enoch conveyed this message that the Lord was coming in judgment.
Now, does this mean that God took Enoch to spare him from the coming judgment – well it is a definite possibility, but the one thing that the Bible makes abundantly clear, however, is that it was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven.
“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death.” (Hebrews 11:5a NKJV)
Enoch’s ascension, or rapture, if you would, is a foreshadowing of the coming rapture of the church before God’s final judgment during the end times. Our world today is also filled with depravity, dishonesty, and decadence that we are likewise living in the shadow of God’s coming judgment.
This rapture is described by the Apostle Paul in his first letter to the Thessalonian Church.
“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. 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 (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 NKJV)
Now, whatever your take is concerning when the rapture will happen, the promise is that it will take place, and all those who believe in Jesus Christ, will be “caught up,” in the clouds to meet with Jesus.
Enoch had faith in God, walked with Him, and then God took him to be with Him. Enoch’s life and faith demonstrated that it is possible to be faithful to God, and for us to experience the same.
Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on Hebrews said, “No matter how dark the day or how bad the news, we have the promise of our Lord’s return to encourage us and motivate us to be godly. One day sin will be judged, and God’s people will be rewarded for their faithfulness, so we have every reason to be encouraged as we walk with God.”
Enoch, therefore, teaches us how to walk with God in a fallen world.
1. A Purposeful Walk
Enoch had a mission and focus, and that was to please God, and in his daily walk he would literally keep pace with God, clinging to His side, and then one day they just strolled off together into heaven.
The prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed.” (Amos 3:3 NKJV)
Enoch’s life was one of purpose, which was to progress in his walk with God. Walking with purpose implies consistency. Enoch didn’t walk with God only when times were good, but also when times were bad. He didn’t walk with God for a while and then quit. He walked with God never leaving His side. He walked in unbroken fellowship with the Creator of the universe.
Enoch went where God went. His walk not only drew him closer to heaven, but it distanced him further from the world. He also didn’t attempt to walk to heaven according to his own dictates, but he chose to follow the path God chose for him.
2. An Intentional Walk
We have to be intentional in what we do, especially when it comes to our time with God. You might say we have to be protective of our time with God, and that’s because Satan will throw everything at us, including the kitchen sink.
And while a daily meeting with God is one of the greatest necessities of life, it is also one of the most difficult to maintain. So, how can we do it? It’s by making a commitment, and not allowing discouragement to stop our daily walk with God.
J. C. Ryle, an evangelical Anglican bishop said, “Make it a part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s work … yesterday’s bread will not feed the laborer of tomorrow … Gather your manna fresh every morning.” (J. C. Ryle)
What Enoch teaches us is the importance of a daily and private devotional life to maintain our fervor for God.
And then finally, we need to openly proclaim God’s message to those around us.
3. An Outspoken Walk
Enoch’s message still rings loud and true from Heaven today. His message is that God is coming to this earth in judgment.
In the book of Jude, it says, “Enoch prophesied saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes … 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.” (Jude 14-15 NKJV)
Enoch was never controlled by this fallen world, which is why he could walk with God the way he did, and deliver God’s message to a fallen people. You see, Enoch never lifted himself up; He just lifted up God and His message.
And so, Enoch’s faith was pleasing to God, which is what the writer of Hebrews goes on to describes for us.
“For before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” (Hebrews 11:5b NKJV)
And then he goes on to say in verse six that without faith it is impossible to please God.
That which pleases God isn’t all spiritual and mystical; it’s simply having an honest relationship with Him. Enoch was pleasing to God because he had a close intimate relationship with Him.
What I found interesting is that this is exactly what the Lord said about His Son, Jesus.
To John the Baptist the Father said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.” (Matthew 3:17 NKJV)
What was God pleased about? Jesus hadn’t done anything yet. He hadn’t yet taught any Bible lessons, nor had He healed anyone. Yet God said, “I’m well pleased.”
What God was pleased about is found in the relationship. God said, “My beloved Son.” In other words, God was well pleased in the relationship.
Conclusion
There are those who say they are Christians but really don’t have a relationship with God. Let me just say that knowing about God is no substitute for a genuinely loving relationship with God.
There are many so-called Christians who know all about submission but are unwilling to submit.
• They know all about honesty but are far from being honest in their daily lives.
• They know all there is to know about forgiveness, but heaven help the person who does them wrong.
• They say they believe God’s word, but don’t follow it in their daily lives.
And so, they end up substituting knowledge for obedience, and knowledge for a relationship.
But when we understand this relationship,
• Then we will want to give grace, because of all the grace that has been given to us.
• Then we will want to lay down our lives to serve, because Jesus laid down His life and served us in every way possible.
• And then we will want to forgive others, because of how much God has forgiven us.
This is not a religious thing; instead, it’s about having a genuinely loving relationship with Jesus Christ. And when we have that sort of relationship, then in the end we’ll hear the Lord say to us what I believe He said to Enoch.
“Well done, good and faithful servant … Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (Matthew 25:23 NKJV)
