Heroes of Faith Part 2 - Enoch

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As the only man known in the Bible to have walked with God and then was “taken away” without meeting death, Enoch is a unique patriarch for he so pleased the Lord that his experience is not shared with others. Thereby he holds a most unusual Biblical distinction of not having died.

Scripture doesn’t tell us much about Enoch but what we do know of him is best articulated in Genesis 5 where his story is stashed in layers of records of Adam’s descendants. Amongst it all, verse 22 says “Enoch walked faithfully with God” and two verses on, the Bible reveals why he was particularly special to Him. In this repugnant period prior to the Great Flood, most men rejected God and walked defiant of Him. Sin was in abundance and God was coming to regret creating man.

Enoch had not kept silence about the sin he saw all around him. According to Jude in 1:14-15, Enoch prophesied, saying, “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of His holy ones to judge everyone and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

In all the 365 years of his life, Enoch walked faithfully with God. No matter what, he was with God. His trust was entirely vested in God in total obedience. And God loved Enoch so much that He spared him the fateful meeting of death. The difference that Enoch made amongst the patriarchs of the Bible can be summed up in this passage of Hebrews 11:5-6, which says:

“For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.”

And then one day after 365 years, Enoch simply disappeared. Today we know why:

“…then he was no more because God took him away.” (Genesis 5:24)

In all of Scripture, only one other person was similarly honoured – the prophet Elijah. In his case, God simply placed him in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11). On the other hand, Noah who was Enoch’s great-grandson also “walked faithfully with God” (Genesis 6:9) and because of his righteousness, the Lord made sure he and his family would ride out the deadly Flood. But none went away from the world the way Enoch did.

Achievements

Enoch was a loyal follower of God and despite whatever opposition and ridicule, he’d always spoken the truth

Lessons in Life

Enoch walked in faith and had placed his hopes on a future Messiah, who has since been revealed to us as Jesus Christ. If we follow Enoch and walk faithfully with God, we may die physically but we will be resurrected for eternity.

Personal Strengths

Faith to God, truthfulness, obedience

Personal Weaknesses

None seem to be recorded in the Bible

Hometown

Ancient fertile crescent; exact location unknown

Occupation

Unknown

Family Tree

Jared (father), Methuselah (son amongst other unnamed sons and daughters), Noah (great-grandson)

Biblical References

Genesis 5:18-24; 1 Chronicles 1:3; Luke 3:37; Hebrews 11:5-6; Jude 1:14-15

Key Verses

Genesis 5:22-24 > “After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. Enoch walked faithfully wit God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”

Hebrews 11:5-6 > “It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying – ‘he disappeared because God took him’ for before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.”

Next Up 

Heroes of Faith Part 3 - Noah; November 7 2014