We're spending some time looking at a list of men and women in "the Hall of Faith" of the Bible, Hebrews eleven. These are people that gained approval in God's eyes - not by their good deeds, but by their faith. Last week, we looked at the faith of Abel, which was demonstrated by his offering to God a sacrifice for his sins. This morning, we'll learn about Abel's great-great-great-grandnephew Enoch.
The Bible doesn't have a lot of words to describe Enoch. But we can learn much about him from those few words. In Genesis chapter five we read,
Gen. 5:21 And Enoch lived sixty-five years, and became the father of Methuselah.
At the age of sixty-five, Enoch became a daddy. He named his son Methuselah. Methuselah is a Hebrew word that means "his death shall bring," or "when he dies, it shall be sent." Such a strange thing to name a child!
But we find out from the book of Jude that Enoch was a prophet (Jude 1:14). This strange name that Enoch gave to his son was actually a prophecy. A prophecy of what? What was going to be sent when Methuselah died?
Well, as Genesis five continues, we read that when Methuselah was 849 years old, God spoke to his grandson, a man named Noah. God was going to send a flood to destroy the wickedness of mankind from the earth. This was going to happen in 120 years.
120 years later, Methuselah died, and it started to rain. Enoch had proclaimed, "When he dies, it shall be sent. His death shall bring." Enoch was a man who had heard from God.
Enoch also was given visions from the Lord. Jude, in writing of those apostate people that rejected God in their own ungodliness, says,
Jude 14-15 And about these also Enoch, {in} the seventh {generation} from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Enoch didn't just have foreknowledge of the flood - he also was given a vision of the day that Jesus Christ will return to the earth with the church and the angels to bring judgment on a world that has decided to follow the antichrist.
Why did God choose Enoch to give the message of the flood? Why was Enoch chosen to prophesy regarding the second coming of Christ? The next verse in Genesis five tells us:
Gen. 5:22 Then Enoch walked with God three hundred years after he became the father of Methuselah, and he had {other} sons and daughters.
For the seven generations of mankind listed in this chapter, it was said of men after they became fathers, "he lived." Adam lived. Seth lived. Kenan lived. Notice that instead of saying of Enoch, "he lived," it says, "Enoch walked with God."
Enoch was a man who walked with God. He walked with God for 65 years before his son was born, and another 300 years afterwards.
How can someone walk with God when He can't be seen or touched? The answer is all throughout the Bible - walk in the ways that He has commanded. The Bible says,
Amos 3:3(KJV) Can two walk together, except they be agreed?
For two people to walk together, there must be an agreement between them as to their path.
Now, God will not walk down our path of choosing, but we can walk on His path. God knows the way He is going, and won't change - He has set the path. But He has invited us to join Him on it.
How do we know what direction that is? He has illuminated that path with His Word, the Bible.
Ps. 119:105 Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.
When we live our lives according to God's Word, we are on the right path - we are walking with God.
The next verse of Genesis five is amazing:
Gen. 5:24 And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
Up to this point, Genesis has been saying of each man throughout the previous generations, "and he died." But it does not say that Enoch died. It says, "and he was not, for God took Him."
This Hebrew word, translated into English as "took" literally means "to take, seize, or snatch away." When the author of Hebrews was writing his letter in Greek, he used a word that means, "to bring to another place, to carry to or take up."
So Enoch walked with God, and suddenly God snatched him up, taking him away to heaven.
Enoch didn't die - he was just instantly transported to heaven. It's amazing to think that this could happen to anyone. But the Bible contains a promise which is even harder to imagine: there will be a generation of Christians to whom this will happen to them all!
1Cor. 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
Not every Christian is going to die. At this event, which has been called "the Rapture," every Christian who is alive will be snatched up to be with the Lord, just like Enoch was! Paul told the Thessalonians,
1Ths. 4:17 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.
If we are that generation, and for many reasons, I believe we are, then we as Christians will experience that same "taking up" that Enoch did.
Before being taken up, Enoch was pleasing to God. He walked with God in faith.
Are you living a life of faith that is pleasing to God? Many people say, "Well, I'm not a religious person, but God knows that I try to be good." But the Bible specifically tells us that trying to be good doesn't have anything to do with God being pleased with you. Look at this next verse:
You can't please God without faith - it is impossible. It's not about trying to be good. It's all about faith. Faith in what? First of all, it's having faith that God is. That He is there, that He exists. Do you believe in God? Most people say they do. But then look at the second thing:
Hebr. 11:6 ...and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Do you believe that God rewards those who seek Him? Actions speak louder than words in this case. So the real question is, "Are you LIVING like you believe that God rewards those who seek Him?"
God wants to walk with you. God wants to speak to you. God wants to be pleased with you. God wants to reward you. But all of these things are up to you - whether or not you are willing to walk with Him, listen to Him, have faith in Him, and seek Him.