47 - Hebrews 11:5-6: The Faith of Enoch

Hebrews 11:5-6

“By faith Enoch was transferred from earth; he never died. He could not be found, for God had promoted him. And before he was taken to heaven he obtained the witness that he was well-pleasing to God. But apart from faith, it is impossible to be well-pleasing to God, for anyone who draws close to Him must believe He exists and that He reveals Himself to those who earnestly seek Him.”   (paraphrased)

It is interesting to contrast Abel’s fate with that of Enoch. Both made heaven their home, but one was violently murdered and the other simply taken home by God. All saints are destined to reach the Kingdom of Heaven, regardless of how they arrive.

Enoch is a role model for everyone who walks with God. All other genealogies surrounding him end with the phrase, “and he died” (Gen. 5:5-27). But when we come to Enoch, we find simplistic statements: “Enoch walked with God. He was not. God took him” (v. 24). The writer to the Hebrews adds, “He was not found. God translated him” (11:5). Enoch means “disciplined, dedicated, instructed, and well-regulated.” He was instructed by God and dedicated to His service.

Enoch kept pace with God, neither running ahead of Him nor lagging behind. He walked with Him perseveringly, proactively and progressively. To walk with God is to please Him. Enoch was neither a renowned warrior nor a king. The secret of his greatness was the God with whom he walked. The phrase “walk with God” in Genesis indicates a purposeful determination to please Him. Such perseverance is remarkable in an era when no written revelation existed. Enoch never saw death because he was always with the One who had power over death.

Although all human beings sin, the Bible records no sin in Enoch’s life. Only a few things are known regarding him:

1. He was the seventh descendant from Adam (Jude 14).
2. He was the first prophet mentioned in the Bible (Jude 14).
3. He was a prophet of judgment (Jude 15).
4. He began his family when he was sixty-five years old (Gen. 5:21).
5. He walked with God for another 300 years after he had children (Gen. 5:22).
6. He was translated when he was 365 years old (Gen. 5:23).
7. He pleased God (Heb. 11:5).
8. He never died (Heb. 11:5).
9. He was taken to heaven by God Himself (Gen. 5:24).

Prior to the flood, people often lived for hundreds of years. Enoch was the father of Methuselah, who died at age 969. Considering the story from the perspective of longevity, Enoch was translated in the “prime” of his life. He was on earth for 365 years before he left it. If we allow ourselves to entertain the numerical analogy, we should walk with God 365 days a year. Had a memorial stone been erected to honor Enoch’s life, the epitaph may simply have read: GONE HOME.

Enoch and the Book of Jude
Enoch’s walk with God does not suggest he was idle. In the book of Jude, we find he was involved in a prophetic ministry (Jude 14-15). He predicted God would arrive with ten thousand angels to execute judgment on the ungodly; a term used four times for the sake of emphasis (v. 15).

From the two verses in Jude, the following can be ascertained:

He believed in prophecy (v. 14).
He believed in the Second Coming of Christ (v. 14).
He believed angels would accompany His return (v. 14).
He believed God would judge evil (v. 15).
He believed in the conviction of the Holy Spirit (v. 15).
He believed those who are ungodly will do ungodly things (v. 15).
He believed the ungodly will speak evil of Believers (v. 15)

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Enoch lived in the evil world Cain and his descendants had made. If this passage reflects the core of his preaching, he must have faced strong opposition. While those around him rushed to judgment, Enoch obtained prophetic information by talking with God. While his preaching did not please men, his life and ministry pleased the Lord. Had the godless men of that day listened to Enoch and repented, the flood would have been unnecessary.

Enoch and His Walk
The analogy of “walking” is a popular Biblical analogy everyone can relate to. Walking requires both balance and sight. Walking is to our physical health what prayer is to our spiritual health. Walking with someone suggests intimacy and communication. Enoch did not walk with a mythological figure. He walked with a Person. To walk with God requires desire and determination, for two only walk in harmony when in agreement (Amos 3:3). A spiritual walk implies obedience, faith, fellowship, love, and trust. The act of walking assumes one has a destination and a purpose. This analogy is common in the Word of God. We are instructed to:

walk in love - Eph. 5:2
walk in newness of life - Rom.6:4
walk in the light - I Jn. 5:7
walk in righteousness - Isa. 33:15
walk in obedience - II Jn. 6
walk in Christ Jesus - Col. 2:6
walk in wisdom - Col. 4:5
walk in the Spirit - Gal. 5:16
walk in truth - III Jn. 3
walk in faith - II Cor. 5:7

v. 5
Enoch’s story centers on his unique departure. He entered the gates of heaven without passing through the gates of death. Three different forms of the word “translated” are used in this verse:

<> “Enoch was translated” (metetehe).
<> “God translated him” (metetheken).
<> “He pleased God before his translation” (metatheseos).

This term is never used in Scripture regarding natural death, but always expresses the idea of being taken to heaven without dying. It means to transfer, to transpose, to carry across, to remove, to change from one place to another or to relocate. In Enoch’s case, this meant being displaced from earth to heaven. The same concept is used by Paul to express how Jesus has “translated (metestesen) us into the kingdom of His dear Son” (Col. 1:13). For Believers, crossing over into heaven is a seamless transition.

The writer does not say Enoch died, but that he was “not found” (heurisko). This term implies others tried in vain to find him after a thorough search. When a man suddenly “goes missing,” people naturally look for him. The Greek language here strongly suggests people sought him, but he simply could not be located.

To answer the question why God took Enoch, we must consider several factors.

1. The wickedness in the world was escalating. Enoch was a preacher of righteousness and made a sharp distinction between those who served God and those who did not (Jude 15). His message would have made him unpopular. Perhaps his translation spared him further persecution. Enoch walked with God and no one else, while those around him walked with anyone but God.

2. God waited 365 years to take Enoch home. Perhaps the delay was to allow people time to repent. This was certainly the case with Noah, Enoch’s great-grandson, who preached for 120 years (Gen. 6:3).

3. He was taken home as a reward for his faithfulness. After he pleased God by preaching for Him, walking alongside Him and communicating with Him, he was supernaturally transferred directly to heaven. Consider the difference between the world he was taken from and the world he was brought into.

4. His case demonstrates God can remove His people from earth with equal ease. It prefigures the Rapture of the Church (I Th.4:17). Walking with God results in “rapture readiness.” Enoch’s removal was an object lesson, proving that God will spare the righteous from judgment. This was true regarding Noah and the ark and also true in the case of Elijah, whom God took to heaven in a chariot of fire (II Kgs. 2:11).

5. Enoch proved it is possible for human beings to be well-pleasing to God. Jesus always did those things which pleased His Father (Jn. 8:29). Similarly, we are to learn how to walk and to please God (I Thess. 4:1).

6. It helps Believers overcome the natural fear of death. Enoch’s story assures us of a home in the hereafter. Although he left his former location, he did not leave his walking Companion. He resumed his walk with God in heaven. Those who walk with God down here will walk with Him in white robes up there (Rev. 3:4).

v. 6
The writer indicates Enoch’s translation was a special blessing for having pleased God. He now shows how pleasing Him validates faith. Although this verse is broadened to include all who walk with God, the following logic should be applied in Enoch’s case: Faith is necessary to please God. They who are in the flesh cannot please Him (Rom. 8:8). Enoch pleased God and walked with him. Therefore, Enoch had faith. His story helps us to see the utter impossibility of pleasing God without faith. With faith, we believe God exists and are convinced He rewards those who seek Him.

This verse expands the definition of faith provided thus far:

Faith is the substance of hope. (11:1)
Faith places trust in the unseen. (11:1)
Faith obtains a good report. (11:2)
Faith accepts the creation narrative (11:3)
Faith affirms God exists. (11:6)
Faith knows God rewards. (11:6)

The term “impossible” is emphatic. It is not possible to please Him at all apart from faith. “Coming to God” is proserchomenon, the same term used regarding one who draws near to God in worship (10:1). Those who are interested in God must believe He is interested in them as well. Honest seekers find that God is real and that He rewards their efforts to find Him.

By itself, faith in God is nothing, for even the demons believe (Jas. 2:19). Belief must be coupled with the assurance He rewards faithfulness. “Reward” in this verse carries the idea of payment. God told Abraham, “I am thy exceeding great reward” (Gen. 15:1). The Lord told Jeremiah, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). To seek God with diligence means to pursue Him purposefully and determinately. One searching for God must also believe the living God will actually answer their prayers. Any serious search for God will always end at the cross of Jesus Christ.

 

QUESTIONS: THE FAITH OF ENOCH

Hebrews 11:5-6

1. According to Genesis 5:5, how long did Adam live?

2. According to Genesis 5:8, how long did Adam’s son Seth live?

3. According to Genesis 9:29, how long did Noah live?

4. How long did Abraham live? (Genesis 25:7)

5. What did Jesus promise to those who seek? (Matthew 7:7)

6. “Translated” means to:
A. transfer
B. transpose
C. relocate
D. remove
E. all of the above

7. According to Jude 14-15, Enoch:
A. was a prophet
B. believe in reincarnation
C. believed in angels
D. believed God would judge evil
E. A, C & D

8. According to Amos 3:3, two people can only walk in harmony if they are________________.

9. Each of you make a separate list of things about which you and your mate both find it hard to agree upon. Then exchange lists and discuss.

10. Each of you make a separate list of things about which you and your spouse are almost always in agreement. Then exchange lists and discuss.

 

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