Enoch lived an extraordinary life and escaped physical death as a result. Though this grand blessing is obviously not the norm in God’s scheme of things, we certainly gain insight into the incredible things that can happen when we actually live a life pleasing to God.
The general description of eight of nine men in the genealogy of Genesis chapter five is that each one lived a certain number of years, fathered a certain son, lived a certain more number of years, had other children, and died. Enoch’s description stands out as markedly different: instead of dying, he simply “was not,” for God took him away. The exact details are not divulged, but this man did not have to die a physical death. Both Enoch’s body and spirit were taken directly by God!
Genesis tells us that Enoch walked with God, and Hebrews 11:5 reveals in greater detail that Enoch pleased God. Enoch’s walking with God was no doubt an intimate, passionate relationship. Certainly the man put God at the forefront and is now forever known for living above the ordinary and experiencing a miracle indeed.
The genealogy of Genesis chapter five makes clear that one man of many saw life as more than an accumulation of years and the building of a family. The span of each man’s years represents a myriad of endeavors, including his work, his care for his family, his eating, his relaxation, his ponderings, etc. But, of all those things in which Enoch was also no doubt involved, none compared to Enoch’s walk with God. His heart must have always been driven by a love for His Creator and Savior; his mind must have pushed all other activities to align with God’s view.
For Enoch, this love for God was real. I Chronicles 28:9 informs us that God actively searches our hearts and understnads every intention. Neither Enoch nor any one of us can get away with falsifying our passion. God knows our core. Enoch’s right living was motivated by a desire to please God.
Following the effective description of Enoch in Hebrews 11:5, verse six goes on to tell us there are two requirements for drawing near to God; believing in His existence and believing that He rewards those who seek Him. Enoch staked his life on the existence of the one, true God who requires that we live for Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. Enoch was not disappointed.
One thing for which we ought to pray is such an unbroken walk with Jesus that our death is simply a seamless transition to the glorious continuance of eternal life. Though we will die physically (if Jesus does not return before then), our spirit will not miss a beat because of how close we are to our Lord.
God upholds Enoch as a shining example of God’s power to do miraculous things for those who earnestly seek Him. If God translated a man to Heaven without death near the beginning of history, what is He trying to communicate to us in terms of our pursuits and expectations?
Jesus will completely destroy death, as outlined in I Corinthians 15:26. Death is the last enemy. Death is the result of man’s sin against God. Death makes men fear. But Enoch looked forward to Jesus. He loved and believed in Him so much that Jesus gave Enoch a taste of the end at the beginning. May we allow God to so redeem us and pervade our lives that we, too, can taste His glory even as we walk this earth.
God may not translate us to Heaven without death, but Jesus promises us in John 5:24 that we have already passed from death to life when we hear Jesus and genuinely believe in Him. He gives us life and victory over sin and over ordinary, mundane circumstances. He then reveals that one day, everyone whose body is in a tomb will hear His voice. Those who walked with Him in this life will have their body resurrected for eternal life, and those who walked without Him in this life will have their bodies resurrected for eternal judgment.
Pleasing God clearly means life eternal. For Enoch – and for us – it means amazing things are possible. The question is: how closely are we walking with God?