Question
The Faith of Enoch
Hebrews 11:5-6
Key Verse 11:6
(Read also Genesis 5:18-24, and Jude 1:1-25)
- 1. Skim through Jude 1:1-25. Verse 14 reads, “Jude, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men…” Who are “these men”? What do they (“these men”) have in common? What does this passage tell us about the general environment during the days of Enoch?
- 2. Read Jude 1:14-15 and describe the way in which Enoch served the people of his generation. What practical applications can we find from Enoch’s example?
- 3. Read Genesis 5:18-24. The expression “Enoch walked with God” is repeated twice. What does it mean to “walk” with God? How can we walk with God? (2Co 6:14-18)
- 4. Read Hebrews 11:5 and meditate on the meaning of the phrase “By faith”. What do you think Enoch believed in (6)?
- 5. Think about the following expressions in 5a: 1) [By faith] Enoch was taken from this life; 2) so that he did not experience death; 3) he could not be found; 4) because God had taken him away. What do you think the author is trying to say by these somewhat repetitive statements?
- 6. Verse 5b states: “For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” What does it mean to “please” God? What does the word “please” indicate about God? Why is it important for one to please God?
- 7. Memorize verse 6. This verse says that anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists…
- (1) Is it possible that one comes to God, not believing that he exists?
- (2) Verse 6 also states that anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Is it possible that one comes to him believing that he exists, yet not believing that he rewards those who seek him?
- (3) Why does God reward only those who “earnestly seek” him?
- (4) Why is it necessary for one to believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him?
- (5) How did God reward Enoch?
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Message
By Faith…Enoch Pleased God
Hebrews 11:5-6
5By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6And 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.
Enoch believed that he should please God.
Today’s passage is about a unique servant of God named Enoch. Most people are mystified by the life of Enoch because there are very few details surrounding his life and the one event that the Bible does record is very unusual. With such few facts written about Enoch we might not know what to learn from him. But today’s New Testament passage gives us many helpful clues to interpret this Old Testament story. Therefore let’s unlock the mysterious life of Enoch and learn his faith through this glorious passage. For, this passage has power built into it to transform our lives forever. May God bless us through it.
Look at verse 5a, “By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away.”
Being a servant of God doesn’t exclude you from experiencing the illnesses and pain of death. Take for example Elisha from the Old Testament, he served God powerfully and faithfully nearly his entire life but at the end of his days he suffered from an illness that finally killed him. King David, at the end of his life was very sick too and required a full-time nurse until his death. Even the greatest men of God were not except from the pangs of death. Even the apostle Peter and Paul were said to be executed by Roman soldiers. This was done to glorify God. But Enoch experienced an easy death, in fact he didn’t die at all, verse 5 says “that he did not experience death”. What a great blessing for Enoch, God allowed him to by-pass all discomfort and pain related to death. But that is not all. Enoch lived to be 365 years old before God took him away. Now, 365 years seems like a long time to live but it’s actually far shorter than others in his time. The average age of those recorded at the beginning of Genesis is 910 years-old. So God took Enoch when he was still fairly young (comparable to someone in their mid-thirties, our time). Someone might think that it’s not positive to be taken to heaven so early, “What about his family? What about his career? He didn’t even live out his life on earth to it’s full!” In our modern view, a short life is not a blessing but a kind of curse. But not in the case of Enoch! In Enoch’s case, he was like a young boy who gets to leave school early and go home before other kids. When you were a kid at school, you might have experienced the happiness of a parent coming early to pick you up from school. You got to pack up your backpack and walk out the classroom door hours before you expected. It was a blessing to go home early when you thought you would have to stay at school the entire day. Likewise, God called Enoch home after only 365 years. So, not only did Enoch not experience death but he also got to go home to heaven early. Can any blessing on earth compare to going to heaven earlier than expected? Can any blessing compare to the blessing of escaping the experience of death? Would Enoch be more blessed if he was made a king? Surely Enoch was one of the most most blessed by God! He was privileged, for God showed him special care.
How did he do it? The beginning of verse 5, says that “by faith” Enoch was taken from this world, so that he did not experience death. And it also says that before he was taken he was commended as one who pleased God. There is a cause and effect relationship here: Enoch’s faith pleased God and as a result God took him from this life and brought him to Heaven. We can learn an important lesson here: GOD LOVES FAITH! There is nothing that pleases him more than people having faith. When Jesus came to minister as “God with us”, he showed how important faith is and how much God was happy with faith. In fact there are only two times in the gospels Jesus was ever “amazed” and both cases involved someone’s faith. Faith is the physics of Heaven. On earth we have gravity, inertia and various other rules that govern the physical universe. But in reality faith supersedes these things because faith is on a higher plane. So to live in the world of faith is to live where God exists—the world that is above circumstances and situations. It brings God great joy to see his children choosing to live in the world of faith, the world where he is.
God wants people to live on a higher plane. God wants people to live out their life on the same plane where he himself lives. He wants them to think at his level and feel at his level. He wants people to come up to him so that he can have fellowship with them. He wants to have fellowship with us because he loves us. Living by faith is to operate on God’s level where all things are possible and where he is all in all.
Enoch was a man who lived by faith not just every once in a while but he was a man who lived by faith every day for three hundred straight years. Is it any wonder that God was so happy with him? Many people make a big deal about him because he was taken from earth but this is just a formality. He was already living at the level of heaven for 300 years while on earth. Someone might say, “Show me that he was living on such a high level.” Look at Genesis 5:21-24.
21When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. 24Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Here we find Enoch’s faith and his secret to “pleasing” God. There is an important expression that is written twice here, it is the expression, “Enoch walked with God”. There are a lot of things that this expression implies. But let’s focus on one thing. Walking with God means being a partner with God who is operating with God’s intent to bring salvation and judgement to this world. There is another great passage where another servant of God is walking with God. Let’s turn to Genesis 18:16-21.
16When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way. 17Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him." 20Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know."
Like Abraham and Enoch, whoever walks with God becomes an insider into God’s work and also becomes his coworker. Jesus underlined this point when he spoke with his disciples near the end of his ministry:
15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends…
During Enoch’s days the spiritual atmosphere was on a major decline. The believers in Enoch’s day were not following and walking with God but they were going their own way towards sinful behavior. There was a compromising environment where believers retained a spiritual name for themselves (i.e. The Sons of God) but they were not living up to it. This came to a head in the time of Enoch’s great grandson Noah and God wiped mankind from the face of the earth. It is no surprise that Enoch was a preacher in his generation. In fact, in the book of Jude we have the only personal quote from Enoch ever recorded.
14Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."
This sermon by Enoch was very likely aimed at the corrupt pseudo-believers who would be objects of God’s judgement. How were they different than Enoch? They were different because they believed in “pleasing themselves” rather than “pleasing God”. Sure, they may have kept a form of godliness but they were ultimately living for themselves. Like Jesus in the book of Revelation, God was going to spit them out of his mouth because they were neither hot nor cold. Enoch was different because he didn’t follow the trend of his generation but lived by faith in pleasing God. His faith was that pleasing God was the right and better way of life. As he lived out this faith he “walked with God” and was pleasing to God. He was a partner with God and couldn’t help but become a voice for God in his generation.
Someone once commented that “Christianity in America is a mile wide but an inch deep.” Meaning that many call themselves Christians but their relationship with God is shallow. This is the case because most never walk with God so they never really know God’s plan. And they don’t walk with God because they are engrossed in pleasing themselves. They always think about God’s blessing on their life and rarely think about how they can bless God. It is not right for people to perpetually think about themselves and neglect pleasing God. Therefore, what this generation needs is young people who put their faith into living a life that pleases God. This passage was very convicting to me because I saw in myself a habit of wanting to “appease” God rather than “please” God. For I sought the LORD’s favor in hopes of getting what I wanted for myself. I was thinking deep down, “If only God could be content with me then I would be able to do what I want and not get in trouble.” This is the mentality of keeping God happy so I can get what I want.
It is one thing to say, “Please God, not myself.” but it is another thing to believe it and live it. In Enoch’s case he did this three hundred years straight. How did he do it? Look at Hebrews 11:6.
6And 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.
So when Enoch lived to please God and walked with God he was putting in a lot of effort. He sacrificed a lot of time, energy, money and material into it. He was investing not just some of his life but all of his life into so how did he maintain this high effort for 300 years? Answer: He believed that God rewards those who earnestly seek him. This was his secret to consistency. Amazingly his real reward didn’t come until 300 years later and that reward was God himself and not something else.
One time in 2006 I came to the conclusion that Apple Computer stock was going to go up in price really high. I was sure of this and so I took five thousand dollars and bought apple stock at $80.00 a share. I watched the stock every single day and it climbed pretty fast to $85.00 a share. I was so happy because I was already making a good profit. But after a couple of months the stock dipped down to $76.00 per share. “Oh no!” I said, “I am losing money!” I waited and waited for the stock to come up and slowly but surely it came up to $80.00 and then $82.00 (a little above the initial price). I thought to myself, “I can’t stand this feeling. I am going to get out and sell my stock before I lose all my money.” A couple people counseled me to stay-in and invest for the long term but I sold all my shares and got out with little bit of profit. In less than two months the stock went up to 85, then 95, then 105 — at that point I felt so stupid. But then it went up to 115, then 125, then 135, then 155, 175, 185, 195, 200!!! Ow my! I knew this was going to happen. But before the reward really came I had opted out. I had known at one time that this would happen but then I got scared that it might never happen and so I sold out.
In a sense believers are investors in God. We believe that if we put forth time and resources into seeking God that there will be a reward or a return on our investment. So many times this point strikes us and we begin praying earnestly for God’s kingdom. We spend time, even long hours, doing ministry work and at first we often see quick results. It seems that God encourages us by a quick return. So we keep going, investing time and resources into seeking him. But sometimes we hit a dry spell where instead of going up it seems like were going down. Things don’t get easier or better but they get harder and harder. And it is at this time that it seems were not getting any return on our investment but instead we’re losing on our investment. Ow man! So we pull off investing so much into seeking God and begin diversifying our portfolio. We may now begin putting some more time into making money or pursuing a relationship with a human rather than God. Diversifying seems like the smarter thing to do instead of risking everything on God. But Enoch’s case tells us different. Enoch put all his “eggs” into one basket because he believed that God rewards. It took 300 years before he finally got his reward but it was a great reward. He got to go and be with God, his very great reward.
From Enoch we learn that God does reward those who earnestly seek him. Therefore we should not give up when things don’t go our way or it seems that we are losing instead of gaining. But there is one catch. Our reward is God and not something else. Sometimes we earnestly seek God so that we can see fruit, but the fruit is not ours, the fruit is God’s. Our reward is God himself and to be closer to him. So we need to purify our intended reward for if our reward is in fruit or in being powerful or in being acknowledged or in being materially blessed, etc. we will be disappointed and give-up seeking God. But if our reward is God himself we can have faith that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
One Word: Please God By Faith
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Biblenote
The Faith of Enoch
Hebrews 11:5-6
Key Verse 11:6
(Read also Genesis 5:18-24, and Jude 1:1-25)
This passage shows us that the life of faith in the Lord is neither an easy proposition nor an empty proposition. Rather it involves a hard struggle, coming with lots of counter influences, opposition, and discouragement. Yet, when one keeps living by faith, God certainly rewards, with far greater rewards than one might possibly expect to receive.
Skim through Jude 1:1-25. Verse 14 reads, “Jude, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men…” Who are “these men”? What do they (“these men”) have in common? What does this passage tell us about the general environment during the days of Enoch?
** Jude 1:4 –They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord.
1:8 – they are described as “dreamers” who pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings.
1:10- Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals—these are the very things that destroy them.
1:11 - Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam's error; they have been destroyed in Korah's rebellion.
1:12,13 - These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm—shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted—twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever.
1:14-15 – they are godless, practicing ungodly acts, adopting ungodly ways, uttering ungodly words.
1:16 - These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage.
1:18 - "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires."
1:19 - These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit.
** They do not have faith in the Lord. This is why Jude says that we need to contend for the faith together against the people who generate such unbelieving environments via their ungodly ways of life.
** The key word to describe the general environment is “ungodly”. Ungodly means denying God as He is described in Hebrews 11:6. So if you do not believe that God exists, you are ungodly. If you believe that he exists but do not believe that he rewards those who earnestly seek him, you are also ungodly.
Read Jude 1:14-15 and describe the way in which Enoch served the people of his generation. What practical applications can we find from Enoch’s example?
** He preached the message of the impending judgment, which will take place at the time of the Lord coming to judge the ungodly.
** We should preach not only the message of salvation but also the message of judgment to come. Notice the two accounts of which the ungodly will be convicted on the Day of Judgment:
ungodly acts done in an ungodly way
ungodly words they have spoken against him (the Lord)
So it is not only what you do but also what you say, that will be judged. So be careful about not only what you do but what you say with your mouth.
Read Genesis 5:18-24. The expression “Enoch walked with God” is repeated twice. What does it mean to “walk” with God? How can we walk with God? (2Co 6:14-18)
** Gal 5:25 – it is to keep in step with the Holy Spirit.
The word “walk” has the connotation of “step by step” or “taking one thing at a time”.
Jesus set a good example.
Jesus’ examples include: 1) John 13:2-5 (where Jesus served this disciples step by step, like ‘got up’ from the meal ‘took off his outer clothing’ ‘wrapped a towel around his waist’ ‘poured water into a basin’ ‘began to wash…’ [one by one…]; 2) Luke 13:32 – ‘today, tomorrow, on the third day…’; 3) Matthew 6:34 ‘each day has enough trouble of its own’
** The first thing we need to do is to repent and turn to God; then we need to be in “agreement” with God on all we do or don’t do; then we need to be sensitive to the guidance of the Spirit. Then we can walk with God.
Read Hebrews 11:5 and meditate on the meaning of the phrase “By faith”. What do you think Enoch believed in (6)?
** He believed that God exists and rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Think about the following expressions in 5a: 1) [By faith] Enoch was taken from this life; 2) so that he did not experience death; 3) he could not be found;
4) because God had taken him away. What do you think the author is trying to say by these somewhat repetitive statements?
** The author emphasizes that Enoch did not become a ‘missing’ person because of some unknown reasons such as in an accident, but because of God taking him away. It is conjectured that although he did not experience physical death, and although he was taken away from this life to God’s abode, like Elijah who went up to heaven in his physical body, he did not yet receive a resurrected body, so that Enoch will come back to this life again at a later time, to finally experience a physical death, only to receive a resurrected body. Some Bible scholars speculate that Enoch and Elijah will be the two witnesses referred to in Rev 11:3
The expression “he did not experience death” is consistent with the Christian doctrine which says that where the cause of death is removed the pang of death is also removed from the life of a believer. For this reason Jesus said, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep…” John 11:11
Verse 5b states: “For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.” What does it mean to “please” God? What does the word “please” indicate about God? Why is it important for one to please God?
** Simply it means to make God happy.
** Like all of us, God also has feelings, likes or dislikes. He can be happy or unhappy, showing that he is a Person with the capabilities to feel good, bad, pleased or displeased, as indicated in the so-called thirteen attributes of God described in Exodus 34:5-7.
Memorize verse 6. This verse says that anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists…
Is it possible that one comes to God, not believing that he exists?
** Logically it is not possible for you cannot come to anyone whom you know is non-existent. Yet, practically it happens for many so-called, church-going Christians, not because they know God exists, but because they come to the church for some other purposes such as marriage or some other benefits such as peace of mind, showing that they are false worshipers; we cannot call them believers.
Verse 6 also states that anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Is it possible that one comes to him believing that he exists, yet not believing that he rewards those who seek him?
** It is possible. Some come for fear of punishment, not necessarily believing that God can reward those who seek him.
Why does God reward only those who “earnestly seek” him?
** It is not because of God but because of men, for it is possible that fallen men living in this fallen world can be so consumed with what is mundane that it is impossible for God who is the Spirit to practically bless them. In addition, the word ‘earnestly’ indicates that it is possible that you, a so called seeker, seek him not in all earnest but quite casually.
Why is it necessary for one to believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him?
** Possibly for the following two reasons: first, reward can be made practically visible, so that as you get rewarded, you come to believe in the invisible God in practical terms; and second, if you separate these two components, you are being a hypocrite, for ultimately it is for our own sake that God calls us to live by faith in Him, not for his own sake. After all it is not God who is in need, but we who are in need of virtually everything for life.
How did God reward Enoch?
* Heb 11:5
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