Mountain Movers

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. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. (Hebrews 11:4)

Enoch has the distinction of being only one of two people in the Bible to never taste death. He walked with God 300 years and was the first man to ever have his specific words quoted in scripture. Truly, there is a lot that we can learn from this awesome example of faith.

The story of Enoch in the Old Testament is very brief. In Genesis 5:21ff, we read: When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Enoch is a great example of perseverance. In our society full of fast-food and dwindling attention spans, it can be a battle just to get through the day faithfully walking with God. Personally, I've seen so many examples of people who were enthusiastically walking with God for a few months, but after a while, fizzled in their faithfulness to God. It became too difficult for them.

Enoch walked with God 300 years.

Enoch began walking with God when he was 65 years old. This just happened to be the time that Methuselah entered his life. It's no coincidence that both events happened at the same time. To walk with God also requires other people in your life who are just as faithful. In Proverbs 27:17, it states that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." Methuselah was a catalyst that sparked Enoch's walk with God. Enoch didn't begin his relationship with God until he was 65 years old. It could have been easy for him to be "set in his ways" and to fossilize some of his habits. However, even at this mature age, Enoch had a heart willing to make radical changes.

His relationship with God is described as a "walk." Enoch and God walked together. Whenever I want to draw closer to someone, I go for a walk with him or her. It's something that is natural to build intimate friendships. Certainly, Enoch had an intimate friendship with God.

Enoch is also mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament. In Jude 14ff, he prophesied: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to 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." Enoch's life stood apart from everyone else's. He prophesied that the Lord would judge everyone and convict "all the ungodly." Surely for God to judge thousands upon thousands, there must have been an overwhelming amount of ungodliness in Enoch's day. Yet he boldly confronted the injustices of his time and peers. In fact, his prophecy was written in the continuous tense, meaning that it refers to people in his day as well as those in his future.

For Enoch to fully exercise his faith, he needed to address the unfaithful. The people that Enoch was referring to are described in further detail in Jude. They were "grumblers and faultfinders." They also "followed their own evil desires" as well as boasting about themselves and flattering others for their own advantage. This was the audience Enoch spoke to. Chances are, they would be furious to hear themselves referred to like this. Clearly, it took a lot of courage for Enoch to speak out like this. Consequently, it took a lot of faith and reliance on God.

In the KJV, "holy ones" are referred to as "saints." When Enoch spoke thousands of years ago, he was also prophesying about what God's people will do throughout time. This very much applies to today. As Christians, we are to convict those who speak any harsh words towards God and His church. We are also to convict the grumblers, faultfinders, boasters, and flatterers. The word used for convict in Greek is "legxai," which can also mean "rebuke." Yet how easy it is for us to be miserable and critical. If the unfaithful had the aforementioned qualities, then the faithful will have qualities that are opposite in nature. Instead of harsh words, the faithful are full of edifying words to God and other believers. Instead of being grumblers, the faithful continually express their gratitude. Instead of being faultfinders, the faithful search for the noble aspects of people's character and share those attributes with them. Instead of being boastful and flattering, the faithful lift others up and aren't concerned with bringing recognition upon themselves. They also follow righteous desires.

It takes a lot more effort to apply faithful qualities into our lives. However, it's a lot more rewarding to have this kind of character. When I spend time with those who are kind, grateful, encouraging, and humble, it rubs off on me. On the other hand, when I'm around grumblers and faultfinders, it often affects me in a negative manner. Yet, the strength of your walk with God will ultimately determine which group you will be part of. Because of his close walk with God, Enoch was able to stand faithful and not get dragged down by the unfaithful surrounding him. Certainly it helped to have others such as Methuselah by his side as support.

Why did Enoch go to Heaven without tasting death? Certainly it had a lot to do with him being faithful and persevering in his walk with God. As well, as we will see in the next chapter, he pleased God. God rewards those who are faithful and make every effort to seek after Him. Enoch was a prime example of someone who did that, and God fulfilled his greatest dream-- to be snatched away by the Creator of the Universe and see Heaven with eyes wide open.