FAITH in God - Enoch

Enoch – A Man Who Did Not Die


Enoch holds a rare distinction in the Bible: He did not die. Instead, God "took him away."
Scripture does not reveal much about this remarkable man. We find his story in Genesis 5, in a long list of the descendants of Adam.
Only a short sentence, "Enoch walked faithfully with God," in Genesis 5:22 and repeated in Genesis 5:24 reveals why he was so special to his Creator. In this wicked period before the Flood, most men did not walk faithfully with God. They walked their own path, the crooked way of sin.
Enoch did not keep silent about the sin around him. Jude says Enoch prophesied about those evil people:
"See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him."(Jude 1:14-15, NIV)
Enoch walked in faith the 365 years of his life, and that made all the difference. No matter what happened, he trusted God. He obeyed God. God loved Enoch so much he spared him the experience of death.
Hebrews 11, that great Faith Hall of Fame passage, says Enoch's faith pleased God:
For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And 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. (Hebrews 11:5-6, NIV)
What happened to Enoch? The Bible gives few details, other than to say:
"...then he was no more, because God took him away." (Genesis 5:24, NIV)
Only one other person in Scripture was honored this way: the prophet Elijah. God took that faithful servant to heaven in a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11).
Enoch's great-grandson, Noah, also "walked faithfully with God" (Genesis 6:9). Because of his righteousness, only Noah and his family were spared in the Great Flood.
A lot of people, even seasoned Christians, have fears about death. For me it's not so much the dying part that worries me, but the drama yet unknown that will lead up to it. There were only two men who never had to face that drama: Enoch was the first, and then Elijah.
Enoch enjoyed such a close connection with God in life that he was spared the ordeal of death. Genesis 5:23-24 says, "Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him." (NLT)

Enoch's Accomplishments:

Enoch was a loyal follower of God. He told the truth despite opposition and ridicule.

Enoch's Strengths:

Faithful to God.
Truthful.
Obedient.

Life Lessons:

Enoch and the other Old Testament heroes mentioned in the Faith Hall of Fame walked in faith, in the hope of a future Messiah. That Messiah has been revealed to us in the gospels as Jesus Christ.
When we trust Christ as Savior and walk with God, as Enoch did, we will die physically, but will be resurrected to eternal life.

Hometown:

Ancient Fertile Crescent, exact location not given.

Referenced in the Bible:

Genesis 5:18-24, 1 Chronicles 1:3, Luke 3:37, Hebrews 11:5-6, Jude 1:14-15.

Occupation:

Unknown.

Family Tree:

Father: Jared
Children: Methuselah, unnamed sons and daughters.
Great-grandson: Noah

Key Verses:

Genesis 5:22-23
After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. (NIV)
Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away. (NIV)
Hebrews 11:5
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. (NIV)

Cross References
When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah.
Genesis 5:24
Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
2 Kings 2:1
When the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
Luke 2:26
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Messiah.
John 8:51
Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death."
Hebrews 2:9
But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Hebrews 1:1
In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways,

Research from Internet and Library books.
Courstesy of http://www.about.com, http://biblehub.com

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