‘By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God’ (Hebrews 11:5).

The next example of faith the writer offers can only be described as intriguing and almost totally unique!  The details concerning Enoch’s life and his extraordinary departure from this world are found in Genesis 5:18-24.

In verse 5 the writer draws attention to Enoch’s faith in that he mentions that: ‘Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him.’ That in itself is intriguing and it obviously requires we investigate somewhat further if we are to understand why this is seen as faith that pleases God to the extent that Enoch was taken by God. A clue is found in the Genesis passage where we are told that Enoch was 65 when he fathered Methuselah. What is notable is that it is only after this that we are told twice that he walked with God for the last 300 years of his earthly life (Genesis 5:21-22).

So it seems that something fundamental must have happened around the time that he became a father. Let me illustrate what is a possibility from a personal example. Tracy and I have never had children, but I realise that in my pastoral capacity I have the best guidebook in the world when it comes to issues concerning family and children, God’s Word! God’s Word gives expert advice in all areas whether we have experience of them or not. And, although I would not base a theology on it, I think the text infers that this may be the case here as at this point in Enoch’s life he realised that the quality of life, be it family life in raising a child or just wisdom for living life, is only found if one lives in a way that pleases the Lord. Philip Eveson notes the fact that Enoch was walking with God is really a descriptive way of saying he was living with God. In other words: ‘This was life for Enoch, fellowship with God. It did not stop him engaging in family life. He was no hermit or monk. On the other hand, he did not make the things of this world his life, not even his family. God was his life.’^[1]

And I think that sums Enoch up nicely. Whatever the issues concerning his extraordinary departure from this world, Enoch was a product of faith that pleased the Lord because he looked to the Lord’s way in all things after the time he turned to him.

Some have seen significance in that the years of Enoch’s life totaling 365, the number of days in one year, hence concluding this represents a complete life. It is an interesting theory, but the text seems to suggest that only 300 of them were a prelude to his existence with God being really completed when he was taken from this world!

The hearers and readers of this letter would have known the details of Enoch’s life and his extraordinary departure from the world, indeed such a privilege was only granted to one other Old Testament saint and that was the great prophet Elijah!  So in verse 6 the writer of the letter builds on this.  How did these heroes of theirs from the primeval age before the flood please the Lord?  Well the answer was simply through faith as without faith there was no other way that Abel sacrifice would have been accepted or Enoch would have walked with God and been taken by him to spare him from death!  This illustrates faith and belief in God is essential.  Complete trust in him was to be the order of the day if people want to please him and see his blessing.

[1]Philip Eveson, The Book of Origins, Genesis Simply Explained, (Darlington, Evangelical Press, 2001), 145.