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Enoch: A Life of Faith
December 17, 2011

Enoch was translated so that he should not see death. This is shared in the faith chapter in the Bible.

Hebrews 11:5-6
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

The Greek word from which translated is derived is the word metatithemi, and can mean to transfer, transport, change sides, exchange, and remove. There are many who look at the story of Enoch and say that Enoch was changed to spirit. THe Bible doesn't say this, and one has to use other teaching to derive this type of answer to what happened to Enoch. Looking at other verses in the Bible, we come to a greater understanding as to why this action by God may have been needed. Jude shows that Enoch was a prophet, and throughout the Bible, prophets were generally not liked, and often ridiculed, and often persecuted.

Jude 1-25
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied. Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

Enoch role as a prophet was to convince the people of his time to take action and live according to God's way when this was against there opinion and desire, and a person convinced against their will is of the same opinion still. His message was most likely one of giving up the good life that everyone enjoyed. So in the middle of the sensual society he lived, Enoch advocated a different lifestyle, one of obeying God instead of living in the face of God. And for this, Enoch was probably the butt of many jokes, and eventually got to the point where we was hated by those who heard what he said. He stuck his neck out on the chopping block to proclaim the word of God. What exactly happened is anyone's guess, as the Bible isn't clear. Those living in rebellion to God's law could have been trying to kill Enoch and I think if this is true, their motive might have been to disprove the existence and power of God. Imagine the witness that occurs when a prophet of God, about to be executed is suddenly not there. There are some whothink Enoch was called up to heaven at this point, and I don't think this is the case. I think Enoch suddenly appeared in another place. As we face our own situations like Enoch, Jude admonishes us to have compassion on some, and to induce the fear of God in others. Let's look at the original text from Genesis.

Genesis 5:21-24
And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

There is not much to go on. We do know Enoch is mentioned in the faith chapter, and identified as a prophet by Jude. And we know that Enoch was translated so that he would not see death, because Enoch had faith. When we face difficult situations in life, we need to remember the story of Enoch. God delivered Enoch, and he will deliver us.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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