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
The end
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