In the fifth chapter of Genesis you will find a list of the generations of Adam down to the time of Noah. You will find also that, although those early men lived to such great ages, it is said at last, “and he died”. This was the effect of Adam’s Fall, that he and all his sons should die.

But there is one man in this list who did not die. His name was Enoch, and he was the seventh generation from Adam. If you read the chapter carefully, you will see that it does not say of Enoch, “and he died,” but that “God took him and he was not.” This means that God took him from the earth into heaven without his having to die. This we are told plainly in the eleventh chapter of the Hebrews, which says that “Enoch was translated that he should not see death, and was not found because God translated him.”

This does not mean that Enoch was not affected by the sin of Adam. No, the sin of Adam has passed upon all men, and Enoch must have been a sinner as others are. Nor does it mean that any of us can hope to escape death as he did. But Enoch was especially favoured of His God, so as not to have to die, but to be taken directly away from earth into heaven.

We are told that, before Enoch was translated “he pleased God,” and this was because he was blessed with faith. He believed in God and that He would reward those who diligently seek Him. He believed also in the promised Seed, Jesus Christ, as the way to God and the way in which he should seek Him. When Jesus Christ came many years afterwards God said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased;” and that was true that He is pleased with those who truly believe in His dear Son.

So it was that Enoch pleased God, and it is also said that he “walked with God.” Now the bible tells us that two cannot walk together unless they are agreed, which shows that Enoch agreed with his God and walked together with him. He walked by faith, believing in God and looking for the coming of the promised Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We are not told much of the life of Enoch, but there is one more thing about him. He prophesied of the Day of Judgment. He told the ungodly men among whom he lived that the Lord would come with ten thousands of His saints to judge them for their ungodly deeds and their ungodly speeches against Him.

This reminds us of what Solomon says in the Book of Ecclesiastes: “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth, and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment…For God shall bring every work into judgement, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil.”

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Genesis, chapter 5, verse 24, tells us that Enoch walked with God and that God took him.

Amos, chapter 3, verse 3, asks the question: “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”

Hebrews, chapter 11, verses 5 and 6, show that Enoch did not see death and pleased God by faith.

Jude, verses 14 and 15, speak of his prophesying of the judgment to come on the ungodly.

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S.F. Paul