There are two people listed in the bible who were taken directly to heaven without having experienced death. Elijah and Enoch. But although Elijah is extensively discussed, Enoch gets only three brief mentions (1). That by itself fascinates me. “Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him (2).” Wow. To walk in such close fellowship with God that one day he’s just taken away. It’s mentioned almost in passing amidst a seemingly boring genealogy. But my mind is left wondering – what happened in those 365 years? Granted, people were living to be almost 1,000 years old at the time but it would be he would’ve been born almost 130 years before the Revolutionary War had he died today. And what does “walking in close fellowship with God” mean? I guess it comes down to, how can I walk with God the way Enoch walked with God?

Genesis says that Enoch walked with God. Young’s literal translation, taking from the Hebrew word hâlak (3), says “walked habitually” and implies a continuous growth. This is not a relationship forged overnight. Nor is it a relationship treated like a light switch. On when it’s convenient. Off when it’s not. Enoch walked with God regardless of how easy or difficult the walk became. What a lesson for myself. I can’t walk with God only in church once or twice a week or only with certain friends. I have to walk with God continuously. He has to permeate every moment of my existence. When I’m at work, my life must demonstrate that I’m walking with God. When I’m at home with my family, my life must demonstrate that I’m walking with God. When I’m at church, my life must demonstrate that I’m walking with God. I didn’t get up this morning and forget to get dressed. And anyone who saw me today better be thankful that I didn’t forget. It’s a habit. It’s something I do every single day and will continue to do every single day. Don’t be discouraged here and think that this is something to be accomplished by human effort alone. Keep reading. There’s more to Enoch.

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ… Enoch, who lived in the seventh generation after Adam, prophesied about these people. He said, ‘Listen! The Lord is coming with countless thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment on the people of the world. He will convict every person of all the ungodly things they have done and for all the insults that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’

These people are grumblers and complainers, living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. (4)

Wait, that doesn’t sound very encouraging. Ahh, but yes it is! E. G. White echoes Jude in saying:

By the translation of Enoch the Lord designed to teach an important lesson. There was danger that men would yield to discouragement because of the fearful results of Adam’s sin. Many were ready to exclaim, ‘What profit is it that we have feared the Lord and have kept His ordinances, since a heavy curse is resting upon the race, and death is the portion of us all?’ (5)

The people were discouraged! They were saying that there was no way to live the righteous life of God because of hereditary sinful nature and “what would it matter. We’re all going to die anyway.”  No, no, no! That was not God’s plan. Through Enoch, it was demonstrated “what [God] will do for those who keep his commandments (5).” Death is not the only end. There’s more. And through Enoch it was shown that it is “possible to obey the law God, that they were able BY GRACE to resist temptation and become pure and holy (5, emphasis added)”. Praise God! They did not have to have the attitude of despair. There was another way. This is the same thing Paul was trying to combat in when he said “what shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! (6)”. God has another way. “for the wages of sin is death, but the GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our lord (7)”.

There’s one more mention of Enoch that only reiterates everything said so far.

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—’he disappeared, because God took him.’ For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him (8).

What must we do? Be people who please God. How? By faith. What else? Sincerely seek him. Praise God for his immeasurable grace that allows me to walk with him continuously and every day become more like him. Let’s not have the despair of the other people. Let’s be like Enoch.

1 Genesis 5, Hebrews 11, Jude
2 Genesis 5:23,24
3 “Strong’s Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek New Testament and the Hebrew Bible”, h1980
4 Jude 3,4,14-16
5 “From Eternity Past” p.49, Ellen G White, published 1983
6 Romans 6:1
7 Romans 6:23
8 Hebrews 11:5,6