⁵ By faith Enoch was taken up so that he would not see death; and he was not found because God took him up; for he obtained the witness that before his being taken up he was pleasing to God.

Upon Abel’s death, the line of faith takes a long break. Unfortunately. The line through Cain had no testimony of faith at all. But the line through Seth (the third son of Adam and Eve born after Abel’s death), finally yields a testimony of faith but not until the seventh generation after Adam. Apart from the Genesis account’s scattered genealogical lists, Enoch is mentioned only one other time in Scripture besides our passage today.

In Jude 12, Enoch is referred to in a way that lead us to believe he was a prophet, and had apparently prophesied concerning God’s final judgment on humans. The original record of that prophecy has been lost, but scholars tells us there did exist a book called, the “Book of Enoch” during New Testament times, from which this reference was taken. Although non-canonical, it does seem to be referenced by Jude, who by inspiration of the Spirit included it in his letter.

This prophet, Enoch, lived a relatively shortened life. He was “taken up so that he would not see death.” Clearly, in contrast to the preceding and succeeding generations, Enoch did not go through the normal human process of dying. He was, as the Septuagint renders this, “transferred” directly into God’s presence. Now we ask the question, “Why Enoch, and not the others?” The answer comes immediately, he alone pleased God. He had walked 365 years with an invisible God, and connected with his Creator in a way no one else did. The writer of the book of Hebrews clearly implies this is the testimony of faith (the same word is translated “witness” or “commendation” in the various versions).

What then do we learn about faith from Enoch? We see in him the connection between faith and eternal life. To be sure some will be transferred directly to heaven at the time of the rapture, when those living Christians will ascend at Christ’s return. But one can hardly forget Jesus’ amazing words to Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies…” (John 11:25).

We also discover in Enoch that faith is associated with pleasing God, upon which the next verse in Hebrews (11:6) expands. The person of faith walks in the pleasure of God, an intimacy that God intended from the beginning when He came down to walk in the garden in the cool of the day (Gen 3:8) to fellowship with Adam and Eve.

Lord, I live to please You, so I choose to walk in faith, even without seeing You.