By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “And was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God. (Hebrews 11:5)

Would You Go?

The Bible reveals little about Enoch, son of Jared. He was in the seventh generation from Adam, and considering Adam lived 930 years, Enoch would have lived at the same time as his great-great-grandfather Adam, the first man. The world changed a lot in the days of Enoch. Instead of turning to the Lord, the world began to turn into a corrupt, brutal, and wicked world. Enoch’s son would become famous for living the longest recorded age of 969 years – Methuselah. Moses gives a brief notation about Enoch walking with God, and he was not, for God took him. Enoch is part of the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by the gospel writer Luke. Paul and Jude are the only New Testament writers that mention Enoch helping the disciple know more about this man of mystery.

In the book of Hebrews, Paul exhorts the struggling Christians to keep their faith, using many examples of men and women who faced uncertainty but retained their faith in God. Enoch was mentioned as one who did not see death because God had taken him. The Holy Spirit reveals the only insight into the decision of taking Enoch when He says that Enoch had a testimony that he pleased God. Jude will write that Enoch was a prophet who spoke against the ungodly of his day. Following these two references, the scriptures fall silent. But there is one question that begs an answer: would you be willing to leave and go with God?

A story is told of a little girl who was asked to tell the story of Enoch. She said that God and Enoch were taking a walk one day, and God asked Enoch if he would like to go home with Him. Enoch said yes, and so he did. If God came into my life and gave me the option to forgo the dying process and just go straight to heaven, would there be any hesitation? There are many factors to consider of which family is the first. Would I be willing to leave everything I know here and everything that makes life comfortable? If God asked me to leave, would I beg for a few days to say goodbye to family or a few months to put my house in order; or would I immediately say yes without explaining to anyone? In other words, I would die without explanation and leave everything. Is that what happened to Enoch? What did Methuselah know about what happened to his father? Did the Lord let others know what He did for Enoch?

The question of life and death is not changed from the story of Enoch. God gave Enoch an opportunity to eternal life without experiencing the pangs of death, but he still left this world for eternity. Death has the same message. It is unknown in its timing, but it is real. Enoch walked with God and was not; we must walk with God and be prepared for “not.” Paul struggled with his life in wanting to be with the Lord and yet remain to bless the work at Philippi. He was torn between staying to do a fruitful work with the Christians or going and being with the Lord. How many of us struggle on this level? Would you go? Are you ready to go?