Hebrews 11:5,6
By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. (Hebrews 11:5-6)
Before we can understand the “Faith of Enoch” we must first meet the man. The Word of God speaks just a few words about him; however, there are many words spoken about his generation. It is that journey to discover the conditions and responses during his time that will lead us to a deeper place of understanding of Enoch’s faith.
We do know who the man is exactly through an examination of three Scriptures. Hebrews 11:5-6 identifies him as the one that had testimony before his “translation”. Genesis 5:21-24 identifies him as the father of Methuselah that was taken by God and in Jude 1:14 he is identified as seventh from Adam. Putting this evidence together in the genealogy table we can pinpoint his generation specifically.
The son of Cain is often mistaken by many to be the same Enoch based upon Genesis 4:17:
Genesis 4:17
“And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.” (Genesis 4:17 AV)
The Enoch of our study is NOT the direct descendent of Cain, named Enoch, who had a city named after him.
There are five Enoch’s mentioned in the Word of God…
1. Eldest son of Cain
2. Son of Jared and father of Methuselah whom God took home to Heaven without dying
3. The city which Cain built and named after his son Enoch
4. A son of Midian, the third child
5. The eldest son of Reuben
Take care in your study that you are studying the correct Enoch in correlation with Hebrews 11:5, 6! (See Adam to Abraham Genealogies for a concise list of generations that identifies Enoch perfectly)
Enoch of Hebrews 11:5, 6
Genesis 5:21-24
“And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:21-24)
1. Enoch was sixty-five years old when he begat Methuselah.
2. He walked with God after he begat Methuselah for three hundred years
3. He begat other sons and daughters during this time
4. Enoch lived three hundred and sixty five years
5. Enoch was taken up by God instantly because he walked with him.
He did not die! He was translated because of his faith in the LORD God. He could not be found upon this earth after he was translated, because God had taken him up to Heaven.
Hebrews 11:5,6
“By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith [it is] impossible to please [him]: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and [that] he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:5, 6)
6. The LORD God chose to translate Enoch because of his testimony.
7. His testimony pleased the LORD God.
8. Enoch’s testimony was a reflection of his faith, because it pleased the LORD God.
9. It is impossible to please the LORD God without faith.
10. The Faith of Enoch was confident that the LORD God was who He is.
11. The Faith of Enoch knew that the LORD God would reward those who diligently sought Him.
The faith of Enoch was given to him in a time when many were going the “Way of Cain.” We studied the error of the way Cain thought about the LORD God in our last study. In our study of The Faith of Enoch, we’re going to learn how that error was introduced into the common way of thinking in the generations to come, and the results that this error led to.
We are going to study the environment that enveloped the world that Enoch lived in. We will be talking about the “Way of Cain”, and the “Error of Balaam” and the “Gainsaying of Core.” We cannot know the Faith of Enoch, without knowing the Errors of the World, for it was within this sin that the faith of Enoch shined forth to the LORD God!
We’re going to delve into some deep and descriptive characteristics of the people that lived during this time and connect these same errors in thinking to the carnal generations that live today. Some of these colorful descriptions of wrong thinking are “spots in your feasts of charity”, “feeding themselves without fear”, “clouds without water”, “carried by the winds” and “trees without fruit” to list just a few.
We will learn the things that Enoch did during this time to express his faith fully to the sinful people, and the prophesy he spoke to them. We will take a look at the translation of his live body into Heaven and discuss the things of death that the rest of the culture was experiencing at that time.
The Faith of Enoch will be applied to your own spiritual confidence in the LORD God. We will make a connection between the things of this world of error that try to remove the “Faith of Enoch” from us, and identify the pitfalls that the demons lay to prevent us from knowing these Truths of God.
Finally, we will study the deep typology of “translation” and connect it to the resurrection of baptized Christians into Heaven upon their physical death. It promises to be an enlightening and deep journey into the spiritual things of God, as we look to the Faith of Enoch to speak of the special mysteries of the LORD God that only His people understand completely!
