By Kathy L McFarland
Hebrews 11:5
“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.” (Hebrews 11:5)
Translated is represented by the Greek word “metatithemi.” This Greek word is used several times in the Word of God and it has several meanings, depending on context; it can mean to pass over, transfer, carry over, remove, change or turn. In the case of Enoch, we know that its meaning is most consistent with passing over the great chasm that separates man from God, without having to experience death. In literal words, at one moment he was alive and walking the earth and the next instant Enoch found himself in the presence of the LORD God.
Enoch was translated because he pleased the LORD God. He held this testimony that he brought the LORD God pleasure. The Greek word “martureo” is translated testimony, and means to bear witness and record.
It wasn’t that Enoch did well in speaking a little prophesy the one time it is mentioned in the Bible. Through the use of the word testimony, we can be certain that he had a spotless record of serving the LORD God, and that record was witness to his righteous service toward Him.
Note the Greek word “martureo” once more. It is a derivative of the word “martus” which is interpreted “martyr.” A martyr is one who proves the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by suffering persecution and violent death. It is not a far stretch to suspect that Enoch’s testimony had the nature of the martyrdom that would come later with followers of Jesus Christ.
Enoch’s “martuereo” brought great pleasure to the LORD God, and it was for that reason he was translated without death! His strength and genuineness of faith in the LORD God was so great, that He was noticed by the LORD God and used by Him to prophesy the things of last days from the beginning generations of His Creation!
NEVER BEFORE had another man been translated by the LORD God. He was the first! Since the day that Adam and Eve had sinned, death had to come to human being bodies to release sin’s hold upon them. It was the most unusual event in the midst of corruption and unrighteousness that was swirling around mankind.
This righteous man Enoch, known by all for his goodness and dedication toward God, might have died a common death, and then been taken to Heaven, and no one would have known. But through his translation, it was seen by many as Enoch living one moment amongst them, and the next, nowhere to be found. His translation became a testimony to the LORD God, that His providence for those that please Him can include eternal life without experiencing the physical sting of death.
The LORD God made sure that the reason He translated Enoch was clear to everyone that sought after His Word.
Hebrews 11:6
“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 11:6)
The LORD God translated Enoch so that those generations to follow could know how to please Him. There was only one way. It took faith in Him to please Him! He even explained further, by breaking that faith down to two areas of faith that Enoch possessed:
The faith of Enoch believed that the LORD God was who He IS
The faith of Enoch knew with certainty that the LORD God would reward those who diligently sought after Him
The Greek word “pisteuo” translates to the word “believe.” This powerful word denotes not only a surety in the LORD God, but also a conviction and trust inside a person’s soul that the He can be trusted completely. There can be no doubt in the type of faith that pleases the LORD God and moves Him to give great reward.
How does one get this type of faith? You must diligently seek after the LORD God. Seek diligently is represented by the Greek word “ekzeteo” and denotes a highly focused effort to search for the Will, Way and Word of God. The way this deep investigative seeking can be effected by Believers is through the study of the Word of God. The more study of His Word, the deeper the faith He gives you, and the more application that can be applied to your spiritual life.
The Faith of Enoch represents the believer’s sincere search and discovery of the things of the LORD God, and the application of those things into a life that honors and worships Him. Those who are able to diligently seek after the LORD God, and have confidence that He is who He is, will both please Him and receive reward from Him one day for their faith!
Faith of Enoch Today
So we return to the place from which we started…the Faith of Enoch. His faith was so strong and sure, that he did not see death, and was raised up by God to join Him in 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 AV)
The LORD God brought great reward to Enoch for his faith, and caused a supernatural translation to happen to him for both him and all believers that come after him. The Faith of Enoch pleased the LORD God so much, that he was included as an example to us in the chapter of faith accounted in Hebrews 11. It is that faith we are focusing upon in this lesson, as we “translate” the things of Enoch’s faith, to our own faith in these difficult times.
The followers of Jesus Christ today must take the example of the Faith of Enoch and stand strong in the face of the wickedness and despair of mankind. It is through this strong faith that the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ is propagated throughout the world. And it’s quite a world, isn’t it? Our times are just as Enoch’s; we both live in times of great wickedness, where men turn against righteousness and obedience to the LORD God and His Will and Ways. In two short generations from Enoch, the entire world, save Noah and his family, were wiped from the earth. Believers today feel that same doomsday clock ticking, as the promised judgment of mankind by our Lord Jesus Christ grows nearer to unfolding according to the signs of the times!
Enoch pleased the LORD God because he had testimony. His testimony was maintaining a righteous presence in the midst of the terrible wickedness of mankind. His prophesy identified the nature of that wickedness as being the Way of Cain, the Error of Balaam, and the Gainsaying of Core. Take a moment, and consider these things that are prevalent in our own time, and growing worse each day.
The Way of Cain in the time of Enoch was the arrogant approach to the LORD God by those who demanded God bow down to them. They did not want to obey Him, but rather, expected Him to do as they willed. Today, we hear many speak freely about how they expect God to take them to Heaven because they are good; they are completely oblivious to His requirements to follow after the Lord Jesus Christ and do His things. We see prayers offered up to God to support this war or another, worldly cause over spiritual things, or things of fortune to be bestowed upon the prayers, without regard to His Will.
Godless people walk the earth today, focused on their attributes and needs over the will of the LORD God. The self-focused generation of disobedient people reassures themselves daily that they are good and deserving of the rewards that God has to offer, and that their money and efforts toward making a better world will guarantee them a spot in Heaven. They are vocal and condemning of any religion and any believer that goes against their belief in the way things should be with regards to reward from God and judgment.
It takes a very strong and brave Christian to stand up to the self-indulging kind, and announce to them that they must bow a knee to God regardless of their thoughts of the ways they think the reward and judgment of God should be. It is a testimony of faith when a believer speaks the Truth of God and reveals the only path to approach Him to be through Jesus Christ, even when it offends those who control their offerings to God with a demand of expected compensation and reward. The Way of Cain produced ungodly men lacking referential awe toward the things of God in the day of Enoch, and it has produced the same type of sinful, lewd, lustful and carnal natures within mankind today.
The similarities between our time and the time of Enoch do not stop with most of mankind embracing the Way of Cain. There are widespread instances of the Error of Balaam being reflected in our world today, with the same devastating effects of unrighteous, lewd and manipulative behavior being favored over righteousness. For instance, how many times have we seen pretend religious leaders receive wealth, power and prestige from their followers as they teach a corrupt lies that go against the Word of God. I’ll give you a hint…many are brought down by the excessive lustful and lewd acts that come from doing the error of Balaam!
Only faithful Christians can stand up and reveal the lies and manipulations generated by glory-seeking individuals’ intent on gaining and benefiting from attaching themselves to the Kingdom of God. The error of Balaam was thinking that any favor of God shown to him, gave him freedom to manipulate that favor into personal reward. This error led to the worship of false gods and attention paid to soothsayers, fortune tellers, and witches. False idols were embraced when the LORD God refused to grant privileges to those who were embracing the error of Balaam.
Just as in the times of Enoch, many people have left their faith, and lustfully sought riches, prestige, and power instead of walking in the Ways of the LORD God. Their attitude led to worship of false gods, as they gained a false sense of entitlement through their manipulation attempts toward the True LORD God. They have empowered the false idol use of others through the manipulation of magic, soothsaying, and worship of false gods. The faith of Enoch stood bravely in the midst of such chaos, and declared their practices wicked and warned of coming judgment if they did not stop their embrace of idols. They ignored him, just as those who worship idols in this world will ignore a faithful Christian who warns of judgment to come. Regardless, it is that faith within a Christian, expressed fully in support of the things of God that brings great delight to Him and provides testimony of your walk with Christ.
Lastly, the gainsaying of Core brought death to 250 leaders and 14,700 followers of God because of JEALOUSY! Core convinced strong and powerful leaders that had God’s favor, to forsake the leadership that was placed by Him to lead them, and challenge the authority established by Him. Regrettably, this same attitude is prevalent in churches today, as congregations jockey for power and prestige, challenging leadership and creating turmoil through gossip and attacks. The disagreements between denominations pale when weighed against the utter chaos that is within the church settings. Jealousies against the leaders seem to propel more and more attacks within the institutions that God Himself has established.
How can Christian leaders reclaim the positions that God has placed them in, when jealous attacks come their way and attempt to destroy the righteousness of the appointments? They cannot do it alone; we do not have the advantage of the LORD God dwelling among us, where we can go before Him, and prove the holiness of a leader vs. the jealousy of another. However, those of strong faith, that emulate the faith of Enoch in their walk with Christ, can make a difference by boldly proclaiming and upholding those appointed to leadership positions in the Kingdom of God on earth.
The faith of Enoch was so perfectly expressed by Him, that it gave testimony of his belief in the LORD God’s will and ways. His stances of bold declaration against the ways of Cain, the error of Balaam and the gainsaying of Core expressed the complete dedication he held toward the LORD God. It is that faith of Enoch that each faithful Christian should emulate, as we struggle against the wickedness of this world, to declare the Truth from the Word of God.
