“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

Enoch was a very unique man. He, along with Elijah the prophet, were the only two men who entered heaven without first dying. As a general rule, “it is appointed unto men once to die,” Hebrews 9:27. God, Who is sovereign, may suspend His general rules for His own purpose.

FAITH WAS ACTIVE IN THIS MIRACLE

1. Faith lay behind this miraculous translation to heaven. What happened to Enoch was the outworking of his faith in God. Let us learn that what happens in our lives is ever related to our faith in God! “And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief,” Matthew 13:58. Unbelief will rob us of God’s blessing! Learn that today, girls and boys.

2. What ‘qualified’ him for this great blessing was his ‘pleasing’ of God. “God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” The word translated ‘pleased’ appears only three times and all in Hebrews, verse 5, 6 & 13:16. God found his ways pleasing. His works, his words, his walk - all pleased the Lord. God will always ‘elevate’, ‘lift up’, the man who pleases Him, James 4:10.

3. He did not live to please men. Mankind back then was descending into sin and rebellion which brought about the judgment of God by way of a universal flood which caused the death of all. “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man,” Genesis 7:21.

a. Learn that it is possible to please God in the midst of great wickedness.

b. We do not have to do what others do. The Christian must ever avoid being “conformed to this world”. Rather we are to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God,” Romans 12:2. This was the experience of Enoch.

4. Those who ‘please’ God will be visibly and eternally favoured. “God had translated him.” “And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household,” 2 Samuel 6:11. Enoch was taken out of the sinful world, into the glories and joys of heaven.

5. What God did for him was not understood by men generally. I feel that what the Lord did few understood in that day. I tend to think that those who shared his faith understood what happened. Note the words: “Before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.” There was evidence of God being pleased with him and God’s favour resting upon him.