We don’t know much about the man. All we know is written in just a few verses in the Bible. But those few verses tell us that this man had a close relationship with God. Enoch walked in close fellowship with his Maker. And one day he disappeared off the face of the earth. He didn’t die. God just removed him from the earth.

It would be interesting to be his wife or children and try to figure out what happened to him. How would they have explained his disappearance to their neighbors and extended family? Did anyone see him disappear? Did they call out a search party? How did they know it was God who took him? Was he surrounded by his family when the moment came?

But that is all beside the point.

It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God. And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

Hebrews 11:5-6

Imagine the stir it would cause if you never died. Imagine God took you straight to heaven. What would people say? How would they know you were in heaven? Did anyone see the hand of God reach down and pluck you off the earth? Would you be surrounded by your loved ones when it happened?

And why you? Why would God choose you for this? 

This is exactly what happened to Enoch. He was a man who was faithful to God. He walked with God and lived a life of faith in obedience to God. This means that he followed the will of God. He stood for truth and he spoke it. He obeyed when God led him. He had studied and knew the Jewish law. He was faithful.

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And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. Hebrews 11:6

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But we can’t get all hung up on the fact that Enoch just disappeared from the face of the earth. Let’s think about why God chose him.

He was faithful. He pleased God.

Do I have the qualities that God is looking for? Do I please God? Does God call me faithful?

Christians are sometimes criticized for having faith. After all, isn’t that what being a Christian is all about? But when you think of it, everyone has faith in some way or another. Even atheists have faith. They have faith that there is no God.

But the faith of a Christian can’t be stagnant. It must be fed and watered. Pruned and shaped. Molded into a faithful follower of Christ. God requires it of us. Otherwise, it isn’t faith. Is it? We must believe that God exists. That’s the essence of our faith. We must put forth an effort to live as Christ commands. We must follow his teachings. We must walk worthy of our calling in obedience and submission to God’s will. We can only do these things by the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. According to Hebrews 13:21, God equips his saints with everything we need to do his will.

When we walk with God. When we listen. And obey. When we continually seek out truth from God’s word. When we seek to be in his presence. We will find Him. We will meet him in prayer. And in the Word. As we sift the wheat from the chaff in our lives, we will find truth and faithfulness. We will toss the lies of deceit and fear from our hearts. We will feast on His goodness.

Enoch walked with God. He listened to God. And he obeyed. We, too, can be as Enoch. We can walk with God and obey. We can be called faithful. Oh. God may not reach down and take us to heaven without us having first tasted death. No. That isn’t what will happen. But he will be with us. As God is faithful to us, so we must be faithful to him. He rewards those who sincerely seek him.

As Matthew Henry says, we cannot come to God, unless we believe that he is what he has revealed himself to be in the Scripture. Those who would find God, must seek him with all their heart.