Did you know that “Enoch” was the name of a city which Cain named after his son? (Genesis 4:17). The one whom we want to consider was a different man, one who was a descendant of Seth (Genesis 5:3,18).

Enoch was the seventh generation from creation (Jude 14). Even many youngsters know that he is one of two Bible characters (the other being Elijah) who did not die. Most people are more familiar with Enoch’s son than they are Enoch himself — his famous son was Methuselah (Genesis 5:21).

There are some things which Enoch did which are “out of our reach.” None of us will live for three hundred sixty-five years as he did (Genesis 5:23), nor will we prophecy like he did (Jude 14). But there are other things in Enoch’s life which can be repeated in our lives. That is why we are saying, “You and I can do what Enoch did.” Please consider some historical facts about Enoch and his connection with God.

Enoch walked with God (Genesis 5:22,24). So can we! Noah walked with the Lord (Genesis 6:8,9), and we know that showed a tremendous difference between him and the people of his wicked generation. The Lord wants us to walk with Him, but that is a personal choice for each person to make. God charged the Israelites “to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). Jehovah also called on them to “walk in all His ways and to love Him” (Deuteronomy 10:12). Thus, one walks with God by walking in His ways, that is, according to His revealed will, and He wants that walk to be done out of love for Him. The language of the New Testament is that God wants His children to walk in the light (1 John 1:7), which they do by walking after His commands (2 John 6). Yes, you and I can walk with the Lord like Enoch did. Our ultimate goal is to walk with Him in white in eternity (Revelation 3:4).

Enoch showed his faith in God. The Bible says, “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). You and I can live by faith, too! Enoch and the other Old Testament characters who are mentioned in Hebrews 11 were not some kind of “Supermen” or “Superwomen.” They were regular people who had this trait in common: they chose to walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). To say that Enoch and others acted “by faith” means they acted in harmony with God’s revealed will to them, because faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17). “By faith” is man’s proper response to God’s goodness and revelation. This is what we see in the Bible: a faith that pleases God accepts the facts which God gives, trusts in Him, and submits to Him.

Enoch pleased God. Hear God’s testimony about His servant Enoch: “he pleased God” (Hebrews 11:5). So can we! Yes, human beings, as imperfect as we all are, can live a life that pleases the Lord. It is a choice. In our moral choices, in our spiritual choices, and in our decisions about what our highest priorities are in life, let us have a heart that wants to please the Lord at all times. If we do that, we not only will be acting like Enoch, we will be imitating Jesus, too. Jesus said this about Himself: “And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him” (John 8:29).

Enoch spoke the message of God. So can we! In Enoch’s case, by miraculous guidance he prophesied about the Lord’s coming and judgment (Jude 14). For us, there will be no direct leading from the Holy Spirit, but we can choose to speak the divine message given to us in the Bible. Our role is to preach the gospel to the lost (Mark 16:15), use God’s word to convict the hearts of men (2 Timothy 4:2), and speak with authority (1 Timothy 4:11). Let us be known as people of the Book, speaking as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11). Our beliefs are Bible- based, our public teaching is done from the Bible, and in our personal lives we will not hush about the gospel!

Enoch was taken by God (Genesis 5:24; Hebrews 11:5). We can be, too! It is up to us. What I mean is this: we choose how we live, and how we live will determine how the Lord Jesus will deal with us when He comes again in judgment. At that time, He will take certain ones with Him back to heaven. He first will raise the dead in the Christ, then those saints who still are alive on earth when He returns “shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Taken by God to heaven — that is the goal!

Enoch escaped death by the power of God. The Bible says Enoch “did not see death” (Hebrews 11:5), that is, he did not experience the death of his physical body. Did not Jesus say something about believers in Him not dying? The Master said, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:26). That is correct: faithful followers of the Christ will escape death. All will go through physical death (Hebrews 9:27), but those who are washed in the blood of the Lamb will not be hurt by the second death (Revelation 21:8), which will be eternal separation from God.

Enoch made some great choices. So can we!
— Roger D. Campbell