Enoch gets very little ink in the bible, but what we learn from his life is extraordinary. Enoch’s father, Jared, was 962 years old when he died. (Gen 5:20), and his son, Methuselah lived to age 969 (Gen. 5:27), but Enoch himself lived to a mere 365 years old. (Ancient Mesopotamian king lists have ages much longer than those in this point in biblical history.) So here’s Enoch living not much more than a third of the age of his father and his son. Was he gipped? That depends on some other factors.
Many centuries later, the writer of Hebrews writes:
“By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having
pleased God. 6And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. Hebrews 11:5–6)He observes that since Enoch pleased God, he must have been a man of faith because faith is critical to seeking God and drawing near to Him. This puts the length of Enoch’s life in perspective. He is not cheated out of two-thirds of his expected life; He is rewarded early for walking with God and earnestly seeking Him. And that reward was that God didn’t make him wait another 600 years before He fulfilled Enoch’s desire for God.
What a model for a godly life! Enoch walks with God, he seeks to draw near to God. He has faith in God, and he pleases God.
But what a challenging example! How did Enoch’s family feel about his departure? Did they understand that it was the fulfillment of his desire for God? And what about Enoch himself? As his departure drew near did he feel cheated, or perhaps exuberant?
We have this promise from Jesus Himself:
“. . . if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 4And you know the way to where I am going.” 5Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” 6Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:3–6
What a challenge to us! Does the idea of Jesus coming today and taking you to be with Him strike you? Is it an early fulfilment of your life long desire for Him and to be with Him? Or is it an unsettling, frightening thought? Jesus seems to think that the disciples would be comforted and encouraged by the idea. And so will we when our heart’s desire is to be with Him.
So what do we do if our hearts just aren’t there yet? We ask God to give us such a hunger and thirst for Him. And we begin to seek God through prayer, the Word, and allocating time to make Him the fundamental priority in our life. Experience teaches that God will change our hearts if we sincerely ask him to. As a friend of mine wisely put it: “You don’t have to feel it, but you do have to mean it.” And when we mean it, God can take it from there.