“When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. ²² After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. ²³ Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. ²⁴ Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”  Genesis 5:21-24 (NIV)

^“By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”  Hebrews 11:5-6 (NIV)

In Genesis 5:24, we read that Enoch walked with God and that then “he was no more, because God took Him away.”  I like to imagine Enoch and God just walking along one day, maybe like they had many times before.  Perhaps they were admiring the beauties of creation or talking about the state of men’s hearts.  But then imagine this; God looks at Enoch and says, “You want to come on home with Me?”

I’ve seen people pass away peacefully.  They seemingly are just asleep and simply take one last breath.  Then there are some who, unfortunately, have to experience a horrible death.  In talking with others about death, I’ve said I don’t fear dying, because I hold on to the truth that to be absent from my body means I will be present with the Lord.  But I do fear how I may die.  I long to be in Heaven, but like I’ve heard my pastor say, “I’m not getting a load up to go tonight.”

It must have been great to be so close to God that He decides to just usher you on into His heavenly home.  How wonderful it must have been to not have to go through death.  However, I think instead of focusing on the fact that Enoch didn’t experience death, it would benefit us more to focus on how close he was with God.  In Genesis 5, it says that Enoch walked faithfully with God and in Hebrews 11, it says he pleased God.  The key to Enoch not having to experience death was in how he lived.

Have you ever been around people who are so close to each other that they finish each other’s sentences?  I know some twins who do that often.  They are able to finish each other’s sentences, often talking in unison, because they have been with each other since birth (or you could say, 9 months before birth.)  My husband thinks I can read his mind because many times I know what he is going to say or do before he says or does it.  But we have been married for over 30 years so it’s easy to predict how we both will react in certain situations.

The Bible says we can have the mind of Christ.  If we have that type of intimate relationship with God, that daily communion, then we can cease being ourselves, but instead be one with God.  We can know how He would have us to act and what we should say in any situation.  We can only have the mind of God if we are filled with His Spirit and we can only be filled with His Spirit if we have accepted Him as Lord and Savior.

“These are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.  The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. ¹¹ For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. ¹² What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. ¹³ This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. ¹⁴ The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. ¹⁵ The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, ¹⁶ for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”   1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NIV)

So we can think the thoughts of God because the Spirit of God lives within us. The sad thing is that the opposite of this is also true.  For those who have not accepted Christ, not only can they not discern the things of God, but they are blinded by Satan.  The things of God seem foolish to unbelievers as it tells us in the following scripture:

“The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”  2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV)

As believers, when we strive to obey God and allow the Spirit to give us insight and wisdom into the things that He wants us to do, then we, too, can walk close to God.  In fact, walking with God is exactly what He wants us to do.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”   Micah 6:8 (NIV)

 

I want to walk with God daily like Enoch and the saints of old.  I don’t really believe God would simply transport any of us now from this earth to His home without us going through the process of death.  However, if we are His child, He will usher us into His home the moment we breathe our last breath here.  Even though God may not choose to simply take me like He did Enoch, I do hope to hear Him say someday, “Come on home with Me, good and faithful servant.”