IDEA: God values those men and women who walk with him.
TEXT: "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. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:5-6).
PURPOSE: To help listeners see that beyond all else, God wants us.
When you read the Bible, how much attention do you pay to the genealogies in the Bible?
I. What did you notice about the list?
It follows a pattern (sounding like a record in a county court house):
Name
Age
Additional years after the birth of a son
Acknowledgement of other children
Total life span
Each is followed by the refrain, "and then he died."
Two men break the pattern:
Noah: why does the writer NOT say, "and he died"?
Enoch's genealogy highlights his righteousness. In Hebrews 11:5 the writer also picks Enoch as a member of his honor roll of faith: "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. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
II. Genesis tells us that Enoch "walked with God."
This is a rare expression used twice of Enoch in Genesis 5:22,24. It is also used of Noah in Genesis 6:9 and of Levi in Malachi 2:6.
What does the image that he "walked with God" mean? It denotes supernatural, intimate fellowship with God.
Do you like to walk with a good friend? What's it like? That gives you a glimpse of what pleased God so much.
Enoch did not live a super-pious life withdrawn from the world. Enoch he had "other sons and daughters" who had to be clothed and fed.
The writer of the letter to the Hebrews said that Enoch walked "by faith." That shows that faith is not a static thing that you have only in your head. It is dynamic and alive.
God so valued this man that he "took him" so that he didn't have to see death.