Genesis 5:24 - Enoch who walked with God

Enoch walked [intimately] with God, and then he was not, for God took him

Biblical Context:

            This verse appears in the midst of the genealogy from Seth to Noah. Before this, Adam and Eve had sinned, fallen, and been expelled from the Garden of Eden. Cain had killed Abel. Scripture recounted Cain’s genealogy for several generations and, finally, we were told that Adam and Eve had another son, Seth (Genesis 4:25-26). The next major event on the earth is the Flood. Therefore, this chapter serves as a transitional chapter to explain how we get from Seth to Noah, and what happened on earth to require the extermination of almost all mankind.

We don’t know much about Enoch. There are only four verses devoted to him in the whole Bible. We know that when he was 65 years old, he became the father of Methuselah, one of Noah’s descendants, and that he had other sons and daughters. Then at the young age of 365, he was taken into heaven by God. During this patriarchal time, the life expectancy ranged from 800 to 1,000 years of life. Enoch had only lived about a third of his expected life span before being taken away.

What stands out about Enoch is the Hebrew word vayit-halek found in verse 24. This is a form of the verb halak, which means “to walk”. However, the yit part of the word indicates that the verb is to be used reflexively. Another example of this verb being used reflexively is found in 2 Samuel 11:2. The NIV and NASB retain a more exact translation of this word when they say that David was “walking around” on the roof of the palace. It is the “around” part that demonstrates the reflexivity of the word vayit-halek. It literally means that David was walking back and forth in multiple directions. He had no set direction and purpose to his walking. Now, in Genesis 5:24, with Enoch, the reflexive use of the verb halak indicates that Enoch walked with God in all ways, or, as I have translated above, intimately.  

The only other person God assumes into heaven without experiencing death is Elijah. His assumption story is found in 2 Kings 2:1-14.

Life application:

            There are several chapters devoted to the life and deeds of Elijah. Thus, we can know that when he was taken up to heaven in a whirlwind, he truly was a righteous man who had an intimate relationship with God. However, there are only four verses devoted to Enoch. Yet he had the same standing with God as Elijah. He had an intimate relationship with the creator of the universe, and was considered to be a most righteous man before he was even middle aged.

 Enoch lived before the Law of Moses, before the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ, before Paul wrote to the Corinthians that “death is swallowed up in victory (1 Cor 15:54),” and before he knew about the resurrection of the dead at the last days. But we can still see that God had in mind to ultimately give the righteous victory over death. The key to this, however, is that victory over death belongs to the righteous, to those who walk intimately with God in all ways.

This should inform our faith and our walk with Christ. As I have watched the Olympic Games for the past several days, I have been struck by the fact that there is no athlete at the games alone. They are there with their coach or coaches. You would think that after years of training for their special event, they would be confident enough to go it alone, that they wouldn’t need a coach. But time and time again, you see the athletes talking to their coaches, looking for advice, guidance, strategy, and help to deal with the stiff competition and pressure of the Olympic Games. Why do we think that our spiritual lives are any different? Faith in Christ is not an easy stroll, but rather a marathon that can only be won by first surrendering our wills to Jesus Christ, our coach, and allowing Him to train us, form us, and prepare us for eternity. Enoch walked with God in all ways. He allowed God to speak to him, form him, guide him, and advise him as to how to live his life. There was no part of his life that was not trained and formed by God. He kept nothing back. If we want to be righteous, we too must walk with God in all ways so that every part of our lives can be transformed and trained.

How do you go about doing this? One step at a time. Repent and seek God’s forgiveness for not offering your whole self up to Him. Then, do what you have to do to remind yourself that God needs to be Lord of every activity, thought, conversation, errand, class, and game. Proverbs 3:4-7 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” Trusting in God, acknowledging Him, and fearing the Lord all mean that God has to be bigger in your life than you are. He has to have more importance than your own thoughts. When you think you know better than God, you are saying that you are more than He is and that you are better than Him – and that is sin. Give it up, give yourself up, and let God in. There is no part of your life that you can withhold from Him if you truly desire to be righteous.