Useful Bible Studies > Hebrews Commentary > chapter 11
The Bible only has two short passages about the life of Enoch. Genesis 5:21-24 tells us how he lived. And Jude 14-15 tells us what he believed. But these passages are enough to show us that this holy man had faith (active belief and trust in God).
Genesis 5:22 tells us that Enoch ‘walked with God’. In the Bible, ‘to walk’ is often a word-picture for how a person lives his life. (See, for example, Psalm 1:1.) So, this must mean that Enoch lived his life in a close relationship with God. When we have a close relationship with someone, we trust that person. So clearly Enoch trusted God. And his actions showed how much he trusted God.
The Book of Genesis says nothing about Enoch’s beliefs. But Jude 14-15 tells us some words that he spoke by the Holy Spirit. He said that God was coming to act as the judge of everyone. God would punish evil people for all their wicked words, deeds and behaviour. That is similar to what Abel believed, too. (See my note on Hebrews 11:4.)
Abel lived by faith and he died. Enoch lived by faith, but he did not die. His relationship with God was so close that God did not allow him to die. We do not know what happened. The Bible simply says that God took him.
These two men, Abel and Enoch, both had faith. But the ends of their lives on earth were very different. Abel died but Enoch did not die. So clearly, whether a person has faith is even more important than life and death. It is more important than anything else for us to trust God and to believe him. Our lives can only please God if we do those things (Hebrews 11:6).
Next part: How to please God (Hebrews 11:6)
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© 2014, Keith Simons.