The Man Who Never Saw Death

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. 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

I love the story of the little Sunday school girl who, after Sunday school, said to her mother one day, Mother, we heard about the most wonderful man in Sunday school today. His name was Enoch, and he used to go on long walks with God. One day they walked so far that God said to him, It's too far for you to go back, you better come home with Me now. And he just walked on home with God.

That's exactly what this implies. Why was this man taken without seeing death? Of all the long line of humanity, why is he the great exception? Genesis says Enoch walked with God. Is this a promise that if we walk with God we shall never die? Yes, in a sense it is. You remember those words of Jesus: I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die (John 11:25-26).

There's a sense that when we walk with God we never really see physical death. But let me suggest something else. Is this not a lesson on the physical level intended to illustrate for us something on the spiritual level? We are told very plainly that Enoch was taken in order that he would not see death, and death, as you know, in scripture has a double meaning. There's that word death, which means the end of life, the cessation of the body's existence. But it also has the meaning of the end of life, such as abundant life, such as we describe as really living. Therefore, it means futility, barrenness, dullness, drabness, meaninglessness and emptiness. That's death. That's what it means in Romans 8:6, The mind governed by the flesh is death — drabness, barrenness, emptiness. The question that this brings before us is this: Are you living in death even as a Christian, because you do not walk with God? Enoch's life is a testimony to us, that if we walk with God we shall not see death; that the answer to barrenness, drabness and dullness is this daily stepping out by faith on the promises of God; this daily testing of his promises of his presence, and reckoning upon them. It was by faith that Enoch walked with God, by testing what God said, and discovering it was true as he stepped out upon it.

What a surprising thing this is, Father, to see in this man of the ancient past such a vivid picture of your workings with us in our own lives today. As we see something of the brevity of life, may this call again our attention to walk with you.