Faith Required

Hebrews 11:5-6 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.
 
GENESIS 5 is an account of the generations form Adam to Noah through Adam’s son Seth. Seth is the righteous son who replaced Abel. God’s plan to send a Redeemer would go through Seth’s line to Noah to Noah’s son Shem to Abraham.
    Amid the generations is Enoch, whose life is defined with this remarkable sentence: Enoch lived 365 years, walking in close fellowship with God. Then one day he disappeared, because God took him. (Genesis 5:23-24) God did this because Enoch was commended as one who pleased God.
    Enoch was well-known among the Jews. A book known as 1 Enoch was written during the time between the Old and New Testaments. Its 106 chapters records visions God gave to Enoch. Jude also speaks of Enoch: Jude 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones.” Apparently Enoch was a prophet to the family lineage that ultimately led to Israel and to Jesus.  
    Elijah is the only other person recorded in Scripture who was taken directly from this life into  heaven (2 Kings 2:11-12). God touched Elijah with a special measure of faith to perform remarkable miracles in Israel. Elijah’s faith work revealed God’s power and promises to Israel. It is apparent God also touched Enoch with a special measure of faith to reveal God to the generations preceding Israel. God grants faith to many, so we can know him and please him.  
    Faith is the only means to please God, isn’t it? As illustrated with Cain – and Cain’s line in Genesis 4 – a faithless life is a self-pleasing life. People will try many ways to satisfy themselves and their own needs. How many times have you heard someone say, “I have my own way to God.” Or, “I’ll believe in God if he does something for me.” But it is only faith that allows us to respond to God and to enjoy his rewards.
           These are lessons learned throughout Scripture. Hebrews wants the church to know faith is God’s gift. They must treasure faith because it is life.