Hebrews 11:5  By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
Genesis 5:22  And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:
23  And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:
24  And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.
Jude 14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.
1 John 5:4  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.
Revelation 2:7  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;  To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
11  He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.
17 To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna.
26  And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:
27  And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
28  And I will give him the morning star.
3:5  He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
12  Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God; and I will write upon him my new name.
21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

MEMORY VERSE:  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 1 John:5:4

CENTRAL THOUGHT:  Just as Enoch overcame the world of sin and transgression against God and walked with God in full fellowship, so can we through faith and obedience to God through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, walk in full fellowship with Him and overcome death in that last great day to attain to eternal life.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Hebrews 11:5,  “translated”:  Changed to an immortal everlasting state.  “was not found”:  His body was never discovered by humanity.  “pleased God”:  Entirely gratified God’s purpose and pleasure.
Verse 6,  “believe”:  Count and declare as true; give full credit and acceptance.
1 John 5:4,  “overcometh”: Conquer, prevail over, and get victory against.
Revelation 2:7,  “paradise”:  Realm of eternal life and happiness.
Verse 11,  “second death”:  “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Verse 17,  “hidden manna”:  Spiritual Bread of Life that Jesus gives.
Verse 26,  “power over the nations”:  Overcoming control of this mortal life.
Verse 27,  “rod of iron”:  The powerful eternal Word of God.
Verse 28,  “morning star”:  “I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”  Words of Jesus from Revelation 22:16.
Rev. 3:5,  “the book of life”:  God’s record of all who are faithful to Him. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”  Revelation 20:15.
Verse 12,  “pillar”:  Unfailing support.  “new Jerusalem”:  The New Testament  spiritual Jerusalem: The Church of God.  “my new name”:  The name of Jesus Christ of everlasting worth, the Saviour of the World.
Verse 21,  “sit with me in my throne”:  Share my eternal power and glory.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Enoch is our second Old Testament figure in this series of examples of faith in God.  Adam Clarke believes that Enoch was early instructed in the things of God, initiated into the worship of his maker, and dedicated to His service.  Clarke observed that the phrase “walked with God” in the Hebrew  means “set himself to walk with God.”  This means that he was fixedly purposed and determined to live for God.  No doubt Enoch received a very godly education and was moved by the Divine influence through it.  Therefore, he was determined to work and walk with God.  He was a married man and had a large family.  Being cleansed from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and striving for perfect holiness before God,  not only his soul, but his body was kept pure.  At any rate, in the sight of God he was counted worthy of being translated and escaping death.

Along with the scriptural account of Enoch, we have included scriptures that deal with how we should strive to overcome by unfailing and earnest devout faith this present evil world and be accounted worthy of being in the resurrection with Christ.  Just as Enoch set himself to seek to earnestly please and walk with God, we must also earnestly seek to overcome and have the victory in our souls that God wants us to have.  The New Testament is very clear and unfailing in the counsel and guidance we need to be more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

We have included from the epistle of Jude a quotation from Enoch concerning the Lord’s coming in power to execute judgment upon all for the woeful sin and ungodliness of mankind.        —Bro. Leslie Busbee

QUESTIONS:

  1. Why was Enoch blessed to be translated and not to suffer death?
  2. How can we obtain the victory that will overcome this world?
  3. What will be our reward for having and maintaining true faith?
  4. What will be the power we will have in Christ over the world?
  5. What is the real City of God, the New Jerusalem?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

We have in our lesson today a figure and account of a man who, in the midst of a world that was given over to lust and ungodly ways and desires, was influenced enough by those who sought to train and help him in his youth to seek after and earnestly strive to please God and have His help and favor.  Even though sin and transgression were abounding in this world and in his day and age, somehow he was influenced to seek the LORD, feel after Him, and find Him.  We have his record before us.  He is reported to have walked with God for three hundred years.  Disregarding the allurements of sin and the inclination of the flesh to go after lust, covetousness, and all the current of the evil world around him, Enoch steadfastly chose to seek after God’s favor and blessings.

The opportunity that he took advantage of is still open for us today.  Even with the blessings that have been made possible for us in this age, we must make a clear and definite decision to seek the Lord and give our hearts and lives to Him.  All around us flows and glows the allurements of worldliness, vanity, and pride.  But the word of God declares that we must seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near.  The wicked must forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return unto the LORD.  Isaiah 55:6,7.  We are also exhorted in Acts 17:27 that we “…should seek the Lord… feel after him, and find him.”

We must resist temptation and the allurements of sin and seek and feel after God and His fellowship.  Sad to say, the general current of humanity is after the flesh and its lusts and treasures. But if a person will be strong, as Enoch was, in seeking the Lord, the grace and overcoming strength of God can be ours unfailing!

Sad to say, there are so many who draw back from giving up their ways and thoughts.  The thrill of physical pleasure and fleshly gratification has a strong tendency to rule the hearts of humanity.  The love of money, the root of all evil, along with sexual attraction and thrills has the upper most rule in the hearts and lives of humanity today.  It is for everyone to take heed and turn their hearts toward the benefits of reverence and love for God.                                                                                                                  —Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

Oh, Enoch, sir, I long to know the path you walked while here below–
With God!–and is it true, three hundred years He walked with you?
Could you see Him? or touch His hand? What form had He? Did He command–
Or sing, or laugh–what voice had he, as you two walked in company?
You had no printed verse or book. You heard His Word, you read His look.
There was no written law, or Psalm, or promise that was healing balm.
But only Presence–His alone. That was enough. He was your own.
Your confidante, your friend, your guide. Your father who walked by your side.
What did He share? Did He explain of mortal sin and human pain?
The questions that plagued man for years, of life and death, of toil and tears?
Did you know angels? Did you see, forward and backward into eternity?
You saw His coming–that we know: you spoke of judgment and of woe.
But oh–that last morning as you walked, and listened, spell-bound, as He talked–
Did your road, as it curved around the bend, just drop away at horizon’s end,
How did it feel for flesh to turn to spirit, in a twinkling–did your heart burn
With gladness? did you leap in rapturous praise in your upward sweep?
Oh, Enoch! just as you a single trumpet heard and rose to view
Sweet heaven; may we also hear that trumpet call, that voice so dear.
Your righteous life, that pleased the Lord, and bore witness of His grace outpoured;
Now beckons us to journey too, by faith in step with Him, like you.
—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck