“Pray in your closet; and as you go about your daily
labor, let your heart be often uplifted to God. It was
thus that Enoch walked with God. These silent prayers
rise like precious incense before the throne of grace.
Satan cannot overcome him whose heart is thus stayed
upon God.”—Steps to Christ, pp. 98:3-99:0.
“We are to obey the laws of His kingdom, making
ourselves all that it is possible for us to be. Earnestly
we are to cultivate the highest powers of our being,
remembering that we are God’s property, God’s building.
We are required to improve every day. Even in this
world of sin and sorrow, we may, by earnest, persevering
effort, rise to the highest spiritual efficiency . . We
are to please God. This we may do; for Enoch pleased
God, though living in a degenerate age. And there are
Enochs in this our day.”—Sons and Daughters, p. 314:1.
“Enoch walked with God. So may every laborer for
Christ. You may say with the psalmist, ‘I have set the
Lord always before me: because He is at my right hand,
I shall not be moved.’ [Ps 16:8]. While you feel that you
have no sufficiency of yourself, your sufficiency will be
in Jesus. If you expect all your counsel and wisdom to
come from men, mortal and finite like yourselves, you
will receive only human help. If you go to God for help
and wisdom, He will never disappoint your faith.”—
Gospel Workers (1915 ed.), pp. 417:4-418:0.
We must strive and urge and plead and warn until the very day that probation ends for mankind. We are to live the Enoch life!
This is our commission. And this is a twofold work—to develop a character of righteousness by living a life of personal purity and pleading with God; to teach a lesson of godliness by kindly acts and warning and pleading with men.
Enoch’s example and counsels were not appreciated by many. The majority scorned and hated him. If most men merely tolerate you, then you are not living deep enough. We are not to seek their animosity, but we are not to quail before them. We are not to pick and choose and moderate our words merely that we may be accepted of all men.
Come up to higher ground. The end is almost upon us. Souls are dying outside of Christ (though many think they are within). There is no time for ease for self. We must live a life of crying to Christ and pleading with men. Between the mountain and the plain. Our
work must not end until Jesus steps out of the Sanctuary above and human probation is finished.
This AY Program we will view again the life of him who is our example today,—the one who lived and walked and worked with God in an evil and corrupt time, the one who lived at the end of his time and warned the world on the verge of destruction, the one who was translated to heaven without seeing death and without having been overwhelmed by that destruction.
His life is to be our life.
Let us come, and view the life of Enoch—and we will return from this study much prepared to gather warmth from the coldness of others and courage from their cowardice. We will be prepared to suffer hardship and strife and personal vilification as he did. You will be prepared to walk with God day by day, regardless of what others may say or think or do.
“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.”—Hebrews 11:5.
“How little is said of Enoch; how brief is his biography! Many volumes are written of Napoleon; much is said of Caesar and other great men of the world. Their exploits are recorded and sent through the length and breadth of the land; yet we have no evidence that these men honored God, or that God honored them. Of Enoch it is recorded, ‘Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.’ ”—Review and Herald, April 15, 1909, para. 3.
“Of Enoch it is written that he lived sixty-five years, and begat a son. After that he walked with God three hundred years.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 84:3.
Activity:
Group the congregation into classes according to age or according to seating arrangement. Assign a number for each group, a leader and a secretary. Give some time for the groups to discuss the following questions below. After the allotted time, allow a group representative to share their group discussion answers to the rest of the congregation. Groups may offer a special song before presenting their answers.
Group 1 – The Family and Home of Enoch
Group 2 – The Prayers and Communion of Enoch
Group 3 – The Faith and Trust of Enoch
Group 4 – The Obedience and Purity of Enoch
Group 5 – The Growth, Humility and Love of Enoch
Questions:
- What is the significance of the groups’ selected part of Enoch’s life?
- What trials did Enoch had to endure about the selected aspect of his life?
- How did Enoch overcome the trials he endured at that selected part of his life?
- What warnings and messages can we get from that part of his life?
- How does it apply to our life now? How do we walk with God like Enoch?
Highlights:
“He that is to come says, ‘Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’ Every good deed done by the people of God as the fruit of their faith, will have its corresponding reward.
“It is our privilege to carry with us the credentials of our faith,—love, joy, and peace. When we do this, we shall be able to present the mighty arguments of the cross of Christ. When we learn to walk by faith and not by feeling, we shall have help from God just when we need it, and His peace will come into our hearts. It was this simple life of obedience and trust that Enoch lived.
“Many regard Enoch as a man to whom God gave special power to live a life more holy than we can live. But the character of the man who was so holy that he was translated to heaven without seeing death is a representation of the character to be attained by those who will be translated when Christ comes in the clouds of heaven.
Enoch’s life was no more exemplary than may be the life of everyone who maintains a close connection with God.”—Signs, October
12, 1904, para. 1.
“Enoch walked with God 300 years, and we can walk with God from day to day. He had in his heart the living principles of the law of God, and the Holy Spirit rested upon him. He looked forward to the coming of Christ, and prophesied of the appearing of our Lord that is now so near at hand.
“God permits men to pass under the fire of temptation that they may see if there is alloy in their characters; for they cannot inherit their heirship to the eternal crown unless they are tested and proved by the Lord. Take time to watch and pray, to assure yourselves that you have the presence of Jesus, and can counsel with Him in regard to the work He has given into your hands, as did Enoch of old.
God bless us. We know we want to be an overcomer. God will help us day by day. His promises will never fail. Open the Word of God and, with crying and strong tears, claim them. I know we all want to witness for Him. He will speak through our voice, and lead us to the very ones who need our help just then. He calls us to look at the life of Enoch.
“Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. The Lord would have us walk with him. If he directs the work, it will move in his way, and will bear his impress.”—The Ellen G. White Materials, p. 1321:2.
Sources and References: Living Life the of Enoch, by Ellen G. White
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