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
Someone sent me a link to a particular speech, urging me to listen to it. I did so and was astonished at what I saw in that five minute message. The speech was at a day of prayer event in Washington, D.C., and it was delivered by a huge, powerful, dark-haired and bearded man. And he pulled no punches. Calling himself a Messianic Jew, this man drew a parallel to ancient Israel and the United States, in their both being established on the principles of the Word of God, and of their departure from the principles on which they were founded. Noting the eventual destruction of Israel, the speaker pointed at the certainty of America’s downfall. Pointing the finger directly at the president and at senior government leaders, the speaker asked them by what authority they chose to overrule the decrees of the Almighty. As I watched the speech, stirred by the passion and dynamic force with which it was delivered, I wondered if he was a modern day Enoch, who in the book of Jude tells his generation of the judgment of God to come on the ungodliness of wicked men (Jude 15). In those early days of the earth’s existence, as crime, violence, and rampant lawlessness reigned, Enoch is commended for the stand that he took against all of that sinfulness. Our text tells us that he pleased God. He did so by walking with God (Genesis 5:22), and by standing up against evil. That is how we can please God as well.
Surely we all want to please God. As Christians, we have been given a desire to please Him that did not exist in our unconverted days. The Holy Spirit enables us to do those things that bring delight to our Heavenly Father. We can now appreciate the Word of God, and obey it. We can appreciate the Lord’s people and gather with them. We can seek to transform our lives into the pattern that is given to us in the life of the Lord Jesus. Note that I say we can do these things. But it is to the extent that we actually do them that we please God. God has given to us the ability, and we must respond in thankful worship and service to Him.
Like Enoch, we please God not only by doing what is right, but by condemning that which is evil and those who do evil. Consider the message of Enoch, as recorded in the book of Jude: ‘And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints, 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.’ These are strong words, and they undoubtedly disturbed and probably enraged many people in Enoch’s day. But they pleased God. There is a problem in our day with getting people to speak out against the evil and despicable lifestyles of our world, against the immorality and violence, against the hypocrisy of those who march for peace and murder their own unborn children. As the laws of our land condone, and even endorse such wickedness, it becomes easier for us as Christians to turn a blind eye, or to shrug these things off. If Enoch’s condemnation of these things pleased God in ancient time, how can we expect our ignoring of these things to please God today?
We don’t know how much it cost Enoch to take his stand against ungodliness. But we do know that God eventually blessed him beyond measure for it. What will it cost us to take a stand against ungodliness? We don’t know, but regardless, God will bless us beyond measure for doing so. Because it will please Him. -Jim MacIntosh