Enoch: Walking With God in a Dark World

What does it actually look like to walk with God when the culture around you keeps pulling you to blend in? We turn to Enoch, one of Scripture’s briefest yet boldest portraits of faith, to explore intimacy with God, courage under pressure, and the gritty practice of renewing the mind. Drawing from Genesis 5, Hebrews 11, and Jude, we unpack how Enoch pleased God in a time of rising wickedness, and why his uncompromising stance still speaks to workplaces, families, and churches today.

Reflection Questions: 

1. What does it mean to “walk with God” as Enoch did, and how can we apply that to our daily lives today?
2. Enoch pleased God through his faith—what does his example teach us about living faithfully in a world that may not honor God?

Transcript

Enoch Introduction

Dominique 0:00

Hey everybody, I'm Dominique, and I am joined by my husband Hodaiah.

Hodaiah 0:04

What's up, everybody?

Dominique 0:06

And we are now on episode two of our Heroes of the Faith series, where we'll be doing a deep dive into Hebrews 11, which is known as the Hall of Faith. So in today's episode, we will be talking about Enoch and how his life was an example of extraordinary faith. Hodaiah will be teaching this one. Whoop-whoop!

Hodaiah 0:27

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Dominique 0:29

Let's go. Well, I'll get us started by reading Hebrews 11, 5 through 6. So we're going to use the ESV translation today. So here we go.

Scripture Reading

Dominique 0:41

By faith, Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found because God had taken him. Now, before he was taken, he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith, it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Hodaiah 1:05

Absolutely. Dominique, thank you so much for reading that for us. Guys, we're going to go ahead, we're going to do just a brief summary of the faith of Enoch's life.

Enoch’s Story in Genesis & Jude

Hodaiah 1:16

Let's start off by reading what Genesis says about Enoch. Genesis 5, verse 23 through 24 says, Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. He lived 365 years. Enoch did not die a physical death like the normal human being. Instead, he was taken away by God to be directly in the presence of the Lord. Enoch is from the genealogy of Adam to Noah. Enoch was a man in the seventh generation of Adam. You see this in Jude 14 through 15. Before the great flooding of the earth he prophesied to a corrupt generation of people before the days of Noah. It says in Jude 14 through 15, it was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousand of his holy ones, to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds, of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners spoken against him. Enoch warned the people of the coming judgment due to their immoral behavior. The Lord was very pleased with his walk, so pleased that the Lord did not let Enoch experience physical death on this earth. Instead the Lord took Enoch away to be in his presence. And when I say the Lord was very pleased with Enoch's walk, I am referring to Enoch's fellowship, obedience, and his intimacy with the Lord. Now we're

Enoch's Faith In Action & The Call to Not Conform

Hodaiah 2:53

going to move on to showing how Enoch's faith was actually put into action. It was by faith that Enoch was obedient to the Lord, intimate and had fellowship with the Lord. It was by faith that Enoch prophesied to a corrupt generation in the days of Noah. Even though his environment was filled with evil, Enoch did not conform to the pattern of this world. Once again, in Jude 14 through 15, see that. Just a bit more on this, just as Enoch had faith in a dark world, how many of us have to go to a dark environment on a daily basis as believers? It is so easy to conform to the culture around us. It's not easy being a light in a dark place, but that is exactly what God has called us to be. I feel like this piece right here really resonates with so many Christians on a daily basis. It's so difficult but be encouraged. Myself personally, I'll just use myself as an example. I have been in some dark work environments where it was not easy to be that light. And especially before my walk with Christ, just being completely honest with you guys, and I'm being a bit vulnerable here, especially before my walk with Christ. Yes, I acknowledge God, but I was honestly, I was lost. And some environments I was in, especially some places I wanted to be so badly, some jobs I really wanted. The Lord had to use that environment to break down these false beliefs in my life, these desires of my heart. He had to tear those walls down, he had to lift the veil from on my eyes and expose the truth to me. And what happened was when I got closer to Jesus Christ, the persecution began, that spiritual warfare began. A scripture that I absolutely love, very powerful scripture, Romans 12:2. Romans 12:2 states, do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Boy, that's some fire right there. Look, Dominique, I know we're trying to get through this here. I know we've got stuff to do. We got a time limit, but I'm gonna need to go back and I gotta read that again.

Dominique 5:18

Okay, let's go.

Hodaiah 5:18

We gotta take some time to really stay on this right here. Romans 12: 2. Do not be conformed to this world, this pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. That by testing, emphasize testing, you may discern, emphasize the word discern, what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Y'all gotta excuse me. I can't help it. I get hyped up about this. I can't help myself. In the church, you say, preach, pastor, preach. I'm not here to preach, but I definitely am here to teach.

Dominique 5:59

Come on.

Hodaiah 5:59

Can I get an amen?

Dominique 6:01

Amen.

Hodaiah 6:01

Can I get a hallelujah?

Dominique 6:03

Hallelujah. Let's go.

Hodaiah 6:05

Romans 12: 2. Let's do this thing. This is what we do. This ODE ministries. Come on now. This is what we do.

Dominique 6:12

What we do.

Hodaiah 6:12

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. This world is a fallen world in which the enemy, Satan, has been given authority to rule over for a length of time. It is no surprise that the culture is corrupt. Conforming to the culture of this world is conforming to the pattern of corruption. So when those who live in the world and join the culture of the world tell you that you don't fit in, as a follower of Christ, you are not supposed to fit in with those who conform to this world. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. How will your mind be renewed and transformed? It will be transformed by the word of God and then renewed. The word is the way, the truth and the life, stated in John 14, verse 6. There is only one way to heaven, and that is through Jesus. There is only one truth. That is Jesus. There is life in Jesus. He is the source of eternal life. The word is Jesus Christ. He will transform and renew your mind. He will heal your heart and your soul. He will transform your mind from a carnal mind to a mind of the Spirit. That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. By testing, you may discern. In order to test, you must have discernment. You must read the word. Satan does not have an issue with religion. Let me say that again. Satan does not have an issue with religion. He does have an issue with religion that is speaking the truth of Jesus Christ. Satan loves it when believers have a veil over their eyes and are hearing half-truths of the gospel. You see, if you don't know the whole truth, then Satan can deceive you.

Dominique 8:05

Easily.

Hodaiah 8:06

Easily, right? Let's look at the scripture, Matthew 4, verse 1 through 11. Jesus Christ fasts forty days and forty nights. He then goes into the wilderness where he is tempted by the devil. In this passage, you will notice something amazing. The devil quotes scripture in an attempt to deceive Jesus. He once was an angel of the Lord before his rebellion in heaven. Now let that sink in. The devil quoted scripture, but he either used it out of context or only would say a portion of the scripture. Jesus replied with three mighty words. It is written. Jesus quoted the entire truth of the scripture, which left Satan in silence. If you ever wonder why it may feel so difficult for you to read your Bible as a believer, just know this is spiritual warfare. The devil loves it when believers are biblically illiterate. That's exactly where he wants you to be. If you know the scriptures, you will be able to test, once again that word, test, emphasize, test, and discern, emphasize that word. Discern what is good, acceptable, and the perfect will of God. You will not be deceived by the tactics of the evil one. So learn the scriptures. I don't we don't expect you to know every single scripture by word, but just take even a little bit of day, put a little time, learn some scripture. And if a person with an evil spirit tries to use scripture out of context to deceive you, quote these powerful words. It is written. Then say the scripture in its entirety. Watch as that evil spirit is left in silence. Then they will try and shift to a different subject or angle of attack just as Satan does. I love, I love it. But let me just say something. We gotta be just being completely honest, completely transparent with you guys. We're not just reading off a script here and just trying to make a certain time just to meet a certain standard. We love to teach the scripture. We are passionate about this. This is what God has called us to do, and we absolutely love it. So when we read on certain scriptures that are powerful, like Romans 12: 2, we will take some time to really elaborate on the scriptures. We are not here to impress anyone with our knowledge, but to share this knowledge with the body of believers.

Dominique 10:40

Yes, yes, and knowing the scriptures is so powerful and absolutely necessary. You know, Enoch, he spoke to a corrupt generation. So my question to you all listening, will you speak to a corrupt generation? In order to do so, you must know the scriptures. That's that is absolutely imperative.

Enoch's Faith Challenges

Dominique 11:00

So now let's talk a little bit about the faith challenge. So this section, we're going to just discuss some of the challenges that Enoch possibly faced to his faith during this time. So the first point is opposition or rejection. So as explained in Jude 14 through 15, Enoch spoke prophetic warnings about judgment and ungodliness which was not welcomed in his time. It's not easy being a light in a dark place. You will suffer persecution and ridicule by non-believers. As we can see with Enoch, the life of a prophet is not an easy one. It is filled with ridicule, hostility, rejection, and sometimes you'll receive a response of anger from those who don't agree with you. So the life of a prophet is not an easy one, and neither is the life of a true Christian. As a believer, you are not supposed to look like the world. Just as Jesus was persecuted, the world will also persecute you. Light and darkness do not mix.

Hodaiah 12:05

They do not mix. Something else we saw was a lack of physical reward. It's not easy continuing to fight the good fight when what you see in the physical just does not make any sense by worldly standards. In Hebrews 11, verse 5 through 6, Enoch's faith is given praise. It is for this reason he was taken away without experiencing death. We'll see in John 20, verse 29, that states, Blessed are those who have not seen yet still believe. When you think of faith without sight, what you see as a disciple of Christ may not seem to make sense in the physical. The Lord is calling you to put your faith in him, deny yourself, and to pick up your cross and follow him. As you see in Matthew 16, verses 24 through 26. Reject the world's perspective of what makes sense. Instead, embrace the Lord's spiritual agenda.

Dominique 13:05

Yes, yes. And another point, raising a godly family in a wicked world. So Enoch had children, and it was not easy for him to raise them in a very spiritually dark period to honor God. As a believer, there will be many challenges to teach your children righteousness in a time when cultural values are declining. Especially considering that as parents, you seem to spend less time around your children on a day-to-day basis. You have no control over what they see or what toxic beliefs their peers may try to put in their minds. So it's important that parents try to stay involved with their children, have them involved in the church, try to do Bible study with your children, teach them the word properly. If parents establish a foundation in Christ with their children, even if they stray away, there will be hope for them to return. And we see that in Proverbs 22: 6. And this kind of brings to mind a study that I saw done by Lifeway Research that said those who grew up in church and decided to stay in church as young adults were heavily influenced by a parent. So seeing a parent faithfully attend church was one of those guiding principles.

Hodaiah 14:23

That is so true. So next, guys,

Spiritual Lessons & Takeaways

Hodaiah 14:26

we're gonna go ahead, we're gonna move into some spiritual lessons and takeaways from Enoch's life. We saw intimacy with God. Enoch's life was a life of constant fellowship with God. It was not just occasional. As followers of Christ, we should desire constant fellowship with the Lord. We must be obedient to his will. For example, let's not only seek God on Sunday, let's seek God throughout the week. Yes, we have work, some of us have children, and many other responsibilities in our life. But throughout our busy weeks, can we not make time, even maybe just a few minutes each day, to pray to the Lord? Are we seeking out any Christian community? Christian community brings with it accountability partners, genuine followers of Christ who care about your walk with Christ.

Dominique 15:21

Yes, that's a great lesson. Another is faith that pleases God. It is said that Enoch lived a life that pleased God. It is said that faith is the requirement to please the Lord. We see that in Hebrews 11:6. So as believers, our circumstances should not determine our joy. Our faith in our Father in heaven absolutely should.

Hodaiah 15:46

Yes, yes. We also saw holiness in a corrupt world. The time Enoch lived in was a time of great wickedness in the world, but Enoch did not conform to the evil culture of the world. Notice that statement, it's an exact reflection of Romans 12: 2, which we already discussed prior.

Dominique 16:06

And another point is hope of eternal life. Enoch warned the people of his time of the coming judgment. A scripture reference is Ezekiel 3 :16 through 21. And I'm going to take some time to read this one. And it says, And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me. Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, you shall surely die, and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die from his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Again, if a righteous person turns from his righteousness and commits injustice, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because you have not warned him, he shall die for his sin, and his righteous deeds that he has done shall not be remembered, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the righteous person not to sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live, because he took warning, and you will have delivered your soul. So believers in Jesus Christ bear that responsibility to proclaim the good news so that sinners may believe, be saved, and follow Christ. We do not want the blood of another to be on our hands, so we must stand boldly on the gospel. We must speak truth, even if all you do is sow a seed.

Hodaiah 17:57

That's deep. So powerful. So Enoch's life is a powerful example of unwavering faith in a spiritually corrupt time. Enoch lived in a time where there was an increase in wickedness and decline in morality. But Enoch chose to walk with God. Enoch lived a life which demonstrates consistent obedience and intimacy with the Lord and bold proclamation in truth. His life was not defined by worldly achievements, but by deep relationship with the Lord. Enoch's life is an example to us as believers that it is possible to live a godly life even when we are surrounded by darkness. And now, with that, uh giving my concluding thoughts.

Final Reflections And Listener Questions

Hodaiah 19:18

First Question: What does it mean to walk with God as Enoch did, and how can we apply that to our daily lives today? Second question: Enoch pleased God through his faith. What does his example teach us about living faithfully in a world that may not honor God?

Dominique 19:27

Yeah, those are some very good questions. I want you guys or I encourage you guys to really think through those questions and leave your comments, you know, on YouTube or wherever you're listening. If you're able to leave comments, leave them and you know have a discussion there.

Hodaiah 19:43

Yeah, and I mean we'd be interested in even interacting with you guys. Yeah. Seeing your thoughts. Be honest with you, tell you our thoughts too.

Dominique 19:52

Yeah. So definitely take those things into mind this week.

Closing Prayer

Dominique 19:56

I want to end with a closing prayer. Uh as we just finish off this episode, I think it's great to end with a prayer. So let's go ahead and do that. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the life and example of Enoch. You showed us through his story what it means to walk with you, to live a life of unwavering faith, obedience, and intimacy, even in a dark and corrupt world. Lord, we just pray for the strength to reject the temptation to conform to the patterns of this world. It's so difficult. But Lord, when we renew our minds daily through your word, we know that we will be transformed and we will be able to discern your good, acceptable, and perfect will. Help us to stand boldly on the gospel and to speak the truth in love to this generation. Give us the courage, Lord, to endure rejection and opposition, knowing that our ultimate reward is found in you. Lord, we pray for our families that we will establish a strong foundation in Christ for our children, that we will consistently model what it means to live a life that pleases you. We pray that Enoch's example reminds us that it is possible to live a holy life in a dark world. Increase our faith, Father, that we may always believe that you exist and that you reward those who diligently seek you. Thank you for the hope of eternal life and the promise that one day, like Enoch, we will be taken to be in your glorious presence forever. In Jesus' mighty name we pray. Amen.

Hodaiah 21:36

Amen. Hey, thank you guys so much for your undivided attention.

Dominique 21:41

Yeah.

Outro

Hodaiah 21:42

And with that, we conclude episode two, Heroes of Faith.

Dominique 21:46

Thank y'all for listening. And join us next time.

Rapper Voice (Music) 21:49

We walk by faith, not by sight, trusting the one who brings dead things to life. From Abel down that cloud still sings. We run this race with our eyes on the King. By faith we move, by faith we stand. Every promise sitting in your hand. We won't turn back, heart steady and true. Same God of Hebrews 11 that's you.

Children's Choir (Music) 22:18

We walk by faith, not by sight. Trusting the one who brings dead things to life. From age to age, your word still rings. We run this race with our eyes on the King.