In this edition of Proclaimer, you will read about how God is at work through followers of Christ, who are walking with God and serving with bold faith. When I think about walking with God, Enoch from the Bible comes to mind. The first mention of someone walking with God is in reference to Enoch (Genesis 5:22). The Bible doesn’t tell us a lot about the man named Enoch. His story comes right after Cain and Abel’s in Genesis 5, and it takes up a grand total of 81 words, most of which are about how long he lived and who his relatives were. The only real detail we are given about Enoch is encapsulated in that last verse: “Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.”
And yet, thousands of years later, Enoch appears in Hebrews 11, the Great Hall of Faith! Here is how the author of Hebrews puts it: “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” (Hebrews 11:5).
There is one other mention of Enoch in the Bible, which is in the book of Jude:
It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands 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 have spoken against him.” (Jude 14–15)
Enoch boldly testified about an upcoming judgment. He didn’t just walk with God privately and keep to himself; he faithfully testified to people around him that God was in charge and that, ultimately, they were all going to give an account to Him.
Enoch’s life was marked by walking with God. Think about it: Enoch lived for several hundred years, yet his whole life is summed up very simply—he walked with God. He was so close to God that one day, God just took him directly to heaven.
Enoch reminds us that leadership doesn’t always need a platform. Sometimes, it simply requires a walk with God. I’d like to offer a few encouragements as we strive to lead and serve these days…
1. Godly leadership begins with intimacy with God. I need to be a leader whose daily prayer and scripture habits shape my decisions more than trends, pressure, or popularity.
2. Godly leaders remain faithful in a corrupt culture. Enoch lived during a time of increasing wickedness, yet he remained faithful and proclaimed God’s coming judgment.
3. Godly leadership proclaims truth with conviction. According to Jude 14–15, Enoch prophetically spoke about God’s judgment and justice, even when such messages were unpopular.
4. Walking by faith in God is the core of Godly leadership. According to Hebrews 11:5–6, Enoch pleased God through faith. Scripture emphasizes that faith is what matters most to God.
Enoch’s leadership reminds us that closeness with God is more important than prominence among people.
Your brother in Christ,
Brian Autry
Executive Director, SBC of Virginia
