In Hebrews chapter 11, the author catalogs people from Jewish history1 as examples of those who had faith. He includes Enoch, but the brief mention he gets in Genesis says nothing about his faith, so the author includes an aside to justify his inclusion.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
The argument the author makes is this. Enoch pleased God. He must have had faith because without it it is impossible to please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe two things: 1. that God exists, 2. that God rewards those who seek him. He must believe that God exists because why seek someone you believe does not exist, especially someone capable of hiding really, really well?
But why isn’t it enough to believe in God’s existence? Why must the seeker also believe that God will reward him?
Some of my friends are skeptical about God’s existence. I know what that’s like; I’ve been skeptical myself at times. There are good reasons for skepticism, but the one I hear cited most often goes like this: If God exists, he must be evil. He created things that are clearly evil and allows evil to go on unchecked in the world. If he is powerless to prevent evil, then he is not strong enough to be considered a god, and if he is strong enough to prevent it but chooses not to, then he must approve of the evil that goes on, or he would not allow it. What, then, would be the point in seeking such a god? What could motivate anyone to worship such a god except the most craven self-interest?
The reward for seekers is to find what they seek. Why seek God unless he is good? How can it benefit seekers to search for a god who hides himself and refuses to be found? Or a god who maddeningly claims to be good while actually doing or allowing evil unhindered? If he is really transcendent, as surely a Creator-God must be, then knowing him can only be by his own revelation. Otherwise, we could know no more of God than Elizabeth Bennet could know of Jane Austen. So faith demands not only that God exist but that he be discoverable and good, not merely waiting passively to be found, but actively rewarding those who seek him wholeheartedly2.
- The distinction between history and mythology was not very clear. Many devout Jews regarded their scriptures as history, but even they still sought to understand lessons and principles from them as if they were myths. As Paul, the once consummate Pharisee, noted, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us.” (1 Corinthians 10:11) ↩︎
- Deuteronomy 4:29 ↩︎