The Gospel according to Enoch

The Old Testament is in some sense a collection of gospel hide-and-seek stories. You can find the gospel in places you don't expect it. (And of course there is the risk of "seeing" it where it was not intended--judge for yourself.)

In Genesis 5 we read:

Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died. 

Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died. 

Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died. 

Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. 

Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died. 

Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died. 

23 Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. 24 Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him. 

Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.

Clearly Enoch must have been a good man. A pious man. A holy man. A righteous man. He alone escaped death. God just whisked him away; a rapture of one.

No, that is wrong. Not the conclusion, necessarily, but the reasoning. Enoch avoided death not because of his merit, but because it pleased God to show mercy. This does not mean the "and he died" majority was collectively lost, it simply means that God has decided to give us the gospel:

• Our fate, all of us is death

• God will have mercy on some, and from our perspective it will be for no particular reason.

Why Enoch? Well, why you? Why me? We all, who are adopted children,  are an Enoch.