We Christians have coined certain phrases over our lifetimes that describe our life of faith – the experience of it, and the development of it. Several of these describe that experience as a “walk”. For example, my “faith walk”, or my “Christian walk”, or my “walk with God” and so on. I’m sure you’ve heard of these “walks” that describe our Christian life experience. In other eras these were called pilgrimages, I guess. I’ve often wondered how that term “walk” crept into our Christianese – not that that’s a bad thing, of course, because it isn’t.
In the Genesis narrative Moses tells of how, in the cool of the evening Adam and Eve, who had just eaten of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, hid from the Lord when they heard the sound of Him walking in the garden. Although not explicitly described in the narrative, one does get the impression that it had become customary for God to walk with Adam and Eve at the end of each day … Just imagine that!
From here there are several references (variously translated into English) to Bible characters who “walked with God” or, in other words, were careful to keep in step and close to God’s heart. Of course, there are other references that mention another kind of walk. It is said of Abijah, for example – a king of Judah who reigned a mere three years after his father, Jeroboam – that he “walked in the same sins of his father” (1 Kings 15:3) …
1 Kings 15:3 (KJV) “… and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father [was].”
This walking with God thing is serious business. It’s serious business, too, if we don’t walk with God, and walk other divergent paths. So, “walking” … the ancient Hebrew word translated “walk” (הָלַךְ, “haw-lak”) in Genesis and other places infers an unhurried thing, a careful but relaxed thing, as well. One gets the sense that God wants to “walk” with you in an unhurried, careful, quality way so that we get to know Him over the journey and are increased as persons. This is not a leisurely stroll, nor dawdling meander, but neither is it a flat out, energy sapping sports event that leaves us panting and gasping at the end of each day. No … this is walking in such a way that, in our accompanying God on His walk, rich conversation and deep, “getting to know God” fellowship are not made impossible because of frantic pace. On long walks, talking with your spouse or friend is different to sitting and talking over a coffee. On the walk you see things, smell things, hear things and you stop and look, you take different turns on the path, you share comments about the scenery and so on; you ask questions and the surroundings evoke new thoughts. Rich indeed! I believe God looked forward to His evening walks with Adam and Eve as the sun was setting and the dusk hailed the approaching night … Another day had passed, new discoveries were made as they had explored and discovered the garden, and there would have been plenty of questions for God, I’m sure.
For me, the best “walk with God” reference in scripture is from Genesis 5 …
Genesis 5:22-24 (NIV) “After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23 Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24 Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.”
Again the same word for “walk” is used here, but with a certain additional nuance. In this setting Enoch “accompanied God” on a life “walk” and there is this definite sense of him becoming greater and increasing as a person because of what was imparted on that walk. I have often meditated and marvelled about this walk of Enoch’s – 365 years of careful walking and talking with God … and then, “he was no more, because God took him away.” What magnificent increase was imparted over all that time! The writer to the Hebrews recalls Enoch’s walk, and discerns that this was a walk of faith ….
Hebrews 11:5 (NIV) By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: "He could not be found, because God had taken him away." For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God.
The end of Enoch’s earthly “walk” did not end in death, but in his translation to a higher plane with God, free from sinful flesh and where death does not exist at all. His walk down here had been such a precious and intimate experience for God, as well as for Enoch, that the Father deigned that Enoch should bypass the pains of death and simply come home to the eternal walking trails. It’s kind of like this, as I meditate on these verses and wonder and ponder that walk and the rich substance of it: that Enoch and God had so closely accompanied each other on that walk, that there came a time after 365 years where God said, “Hey, Enoch, it’s coming to evening, the sun is setting … and my place is just over there, and closer than is yours. Come home with me, dear friend … and stay.” And that was it.
Perhaps, in the Hebrews reference to the ancient Genesis account, and the writer’s inspired understanding of it, we are given precious clues as to how a man or a woman would have been taken from earth to glory had not sin ever entered in … We’ll never know in this life, will we?
There is something gentle and precious, and enduring and delightful about walking with God. We keep pace with God, and He with us … we accompany Him! And we are so richly blessed in that fellowship and increased. We become intimate and so close to His presence on the walk. We learn from Him, we learn His heart, we go so deep in relationship.
Keep walking.Go deeper.
Enjoy the walk, and appreciate the times when He carries you, too, through sorrow and pain. And yes, those times do come to us all. But He sets us on our feet again, and we resume the walk.
And God delights your company in the walking …
Think on these precious things.
Ps Milton