Deuteronomy 11:22

• New Living Translation (NLT)• 22 “Be careful to obey all these commands I am

giving you. • Show love to the LORD your God by walking

in his ways and holding tightly to him

“First Mention”

• Is not a “law”• There can be no man made laws of how to

interpret the Bible• It may be useful or insightful to study the first

time a word is used• Many “first mentions” are in Genesis….

First Mention of Walking

• Gen 3

• 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

• 9 But the LORD God called to the man, ‘Where are you?

Walking

• This seems to have been a usual, routine thing• God walking (and talking)• Part of Adam & Eve’s natural relationship• “having fellowship”• Adam’s Sin spoiled it all

Enoch• Genesis 6• 21 When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became

the father of Methuselah. 22 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.

Hebrews 11

• 5 It was by faith that Enoch was taken up to heaven without dying—“he disappeared, because God took him.” For before he was taken up, he was known as a person who pleased God.

• 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him

• Babel• Make a name for ourselves• Enoch • Had the name as the man who pleased God

Enoch

• Did not just disappear or fall down a ravine• or be eaten by a beast• Someone must have seen God take him• God also took Elijah• Word is “Translated”• After Babel you needed a translator

1 Cor 15• 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of

the dead comes also through a man.• 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. • 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he

comes, those who belong to him.• 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the

kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

1 Thessalonians ch 4

• 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up ( just like Enoch!!) together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord for ever.

Walking

• Adam and Eve walked with God• Enoch walked with God• So should we…

Genesis 6• 9 This is the account of Noah and his family.• Noah was a righteous man, blameless among

the people of his time, and he walked faithfully with God.

Hebrews 11

• 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family.

• By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

Hebrews 11

• 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going

Summary of Whole Bible !!

• Genesis 3• The problem• Walking alone

• Gen 12 – Rev 22• God’s solution• Walking together by faith

Summary of Whole Bible !!

• Genesis 1-11• The problem

• Gen 12 – Rev 22• God’s solution

Prophets

• Both Noah and Enoch were prophets• Jude attributes a prophecy to Enoch• Even though the book of Enoch was not

considered canonical ( inspired) by OT or NT people

Jude

• 4 For certain individuals…have secretly slipped in among you. They are ungodly people …

• 14 Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about them: ‘See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones 15 to judge everyone, and to convict all of them of all the ungodly acts they have committed in their ungodliness, and of all the defiant words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.’

Enoch walked with God

• AV • has “walk” or “walking” 388 times• NIV 202 • often using “manner of life” or “live”

Why “walking”?

• You can tell a lot about illness by how people walk

• Certain diseases has characteristic “walking gaits”

• Walking is an important part of body language and attitude

• Spiritual limp??

Walking UP-hill

• The world is an escalator• If we are not walking up, it is inevitable we

will move down

Exhotation

• Stand firm• Stand fast • Stand up

Exhortation

• Stand firm• Stand fast • Stand up• BUT• never stand still

Walking

• Leading recreational activity• “Rambles rights”• Much better with someone

• God wants to walk (and talk) with us• Walking in silence means something is wrong

Walking in the Old Testament

Genesis 17(NIV)

• When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty walk before me faithfully and be blameless. 2 Then I will make my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”

Leviticus 12

• 11 I will put my dwelling-place among you….. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.

• 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt so that you would no longer be slaves to the Egyptians;

Gal 5 ( AV)

• 16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

• 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.

• 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

Walk• Our walk has a direction• “Move forward”• A purpose• Guide/Leader

• 1 Peter 2 v21

• To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.

I John

• God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

• 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all] sin.

I John

• 8 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

• 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

Walk

• 2 John 1:6 • And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his

commands. • As you have heard from the beginning, his

command is that you walk in love.• 3 John 1:3 • It gave me great joy when some believers came

and testified about your faithfulness to the truth, telling how you continue to walk in it.

What do I wear on a walk?

• Eve’s first question

Revelation 3 (NKJV)

• 3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,• ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of

God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

• 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.

Revelation 3 (NKJV)

• 4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. 5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

• 6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’

Echoes of Genesis

• Revelation• Light• Darkness• Walking• Liar ( Satan’s lie)• Tree of Life• However God will judge • Fellowship with God restored

Walking is not Silly”

• Walking By Faith • is essential for a Christian today• Men of old.. Enoch …were commended for it • So will we be