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Don Hewitt, M.Div Forum 2011 
1 
Walking With God Then and Now 
There is no subject more fundamental and important in Scripture than 
how a believer should live in relation to God. “Walking with God” is probably the 
best known expression of this truth, and virtually every Christian has heard at 
least one sermon on the subject. If one enters “Walking with God” into a search 
engine, the result is not surprising; there are a multitude of sites and books 
from virtually every branch of Christendom. There are ideas that include just 
about anything we could imagine. With so much written on the subject and so 
many web sites dedicated to widely differing opinions, it should be no surprise 
that most Christians do not clearly understand what walking with God means. 
In this study we will examine how the Old and New Testaments use the 
words for “walk.” There are 1545 uses of 2 interrelated words for walk in the 
Old Testament. $lh (halak), is most often translated “walk” while its cousin 
$ly (yalak) is more often rendered “go.” The understanding of how “walk” is 
used in the Old Testament will reveal that God did not just want rote obedience 
to the Law. The New Testament word for “walk” is ......... (peripateo), 
which only occurs 90 times. In considering these occurrences of “walk” we may 
come to see the New Testament in a different light. To encourage further 
study, we have provided additional references after each section. 
However, before we begin, we must note an obvious fact about “walk.” In 
most of its uses, especially in the Old Testament, “walk” is used in a strictly 
literal sense of “traversing real estate.” We will not be considering this usage 
of walk, but instead focus on its usage as “ordering the details of one’s life.” 
There are many verses where “walk” is used in this manner which will yield an 
understanding of what walking with God means throughout Scripture. 
Finally, we will examine the lives of three men in the Old Testament who 
walked with God and how it affected their lives. Because many do not take the 
Scriptures literally, these men are often misunderstood. However, a consistent 
literal approach to God’s Word will reveal the truth about these men, and what 
it could mean to us today. 
I. The Old Testament Usage of Walk as a Summary Statement. 
A. As a recognition of relationship or “belonging to”. 
1. $lh (hithpael); in Genesis 24:40, Abraham “walked before God.” 
a. “Before” is wynpl, literally “before the face of.” 
b. This figure of speech means that he “ordered the details of 
his life” with the awareness that his God was watching. 

Walking With God Then and Now 

c. “Walked” is a hithpael tense in Hebrew; the hithpael form is 
reflexive. This means “Abraham himself walked” because he 
himself chose to walk. It was his decision; we could translate 
this “The Lord before Whose face I myself chose to walk.” 
d. None of Beuthel’s family personally knew Abraham; by saying 
this, Abraham identified Who he worshipped and how he lived. 
e. In this verse, “before Whose face I walk” means “I know the 
One to Whom I belong is watching me.” 
f. Remember, context will always determine exactly how the 
Hebrew word ynpl, “before the face” should be understood. 
Often the meaning of “before” is all that is implied and we 
must always remember context will determine the meaning. 
g. This is one element of walking with God, an awareness that 
“I belong to God Who is watching how I live.” This simple 
truth did make a difference in Abraham’s life. 
2. $lh (hithpael); In Leviticus 26:12, God would walk in Israel. 
a. This promise was contingent upon Israel’s obedience to the 
Law of Moses, Leviticus 26:3. However, Israel failed and this 
promise was not realized. It is significant that in the second 
giving of the Law to a new generation, this promise is not 
repeated. In Deuteronomy 28 where Moses repeated the 
blessings and curses under Law, but we do not see this offer 
of God walking among His people and being their God. The 
subject of Israel’s lost blessings is a study that student of 
Scripture ought to make; it should include Exodus 19:5-6 , 
Deuteronomy 4:6-7 and Jeremiah 9:23-24. 
b.“Walk” is another hithpael, emphasizing that God Himself had 
chosen to walk among Israel if they would keep the law. 

c. This means that God would be identified with Israel; He would 
“…be your God and you shall be my people.” 
d.This usage of “walk” is yet another reminder that God 
watches how His children are living. 

3. Other verses where “walk” emphasizes “belonging to,” relationship. 
While “walk” retains the basic idea of “ordering the details of one’s 
life, it is modified to change the emphasis slightly, i.e., to order 
the details of one’s life in being associated with something. 
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Walking With God Then and Now

 a. $lh (hithpael) Genesis 14:24 (KJV went); 17:1; Deuteronomy 
23:14: 1 Samuel 2:35; 12:2; 25:15 (KJV went); 1 Chron. 17:6. 
b. $lh (Kal) Genesis 14:24 (KJV “went”); Deuteronomy 4:3 (KJV 
“followed”); 8:19; Joshua 23:16; Judges 2:17. 
B. As a summary of a king’s life and reign in Israel and Judah. 
1. $lh (hithpael), Hezekiah’s testimony, 2 Kings 20:3; Isaiah 38:3. 
a. Hezekiah has just been informed that he is going to die; this 
is his prayer to God to be spared, vs. 1-2. 
b.“Walked” is a hithpael, meaning that Hezekiah himself decided 
to order the details of his life in the manner he did. We 
could translate this “I decided for myself to walk.” 

c. Hezekiah’s walk is modified by several important facts. 
(1) Hezekiah recognized Who he belonged to; verse 3 uses 
^npl, literally, “before your face.” While this is often 
understood as a simple statement “before you,” context 
demands that we understand that Hezekiah meant “in 
front of God where He could see him” because he is 
praying to God. 
(2) Hezekiah’s walk was in truth; he was living up to the 
revelation from God that he had. 
(3) Hezekiah had a perfect heart. The word for “perfect” 
is ~lv, meaning “peaceful” or “sincere.” If Hezekiah 
had not been telling the truth, God’s answer through 
Isaiah would have made that point clear. 
2. $lh (Kal), King Solomon’s two chances to walk. 
a. God spoke to Solomon twice, 1 Kings 3:3-15 (also in recorded 
in 2 Chronicles 1:2-10) and again in 1 Kings 9:2-9 (also found in 
2 Chronicles 7:12-22). 
b.In both dreams, God offered Solomon the benefit of a long 
life, 1 Kings 3:14, and a continuation of his line on the throne, 
1 Kings 9:4-5, if Solomon would walk as David did. 

c. In 1 Kings 3:6, Solomon describes his father David’s walk as 
being in truth, righteousness and uprightness. The Hebrew 
Word for uprightness is rvy, which has the idea of being 
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Don Hewitt, M.Div Forum 2011 
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Walking With God Then and Now 
straightforward, honest, not having hidden motives. David was 
not a man with a “hidden agenda” before God. 
e. In 1 Kings 9:4 God required Solomon to walk in integrity of 
heart and in uprightness. Integrity of heart translates 
bbl-MTb, completeness or maturity of heart. ~t is the 
equivalent of .....s in the New Testament, which we most 
often translate as mature when used of Christians. rvy is 
again used for “uprightness” with the idea of “no hidden 
agenda.” God required Solomon to be mature as an Old 
Testament believer. However, we must remember that the 
Old Testament believer did not have the same potential for 
maturity as the New Testament believer has. Consider just a 
few of the privileges that the Christian has: 
(1)The Old Testament believer did not have promise that 
the Holy Spirit would indwell them, John 14:17. 
(2)The Old Testament believer did not have promise that 
the Holy Spirit would come upon them, Numbers 11:24- 
29. “In” is not the same as “upon.” 
(3)In addition, the Old Testament believer did not have 
any guarantee that the Holy Spirit would remain upon 
them, Psalm 51:11. David had seen the Holy Spirit leave 
Saul as a result of personal sin and feared that the 
Spirit would also leave him, 1 Samuel 16:14. 
f. God’s requirement for these two qualities provides a hint at 
what maturity was for the Old Testament believer. That God 
called David “a man after mine own heart,” Acts 13:22, makes 
this point clear. While these things were not commanded in 
the Old Testament, the walk of a king like David was an 
example not that should not have been easily overlooked. 
3. Other verse where “walk” summarizes the life and reign of kings; 
$lh (Kal) 1 Kings 11:33-38 (this passage is very important and 
deserves further study; Jeroboam was told how to walk for an 
unexpected reason); 2 Kings 13:6, 11; 21:21-22; 2 Chronicles 11:17 
(another use of “walk” that should be studied); 17:3-4; 21:12; 22:3. 
C. As of observing or watching. 

Walking With God Then and Now 

1. $lh (hithpael), Zechariah’s vision, Zechariah 6:1-8. 
a. In a vision, Zechariah saw 4 horses pulling chariots, vs. 1-3. 
b.An angel identifies these as “spirits of the heavens,” vs. 4. 
c. “Walk” is used twice in this verses. As an infinitive, their 
activity was literally “to walk for themselves to and fro” on 
the earth, vs. 7. 
d.The angel speaking to Zechariah issued an order to these 
spirits, a hithpael imperative, “Walk for yourselves,” vs. 7. 

e. The intent of these spirits was to observe what was happening 
on earth, vs. 8. This almost gives “walk” the idea of “patrol.” 
f. The Old Testament does reveal that angels not only watch the 
earth, but also carry out God’s plan, Daniel 4:13, 17. 
(1) These beings are came down from heaven, vs. 13. 
(2) Each of these spirit beings had a unique responsibility, 
vs. 17; Daniel also reveals other angelic activities, 
Daniel 3:25; 6:22; 8:16; 9:21; 10:11-13, 20-21. 
2. $lh (hithpael), Seven portions of the land, Joshua 18:8. 
a. 
In the conquest of the land, 7 tribes had not received their 
allotment, vs. 2-3. 
b. 
Joshua ordered 3 men from each tribe to study the land and 
divide it into 7 sections, vs. 4-5. This verse uses one of only 
4 hithpael imperatives. (The other 3 uses are in Genesis 
13:17; 17:1 and Zechariah 6:7.) 
c. 
In his formal command to the representatives, Joshua told 
them to “Go and walk through the land and describe it,” vs. 8. 
d. 
Here again, “walk” means to “observe” in this passage. 
e. 
Context must always decide how we understand any word in 
Scripture. As with “walk,” many words have more than one 
possible usage. 
3. $lh (hithpael), Our prowling adversary, Job 1:7; 2:2. 
a.In both Job 1:7 and 2:2, Satan said that he himself chose to 
walk over the earth. 
b.Satan’s intent was not to go sightseeing; he was observing 
what mankind was doing. When God challenged Satan, we see 
that Satan had been observing Job, Job 1:9-10. 

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Forum 2011 


Don Hewitt, M.Div Forum 2011 
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Walking With God Then and Now 
c. If we carefully observe the exchange between God and Satan, 
we will find that God baited Satan to tempt Job. 
(1) “Hast thou considered,” vs. 8 is clearly a challenge. 
(2) Satan countered God and challenged Him to remove 
Job’s protection and blessings, vs. 9-10. What Satan 
was implying is that Job would sin if God allowed him to 
tempt Job. 
(3) God granted Satan the permission to tempt Job; the 
way verse 10 is written makes it quite plain that Satan 
had taken the bait; he would tempt Job. 
(4) Even in the Old Testament, Satan cannot tempt the 
believer without God’s permission. 
d. In Job 2:1-6, we find again that God baited Satan to tempt 
Job. We could wonder if Satan had the desire to try again, 
but, nonetheless, he again took the bait from God. 
(1) God again challenged Satan, Job 2:3, even adding a barb 
that Satan could not ignore. “And still he holdeth fast 
to his integrity” was intended to goad Satan. 
(2) Once again Satan countered was that, if allowed, he 
could entice Job to sin. After all, Satan said, a man will 
give anything to save his own life, vs. 4-5. 
(3) God gave Satan permission to begin round 2 on Job. 
e. This usage of “walk” as “observe” is repeated in the New 
Testament, 1 Peter 5:8. 
(1) “Walk” is ......... (peripatei), the equivalent to $lh. 
(2) Peter’s description fits perfectly what we see in Job. 
We could translate “walk” as “prowl,” like a burglar 
looking for the opportunity to break into a house, in Job 
1:7; 2:2 and in 1 Peter 5:8. 
(3) The fact that both the Old and New Testament picture 
Satan has one looking for the opportunity to destroy 
a believer should cause us to take him seriously. A lion 
roars to paralyze its prey in terror; and so does Satan. 
4. Some other verses where $lh(hithpael), means “to observe,” 
Job 38:16, Zechariah 1:10-11. 

Walking With God Then and Now 

D. As a summary statement of how to live under the Law of Moses. 
1. Under the Dispensation of Law, one’s “walk” was to be guided by 
the principles set down in the 5 books of Moses, the Torah. 

a. $lh (Kal), and $ly (Kal), Leviticus 26:3, 21, 23, 24, 27, 28. 
(1) This is the first giving of the Law, before the failure at 
Kadesh-barnea, Numbers 13:1-33. 
(2) Moses recited both the blessings for obedience, verses 
3-13, and the curses for disobedience, verses 14-46. 
(3) In verse 3, we find $ly (Kal), “walk.” This statement 
summarizes what would bring blessings under law, to 
order the details of one’s life by the commandments. 
(4) $ly (Kal), “walk ” in verse 21 and $lh (Kal), “walk” in 
verses 23, 27 summarize the lifestyle that results in 
judgment. In each case, the degree of punishment keeps 
increasing in intensity. 
(5) God uses $lh (Kal) of Himself in a sweeping statement, 
verses 27, 28. Israel’s disobedience, their “walk” would 
result in God’s chastening, His “walk.” In this chapter, 
“walk” is forms the basis for understanding the Law. 
Israel had said, “All that the Lord hath spoken we will 
do,” Exodus 19:8. So the Law was to govern their walk. 

(6) Leviticus 26 should be compared with Deuteronomy 28, 
where Moses tells a new generation the blessings and 
curses of the Law. 
b. $ly (Kal), Moses remembers, Deuteronomy 8:6. 
(1) Moses looks back at Israel’s history for a moment, 
Deuteronomy 8:1-5. 
(2) In verse 6, Moses draws a conclusion; therefore means 
“because of this.” The conclusion is that since God has 
been faithful to His children, and will give them the 
land He promised, they ought to walk in His ways. 

c. $ly (Kal), all God really wants, Deuteronomy 10:12-13. 
(1) Moses again reviews some of Israel’s history, vs. 1ff. 
(2) This is the perfect summary of what Israel needed to 
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Walking With God Then and Now 

do under Law. If the people really understood Who God

 is and what He had done for them, ordering the details

 of life by the Law would have been natural. 

2. Failure to walk according to the Law was the basis for judgment. 
a. $ly (Kal), the final summary of Moses, Deuteronomy 30:16. 
(1) Moses has just finished giving the Palestinian covenant. 
(2) The words Moses spoke are almost a repetition of what 
he had been saying throughout Deuteronomy; to love 
God, walk in His ways and keep His commandments, and 
His statutes and His ordinances. 
(3) We would better understand why Moses repeated 
these things if we remember what Moses knew about 
his people, Deuteronomy 31:24-29. 
b. The major prophets brought warnings of judgment for failure 
to walk according to the Law. 
(1) Ezekiel has a recurring theme in 5:7; 11:12; 18:17; 20:13, 
16, 21 warning judgment because, “…they walked not in 
My statutes.” 

(2) Jeremiah repeatedly used “walk” to describe how the 
people lived out of the “imagination” of their own evil 
hearts, 3:17; 7:24; 9:14; 11:8; 13:10; 16:12; 18:12; 23:17. 
Imagination is tWryrv, better, “stubbornness.” 
(3) Isaiah uses $lh sparingly; in 42:24, we read that the 
people would not walk in His ways nor keep the Law. In 
65:2 Israel walked “after their own thoughts.” $ly is 
used to describe an proud walk, 3:16, and as a warning 
to Judah not to walk as Israel walked, 8:11. 
3. Other uses of “walk.” (This list is not exhaustive) 
a. As a guide for ordering one’s affairs. 
(1) Where $ly is used: Exodus 16:4; 18:20; Leviticus 18:3-4 
20:23; Deuteronomy 5:33; 6:7; 8:6; 11:19, 22; 13:4-5; 
19:9; 26 ;17; 29:19; Micah 6:8. 
(2) Where $lh is used: Deuteronomy 8:19; 28:9. 
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Walking With God Then and Now 

We believe that $ly is used more than $lh due to a 
subtle difference between the two words. $ly seems to 
emphasize more of “moving in a general direction” and

 therefore, when used of obedience to the Law, stresses 
the need for it to be the overall guiding principle. $lh 
seems to emphasize each individual step and therefore 
would be more likely to be used in warning passages, as 
it points out in detail every individual “misstep.” 

b. As a warning of impending judgment. 
(1) Where $lh is used: Micah 2:11; 6:16; Amos 3:2-3; 
Zephaniah 1:17. 
(2) Where $ly is used: Hosea 14:9; Joel 2:8; Zechariah 3:7 
E. To summarize aspirations and express the ideal. 
1. The ideal walk of the Old Testament believer, Psalm 1:1.-3. 
a. Walk, $lh is a Kal, expressing a simple act; the man who is 
walking in the Law is blessed. 
b. The ideal is to not walk in the tc[, the advice or purpose of 
the ungodly, but rather to delight in the Law. 
c. The result of obedience was material prosperity. 
2. The wisdom of fearing the Lord, Proverbs 14:2. 
a. Walk, $lh is a Kal participle, the one walking. 
b. The theme of Proverbs is “the fear of the Lord is the 
beginning of wisdom,” 1:7. 
c. The ideal is based upon one’s conduct; to walk uprightly. This 
is the word rvy, which expresses the idea of “honest, 
straight forward,” or, “with no hidden agenda.” The only way 
an Old Testament believer could walk “honestly” would be to 
walk in obedience to the Law. 
d. In this, we can see both an ideal and an aspiration. 
3. Other verses where walk expresses an aspiration or ideal. 
Psalm 15:2; 84:11; 101:2, 6; 119:1-3; 128:1-2; Proverbs 2:7; 
10:9; 13:20; 19:1; 28:6. 
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Walking With God Then and Now 
II. The New Testament Usage of Walk as a Summary Statement. 
A. Walk, ........., in the Gospels. 
1. As ordering the details of one’s life by man’s tradition, Mark 7:5. 
a. By the time of Christ, Judaism had moved from the Law 
to “the tradition of elders.” Jesus pointed out how this 
tradition perverted the Law in verses 7- 13. 
b. “Asked” in verse 5 is .........(eperotao), which means to 
demand to know. This open hostility towards Jesus was an 
attempt to find any fault they could, verse 2. 
2. To publicly display Christ’s ministry, John 11:54. 
a. This took place about 6 days before the last Passover in His 
earthly ministry, 11:55; 12:1. 
b. Jesus had been rejected by the Jewish religious leaders who 
now were determined to crucify Him, 11:47-53. 
c. Here “walk” has the idea of carrying out His public ministry. 
3. To be identified with or involved in Christ’s ministry, John 6:66. 
a. Jesus had more than 12 disciples throughout much of His 
public ministry, Luke 10:1; 17. 
b. As a result of not understanding what Jesus taught in John 
6:47-59, all but the 12 left, 6:71. Walk means to be identified 
with in this passage; it does not mean that these other men 
no longer believed in Him. 
4. Other references to “walk” in the Gospels: Mark 12:38 (KJV to 
go); Luke 20:46; John 7:1; 8:12; 11:9; 12:35; 21:18. 
B. Paul’s used walk to summarize problems and potential growth. 
1. Romans 6:4, the summary and application concerning the sin. 
a. In Romans 6:1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 13 there is a definite article 
with “sin.” Paul is speaking of “the sin,” one that he says is 
“the indwelling in me sin,” 7:17, what we call a sin nature. 
b. The only way to handle the sin nature is reckon yourself dead 
to it, since we died to it in Christ, verses 2-3, and alive to 
God, since we were resurrected in Him, verse 4. 

Walking With God Then and Now 


c. “Therefore” in verse 4 marks an application of this truth; we 
are to walk in newness of life. 
d. “Walk” still means “to order the details of one’s life,” but Paul 
is using it to summarize and apply what he is saying. This will 
be a distinctive Pauline trait in his epistles. 
e. As the steward of this dispensation, 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul is 
the primary one God appointed to tell the Christian how to 
walk with God. 
2. 1 Corinthians 3:3, a summary about carnality. 
a. Paul wrote that the Corinthians were carnal when he was with 
them and were still carnal as he wrote them; 3:1-3. The key 
word is “yet” in verse 3. Yet means still; they had been carnal 
and still were as Paul wrote to them. 
b. Paul summarized carnality by writing that this was to “walk as 
men.” Carnality is to live as unsaved humanity lives; we could 
add the italicized word, mere or unsaved to make this point. 
c. The present tense of the verb tells us two important facts 
about carnality and the church at Corinth. 
(1) The present tense says, “you keep on walking;” carnality 
can become a way of life as it once was, Ephesians 2:3. 
(2) The verb is an active voice, meaning “YOU keep on 
walking.” The Christian is responsible for being carnal; 
we are carnal because we choose to be carnal, to live by 
the sin nature. 
3. Galatians 5:16, a summary of how to be spiritual. 
a. “(This) I say then” marks a change in subject. Paul has written 
about the problem of legalism at Galatia, and comes to the 
conclusion in verses 13-15. 
b. Verse 16 summarizes what Paul is about to say, how a believer 
can have the fruit of the Spirit in verses 22-23. 
c. The words “Walk by means of the Spirit” summarizes how to 
be spiritual. 
(1)“For” is explanatory in verse 17; Paul is explaining how 
to walk by means of the Spirit.

 (2) Both the flesh and the Holy Spirit brings lusts to the 
Christian, verse 17. (Lust simply means “strong desire;” 
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context will decide whether it is right or evil. See Luke 
22:15; the words “desire” and “desired” are the same 
Greek word as “lust” in Galatians 5:17, ........... 
(3)When the believer does what the Spirit desires, the 
result is that they are not able to “do the things that 
ye would,” to “walk as men” in 1 Corinthians 3:3. 
(4)When the believer does the lusts of the Holy Spirit, the 
result is that He is able to manifest His fruit in us. We 
have not done anything; God has done it in us and for 
us. Spirituality is nothing more than manifesting the 
things of the Spirit; and that is His fruit. 
(5) Galatians 6:1 adds a detail that we must not overlook. 
Paul says “ye that are spiritual restore such a one.” 
What this means is that if a Christian is spiritual, he or 
she will know it. How else could the church at Galatia 
fulfill this verse? Spirituality is not a mysterious idea; 
it is manifesting the fruit of the Spirit. And Paul 
summarizes it by saying, “Walk by means of the Spirit.” 
4. Ephesians 2:2 and 4:17, a summary of what the Christian was. 
a. Verse 1 says that you “were dead in trespasses and sins.” 
b. What this death involved is summarized by saying, “in which 
in times past ye walked.” “In which” refers back to the sins 
and trespasses. 
c. Paul builds off of this statement; it is modified by all that 
follows in verses 2-5. 
d. In Ephesians 4:17, Paul returns to this subject, of how we 
lived before salvation. 
(1) “Therefore” marks a conclusion or an application of 
what he has been saying. 
(2) Paul has just described how the spiritual gifts were 
intended to bring the church to maturity. 
(3) Now he returns to that subject of 2:2; how we were 
walking before salvation. In so doing, Paul explains why 
the unsaved walk the way they do- the mind is useless 
in spiritual things, verse 18, resulting in the giving of 
one’s self over to works of the flesh, verse 19. 

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Walking With God Then and Now 
(4) Several things should be clear from these passages. 
First, we should never make excuses for carnality; we 
walked- ordered every detail of our lives- according to 
the flesh. But we had an excuse then. We were dead, 
our minds were useless in spiritual things. Then we had 
no choice. Now we do. In addition, we should always 
remember that this is the way the lost live; we should 
not be too surprised when they act like this. But we 
need to be careful that we do not condone or excuse 
their lifestyle. They are dead; we are not. 
5. 2 Corinthians 5:7, an overview of the spiritual Christian’s life. 
a. Before one can walk in faith, that one must have faith. Faith 
is a part of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:22. In 
other words, this verse is for one who is spiritual. We do not 
produce faith, but we do direct it. 
b. In context, Paul is speaking about uncertainties of life, the 
things we do not know. We do know something of what we will 
have should we die, verses 1-2, but we do not know when, 
verses 6, 8-9. Notice that while Paul wanted to be home with 
the Lord, he still wanted to be pleasing to Him while he lived. 
c. 2 Corinthians 5:9 does not imply that a Christian might be 
rejected by the Lord. The word, “accepted” is ........., 
literally, “well pleasing.” The question is never one of being 
“accepted or rejected” at the judgment seat of Christ, but 
whether or not the Christian will be well pleasing to Him. 
d. This passage is a summary of how a spiritual Christian should 
approach life; we do not know everything, but we know Who 
does. And we can put our faith in Him and walk accordingly. 
6. The other walks of Paul. Paul used “walk” 29 times; it would an 
ideal series for either sermons or Sunday school lessons. Romans 
8:4; 13:13; 14:15; 1 Corinthians 7:17; 2 Corinthians 4:2; 10:33; 
Ephesians 2:10; 4:1; 5:2, 15; Philippians 3:17-18; Colossians 1:10; 
2:6; 3:7; 4:5; 1 Thessalonians 2:12; 4:1, 12; 2 Thessalonians 3:6,11; 
Hebrews 13:9 (KJV “have been occupied with”). 
C. John’s use of walk as a summary of potential. 
1. 1 John 1:6-7, as a summary of one’s spiritual condition. 

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Walking With God Then and Now 
a. The epistle of 1 John is simple and direct; after his greeting, 
John tells us exactly why he wrote; he wanted his readers to 
have both fellowship and joy, verse 3. 
b. Joy is a part of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22. John 
said that his readers had joy, but John wanted it to be full. 
In Pauline terms, John was writing to spiritual believers. 
c. As in Galatians 6:1, a spiritual believer will know if they are 
spiritual, so in 1 John 1:6-7, a believer will know when they 
are walking in the light by what their lives show. 
d. We can then say that what John calls “walking in the light,” 
Paul would call “walking by means of the Spirit.” 
e. In verse 9, John names the one thing that would keep his 
readers from having fellowship, unconfessed sin. 
(1) Verse 9 is a third class condition in Greek, an “if-then” 
statement which expresses a “50-50” chance of being 
fulfilled. It should be translated, “If we should confess 
our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 
and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 
(2) The second half of the statement is automatic; it says 
simply “He will forgive.” Whether or not He will forgive 
is not the question; will we confess our sins is the real 
problem. Confess is literally “say the same thing,” the 
word ......../omologeo. 
f. One final thought; John’s emphasis is not upon knowing where 
other believers are spiritually. It is upon knowing our own 
spiritual condition. We only confess our own sins because we 
are only responsible for what we do. 
2. 2 John 4, an overall summary of Christian life. 
a. In saying that some were walking in “truth,” John is reaching 
back to the Upper Room, John 17:17. God’s Word is truth. 
b. “A commandment” does not refer back to the Law of Moses. 
John is once again reaching back to the Upper Room, verse 5. 
This is a reference to the New Commandment, the one given 
to the Church in John 13:34-35. 
c. When these believers walked in truth, they were manifesting 
love, the first part of the fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22. 

Walking With God Then and Now 


d. This statement is an overview; John had great joy because 
some of these Christians were spiritual, or as John wrote in 
1 John 1:6-7, “were walking in the Light.” Both Peter and John 
also wrote about the Christian life, but in their own terms. 
3. Other uses of walk by John: 1 John 2:6, 11; 2 John 6; 3 John 4; 
Revelation 2:1; 3:4; 9:20; 16:15; 21:24. 
III. The Unique Walk of Three Men. 
A. Enoch’s walk with God, Genesis 5:22, 24 
1. At least until the flood, God did walk on earth. 
a. In Genesis 3:8, “walking” is a hithpael participle, emphasizing 
God Himself had chosen to walk in the Garden. The reason we 
read “the voice of the Lord God walking” is because the guilty 
couple hid themselves as soon as they heard God approaching, 
not because God appeared as some kind of “force.” 
b. There was a specific reason God walked with Adam, Genesis 
3:1-6. Adam needed to know how God wanted him to live. 
(1) Satan’s temptation hinged on Eve’s desire to know good 
from evil, verse 5. It would not have been a temptation 
unless Adam and Eve did not know good from evil and 
had to come by the knowledge another way. 
(2) Since there was no written Scripture, Adam and Eve 
had to depend upon God; therefore, one reason that 
Adam needed to walk with God was to learn from God. 
This need set the stage for Satan to tempt Eve to act 
independent of God and gain the knowledge on her own. 

c. Hebrews 11:6 reveals some important points about walking 
with God before the flood. 
(1) The faith that would bring one to walk with God pleased 
Him. This is not a verse about prayer for the Christian; 
it is an explanation of what Enoch did to show his faith. 
Prayer is not found in this context; don’t read it in. 
(2) It was possible for any saved man to walk with God in 
Enoch’s time. “He that cometh” is literally “the one 
coming” and means whoever comes. 
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Walking With God Then and Now 
(3) Two things were necessary to walk with God; one 
needed to believe that “He is” and then go looking for 
Him. It should be obvious that God no longer walked in 
the Garden of Eden, since mankind was barred from it, 
and could not seek Him there. Also, the idea of seeking 
Him means that He did not walk in the same place 
every time He walked. 
(4) God rewarded those who walked with Him. 
2. Enoch chose to walk with God, Genesis 5:22, 24. 
a. Walked is a hithpael; emphasizing a personal choice to walk. 
b. The reason Enoch chose to walk is seen in the name of his son 
Methuselah. 
(1) People in the Bible were often given names for a good 
reason: Noah is from the word for rest; Genesis 5:29; 
Cain is from the word for acquisition, Genesis 4:1. 
(2) Methuselah is from 2 words, “to die” and “he will send.” 
“Having died, he will send” is a direct reference to the 
flood of Genesis 9. Methuselah either died in the flood 
or in the year the flood came. 
(3) God revealed to Enoch that He was going to judge the 
ungodly when Methuselah died. Enoch believed God and 
began to walk with Him. 
c. This knowledge was part of Enoch’s “reward,” Hebrews 11:6. 
(1) “Rewarder” is ...........s (misthapodotes), from . 
...... (misthoo), wages or recompense. 
(2) God rewarded Enoch by revealing that He was going to 
judge the world long before Noah was told. Enoch is 
the first one recorded in Scripture to know. 
(3) God also revealed something to Enoch that is not found 
in the Old Testament, Jude 1:14-15. 
d. The benefit of knowing God in one’s experience should never 
be minimized; this reward is inherent in walking with God. 
(1) It is an ongoing privilege for the Christian, 2 Peter 3:18. 
The present tense verb can be translated, “keep on 

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Walking With God Then and Now 
growing.” The word knowledge is .....s, knowledge one 
gains by their experience. We come to know our Savior 
in our experience by living out the Christian life. 
(2) Also in the Old Testament, God did not want mechanical 
obedience to the Law. In Jeremiah 9:23-24 we see the 
truth. While the Old Testament believer did not have 
New Testament revelation, it is a mistake to think that 
God did not want Israel to know Him. 
(3) In Enoch’s walk with God, the greatest treasure was 
not that he knew God was going to judge the world but 
that he knew the God Who was going to do the judging. 
(4) In Hebrews 11:5 Scripture tells us that Enoch had a 
testimony; he was pleasing to God. Enoch’s walk allowed 
him to learn from God and to please God. There could 
be no greater privilege than that in any dispensation. 
B. Noah’s walk with God, Genesis 6:8-9. 
1. Noah found favor with God because of Noah’s 3 unique qualities, 
Genesis 6:8-9. 
2. “Walk” in verse 9 is another use of the hithpael tense. Noah 
himself chose to walk with God. 
3. We do not appreciate what Noah did unless we remember what 
the world was like in his time, Genesis 6:1-7. 
a. The sons of God intruded into the human race, Genesis 6:2-3. 
(1) The Hebrew words ~yhil{a?h|-ineb (benay-haelohim) are 
used 5 times in the Old Testament, all referring to 
spirit beings; Genesis 6:2, 4; Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7. 
(2) The product of this unnatural union is called “giants” in 
verse 4 (KJV). The Hebrew word is ~ylipiN. (nephilim) 
and is connected to the sons of Anak in Numbers 13:33. 
(3) The sons of Anak, or Anakim are also identified by a 
number of other names in Deuteronomy 2:20-21. 
“Giants” is ~yaip\r> (rephaiim) 
(4) The ~yaip\r>(rephaiim) are not to be resurrected, Isaiah 
26:14. The word “deceased” (KJV) is ~yaip\r>(rephaiim). 
Since all human beings will be resurrected and these 

Walking With God Then and Now 

beings will not be, it is obvious that the “giants” of 
Genesis 6:4 are not fully human.

 (5) One of Noah’s characteristics is that he was “perfect 
in his generation.” Perfect is from ~t, complete or 
whole, and does not mean “sinless.” In this context, 
complete refers to being completely human, in direct 
contrast to the “giants” who are not. 
b. The human race was summarized by, “every imagination of 
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually,” verse 5. 
Against this background, Noah’s righteousness stood out. 
4. God rewarded Noah in three ways. 
a. God revealed to Noah that He was going to judge the world 
with a universal flood, Genesis 6:13-17. 
b. God gave Noah the privilege to preach this message, 2 Peter. 
2:5. We do not read in Genesis 6 that God told Noah to 
preach; but whether Noah spoke the message, or preached 
by every nail he drove, it was still a privilege. 
c. God by grace allowed Noah to take his wife, his sons and his 
daughters in law on the ark. The text says that Noah was a 
righteous man. However, nothing is said about his family. 
C. Abraham, the friend of God. 
1. The Bible never says, “Abraham walked with God.” 
2. However, Abraham had a unique relationship with God which 
does suggest that Abraham walked with Him. 
a. In James 2:23 and Isaiah 41:8 Abraham is called “the friend 
of God.” It takes time to know another well enough to form 
the bond of friendship. Enoch and Noah both spent many 
years walking with God which allowed them to know Him. 
While this does not prove that Abraham walked with God 
being a friend of God is one result of it. 
b. God revealed a number of truths to Abraham. 
(1) The judgment of Sodom, Genesis 18:17-21. Note that 
Abraham saw three men and immediately knew one of 
them was God, verses 1-3. While this does not prove 
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Walking With God Then and Now 

that Abraham walked with God, it is very likely that 
he would recognize the form in which God appeared.

 (2) Abraham was to be the father of many nations, Genesis 
17:4-5. (“Walk” in verse 1 is the same as Genesis 24:40) 
(3) Abraham will receive the land of Canaan as a permanent 
possession, Genesis 17:7-8 (Compare Romans 4:13). 
(4) Abraham would have a unique Seed that “would possess 
the gate of his enemies,” Genesis 22:17. 
(5) Abraham’s unique Seed would bless all the nations, 
Genesis 22:18. 
3. While this point may be open to discussion, the evidence does 
reveal that Abraham, like Enoch and Moses, walked with God. 
IV. The Christian’s walk is not the same as Moses, Abraham and Enoch’s walk. 
A. The Christian has a different relationship to God. 
1. God no longer physically walks on the earth; the Christian is not 
told to seek God in the way these men did. 
2. All three Persons of the Godhead indwell the Christian. 
a. The Holy Spirit indwells every Christian, Ephesians 4:30; 
2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14. 
b. God the Son indwells the Christian, 1 John 5:11-12; Colossians 
1:27; John 14:23. 
c. God the Father indwells every believer, John 14:23. 
B. The Christian has a different relationship to revelation. 
. 

1. The Scriptures contain all the revelation that God has for the 
Christian. To claim that God is still revealing things is to believe 
that the Bible is not sufficient for the Christian. 
2. The spiritual Christian has the potential to understand the Word 
of God because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, John 14:26; 
16:13-14; 1 John 2:27. 
3. When a spiritual believer walks as Paul and John describe, the 
result will be an increase in the amount of illumination. When the 
Holy Spirit does not need to grieve the believer, Ephesians 4:30, 
and is not quenched by the believer, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, then 
He is free to teach the Scripture to those who spend time in the 
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Walking With God Then and Now 

Word. This is not same thing as God did for the Old Testament

 believer who walked with Him. However, we believe that God will

 reward those who walk with Him as it is set forth in the New 

Testament and study His Word with greater illumination to His

 Word. 

C. The New Testament describes how the Christian can walk with God. 
1. Because Enoch, Moses and Abraham lived before any written 
revelation, these men had no instruction on how to walk with God, 
unless there was something in oral tradition. Hebrews 11:6 is a 
New Testament commentary on Enoch; he never read the verse. 
2.With 34 occurrences of “walk” in the New Testament epistles for 
the church, there should be no doubt how the Christian can walk 
with God. But there is one lesson that we can learn from Moses 
and Enoch; it is that every believer must decide for himself to 
walk with God. 

Conclusion: 

Perhaps the most important lesson we have seen is the importance of 
context. How the word “walk” is used in the Scriptures will depend heavily on 
the context of the passage in which it occurs. In the Old Testament, “walk” is 
used in the sense of recognizing Who one belongs to, and as a summary of the 
life and reign of a king. “Walk” can be used to mean observing something, of 
ordering one’s life under the Law of Moses, and to express the ideal manner of 
living under the Law. 

In the New Testament, “walk” has a unique usage in. Paul used “walk” 29 
times to summarize the problems and potential in the churches. The Apostle 
John used walk 11 times in a similar manner. It is this usage that is the most 
important for the Christian. When we take the Word of God literally, there 
should be no confusion on how to walk with God. The epistles to the church 
reveal all that we need to know. It is then that the Holy Spirit can teach us 
without our interference. That is our privilege; but, as with Enoch and Moses, 
we must decide for ourselves to walk with God. 

There is more to be said on the subject of “walking with God” and we have 
only touched briefly on a few of the New Testament uses of it. However, if this 
paper has challenged one believer to delve further into the Word, then we have 
accomplished our intent. 

Don Hewitt, M.Div Forum 2011