Lets consider what the Scriptures have to say about how we should walk with GOD:
Genesis 5:22-24 says, “After he begot Methuselah, Enoch walked with God three hundred years, and had sons and daughters. 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”
The word “walked” in the Hebrew is: haòlak haw-lak’
It simply means (among other things) to: “come on, be conversant with, exercise one’s self to, to follow, etc.
So, applying this to what we are told about Enoch, it appears that there was a time before the birth of Methuselah that Enoch did not walk with GOD. Then after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch must have heard and saw what it took to walk with GOD and did so. In fact, it appears that Enoch walked with GOD to the degree that prior to the judgment of the earth by water, GOD supernaturally removed Enoch!
Let’s look in GOD’S Word and hopefully gain better insight into how this man actually walked with GOD…
In Hebrews 11:5, we find “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, “and was not found, because God had taken him”; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. 6But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Here we are told that Enoch “pleased GOD.” The Greek word “pleased” is: euaresteoô yoo-ar-es-teh’-o
From G2101; to gratify entirely:—please (well). (or from its root); fully agreeable.
So from this we understand that however Enoch walked with GOD, he had to do that in full agreement with what GOD requires. But how did Enoch know what those requirements were? Were they written down? Not likely. At least not yet. So what standard had been established that would inform Enoch as to how to please GOD?
Notice Heb 11:6 again. “But without faith it is impossible to please HIM (GOD).” We hear much about “faith” today, but just what is faith? In particular, what is Biblical Faith? Biblical faith is simply believing and obeying what GOD said/says.
Romans 10:17 puts it this way. “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Simply put; Faith (or believing what GOD says) results from hearing GOD’S commentary on HIS Word.
So, from these two portions of Scripture, we find that Enoch heard what GOD said, understood it because he was instructed by GOD, believed what GOD said/says and obeyed, thus walking in fellowship with GOD! Does it get much simpler than that?
Another person during the time of Enoch was also spoken of as “walking with GOD.” Let’s see what we can find out about him!
Genesis 6:9 says, “This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.”
Notice: Noah was “JUST”. Defined as; “lawful, righteous.” From this we understand that Noah had knowledge of GOD’S Law and as well as what it would take for him to be righteous in the eyes of GOD, and to accomplish it!
Notice: Noah was “PERFECT”. Defined as; “entire, having integrity, truth, without blemish, complete, sound, without spot, undefiled, whole.”
From this we see that Noah had a testimony of one who walked in the “grace” of GOD (verse 8), having the knowledge of what GOD says, and obeyed what GOD said/says!
Has that standard changed for us today? Not if we pay more attention to what JESUS, Paul and John say as compared to what traditional Christianity says!
For example:
JESUS said in Matthew 5:17-18 ““Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
As far as I can tell, the earth is still here. Why is it that traditional Christianity insists that the Law of GOD (what GOD has established) has been done away with? Also take a look at the article, “Matthew 5:17” for a more thorough breakdown of the wording in these verses…
Paul, the apostle states in 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
Remembering that when Paul penned this to Timothy that the New Testament was not in existence, Paul simply confirms what we have already found in the lives of Enoch and Noah; What GOD said/says from the beginning was still the standard that he (Paul) referred to for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness that will lead those who hear and obey HIM to be thoroughly equipped for every good work!
John, the apostle sums the whole answer up for us in 1 John 2:3-6 saying, “Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
The obvious question is “How did JESUS walk?” And the obvious answer because JESUS is The Word Incarnate; “JESUS walked according to THE Word of GOD that was in existence at the time of HIS birth, ministry, death and resurrection! John is saying at the time of the writing of his epistles; that you and I, if we say that we abide in HIM, should walk in obedience to those very Scriptures as well!
That is NOT meant to exclude or diminish the validity of the New Testament writings, but we must realize that prior to the existence of the New Testament writings, the Word of GOD that existed during the lifetimes of Paul and John, (according to them!) was good enough to accomplish completeness and an acceptable walk with GOD!
Think about that! And hopefully your attitude toward the Scriptures previous to Matthew will be more in line with the attitude of those who actually lived during the times of the New Testament writings!
