Today’s discussion is entitled: “What it Means to Walk with God;” it is a Messianic Discussion of the 4th Parashah in the 3-year Torah Reading Cycle. Our discussion text for this Shabbat will be Genesis 5:1-6:8.

 

I will be reading and commenting from the Robert Alter Translation of Torah (”The Five Books of Moshe”).

 

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Well over half of our Torah Reading this week consists of begats or “toledot,” which is essentially a genealogical listing of the “pre-flood” (aka antediluvian) Sethite patriarchs (I.e., descendants of Seth).

 

Now, if you recall last week’s post, roughly the last quarter of our Reading delineated Cain’s lineage, which pretty much turned out to be the darker side of Adam and Eve’s family.

 

Our Reading this week deals exclusively with Seth’s side of the family. Although Seth’s line would ultimately bring about the seed of the woman that would crush the serpent’s head (I.e., Yahoshua Messiah), most of humanity that derived even from this line fell into iniquity.

 

Despite this reading consisting primarily of the pre-flood patriarchal genealogy, there is enough content contained within this chapter and a quarter to keep us busy for a few hours.

 

Key events, subjects and themes to be found in our Reading include, but are not limited to:

 

• The prophetic sanctity of Sethithe lineage.
• The lifespans of the antediluvian patriarchs.
• Enoch’s controversial life-story.
• The Story of the Watchers and the Nephilim.
• The corruption of Yehovah’s natural order.
• Noah finding favor in Yehovah’s eyes.

 

So as to not hold you all for too long this Shabbat, especially given that we posted an installment of the Paul and Hebrew Roots Series, I would like us to avoid the controversial elements of today’s Reading, and simply focus on a Genesis 5:21-24, which reads as follows:

 

“(21) And Enoch lived sixty-five years and he begot Methuselah. (22) And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah three hundred years, and he begot sons and daughters. (23) And all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. (24) And Enoch walked with God and he was no more, for God took him.”

 

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Enoch would seem to have been a “giant” (no pun intended) of the pre-flood patriarchs, despite there being only 6-verses attributed to his entire life, the 5th and 6th verses found just a few verses back in chapter 5, verses 18 and 19, that simply address his birth.

 

Much of the intense interest and controversy surrounding Enoch’s life, as it relates to the Genesis accounting of his life, has to do with the entirety of verse 24: “And Enoch walked with God and he was no more, for God took him.”

 

The first-half of this verse suggests that Enoch enjoyed a very close, if not intimate life and relationship with Yehovah. Then the second-half of the verse entails the greatest mystery and controversy: Enoch being taken by Yehovah and being no more.

 

Beyond these 6-verses in Genesis, Enoch is mentioned only in 3-other passages of scripture, all 3 of which are found in the Brit-haDashah. From these 3-biblical passages, we gain a little more information about the great man that was Enoch.

 

1. From Luke 3:37 we learn that Yahoshua Messiah descended from Enoch.
2. The writer of Hebrews 11:5 details how Enoch’s faith led to him not experiencing death, but instead being “translated” (the Greek term being “metatithemi” which means to transpose; to transfer; to change; to go or pass over).
3. And the half-brother of Yahoshua, Jude, mentions in Jude 1:14, a very mysterious prophesy that Enoch rendered that is no where to be found in our 66-Book Special. So there would seem to be other writings out there that the apostles recognized as authoritative as it related to Enoch. We’ll briefly mention a few extra-biblical or apocryphal books in our discussion here today that may contain the information about Enoch that Jude alludes to in this verse.

 

So, let’s discuss for the remainder of our time here today, the issue of Enoch walking with Elohim; what walking with Elohim means Hebraically; and what walking with Elohim looks like for us today, especially as it relates to the Enoch model of walking with Elohim.

 

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Before we tackle what “walking with Elohim” means and looks like, let’s take a look at the extra-biblical record to see what the writers of those books thought of or had passed down to them traditionally about the man Enoch.

 

Jasher 3:1-11,17-38

 

Enoch is described as one who:

 

• Despised the evil ways of men.
• Served Yehovah.
• Whose soul was wrapped up in the instruction of Yehovah; in knowledge of Yehovah and His Ways; in understanding of Yah’s Word.
• Possessed a God-like awe that sat upon his countenance, invoking righteous fear of him among his people.

 

Enoch is recorded to have retired from humanity into seclusion for a number of years.

 

An angel is recorded to have called Enoch out of his seclusion for purposes of teaching humanity “the Way in which they should go and the work which they must accomplish to enter in the Ways of Elohim,” which Enoch did to a goodly amount of success.

 

The author states that the Ruach haKodesh was upon Enoch.

 

In time, Enoch is said to have become a ruler over the portion of humanity that desired to walk in the Ways of Yehovah. During Enoch’s reign, it is recorded that peace reigned over both Enoch and the entire realm that Enoch ruled over. And this reign spanned some 243-years.

 

Also during his reign it is recorded that Enoch taught the people the knowledge and Ways of Yah until the day he was taken up “in a whirlwind with horses and chariots of fire.”

 

Book of Jubilees 4:17-25

 

The author of Jubilees described Enoch as:

 

• Learned in writing and knowledge and wisdom.
• As one who wrote down the signs of heaven according to their months or seasons.
• Who received much of his learning from Yehovah’s messengers (I.e., angels), of which he is said to have spent much of his secluded time with.

 

It is written that he testified to and against the Watchers (I.e., the fallen ones) in response to their iniquitous acts with the “daughters of men.”

 

Ultimately, it is recorded, Enoch was “conducted into the Garden of Eden” where he recorded the “condemnation and judgment of the world, and all the wickedness of the children of men.”

 

It is further recorded that he routinely offered incense of the sanctuary before Yehovah.

 

The Book of Enoch Chapter 6

 

The Book of Enoch is best known for it’s detailed telling of the Watchers story. According to the Book of Enoch, 200-angels, otherwise referred to in the text as Watchers, descended onto Mount Hermon in the days of Jared. They were all bound by an oath to choose and take unto themselves “wives from among the children of men and to beget children.”

 

From that union of the angelic and the human, giants were born and they proliferated upon the earth. These are described as horrific creatures that consumed all the available food stocks, which when those were exhausted, led to them consuming humans and ultimately one another.

 

The Book of Enoch describes these giants, which some refer to as Nephilim, as having “sinned against birds, and beasts, and reptiles and fish.” I guess this means that somehow, the Nephilim discovered ways to corrupt Yehovah’s natural order.

 

And so, it is recorded, that the fallen ones corrupted humanity also by teaching them forbidden knowledge or arts such as warfare; cosmetics; vanities; sexuality; ungodliness; witchcraft and sorcery; astrology and astronomy.

 

These propagated and promoted violence in the earth, which prompted the angels Michael, Gabriel, Raphael and Uriel to petition Yehovah to intervene. Each angel is given an assignment by Yehovah to directly address the situation, which ultimately led to the Watchers’ imprisonments in the earth in anticipation of their final judgment.

 

As far as Enoch was concerned, he was recruited (I believe by Yehovah through the angels) to testify to the fallen ones of the wrath and judgment that is to be brought against them by Yehovah because of their transgressions. The fallen ones in turn recruit Enoch to intercede on their behalf to Yehovah for mercy, the plea for mercy of which Yehovah rejects.

 

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Getting back to our canonical record of Enoch, we find that Enoch is the first patriarch to be described as having “walked with God” (Gen. 5:22). And this mention of someone having walked with Yehovah might cause one to think back to Moshe’s mentioning of Yehovah walking in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day.

 

That record of Yehovah walking in the Garden in the cool of the day/evening certainly hints at the likelihood of this being a routine thing (Gen. 3:8). In other words, it would seem likely that Yah routinely walked in the Garden to meet and converse with Adam. To me it screams of Adam having a “yada” relationship with the Eternal, part of which was frequent walks and talks with Adam, possibly in the cool of the day.

 

And so we have here, some 7-centuries or so removed from this Garden scene, a man who enjoyed a similar relationship with the Creator. And this Enoch story is not only a historical marker for humanity, it serves as a sign that Yehovah did not completely abandon His human creation after the fall. Indeed, given the right heart, Yehovah was more than willing to engage humanity in an intimate, covenant relationship. It shows that there were individuals, although rare, during some of the darkest periods of human history, that were willing to die to self -bend their will to Yah’s Will, and live a covenant-based life with the Creator of the Universe. Noah seems to the other notable human to have been identified as having “walked with God” in humanity’s early days of existence (Gen. 6:9).

 

As much as it intensely interests me, we will not examine the spiritual elephant in the room as it relates to Enoch: What happened to Enoch. The apocryphal books of Enoch, Jasher and Jubilees provide some accounting, and I also have some thoughts on what happened to Enoch, but that will have to be a subject matter for another discussion I’m afraid.

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Our Torah reading records Enoch as having “walked with Elohim.” This fact is mentioned twice (Gen. 5:22-24).

 

We will find in our next Torah Reading that Noah as well is recorded to have “walked with Elohim” (Gen. 6:9).

 

Throughout scripture we find this concept of “walking with God” mentioned and described:

 

• Yah instructs Avraham at 99-years of age, to “walk” or “halach” before Him or in His presence and be blameless ( 17:1).
• It is recorded that Yitschaq (aka Isaac) “walked before Yehovah” ( 24:40; 48:15)—the term “before” as used here to describe the “walk” being the Hebrew term “paniym,” which means in the presence of or in the face of Yehovah.

 

A sister term is also used throughout scripture to signal Yehovah’s people walking in association with His Ways: “yalach.” We find in Exodus 16:4 where Yehovah tests the Hebrews in the Sinai Wilderness to see if they will “yalach” in His Torah. And so we find that “yalach” is used throughout the Tanach in terms of Yehovah’s people walking in His prescribed Ways—His instructions in righteousness. Leviticus 18:4 talks about walking in Yah’s ordinances. Leviticus 26:3 talks about walking in Yah’s statutes. Deuteronomy 5:33 and 8:6 talks about walking in Yehovah’s Ways.

 

Conversely, “halach” seems to take onto itself a somewhat different texture. Halach seems to denote more than one simply obeying or living in accordance with Yehovah’s instructions in righteousness. It goes somewhat further to insinuate and even call for a relationship with the giver of those instructions in righteousness. It seems to clearly denote the one who will walk in Yehovah’s Ways to actually have a relationship with Yehovah; what we routinely refer to as “Covenant Relationship.” A relationship that is intimate—somewhat akin to the concept of “yada”—having an intimate knowledge of Yehovah and His Ways.

 

Yehovah promises to walk or “halach” among His people if they keep covenant with Him (Lev. 26:12) and don’t “halach” after other gods (Deu. 8:19).

 

Now, the Greek counterpart to “halach” is “peripateo” which the translators of the Brit haDashah drew from the Hebrew concept of “to live; to regulate one’s life; to conduct one’s self, such as those who questioned Yahoshua as to why his disciples refused to “peripateo” in the ways of the sages.

 

But Master instructs His disciples (and by extension us) to  “peripateo” not in darkness, and in so doing, they will possess the light that gives life (Joh. 8:12).

 

Master later instructed His disciples to walk in His Ways while they had His light with them, because those that walk or peripateo in darkness have no idea where they are heading (Joh. 12:35).

 

And it was the Apostle Paul who instructed the Ephesian Messianics to peripateo as children of light (5:8) and in love (5:2); to peripateo circumspectly. In other works, to guard their walk in such a way that they always behave wisely and appropriately. Along that line of thinking, the apostle instructs the Messianics of Colossae to peripateo in Mashyach—or rather, live according to the manner in which they were taught and shown (Col. 2:6). To also walk in wisdom (Col. 4:5). And to the Messianics of Thessalonica, to walk honestly, such that they would gain the respect of those outside the Faith (1 The. 4:12).

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Benner on Walk or Halach

 

“Halach” literally means to walk, as demonstrated in 2 Sam. 2:29. But in a figurative sense, which is what we’re focusing on in our Reading here today, the term “halach” is used to provide the hearer and reader something of a clear, concrete concept to demonstrate or describe a rather abstract thought or concept. In this case, we’re talking about taking something like the simple act of transporting ourselves on our two-feet, and applying it to our relationship with Yehovah and His Ways. For the Hebrew tends towards more concrete words such as “halach” to convey such concepts so that the one who would be a Child of the Most High will better understand what is expected of him/her and set out to do that which they are supposed to do.

 

One of the best descriptors of the Hebrew term “halach” is found in the example provided in 1 Kings 3:14:

 

And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.” (1Ki 3:14 ESV)

 

Here, Solomon is asked by Yehovah to “walk in the footsteps” of his father David, who walked in the footsteps of Yehovah. And so we have introduced here in this passage the concept of a “son walking in the footsteps of his father” in order that he will fair well in his life.

 

In other words, Solomon was asked of Yah that he enter into a covenant relationship with Him just as David did with Yehovah. David lived in accordance with Yah’s Ways (yes, he did have a few slip-ups, but he repented of those transgressions). But just as important, David had a personal, deep, “yada” intimate relationship with Yah. David is described as having a heart after Yehovah (1 Sam. 13:14). David loved Yehovah with his whole heart. And thus, Yehovah was asking Solomon to enter into the same level of relationship with Him as his father David had.

 

Along this line of thinking, Yisra’el was instructed to walk in the footsteps of Yehovah, not in the footsteps of other gods. In other words, Yah required of His people that they give unto Him their whole lives, live according to His instructions in righteousness, and enter into a personal relationship with Him—that is a covenant relationship with Him. In so doing, they would not take on the ways of the pagan nation peoples around them.

 

In terms of our 21st century understanding of such a principle as “halach” or “peripateo,” it may be best understood by us from the standpoint of “culture:” One sets out or chooses a culture and that culture’s principles in which to live by. And of course, there are an almost inexhaustible number of cultures by which one may aspire to live within and by, ranging from nationalistic to ideologies to religions—each of us chooses one or more cultures adopt. Some of us adopt cultures that appeal to us; appeal to our preferences and interests. Others of us adopt cultures that are foisted upon us because of our particular stations in life. And still others of us are chosen to adopt and live out a culture, such as Abba did with Solomon, and Yahoshua is doing with us. We are called, and many of us are chosen to walk—halacah-peripateo in Yehovah—to Walk in Messiah.

 

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We find in scripture that Yah’s people are called to walk in the ways of faith; in Torah; in love, peace, and truth.

 

But in order that we find favor in the eyes of Yah, we must catch His attention. And scripture tells us that Yah turns towards those who possess a right heart and tremble at His Words. And it is this one—the one who possesses a right heart and who trembles at His Words—who Yah will save (Psa. 34:18; Isa. 66:2); draw near to (Psa. 34:18); accept their worship (51:17—Listen to or read our post entitled: The Heart of True Worship-STAR-3); dwell with (Isa. 57:15). These are things we all desire from our covenant relationship with Yehovah.

 

And so, there must be agreement between us and Yehovah. After Yah choses us because we fear/revere/love Him and His Words and we have the proper heart (such that of a circumcised heart—a will that will subordinate itself to Yehovah’s Will—that is die to self), will make for the optimal condition of walking with Yehovah.

 

There must be an agreement—a “ya’ad”, which means to fix; appoint; assemble; to meet; to set; to betroth (Amo. 3:3).

 

But we must first circumcise our hearts such that we die to self—we turn our lives over to Yehovah to do His work in us—to ultimately turn us into His sons and daughters. And so, we must stop sinning; stop resisting Him; not grieve His Ruach (aka His Spirit) (Deu. 10:16; Jer. 4:4; Col. 2:11). And then, He will circumcise our hearts further by inscribing His Words/His Ways upon it such that we love Him with our whole being and we walk in obedience of Faith (Deu. 30:6).

 

This is all part and parcel of our entering into and maintaining that crucial obedient, covenant relationship with Yah that you hear me talk and write about incessantly.

 

For us, halacah with Yehovah is simple. In fact, for us, its the only way to be in a right-relationship with Abba. We must “walk” (aka halach; peripateo) in Mashiyach (aka Messiah). And we walk in Messiah by imitating Yahoshua in every conceivable way (Col. 2:6). We effectively abandon entirely doing things our way, and do only that which we see Him do (just as He described the relationship He had with Father—He did what He saw Father do; and taught and preached what Father told Him to teach and preach; to act as Yehovah instructed Him to act).

 

This, according to Paul, pleases Abba (1 The. 4:1).

 

So, in the midst of our Creator’s kindled wrath and determination to destroy His creation because it had become so corrupted, He takes notice of Noah. Noah attains favor in Yehovah’s eyes. But we find in next week’s Reading that Noah walked with Yehovah.

 

Like Enoch, Noah not only walked in Yah’s Ways, he had a relationship with the Almighty (Gen. 5:9).

 

Our God/our Elohim, is an Elohim of relationships. He desperately desires to have a relationship with us, His human creation. He, in fact, desires to adopt us to be His sons and daughters.

 

Thus, it behooves us to work on our halacah; not from the standpoint of a mechanical, rote-keeping of Torah and the tradition of the sages that so many of us in this Faith community do. But more so, focus on our relationship with the Almighty. We are to seek Him and His strength (1 Chr. 16:11); His Kingdom and His righteousness (Mat. 6:33); His face (Psa. 105:4). And we do this through the Person and Personal Ministry of our Master Yahoshua Messiah. For He taught us how to walk in Yehovah. He left us His Words; His teachings and His example:

 

“For to this have you been called (called to endure for Messiah), because Messiah also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21).

 

Halacah—True Messianic halacah my friends—is not about becoming Jewish and living under the framework of Judaism. It’s about following in the footsteps of Yahoshua. Our halacah is taking Yahoshua’s yoke upon us and ultimately transforming into His image (Mat. 11:29). And to assist us in doing all this, Master promised us that gift of the “paraklete”—the Ruach haKodesh—whom Abba sends to us; to teach us/to help clarify for us; to bring to our remembrance all that Yahoshua has taught and modeled for us (Joh. 14:26). Thus, the Ruach—the Comforter—will confirm to us that which we do—our walk—which is pleasing unto Abba (Joh. 15:26).

 

So, like Yahoshua, we are called to be “echad” with Yehovah. This is what true “halacah” is all about: becoming one—echad—with Messiah and Yehovah our Elohim (Joh. 10:30; 17:21).