How do should we understand this phrase, walked with God? We know that the Lord came and walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden before the time of Enoch. We know that the Lord from time to time, at special places in His plan and history, walked and talked with other heroes of the Bible. But I don’t think that that fully explains Enoch walk with God. I’m sure all those things happened but there was more because Enoch’s walk was directly related to God taking him.

In the genealogies from Adam to Jared we see this pattern of writing, Genesis 5:19-20 And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years: and he died. Jared lived had his first son and Jared died. We see this for all the scions of Seth.

But when we come to Enoch, that pattern is broken. It doesn’t simply say “Enoch lived” it says, “Enoch walked with God.” Even more dramatic the scriptures tell us that Enoch because of his walk with God did not die. Genesis 5:24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. It was not the length of Enoch years that are notable, in fact his years on earth are the shortest of all the sons of Seth, only 365. His son Methuselah will live to be 969 years, but Enoch lived only a third of that time.

Instead, it is this phrase “Enoch walked with God.” It is only applied to Enoch and his great grandson Noah. It denotes the closest, most confidential, most personal relationship and communion with God. The phrase gives us a picture of Enoch walking side by side down a path with God. God, who in this case still appears visibly, converses and encourages Enoch, His friend and companion.

It is different from “walking before God” and “walking after God.” Both of these are found other place in the Bible, and they describe a pious, moral, blameless life under the law of God, but Enoch’s walk with God is not defined by the law but by his time and intimacy with God Himself.

This personal, intimate walk with God brought Enoch to his taking, his translation, his transfiguration. One of my commentaries puts it this way. “In Enoch, the seventh from Adam through Seth, godliness attained its highest point; whilst ungodliness culminated in Lamech, the seventh from Adam through Cain, who made his sword his god. Enoch, therefore, like Elijah, was taken away by God, and carried into the heavenly paradise, so that he did not see death; i.e., he was taken up from this temporal life and transfigured into life eternal, being exempted by God from the law of death” - Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch, Commentary on the Old Testament, (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1996), 1:79.

The taking of Enoch at such a young age compared to his ancestors and to his children happened in such a way that it was shocking. One of my resources states it this way, Enoch continually walked with God—then he was not there, because God took him. - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society, Holy Scriptures: Tree of Life Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015), Ge 5:24.

Enoch’s walk with God was so visible, so powerful, so well known to those around him that his taking was understood as being the reward of God.

It is not by accident that the writers of the New Testament picked up this phrase and applied it to a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Walking With God

Paul says in Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

This theme of walking with the Lord is detailed by Paul in the last few chapters of Ephesians.

In Ephesians 4:1-6, Paul says of that we are to Walk Worthy, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

In Ephesians 4:17-32 He tells the Ephesians and us to “Walk As New Creations” henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

We are to remember who we are in Christ. Ephesians 4:20-24 But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.

He then gives them a description of what it means to walk as new in Christ. Ephesians 4:25-32 Put away lying, speak truth. Don’t let the sun set on you anger. Don’t compromise with the devil. Don’t steal anymore. Work with your hands. Don’t let communicate corruption. Instead speak good, edifying words that minister grace. Don’t grieve the Holy Spirit. Put away bitterness, and wrath, and anger, clamour, evil speaking along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you.

Nor is Paul done talking about our walk with God, iIn Ephesians 5:1-7 we are to Walk in Love Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

The in Ephesians 5:8-14 Walk in Light, vss 8-11 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Finally, in Ephesians 5:15-21 He tells us to Walk in Wisdom, vss. 15-17 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Walking With the Lord means being in accord with the Lord. You can’t walk with Him if you are not willing to go where He is going and walk the way He walks.

Be like Enoch walk with the Lord as you would walk with your dearest friend, talk with Him, share with Him, cry with Him and especially listen to Him and then do what He your most precious friend tells you to do.