I’m sure that many readers spent countless childhood hours with a parent learning how to do things by watching, listening and then doing them. That’s how we were taught practical applications, they would say, ‘pay attention, watch me and listen to what I say, now you do it.’ It was in everything from cleaning, cooking,  how to use tools, , etc., etc., the list is endless and is the greatest legacy they could have ever given us. Character development and practical information on how to behave was by example; and this is exactly how Messiah taught His followers. His disciples who became the emissaries /apostles, were with Him, watched Him, listened to Him and then were sent out to do what He had taught them. We learn so much by example, by what we see and hear all around us; and it’s why we must be mindful that those who we emulate are true disciples of Messiah. If they are not walking the walk of the Word of God, if they are not walking before the Father, whether it’s a congregational leader, a parent, a spouse, or a friend then we must not emulate them or walk their walk. We must not follow their lead, Messiah said

‘Follow Me’.

Paul said in 1 Cor.11:1 ‘follow me as I follow Christ’.

Not follow me!

We should by now be out of our spiritual childhood years. Hebrews 5:12 is a warning to believers who are not spiritually mature. We are supposed to have a good understanding of Scripture so that we can teach others.

By now you should be teachers because you have been a long time in training: But even now you need to be taught the primary writings of the word of God; but you are still in need of milk, and not strong meat.

We are to encourage others to be grown up children of Adonai who like Enoch was walking with Him. Genesis 5:24 and in Genesis 17:1 Abraham was told to walk before Him.

Later the people of Israel are ordered to walk behind Him in Deuteronomy. The different positions may be that it depends on the circumstances at the time.

The children of Israel have been studying scripture for thousands of years and the rabbis have many writings that give greater understanding by way of their culture and lifestyles.

Here is one that may reveal the heart of our heavenly Father in teaching us about the spiritual walk of a true believer.

Walking is a natural instinct but a child must learn to walk, a father does this by putting the child before him and stands a few feet away; and then spreads his arms wide and encourages the child to come to him for a hug. The child will begin to walk toward him without thinking about the fact they are walking because they want that hug from their father. All the while the father is there to catch the child if he starts to fall. This is how the rabbis explain this passage telling Abram to walk before Him.  He is teaching Abram to walk the righteous walk, which leads to the loving arms of our Heavenly Father. This is for new believers, first He will teach us to walk that righteous life and He is there to catch us as the loving, caring Father that He is. However there are times, as in Deuteronomy 31:8, Israel is commanded to walk behind Adonai. This is when the child walks behind his father to follow in his footsteps, and learn from his example, being mentored by his father.  Likewise after a new believer has learned to walk and grown into spiritual childhood, he will walk behind our Heavenly Father, follow Him and learn to do what Messiah Yeshua/Jesus would do in every situation.  

Next we become a spiritual adult and here is where we walk with our Heavenly Father ministering to others by and with His Holy Spirit, serving Him in close relationship and enjoying each others presence walking a life pleasing to Him.

Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait on the Lord shall walk and not faint.

To walk and not faint is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength and is the text for all of our steady and enduring qualities. This word walk is used to express the character of a person. People look at our lives what we do where we go and who we spend time with; this is our walk.

In the account in John 1:35- 36, John was looking at Yeshua/Jesus as He walked and He said,

‘behold the Lamb of God’.

In the scriptures everything is vivid and real, there’s nothing abstract or obscure, our Heavenly Father does not say ‘Be spiritual’, but He says

‘walk before me’ 

Genesis 17:1 
HEB: אֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֔י הִתְהַלֵּ֥ךְ לְפָנַ֖י וֶהְיֵ֥ה
NAS: Almighty; Walk before
KJV: God; walk before me,
INT: God Almighty Walk before become

Strongs# 1980 halak

We will always look for excitement and distractions in life when we are in an un healthy condition either spiritually, physically or emotionally. If we insist on pursuing only exciting entertainment, it will result in the destruction of our spirituality; then in our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit, and in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to moral destruction.

Walking in Adonai’s presence is dependent on our commitment to keep Him before us continually, it’s not dependent on a particular circumstance or location and our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. Once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of His presence and not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it; then the experience of Ps. 46:2 will be ours too. We will know that He has been here all the time and that He will and in fact He is directing us in this and that situation already.

If our everyday decisions are not according to His will He will press through them bringing restraint to our spirit and it’s then that we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.

In Hebrew walk is halak  הלך  Hei Lamed Kap 

halak: To go, walk, come, proceed, move

Original Word: הָלַךְ
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: halak
Pronunciation: hah-lahk
Phonetic Spelling: (haw-lak’)
הָלַךְ (hālak) appears about 1,549 times in the Old Testament, making it one of the most pervasive verbs in the Hebrew canon. The range of usage moves from simple physical motion to the comprehensive idea of a person’s life-direction. Scripture thus employs the verb to speak of footsteps across desert sands, the inner journey of faith, the moral path of obedience, and even the future march of redemption.

From Eden onward, covenant fellowship is illustrated by walking with God. Genesis 3:8 records the LORD “walking in the garden in the cool of the day.”

Enoch “walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him” (Genesis 5:24).

Similar wording appears of Noah (Genesis 6:9). In covenant stipulations the same imagery recurs: “I will walk among you and be your God” (Leviticus 26:12).

Blessing depends not merely on believing in God’s existence but on walking in relational harmony with Him.

Because Israel’s way of life before God is depicted as a walk, הָלַךְ it becomes a technical term for moral and ethical conduct. Deuteronomy 5:33 commands, “You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you.”

Psalms contrasts two paths: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked” (Psalm 1:1).

Prophets confront a covenant breach in the same way: “They have walked after their own counsels” (Hosea 11:2).

Here faith is proved genuine in daily steps of obedience.

Prophets also use הָלַךְ to herald coming restoration. Isaiah foresees a highway of holiness: “And a highway will be there… No lion will be on it… but the redeemed will walk there” (Isaiah 35:8-9). Micah promises, “We will walk in the name of the LORD our God forever and ever” (Micah 4:5).

Zechariah pictures future priestly purity: “If you will walk in My ways and keep My charge, then you will also govern My house” (Zechariah 3:7).

The repeated verb looks forward to the consummated kingdom in which God’s people walk securely.

Proverbs repeatedly urges the young to choose companions carefully because “He who walks with the wise will become wise, but the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20). Wisdom is not merely a mental acquisition; it is a disciplined walk.

In Psalm 23 the word for walk here is halak which is translated 146 different ways in the NASB.  The common denominator for all its usages is simply to be going somewhere. Halak is a journey with a destination. It is a simple walk to a destination, not a race, not a cautious walk but simply a normal journey to a destination. This whole Psalm speaks of a life journey.  From the beginning the Lord is pictured as a shepherd who keeps us from want, and this life’s journey is not to gain our basic needs. On this journey we need to pause, stop for an occasional rest where our Heavenly Father supplies green pastures and refreshing waters to restore our soul which gets beaten and battered during this journey. 

Proverbs 10:9 He who walks in integrity walks securely, One translation reads He who walks purely walks securely.. When we walk in close relationship with the Lord we will consistently choose to be obedient and faithful to do all that He requires of us and in that covenant relationship our walk, our life is safe and secure; and that is walking the walk.

Rosh Hashanah is Tuesday and Wednesday of next week…keep looking up!

Shalom shalom

‘Mishpachah’

‘Family/Tribe’

משפחה

Mish-pa-KHa,

friends, visitors and every reader…

Please don’t leave this page before making certain you are His

and are truly born again from above.

Know of a certainty that Jesus/Yeshua is

your Redeemer, Savior, Lord

and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry.

I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus.  Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.