God's Roses in the Bible

Genesis 5:24 Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

The above passage is the first mention we see in scripture of the phrase  "walking with God".  Enoch was a pre-flood patriarch who had a unique relationship or "walk with God" for 300 years.  His walk with God was so profound that he became one of only two people in history to go directly to Heaven without physically dying (the other being Elijah). 

Today we want to explore the third law of Bible study: The Law of Progressive mention.  In this series on "The Laws of Bible Study", we have looked at the Laws of first mention and illustrative mention.  Our aim is to learn how to trace topics or themes through the Bible.  Walking with God is a cornerstone truth that the Bible uses in describing the believer's relationship with God, and His relationship with the believer.  Lets see how progressive mention helps unfold for us the significance of this truth.

Walking with God - progressively unfolded through the Bible
From that first mention of "walked with God" in Genesis 5:24, we see this phrase mentioned in at least 50 other places in the Bible.  Some of the more significant ones are mentioned below, with their key thoughts pertaining to the idea of "walking with God":

1-Gen 6:9 Walk with God in His righteousness
2-Genesis 17:1 Walking with God means relying upon His righteousness
3-Gen 24:40 Walking with God means trusting in His promises
4-Gen 48:15 God feeds me and sustains me in my walk
5-Exodus 16:4 God tests the metal of my commitment in my walk
6-Leviticus 26:12-God walks with me, and I walk with Him
7-Deuteronomy 5:33 Walking with God includes abundant life
8-Deuteronomy 13:4 walking with God is centered around the awe of God
9-Deuteronomy 28:9 when we walk with God, He establishes our steps

And thats the first five books of the Bible, or the section called "The Pentateuch".  As you continue to study this concept throughout the Bible, you'll see it illustrated by the following images:

1- two friends walking side by side Amos 3:3
2-A Priest in the temple walking Malachi 2:6
3-Husband and wife committed to one another 1 Cor 7:17

Think of progressive mention like the unfolding of a rose
When my mother raised roses at home, I always marveled at how they would bloom in the spring.  Each day would lead to the blooms being more robust and the scent being more potent.  I can recall our yard being suffused with the pleasant aroma of my mother's roses.  Biblical truth functions in much the same manner.  God in His infinite wisdom has chosen to reveal Himself in a progressive fashion.  By the light of His grace, the Christian can explore the rose garden of His word.  The blooms of such roses like "walking with God" yields both pleasure to the eyes of faith and the senses of the heart.  May today's study drive you and I to desire the Rose of Sharon - the Lord Jesus Christ.