'Let those who mix with the world live as if they were not engrossed in

which echoes the words of Deuteronomy 'meddle not' (Deut. 2:5,9,19).

wrestle not against flesh and blood' (Eph. 6:12).

We do not become pilgrims because we are odd or queer, nor because we

have no appreciation of beauty, nor because we are misanthropic by choice.

We are pilgrims because we have been redeemed, because of sin and its doom,

because of the purpose of grace and the hope of glory.  Something of this can

be sensed as we read the instructions given for eating the Passover:

'And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your

feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste' (Exod.

The word 'haste' means to be in trepidation, hurry or alarm (2 Sam. 4:4; Psa.

48:5).  The pilgrim way leads through the wilderness of this world, and while

bread, water, leading and protection are guaranteed, enemies and temptations

must be expected, especially temptations associated with trust, enduring as

'seeing Him that is invisible'.  All these features are set forth in the

forty years wanderings of the children of Israel, and recorded as examples

for the believer.  The epistle to the Hebrews makes use of this experience,

especially in Hebrews 3 and 4, with its counterbalancing chapter on faith

(Heb. 11).  The reader may profit by turning to the earlier parts of this

analysis and consider the article entitled The Epistle to the Hebrews2.

We must now pass from the consideration of 'The Way' to the adjunct,

'The Walk' without which any way would be such in name only.

'This is the way, walk ye in it'.

(See also the article in the Doctrinal Analysis Strangers and Sojourners with

Quite apart from Biblical usage, the word 'walk' means not only 'to go

afoot' but a manner of life.  We speak of a student 'walking the hospital',

of a certain 'walk of life', or of the 'higher walks of art and science'.

Five words are translated 'walk' in the New Testament, peripateo,

poreuo, stoicheo, dierchomai and orthopodeo.  The second word means

'transport' and the third, 'to proceed in order'.  It is with peripateo that

we are chiefly concerned.  In one reference the compound emperipateo is used

of God, 'I will dwell in them, and walk in them' (2 Cor. 6:16), where it is

evident that fellowship is intended, even as it is in such a passage as that

of Amos 3:3, 'Can two walk together, except they be agreed?'  The fourth word

means, 'to come, pass or go through', and the fifth, which occurs but once

only, namely, in Galatians 2:14, orthopodeo, 'to foot it straight', 'to walk

uprightly'.  While each one of these words makes its contribution, the burden

of teaching falls on the word peripateo.  The Old Testament usage of the word

'walk' in such phrases as 'walk in My statutes', 'walk in the law of the

Lord', 'walk after other gods', is found in Mark 7:5: