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Journey in the Bible

Lynne Baab • Tuesday August 5 2025

Journey in the Bible

Human beings move around. A LOT. Archaeologists have recently begun to use DNA analysis to discover the vast extent of human migration long before historical records. The tower of Babel story, set in what is now southern Iraq, gives one early picture: “So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth” (Genesis 11:8; read the whole incident here).

An amazing number of stories in the Bible involve journeys. A small sampling includes:

  • God saying to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
  • Joseph being forced to go to Egypt after being sold by his brothers (Genesis 37:18-36)
  • the people of Israel leaving Egypt in what we call the Exodus (the whole book of Exodus)
  • Ruth and Naomi leaving Moab, east of the Dead Sea, to go to Israel (Ruth 1)
  • Jesus and his parents fleeing to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
  • the Apostle Paul traveling all over the Roman Empire to spread the Gospel (much of the book of Acts).

All of these journeys, and so many others in the Bible, have theological resonance and deep meaning. They shaped biblical history.

Another kind of journey is a pilgrimage to a festival. In Jesus’s time, Jews often made three trips each year to Jerusalem: for Passover in the spring, seven weeks later for the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, and the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall. Jesus travels with his family to Jerusalem when he is an adolescent, and he gets so involved in talking with the Temple priests that his family leaves Jerusalem without him (Luke 2:41-52). Later, Jesus often teaches the crowds during festivals in Jerusalem. The Holy Spirit is poured out at Pentecost, another name for the Feast of Weeks, when thousands of pilgrims are in Jerusalem for the festival (Acts 2:1-13).

The tradition of travelling to Jerusalem for festivals dates back many centuries and is reflected in Psalm 84:5: “Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.” The Songs of Ascent, Psalms 120-134, were traditionally sung by pilgrims travelling to Jerusalem for the festivals. Jerusalem sits at 2,474 feet, so pilgrims had to climb. The Psalms of Ascent capture a literal ascent as well as a desire to ascend into God’s presence.

In addition to pilgrimages to Jerusalem and journeys that changed history, the idea of walking is used metaphorically in the Bible to refer to daily actions. In Leviticus 26:23, disobedience is described as walking contrary to God. In Deuteronomy 8:19, the person who loves and obeys God does not “walk after other gods.” In Psalm 1:1, the person who loves the law of God does not “walk in the counsel of the wicked.” Psalm 119:105 refers to the way God’s word guides our walking: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”  1 John 1:7 encourages us to “walk in the light as he [Jesus] is in the light.” 

Before the term “Christian” began to be commonly used, early disciples of Jesus followed “the Way” (Acts 9:32, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, and 24:14). This implies a path to walk or travel. Remember that Jesus called himself “the way” when Thomas asks him how to know where Jesus is going (John 14:5-7). Following Jesus on the Way evokes the three patterns I’ve mentioned:

  • major journeys like the ones in the Bible that shaped history—sometimes God sends us somewhere for a purpose
  • pilgrimages to Jerusalem for a festival—we might make a pilgrimage to places like Omaha Beach, the Camino de Santiago, or a place with deep resonance in memory
  • walking in the light each day as Jesus is in the light—as true now as in the days of the early church

Whether we have been sent by God somewhere far away or we’re making a pilgrimage to someplace special, we walk with Jesus and with other Christians. On those special trips and in our everyday lives, we allow the Holy Spirit to guide us like the pillar of fire in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21).

I want to give you a series of brief prayers for you to ponder. See if one of these resonates with you:

Today, I want to follow your Way, Jesus. Guide and empower me.

Holy Spirit, help me walk in the light as Jesus is in the light.

Light of the world, shine your light on my path. Guide my steps. Give me companions on the journey of faith.

Jesus, help me be aware of your presence beside me as I walk into my day. Show me the best path, so I can love you and serve the people around me.

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Next week: Journey and pilgrimage. Illustration by Dave Baab: the Benedictine Subiaco Retreat Centre near Nairobi, Kenya. Dave visited Kenya on a church mission trip 20 years ago, a significant journey for him.

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