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The Old Paths
Evangelist Dr. Bob Sanders Jeremiah 6:16 “Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” This is most likely the best known verse in the book of Jeremiah. It is a favorite verse for revivals, Bible Conferences, and meeting that stress dedication unto the Lord. The last two conferences that I have attended have used this passage as their theme for the conference. Could it be that God is trying to get our attention? The very first thing to catch my attention is the phrase, “Thus saith the Lord.” While we know and believe that the entire Bible is the Word of God, here we have the record of God directly speaking to His people. God is demanding our attention! I want us to notice five things that call for our immediate attention. (I) There is an activity that must cease. “Stand ye in the ways” While it may be hard for some of us to admit, sometimes our activity can be a deterrent to our relationship to the Lord. We can become so busy with the ministry that we lose sight of the Master! The word “stand” means to stand, to abide, to continue. I don’t know what was going on in the lives God’s people, but it almost appears as if God is saying “Stop, stand still for a minute and let me have your attention!” In Psalm 46:10, God said, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Has God got you undivided attention? In Psalm 46, it appears that He wants us to know His person. In Isaiah 40:31, God said through the lips of the prophet, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Here God wants us to experience His power. Could it be that we need to just stop what we are doing and look unto the Lord? (II) There is an observation that must be made. “And see” It is not physical sight that God is concerned about, it is spiritual sight. The word “see” means to see, to advise self, to behold, consider or discern. God wants to give spiritual enlightenment unto His people. When writing to the seven churches in the book of the Revelation, God said to the church of the Laodiceans, “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). The conformation of our blindness is not what we think, but what does God think! (III) There is a request to be made. “ask for the old paths” At this point there is a great truth that presents itself, “There will never be a request until the activity has ceased and a spiritual observation has been made!” The reason we continue in the same futile paths of the world and with such religious fervor, is that we have never seen the need for change which only occurs when we stop long enough to see what God sees! Have you asked for the old paths? (IV) There is a course to be followed. “walk there in” It’s one thing to know what’s right; it is totally another thing to do what’s right! I personally believe that our greatest problem is not in knowing what is right and what it is that God wants and expects from us. Our problem is that we do not want to do what’s right; we want to do what we want to do! The response of God’s people was, “We will not walk therein.” When we are blessed by a visitation from the Lord, will that also be the response of our hearts? (V) There is a rest to be experienced. “ye shall find rest for your soul” If you want to understand the type of rest God is speaking of, take a moment to listen to the words of David, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over” (Psalm 23:5). Rest is not the absence of the conflict; it is the presence of “The Shepherd!” All of the above has been said to bring me to this thought! Basically, Jeremiah 6 is thirty verses of declared destruction with one verse right in the middle calling for repentance or a turning about; “ask for the old paths . . . and walk therein.” While there is a declaration for the old paths, there is no definition of the old paths! Nowhere in the entire chapter does God give the people a definition of what the old paths are. As I have stated earlier, I think the reason that God does not define the old paths is that He knows that the people already know what the old paths are! When we preach, teach, or study this passage, the first thing that must be done is determine what the “old paths” are. While we can try to make the old paths anything we want to, the truth that must be answered is, “What are they in accordance to the Word of God?” While each of us must answer that question for ourselves, may I suggest that you look at Joshua 24:14, & 19-20. God’s objective is not so much to bring the people back to a list of practices, as it is back to the love of a person! When ask what is the greatest of all the commandments, Jesus spoke of not law, but love; “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matthew 22:37-38). You may control a man’s habits and never possess his heart, but if you possess his heart, it will control his habits! You may still be wondering what the old paths are. For me the old paths are whatever leads me back into a love relationship with my Lord! |