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Thus says the Lord: Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls (Jeremiah 6:16, ESV).
What are the ancient paths? Jeremiah says that if we find them and walk in them, we will have peace.
God sent Jeremiah as a prophet to warn the Jews in Jerusalem about approaching catastrophe. Twenty years after Jeremiah gave his prophetic warning to return to the ancient way, the Babylonians attacked Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and took most of the inhabitants captive.
Let me emphasize again that 20 years before this happened, Jeremiah proclaimed, “Look and ask for the ancient paths, and walk in it and find rest for your souls.”
The ancient paths for the Israelites were faithfulness to God’s commandments and keeping the covenant with their Father in heaven. As the book of Exodus describes …
If you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:5-6).
The Israelites didn’t keep God’s commandments and broke covenant with Him again and again and again.
One final time, Jeremiah is proclaiming, “Walk in the ancient paths, and find rest for your souls.”
Fast forward several thousand years, and Jeremiah is now speaking to us.
The U.S.A. is a land of Biblical underpinnings, with the phrase “In God We Trust” on our money and a church on most corners. Yet, we ignore God’s commandments, allow evil beyond comprehension, and blame God for the resultant judgments.
Are the ancient ways being sought by our country and (getting personal) by us?
We don’t have 20 years left.
With every rumor of war, every new plague, with increasing violence, and stunning perversion – through our rebellion against God, the vicious cycle feeds on itself, getting worse and worse.
The solution?
Repentance, prayer, preaching God’s Word, encouraging one another, loving God completely, and discipling the nations.
The ancient paths – where we will find peace!