Search out the Old Path

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.

Jeremiah 6:15 KJV 1900

Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

Jer 6:15

Jeremiah 6:16 KJV 1900

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 exhortation is given to redirect Gods people, To awaken them to their personal responsibility to stand, to see, to ask for and to walk in the old paths = the good way.

Many of Israel’s prophets and even the priests had lost their fear of God and their love for God, they had become greedy and materialistic. They were performing their services out of covetousness.

They were prophesying falsely and deceitfully, They were saying what the people wanted to hear and not what God had said, In doing this it had produced a spiritual cancer that was destroying Gods people, they were covering their sins with religious activities.

This word from God from a true prophet (Jeremiah) told the people that they were responsible to know the truth for themselves and not to be deceived by these false priests, and false prophets.

It is very easy to get caught up in a gospel that is a gospel of convenience and comfort, a gospel without a cross, and a gospel that permits you to think, say, or do anything you want. A gospel that denys the grace of God, and exalts self to a status of Godhood, so that anything self chooses is considered right and acceptable.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Any time the bible says something 2 times word for word this close together it is vitally important.

Paul said,

But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

Today as never before we must heed this admonition to stand in the ways and see = consider, compare, Do you see the cross? Do you see the blood? Do you see the son of God dying for your sins? Do you see him raising from the dead? Do you see him coming to live in his children through the person of the Holy Spirit?

Do you see the requirement to crucify the self life with its affections and lusts thereof?

Do you see Jesus Christ as the only door and way to God the father?

Do you see clearly the dividing line between sin and righteousness?

We must look for the familiar landmarks: Is there an altar? Is there repentance for sin? Is there baptism in the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, is there salvation, healing, and deliverance? Are there signs and wonders and miracles? Is there spirit led and spirit filled worship?. What about the gifts of the spirit?

These are all familiar landmarks (sign posts that mark the old paths).

Is there a concern and burden for the lost, is there weeping and travail? Have we gotten off the path and not known it?

We must never substitute Movement for progress, or Activity for power, or Gold for Glory.

I believe in progress, but all movement and all change is not progress, We must ask ourselves ( Do the changes bring us closer to the divine pattern of Gods word)?

David Had to get back to the Old Path

1 chron 13: 7-12 David was led astray by the philistine spirit, He followed their example of putting the ark of Gods presence on a new cart.

He took the ark off of the shoulders of the priests, God ordained that the ark of his presence would be carried upon the shoulders of the priests, moving one step at a time directed by God.

It has always been so, * God has entrusted his presence and his power to the shoulders of men and women of prayer,

* Gods work in the earth is dependant upon the prayers and intercession of his people,

*The success of his work in the earth is dependant upon men and women waiting upon him for his guidance and direction.

The fact is it still takes prayer and fasting, it still takes sacrifice and self denial, it still takes travail, and it still takes waiting upon God in total dependence.

Let’s Focus on an Old Path

John 3:1–16 KJV 1900

There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be? Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV 1900

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:1-

NICODEMUS (Nĭc ō dēʹ mŭs) Personal name meaning “innocent of blood.” John identifies Nicodemus as a Pharisee, “a ruler of the Jews” (), that is, a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council, and as “a teacher of Israel” (), that is, an authority on the interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures. Nicodemus’ coming at night suggests his timidity and his trek from the darkness of his own sin and ignorance to the light of Jesus (). Nicodemus greeted Jesus with a title of respect, “Rabbi” (teacher), recognizing Him as a God-sent teacher whose signs bore witness to the presence of God (). Jesus replied that Nicodemus could never see the kingdom of God without being “born again” (v. 3) or “born of water and the Spirit” (v. 5). Nicodemus could only marvel at the impossibility of such a thing (vv. 4, 9), but the text does not indicate whether Jesus was finally able to make it clear to him.

True to his name, Nicodemus defended Christ before his peers () who were unaware that one of their number might have believed in Him (v. 48). Their response is a twofold rebuke that may be paraphrased, “Are you a Galilean peasant?” and, “Are you ignorant of the Scriptures?” (v. 52).

The reference to Nicodemus’ initial coming at night highlights his later public participation in Jesus’ burial (). Nicodemus’ contribution was enough aloes and spices to prepare a king for burial, and so he did. On one level the burial was a simple act of Pharisaic piety (cp. ). On a deeper level it recognized that in His suffering and death Christ fulfilled His role as King of the Jews.

Let us consider our ways, Make sure we have Alters in our lives, Depend upon the Holy Spirit to guide us everyday. And lean not upon our own understanding.

Matthew 6:33 KJV 1900

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Brand, C., Draper, C., England, A., Bond, S., Clendenen, E. R., & Butler, T. C. (Eds.). (2003). Nicodemus. In Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (pp. 1189–1190). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

The Holy Bible: King James Version. (2009). (Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.