The past is important
Key Verse: Jeremiah 1: 16 “Thus says the LORD: Stand at the crossroads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way lies; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.”
When we look at Jeremiah he is often portrayed as the ‘Prophet of Doom’, however there is also within many of his prophesies a great deal of light and hope. The key verse in the reading is a prime example, Jeremiah is telling a rebellious people to look and see. There are ancient paths in which people have walked through the centuries and these paths are well marked, the signs are there all we have to do is look and walk as the faithful have walked. They lead to a life that is good and pleasing to God. Jeremiah is talking about the doctrines that are laid down in the written Word of God, repent, believe in God and as our Lord Jesus said of the commandments “The most important is, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:29-31.
It is very possible that Jeremiah in this passage is referring to the Deuteronomy scroll that had been discovered in the Temple that was given great prominence by King Josiah (2 Chronicles: 34), this word that was given by Jeremiah to the people of his time is a word that needs to be repeated boldly in our churches today. I believe that there is a crisis of confidence amongst many in our relationship with the Holy Word, some are even asking whether the Bible is as relevant today as it was in the past. The Word is being watered down and if we keep doing this, the Word becomes worthless, just like the salt Jesus spoke about “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.” Matthew 5:13.
We have been given a fantastic treasure map, one that leads to forgiveness and eternal life with our
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. It is not up to us to pick and choose what we want from scripture, it is God’s Holy Word “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17, it is God given “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” John 1:1-5.
We know a living and timeless God, He is our heavenly Father and in order to live successfully in the present and in the future we must listen to the past and “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;” 1 Peter 1:23. We are to seek the ancient paths marked out for us by God and with David say “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalms 119:11. We are called by the great “I AM” and He is the same today, yesterday and tomorrow “For I the LORD do not change;” Malachi 3:6.