THE ANCIENT PATHS

Jeremiah 6:16-17

“This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ I appointed watchmen over you and said, ‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’ But you said, ‘We will not listen.”

INSIGHT

-The Lord spoke to the nation of Judah through prophet Jeremiah, instructing them to stop, for the paths they were walking in lead to destruction. They walked in covetousness and corrupt systems through idol worship, sexual immorality and other profanities, that destroyed their economic systems, moral values and relationship with God. The Lord told them to stop but they said, “we will not listen”. As the rebelled; the Babylonian armies matched towards them to take them captive. There is the kind of busyness that forms inside our souls as we go on with our routine way of life. The scripture says, “ stand at the crossroads and look”. It is necessary sometimes to stand/stop and look. We are called to stop and seek the Lord even when we get too busy with a certain way of life. When we get to the crossroads, it is important to stop and examine our ways. To have some kind of quietness of our souls. Some of us have a to-do list that guide our schedules each day or week. We also need to create a stop doing list that will guide us in replacing every bad habit that corrupts our souls with good, that we gain from the Lord. Once we have stopped to find the quietness of our souls. We need to “ask for the ancient paths”. Sometimes we assume that we know it all and fail to stop and ask of the Lord. If we fail to stop and ask, we fail completely and our progress becomes retrogressive. We fail to bear any good fruit. In Matthew 11:29-30, Jesus says that, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we are at the crossroads and anxiety crops in, we are called to stop and call on the name of Jesus, and He will give us rest for our souls.

PRAYER

Almighty and Everlasting Father we come before You today with humility in our hearts. We thank You for the gift of life and for giving us the grace to see this day. Thank You for Your loving kindness and merciful love upon our lives, families and nation. We are sorry Jesus for the many times we have not listened to Your voice but hardened our hearts. We are sorry for the many times we have wondered far from Your purpose and will. We have willingly walked in the wrong direction and far from Your commandments. Forgive us dear Jesus and lead us in Your path of light. Forgive us and wash us with Your precious blood. Show us Your paths of truth; Holy Spirit and guide us in the way we should go. Show us the ancient paths and lead us to the narrow paths and highways that lead to eternal life. Teach us to walk like You did Jesus and shepherd us in Your love. We submit all our cares and burdens unto You Jesus for You care for us. Help us to enter into rest. All our hope and trust is in You Jesus, we praise You and bless Your holy name; now and forever. Amen

Micah 4:1-2

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

INSIGHT

-God speaks of the last days through His prophets, and we note that He teaches us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths, His ancient paths. We learn that Micah and Isaiah 2:2-3 are exactly similar and speak of the events yet to occur during the second coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Jerusalem temple having been destroyed, Jesus remains the source of all truth to all the tribes, tongues, peoples and nations. Hebrews 1:1-3 reveals that, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.” It is through Jesus that we learn the law of love. It is through Jesus that we have the living word in our hearts that transforms us and enlightens us to walk in the light.  It is through Jesus that we have redemption from our sins and sure hope of eternal life. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. It is then pertinent for each one of us, to return to the ancient paths, which is in Jesus Christ, so that we may find salvation for our souls. 

PRAYER

Holy, Holy, Holy are You Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is and Who is to come. All the peoples praise You Jesus, all the peoples glorify Your holy name is heaven and on earth. At Your name Jesus, every knee should bow; of those in heaven, on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ You are Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Every tribe, tongue, people and nation will declare that salvation belongs to You our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. Only You deserve all our adoration and praise. Forgive us Jesus all our sins and grant us the grace to forgive those who trespass against us. Forgive us all the sins we have committed knowingly and unknowingly, sins of our family members, sins of our forefathers, sins of our leaders, sins of our nation and sins of the whole world. Forgive us merciful Savior and wash us with Your precious blood. Help us to submit to Your authority, to renounce every sin, to bow down our knees and worship You alone. You are the way, the truth and the life Jesus, teach us to walk in Your ancient paths that we may live with You forever. Train our hearts to renounce all evil and follow You. Train our hearts to love You and our neighbors, dear Jesus. Show us the path of life that leads to Your divine throne. Give us all the gift of salvation that we may rejoice always. Holy, Holy, Holy are You Lord God Almighty, Who was, Who is and Who is to come. Amen

Isaiah 37:26

“Did you not hear long ago How I made it, From ancient times that I formed it? Now I have brought it to pass, That you should be For crushing fortified cities into heaps of ruins.”

INSIGHT

-It was until the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah’s reign when Sennacherib the king of Assyria sent his field commander and a large army to Jerusalem. Sennacherib had attached all the fortified cities of Judah and captured them. He blasphemed and mocked the Lord God of Israel. It was then that Hezekiah heard the mockery when he tore his clothes, put on sack clothes and went into the temple to pray. He also sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth to prophet Isaiah saying, “This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them” (Isaiah 37:2-3). Hezekiah presented Sennacherib’ mockery letter to the Lord in the temple and prayed. The Lord heard his prayer and fought for them. At night, the angel of the Lord went out and killed a hundred and eighty five thousand people in the Assyrian camp. Later; as king Sennacherib worshiped before his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer killed him with sword, and his other son Esarhaddon succeeded him as king. God is calling us to return to the ancient paths like king Nehemiah who completely trusted in Him. To also humble ourselves before Him through fasting, prayer and total submission to Him, and He will lift us up.

PRAYER

God Almighty Father, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim, You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made the heavens and the earth. Only You are the living God. All other gods are made with stone and wood calved by human hands and cannot hear nor see. Look to us dear Lord with mercy and forgive us all our sins. You have said in Your word that, humility comes before honor, we come with humility at Your feet Jesus asking for Your mercy and grace. Heal all our wounds dear Jesus and save us. Save us from all forms of oppression and sickness. Save us from poor governance and corruption. Save us from poverty and shame. Save us from habitual sins and all the snares of the devil. Save us from fear and delay. Hear our prayers dear Jesus and answer all our hearts desires. Bless us indeed with the dew of heaven Jesus and expand our territories. Increase our faith in You so that we may only look to Your ancient paths. We look to You only Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. Only You are able to save us. Only You are seated at the right hand of the throne of God, we worship You and exult Your holy name, now and forever. Amen

1 John 3:11

“For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another,”

INSIGHT

-We have heard the message of love from the beginning, that lead us to the ancient paths. When the Sadducees and Pharisees gathered and one of them questioned Jesus asking, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus said to him, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40). It is through love that we accomplish the law, for anyone who loves God keeps His commandments. According to 1 John 2:15-17, one cannot love God and the world at the same time, for the love of the world includes the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, which are not of the Father but of the world. It is through love that we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. It is also through love that we demonstrate faith and works, by uplifting one another in times of need. It is through love that we live like Jesus did and follow His will. It is through love that we know the heart of God and follow after it; like king David did. It is through love that each one walks in their God given destinies, all to the glory of God.

PRAYER

Daniel 7:13-14

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”

INSIGHT

-Daniel saw a vision of the Ancient of Days seated on His throne and gave the Son of Man all authority and power. The four beasts that appeared in his vision represent four kingdoms under great kings that oppress God’s holy people, but will be stripped of their power at the appointed time. The Ancient of Days who is God the Father has revealed His Son Jesus Christ to us, clothed in glory and majesty, that all the peoples and nations should walk in the ancient paths and worship Him alone. Exodus 23:25 reveals that if we worship God alone, His blessings will be upon our food and water, and He will take away sickness from among us.

SUMMARY

In the beginning, Adam and Eve dwelt in an ancient place called the garden of Eden. Eden in Hebrew is pronounced ay’-den and it means pleasure. There were all kinds of trees good for food and rivers flowed from it. Man could also eat from the tree of life and this gives us the impression of paradise. It was a place of rest, peace, authority and divine blessings. The divine presence of God was also near. Similarly, ancient in Hebrew is written as an’-shent which renders the following words: – qedhem, which means beforetime, zaqen means old,`olam means long duration in the past or future and ‘attiq which means to advance. Like the garden of garden of Eden, ancient paths bring forth the sense of breaking the barrier between distance and time. By distance we mean a space beyond the horizon and by time, a great amount of time. This brings out the impression of eternity or timelessness. When then we are looking at the ancient paths, we are asking for or looking at the timelessness of eternity in the things of God. The timeless paths discovered by the Ancient of Days. Through prayer and fasting, reading and meditating on the word of God, praising and worshipping God alone, doing good works of faith through the grace of God and holding fast love for God and our neighbor, we learn to walk through the timeless or ancient paths. Knowing the ancient paths does not cause change, but knowing the Truth and walking in it brings forth God’s blessings, rest, peace, healing and grace upon our lives, families and nation. To return to the ancient paths, it is then paramount to put God first in everything that we do. God was before and transcends time and space. We are called to put God first in our lives, families, marriages, relationships, homes, schools, work, businesses, politics, investments, projects, decisions, everything that we do and all other things. God was there in the beginning and should be there before we begin anything. God is the Ancient of Days and leads us to through the ancient paths for the glory of His name.

PRAYER