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 Beloved,
one of the most important reasons for the preaching and teaching of
doctrine in today’s church is that we may know where the church
stood theologically in the past. When we know this, and stand in the
same place as they stood, then we are expressing the unity of
ourselves with the church of the past, and it clearly defines our
faithfulness. Without doctrine, the church inbreeds theological
chaos in its midst. Any congregation that ignores or has forsaken
the doctrine of the apostles will surely experience trouble and
apostasy! (Acts 2:42; John 14:26; 15:26; Luke 10:16; 24:45-49; II
Timothy 2:1-2).
In Jeremiah 6:16, the prophet exhorts Judah with reference to the
old paths. He proceeds to pack the verse with exhortations. “Stand!”
–that refers to taking time to think when you come to a crossroad.
“See” –spend time observing and assessing where you will go before
you blindly plow on, following the multitudes. “Ask” –for the old
paths, the “Good Way”. And then “Walk” in that old tried and true
way. And yea, even “Find Rest!” for your souls!
Jeremiah brings this prophecy to Judah soon before their captivity
in Babylon. Spiritually, things were a disaster in Judah. You will
observe that in the preceding chapter, in the last two verses of
chapter 5, we have divine assessment of spiritual things: “A
wonderful and horrible thing” has happened in Judah!” Astounding!!
What? The prophets teach false doctrine, the priests rule with
strong and merciless hand, and (here’s the disaster) my people love
to have it so!! The prophets cry, Peace, Peace, and there is no
peace. The priests commit abomination (that is, they fornicate with
young female worshipers) and are not one whit ashamed of this sin.
And the people love it this way!!
How easy it is now to be a Jew. How easy. No demands. No care for
the poor. No requirements of holiness. The state of things were the
prophets and priests lived as they pleased. It was a sad day in
Judah!
To this state of affairs, Jeremiah speaks in verse 16.
“Thus said 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.”
(The people loved it that way!) |
