The Urgency of Restoration
There will always be the need to speak to wayward brethren, urging them to reunite with their God. There are numerous passages in the New Testament that stress this concept. For instance, the book of Galatians is an appeal for restoration. Though the recipients of the letter had entered a relationship with Christ through their obedience to the gospel (Gal. 3:26-27), false teachers had arisen who were leading them away from the truth to “another gospel,” i.e, a perverted one (with Judaistic overtones) (Gal. 1:6-9).
Accordingly, Paul addresses these brethren with great vigor. The tone of his letter is biting. He never refers to these folks as “saints.” He never thanks God for them, or praises them. His warnings are very severe (cf. Gal. 3:1ff; 4:8ff; 5:1ff). Other books, e.g., Colossians and Hebrews, contain similar rebukes. The need for restoration is perpetual, for there will ever be the inclination to drift (cf. Heb. 2:1ff).
In Jeremiah’s plea for a return to the “old paths,” he appeals (either explicitly or implicitly) to several lines of argument, which he hopes will prevail in convincing his erring kinsmen to stand for truth again.
An appeal to their past history
As indicated earlier, the expression “old paths,” or “ancient paths” is an appeal to history. During the course of their ministries, the prophets had repeatedly urged the Hebrews to “remember” the past (Deut. 16:3; 24:9; Psa. 105:5). Nor does the New Testament ignore this principle of motivation. Jesus urged his disciples to “remember” the disobedience of Lot’s wife (Lke. 17:32). Compare the admonition to Jewish Christians to remember the “former days” (Heb. 10:32ff).
Peter declares that some Christians never develop because they have not remembered their history, i.e. they have “forgotten” the cleansing from their sins (2 Pet. 1:9). Some of us who are older can remember our own history in the church. In days of yore, controversies in the church were mostly matters of disagreement as to what the Scriptures teach, all parties equally reverencing the Bible as a divine production.
Now, numerous professing disciples could not care less about scriptural authority. There was a by-gone era when one could travel the country and have little concern about when he would stop for worship. Today, he is likely to encounter anything from women worship leaders, to a jazzed-up service with instrumental music.
Many of our young preachers know little, if anything, about restoration history. Those who ignore history are destined to repeat its mistakes.
The consequences of not following the old paths
A second motivation for returning to the “old paths” is the consequence of not doing so.
The weeping prophet warned: “Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it” (Jer. 6:19). Note that the term “evil” has to do with a judgment from the Lord, not moral evil.
Jeremiah thus turns from the past to the future: “If you don’t reflect upon the lessons of the past, you can, in the future, reap the reward of trusting your own thoughts.” This reference obviously is to the impending captivity. This horror was to come because the people said: “We will not walk therein” (Jer. 6:16c).
Similarly, the New Testament rings with the admonition that a horrible future awaits those who ignore the instructions to walk in the ways prescribed by the Creator. A stark example is found in 2 Peter, chapter 3. There, the inspired apostle reminds his readers of the great Flood of the distant past, and of the coming destruction of this globe. In view of such, the Christian must be diligent so as to “be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (2 Pet. 3:14).
Remember God’s law
Further, there is an entreaty to consider the law of God. Punishment will come to Judah because she has not “hearkened unto [Jehovah’s] words; and as for [his] law, they have rejected it” (Jer. 6:19).
Society cannot survive without law, and legal codes existed in abundance in the antique world. The Sumerians (in southern Mesopotamia) had a law system in the 20th century B.C. Hammurabi, 150 years later, initiated a very advanced law code. It is widely conceded, however, that the Mosaic system was much more elevated in character than the laws of Israel’s heathen neighbors.
There will always be those of the “outlaw” disposition, who choose to do what is right in their “own eyes” (Judges 21:25). There will ever be a need to remind men that they are subject to the law of the Creator.
It is an amazing thing that in our day there are those rebels who suggest that as Christians, we are not under law. Rather, in their view, the New Testament is but a mere “love letter” — a volume of suggestions and/or recommendations. Wrong! We are under law to our Sovereign (cf. Isa. 2:2- 4; Jer. 31:31-34; 1 Cor. 9:21; Gal. 6:2), who has the right to command (Rom. 9:21). The call back to the “old paths” is not obsolete.
The old paths are the only paths
Finally, a concluding motivation of returning to the ancient way is that this is the only avenue to the rest that is so sought by the weary.
There is considerable parallel, at least in sentiment, between Jeremiah 6:16b and the Savior’s invitation: “Come unto me … and I will give you rest” (Mt. 11:28ff).
There is no genuine rest when one wallows in the muck of rebellion.
A Sad Epitaph
In reading the literature of the pioneers of the American “restoration” heritage, one thrills to the ringing call to return to the “old paths.” Journals incorporated that title, and sermons heralded the familiar petition. Thousands responded to this message, which was so uniquely in contrast to stale Romanism and Protestantism. It was a glorious time.
Now, the climate of the brotherhood of Christ is chillingly different. A wide variety of protestors ridicule the concept of restoring the old paths — from the halls of our universities and through the pages of religious journals. For ample documentation of this disgraceful phenomenon, see my article published elsewhere (The Spiritual Sword, March, 1991).
It is now urgent that courageous men and women repeat the ancient refrain, “ask for the old paths … and walk therein ….”
-Wayne Jackson
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