Lighting the Ancient Path

As a local church pastor from about 20 years ago, the Lord began to nudge me about going deeper into the foundations of our faith. I distinctly remember one day, sitting down with our “Discipleship Training” group and these words spilled out of my mouth:

“What if when Jesus came, all He did was come to satisfy the sacrificial system of the Old Covenant with His own blood, but that everything else is relatively still in place?”

I was stunned and the group was stunned. You might be stunned right now in reading this. At the time, I didn’t know what else to say so we sat there for a few awkward moments and then we moved on to our assignments. But, let me say, that statement has never left me from that day. At first, I did not even know how to pursue it. It went way back on the back burner. But, slowly, over time with the Lords subtle patient prodding, I began to explore more and more things. And, it continues to this very day.

Now I will add another element to that defining statement. Yeshua also came to replace the old Levitical priesthood with the Melchizedek priesthood (Hebrews 7). Wow, what does that mean? Well, we reach back and connect straight to Abraham, by the father of faith. We are the wild, prodigal branch grafted into the Olive Tree by faith (Romans 11).

Galatians 3 (ESV) ¹⁰ For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” ¹¹ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” ¹² But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

So what does that mean for us today? Torah is still our guidebook. It tells us how to live in obedience to God. It is our teacher. Adherence to it does not save us because if we trust in Yeshua for our salvation, we are already saved. So then, Torah helps understand and define the objectives of YHVH. When we miss the mark of His standards it is defined as sin and trespass. Torah defines how to step out of the world system with its peoples to become the unique, called out people of YHVH.

In recent years while I was out hiking, blazing a trail up the side of a mountain, the Lord spoke to me. He said, “I want you to re-discover the Ancient Path.” I was a bit puzzled because I thought I had. After prayer and contemplation I then realized I had stalled out and really wasn’t pursuing it anymore. This stirred it fresh in me once again, especially after reading this in Jeremiah;

Jeremiah 6 (ESV) ¹⁶ Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
¹⁷ I set watchmen over you, saying, ‘Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not pay attention.’

It also became obvious that this journey would be lonely and not many will follow. The path is indeed narrow and few will find it.

Wow!