There’s goes the old road!

Precious memories include those little things that often were done over and over enough that you could predict them.  My Dad had one of those little things that he did that always brings a smile to my face – you see, I do it, too.

We would be traveling out in the country, on some highway somewhere, and he would point off somewhere and say, “There goes the old road.”  Sure enough, if you looked hard enough, you could see a layer of asphalt underneath the dirt, or you might see an old rutted road itself.  The new road always makes for faster and smoother travel, but there is a wistful yearning and sense of wonder at the old, the people who used it, and the scenery as we imagine it unspoiled and always sunny.

There is a need for us to often look for the old road in our spiritual journey.  Jeremiah wrote, “Thus saith Jehovah, 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“(Jer. 6:16).

Jeremiah’s call was to come back to the law that God had given Israel for their guidance.  It was a way that was good, it had blessing, and most important, it led them to fellowship with God.  The history of Israel was one of rebellion.  They had come to this:  “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2:13).  “A wonderful and horrible thing is come to pass in the land:  the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof?” (Jer. 5:30-31).

God’s people had become dependent upon the false prophet.  Of course there was no benefit in following him, because he didn’t know anything.  There was even pleasure taken in hearing his “smooth things.”  “For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah;  that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits,  get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us” (Isa. 30:9-11).

The way of truth is often hard.  Jesus describes it as “straitened” and “narrow.”  So many have spent their lives looking for a way to heaven that does not distract them so from earthly endeavors, that doesn’t require the commitment of self-sacrifice.  The bringing in of men to tell us what we want to hear rather than what we need has been all too prevalent in these late days “For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;  and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables” (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  The old road is just to bumpy.

There is also the constant urge to try something new.  We are warned against presumptuous sin throughout the Bible.  John wrote, “Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John 9).  And yet we are told that such would be common.  Paul said, “But the Spirit saith expressly, that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons,  through the hypocrisy of men that speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron” (1 Tim. 4:1-2).  There are too many “idea men” in the church, that is, men that think they have a better idea than God about how things should be done.  Men without experience or knowledge get wrapped up in every new trend that threatens our salvation.  They are, “children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error” (Eph. 4:14).

There is so much to draw us onto some new way leading nowhere.  Sometimes we are even drawn away by those who should know better.  “I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock;  and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30).

The new road is the one that seems to be preferred by the majority.  Jesus said, “Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby.  For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14).  Though it is easy and popular, it is not the road to take to the desired destination.

As in the day of Jeremiah, God issues a call to come back to the old paths, the way he has given through his Son.  First, he calls upon preacher and teachers of God’s word to be faithful stewards of it.  “I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:  preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Tim. 4:1-2).  Men who will courageously point the right way to heaven will be labeled as old fashioned, harsh and angry, old southern style preachers.  They are called troublers of the brethren, and every division that occurs as the faithful hold the line will be blamed on them (see 1 Cor. 4:6).  But the truth must be preached.  “Wherefore I testify unto you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.  For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27).  Where are the men who aren’t afraid to be faithful to the truth even if it costs them their careers precious friendships?

Paul told Titus, “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no man despise thee” (Titus 2:15).  Paul was reminding Titus that he had God’s authority behind him – act like it!  If you have the Scripture for what you are saying, you are speaking for God.  There is power there.  The idea of letting no man despise him was to let no man lightly regard the message and manifest it by being contemptuous of the messenger.

But this is not merely a call to old southern style preaching.  The call of the New Testament is back to the pattern given by Jesus throught the apostles.  “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.  That good thing which was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us” (2 Tim. 1:13-14).  The old road, the map to eternal life is that which is found in the Scriptures.  We are to HOLD to it.  We are to DEFEND it (Jude 3).  We are to PREACH it.

The desired destination of all is heaven.  The only way to get there is to follow the old road.  My father was good at finding the old highway out on our trips.  Wisely, he also has encouraged me to seek out the old highway spiritually.

It is the only road to life.