Author: Ryan Hoffer

In 2 Kings 22, we are told the story of Hilkiah the priest, who stumbles upon the long-forgotten Book of the Law during remodeling projects in the temple. King Josiah is presented with this information by his secretary, Shaphan, who deserves the understatement-of-the-year award when he tells the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” In the scene that follows, Shaphan reads the Scriptures aloud to the king, who tears his clothes and declares, “Great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us” (2 Kings 22:13).

This declaration precipitates Josiah’s sweeping program of reform, which included the tearing down of pagan altars, the removal of idols from the house of God, the deposition of priests who sacrificed to Baal, the reinstitution of the Passover, the renewal of the covenant, and much more. It is a quintessential “ancient paths” moment, as Josiah calls for the nation to repent and to “do according to all that is written” (v. 13).

There are other “ancient paths” moments in the New Testament as well. One that comes to mind immediately is the letter to the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2. Jesus tells the Ephesians starkly, “I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the works you did at first” (Rev. 2:4–5). These words echo the call to repentance found in the examples of Josiah and Jeremiah, which we would do well to bear in mind if we are to be truly repentant.

I remember a time when I was praying persistently for an outcome, asking God to show me what to do in a certain situation. At the time, however, there was sin in my life that I was not taking into consideration. I remember saying things like, “Just show me what to do, God, and I will do whatever you want.” Shortly thereafter, I heard a preacher say, “No, you will not, because he has already told you to do something and you are not doing it.” And it was true. I needed to go back and do the things he had already told me to do, to return to the ancient paths, to do the works I had at first.

Take a moment to reread 2 Kings 22 and to “inquire of the LORD” (v. 13). In what areas do you need to repent of action or inaction? Ask him to make reforms in your heart and to bring about an “ancient paths” moment.

On January 28, 2014, a mere two inches of snow caused a full-on logistical breakdown in metro Atlanta. Over the course of 48 hours, more than 1,200 accidents were reported. Stranded students slept on school floors. Shoppers holed up in grocery stores and prepared to stay the night. I left my car immobile on the side of I-75 and walked the rest of the way home, awestruck by the desperate turn of events and the speed at which they unfolded. The incident, dubbed “Snowpocalypse” or “Snowmageddon,” garnered national attention, as Georgia’s lack of preparation became an object of ridicule for news outlets across the country. How could such a thing happen? Did we fail to heed the warnings, or was there a casual dismissal until the threat became imminent? I know for my part the latter is true.

This story came to mind when thinking of the warnings gone unheeded that led to the destruction of Judah by Babylon.¹ Prior to their destruction, God had set “watchmen” (v. 17) over them, saying, “Pay attention to the sound of the trumpet.” The prophet Jeremiah was one of these watchmen, with his ministry ranging from roughly 627 B.C. to 586 B.C. The people of Judah, however, would not listen, not due to ignorance, but rather disbelief and scorn for the word of God (v. 10). Their disbelief was further reinforced by false teachers who proclaimed, “Peace, peace,” when there was no peace (v. 14). To put it simply, the people were gaslit into ignoring the warnings God had sent through the prophets.

Because of their idolatry and tolerance for ungodly practices, they had allowed themselves to become deaf to the word of God, preferring the inoffensive message of false prophets to the offensive message of true prophets. However, God’s repeated warnings were an act of grace.

We ought not be offended by the Word of God or scoff when challenged by teaching that is hard to receive. Christ himself said, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Matt. 11:6). Ask God today to help you embrace difficult sayings instead of editing them, or worse, ignoring them.

¹ Note: this is simply an analogy and is not in any way prescriptive regarding the counsel or accuracy of meteorologists. ; )

This week’s reading in Jeremiah 6 demonstrates a literary device that is among the most ubiquitous in the Old Testament, the phrase “thus says the Lord.” It occurs five times in this chapter alone (vv. 6, 9, 16, 21, 22), seven times if you include variations such as “declares the Lord” or “says the Lord” (omitting “thus”). In the entirety of the Old Testament, it occurs over 400 times, not including variations such as “declares the Lord,” “by the word of the Lord,” or “God said,” which would put the number somewhere in the thousands. The point being made is that the Old Testament constantly affirms the divine authority of its message, God’s direct communication to mankind.

This observation is not lost on me. A few years ago, some friends challenged me to read the Bible all the way through in 30 days. There is actually a Bible reading plan for this on the YouVersion Bible app called the 30-Day Shred Plan, if you are interested. Consuming such a concentrated amount of Scripture in such a short time helped me connect things that I had never connected when doing my normal daily devotions on a verse or chapter basis. One of the things I noticed was the abundance of the phrase “thus says the Lord” in the Old Testament and its abrupt discontinuation when you enter the New Testament. Not once does that expression appear in the New Testament, and rightfully so, for the Son of God has come and now he speaks to us directly.

This fact reminded me of Hebrews 1:1-2, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by
the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.” The Scriptures abundantly evidence themselves to be the Word of God and Jesus the Word become flesh (John 1:14).

As you encounter the word of God through Jeremiah 6 this week, thank the Father that the Word “dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Amen.

The words and events of Scripture are echoed in the annals of history, a fact that ought to encourage the believer and rouse the skeptic to curiosity. While reading Jeremiah, I was reminded of the meticulous history of Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian whose lengthy work, Antiquities of the Jews, recounts the story of his people for a Greek and Roman audience. Often, Josephus offers an extra-biblical perspective on biblical figures and events, including the ministry of Jeremiah and the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. To quote Josephus:

The prophet Jeremiah came often to the king, and protested to him, and insisted that he must leave off his impieties and transgressions, and take care of what was right; and neither give ear to the rulers, among whom were wicked men, nor give credit to their false prophets, who deluded them, as if the king of Babylon would make no more war against them. Now as to Zedekiah himself, while he heard the prophet speak, he believed him, and agreed to everything as true, and supposed it was for his advantage. But then his friends perverted him, and dissuaded him from what the prophet advised, and obliged him to do what they pleased.¹

These details, and there are many more excluded here for time’s sake, help to (1) provide additional, independent context and (2) confirm the historical accuracy of the biblical account. Of course, they are the fallible words of man and not the infallible Word of God, but the careful student of Scripture will find them helpful in understanding the setting of biblical events. In the context of Jeremiah 6, Josephus’ words help to evidence the “uncircumcised ears” (v. 10) of the people and the coming of the “army of the north” (v. 22).

After these events had unfolded, the prophecies gone unheeded, Jerusalem invaded, and the people exiled, Josephus adds this commentary to his text:

We have said thus much because it is sufficient to show the nature of God to such as are ignorant of it, that it is various and acts many different ways, and that all events happen after a regular manner, in their proper season, and that it foretells what must come to pass. It is also sufficient to show the ignorance and incredulity of men.²

History not only serves as evidence of God’s sovereignty, but also reveals the unfolding of his plan of redemption. Be encouraged by the fact that archaeological, textual, and historical evidence consistently supports the reliability of the biblical record.

¹ Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 10.7.2
² Ibid., 10.8.3

Popular philosopher and professor Jordan Peterson recently called the Bible “the world’s first hyperlinked text.” While explaining the magnitude of cross-references (instances where a text refers to another text, either directly or by allusion), he said the more a text is cross-referenced, the more pathways through it there are. You can imagine that this explodes exponentially. You might say, “What does a Bible verse mean?” and the answer is that it means whatever it means in reference to all of its cross-references, and then each of those cross-references has cross-references.

It has been posited that there are over 63,779 cross-references within the Bible. Computer scientist Christopher Harrison and Pastor Christoph Römhild teamed up to compile a graph that beautifully shows the interconnectedness of these cross-references (it can be viewed here). While the sheer quantity of textual relationships may seem daunting, I believe the opposite is true. It simplifies the Word. The Bible, though the work of many authors from many periods across many places and written in various languages, becomes the unified work of a single God, summed up in the person of Jesus Christ.

I was reminded of the richness of cross-references while reading our text for the week. In Jeremiah 6:16, Yahweh tells the Israelites, “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.” If you have read the Gospels, you probably notice something familiar in these words. Take a moment and try to spot it. Do you see it?

Jesus quotes part of this verse while speaking to a crowd in Matthew 11:29. He says, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” In the Old Testament, following the “good way” of Jeremiah provides rest for the soul. In the New Testament, following Jesus, who called himself “the way” (John 14:6), likewise leads to soul rest. Why? Because Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets and is himself the good way (Matthew 15:7). It is no wonder, then, that the earliest Christians called themselves followers of “the Way.”

As you read today’s verse, look up the cross-references in your Bible. If your Bible does not have them, try a Bible app like BibleHub. Take a moment to follow a few of them.

Have you ever been told something would happen, but that thing seemed like an impossibility at the time? Last fall, I was with our high school ministry as we took a group of 20 students to the Dominican Republic on a mission trip. When we arrived at our missions facility on Saturday, we were given an orientation and informed about the kind of work we would be doing for the week: the construction of a church in a poor, remote village about two hours away. I remember the leader saying, “Monday we will begin construction, and a team will go out to the site and begin to prepare the foundation. On Thursday, we will complete the building and have a ceremony dedicating the church and giving the keys to a local pastor.”

I remember thinking, “Did they just say we will build a church in four days? Something isn’t right here. Some aspect hasn’t been explained fully. Maybe we’re preparing the site and a team of engineers is coming in behind us. Of course, that’s what it is.” My world was about to be rocked. Over the next four days, we worked tirelessly cleaning the site, laying the foundation, assembling the walls, doors, shutters, windows, and roof, down to every last nail and screw. Everyone gave it their all. And guess what? Thursday afternoon we completed the building! Afterwards we met with the pastor who was to take over the new church and had a prayer service over the future of his ministry. I remember getting emotional because what had taken place was so spectacular.

In Luke 1:34 Mary asks the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” Hers is a natural response to an extraordinary announcement. Reason is stretched to its limit as she ponders the events foretold to her, not out of doubt but out of curiosity. Gabriel obliges her question and tells her the manner by which the Holy Spirit will accomplish these things. But my favorite moment from the scene comes ten verses later, when her cousin Elizabeth says to her, “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord” (1:45).

Mary believed. She may not have understood, but she believed. The Scriptures are full of people, like you and me, who may not understand all the time, but who believe. And our God, the God of the impossible (recall yesterday’s devotional), accomplishes the truly unbelievable. The words that were given to Mary are written for us as well: blessed are we who believe that there will be a fulfillment of what is spoken by the Lord.

In the middle of his conversation with Mary, the angel Gabriel nonchalantly delivers a one-liner that is so loaded, yet so easy to gloss over: “Nothing will be impossible with God.” It is easy to dismiss the moment as if it were a bumper sticker or a lyric of a song you have heard a hundred times, but that would rob the statement of its unfathomable implications. Therefore, let’s take a moment to reflect on the principle behind the angel’s words.

Earlier in this week’s devotions we talked about Gabriel’s attending to humanity during pivotal moments in salvation history: first to Daniel (8:16; 9:21) and then to Zechariah and Mary. To an unbelieving Zechariah, he stressed the position of his office (an emphatic “I stand in the presence of God”) and maintained that his words would be “fulfilled in their time” (Luke 1:19). In the case of Daniel, this included the rise and fall of empires over hundreds of years, all the while effecting the will of God in history. To Zechariah and Mary, it included miraculous births that fulfilled prophecies spoken long ago in Israel’s history.

Thus, the will of God marches on throughout the ages, immovable and immutable. I am reminded of Job’s simple resignation after God answers his ignorance: “I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2–3). Indeed, nothing is impossible with God, and no purpose of his can be upended.

Take a moment to read Luke 1:37 and consider how you can apply “nothing is impossible with God” to your personal challenges today.

In Luke 1:26–27 Gabriel visits Mary to announce the coming of Jesus, the famous Annunciation of the Virgin Mary. The text tells us, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth.” It is a great privilege when we are given windows that allow us to peer into the names and roles of the dispatching agents of God. The author of Hebrews tells us that angels are “ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). The word angel comes from the Greek angelos and means “messenger.” Here we find Gabriel, one of two messengers or angels named in Scripture (the other being Michael). His name is of Hebrew origin and can be rendered “God is my strength” or “Hero of God.”

There are only four instances in which we see Gabriel in Scripture. They are:

Daniel 8:16 – He interprets the ram and goat vision to Daniel.
Daniel 9:21 – He gives Daniel “insight and understanding” concerning the prophecy of the seventy weeks.
Luke 1:19 – He announces John’s birth to Zechariah.
Luke 1:26 – He announces Jesus’ birth to Mary.

I find it fascinating that Gabriel appears in these two moments separated by more than 500 years. It begs the question: How old is Gabriel, anyway? But seriously, his reappearance in Luke only underscores the unity of Scripture and the timetable of God’s plan of salvation. Additionally, the long interval between the scenes in Daniel and Luke demonstrates that divine silence is not divine inactivity. Quite the opposite, Paul tells us, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law” (Gal. 4:4).

The fact that we meet Gabriel again along the way, attending to humanity at pivotal moments in salvation history, underscores the unfolding of the plan first announced in Genesis: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Gen. 3:15).

Upon receiving a visitation from the angel Gabriel, Mary is described as “greatly troubled,” an odd designation for one who is “favored” by God. This, however, is a common biblical theme for those who receive divine messages from angels (not to mention a natural reaction to witnessing the supernatural!). For example, earlier in the same chapter Zechariah is “startled and gripped with fear” during his encounter with the Lord’s angelic herald. Gabriel’s subsequent reassurance (“Do not be afraid, you have found favor with God,” v. 30) and Mary’s quick acceptance reveal that her initial fear was met with responsiveness to God’s plan.

There is another person, however, who was also “troubled” upon hearing the news of Jesus: King Herod. In Matthew 2:1–3 we read:

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Like Mary, Herod was “troubled” at the news; in fact, the same Greek root is used, but for completely different reasons. Upon hearing the prophecy, the paranoid monarch devises a plan to eliminate the Christ child that includes manipulation, violence, and tyranny, for even the populace was disturbed at his disturbance.

These two responses, that of Mary and that of Herod — that of submission and that of control, of compliance and rebellion — highlight people’s different reactions to the Gospel. Today, invite personal reflection on these responses to Jesus’ authority. Do you respond with fear or faith, control or submission? In what ways can we, like Mary, humbly resign our will to that of God and say, “Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38)?