Choose the Way of Life

"Now you shall say to this people, 'Thus says the LORD: "Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death."

Jeremiah 21:8

When God's people in Jerusalem considered the prospects of fending off king Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and his army, they hoped for God's miraculous intervention.  Though they had strayed from Him, they wondered if He might do for them as He did in times past, to turn back their enemies and deliver them.  In the passage of Jeremiah 21 God responded there was no chance He would do this, for He had already determined it would fall for the grave sins committed there by His people.  Though the city would be destroyed, He still offered them the way of life and the way of death and allowed them to freely choose between them.

The prophet continued to speak the word of the LORD in Jeremiah 21:9:  "He who remains in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; but he who goes out and defects to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be as a prize to him."  If people wanted to live, they needed to trust God to leave the stronghold of Jerusalem and defect to the Chaldeans who would lay siege to the city.  But if they tried to defend themselves by remaining in the city, they would certainly die by way of sword, famine and pestilence.  Faith in God marked by obedience to God, not in the pity of their enemies, was the way of life.  This was the narrow way of life few people who lived in Jerusalem chose.  Unbelief led to their demise they could not escape.

This was not the first time God put the way of life and the way of death before His people.  Moses said in Deuteronomy 30:15-16, "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, ¹⁶ in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess."  The way of life was to love God and walk in His ways, and God promised to bless them.  The way of life is both practical and spiritual.  The ironic thing is God's people, when on the cusp of entering Canaan, refused to enter due to unbelief and died in the wilderness.  Only Caleb and Joshua from that generation entered the promised land to receive their inheritance, an abundant life provided by God for those who trust Him.

How fitting it is that Jesus, being God made flesh, claimed to be the Way, the Truth and the Life.  

Luke 9:23-24 records the words of Jesus Christ to all:  "Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. ²⁴ For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."  This fits perfectly with the principle of life and death held forth in Jeremiah and Deuteronomy:  to try to save our lives will result in our eventual deaths, but losing our life for Christ's sake by being born again by faith in Him brings eternal salvation.  By Christ's death and resurrection He has consecrated a new and living way to draw near to God through faith in Jesus.  Faith in Jesus is the narrow way that leads to abundant, eternal life few find.  What grace God has shown us, that the way of life has been revealed to all.  The wise can choose this path because Jesus has become wisdom for us.