How does Job 22:15 connect with Jesus' teachings on the narrow path? Setting the Scene in Job Job 22:15: “Will you keep to the ancient path that wicked men have trod?” • Eliphaz warns Job about following the long-established pattern of godless people. • The “ancient path” here is not honored tradition; it is the well-worn highway of rebellion that ends in judgment (vv. 16-20). • Even though Eliphaz misjudges Job, the Holy Spirit preserves the verse as a real caution for every generation. Two Paths Placed Side by Side Ancient path of the wicked Narrow way of life Many travelers, long history Few travelers, counter-cultural Ends in destruction (vv. 16-18) Leads to life Shared Themes: Path, People, and Outcomes • Path imagery – Proverbs 4:14-19 contrasts “path of the wicked” with “path of the righteous.” – Psalm 1:1-6 echoes the same two-road picture. • Majority vs. Minority – “Many” walk the broad road (Matthew 7:13). – “Many” also walked the evil “ancient path” (Job 22:15). – God’s remnant is consistently portrayed as the minority element (Isaiah 10:20-22; Luke 13:23-24). • Final result – Job 22:16: “They were snatched away before their time; their foundations were swept away by a flood.” – Matthew 7:13: broad way “leads to destruction.” – Faithfulness to God’s way, though narrow, secures life (Proverbs 12:28; Matthew 7:14). Practical Connections for Today • Age alone does not validate a tradition; sin can become traditional. • Cultural momentum pushes toward the well-traveled road of self-rule (1 John 2:16). • The narrow path requires deliberate choice and continual alignment with revealed truth (Deuteronomy 30:19-20; Romans 12:2). • Scripture consistently treats obedience as the decisive factor, not popularity or longevity. Summary Takeaway Job 22:15 warns against defaulting to the long-approved pattern of rebellion, while Jesus in Matthew 7:13-14 invites listeners onto the unpopular but life-giving road of obedience. The same stark choice—ancient, crowded, destructive highway or narrow, scarcely traveled, life-filled path—runs through the entire canon and reaches every heart today. |
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