The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
“Prepare the way of the Lord;”
Let’s begin again with a few definitions to make sure we’re talking about the right things.
The word prepare is a fascinating word indeed. The word is panah (H6437) and has the following meaning(s):
In short, to “prepare” means to turn away from the direction you’re heading. Not bad advice but bridging that with the Way shows us which direction to which we want to turn.
The word for way is likely a little more familiar to some. It’s the word derek (H1870) and means:
Putting these concepts together we see that to “Prepare the Way” is to turn from the direction you’re heading and take a step down the path of life.
This is repentance.
We tend to use this term flippantly and throw it around as though we naturally know the direction of the Path of Life. It isn’t quite that simple for most people and this is a dead serious concept if you are a true believer.
We see this idea of the Path of Life throughout the Bible, and I think we can all agree this is the path we’d like to walk. Afterall, the path we don’t want to walk ends in death:
Proverbs 14:12 There can be a way which seems right to a person, but at its end are the ways of death.
Psalm 1:1 How blessed are those who reject the advice of the wicked, don’t stand on the way of sinners or sit where scoffers sit! 2 Their delight is in YHVH’s Torah; on his Torah they meditate day and night. 3 They are like trees planted by streams — they bear their fruit in season, their leaves never wither, everything they do succeeds. 4 Not so the wicked, who are like chaff driven by the wind. 5 For this reason the wicked won’t stand up to the judgment, nor will sinners at the gathering of the righteous. 6 For YHVH watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed.
Surely we don’t want to walk a path that leads to death and is doomed, right? No, we want to walk the Path of Life, right? We’d walk it at any cost because we know the destination is in His Kingdom, right?
We claim to be willing to turn our heads to change direction -- if we could only know where to turn. If only we knew the way, we’d live the life we’ve been called to live. Until we learn what is required to walk the path.
Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)
This is simple enough -- turn from the way of death and turn towards Yeshua. Check. That’s Christianity 101. But who is He? How do we know if our eyes are locked on the Messiah or some false version of the Messiah. “I may follow a false Messiah?!? Blasphemy!”, you say. Is it?
How do you know for certain you are following the Messiah of the Bible as opposed to a Messiah of a specific denomination? Based on the division we see between churches, I’d argue there have to be different Messiahs in play or else there would be unity throughout all (or at least some) believers. But there is very little unity. If there were unity, we could actually be one Body instead of a myriad of splinters that disagree with one another. Disagree so much in fact, that believers are encouraged to break relationships with other believers. Is this what Yeshua taught?
John 13:34 “I am giving you a new command: that you keep on loving each other. In the same way that I have loved you, you are also to keep on loving each other. 35 Everyone will know that you are my talmidim by the fact that you have love for each other.”
Is pushing away other believers with which you disagree the same as loving them? I doubt it. It seems the church has decided individual doctrine trumps the new command to love one another. This is painful. Painful for Abba to see and painful for us to live.
This isn’t a problem we can solve here so instead of dwelling further on the division, let’s turn to what The Way really is.
Genesis 3:24 So he drove the man out, and he placed at the east of the garden of ‘Eden the k’ruvim and a flaming sword which turned in every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
Genesis 18:19 For I have made myself known to him, so that he will give orders to his children and to his household after him to keep the way of YHVH and to do what is right and just, so that YHVH may bring about for Avraham what he has promised him.”
Exodus 32:7 YHVH said to Moshe, “Go down! Hurry! Your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have become corrupt! 8 So quickly they have turned aside from the way I ordered them to follow! They have cast a metal statue of a calf, worshipped it, sacrificed to it and said, ‘Isra’el! Here is your god, who brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”
Deuteronomy 8:2 You are to remember everything of the way in which YHVH led you these forty years in the desert, humbling and testing you in order to know what was in your heart — whether you would obey his mitzvot or not.
Deuteronomy 11:26 “See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse — 27 the blessing, if you listen to the mitzvot of YHVH your God that I am giving you today; 28 and the curse, if you don’t listen to the mitzvot of YHVH your God, but turn aside from the way I am ordering you today and follow other gods that you have not known.
Deuteronomy 31:28 Assemble for me all the leaders of your tribes and your officials, so that I can say these things in their hearing, calling heaven and earth to witness against them — 29 because I know that after my death you will become very corrupt and turn aside from the way that I have ordered you, and that disaster will come upon you in the acharit-hayamim, because you will do what YHVH sees as evil and provoke him by your deeds.”
In the very beginning we have the Way of the Tree of Life protected by the cherubim. Then we see that Avraham’s family was to keep the Way of YHVH even though it wasn’t specifically defined (or was it?). Fast-forward to the Children of Israel and the Golden Calf, and we hear that they had knowledge of His Ways even though they had just met their God a few months prior. This all culminates in choosing blessing or curse, His Way or not His way, respectively. We can safely deduce at this point that His Way means to follow His Word.
But suppose this isn’t evidence enough for you. Let’s move on to the Prophets.
Isaiah 26:7 The way of the righteous is level; Righteous One, you smooth the path for the righteous. 8 Following the way of your judgments, we put our hope in you. The desire of all our soul is to remember you and your name.
Isaiah 35:8 A highway will be there, a way, called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not pass over it, but it will be for those whom he guides — fools will not stray along it.
Jeremiah 5:3 YHVH, your eyes look for truth. You struck them, but they weren’t affected; you [nearly] destroyed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than rock, refusing to repent. 4 My reaction was, “These must be the poor, the foolish, not knowing the way of YHVH or the rulings of their God. 5 I will go to the prominent men, and I will speak to them; for they know the way of YHVH and the rulings of their God.” But these had completely broken the yoke and torn the harness off. 6 This is why a forest lion kills them, why a desert wolf can plunder them, why a leopard guards their cities — all who leave are torn to pieces — because their crimes are many, their backslidings keep increasing.
Jeremiah 7:22 For I didn’t speak to your ancestors or give them orders concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. 23 Rather, what I did order them was this: ‘Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.’ 24 But they neither listened nor paid attention, but lived according to their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, thus going backward and not forward.
The way of judgments, the way of holiness, and the way of YHVH (which is the way He ordered us to live) -- all alluding to His Word and commands as the anchor to the Path of Life.
Still, maybe this isn’t evidence enough so on to the writings.
Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect, the word of YHVH has been tested by fire; he shields all who take refuge in him.
Psalm 25:4 Make me know your ways, YHVH, teach me your paths. 5 Guide me in your truth, and teach me; for you are the God who saves me, my hope is in you all day long. 6 Remember your compassion and grace, YHVH; for these are ages old. 7 Don’t remember my youthful sins or transgressions; but remember me according to your grace for the sake of your goodness, YHVH. 8 YHVH is good, and he is fair; this is why he teaches sinners the way [to live], 9 leads the humble to do what is right and teaches the humble [to live] his way. 10 All YHVH’s paths are grace and truth to those who keep his covenant and instructions. 11 For the sake of your name, YHVH, forgive my wickedness, great though it is.
Psalm 119:1 How happy are those whose way of life is blameless, who live by the Torah of YHVH!
2 How happy are those who observe his instruction, who seek him wholeheartedly!
3 They do nothing wrong but live by his ways.
4 You laid down your precepts for us to observe with care.
5 May my ways be steady in observing your laws.
6 Then I will not be put to shame, since I will have fixed my sight on all your mitzvot.
7 I thank you with a sincere heart as I learn your righteous rulings.
8 I will observe your laws; don’t completely abandon me!
Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.
10 I seek you with all my heart; don’t let me stray from your mitzvot.
11 I treasure your word in my heart, so that I won’t sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, YHVH! Teach me your laws.
13 I proclaim with my mouth all the rulings you have spoken.
14 I rejoice in the way of your instruction more than in any kind of wealth.
15 I will meditate on your precepts and keep my eyes on your ways.
16 I will find my delight in your regulations. I will not forget your word.
Psalm 119:25 I lie prostrate in the dust; revive me, in keeping with your word.
26 I told you of my ways, and you answered me; teach me your laws.
27 Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wonders.
28 I am melting away from anxiety and grief; renew my strength, in keeping with your word.
29 Keep deceitful ways far from me, and favor me with your Torah.
30 I choose the way of trust; I set your rulings [before me].
31 I cling to your instruction; YHVH, don’t let me be put to shame!
32 I will run the way of your mitzvot, for you have broadened my understanding.
Psalm 119:33 Teach me, YHVH, the way of your laws; keeping them will be its own reward for me.
34 Give me understanding; then I will keep your Torah; I will observe it with all my heart.
35 Guide me on the path of your mitzvot, for I take pleasure in it.
36 Bend my heart toward your instructions and not toward selfish gain.
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things; with your ways, give me life.
38 Fulfill your promise, which you made to your servant, which you made to those who fear you.
39 Avert the disgrace which I dread, for your rulings are good.
40 See how I long for your precepts; in your righteousness, give me life!
Psalm 119 makes this all quite clear. The Path to Life is keeping His word, His Torah. This is the Way. And Yeshua is also the Way. Once we understand that Torah literally means “instructions”, it isn’t a huge jump to say Yeshua is the full expression of Torah. He is the instruction.
He gave us the instructions we needed to find our way back into the Garden. “Follow Me,” He says. You remember the Garden, right? That place where the cherubim were guarding the way?
This word guard is the same word as keep. As in “keep My commands.” We are to guard His commands. We are to guard the path. Do not let people come and trample the one thing designed to give us life. Yeshua made a way through the cherubim into Abba’s presence. Remember that also? The veil being torn from top to bottom?
What was woven into that veil? Yep, cherubim.
What was behind those cherubim? The presence of God. Remember what was back in the Garden? The presence of God.
The Holiest of Holies used to be off limits. One man each year could make his way into that space provided repentance had taken place and he came with blood.
Remember the concept of repentance presented above? Yes, Prepare the Way.
Then one Man made His way in with His own blood. And that opened the curtain for all who follow. Did you get that? All who follow. The only way in is to follow the Messiah. He walked the path of righteousness (the way of Abba’s instructions) and so must we.
None of this is cryptic. Most Christians will tell you that 100% we are to follow Jesus. The key here is that we actually do it. If the Messiah a denomination is presenting somehow convinces you to follow some other path then it must be a false Messiah. Yeshua didn’t tear the veil for you to run in and out at your leisure. No, we are to follow Him in. Do what He did, say what He said. Which is exactly what the Father said to Him:
John 5:19 Therefore, Yeshua said this to them: “Yes, indeed! I tell you that the Son cannot do anything on his own, but only what he sees the Father doing; whatever the Father does, the Son does too.
What did the Father say? What did the Father do?
We have a full record of just that. His Torah.
Yeshua did not violate one tiny little thing in His Father’s Word. Because He was that Word. He walked in the fullness of His own identity and that was the living reflection of the commands His loving Father gave oh so many years ago. The Path to Life His Father gave was His Word. It was His Son.
Do you see how all of this is inseparable? Yeshua and the Father are one. They are echad. There is no great mystery behind this. The mystery is how people can pervert it to their own destruction.
What about you? Do you feel His commands are burdensome? Have you been convinced by the church that you cannot live a sinless life? Wrong! Afterall, there are only two commands, right? According to Yeshua, all the others hang from these two things:
Love Abba with everything you have, and love your neighbor as yourself.
You can’t do this? It’s so hard to live selflessly that you can be justified as “just a fallen person in a fallen world”?
NO!
Go back and read His Word again then ask yourself which of His commands are so dirty and cruel that we need an excuse to get rid of them all. By extension, which part of His Son is so dirty and cruel that we need to get rid of Him? Isn’t this what the Pharisees did? They took what was perfect and manufactured a defect in order to kill Him completely? Have you done that with His Word?
Search yourself and repent for all those areas you conceded just because you are “fallen”. Look upon the beauty of the Messiah and rejoice that He made a way for you into His Father’s presence. Then realize the expressive version of that love is through keeping His commands.
1 John 5:5 Everyone who believes that Yeshua is the Messiah has God as his father, and everyone who loves a father loves his offspring too. 2 Here is how we know that we love God’s children: when we love God, we also do what he commands. 3 For loving God means obeying his commands. Moreover, his commands are not burdensome, 4 because everything which has God as its Father overcomes the world. And this is what victoriously overcomes the world: our trust. 5 Who does overcome the world if not the person who believes that Yeshua is the Son of God?
Now go, and Prepare the Way of the Lord.
Abba has established authority within you out in the wilderness and it’s there you are crying out.
Calling others to turn from their ways and follow THE Way. And that way is the Messiah. It’s the Torah.
Full Series:
Day 1 - A Voice Cries Out in the Wilderness
Day 3 - Make Straight in the Desert a Highway
Day 6 - Make the Crooked Places Straight
Day 7 - Make the Rough Ground Smooth
Day 8 - The Glory of YHVH Revealed