Jeremiah 21

The Two Ways

⁸ “Furthermore, tell the people, ‘This is what the Lord says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. ⁹ Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; they will escape with their lives. ¹⁰ I have determined to do this city harm and not good, declares the Lord. It will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it with fire.’

Jeremiah 21:8-10

In this chapter, King Zedekiah asks Jeremiah if the Lord will save them like he has in the past. God responds with a resounding, “No!” Zedekiah was the last king. With the siege already taking place, that meant this prophecy was near Jerusalem’s destruction (the book isn’t arranged chronologically). All calls to repent had gone unheeded; it was too late to turn back now.

Nevertheless, there was still a choice, described by two ways: life and death. Stay in the city and die, or surrender and live. Anyone who surrenders will keep their life as plunder or the spoils of war (“they will escape with their lives” in NIV is literally “their life/soul will be to him as plunder”). Events had gotten so dire that survival was the only prize one could hope to attain.

Moses made a similar statement of the offer of life and death to the people shortly before they entered the land of promise: “See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction” (Deuteronomy 18:15). He describes life as following the Lord and death as following other gods. He ends with the plea: “Now choose life” (Dt 18:19).

Proverbs talks about the way of life and death, too. For instance, “correction and instruction / are the way to life” (Proverbs 6:23). “There is a way that appears to be right, / but in the end it leads [literally, ‘are ways’] to death” (Proverbs 14:12 and repeated in Pr 16:25).

The Didache (a late first century collection of the apostles’ teaching) says something similar. It begins: “There are two Ways, one of Life and one of Death, and there is a great difference between the two Ways.” It then goes on to describe the way of life as loving God and one’s neighbor, and following God’s commandments. The way of death includes all sorts of sins.

This doesn’t mean the way of life is easy or without difficulty (look at Jeremiah’s life), but is it the life God wants for us. In a world of death (the Coronavirus serves as a reminder), we can follow one who said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). May we heed the Lord’s warnings and faithfully follow him on the path of life.

To Ponder…

• What path are you on? What describes your “way” of living?