The Choice Between Two Paths
And to this people say: thus speaks the Lord: behold, I set before you the path of life and the path of death. Jeremiah 21:8
Many people ask themselves this question: for what purpose is life given to man? And there are many varied answers, yet answer them rightly man often cannot, For he knows not yet that the answer to such a question can be found only in God. And of this God's word speaks to us in Jeremiah 29:11: "For I alone know the intentions I hold for you, says the Lord, Intentions for good, not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
From this text we may conclude: the Lord God has His own plans For the life of every living person, and they are for his good. And man is made such that he always seeks good for himself— Yet what truly is good for man? Often man's understanding of good does not accord with God's sight. Have you not noticed this?
Yet God has done all that is necessary on His part, That it should be well with man. He created man in His own image And gave him life, first and foremost for His own glory— Of this speaks 1 Corinthians 11:7: "A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; But woman is the glory of man."
The order of headship and submission was established by God from the beginning. Man is placed upon the earth as God's representative to have dominion over it. Woman was never given a ruling role; instead she is the glory of man, In that she makes manifest the power of man.
Thus man should not cover his head in prayer; To do so would be to hide God's glory, and such an act offends Divine Majesty.
And secondly, when man fell into sin and division came between God and man, God did all on His part to restore the lost joy of communion And the glorifying of His glorious name— For this was man given a choice, which eternity to choose.
Deuteronomy 30:19: "I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: Life and death I have set before you, blessing and curse. Choose life, that you and your offspring may live."
God calls the people to choose between life and good on one side, And death and evil on the other: life for obedience, death for disobedience. Moses earnestly besought them to choose life and blessing. The desired answer would bring forth good fruit, including length of days And abundant spiritual life, implied in the words "cleave unto Him." The only alternative was curse.
Since we know from the Bible only two eternities: One with God, the other without God— And man is given to determine here, now, in this life, which eternity to choose. In this book we shall endeavor to reveal these two answers in the light of Scripture.