1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Almost founds sand in my shoes..., Nov 9 2007
Let me start from the end. When I finished reading the final paragraph of The Ancient Path, I sat and clapped my hands. I kept saying over and over, "very clever, very, very clever". Jost masterfully weaves you through time, stopping only to let you change your clothes according to the time period. Starting in heaven, watching the Creator create. Then, through the Garden of Eden, to the pivotal chapter of Abraham making covenant with God. Next we find ourselves in the desert with Moses, and if you close your eyes, you might just feel the searing sun, and sand in your shoes, so vivid the picture Jost casts in our mind.
Chapter five finds you running down dusty streets, fearing for your life, with Rahab the prostitute. Many times as a child you hear the story of Joshua, marching around Jericho. But Jost starts out by looking at the story through Rahab's eyes. I wept as I read this chapter, and looking over it now, I fight back tears. The power lies in this author’s ability to bring the emotion of a four thousand year old story, right up to present day. Rahab saw the grace of God, the same grace that saves us today.
In the next two chapters you get to meet great men of God, like David, Isaiah, and Jeremiah. I felt like I was watching them, walking along side them, as they struggled as we do, to obey God with all their hearts, yet willing to make the sacrifices to do so. But not until the last chapter, do you see what tapestry Jost has been weaving in your mind all along.
The book finishes with Jesus. He is on His way to be crucified. And as Jesus makes His way to the cross, Jost flashbacks through all the previous chapters and you start to see what it has all been about. Why did the father not just bring Jesus, straight after the fall? Why wait four thousand years? The last chapter shows us the master plan of the Father, one that cannot be shaken. It is about covenant, and grace. I have been greatly challenged by this book, and inspired. This is not a book about me, or how I can become great. It is a book focused, as we should be, on the Word of God, and the mighty and powerful God we serve. Well done Joshua Jost, I applaud your bravery, in this world of self, for giving God the glory, and honour that He deserves. I eagerly wait for the next instalment, and highly recommend this book. Five gleaming stars.