Tradition

Definition of tradition:

1: an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom) : a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
2: the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
3: cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
4: characteristic manner, method, or style

It seems safe to interpret 'tradition' for the sake of this study as:

Inherited religious practices accepted as historical though not verifiable, handed down by word of mouth, affecting the social attitudes of the community. This applies to the characteristic manner of the Pharisees of yore and the same style of Religious Leaders of today.

Mark 7:8 

You have disregarded the commandment of Elohim to keep the tradition of men.” He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the commandment of Yahweh to maintain your own tradition.

Mark 7:13

Thus you nullify the word of Elohim by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.

Colossians 2:8 

Beware, or else any man make you naked by philosophy and by vain deception, according to the doctrines of men, according to the rudiments of the world and not according to the Mashiyach...

What started me along this line of thought was a facebook post by a person who stated that he bought a poinsettia, removed the holiday trappings from it and called it kosher.  I know this was in a some-what joking manner, but why do it? It is a 'tradition' to buy and give them as gifts this time of year. I know these plants are native to Mexico - but it's the 'tradition' which ties them to x-mas and that is what gets overlooked. If a Set Apart believer is seen buying typical holiday decorations, what kind of message does this project? Hypocrisy? Even the act of purchasing said plant contributes monetarily to the holiday season.

Maybe that's what bugs me about this - conceived perception - or the idea that most believers like to make the excuse, "He knows what's in my heart" and think that justifies any behavior. Now, if you know me and how I feel about following Mashiyach and obeying the Father; and then walk into my house and saw a bleeding heart picture of 'Jesus' on the wall, hanging next to a star of David flag, with 'christian rock' playing in the background and communion wafers on the coffee table, would that confuse you about me and my intentions? my honesty? my walk? How could you believe another word that came out of my mouth! 

That is how I was affected when I read that post by a 'fellow believer'; one who had long ago discovered our Hebrew beginnings and had been teaching others to obey the Instructions given us by Yahweh. By purchasing an obvious christmas item and calling it 'clean' (kosher), he caused me to doubt his integrity.  He caused me to 'doubt' his sincerity. I could no longer trust him to properly represent the Word of Elohim.  That saddened me, because this man had been in Torah for several years longer than I, and many looked to him as a teacher of the the truth of Yahweh.

There is Scripture that says 'let your yes be yes and your no be no' - which seems to instruct us to say what we mean so as not to be misunderstood.  If we are misunderstood (by joking around, for example) then one who hears, but doesn't understand, can spin a yarn of gossip. Let your actions be clear - no jokes, no sarcasm... leave no room for one to doubt your integrity. By our actions we become a light that shines in the darkness that others may find The Way.

James 5:12

But above all things, my Brothers, do not swear, neither by 'heaven' nor by the 'earth' nor by any other oath: let your language be 'yes, yes' and 'no, no' or else you become subject to judgment

We have been called to come out of the world system... This World, now... so as not to partake of her sins or her plagues at the return of Y'shua.

We become Set Apart else we cannot be a 'light' unto others. It is by our choice to obey the Father and live by His rules that we become noticeably different, set apart from the rest. We are in this world both physically and spiritually, not separate but a harmonious creation. We are noticeably different from the rest of the world - The Hebrews who lived in the area of Goshen were seen by the Egyptians as 'set apart' by their obvious lifestyle; the Egyptians knew the God of the Hebrews was with them, and it became very obvious during the final plagues before they were set free.

Romans 1:25 - They exchanged the truth of Elohim for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise...
Jeremiah 9:12 - Yahweh replied: Because they forsook the Teaching I had set before them. They did not obey Me and they did not follow it but followed their own willful heart and followed the Baalim, as their fathers had taught them.

It is written in Mark 7 about some of the traditions kept by the Pharisees and scribes. They ask Y'shua why his disciples don't follow these traditions and he says to them, 'the prophet did well prophesy about you hypocrites - "This people honor me with their lips. But their hearts are very distant from me. And vainly they fear me while they are teaching the doctrines of the commandments of the sons of men". (Isaiah 29:13) 

Mark 7:8 For you have left the Commandment of Elohim and embraced the traditions of men... You well rejected the Commandment of Elohim that you might establish your tradition.... And you despise the Word of Elohim, because of the tradition that you have handed down that resemble your own doings...

Isn't this reason enough to compel you to discover the origins of and what is meant by those traditions, those lies that have been handed down that cause us to turn our backs on Yahweh, instead of making excuses for them?

Isaiah 29:9

Act stupid and be stupefied! Act blind and be blinded! (They are drunk but not from wine, they stagger but not from liquor.) For Yahweh has spread over you a spirit of deep sleep, and has shut the eyes of the prophets, and covered the heads of the seers; so that all prophecy has been like the words of a sealed document.

29:13 Because that people has approached, honoring Me with words but has kept its heart far from Me, and its worship of Me has been a commandment of men, learned by rote-- truly, I shall further baffle that people and the wisdom of its wise shall fail, and the prudence of its prudent shall vanish. (this prophecy tells of the coming strong deception/delusion)

Definition of 'rote':

• the use of memory usually with little intelligence
• mechanical or unthinking routine or repetition 

I choose not to partake of 'traditions' that would make me appear uncertain of my Faith, which would make me look hypocritical to any Gentile keeping an eye on me.  If I cannot walk the path that Mashiyach set before me, how then can I be an example for others to follow? If I do not have my own house in order, how can I expect to be a light shining for others? Being led by the Spirit of Truth my desire is to remove all stumbling blocks from the very same path I have been traveling, for those trying to catch up before time runs out. Everything we need to know is written in Scriptures, as example for us in this day and age, so that we will indeed recognize the Good Shepherd's Voice.

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Jeremiah 16:18 - "I will first doubly repay their iniquity and their sin, because they have polluted My land; they have filled My inheritance (the land) with the carcasses of their detestable idols and with their abominations". O Yahweh, my strength and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of distress, to You the nations will come from the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit." Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods!

We have inherited lies:

Intentionally, 

through the years of the

 twisting and replacement of truth.

Accidentally,

 by plain ignorance of the truth,

following traditions without question.

It is time to start asking questions

Habakkuk 2:18  

What has the carved image availed, that he who fashioned it has carved it for an image and a false oracle -- that he who fashioned his product has trusted in it, making dumb idols?

Let us not be destroyed for lack of knowledge

Let us not be lacking knowledge by choosing tradition

2 Samuel 7:28 

Now, O Yahweh Elohim, You are Elohim, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant.

John 8:32  

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free

What about those who continue to twist the Word of Yahweh our Creator, and preach it to anyone who will listen, for their own glory and fame?

Matthew 7:22   

Many will say to me in that day, ‘My Master, did we not prophesy by your Name, and by your Name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them that from everlasting, ‘I have not known you. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.’ Therefore everyone who hears my words and does them is like a wise man who built his house on a stone.