Lovers of Self

I've been talking with people who have had the feeling that we are sampling a small taste of what will be commonplace in the end times scenario, and I have to agree with them.  Some have experienced a spiritual separation from others due to our growing faith in YHWH Elohim; a separation from those people we love but they all continue, one way or another, in the pagan ways our Creator warned us about - many show no interest in coming out of those worldly ways. It appears that the time has come to shake the dust off our sandals and move on. The Seed Parable comes to mind.  We have tossed a lot of seed in their path and it is possible The Light will go on for them somewhere down the road, and I pray it does.

This coming out of Babylon seemed easy at first to my husband and I, and now we're getting a glimpse of what it means in totality. Leaving the big yearly holiday celebrations was easy once the truth of their origins were revealed to us. After that, giving up all man-made traditions made sense. Leaving our little Hebrew Roots group took a while but needed to be done. We had gotten the same feeling that church goers get when they realize they've been short-changed by false teachings: it's time to stop meeting with that congregation and come out of the Babylonian mindset. In doing so we begin to see Yahweh Elohim for who He is. The more in line we get with Him and His Instructions the more heartache we can see on the horizon because of the choices we must make.  It is sad and exciting to have His Truth revealed, a great test to reveal what is in our hearts, whether we really will obey Him. 

Then there are those who become 'lovers of themselves' who have egos built upon pride and arrogance. They place upon themselves a huge heapin' helping of self worth and claim it's 'live and let live' time.  Their excuses are 'that's not what it means to me' and 'God knows what's in my heart' and 'as long as I honor Him, its OK whatever I do, whenever I do it' (sounding quite a bit as if they follow the doctrine of Nicolaitans). That sure puts a heavy glaze over the truth of Scriptures and what our Creator expects from us.  But you know what? It is the Seed Parable once again.

The seed is the Word of Elohim

"The side of the road" are those people who hear the Word, but along comes the enemy and takes the Word from the heart so that they might not believe and gain life eternal. (Satan causes us to doubt the Word of Elohim which removes it from our heart)

"The stony ground" are those that heard it and received the Word with joy, but they have no root; rather for a while their faith is growing, yet in the time of difficulties and trying times they are offended and turn their backs on Elohim. (No root means no foundation in Scriptures, no place for faith to gain a foothold. Everything sounds good and seems right on the surface to these folks, but when bad things happen, they quickly blame God)

A "thorny place" are they who hear the Word but eventually, with the wealth and lusts of the world, are choked, and they do not produce fruit. (TV Evangelicals come to mind, ensnaring and choking off people everywhere and getting rich doing so.)

"Good ground" are they who, with an honest and good heart, hear the Word and retain it and bear fruit with patience.

We are to Love YHWH first and foremost and not put ourselves first and then work Him into our schedule as we see fit. 

Mark 12:29 - Y'shua said the 1st Commandment is 'Shema (hear and obey) O Israel! Master YHWH is one - Love Him with all your heart, with all your soul, all your mind and strength. The 2nd is like it - Love your neighbor as yourself' (Leviticus 19:18)

And while we're at it:

Romans 12:9 - Let not your love be full of deceit, but be haters of evil things and adhere to good things. Love one another, honor one another, be active and not slothful. Be fervent in spirit. Work for Y'shua. Be joyful in your hope in the Good News. Be patient under your afflictions and preserving in prayer. Be communicators to the wants of the Set Apart believers. Be kind to strangers. Bless your persecutors, bless and do not curse. Rejoice with them who rejoice and weep with them who weep. Do not indulge in arrogant thoughts, but unite yourselves with the humble minded. Be not wise in your own estimations. Repay no man evil for evil but let it be to your study to do good before all men.

In Revelation 2:6, and 2:15, it is stated that the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans is a thing to be hated. The Nicolaitans believed in the freedom of the flesh and taught that the deeds of the flesh had no effect upon the health of the soul and had no relation to salvation. They believed that faith alone, and not obedience to the Instructions of Elohim, was necessary for salvation. They could behave anyway they liked as long as they claimed to have 'faith in god'. This is a false teaching.  While Faith is the foundation for our salvation, it is by Faith we obey our Creator and have the testimony of His Son.

The Feast of Dedication = Another Tradition

This historical event has come to be known as Chanukkah and is not one of our Creator's set apart times so it is not necessary to partake of the modern day festivities associated with it.  Many see it today as the 'Jewish Christmas' because of the traditions added to it and it's proximity to Dec. 25th. The Feast of Dedication is only mentioned one time in Scriptures, noting the time of year and what was taking place while Y'shua was walking and teaching on the porch at the Temple in Jerusalem, as he was accustomed to do. Many like to say that Y'shua was celebrating this feast day but in one of my studies I have concluded this was not the case. (See link at the bottom of this page).

Quote from the Jewish Virtual Library:

A successor of Alexander, Antiochus IV was in control of the region. He began to oppress the Jews severely, placing a Hellenistic priest in the Temple, massacring Jews, prohibiting the practice of the Jewish religion, and desecrating the Temple by requiring the sacrifice of pigs on the altar. Two groups opposed Antiochus: a basically nationalistic group led by Mattathias the Hasmonean and his son Judah Maccabee, and a religious traditionalist group known as the Chasidim, the forerunners of the Pharisees. They joined forces in a revolt against both the assimilation of the Hellenistic Jews and oppression by the Selucid Greek government. The revolution succeeded and the Temple was rededicated.

According to tradition as recorded in the Talmud, at the time of the rededication, there was very little oil left that had not been defiled by the Greeks. Oil was needed for the menorah in the Temple, which was supposed to burn throughout the night every night. There was only enough oil to burn for one day, yet miraculously, it burned for eight days. An eight day festival was declared to commemorate this miracle.

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday's religious significance is far less than that of Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of the Maccabees.

There are those who believe Chanukkah is important in another way. It has been proposed that Antiochus Epiphanes represents the people, you and me, and Judah Maccabee represents Y'shua.  Maybe someone came up with this connection and it seemed to fit their learning curve at the time, but really, take a closer look at Antiochus, who had a statue of Zeus and one of himself placed inside the Temple and commanded sacrifices be made to them. This is more inline with what will happen three and half years into the final seven years of life as we know it on this earth: Satan possesses the final world leader, enters the 'holy of holies' and declares himself 'god'.  The image of the beast is set up and all are commanded to worship it. This is part of what Y'shua tells us according to Daniel's prophecy about the 'abomination of desolation' that enters the set apart place. It is a warning for us to heed concerning the end times scenario. 

Judah Maccabee (the hammer) was behind the actions which purged the temple of Hellenistic cult paraphernalia including the statues of Zeus and Antiochus Ephiphanes; reconstructed the sanctuary according to Torah prescriptions and reconsecrated it to the worship of YHWH [Dec. 164 BC]. The festival of Channukah was later instituted to commemorate this triumph.

Someone is trying to make a good excuse for keeping the tradition of celebrating Chanukkah, ignoring the historical/prophetical events while at the same time thinking they are honoring YHWH. This idea comes from man's imagination and is not supported by Scriptures, which should always be the foundation in any research and study. Personally, I cannot see a connection between me and Antiochus Epiphanes nor would I desire to be grouped in with him. He was an abomination and I am not. I admit I once was a carnal Gentile before I came into covenant with YHWH Elohim, but now I am learning right from wrong as I abide by His Instructions. As for desecrating any temple and thinking I was a god-dess.... nope, not the case.  And I think it is a stretch comparing Judah the Hammer with Y'shua the Messiah who told his Apostles the temple they admired would be torn down and replaced spiritually. 

Many of us have gotten sidelined once or twice while in the study of Scriptures when we let our imaginations take the lead with those 'what if' scenarios, while searching for 'deeper meanings'.  

Click Here for my study on Tradition

Click Here for my study on Pagan Origins

then scroll down past 'Easter' for info about Chanukkah

Click Here for my study on Deeper Meanings

That Old Dragon

I think it is safe to say that in this day and age most people associate the term/name "Satan" with the Devil, the serpent that showed up in the Garden who has played a role throughout Scriptures and is known as our Adversary, that old Dragon.  We also know that if we resist temptation the devil will flee from us.

Genesis 3

The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild beasts that YHWH made. The serpent speaks to Eve asking, "Did God really say you shall not eat of any tree of the garden?"  With that he causes her to doubt the Word of the Creator.  The serpent reassures her that she won't die if she eats of the tree in the middle of the Garden but that her eyes will be opened and she will be like the 'divine beings' who know good and bad. He tempted her and she took the bait.  Later, when Yah approaches and asks, "What is this that you have done!" she blames the serpent.  Yah curses the serpent, separating it from all the wild beasts and cattle. "On your belly you shawl crawl" seems to indicate it walked either upright or on all fours, but no more. And now there is enmity between it and the woman and their offspring; hers shall strike at its head and its shall strike at their heel. (A deadly head wound comes to mind). Adam and Eve were banned from the Garden where they had been cared for by YHWH and now had to work to provide for themselves.

Definition of enmity:

: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

This everlasting hatred is between Jacob and Esau and their descendants. Our Creator blessed both sons of Abraham, but He only kept His Covenant through Jacob.

In these writings no one is designated as 'Satan' and it isn't until Genesis 6 that we read about the divine beings who had sex with human women who bore those genetic half breeds; and eventually man's wickedness and his continuous evil ways cause our Creator to become so saddened that He regrets that He had made man. 

Was Satan the boss of those divine beings? We're they part of his plan against YHWH and that perpetual mutual hatred between the children of Cain and the children of Elohim? What about that bright shining morning star that some translations read as 'Lucifer' ... was this referring to the King of Babylon or to the fallen state of Satan?

I found this very interesting, the definition of 'Satan' found in the Merriam Webster Dictionary:

• the angel who in Jewish belief is commanded by God to tempt humans to sin, to accuse the sinners, and to carry out God's punishment
• the rebellious angel who in Christian belief is the adversary of God and lord of evil

Commanded by God? I always thought Satan was acting of his own accord, out of pride and arrogance, defying YHWH Elohim.  Rebellious and disobedient to the Creator; lawless, and able to tempt mere humans to sin.

Who we have come to know as Satan was either appearing as a serpent, possessing the serpent, or deceiving Adam and Eve into believing that it was the serpent who was talking to them. This much we can discern by reading Revelation 12:8 ~ But the dragon was not strong enough, and no longer was any place found in heaven for him and his angels. And the great dragon was hurled down — the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Second Thessalonians 2:9

For the coming of that Evil One is the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all the deceptiveness of iniquity in them that perish; because they did not receive the love of the truth by which they might have life. Therefore Elohim will send upon them the strength of a deception that they may believe a lie and that they all may be condemned who do not believe the truth but have pleasure in their inequity.

Inequity defined:

Injustice = Wrong

Unfairness = Marked by deception

Deceptiveness of inequity = it's all wrong, lies accepted in place of the Truth.  Once we win the battle against being brainwashed all these years, it is amazing how His Truth stands out so obvious against the darkness Satan's wields.

Second Corinthians 2:10

And whom you forgive, I also forgive for that which I forgave to any one for your sakes I forgave it in the presence of the Messiah; or else Satan should overtake us, for we know his devices.

Second Corinthians 11:13

For they are false apostles, crafty workers, and pretend apostles of Y'shua, and in this there is nothing strange, for if Satan pretends to be a Messenger of light it makes sense that his ministers also pretend to be ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.

First Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves under the powerful hand of Elohim for He cares for you. Be sober and guarded because Satan, like a lion, roars and goes about and seeks whom he may devour. Therefore resist him, being steadfast in the Faith and know that the same sufferings befall your Brothers that are in the world.

Through our own personal battles with temptations, and in our times of joy, we do have Revelation 20:1 to look forward to: And I saw a Messenger that descended from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he seized that dragon, the old serpent, who is the Deceiver and Satan, who seduced the whole habitable world, and he bound him a thousand years.

Satan has been referred to as the dragon, a serpent, a deceiver, the father of lies and the adversary.  It is believed he was once Yah's most favorite of the host of heaven who chose to leave his station out of pride and arrogance wanting to be 'god' himself, no longer satisfied to be part of creation. It has been his mission ever since to keep mankind from knowing the one true Living Elohim.

Recognizing Demons in Today's World

Most of the following is gleaned from a web site I came across while researching 'demons'. Much of it does make sense in light of Scriptures as we know demons are written of more than once throughout Scriptures. This study is to help us better understand our enemy so as not to be destroyed for lack of knowledge; nor shall we fall for the strong delusion coming our way. I provided Chapter and Verse references taken from my copy of the Tanakh and the Aramaic English New Testament. Please read from your own copy of Scriptures as you further your studies.

We learn from reading Ephesians 2 that before we knew right from wrong we were unaware of our sins and offenses.  We behaved according to the the worldliness of this world (religions, customs and materialism...) and lived according to the will of the prince and power of the air, that spirit which is active in those who are rebellious and disobedient (shunning the Creator).  We gave into temptations and desires of the flesh and our thoughts... we were just like the rest of the people we hung out with. 

Satan is "the prince of the power of the air". 

John 12:31 tells us when Judgment Day comes, the ruler of this world will be cast outside. It is reasonable to think that he and his demons have some control over the elements of nature such as wind, rain, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Remember that it was Satan who directed a "great wind" to collapse the home of Job's oldest son, resulting in the deaths of all Job's children:

Job 1:19  ... suddenly a mighty wind came from the wilderness. It struck the four corners of the house so that it collapsed upon the young people and they died..." 

Another thing I'd like to point out is the fact that governments of this world use weather as a weapon by means of control through the HAARP program, chemical spraying of the atmosphere, pinging and things we've yet to hear about which are all behaviors connected to demonic influence.

It is not logical to blame every illness on demonic activity nor is it biblical. Many of our illnesses are the result of poor lifestyle choices: too much fast food; lack of physical exercise; addictions to things such as alcohol, nicotine, drugs, TV, social media; hanging onto guilt and not forgiving others; holding onto a grudge and blaming ourselves for things not our fault. Though not all illnesses are caused by Satan and his demons, some of them are. Reading in Mark we see there is a difference between sicknesses that were caused by demons and those that were not.

Mark 1:32 ~ And in the evening at the setting of the sun, they brought to him all those who were severely diseased and possessed ....he healed many who were severely diseased with diverse weaknesses  ....he cast out many demons, and he did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew him.

It seems Mark is making a difference between people who are sick with some sort of disease and those who are possessed. Folks can become physically ill from a weakened immune system and maybe if one is spiritually weak they can become home to a demon.

Just like physical illness, some mental disorders are caused by other factors while some are demonically influenced.  Again I would like to suggest it relates to how spiritually weak a person is. I think it is a mistake to say that all mental illness is directly linked to demons. 

Our thoughts and emotions are directly traceable to a series of electrical and chemical impulses in the brain. When the brain does not function properly, drug therapy can help restore the natural balances. However, our thoughts and emotions are more than a series of electrical and chemical impulses. There's an immeasurable, though very real, spiritual component that influences our thoughts and emotions. Positively, this spiritual component can protect us from anxiety and its attendant consequences:

Philippians 4:4 ~ Rejoice in יהוה always, again I say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Master is near. Do not worry at all, but in every matter, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to Elohim; and the peace of Elohim, which surpasses all understanding, shall guard your hearts and minds through Messiah יהושע. For the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is righteous, whatever is clean, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good report, if there is any uprightness and if there is any praise – think on these.

If a positive spiritual exercise like prayer can influence our thought processes by removing anxiety, then it is reasonable to conclude there are also negative spiritual influences that can seize control of our minds and emotions. While not all mental disorders are caused by external spiritual forces such as demons, some of them are.

Consider the man in Luke 8 who was controlled by numerous demons. A refusal to put on clothes, withdrawal from others, strange voices emanating from his mouth, and deep depression were symptoms that today would immediately land him in a mental hospital. Yet as soon as the demons left him, notice the immediate and radical change in his mental state and behavior: "The people went out to see what had happened; and they came to Y'shua, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Y'shua, clothed and in his right mind; and they became frightened. Those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was demon-possessed had been made well" (Luke 8:35-36).

The restoration of this man's mental health did not require years of psychotherapy or drug treatment, because his root problem was not primarily physical or emotional, but spiritual. Please understand that I'm not condemning psychotherapy or chemical treatment. What I am suggesting is that sometimes there is also a spiritual component to mental disorders we should not ignore.

Demons can use other people to discourage, distract, and deceive us. In extreme instances, demons have the ability to use human agents to persecute and murder other Believers. John attributes the slaughter of Elohim's people during the coming Tribulation to demonic activity (see Revelation 18:2,24). We are aware of similar persecution throughout history and in many areas of the world today.

While no true Set Apart believer can be possessed by a demon, we can be influenced by demons - it is an ever present, although spiritual, war. Any area of our lives that is not controlled by the Ruach haKodesh is vulnerable to being controlled by Satan and his forces. You may remember from physics that nature abhors a vacuum. The same truth applies to the spiritual realm. Some spiritual force is going to fill or control your life. Any area of your existence — finances, marriage, work, and morality — that is not being directed by the His Spirit is vulnerable to being controlled by demonic influences.

The key to resisting demonic influences in our lives is to make sure that every area of our lives is filled or controlled by Yahweh Elohim.  Put Him first in all things.

(Adapted from The Divine Defense by Robert Jeffress, Waterbrook Press, 2006)

Flying Scroll and a Tub of Wickedness

If you thought Ezekiel's visions were far-out, read this from Zechariah. He's been talking with an angel while being shown different visions. This is from chapter 5:

I looked up again, and I saw a flying scroll. "What do you see" the angel asked. I replied, "A flying scroll, twenty cubits long and ten cubits wide." The angel explained, "That is the curse which goes out over the whole land. For everyone who has stolen, as is forbidden on one side of the scroll, has gone unpunished; and everyone who has sworn falsely, as is forbidden on the other side of it, has gone unpunished. YHWH declares; I sent it forth and the curse shall enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My Name, and it shall lodge inside their houses and shall consume them to the last timber and stone. The angel tells Zechariah to look up and see the other object that is approaching. "This tub that is approaching, this is their eye in all the land." A disk of lead was lifted revealing a woman seated inside the tub. "That is Wickedness"; and thrusting her down into the tub, he pressed the leaded weight into the mouth of the tub. Two women came soaring with the wind in their wings- they had wings like those of a stork -and carry off the tub between earth and sky. They took it to build a shrine for it in the land of Shinar, a stand will be erected for it, and it shall be set down there upon the stand.

A Cubit is a measure of approximately 18 inches. That scroll is about 30 feet long and 15 feet wide. It is the curse that infests liars, cheaters and thieves who think they've "gotten away with it" - they haven't been caught or punished, yet. It consumes them, timber and stone. That tub being used as 'their eye' in all the land makes me think of a satellite or the famous 'all seeing eye' until we find the wicked woman inside. Is that Ishtar or perhaps alluding to Mystery Babylon, the mother of harlots; the woman who rides the beast, controlling governments. It takes a covering of lead to keep her inside. 

The Land of Shinar was a general geographic term for what is today Iraq, known in ancient times as Mesopotamia. There, two of the greatest of ancient empires, Assyria and Babylon, were centered and this is where a shrine to wickedness is kept.

For an example, in today's world, there is the Shrine of Sayidda Zeinab - (quote) ... an Iranian-style mosque and shrine in southern Damascus, Syria. The mosque dates from the 1990s, but was built on a pre-existing shrine. It attracts Shia Muslim pilgrims from Iran and around the world who care far less about its blue-tiled architecture than about it's the shrine of Sayidda Zeinab, daughter of the Shia martyr Ali and granddaughter of the Prophet Muhammad. (end quote) 

Could this be the foreshadowed shrine of wickedness? hmmm... Islam opposes Yah's Instructions in righteous living. Arabs are the descendants of Esau... Mystery Babylon will be remembered and judged. Shinar is the name given, in the earliest Hebrew records, to Babylonia, later called Babel, or the land of Babel. In Genesis 10:10 it is the district wherein lay Babel, Erech, Accad, and Calneh, cities which were the "beginning" of Nimrod's kingdom. In 11:2 Shinar is described as the land of the plain where migrants from the East settled, and founded Babel, the city, and its great tower.

There is also a replica of the Ishtar Gate in Babylon today. The original was taken by archaeologist over a century ago and is in Berlin. I find it interesting that Babylon is being rebuilt and has been submitted to the UN World Heritage Center for consideration.

I don't think we've heard the last of the Tub of Wickedness.

Meat as Food

Food was plant based in the beginning and by Genesis 9 Yah gave the go ahead to eat meats after Noah and his family left the ark, according to Yah's menu of what and what not to eat of.  Later, too, we get a better understanding:

Deuteronomy 12:13 ~ Take care not to sacrifice your burnt offerings in any place you like, but in the place that YHWH will choose in one of your tribal territories (which became Jerusalem). Verse 15 ~ BUT whenever you desire, you may slaughter and eat meat in any of your settlements, according to the blessing that YHWH your Elohim has granted you. But do not partake of the blood, pour it out on the ground.....

There were animals designated for sacrifice and animals to use as food at home. And His people knew how to kill an animal with care. Abraham was aware of Yah's teachings, knew the difference between what could be simply eaten and what was intended as burnt offerings. He had great wealth in animals: sheep, oxen, asses and camels as well as cattle. He was the model of hospitality when he offers rest and a meal in Genesis 18, having Sarah prepare cakes and the servant boy prepare a calf.

Time goes by and the rules and regulations about burnt offerings become associated with food and taking care of the servants of Elohim: 

Numbers 18:21: And to the Levites I hereby give all the tithes (mostly from the field, the herd, and the flock) in Israel as the share in return for the services that they (the priests from the tribe of Levi) perform, the services of the Tent of Meeting... :24 for it is the tithes set aside by the Israelites As A Gift to Elohim that I give to the Levites (for they have no territorial share among the Israelites) :26 Speak to the Levites and say to them, When you receive from the Israelites their tithes, which I have assigned to you as your share, you shall set aside from them one-tenth of the tithe as a Gift to YHWH... (the best of the best of the best always goes to the Creator) :29 You (the priests) shall set aside (one-tenth of) all Gifts due to Elohim from everything that is Donated to you, from each thing the Best portion :31 You and your households may eat it anywhere for it is your recompense for your Services in the Tent of Meeting

Not all animals and birds and fish were designated as burnt offerings or intended as food for human consumption. Some predators and scavengers are not to be eaten because they are part of the clean up crew. Take a look at our polluted oceans from which commercial fisheries have raked out lobsters, crabs and other bottom feeders who were not intended as food for us but are Yah's garbage collectors of the deep. Clams, mussels and shrimp are also on the Do Not Eat list. (click here for more on this subject)  (And Here)

I think part of the lesson is not to make a big deal about food and that means don't take pictures of it and post them to your facebook page "Yum". We should simplify what we eat as we continue to walk His Path and abide by His rules. I think it is very important to abstain from the 'food industry' and their methods of mass breeding and slaughtering birds and animals. All the injections, hormones, antibiotics and other additives have really made our choices limited. So, without distorting Yah's Instructions for His creation, we can choose a healthier lifestyle by not buying commercial meats and dairy, cutting back on all pre-made packaged foods etc.... and start cleaning up this temple of ours. I say these things because my husband and I are on this path and have aligned our food choices with His Menu. My latest is to avoid all genetically modified foods and hybrid varieties. We are the physical and spiritual result of the choices we make and they aren't always easy, but once we commit ourselves to our Creator it gets easier to move forward, one stepping stone at a time.

PS.... Give up your microwave, too.

Traditions added to the Instructions of YHWH

Definition of "tradition" from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

1. An inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior
2. A belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable
3. The handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction
4. Cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs, and institutions
5. Characteristic manner, method, or style

What we shall discover is that the established thoughts and behavior of the elders were handed down to the Pharisees as in Definition #3 and eventually became the religion we know of today as Judaism: a cultural continuity in social attitudes, customs and institutions (as are most religions). As we uncover the Hebrew origins of our faith, there are traditions we should not add to our spiritual awakening thinking we are pleasing Elohim.

Mark 7:5 The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of Elohim and have embraced the tradition of men.  And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..."

Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, "Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Written Torah was pitted against the oral traditions of the Pharisees who were nullifying the Word of YHWH by their traditions - he would not instruct his followers to do likewise.

YHWH did say this, through Isaiah. It is what had happened back then and has continued to happen throughout time, including today's world:

Beginning with Isaiah 1:11, Yah said: What need have I of all your sacrifices... I am sated with burnt offerings of rams, suet of fatlings, blood of bulls; and I have no delight in lambs and he-goats. Who asked that of you, that you would appear before me? Trample my courts no more; bringing oblations is futile, incense is offensive to Me. New moon and sabbath you proclaim solemnities in assemblies with wickedness, I cannot abide.  Your new moons and fixed seasons fill Me with loathing; they are become a burden to Me, I cannot endure them. And when you lift up your hands, I will turn My eyes away from you; though you pray at length, I will not listen. You hands are stained with crimes. -- Wash yourselves clean; put your evil doings away from My sight. Cease to do evil; learn to do good. Devote yourselves to justice; aid the wrongly accused. Uphold the rights of the orphan; defend the cause of the widow. Let us reach an understanding, says YHWH Elohim.

YHWH also lets us know, eventually:

Isaiah 66:23 And new moon after new moon, and sabbath after sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship Me.

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Traditions have been handed down and Satan has made it easy for us to overlook them in our excitement to obey our Creator. So I ask, are we doing something because we think it's right or because we know it's right? Are we pleasing ourselves or are we pleasing YHWH by obeying His Command? His Instructions in Righteous Living are not traditions. If we're not careful to see the difference between His original commands and what man has added, we will inadvertently begin to 'worship' the created thing instead of the Creator. If we do things our own way we are doubting the Word of Elohim and have fallen into the same trap set by Satan in the Garden. 

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...

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Following is part of the discussion that prompted the need for a better understanding of 'tradition' according to Scriptures. The original post was about YHWH no longer being happy with people who were not keeping His Set Apart times according to His Instructions. The hot spot became the keeping the 7th day sabbath. The discussion went the way of many a FB discussion: rapid fire posting and loss of context. The names have been changed and my comments begin with 'Corn'. My added after-the-fact notations are in italics. Spen's comment was in response to the original post referencing what Yah said in Isaiah 1:11.

Spen: But He was talking to the people who were keeping the biblical feast days and they were keeping all the biblical laws. They weren't keeping pagan holidays. They were keeping Passover, Shavuot, and Tabernacles. They were slaughtering animals. 

This is correct. They had been keeping His 'feast days' according to Torah, but as time went by, they started changing how they were doing things, falling short of Yah's Instructions.

Note: Spen now offers a quote from Isaiah 1: 11 overlooking that I had entered that same quote as my first response. These verses I have provided above.

Gard: "Your" not His.  ie. I hate "your" feast days, "your" new moon....  It makes it clear to me that He is talking to people that are not keeping "His" ways.

Note: He is talking to His people who have changed the way they keep His set times.

Corn: Yah specifies Your new moons (months) and your fixed seasons (man's traditions and substitutes for Yah's moedim) fill Me with loathing - they have become a burden to Me, no longer a joy. ~ Those same people began to mix pagan traditions with His Instructions. The same happened with the church system when Constantine incorporated pagan traditions into Christianity. This really helps me to understand His building anger and the Day of Wrath to come. Now consider how many in this day and age who claim to be coming back to Torah, have taken His plain instructions for His set apart times and changed them to fit their idea of how they should be done. For example: today's months are according to the Gregorian calendar, not His way of keeping track by new moon reckoning. If we aren't starting the month on the right day then how can we keep the 7th day count set apart? Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot were to be kept in Jerusalem which was the last place He chose to attach His Name, so we shouldn't be trying to keep them anywhere we choose, turning His Set Apart times into our Fixed Seasons.

Corn: Over time, for example, Judaism has taken the simple instruction of keeping the seventh day set apart and turned it into 24 chapters. This is included in the Mishnah where Oral Law was finally being recorded. Oral Law is what Y'shua referred to when speaking against what the Pharisees promoted.

Quoted from the Jewish Virtual Library:

The Oral Law is a legal commentary on the Torah, explaining how its commandments are to be carried out.

Question: who can keep Sabbath according to His heart and not our own.

Corn: It can be done, but first we must remember the Sabbath day and keep it set apart. He must have known we were going to get so far off track that He had to tell us to 'remember''. We begin to 'remember' by reading Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, the first 5 books of Scripture also known as Torah, Yah's Instructions for His creation.

Point brought up: oh, they didn't do it right then, but we're doing it right now?

Corn: As with most of His Instructions, adaptations need be done in these modern times. His Instructions have not changed, but the times we are living in are nothing like the good old days.  We do not substitute what we think is right. 

Gard: We can only obey to the best of our understanding. As we learn more it becomes easier.

Note: We do not stop learning or else we begin to stagnate on that part of His Path. By our patience we gain understanding as we continue to read His Word and grow in our faith.

Question: The Jews were so afraid of breaking the Sabbath they added extra laws. Didn't the Father know their heart?  I don't see how they did it wrong, now all the sudden we do it right.  I believe the Father was taking about something deeper.

Yahweh tests us to reveal what is in our heart. 

Deuteronomy 8: You shall faithfully observe all the Instruction that I enjoin upon you today, that you may thrive and increase and be able to posses the land that YHWH Elohim promised on oath to your fathers. Remember the long way that YHWH your Elohim has made you travel in the wilderness these past forty years, that He might test you by hardships to learn what was in your hearts: whether you would keep His commandments or not....Romans 2:5 - But because of your hard and unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of wrath, when Yah's righteous judgment will be revealed.

Corn: They weren't afraid. The 24 chapters I mentioned from the Mishnah are basically what the rabbis think should be done and how it should be done, adding their own ideas to Yah's instructions. They don't think we are smart enough to figure it out for ourselves. The religious leaders wanted to keep their power over the common folk which is one of the reasons Y'shua said to beware the leaven of the Pharisees (a little leaven affects the whole batch). It is about right or wrong - Many are Not doing it 'right' these days, adding the same traditions the Pharisees included. Many have mixed those traditions in with His Instructions and it started long ago.

Note: It becomes apparent that we three do not agree on the definition of 'tradition' which became a stumbling block toward a unified understanding.

Mark 7:5 ~ The scribes and the Pharisees ask Y'shua, "Why don't your disciples walk according to the traditions of the elders? His short answer is: "You hypocrites... You have left the Commandment of Elohim and you have embraced the tradition of men. ... And you despise the Word of Elohim because of the tradition that you have handed down..." 

Matthew 15:3 records the same... the scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem ask Y'shua why his disciples transgress against the traditions of the elders. He asks them, 
"Why do you transgress the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?"

Note: In those verses we learn Y'shua is pointing out The Traditions of the Pharisees go against the Instructions of YHWH.  These traditions are woven into the religion of Judaism. This is the key I missed in trying to explain myself.

Questions: Which oral laws were so bad as to be sin? Which traditions are we not allowed to do on Sabbath?

Note: This is when I realized I needed to excuse myself from this discussion and proceed with Scriptures to find the answers that explained the difference between keeping Yah's Way His way or doing things the way we think is right and pleasing.  I refer back to Isaiah 1:11. Nadab and Abihu are good examples as well as Jeroboam.

Corn: A tradition we should not partake of is lighting candles, for example. It is not a matter of His allowing us to, it's just not part of His instruction pertaining to the 7th day shabbat.

Gard: At least their traditions are recognizable when you read the Bible. For instance, Christmas seems to not be biblically based whatsoever. I see no harm in lighting candles. I also don't see it as necessary. Is it a harmful tradition? I think it is a good way to get everyone's focus around the table. Is it necessary to drink or harmful to drink a cup of coffee on the Sabbath? A tradition we follow.

Note: Drinking coffee on the sabbath is not a tradition, it is customarily done by many people by habit, any day of the week. Although, if you only drank coffee on the 7th day because it was the sabbath, then you have created a tradition which is not according to Yah's instructions.  The mention of a candle on the table to get everyone focused is similar to how a seance is performed. I am NOT saying that is what you intend, but I AM trying to make you see what is tradition. We should live as close to His Word as possible so our deeds are not misleading to others. Yahweh's Instructions in Righteous Living are not traditions. They are laws, rules, teachings and commandments He has provided for us. His is the perfect governing system for our health and well being, not a burden.

Corn: I should have said, Lighting of Shabbat candles is a Jewish tradition added to the Word of God which is not necessary as part of the 7th day rest, and not to be confused with what we eat or drink. Also, Christmas is a tradition and you're right, it is not biblically based. Most of us have given up celebrating it yet we still hold onto other traditions. 

Here is what our Creator said in regards to keeping the 7th day rest:

Genesis 2:2- By the seventh day YHWH completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then He blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which He had created. (He has set the pattern for us)
Exodus 35:2-For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Set Apart day, a sabbath of Complete Rest to Yahweh Elohim.... (this day is not for ourselves but to honor Him)
Leviticus 23:3- For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of Complete Rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to your Elohim, in all your dwellings.
Deuteronomy 5:12- Observe the sabbath day to keep it set apart as Yahweh your Elohim commanded you. (Keep the day of rest according to His Instructions)

As it is written in the Ten Commandments, we are told to remember:

Remember the sabbath day and keep it set apart. Six days you shall do all your work but the seventh day is a sabbath of Mine. You, your family, your hired hands or your work animals or the stranger who is visiting your town shall do no work. I made heaven and earth and sea and all that is in them in six days and on the seventh I rested, therefore I blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.

Corn: Do we want to follow His Commandments or not? Are we lighting candles for ambiance, or because we live off grid, or are we trying to copy Jewish tradition?  Are we cooking full fledged meals this day or do we have enough left overs from the 6th day? Are we causing others to work on this day, or using our farm animals to work, or did we get it all done in the prior six days so everyone could rest on this day, just as our Creator has told us to do.

Exodus 16:23- Then he said to them, "This is what Yahweh meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, set apart to Him. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning." (get all your meals prepared the day before so you don't have to 'kindle a fire' on the sabbath to do any cooking) 35:2 For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day you shall have a Set Apart day, a sabbath of Complete Rest to Yahweh Elohim. You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day.

Note: Kindling a fire took a lot of time and was considered work back in the day. Many of us only need flip a switch or turn a knob to light the stove which is fine for reheating yesterday's leftovers. We prepare on the 6th day enough for two days.

Spen: Yahshua condemned the jews for lighting candles, or a fire? I don't understand. What is the definition of tradition. Maybe the traditions were something really awful and we haven't recognized it. What are the traditions that are so heinous in the eyes of the Father.

Everything has been written for our benefit so we would not make the same mistakes as they did. There is nothing new under the sun. Nothing is hidden that won't be revealed.  We have no excuse, only the choice: obey or don't obey our Creator.

Question - What is the harm of copying a tradition unless it is anti-biblical? It is an American tradition to salute the flag. Where does it forbid lighting candles.

Where does it tells us to light two candles on the sabbath? It doesn't. It is an added tradition. Anti-biblical? That means anti-Elohim, doesn't it? Do we want to go there?  Celebrating the 4th of July is tradition, celebrating Chanukkah is tradition, celebrating birthdays year after year is tradition. All of these are man made holidays, not required by our Maker to keep or observe. They are distractions from His Truth. Most of us have been brainwashed from birth with all this 'american' fanfare and thanks be to Elohim we are seeing the truth in all things.

Spen: I don't know. I don't think it is a sin. But we keep saying they kept the Sabbath wrong with their traditions, so what we're they?

Corn: Traditions of man that have been added to His Instructions is what I'm trying to point out.... (which is why I am doing this study)

Gard: Misunderstanding tradition - Okay, stay isolated from everyone! You just might copy one of their traditions? I am sorry but I am I am aggravated. Are you saying that if anything is a tradition it is wrong?

Never said nor intended that and never meant to aggravate anyone .... once again another reason I left the discussion to regroup with Scriptures.

Question - which ones where added? He said don't add or take away from the word, so clearly the scribes did.  So what was added? And what was taken away? I'm not saying any of those traditions are a sin. I'm asking is there some great sin we are missing?

Corn: OK.... I am seriously being misunderstood here so give me a moment to see if I can regroup and make sense. (I left the discussion last night and have been working on this study.)

Admission of how chaotic this discussion had become:

Gard: I am just not grasping this sorry. I do see that we need to question traditions or maybe I am think habits or culture? Are we to isolate on the Sabbath so that we don't fall into traditions? Are we just to read scripture, argue if the earth is flat and go home? A gathering without any kind of traditions would just suck!

Whew!

"A gathering without traditions would suck."

Best go back and read some of our Creator's advice about copying other peoples traditions and why He instructed them to tear down the altars, posts, idols and destroy other areas of pagan worship, removing them from the land He was giving them. There you will find that even then they disobeyed Him and kept some of the people, the animals, the traditions, etc... look where it has gotten us today: Folks still want to embrace 'tradition'. No wonder He has stored up His anger for that coming Day of Wrath.  I don't want to be part of His anger and hope my prayers are received as a pleasing aroma to Him. Let's all stay on the straight path that leads to the narrow gate.

Now let me present what is written about tradition in Scriptures so that we may understand why we need not incorporated Jewish Tradition into the clear Instructions given us by our Creator. Yahweh once asked how long we would spurn Him.  How many times does Yahshua have to point out that the traditions of the elders which have been passed on to the Pharisees is transgression against the Father's Instructions?

Matthew 15:3 Y'shua is speaking to the Pharisees:

Y'shua answered them and said, Why do you transgress against the Commandments of Elohim because of your traditions?

Mark 7:1
The Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem and gathered around Y'shua. They saw some of his disciples who were eating without washing their hands first. All Yehudeans and the Pharisees, if they do not carefully wash their hands they would not eat because they hold to the traditions of the elders. And there are many other traditions that they have been taught in washing of cups and pots and brass vessels and of beds. (Jewish traditional kosher laws which have been added to YHWH's instructions concerning dietary laws)

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 Y'shua Messiah.

Matthew 15:6 ~ Y'shua is speaking to the Pharisees:

Thus you nullify the word of Elohim for the sake of your tradition.

Mark 7:6 ~ Y'shua was saying this to the Pharisees and scribes:
And he said to them: Isaiah the prophet did well prophesy about you hypocrites! As it is written, 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 men. For you have left the Commandment of Elohim and embraced the tradition of the sons of men: the washing of cups and pots and many others that are like these. You have rejected the Commandment of Elohim that you might establish your tradition. (Jewish Tradition still practiced to this day)

1 Peter 1:15 ~ But you be Set Apart in all your conduct, as he is Set Apart who called you. Because it is written: "Be you Kadosh even as I am Kadosh."  And you are thus, you call on the Father .... who judges everyone according to his deeds, since you know that neither with perishable silver nor with gold were you redeemed from your vain doings which you had by tradition handed down from your fathers.

Esther 9:20 - Mordecai recorded these events and sent dispatches to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Ahasuerus charging them to observe the 14th and 15th days of Adar every year... to observe them as days of feasting and merrymaking and sending gifts to one another and giving presents to the poor. The Jews made a tradition out of what they had begun to do which Mordecai prescribed for them. 

Esther 9:27 - ... the Jews undertook and irrevocably obligated themselves and their descendants, and all who might join them, to observe these two days in the manner prescribed at the proper time each year.* 

*This Jewish Tradition is known as Purim. It is not one of Yah's moedim as it was instigated by Mordecai and supported by Esther who made the people obligated to them, just as they had assumed for themselves the obligation of the fasts with their lamentations (fast days in commemoration of national calamities).

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What are the traditions of the elders passed down to the Pharisees that found there way into the religion of Judaism and copied by the Messianic Hebrew Roots people?  Many of them were picked up during the Babylonian exile and brought back to Jerusalem after those seventy years.  The names of the months and names of the days, for example, were learned in Babylon.  Our Creator did not name them, but had numbered them.  If you really want the answer about 'traditions of men' and will use Scriptures as your foundation, then take a look at the Jewish Virtual Library and do a key word search.  Most every doctrine of Judaism has been heavily tainted with traditions handed down by the elders to the Pharisees to the rabbis. They do not simply rely on the written Word found in Torah, but have added the Mishnah, Talmud and Kabbalah. Rabbis believed without an oral tradition, some of the Torah's laws would be incomprehensible. This simply is not true.  Mysticism is an integral part of Chasidic Judaism, for example, and passages from kabbalistic sources are routinely included in traditional prayer books. The mystical school of thought came to be known as Kabbalah, meaning "to receive, to accept." The word is usually translated as "tradition." 

It is not just the Jews that Yah is angry with; His wrath is against all teachers who lead others astray regardless of nationality or heritage.  Read Scriptures and let His Spirit open your eyes to the Truth.

Here is another example: Making fringes on the corners of a garment and adding a blue cord is the command. The knotting and wrapping of strings is tradition.

Tradition has turned "fringes" into ornamental tzitzits complete with mystic overtones by wrapping and knotting them, denoting numbers and applying the system of gematria, which is numerology, which is from pagan traditions. That is one of the 'traditions' I am pointing out. I do not deny the command or that Set Apart believers, including Y'shua, wore garments with fringed corners, but they were not knotted, beaded, braided or color coordinated clip-ons.

We are most capable of understanding the instructions left for us by our Creator and without the temptation of discovering deeper meanings. He does expect us to make an effort, such as reading Scriptures and studying in fellowship with other Set Apart believers. When we show Him our intent and abide by His Instructions, best we can in this day and age, He gives us understanding as we are comforted with the truth revealed to us by His Spirit. Pharisees, Sadducees, scribes, rabbis, preachers and all the church fathers lose their perceived power, importance, money and control over the common folk when the common folk start reading Torah, and all of Scriptures, for themselves.

We have successfully peeled back the layers of Christian deceptions and religious traditions and found our place in Torah. Now lets peel back the next few layers of tradition and leave Babylon behind us.

Click Here to go to my study Traditions of Man

Click Here to go to my study Sneaky Little Traditions