When Tradition Overrides Truth and Reason–Sabbath Thoughts & Reflection-88

by | Jul 30, 2017 | Blog, Podcasts

When Tradition Overrides Truth and Reason–Sabbath Thoughts & Reflection-88

When Tradition Overrides Truth and Reason

by Rod Thomas | Sabbath Thoughts & Reflections 88

KJV Mark 7:1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.1

3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.1

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.1

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.1

(Mar 7:1-9 KJV)

This is Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections—episode 88—When Tradition Overrides Truth and Reason—Shalom and Welcome.

Part-1-When Tradition Overrides Truth and Reason

If you by chance listened to or read the previous two or so episodes of this program, you may recall that I had embarked upon a new chapter in my life and that is relocating to the extreme opposite end of the country to care for my ailing folks. I also mentioned in the previous episode that one of those family members had actually passed away, now going on two-weeks ago. Needless to say, it was quite a jolt to my family and I, especially to me, not expecting the death to occur at all. Things took such a quick turn for the worse within a very abbreviated period of time such that I could not catch my breath before my loved one’s passing became a reality. I was not devastated over the loss, but I was profoundly affected and I have since had my time of mourning and grief and am looking to move forward in life, within the Will of Yahuah my Elohim, carrying with me the memories of my lost loved one.

The loss of my loved one, as sudden and profound as it was to me personally, it did not devastate me as I thought that it might. It did not take long for me to have peace about about the loss, even shortly after learning that he had taken his last breath during the early hours of two-Sunday mornings. The only regret I have was that I was not there physically by his side when he transitioned from this life.

Contrary to the statements and multitude of emotional pronouncements made by various members of the family and friends upon learning of the passing, I of course knew that my loved one’s soul had not gone up to heaven or that he had entered the glory of Jesus Christ. This was the traditional belief of the Baptist Church of my youth: that when one dies, if they have said the sinner’s prayer and are members of the local church and have been baptized in Jesus’ name and live a moderately holy and righteous life (whatever that actually means to individuals in the church), they are destined for heaven and the glory that is Jesus Christ. Of course, those who had not said the sinner’s prayer, who had not affiliated with the local church, had not been baptized and who had continued throughout their lives to live unrighteously (whatever that actually means to individuals in the church), would be destined to spend an eternity in hell. Yet, in all the years that I spent in the Baptist Church of my youth, and despite all of the funerals that I had attended over the course of those years, I had never heard a eulogy or passing words from family and friends condemning such to hell. Even the most ardent anti-church, anti-religion folks were happily assigned to spend eternity in heaven. I am not sure how that could be, given the foundational teachings and doctrines related to heaven and hell in the Baptist Church, but everyone seems to be getting a free pass to heaven and of course, they are said to have fought the good fight and ran that tough race that leads to eternity in heaven, regardless how they lived their life on this planet, or how much they rejected the things of God throughout their lives.

And we’re just talking about the deceased loved one; the ones left behind and how they process and react to the passing is another story altogether. Having been absent from the Baptist Church with all her trappings for 30+-years, I had not thought much about the traditions of the Baptist Church, especially the traditions that encapsulate death and dying. Having been suddenly reintroduced to many of those traditions at the passing of my family member, I found myself catapulted back to a time of innocence when I readily accepted all the things that I was now witnessing transpire in front of me; the traditions; the trappings; the practices; the talk about death and dying. And all these traditions, trappings, practices and talking carry with them the power and authority of the Holy Scriptures and the Baptist Church—or so everyone seems to think.

As I was watching and experiencing all these things transpire before me over the course of a week, I found myself utterly amazed that I had once bought into these things lock-stock-and barrel. And there I was, sitting off to the side, and watching and listening, as these traditions took center-stage and people were tightly embracing and exploiting them to their greatest potential—all seeming to incite and tickle and manipulate the emotions of all in attendance. Indeed, at the end of the proverbial day, it all came down to emotions—everything was based upon emotions. Unfortunately, reason and truth were left outside in the heat of the day, never once being invited in to help bring us mourners to a place of peace and hope and love in Yeshua Messiah. It was an eye-opener for me; yet more so, it was an invaluable experience that showed me just how monolithic and all encompassing traditions were in this region of the country. For no where in the Holy Writ could one find, not even remotely find, the things that the pastors, ministers, teachers and laity were putting forth to the family during their hour of grief. Yet the things that these individuals were serving up to the family and friends of our dearly departed, carried with them the same, if not greater, authority than that which is recorded in the Bible.

Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged

Before I continue, I wish to make it perfectly clear that this reflection is in no way an indictment or judgment against Baptist Christians. Most of the individuals who I witnessed as being part and parcel of the traditions displayed in response to my loved one’s death are well meaning and sincere individuals who happen to be sincerely misguided and blind to the errors of their ways. These various practices and traditions have been passed down from generation to generation and for all practical intents and purposes, these traditions and practices are all they know. They have been trained not to question denominational authority (namely the bishops, pastors and ministers) in any perceived theological matters.

Thus, with this belief and tradition of not questioning the teachings and beliefs of the church, add to that the perceived primacy of the church’s leadership on all things related to the Baptist faith, the folks who are part and parcel of these practices and traditions are essentially in bondage to their religion: it’s just that simple and obvious to me. The tragedy in all this is that few to none of the laity are interested in cracking open the dusty and yellowed pages of their bibles to actually read and understand “thus says Yahuah.” Apart from general laziness, one wonders why, given the importance of church life to the majority of citizens in this region of the country, why does the average lay member refuse to read and or study their bibles? Well, the answer is relatively obvious: the lay members have been trained from virtually birth, that one must have a teacher (namely the Pastor or a minister) to explain the bible to them in order for them to understand what the Creator of the Universe is saying to His people.

Hmmm, this sounds so familiar, doesn’t it? Did not the universal church (i.e., the Roman Catholic Church) during her infancy and even into her adolescence and young adulthood, forbid the laity from reading their bibles; teaching them instead, that all they will ever need to know about things of the faith will be revealed and taught to them by the church leadership? Although nowhere near the dire straits that members of the universal church found themselves facing if they were caught with a copy of the scriptures in their possession back in the day, today, one may possess several copies and translations and or iterations of the Holy Writ, but the church for all intents and purposes discourages her members from reading their bibles outside the doors of their communities’ sanctuaries. Oh, the church may host bible studies and Sunday School classes each week, but the bible passages being studied during those sessions are canvased over with denominational commentary and instructions; so much so that the actual bible passage in question is just a very small side note to the whole study.

So then, it seems pretty obvious to me that there is a firmly ingrained system in full operation here, as there is no doubt a very similar system operating in hundreds if not thousands of communities throughout the Bible-belt and around the nation. Denominational religion fosters traditions that cannot be easily challenged and certainly not overturned, even when truth and reason clearly trumps the viability and sanctity of the dozens of traditions and practices of these churches.

Therefore, who am I to judge or spiritually indict anyone for following the traditions and practices and belief system of their chosen religion, especially in the Baptist Church of my youth? Master taught that making judgments of others is not the job of the Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah, contrary to what so many in our Faith community practice. Master taught: KJV Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that ye be not judged. 2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. 3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? 5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. (Mat 7:1-5 KJV)

Thus I am convicted to watch my thoughts, words and heart as it relates to the cultural traditions of the people that I grew up around and even participated in. It was by the grace of Abba that the True Gospel message was revealed to me and that the Ruach HaKodesh moved within me to open my eyes and heart to accept those truths. Otherwise, I could just as well be embracing the many traditions and practices of the dear folks that I am now living amongst here in the Southeastern U.S. And let me just say: these are truly dear and genuine (in most cases) people who in many ways, put some of us to shame as it relates to their zeal for their Faith and their love for one another and the god they worship. Despite their lack of understanding of the truth as recorded in our bible and delivered to us by Father’s appointed ones, the lives they live—absent their sinful ways, just like us—speaks volumes about the caliber of individuals they are. I just think in the most wishful and hopeful of ways, that if these individuals were in the position to hear and accept the true Gospel message, oh what mighty warriors would the Kingdom of Yahuah gain!

Tradtions that Snuff Out the Truth

The very thing that came to my mind in the midst of my observing the various traditions and practices of the church and the people in this community, reacting to the passing of my loved one, is the passage of the Brit HaDashah where Master was confronted with a similar reality of traditions that stifle and snuff out Truth, was the event where He confronted the sages and Pharisees over their assigning primacy of tradition over that of Torah.

Yeshua here confronts the so-called sages and Pharisees about their traditions and practices that snuff out the Truth of Torah and the ways of the Creator. Rood’s Chronology places this event on the high-holy day of the Feast of Trumpets (sometime around 9/21/27) in Kfar Nahum. Of course this would seem most appropriate in terms of timing, assuming Rood’s Chronology is accurate, because Trumpets is a reminder of Yahuah verbally delivering Torah to us as we stood at the base of Mount Sinai.

As we stood there, huddled together, trembling at the sights and sounds transpiring before our uninitiated eyes and ears and souls, and knowing from the very depths of our being, that we were having an undeniable encounter with the Creator of the Universe, it became clear that our acceptance of Yahovah’s ways—His Torah—His instructions—was an all or nothing contract that was signed in blood (Exodus 24:8). With that covenant and instruction came also the understanding that we were not to add to or subtract from Abba’s instructions and commandments and that we were simply to trust Him and do according to His Word without question and without compromise. And looking ahead in the future, as Rood writes: “…the Almighty promised to send The Prophet in the future to show us the true path.” (Rood, Chronological Gospels)

The passage reads: “Then sages and Prushim, which were from Yerushalayim, came to Yahoshua saying, ‘Why do your disciples transgress the takanot of antiquity (i.e., the traditions of the elders in the authorized versions), because they do not wash their hands when they eat bread?’ Yahoshua answered them, ‘Why do you transgress the commandment of Yahovah by your takanot (i.e., for the sake of your traditions you bypass the commandments of Yahuah)? For Yahovah commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and mother, and he that curses father or mother shall be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever shall say to his father or mother that whatever support they might have received from him is corban [a gift dedicated to the Temple], he is free [from his responsibility to care for his parents].’ In so doing, he does not care for his father or his mother. Thus, you have made the commandment of Yahovah of no effect by your takanot. You hypocrites! Well did Yeshayahu prophecy of you, saying, ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (reference: Isaiah 29:13).’” (Matthew 15:1-9, Rood’s Chronology)

The companion passage to this is found in Mark 7, with the added flavor of verse 9, “With full knowledge you reject the commandment of Yahovah that you may keep your man-made takanot.” (Rood’s Chronology) Here, Master was insinuating that these so-called experts of Torah and of course the Talmud knew very well that they were not following and teaching Torah but instead takanot—tradition-man made laws, all which they extolled with the same authority if not greater authority than Torah.

Indeed, the Pharisees of Churchianity haven’t changed much apart from their established systems of worship and belief systems, for they still wreak havoc upon the millions of followers that have entrusted unto them their very souls. For many of the church leaders have gone through formal training in various seminaries and have been taught church history and have no doubt read through the bible a few times, yet they continue to prop up the traditions and practices of the Baptist Church: Sunday worship; rejection of Torah; and the doctrines surrounding death and dying just to name a few. Yet the people, the worshipers and lay-folks, are fully asleep at the wheel and not in a spiritual and intellectual position to read their bibles from a contextual, historical and literal sense such that the light of Yahuah’s Word shines down upon them and completely turns their worlds upside down.

It can happen. It has happened to each and everyone of us. It takes the planting of the seeds of the true Gospel and a move of the Holy Spirit to topple the traditions of men and free the people from the bondage of religiosity.

Now the things that readily came to mind as I observed and watched the people in the community and of the church rally around members of my family, were varied yet consistent and common amongst all in attendance. Allow me to mention and comment on just a few of those traditions and practices that defy scripture and the instructions of Father:

    • The singing of songs during the funeral service that mislead the attendees and incite an emotional response that has very little to do with the leading of the Holy Spirit or the True Gospel message and Father’s instructions. Two such songs that elicited a great deal of emotional outpouring from the attendees were entitled “God is on your side” and “May the Work I’ve Done Speak for Me.” Both songs were founded almost entirely upon the hijacked doctrine of “grace” that espouses all one has to do to receive God’s favor is affiliate with the church in one form or another and sort of live a good life (whatever that truly looks like) and God will be on your side (whatever that looks like) and when you die, you will go to heaven. Nothing is ever mentioned in either of these songs that one adheres to a life of Faith in Yeshua Messiah and live Torah as Master taught us. It’s, do the best you can, affiliate with a church, and you are good to go. And when things get tough, God will be on your side. Seems as though the lyricists failed to read and understand Deuteronomy 28 and 29, blessings to be had for obedience and curses to be expected for disobedience, respectively. Despite teachings to the contrary by churchianity, the principles of these two chapters still apply to every self-professing follower and believer in Yeshua Messiah.
    • He is in heaven looking down upon us and he has entered into the glory of Jesus Christ, despite him having no interest whatsoever in things of God throughout much of his life. Again, I am not judging my loved one and any possible relationship he may or may not have had with Father. All I know is that he was not a Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believer in Yahoshua Messiah. I have no idea if he will spend eternity in the Kingdom of Yahovah, that’s left up to Master. But I do know that he is not in heaven looking down upon anyone. Scripture seems very clear as it relates to what happens to us when we die: 7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. (Ecc 12:7 KJV) Ecc 3:20 All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Job 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. Ecc 3:21 Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward, and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. Zec 12:1 The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him. Job 34:14 If he set his heart upon man, if he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; Psa 90:3 Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men. Psa 103:14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust. When we die, whether we die in the will of our Creator or not, our bodies and souls cease to be living and functioning entities and the breath of life goes back to the Creator who gave it in the first place. Pure and simple. And as sad and in some cases as disappointing as this may sound to the uninitiated who’ve been taught for generations that believers when they die go immediately to heaven, the truth still remains and no tradition or forced docrine can alter Yah’s Truth. Yet, we have a hope that is found in the coming resurrection and the advent of the Kingdom of Yahovah here on earth. I of course reflect back to Shaul’s letter to the Assembly of Believers in Corinth where he wrote of death: 12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. 25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. 27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. 28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all. (1Co 15:12-28 KJV) And furthermore, the mystery of what will happen to us after we die at the time of the resurrection is revealed in the Cepher of Revelation: 7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. 8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.1 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. (Rev 5:7-10 KJV) Now some might contend that a belief in the doctrine of death and heaven are harmless and without consequence. I beg to differ. This lie has led and continues to lead millions down a path towards destruction for under this teaching and doctrine and tradition, there is no need to obey the instructions of Yahuah our Elohim and one gets to spend an eternity in heaven simply by having their names written on the local church’s roster of members and maybe saying the sinners’ prayer and getting dunked in some water. In fact, one can live however he or she chooses because God’s grace is all encompassing and there is no expectations whatsoever for us to live in accordance with the will and purpose of Yahuah. Talk about a dangerous game the leaders of these churches are playing with the lives of their members. And since being here, I have engaged at least one individual on this issue of death and dying and the resurrection of the dead, giving them my position on the subject based upon what the Bible teaches and that individual flat out told me that they choose to believe what they want to believe and that the rest of us can believe what we want to believe. Well, what can one say to that other than, so be it?
  • Rearranging furniture in the home so that if the spirit of the loved one returns, he or she won’t recognize the place and will leave, I guess. Well, what else is there to say other than: what????!!!!
  • The taking Scripture out of context and applying them as handy soundbites to the situation at hand: namely, to allay the family’s grief and mourning. The one passage that was used quite often throughout the funeral service was the passage: “Weeping endures for a night but joy comes in the morning (Psm 30:5).” This psalm of David spoke to David’s dire situation that He was trusting Father to deliver him from. Here this verse has been stripped from its contextual meaning and applied to the mourning of a deceased individual. The whole practice of taking scripture out of context and applying them to situations so that the people can be moved from a state of mourning to that of peace, hope and ultimately joy to me brings mixed feelings. I get the noble effort to lighten the emotional burden of those who are suffering using whatever techniques one can muster. Yet does the means always justify the ends? The bible was never meant to be an emotional and situational pharmacy as churchianity has over the centuries made it. The scriptures were given to us as a manual of instruction such that we have recorded for our convenience the elements necessary to live in accordance with the ways of Yahuah our Elohim (reference: John 13:15; Hebrews 4:11; 8:5; James 5:10; I Peter 2:21; Jude 1:7). Nevertheless, I see how such practices not only are inherently wrong at various levels, but that such practices serve to nullify the Word of Yahuah and lead people away from and off the straight gate and narrow path/way (Matthew 7:14).
  • There was no encouragement of people to be obedient to the Word of Yahovah. If anything, the emphasis was that we stay the course in whatever station we currently exist in our lives, for God overlooks our situation and supplies our eternal needs. Indeed, Abba does supply our many needs and at times even our desires. However, living outside the will of Yahuah and continuing to live whatever way we want to live, is not going to spiritually prosper us and it certainly is not going to bring about eternal life.
  • The play on emotions using music followed by carefully crafted and stirring words of encouragement and optimism pushed aside the vital truths of Yahovah. In fact, everything that occurred seem to be aimed at manipulating and controlling one’s emotional reactions to the passing of our loved one. What I have come to realize and understand, all of which is foreign to much of churchianity that places so much emphasis upon the emotions of the membership, is that emotions have nothing to do with the True Faith once delivered. The True Faith once delivered is all about Spirit and Truth and emotions is a byproduct of being human. We’ve been called to transcend the carnal and ascend towards the spiritual. Emotions, although one cannot nor should they completely discard them from their lives, must be held in check at all times unless they are to be employed by the Ruach Kodesh. Hasatan is a master at manipulating our emotions. Sadly, emotions have the tendency of getting the best of us and at times, in extreme cases, derailing us from the purpose and will of Yahovah. Now, I am not saying that we somehow destroy or discard our emotions and become like Borgs. No indeed. What I am saying is that Truth and Tradition must always be front and center at every turn of our lives. I have done more harm than good throughout my walk with Messiah by allowing my emotions to get the best of me which only serves to take control away from the Ruach Kodesh in my life and hand over control to self. Emotions have their place in our lives; we just have to figure out the proper times and situations in which emotions are best displayed and used.

Closing Thoughts and Reflections

Now this is certainly not intended to be an exhaustive treatment of the many traditions and practices of the Baptist Church and her members and how those traditions and practices and doctrines override truth and reason. Such a thing would go into hours of discourse and discussion and I would still not fully exhaust the subject or do the subject full justice. I simply wanted to highlight a few of the more prominent traditions and practices that I recognized seemed to override truth and reason. I invite you to consider some of the things that I have mentioned here and maybe compare and contrast them with the things that you have experienced and witnessed in your life prior to coming in to the Truth or even during your current walk with Messiah.

So then, what? What am I to do with the things that I have mentioned here in this episode of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections? Why does any of this matter? Certainly some would feel and suggest that the people I described in this post have made their spiritual beds, let them lay in them. Others may see a shake the dust from your feet and move on to the the next opportunity type situation here and why give any further thought to the matter or these people.

I see things a little different. I see opportunity. I see an opportunity to share my Faith with the people of this community despite the massive opposition and traditions and beliefs and practices that are sure to cause me a great deal of grief. Indeed, I anticipate that there will come a great number of those shake the dust from your feet moments throughout my sharing opportunities, but I fear that I cannot exist in this environment and not somehow show the True Messiah in me through uncompromising Spirit-Filled Torah Living the way Master taught us and seizing upon teaching opportunities as the Ruach presents the opportunities. What seeing these traditions being practiced and manifested before me these last few weeks has prompted me to do is to delve deeper into the Word of Yahovah—deeper than I have ever done before. I am intending to spiritually equip myself for the work of the Kingdom while it is still day (John 9:4).

Prior to relocating here, my life in Southern California as a Netsarim was pretty cut and dry: I associated only with fellow Netsarim and I tried to carry myself as a Netsarim during the course of my workdays. My ways did not clash with those around me for the most part. Now, being here in the liberal bible belt (and yes, I did say liberal bible belt because people here have very liberal political leanings despite those liberal leanings being in conflict with the ways of Yahovah—I simply chalk this up to culture and tradition) where the citizens here reject Torah and the True Gospel and tightly hold to their traditions, I am faced with having to be perfect in my walk and ready at every turn to give an explanation to any who would ask me about my Faith and why I do the things I do and believe what I believe. Peter, in his first general epistle wrote of such an existence: 8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:1 9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. 10 For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: 11 Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.1 13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? 14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; 15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:1 16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. 17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. (1Pe 3:8-17 KJV)

It is my hope that these thoughts and reflections will bring us closer together as fellow Netsarim and that my experiences and observations will be of help to someone who is in some type of spiritual need. Again, I do not pretend to have all the answers nor am I a Torah expert or teacher: I’m simply a Netsarim just like you trying to live and do the Will of our Father and looking forward to that blessed hope. Shaul wrote to his evangelist apprentice Timothy: 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;1 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee. (Tit 2:13-15 KJV)

Have a blessed and powerful week in Messiah—walk in the power and might of His Ruach HaKodesh and Abba willing, let us fellowship at the next Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections. Shavuatov. Shalom.

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Why Aren’t We Wearing Tzitzits or Fringes?

by | Jun 28, 2017 | Blog

Why Aren’t We Wearing Tzitzits or Fringes?

38 “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves atassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.
39 “It shall be a tassel for you 1to look at and aremember all the commandments of the LORD, so as to do them and not 2follow after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you played the harlot,
40 so that you may remember to do all My commandments and abe holy to your God.
(Num 15:38-40 NAU)

 

A Million-Dollar Question

One of several things that interest me greatly as it relates to present-day practices of members of our Faith Community is the overwhelming number of us who do not wear tzitzits as commanded of us by Yahuah our Elohim. I guess the question I have for our community is: why is the wearing of tzitzits by members of our community such a rare thing?

Likely Excuses

I would imagine a great many in our community who choose not to wear these divinely commanded implements would offer as a defense that we, living in 21st-century western society, no longer wear four-cornered garments; ergo, the expectation that one wear tzitzits is at best a moot assumption.

I would concede that, yes, we generally do not wear four-cornered garments in 21st-century western society. Thus, we must reconcile the practicality of wearing tzitzits with articles of western attire that are not cornered.

Others might contend that when Abba gave the command to wear these implements as reminders of Him and His Torah in our day-to-day walk, as it relates to 21st-century western life, with the Spirit writing Torah on our minds and in our hearts, the tzitzit is now an archaic relic of our desert dwelling forefathers and would no longer be a requirement for us.

I guess this particular line of thinking is similar to the logic that argues an adherence to the Calculated Jewish Calendar over that of the Biblically inspired Observational Calendar. A fellow Hebrew Rooter and staunch adherer to the Calculated Jewish Calender once criticized: why rely upon an observational calendar when we have a perfectly good calculated calendar that we can reference today and even a hundred years in the future if need be; beside, the observational calendar is too subjective whereas the calculated calendar is much more accurate.

Yep–I would contend that under the renewed covenant, Torah should exist in our hearts and dwell eternally on our minds (Hebrews 8:8 and 10:16). Nevertheless, does the renewed covenant negate every element of Torah?

Questions Begging Answers

As with so many aspects of Torah as it relates to applicability and relevancy to the 21st-century Netsarim’s day-to-day walk, our wearing of tzitzits also poses a lot of questions. And the funny thing about Torah and our Community/Movement is that when questions arise over applicability and relevancy in our modern-day lives, we tend to take the path of least resistence and ignore the issue altogether. I would contend that the issue of tzitzit wearing by Netsarim in 21-century western society is probably one of those issues that the majority of us choose to ignore rationalizing that there are just too many questions without good answers to justify wearing them. Right?

What I am finding to be most helpful when it comes to my adherence or non-adherence to Torah commands, particularly as it relates to those questions of Torah that have no good answers attached to them, is to answer those answerless questions with follow-up questions. Those follow-up questions often clarify an issue and settle them in my mind better than simply taking a non-comforming stance on the issue in question.

I have some follow-up questions to the questions posed above regarding the wearing of tzitzits by modern-day Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah:

  • Should our wearing (or non-wearing) of tzitzits be wholly contingent upon the existence of four-cornered-garments common to 21-century western garb?
  • Does the existence of the Renewed/New Covenant negate the commandment to wear tzitzits? (And yes, I realize that many of you may disagree with me that the renewed covenant has not been implemented yet and to those of you who hold to this belief, then it stands to reason that there is no good sense to ignore this commandment. Right?)

Somehow I believe that the non-existence of four-cornered garments and the renewed covenant are not deal breakers as it relates to this commandment. I mean, if one desires to debate the present day relevancy of individual commandments such as the wearing of tzitzits by Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah, then I would argue that one must be prepared to turn over their Torah-Keeping card because he or she has officially entered the realm of picking and choosing which applicable Torah commandments he/she will be keeping at any given time of their lives based upon preferences and personal opinions.

What Part of “In All Our Generations…” Don’t We Understand?

Abba stipulated that this mitzvah was non-negotiable since it was to be followed “in all our generations.” We have no problem keeping the seven-mandated-feasts of Yahovah/Yahweh/Yahuah, but tzitzit wearing appears to be one of those negotiable items of Torah that we have chosen to keep or ignore as a community.

I further contend that tzitzit wearing for some in our community may be too much of a challenge for our fragile 21st-century Hebrew Roots egos and could be one of the primary reasons why tzitzit wearing by members of our community is such a rare occurrence.

The Virtues of Tzitzit Wearing

Tzitzit wearing is a conspicuous practice. As a result of that conspicuousness, those simple but strangely adoring little buggers have the capacity to any wearer in our society. Not do tzitzits appear foreign to virtually every member of our society (with the exception of the Jew) and not only do they cause people to wonder what in the world those things are hanging from the wearer’s person, they also force the blessed and obedient wearer to be everso prepared to give an explanation to any who ask why he or she is wearing them.

I can readily attest that this virtue was one of the biggest impediments to my diving headlong into the wearing of these implements in the first place, until just recently (i.e., just in the last four-years). The wearing of tzitzits out in public certainly places an often unwanted spotlight light on you and it tends to do so at the most inopportune times. It is not uncommon to have some random individual come up to you on the street or in a workplace or a business and inquire what those things hanging from your waist are and why are you wearing them.

Yet, tzitzit wearing probably offers one of the greatest witnessing opportunities available to us, short of engaging in old-fashion street-corner evangelism and personal, individual witnessing.

As unwelcoming and as disconcerting as such random inquiries may be, especially to natural introverts such as me, it is those opportunities that that tzitzit wearing offers to the Torah Observant Believer in Yahoshua Messiah that is one of greatest virtues associated with the wearing of these commanded implements. The other great virtues of wearing tzitzits, of course, are the opportunities to obey Yahuah/Yahovah/Yahweh our Elohim  and to be reminded of Him and His commandments and desired way of life that He has set out before us throughout each and everyday.

 Where do you Stand on Tzitzit Wearing?

So I must ask you, dear Saint, dear Son and Daughter of the Most High Elohim: If you do not wear tzitzits in public, each and everyday, and you are a Torah Observant Believer in Yahoshua Messiah, may I ask you why you do not wear them? I would love to hear your perspective on this matter. Simply write your position in the comment section that proceeds this post.

Bear in mind: I do not judge nor condemn any who chooses not to wear tzitzits: wearing or not wearing tzitzits is between you and our Creator.

I will touch upon this subject in coming postings and I hope that you will return and read, reflect, share and opine at your convenience and leisure. We are all in this walk both individually and collectively and it is my greatest desire that this journey of mine (for lack of a better discriptor) wil not so much “talk at you” about issues and topics that I find to be of significance to us as Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah, but moreso to encourage you and cause you to reflect upon these issues; and as a result, that you, like me, will seek Abba Father regarding His eternal will for our lives that will glorify Him and bring a smile to His Face.

Until next time me friend and brother and sister in the Faith Once Delivered, I bid you Shalom.

Faithfully Yours in Yahoshua our Master,

Rod Thomas

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Post Passover–Feast of Unleavened Bread Thoughts and Reflections–STAR-85

by | Apr 29, 2017 | Blog, Podcasts

Post Passover–Feast of Unleavened Bread Thoughts and Reflections–STAR-85

Post Passover-Feast of Unleavened Bread Thoughts and Reflections--STAR-85

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

This is Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections—Episode 85—My Post-Passover-Feast of Unleavened Bread Thoughts and Reflections

 

Greetings fellow Saints in Training. I am trusting that this episode of Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections finds you, your families and fellowships well and bless.

 

Hey, how was your Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread celebration? I hope they were spiritually enriching and that you received the blessings that you were hoping and looking for.

 

As I am posting this episode, we find ourselves just having entered the second Biblical Month of the Creator’s Calendar Year, with the renewed moon sighted over the land of Israel yesterday, 4/28/2017. Having just concluded Passover and the 7-Day Observance of the Feasts of Unleavened Bread (aka Matzah) less than 2-weeks ago, we now turn our sights to Shavuot (aka Pentecost), the final installment of the Spring Feasts of Yahuwah, which will hit us on 6/4/2017.

 

As it relates to my Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread observance this year, Hilary and I stayed local, but we did vacate our home and checked in to a hotel for the week. We realize that we cannot keep Passover and Unleavened Bread the way Torah expressly lays out for us given that the Romans in 70 C.E. destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem and that Yeshua’s sacrifice replaced the animal sacrifices. Nevertheless, the once majestic temple that once stood in Jerusalem is gone but has been replaced by these bodies of ours  and it is our bodies that Abba’s Ruach dwells (I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19). Thus we honor the Feasts of Yahuwah as Abba commanded (Leviticus 23) through fellowshipping with other like-minded Believers in Yeshua Messiah as Father provides. It becomes our greatest pleasure, or it should be, to welcome each feast as it comes with joy and great anticipation, for these are Abba’s appointed times—the sacred moedim of Yahuwah. Father did not abolish His feasts as so many of our cousins in Christianity are quick to point out to us. They are to remain in perpetuity and they serve a divine purpose of reminding us of the great things that Father has done for us through His Son Yeshua Messiah and the great things to come for those who are His and await His coming and the establishment of His Kingdom here on earth.

 

We know for a fact that Yeshua kept the feasts as did the apostles, especially Paul who wrote to the Corinthian Assembly of Believers: “Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (I Corinthians 5:8, NAS).’

 

So who are we to shirk the feasts? While the world is falling apart by its seams, we are blessed to have Yeshua, Torah and the Feasts of Yahuwah. Amein.

 

With that my beloved, let us get on with some post Thoughts and Reflections on Passover and Unleavened Bread.

In Love With the Feast of Yah!

 

I am a “down-right,” “bought and paid-for,” fanatic when it comes to the Feasts of Yahuwah/Yahovah/Yahweh. Ever since I officially began observing the feasts back in 2004, I take the greatest joy in their observance and the celebratory opportunities they provide the Torah observant believer in Yeshua Messiah.

 

Looking Back at the Beginning

 

When I first began observing them, I, as I am certain any new believer to our Faith has experienced, met each Feast with somewhat of a tense sense of anticipation. What I mean by this is that, we begin our “Feasts-honoring-careers” (if you will) with a deep, heartfelt desire to “do the Feasts” properly (knowing now that there is no Biblical-specifics as to what constitutes “proper” when it comes to 21st-century Feast observances) and in such a manner that it would be pleasing to Abba; we did not want to screw any of these celebrations up.

 

So at the beginning of my Feasts-honoring-career,” I began to over-do them (the Feasts that is) to such an extent that the Feasts became somewhat burdensome for me and I began to question: were we doing this thing correctly; were we dishonoring Father in the way we were observing the Feasts; what will my family members and co-workers think of me taking off so much time from work and life in general to observe—what?—dead Jewish holidays that even the Jews don’t truly observe anymore; do we have the correct dates for the Feasts; would we be ready in time to begin the observance; what is the point behind the observances anyway? Yaddy…yaddy…yaddy.

 

Still Concerned About the Feasts

 

These questions and concerns haunted me in the first couple years back when I first converted, and to a lesser extent, they still haunt me even to this day. Oh, these questions and concerns have somewhat morphed over the years, I’ll be honest to say, taking on more of a deeper, personal concern: will we squander the opportunities the feasts provide by not seeking out every possible opportunity; what does Abba want us to gain from the experience; who are the best persons to observe the feasts with—just Hilary, friends or a particular fellowship-gathering; what is reasonable to spend (money-wise) in order to honor Yah through observing His feasts in the spirit that Abba would justly require?

 

This Passover a Bust?

 

This particular Passover celebration season proved a challenging one for me in terms of these and other stated concerns. This particular year was quite odd in that my concerns centered upon what Abba wanted me to gain from the celebration period. (Yes, I know, touching on being a bit inwardly focused in my concerns, but I am giving you my sincerest thoughts.)

 

I will be honest with you: for much of the 8-day observance period (i.e., the day we identify as Passover, followed by the 7-days of Unleavened Bread), I felt troubled and frankly, empty. I just could not identify what I was supposed to be getting out of the weeklong observance. Oh, I delved into some moderately deep Scriptural studies; some teachings online; and some personal reflections and prayer throughout the week, yet by week’s end, I was still unclear what I gained (spiritually speaking that is) from the celebration week.

 

Yes, I believe (it’s a quirk of mine) that we are to gain or get something out of each feast observance—that we must leave each feast celebration in a better spiritual place than when we began the feast, otherwise I feel as though I’ve missed what Father would have in store for me. Moreover, I do not want to miss a thing that Father has for me.

 

Father’s Feasts

 

These are supposed to be Abba’s appointed times that He established at the very beginning to meet with us (Genesis 1:14; Leviticus 23:4; Psalm 104:19; Daniel 2:21) collectively and individually, especially during the three-pilgrimage Feasts of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23), Shavuot (aka Pentecost or Feast of Weeks) and Sukkot (aka Feast of Tabernacles or Booths). I believe that is one of the distinct reasons Father commanded us to pack up and go to where He chose to place his Name and to celebrate these times before Him in joy and in reverence and in anticipation of a spiritual blessing (Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 12, 14, 16 and 26). These feasts gatherings are “dates” we are privileged to have with the Most High and they should be some of the most memorable, beautiful, spiritually romantic, substantive periods in our lives.

 

A Date with the Creator

 

I remember when I was courting my lovely wife, Hilary, back in the day: oh, how I looked forward with indescribable anticipation the dates we would have. Each date we’d set would result in my mind being almost entirely focused upon the plans that we’d made and how I could make those plans even more special for her. When the time came for our date to begin, there was a joy and an anticipation of a wondrous time that I would have with her and how much closer we would become because of the experience. Those were heady and crazy times, looking back 36-years ago. Talk about “first love.”

 

Somehow, I believe my dates—those set, annual, appointed times with Yahuwah—must exceed the dating experiences I used to experience with Hilary three and a half decades ago.

 

The question for me becomes–how do I capture that same sense of anticipation and joy in my celebration of the feasts, and for that matter, exceed them?

 

Not Much Joy this Passover

 

Sadly, I was lacking that sense of anticipation and joy this year and that has somewhat disappointed me. Do I feel that the entire Passover period was a spiritual bust for me? No, not in the least, but it was not joyous nor inspiring. I will explain in just a second.

 

Introspective—Testing—Bitter Sweet—Revelatory Type Passover

 

This Passover for me was more of introspection and a time of testing and spiritual self-inventory; it was more of a bitter experience than a pleasant one. Now this does not mean that the experience was not spiritually good for me. On the contrary, I believe it proved to be a most spiritually beneficial feast for me as a Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believer in Yeshua Messiah. No, it was not one of those “hang out with the brethren” Feasts this year—it was something else: revelation; introspection; inquiry; concern; regrets are just a few of the descriptors of my time last week. Again, it all came down to what I gained from the experience. It is all about spiritual gain: growth; spiritual development; spiritual and personal insight; fellowship (when available); rest, both spiritually and physically; peace; opportunity; worship; and celebration—celebration of life, who I am as a Son of the Most High, of my redemption, of my tremendous good fortune in Father’s adoption of me as His child. Of course, there is much more.

 

So what did I come away with—or what did I gain—from this year’s Passover? I came away with the following things that, quite frankly, I’m still working through even as I write this post: first, the “love of the many” has seemingly “waxed cold” in our Faith Community and I’m afraid to say that even I may also be infected with this malady; secondly, the Passover-Unleavened Bread observance was more than just a reminder that sin must be purged from our lives; and thirdly, as much as I prefer introversion as my primary framework for worship, I found that I missed fellowshipping with other like-minded believers apart from Hilary.

 

I know, a bummer, right? Well, not exactly. What these elements have begun to teach me is that I, Rod, have a ton of work that needs to be completed in my life and that I must decide where my heart, mind and soul truly will lay in my remaining years on this earth before Master returns.

 

Allow me to reflect upon each of these 3-areas if you don’t mind.

The Love of the Many…in Hebrew Roots

 

The first of these 3-reflective areas of Passover has to do with my perception—dare I say heartfelt concern—that love is quickly vanishing from the ranks of our Faith Community, if it has not already done so by now.

 

Despite the reality of our abject preoccupation with Torah, one of the central, dare I say essential criterion of being a member of the Hebrew Roots Community, is that Yahoshua/Yahshua is our Master and we are compelled to obey Him as we obey our Creator Yahuwah. For some odd reason, a huge swath of Torah-keeping believers have all but abandoned Yeshua and have turned their lives almost entirely to a radical form of Judaism or have adopted a Judaistic-like worldview. One believer that I came across in social media aptly dubbed these individuals as “Yeshua-haters;” and indeed, given the excessive venom and vile disdain these individuals have for anyone who doesn’t see the things of our Faith as they do, this title certainly fits these individuals to a tee.

 

Nevertheless, Master Yeshua and His teachings if ignored will have eternal repercussions.

 

Shaul (aka the Apostle Paul), in his letter to the Assembly of Believers in Philippi, so eloquently wrote of our Master: “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Messiah Yahoshua, who, although He existed in the form of Yahuwah/Yahweh/Yahovah (i.e., having the qualities and characteristics of His Father), did not regard equality with Yahuwah a thing to be grasped (i.e., a thing to take hold of), but emptied Himself (He essentially set aside His favored status with the Father), taking the form of a bond-servant and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. For this reason also, Yahuwah highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name (i.e., above every authority), so that at the name of Yeshua every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth (i.e., every created being that has ever existed), and that every tongue will confess that Yeshua Messiah is Master, to the glory of Yahuwah the Father (Philippians 2: 5-11; NAS, amended by me).

 

So with this knowledge being set firmly in our hearts and minds, it makes undeniable sense that we should do what Yeshua tells us to do; that of course assumes that He is indeed Master over our lives, having been appointed as such by Yahuwah His Father. I would further submit that this point is not up for debate, nor is it optional.

 

Now, Master gave us a commandment, that He stipulated as a “new” instruction or commandment, and that instruction is found exclusively in John’s gospel, chapters 13 and 15 which reads: “A new commandment I give to you that you love one another just as I have loved you; you also are to love one another” (13:34, ESV); and “This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you” (15:12; ESV).

 

As an aside, I find it fascinating how this concept of love for one another seemed to resonate so profoundly with John, whom the writing suggests the Master loved exceptionally so. This commandment resonated with John so much that he even referenced it in his first and second general epistles—I John 4:21; 2 John 1:5.

 

So the question I have for our community today is–where is the love? Why is our Faith Community so devoid of love for one another? Why do we persistently hate on one another? Why do we despise one another over the most innocuous things and cut off fellowship with one another because we interpret elements of our Faith differently from one another? This thing is worse than money and politics in the carnal world, for these are just two examples of things that have the potential to sever most relationships between once respecting and even loving peoples.

 

For some bizarre reason we have many angry and mean folks attaching themselves to our community who seem quite obtuse to the aforementioned Johannine passages.

 

Yes, people in our Faith Community can be exceptionally mean and these exceptionally mean people have no problem eating you alive in person or online over the most innocuous Torah topics. I got into, yet, another fight on Facebook the week of Passover, this time over the Biblical validity of what I often refer to as the Lunar Sabbath debacle. That on-line conflict essentially ruined an entire day of the Feast for me; I was outraged at the arrogance of the two individuals who insisted that we Torah-keepers are for all-intents and purposes lower forms of life and, as one of them called me, infidels, for not adopting this evil, baseless doctrine that seems to be setting up shop in our community. How does such a ridiculous doctrine, obviously from the pit of hades itself, find such a zealous home in the hearts of once devout Hebrew Rooters? I just do not get it. Then those very same Hebrew Rooters, now converted Lunar Sabbatarians, take on a sense of brutal arrogance that seeks to shut down those of us who do not agree with it.

 

Another Facebook conflict happened to me just this week, although I was not a willing participant in this conflict, which involved a long-time Facebook friend (whatever that actually means these days), who posted a scathing retort on my Facebook page over my referring to Abba as—wait, here it comes—God! Yes, I dared to refer to Yahuwah, our Elohim, by the title of God. Okay, since when did it become a crime in Hebrew Roots to use the title God? Honestly, how many of us grew up calling our Creator by what we presume to be His true name today—Yahweh—Yahovah—Yahuwah? I can pretty much guess, not very many of us, and oh, by the way, our best guesses at the Creator’s Name is just that—best guesses. No one alive today truly knows the correct pronunciation of the Creator’s Name. However, there are certain members of this sacred names sect that will cut you down just as quick as the lunar Sabbatarians. Again, where is the love that Master commanded us to show towards one another? Indeed, the love of the many in our community has waxed ever so cold.

 

Nevertheless, what Father has revealed to me in the midst of my outrage and disappointment (in those who are supposed to be Spirit-filled and possess love for God and for brother/sister) is that the tares and wheat MUST grow together until the time of harvest, otherwise in uprooting the tares to free the wheat, the wheat will be uprooted in the process (Matthew 13:24-30). Furthermore, it’s too bad that my little feelings were hurt as a result of a couple of personal attacks over such non-issues and topics as the Lunar Sabbath debacle or even the Pharisaic attempts by some to stamp out the use of the term God from all Hebrew Rooter vernacular. In addition, I am almost certain that many of you listening to me today have endured such attacks from the ultra-conservative, radical arm of our community. These and other such fights are not mine to wage, as much as my ire towards those who seek to harm our Faith Community with their lies is so easily kindled when they so arrogantly go about their trolling for new converts to their confederacy of evil.

The Bread of Affliction

Unleavened Bread—A Time to Embrace Affliction

 

The second of my three reflective areas for this Passover season has to do with the concept of affliction. Allow me to explain.

 

This past Passover and Unleavened Bread season was particularly challenging for me on a couple of levels. To begin with, Hilary and I are working through some major life-changes that involve relocating cross-country to attend to ailing family members and initiate a full-time ministry. Can I just say—this is one of the most challenging things we have ever done in our 3-1/2-decades of married life. I will not bore you with the particulars, but suffice to say, this is turning out to be something that I will be happy to see come to a complete end here shortly, Abba willing and the crick don’t rise.

 

Along with that, the situation back East with my aging and ailing loved ones seems to have taken quite a turn for the worse and I’m having to deal with a great deal of guilt over not being there, and of course, the tremendous anxiety of not getting this whole “relocation” thing over and done with fast enough. I guess it comes down to a “woe is me” situation playing out in my head. It is weighing heavy on it adversely affected, not just and me how I was relating to my beloved Hilary, but it was weighing heavy on my focus during the entire Passover week.

 

Therefore, I struggled to maintain a positive focus during the week of Passover and Unleavened Bread in the midst of my guilt and worries, while at the same time fighting to identify what it was I was supposed to be learning for the Feast-week.

 

With all, that I have mentioned that was going on with me during that week, turns out that I did not gain an understanding of what Father had for me in terms of that Passover week until the Last Day of Unleavened Bread. Upon tuning in to House of Israel in Charlotte North Carolina from Hilary and my hotel room (having vacated our home in honor of the Feast week), I received the understanding I was searching for. That understanding was something that I have always known about in the back of my mind, but never thought to apply it to myself, David, a minister at House of Israel, delivered it to me.

 

David reminded me that most of us place quite a bit of focus on sin as it relates to the Feast of Unleavened Bread; that is, the elimination of sin from our lives. The popular teaching in our Faith Community is that the Feast of Unleavened Bread provides a prophetic-framework that reminds us that Abba’s plan of salvation and His purpose for sending us Master Yeshua was to vanquish sin from our lives—both imputed vanquishing of past sins through Abba’s grace and Yeshua’s sacrifice, and our daily work of eliminating sin from every aspect of our lives through obedience to Torah and the transformative work of the Ruach HaKodesh (i.e., the Holy Spirit) in our lives.

 

Indeed, this is a crucial aspect of our lives that I believe we must keep in the forefront of our thoughts, and thus we fight the good fight daily of dying to self.

 

Yet until David’s teaching, I felt as though Abba was shortchanging me this Feast. Oh, how wrong could I have been!

 

The other aspect of Unleavened Bread we tend to overlook in our Faith Community is the historical link between the consumption of Unleavened Bread during the 7-day Feast week and the years of horrendous bondage that we endured in Egypt. Abba referred to those years of bondage as “affliction” (that is, “oniy”) (Exodus 3:17) and that affliction is memorialized in the leavened bread that we consume during the week and the bitter herbs we cringe to eat during the Pecach meal (Deuteronomy 16:3).

 

Affliction, the consuming of matzah and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are intricately linked. Unleavened bread is symbolic of affliction. Let us face it, leavened products can be quite pleasing to the pallet and appealing to the eyes; whereas unleavened products tend to appear bland and taste equally so. It is often a challenge to willingly submit oneself to consuming something that is as distasteful as unleavened bread (aka matzah) for seven days, especially when there is so many other options readily available to us.

 

Have you noticed breads, cakes and cookies seem to find their way in our line of vision annoying so during the week of Unleavened Bread? Fortunately, I love the celebrating this feast more than I care for leavened foods.

 

What then is the nexus between unleavened bread and affliction? Well, for me, affliction is certainly not something that I relish taking place in my life. Yet I am not so naive to know that bad times come upon us when they come and often there is little that we can do about them. Often times they come as a result of something bad that we’ve done, thus affliction is the reaping of that which we’ve badly sown (Galatians 6:7-9). The Tanakh is filled with examples of affliction brought about through disobedience or evil deeds.

 

Afflictions come to us at times to prove us and build us up in the areas of our lives that are spiritually lacking and if those areas are not refined and molded properly, we become useless to Father (Job 4, 8, 11, 18), and this my dear friends is one of the areas of affliction that seems to applied to me the most. There are many areas of my life that need refining and strengthening in order for me, and yes you, to be the vessels that Father is desirous of us to work out His purpose in the earth.

 

Afflictions come to us at times to test us—to show to Father, the world and to us, that we’ve overcome our weaknesses and have died to self and are ready to truly be Yahushua’s disciples (again, see the story of Job).

 

Afflictions come to us at times to bring Abba glory. I know, how strange to apply such a concept—affliction—to the glory of Yahuwah, but David did a fantastic job pointing out that the Scriptures are filled with examples of people being healed and miracles transpiring all over the place for the express purpose of our God gaining the glory He so justly deserves (John 9:1-5).

 

Afflictions come to us at times to draw us closer to Father and to put us into “a right relationship with Yahuwah.”

 

In the case of our Master, afflictions came to Him to atone for the sins of the world. We deserved to be on that execution stake, but our Master took on that penalty for us and thus we’ve been gloriously released from the eternal sin debt that haunts all mankind from birth (Isaiah 53:3-7).

 

The first thing that comes to my mind whenever I sense affliction has come to my world is that God is out to get me. I recall growing up in Baltimore during the 1960’s and 1970’s, in a Southern Baptist environment, and whenever someone would be afflicted with whatever, the common thinking amongst the holy rollers was that God was getting some payback. In some cases, this may have been true, but the more accurate way of looking at these situations should have been that Father was not intending to destroy those who were being afflicted (as with us today), but was simply working these individuals through any of the above noted situations.

 

What I came away with this Unleavened Bread season was that afflictions are a big part of our walk with Messiah and as distasteful as afflictions may be (just like the taste of matzah), there is a divine purpose behind them. Our desire should be, then, to readily accept those afflictions and endure them (2 Timothy 2:10), no matter how bad they may get. As the affliction progresses, it then becomes our responsibility to turn fully to Yahuwah and resist the temptation to complain to the world about our issues (Colossians 1:24); to rejoice  in Yahuwah for the great things He is presently doing and is going to do in our lives (Philippians 4:4) and give Abba thanks, even though when afflictions hit, it’s often a challenge to do so (I Thessalonians 5:18).

 

This is the life we signed up for and it took this Unleavened Bread season for me to have this reality revealed to me. Praise Yahuwah for David’s teaching and for delivering to me that missing piece of the Unleavened Bread puzzle that eluded me for most of the Feast this past season.

 

Missing Fellowship

 

The last reflection has to do with my missing the joy of formal fellowship this Passover season. This was one of the first years in a few years where we, Hilary and I, celebrated Pecach and the Feast of Unleavened Bread alone, outside of a formal fellowship-type gathering. I must admit that I missed having that formal-fellowship this season. We were blessed to be able to tune into the Michael Rood Passover celebration, broadcasted on the internet for a fee by the Rood organization. I have some personal misgivings about this whole thing that I will save discussing for another time, but we did get some semblance of fellowship through this live-internet broadcast. Additionally, House of Israel broadcasts first and last day of Unleavened Bread teachings and praise and worship services that I found helped lessen my feelings of missing fellowship.

 

It was not the same, and I am hoping that next year, if Master tarries, Hilary and I will have the blessing of fellowshipping with a group of like-minded Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah.

 

King David wrote, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1, KJV). As convenient and cost effective as on-line programs such as was offered by House of Israel and the Rood organization, I can attest that tuning in to on-line programs during the feasts does not compare to actually being with and in the midst of the brethren.

Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

 

I’ve shared with you just a few thoughts and reflections that I gained from last week’s Passover/Feast of Unleavened Bread celebration. Looking back to that week, I can honestly say that it was bitter sweet for me. Part of me wished that it would have been different; that it would have been like in years past when we fellowshipped with other like-minded believers in a formal fellowship setting and that things were going along in our lives swimmingly and without the problems that I described to you earlier. Turns out, I did not have such a pleasant experience this go-round.

 

I should say that I cannot attest for Hilary’s experience this season, but I think she spent a great amount of time putting together some teachings that you might find of spiritual value; and you may find them at www.itsnotasyouperceive.com.

 

The other part of me, however, is thankful for the week. I can say, without reservation that I’ve gained more spiritually from this year’s Passover/Unleavened Bread season than I’ve gained spiritually in past years. I’m still “feasting,” if you will, from the various elements of this year’s feast, as bitter as those elements turned out to be, and I am seeing myself from the perspective of someone who remains a “work in progress” and who has a long ways to go as it relates to meeting that mark for the prize of the high calling of Yahuwah in Messiah Yeshua.

 

It is my hope and trust that you too had a blessed Passover/Unleavened Bread season, not just celebratory-wise, but spiritual-wise. I do not know what is going on in your life today nor do I know what transpired in your life during the Feast last week. All I know is that Father is preparing for Himself a people who will finally fulfill the void left behind by our forefathers who chose to follow other elohim. Father is going to fix that problem soon and eventually, all Israel will be saved (Romans 11:26). As it relates to us today, Abba is preparing a nation of priests for this world and it is my sincerest hope that we all find ourselves busy at work doing that which Father has commanded us to do and that we ultimately find ourselves happily and eternally housed in the soon coming Kingdom of Yahuwah.

 

I would have once said, hasten and come now Master Yahoshua, come now, but after this past feast season, I’m hoping He tarries just a little longer so that I can get my act together and fulfill the mission that He’s given me; there’s just so much remaining that needs to be done.

 

Nevertheless, may Yahuwah bless you and keep you and may His glorious face shine ever so brightly upon you and that you live in complete shalom. Until next week my dear friends and fellow saints in training.

 

Faithfully

 

Rod Thomas

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Interpreting the Bible Literally and Eating Unleavened Bread for 7-Days?

by | Apr 18, 2017 | Blog

Interpreting the Bible Literally and Eating Unleavened Bread for 7-Days?

Feast of Unleavened Bread–Thus Saith the LORD!

As is my typical custom during this time of the Biblical Calendar year, i read and re-read Torah’s account and instructions regarding the Passover.

What I especially enjoy doing, though, is reading entire passages of Torah surrounding Passover (e.g., the entire chapter of Exodus 12 and 16, etc.)  through the lenses of various translations. I have found that most, if not all, of the mainstream, authorized translations (whatever that truly means) are in sync with one another. Thus, there is little to no variation in the rending of the various aspects of Passover and Unleavened Bread, from one translations to the next.

I came to the passage of Torah where Abba instructed us to eat Unleavened Bread for 7-days (Exodus 12:15; 13:6,7; 23:15; 34:18; Num. 28:17; and Deut. 16:3). Regardless what translation I would use to read these specific passages, the instruction from Abba Father remained unequivocal: we are to eat unleavened bread during this 7-day observance, period.

Taking into account the teachings of some of our more conservative Torah and Bible teachers, a literal read of Scripture is always preferred and considered wise and safe than an allegorical or mystical or whatever, read of Scripture. One Torah teacher–who I fully respect in terms of him as a person and his ministry/teaching–in his Discipleship 101 course teaches that a literal read of Scripture is always preferred over any other method of interpretation.

I have always leaned towards a literal read and interpretation of the Holy Writ. However, as I delve deeper and deeper into Biblical studies and am more and more exposed to various teachings from other Torah-centered teachers, I’m finding that a full literal read and interpretation of Scripture may not always be the wisest course of study to take.

Literal Interpretation

By the way, a literal interpretation or read of Scripture is simply taking any Scriptural passage of interest and assuming an interpretatin or understanding of that passage as it is written (literally that is). The problem with relying solely upon a literal intepretation or understanding of Scripture is that, when one embarks upon such a method of interpretation, they will invariably run into passages where the literal interpretation is risky at best. (For example, if one’s eye offends one, pluck it out: thus one should literally gouge out his or her eye if it causes them to stumble? Not likely the optimal thing to do when there are other options available to one with an erring eye.)

On the other hand, an allegorical interpretation or read of Scripture assumes a great deal more liberty in one’s understanding of the passage in question. When one chooses to read Scripture from a less than literal sense (e.g., allegorical or mystical), one’s interpretation is left up to one’s unique worldview, which of course, is shaped by a great number of things, including culture and religion, just to name a couple things. The problem with taking on a less than literal interpretation of Scripture is that there is no one true interpretation: any interpretation or understanding of any passage of Scripture is highly subject to so many variables, and thus, such a method is often not a reliable means of interpreting or understanding the Holy Writ.

Do we eat Unleavened Bread Exclusively for 7-Days?

Eat Unleavened Bread 7-Days says Yahuah our Elohim

Take for instance this passage where Abba instructed us to consume Unleavened Bread for 7-days. How many teachings have you come across where we were instructed to consume just unleavened bread and nothing more? For that matter, assuming a less severe read of these passages, how many teachings have you come across where we are taught to actually consume unleavened bread each of the 7-days of the feast of unleavened bread. And if so, are we actually carrying through with such understanding?

A Question of a Literal Translation or Just an Ideal?

I entered into this Faith Community through two of the Church of God splinter groups. It was here where I became indoctrinated (for lack of a better word) into the practice of buying a massive size box of matzah for the family and consuming matzah each day during the 7-day Feast cycle, and I to this day, continue to practice this without hesitation.

Neverthess, I still come back to this command to eat unleavened bread for 7-days: do we eat unleavened bread as our sole source of sustenance during this 7-day period or do we simply augment our diets with unleavened bread throughout the 7-day feast cycle? I’m inclined to say the latter, but I still wonder about the former. There seems to be no question that we subsisted solely upon leaven for 7-days on our journey toward Mount Sinai. Did Father intend for that application to fade away under the renewed covenant in Yeshua Messiah, or to remain as a lesson and Faith building tool? Most of us continue to abstain from any food on Atonement; why then do we presume that eat unleavened bread 7-days does not mean eat unleavened bread 7-days? Curious situation.

Journeying across the desert eating unleavened bread

But…But…But!

This is where I start to really reflect and think about what Abba was trying to get across to us during our journey from Goshen to Sinai. Indeed, all indications are that we subsisted during this 7-day jaunt across the desert solely upon unleavened bread (and I’m assuming water as well). Clearly, our abrupt exodus out of Egypt necessitated, in great part, our use of unleavened bread. Yet, there was obviously a greater lesson to be had in this subsistence on unleavened bread for 7-days.

I happened upon a Facebook post this morning where a wise brother in our Faith Community, summed up this very thing: that of having our souls brought into strick obedience to Abba’s instructions, even to the point of our subsistence on unleavened bread. We provided through Abba’s providence, unleavened bread for our sustenance. However, at the end of the 7-days subsisting on unleavened bread, Father provided us bread (i.e., mannah) that was not made by man.

Your Word is Truth Abba

Literal Read or What?

Obviously, Father intended that we eat unleavened bread for 7-days as we transversed the Sinai desert; the fulness of that intention I believe must be fleshed out if we are to truly understand and observe Passover/Unleavened Bread to its fullest purpose.

As much as I am a proponent for a rational interepretation and understanding of Scripture (for the most part), I believe there are some passages of the Holy Writ where we should actually take what Father says literally. In this case, I would venture to say that maybe–just maybe–subsisting on just unleavened bread for the entirety of 7-days might be something to seriously consider if we are interested in manifesting our profession of Faith into action.

What mysteries and spiritual growth opportunities await us if we were to simply step out in Faith and eat just unleavened bread? I don’t know. In this day of hip-hop Christianity and declining Christian Church rolls, one has to to ask: what separates us from them? Sure, we observe the 7-Feasts of Yahuah; we keep the Sabbath; we don’t eat pork; and we abhor Christmas and Easter. So what? We’ve shown that we can be obedient in a few areas. But what about the weightier aspects of Torah as Master suggested? What about the exploits that Master and His disciples displayed and experienced? Why is our Faith Community lacking in so many areas? Why has our loved waxed cold?

Maybe I’m making a moutain out of a mole hill, or am I? Just maybe, next year this time, I’ll put this Torah commandment to a literal test and see where it leads me. Couldn’t hurt–apart from hunger pains and eventually becoming tired of eating matzah.

Faithfully

Rod

One of the Greatest Passover Mysteries of the Ages Revealed-STAR-84

by | Apr 12, 2017 | Blog, Podcasts

One of the Greatest Passover Mysteries of the Ages Revealed-STAR-84

One of the Greatest Passover Mysteries of the Ages Revealed-STAR-84

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer's Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections

The Greatest Passover Mystery of the Ages is Found in the Knowledge and Understanding of Who Yeshua HaMashiyach Is.

For some strange reason, a rather sizable chunk of Rooters seem to be more focused upon the mechanical observance of Passover than upon the revealed renewed covenant observance of the event.

What I mean by this is that in so many discussions that I’ve recently seen or read online about Passover, Yeshua is virtually never mentioned in terms of observance and focus. It’s almost as if we are blind to the fact that under the renewed covenant (see the Cepher of Hebrews for a detailed explanation), as Spirit-Filled Torah Observant Believers in Yeshua Messiah, our focus is no longer centered upon the Levitical-based administration of the Feasts of Yahweh/Yahovah/Yahuah. It’s a shocking thing to witness. Many of us have regressed back to a point where we were at Sinai when we worshiped the Creator through mechanical obedience to His written instruction to Mosheh. And this is where our Fundamental Christianity cousins peg us in many cases rather accurately: that we’ve become these legalists who seek to purchase our salvation through works that Shaul (i.e., Paul) seemed to struggle in ad nauseum with first-century Judaizers in the assemblies he was instrumental in founding.

I used to reject that line of thinking and accusation. However, given what I’ve been reading and hearing of late, maybe our cousins are not too far off as it relates to a certain segment of our Faith Community.

Somehow, someway, we must pack our spiritual bags and move from under Mount Sinai before it’s too late. As the redeemed of the Most High, we’ve been called to a life way way beyond that of Sinai living. Sinai served it’s great purpose, and for all intents and purposes, so did Yerushalayim and her Mishkin.

The Renewed Covenant Inbound to a Believer Near You!

Master revealed to the Samaritan woman at the well in Shechem: Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (Joh 4:21-24 KJV)

Now many in our crowd would challenge me, asserting that this time that Master is referring to has not arrived yet and that this time in which He speaks is during the latter rain and outpouring of the Ruach HaKodesh (aka, the Holy Spirit). These believe that we should continue in the ways of the Old Covenant until such time when Mashiyach pours out His Spirit on all flesh and reveals His new covenant to the world, regardless in many cases of Torah obedience when taking care of business at the Temple in Yerushalayim was necessary.

I personally believe that thinking to be hogwash. Bognosh. Foolishness. Fodder from the pit of hell.

The Temple—the Mishkin—was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. (and if you’re a Rood follower, 68 C.E.). With the Temple gone and Yerushalayim made a desolate place at that time in history, a huge chunk of how we observe Torah changed. And that changed didn’t just occur because the Temple went bye-bye. It changed because our Older Brother, Yahoshua HaMashiyach, paid the death penalty on our behalf and made a great deal of the Temple rites obsolete.

Yeshua is our New High Priest Superseding the Old Levitical Priesthood

The Book of Hebrews, chapters 9 and 10 go into great detail to spell out for us the changes that came about when Master paid the ultimate price for us. Essentially, the old covenant transitioned from that mechanical obedience to Torah and using the blood of animals as a means of sin propitiation. That sin propitiation did not eliminate the sin for good in the eyes of a Holy God. Nor did that sin propitiation pay in full the debt that we each owed for our sins which is eternal death.

The Old Temple rites served only as a temporary measure to address the sin issue that has haunted each and every human since the fall in the Garden of Eden. This was administered via the Levitical Priesthood through the Temple services and rites.

So along come Master Yeshua, bringing with Him the Gospel of the Kingdom as his primary purpose, but who also assumed the covert mission of dealing with the sin issue once and for all and making available to all men the opportunity to escape eternal death. Master Yahoshua, after His passion on the execution stake, assumed the most central role in all of humanity—the role of the High Priest, not under the old Levitical Priesthood, but under the Priesthood of the Melekzedek (aka Melchizidek).

Worshiping Father in Spirit and in Truth Today!

If we but pay close attention to the words Master spoke to the Samarittan woman, it would seem crystal clear that the enactment of the renewed covenant is not to take place in some obscure time in the unforeseen future, but was happening right around the time Master delivered this news.

Master said: “But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth.”

And of the type of worshiper Abba is looking for even back then, Master was clear: “for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.”

So I would encourage that we stop this non-sense talk which on serves, in my opinion, to put us back at the base of Mount Sinai and blindly obey Torah, thinking that there is coming a day when the new covenant will alter somehow the way we worship the Creator. That new way is already here and has been here for some 2,000 or so years. It’s already here and in effect! That new covenant and new way that we are to worship Yahuah our Elohim took effect right after Master rose from the grave and presented Himself before His Father in heaven.

Why do we Stay at Sinai?

So my question to the Body of Mashiyach this Passover/Unleavened Bread season is: why do we insist on staying hunkered down at the base of Mount Sinai? What practical purpose does it serve? Why have we ceremoniously relegated Master Yahoshua, after what He greatly accomplished on our behalf, to a tertiary role in our Faith.

Why tertiary? Because first we listen and obey the teachings of the Rabbis and the “jack-legs of our Faith over that which is instructed in the Bible. From there we pay obligatory service, although meager at best, to Torah by reading into Torah that which is no longer applicable.

One sister in the Faith posted a comment to me on YouTube the other day stating that according to Torah, all “Ger” (whatever that means) and Torah Observers must pilgrim over to Jerusalem every Passover, regardless whether there is a Temple standing or no. So I asked her to provide me some biblical support for this Torah commandment. I’m still waiting to receive those support passages. Nevertheless, I believe I know where she’s getting this idea of every believer having to pilgrim over to Jerusalem for Passover. Torah does assign the Feasts of Passover/Unleavened Bread, Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) as pilgrim feasts. And when were were assigned to go to the “place where Abba placed His Name,” namely Shiloh and Jerusalem, we did so with clear understanding of what we were to do there and it all had to do with worship of Yahuah via the Temple service and the Levitical Priesthood.

Now commonsense should tell anyone who thinks as this dear sister thinks, that we all must pilgrim over to Jerusalem, that when we get to Jerusalem, what are we supposed to do? How are we to worship the Creator when there is no Temple nor Levites to administer the services of Yahuah? This is where rote, blind obedience to Torah, devoid of commonsense buys us—blind obedience to Laws that we won’t even take the time to examine and understand why we did them in the first place. Typically, this can be accomplished via a detailed study and understanding of the New Testament (i.e., the Brit HaDashah). Unfortunately, that is not something that interests many in our Faith Community. It’s just so much easier to blindly follow what is written in the Book. The problem is: by blindly following what’s written in the book without understanding in these days, one ends up displeasing the Father because we fail to worship Him as He has revealed to us how He wants to be worshiped.

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and Abba’s Righteousness

Certainly, there are some things in Torah that we simply do without having to do deep exegetical examinations: don’t steal; keep the Sabbath; don’t commit adultery or murder, and the like. But what about what Master instructed? Did He not tell us to “seek after His Kingdom and the righteousness of Yahuah before we did anything else?” And that by seeking after His Kingdom and His righteousness (that comes only through following Master’s example and teachings) first and foremost, everything else would fall into its proper order? I believe He did instruct that and it’s found in Matthew 6:33.

So many of us have been fed only a diet of Torah, Torah, Torah, but only a meager helping of Yeshua. I get it. For many of us, Hebrew Roots offered us a haven away from religiosity and thus rescued us from Western Christianity. So as part of a survival mechanism, if you will, we’ve developed this pseudo-amnesia as it relates to the renewed covenant, the work of the Ruach Kodesh in believers’ lives, and the sacrifice of Yeshua. We hide in Torah. We do stuff in Torah that frankly doesn’t make sense. But we do them anyway because Torah, in mechanical obedience to what is written and that is devoid of any revelation of the Ruach Kodesh and the teachings of Mashiyach, makes us feel that we are doing what we’re supposed to do. Case in point: traveling over to Jerusalem each year at Passover and hanging out I guess.

Or how about this: One dear Hebrew Roots brother and Torah teacher who I greatly respect and who is quite popular in our Hebrew Roots Community on YouTube, published a post this past week on the subject of Passover. I found virtually all of the content of that post to be spot on in terms of being biblically sound. However, he added one little piece to what otherwise was a brilliant post that essentially ruined the whole thing for me. He proudly declared that he butchers a lamb and applies the lamb’s blood to the door posts of his home each Passover. He cited Exodus 12 as the basis for this act. And Exodus 12 does clearly lay out the first Passover event that included slaying a lamb and applying the blood of that lamb to the lintels and door posts of each Hebrew home for purposes of escaping the “destroyer.” We all know the story.

This brother further supported the reason for his slaughtering a lamb and applying its blood on the door posts of his home by citing 12:24-28, which served to command us to guard the Pecach service as an ordinance forever as Yahuah’s Pecach. But this practice of slaughtering the pecach and applying the blood to our door posts is not explicitly mentioned in Leviticus 23, Numbers 9, nor in Numbers 33, all of which addresses various aspects of the Passover ordinance service, including the aspect of each participant of the ordinance being by necessity in a state of ritual purity.

But in Deuteronomy 16, just prior to our entering the land of promise, the Passover ordinance service changed somewhat and it was the Creator who changed it. And this change was not discussed by this dear brother in his YouTube post. And that change had to do with a prohibition being given against sacrificing the pecach in our gates—within the realm of our homes that is. The pecach, instead, had to sacrificed at the place that the Creator placed His eternal Name. In addition, we were instructed to turn over the whole process of sacrificing the pacech to the Levitical Priests who would administer the rites that were originally given back in Exodus. But this time, those rites would be applied to the alter at the Tabernacle and Temple. From there, the priests would apportion the pecach to our families for consumption and we were of course to consume the portions before sunup and whatever had not been consumed, it would have to be incinerated.

Yeshua is our Passover—Our Pecach

I said all this, not for purposes of brow-beating this dear brother and sister for their respective ideas and religious practices as related to Passover. But more so to provide a plausible example of how we can get ourselves in spiritual trouble.

And please, don’t misunderstand where I’m coming from. I have not in any way arrived. I am constantly searching for the Truth of any matter. I believe that whenever we get to the point that we feel we don’t need to search out matters of Faith anymore (Proverbs 25:2) , we condemn ourselves to the whims and foolish pandering of the rabbis and the crazies that have found homes in our Faith Community. But I’m preaching to the choir I’m sure.

I perceive Passover to be one of the Great Mysteries of the Ages. Passover was foretold to us back in the Garden at the Fall of man: I will put animosity between you and the woman, and between your descendant and her descendant; he will bruise your head, and you will bruise his heel.” (Gen 3:15 CJB). Father, in His infinite wisdom and genius, created Passover from the tragic events of our time in Egypt and our eventual escape from bondage. The artistry of our Father is a thing to behold that I’m afraid most of the world has never stopped to understand and admire. Our bondage in Egypt—that is, a parallel of our life of bondage to sin and the penalty that is associated with that life of sin—coupled with the “destroyer going through the land of Egypt on that fateful night and we who were under the blood were saved from the destroyer, foretells of the Passion of our Master Yeshua some 1,500 years or so later. Every aspect of the Exodus—Passover—service is detailed in the Passion of our Master: from the bondage that we endured in Egypt to the killing of the Pecach; the applying of the blood of the pecach to our homes; to the eating of unleavened bread and the pecach; to the escape from bondage by night; everything Father did on our behalf in Mitsrayim (aka Egypt) translated into the most perfect application of these two events woven into a single tapestry of love—Abba’s love for us, His fallen creation.

Yochanan Ben Zachariah (aka John the Baptist/Immerser) proclaimed of our Master as Yeshua returned from His time in the wilderness: “Behold the Lamb of Yahuah, which takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1: 29)

When Will We Finally Begin Keeping Passover?

When will we begin to see and keep Passover the way Abba has always intended for us to keep it? I say, let us begin this Passover to keep Passover with the full understanding that Yahoshua HaMashiyach is our Pecach—our Passover. It’s no longer about blindly sacrificing lambs and following the traditions of the so-called sages. It’s about that which Shaul proclaimed to the Corinthian Assembly of Believers in Yeshua:

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:1 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.1 (1Co 5:7-8 KJV)

It’s so easy to get caught up in the rote, mechanical aspects of the Exodus Pecach service and lose clear sight of the big picture that Abba painted on the canvas of time, space and even eternity for us. It’s all about Him and His Son Yahoshua. It’s not about us and how we see things and how we believe things should be done. And that’s the Spirit in which I plan to observe Passover this season.

In Summary and in Closing

In these days of nations rising up against other nations with rumors of wars abounding throughout the 24-7 news media machine; the moral decline of our world’s population; the fear of evil threatening our very existence; and hasatan seeming to have total and complete control over every aspect of life on this planet—let us realize that it is a great time to keep Passover! Why? Because the only stable and firm foundation available to the citizens of this shaken world of ours is Torah the way our older Brother Yeshua taught us.

Yeshua is our Passover and He is the only hope for this world. Yet He’s commissioned us to assist Him in saving the world. So I must ask myself everyday: Rod, what are you doing to assist Yeshua in saving the world today? May I not fail in fulfilling that role—that assigned responsibility–of doing His bidding and following and obeying His instructions.

My simple call to action—my heartfelt admonishment–to you this Spring Feast Season, is for you and your family to keep the Month of the Aviv; keep Pecach and Unleavened Bread as you are so led by the Ruach HaKodesh; that you keep this Feast with as much passion and love that you can muster. Let the world know what we’re doing through our faithfulness, our love for all and obedience. Let the world see Yeshua in us.

Have a wonderful and blessed Pecach and Unleavened Bread. Until next time, may you be most blessed, fellow Saints in Training. Shalom. Pecach Semeach.

Faithfully yours in Yeshua our Master, this is Rod Thomas signing out.