One of the most important steps for success in any endeavor is the laying of a strong, healthy, accurately measured foundation. As a coach, I have witnessed how this is essential for running. One spends weeks, months, and years building solid aerobic fitness, strong muscles and tendons, and mobility. Without this base-laying aerobic phase, it is nearly impossible to have long-term success. I sometimes see athletes walk into the season without that strong foundation. They might have a good race or two, but usually hit a plateau, or worse yet, get injured.
Likewise, we experience the same thing in our faith. It takes years of Bible study, prayer, fasting, introspection, and righteous living to set a good foundation. The modern institutional church has good things going for it, like belief in Yahusha Messiah (Jesus) and the work of the Set-Apart Spirit dwelling in various churches and individual believers. Yet, that same institution has built up a faulty foundation, missing many of the key elements of the faith:
- Yahuah’s Torah, which are His instructions for righteous living
- Yahuah’s sign of the covenant, which is His Sabbath
- Yahuah’s appointed times, which are His Feasts
- Differentiating between the clean and unclean, which include the Food Instructions
- Rejecting the terms of His Covenant
- Understanding Biblical Israel, which include natural and grafted-in branches who have faith in Yahusha and guard the commands.
“When the foundations are destroyed, what shall the righteous do?” – Psalm 11:3
Although the intentions of belief are there, the foundation is not on solid rock.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does them, shall be like a wise man who built his house on the rock,” – Matthew 7:24
Yahusha gives us these words after explaining the warning of the dreadful Matthew 7:21 verse, where he says that not all who call Me ‘Master’ shall enter into the reign. We must be doing the will of our Father, or He will say ‘depart from Me, you who are lawless.’ That means without law!
A Swinging Pendulum?
Unfortunately, one can find a faulty foundation even when trying to get back to the Hebrew foundation of Scripture. Believers often have issue with the disregard of commandment-keeping in the mainstream institutional church, and understandably so. But often swing too far the other direction into Rabbinic Judaism, a religion that denies Yahusha the Messiah.
“Who is the liar, except the one denying that Yahusha is the Messiah? This is the anti-messiah, the one denying the Father and the Son. No one denying the Son has the Father. The one confessing the Son has the Father as well.” – 1 John 2:22-23
This is not the faith once delivered to the saints (Jude 3) but an extension of Pharisaical belief that developed over time after the Hebrews left Babylon. And like modern Christianity, it developed non-Biblical practices over time as well.
“And I heard another voice from the heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” – Revelation 18:4
This includes everyone doing the traditions of men and the traditions of the nations around them. And no religion is immune to the plagues of Babylon. There are some traditions and practices that those getting back to the Hebrew fall into as well. Here are a few that might be considered:
- The “star of David”
- Tallits/Prayer Shawls
- Kippahs
- Shabbat Candles
- Hanukkah and Purim
- Davidic dancing
As believers in the Hebrew origins of our faith, we often find fault with our mainstream upbringing, which include holidays like Christmas and Easter, communion, the rapture, denominations, dispensationalism, and a disregard for the Torah, among others. But we must be careful not to carry out similar traditions as Torah keepers. I truly want to do “Bible things in Bible ways.” But if that includes putting on a prayer shawl, dancing in a circle, or decorating my establishment with the “star of David,” it sends the message that those are Bible things when they are, in fact, not. The faith that was once delivered to the saints (Jude 3) needs to be focused on the Scriptures. And not on the traditions of men.
“And I progressed in Judaism beyond many of my age in my race, being more exceedingly ardent for the TRADITIONS OF MY FATHERS.” – Galatians 1:4
Even Paul struggled with this before he came to know the Messiah. Here he relates his experience of holding fast to the traditions of his fathers. These are the same traditions that Yahusha rebukes in Mark 7:7 and Matthew 15:9. It took an encounter with Yahusha the Messiah for Paul to realize he was not following Scripture, but rather tradition.
We must be like the Bereans, “…who received the word with great eagerness, and searched the Scriptures daily, if these words were so.” – Acts 17:11
“Bible things in Bible ways” is not an easy task. We must be willing to admit we were wrong (like Paul did), and willing to shake off the traditions of men. If we can’t let go of Christmas, we might not be there yet. Likewise, if we start to guard the Torah, but can’t let go of certain symbols, we also might need some introspection and searching of the Scriptures.
The only way to get there is to break down the structure and set a healthy foundation. And that includes reliance on the Scriptures and faith in Yahusha.
“For no one is able to lay any other foundation except that which is laid, which is Yahusha Messiah.” – 1 Corinthians 3:11
He is our cornerstone and foundation. He is the Word, the Torah made flesh. And He showed us how to live, which is according to the Word, and not according to the traditions of men. A noble goal…but a difficult task.
FAITH IN MOTION 