Today we're going to talk a little bit about the trap of man-made additions to God's law.
When my family first started on this walk, I found myself kind of lost. I think that's pretty normal. You know you're supposed to be doing certain things... but where in the world do you even start? It can be quite overwhelming. Maybe my experiences here can help you navigate some of the waters in this regard.
I remember thinking, "well, if there are 613 commandments (this is according to Jewish tradition), then maybe I should go through and see which ones apply to us and which ones don't!" And so, I found Rambam's (he's a "famous" Jewish sage) Mishneh Torah, which is basically a commentary on the 1st five books of the Bible. It would be akin to picking up Charles Spurgeon's Commentary on the Bible and using it to gain insight into the scriptures.
Anyhow, it's broken up into sections on civil laws, marriage laws, farmers' laws, etc. Some of it seemed REALLY burdensome. There's a good reason for that - most of the "rules" mentioned are not found in the scriptures. What I'm getting at is - it's completely fine to glean insight from people (dead or alive) on their interpretations of scripture. But ALWAYS test it BACK to the scripture and see if it stands. That goes for my stuff too - I WANT you to take what I say and compare it to scripture. Scripture is our ultimate measuring stick. If it doesn't add up, it should be tossed out with the bath water.
As almost everyone knows, Jesus got REALLY fed up with the Pharisees. The common understanding is that he was fed up with them because they wanted people to keep the law. That's not really accurate. Scripture tells us that the Pharisees wanted others to keep their MAN-MADE laws, and rebuked those who didn't measure up to their impossibly burdensome standards. Do you remember when Jesus yelled at them for griping about the disciples not washing their hands before a meal? That's because nowhere in the Torah is there a law mandating that people wash their hands. Now, is it good hygiene? Sure. But is it a sin in God's eyes to not wash your hands? No.
We see these same Pharisaical traditions still exist today in the Jewish community - Jewish people typically do not turn light switches on and off on Shabbat (Sabbath). They believe this is "starting a fire" because it uses electricity. They believe the same about starting a car - that the ignition sparks a fire. While in essence that may be the case, the law against starting a fire in your homes seems pretty straightforward. Don't light a fire in your house on Shabbat. See Exodus 35:3:
"You shall not kindle a fire in any of your dwellings on the sabbath day."Another tradition that is not found in scripture is the welcoming of Shabbat. Jewish families typically "invite in" the Sabbath by lighting candles, saying a special blessing over them, and then blessing the bread loaves (2 loaves of challah) and the wine. According to Jewish tradition, the Shabbat candles are to be lit no later than 18 minutes before sunset. Yet, there is no commandment to do so. I admit that at one point I thought this was something I was supposed to be doing, but while this is incredibly beautiful and symbolic, and doesn't contradict scripture, it is also not explicitly commanded in scripture. In other words, feel free to adopt such traditions, but don't ever think that if you don't do these things that you are somehow breaking the law.
The bottom line: while Jesus did rebuke the Pharisees for adding to the law... which by the way is breaking God's law in and of itself - see Deuteronomy 4:2:
"Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you."...he also instructed the people to LISTEN to the Pharisees in the synagogues (because they were the primary teachers of the Torah, and knew it well, and read from it every Shabbat), BUT He told them not to DO as they do, because they do not practice what they preach (God's law). In summary, the Pharisees taught from the Torah (the law of Moses) and had the authority to do so (they "sat in the seat of Moses"), but their practice was not in line with what they taught, for they added a burdensome yoke onto God's law. No wonder people think the law is so difficult to keep today! We've assumed that many of the traditions practiced within the Jewish community today are what the law of God looks like in practice, and that's not actually true. See Matthew 23:1-5:
"Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long..."We can perhaps understand this - the Jewish people (part of Israel, but not all of Israel) is about the only tribe that really practices the law today. This is a prophetic fulfillment. See Genesis 49:10:
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."The Jewish people have maintained the law, but their representation of it is inaccurate.
Maybe the same could be said for Christians today - we've exhorted the grace of our Father, but our representation of it is inaccurate.
Only when Israel is brought together as one in unity, when Jesus returns, will the entirety of the story be revealed to all. Amen.
Disclaimer - this is not me knocking the Jewish people in any way. They know the law (the Torah) better than anyone. Their whole desire in adding man-made regulations was to protect God's law from being broken. I admire the effort, though I disagree with the implementation.
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