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Legalism

Have we inherited a false definition of legalism?
When Abba says to His people: "I want to bless you with long life and health, therefore do this" --and they honor that Word, is it legalism, or wisdom and reciprocal love to obey? (Read Psalm 119 with this in mind)
For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life: Proverbs 6:23
For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. 1 John 5:3
And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 2 John 1:6

Test this: what was the leaven of the Pharisees? Wasn't it legalism?

    "Now the Pharisees and some of the Torah scholars who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Yeshua. And they saw that some of His disciples were eating bread with unclean hands, that is, not washed. (For the Pharisees and all Jewish people do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow, keeping the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing. There are many other traditions they have received and hold, such as the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels.)
    The Pharisees and Torah scholars questioned Yeshua, “Why don’t Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders? Why do they eat bread with unwashed hands?”
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors Me with their lips
but their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Having left behind the commandment of God, you hold on to the tradition of men.”
    He was also telling them, “You set aside the commands of God, in order that you may validate your own tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say if anyone tells his father or mother, ‘Whatever you might have gained from me is korban (that is, an offering to God),’ then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, making void the word of God with your tradition that you’ve handed down. And you do many such things.”


Yeshua was not critical of the Torah scholars because they were passionate about obedience to the Father. It was because they preferred to hold people accountable to the traditions of the Rabbis, than the Word of the Lord. They were more concerned with people paying money into the Temple than honoring their parents. They were more concerned about the washing of hands before eating, and fasting two days a week, than obedience to YHWH's commands! Legalism is man elevating his own standards, to try to take hold of the authority over others that only belongs to Yah.

To be fervent, faithful and adamant about obedience to our Father and all that characterizes us as set apart, identifies us as His children. It is not legalism.


For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Romans 2:13
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: John 10:27
Be therefore imitators of God, as beloved children. Ephesians 5:1

If we come to the conclusion that Adonai's Law is burdensome, we have listened to the tempter who is the only one who benefits when we doubt the pure goodness of Abba's instruction--we can only be deceived when we don't fear the Lord. The purpose of hearing the Torah is the fear of the Lord. 

Assemble the people—men, women, children, and the foreigners within your gates—so that they may listen and learn to fear the LORD your God and to follow carefully all the words of this law. Then their children who do not know the law will listen and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 31:12-13

If we (grafted-IN Nations) do not make true discernment here, we will call evil good, and good, evil. 

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20

It is not evil, nor is it legalism, to uphold the commandments of the Lord. 

Do we then nullify the law through faith? May it never be! No, we establish the law. Romans 3:31
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5:17-19

Not only is it righteous to insist upon the commandments of Yah, there is great reward! 

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. "Psalm 19

Here's a radical (and Biblical) tip: "every charge shall be established on the testimony of two or three witnesses".

Heaven and earth are still here. These are the same two witnesses YHWH called out in Deuteronomy 30 when He charged His people to obey and live, or refuse and die!

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. Matthew 19:17

If, as they say, Paul cancelled Torah in Galatians (or any other letter he wrote) where is witness two? Or is it, as Peter says in verse 16 here, possible that these words are hard to understand, and being twisted by those without the foundations of Scripture?

If we are to be noble Bereans, everything we read in the "new testament" needs to be fact-checked against the Scriptures (which, at that point was the Torah and Prophets--again, TWO witnesses!).

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say? Luke 6:46

The rest of Yeshua's statement there in Luke is about building a house without a foundation.Visualize this with me. The roots, or foundation of the House of Elohim are the Scriptures. What many have tried to do is build up a religion without the whole Word, using only New Covenant writings as the template. I declare to you: if we have made our doctrine simply by the letters of the apostles and nothing more, we are that house without a foundation that Yeshua spoke of. The B'rit Hadashah, or New Covenant writings, cannot be understood separate from the context of the whole Bible. All the disciples and apostles were Jewish. This is because they had been entrusted with the Oracles of God! To know the Scriptures (Torah and Prophets) is to know the context of Yeshua (The Word) as salvation: "it was they that testified to Me". (John 4:22) He did not save us from the Torah, but into the righteousness of Yahweh.

“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the א and the ת, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Revelation 22:12-14

Since it seems that the fourth command (Ironically, the one YHWH expounds upon the most, dedicating the greatest number of words) is the main Commandment that Christians tend to reject, here is a couple tidbits that might provide motivation for further inquiry:

  • Firstly, if we test festivals, finding traditional "Christian holidays" without Biblical merit but instead, idolatrous roots, then we should also test why we continue to keep Sunday as "holy", as it has come to us in the same way, unquestioned.
  • Secondly, every Hebrew word tells a story based on the pictographs it is made up of shin, which means breasts, bet which means house, and tav which means covenant or sign. As I contemplated the mysteries here I brought my baby son to my breast, to comfort him before a nap. It was a signal to him that it was time to rest. This is the intimacy that Shabbat was established for! Here is a full word study of various related words which expose and affirm this beautiful intent as well!
  • Thirdly, it stands as a sign of set-apartness. What The Word declared at the beginning, He has not made void. Remember, the Lord tested Israel's faithfulness by giving them double manna on day 6. This was before they received Torah at Sinai. This sign of set-apartness to YHWH had been established long, long before deliverance from Egypt. 

If a day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day...we are at the end of the "prep day" millenium! The bride has work to do, readying herself, putting the House in order, and filling the lamp with oil. If every Biblical Feast prophecy the two comings of Messiah, and only the first four have been completed by Him, won't we best keep them, if we mean to recognize our Messiah at His coming? Is this not what love is like?

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