Category: Challenges

Your obedience shows whose child you are, whether a child of traditions handed down by your fathers or of the Almighty God of heaven. Your choices of obedience will determine your future location for all eternity. Wouldn’t it be good to make those choices away from traditions and using only the Word?

“And I said to their children in the wilderness, ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers, or keep their ordinances, or defile yourselves with their idols. ‘I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, and keep My ordinances, and observe them. ‘And sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.’ “But the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, nor were they careful to observe My ordinances, by which, if a man observes them, he will live; they profaned My sabbaths. So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. “But I withdrew My hand and acted for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out. “Also I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands, because they had not observed My ordinances, but had rejected My statutes, and had profaned My sabbaths, and their eyes were on the idols of their fathers. “And I also gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not live; and I pronounced them unclean because of their gifts, in that they caused all their first-born to pass through the fire so that I might make them desolate, in order that they might know that I am the LORD.”‘ (Eze 20:18-26 NAS)

Jesus (Yeshua) spoke of several things that this section addressed centuries before he graced us with his glorious presence.  In Mark Chapter 7 we read about Yeshua having an interaction with the Pharisees and some of the scribes complaining that the disciples were eating with unwashed hands, against the ‘traditions of the elders.’  This coincides with what Ezekiel said in verse 18, chapter 20.  Ezekiel is talking about how the LORD (YHVH) told the children of Israel NOT to walk in the statues of their fathers or keep their ordinances.

Yeshua (Jesus) also taught us to know people based upon the fruit they show, not taking into account their words, but their actions. This is found in Matthew Chapter seven.  Plainly we see that grapes are not harvested from thorns and figs not from thistles.  Good trees bear good fruits.

With these two examples among many, we can tell who are the children of God (YHVH) and who are the children of traditions.  These differences are defined by a simple word that people today do not want to hear.  Obedience.  Your fruit tells you who you are and your actions are judged based upon who you are obedient to.

Children of Traditions

Children of tradition are defined by those the walk in the statues of their fathers, keep their ordinances and defile themselves with their idols.  When we keep the traditions of men instead of the commands of the LORD (YHVH) then we are by definition a rebellious people.  Verse 21 tells us that those who kept the traditions of their fathers had rebelled against the One who they claim to follow.

When we understand Jesus as the Word made flesh, the beat-down of the hypocritical Pharisees makes greater sense since it was the very Word of God that they were breaking by adding to it or taking away from it.  Yeshua spoke saying the HE, the Word made flesh, was the way, the truth and the life.  Jesus is the very essence of God’s spoken word and he came to tell us to return to that Word as it was written and not as the fathers changed it to be.

Children of God

Children of God, defined within the scriptures, are those that love and obey Him.  Those that adhere to His statues and ordinances and do not worship the many idols of today.  1John chapter 5 gives is a great, detailed description of what it means to be Children of God.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. (1Jo 5:2 NAS)

And further we read in Philippians chapter 2:

that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, (Phi 2:15 NAS)

Children of God do not forget God in their everyday lives.  They don’t just read the Bible to gain knowledge of God, but the apply the Bible outside of the traditions.  Hosea gives us a strong warning to those who reject the knowledge and do not apply it.

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. (Hos 4:6 NAS)

Children obey your parents

Who does it make sense to that the LORD (YHVH) would give us an instruction that is only to be applied in the earth?  If we profess that our one Father is in heaven, shouldn’t we obey him?  In Ephesians chapter 6 we see a wonderful re-enforcement of the 5^th command:

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother (which is the first commandment with a promise), that it may be well with you, and that you may live long on the earth. (Eph 6:1-3 NAS)

Obedience is the ultimate form of an expression of love.  We fulfill out vows to our spouse by keeping them out of love for the other person.  YHVH (the LORD) will fulfill his promises to those who love and obey him.  Yeshua (Jesus) called us out by saying ‘If you love me you will obey my commands.’  I would venture even further in my opinion that the greater your love is will be reflected in the greatness of your obedience.

What are the results?

We read in verse 21 further with very strong words that; The children rebelled against YHVH.  They did not walk in MY (the LORD’s) statues, nor were they careful to observe MY ordinances, by which, If a man observes them, he will live.  The LORD (YHVH) continued to say they profaned HIS Sabbaths and then yielded the result:

So I resolved to pour out My wrath on them, to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness. (Eze 20:21 NAS)

We say that we are not like those people and we follow the commands, but are they the commands of tradition or the commands of God?  Jesus (Yeshua) gives us the final super-strong warning:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’ “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. “And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. “And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall.” (Mat 7:21-27 NAS)

Who do you obey and how do you show your obedience?  Please comment below.  Thank you.

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