So it is at this time that I ask the question:
Am I obeying YHVH 98% of the time?
We have chosen to follow the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We have studied Torah to learn His ways. But is there something lacking? Did we, in our haste, leave off that 2%? Have we rationalized and made excuses to protect that 2%? Does the 2% even matter?
I think the 2% does matter to YHVH.
- Achan only took a coat, some silver, and gold. What was that among all the treasures of Jericho? Probably less than 2%, yet it cost the lives of 36 men, and Achan and his family were stoned.
- Lot's wife only looked back at Sodom for a moment, surely not a long time, but as a result she turned into a pillar of salt.
- Saul only offered one sacrifice when he shouldn't have. That's not a big deal. But it cost him the kingdom.
- David only had one moment of passion, surely less than 2% of his life, but it cost him a child.
Do we eat kosher 98% of the time? But the other 2% is ingredients on the soup can that we choose to ignore.
Do we dress appropriately 98% of the time, except when it's inconvenient or when no one will see us?
Do we keep the Feasts and Shabbat, but delay dealing with trickier commands like the niddah laws?
Do we talk about our obedience and the things we have learned and forget to help those around us? Have we forgotten the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith?
But that's legalism!
Just a question: What is the opposite of legalism? Logic would dictate that the opposite is illegalism. So the question is whether we are obeying (legalism) or not obeying (illegalism).
The real question here is the heart. Are we busily occupied trying to take care of our 2% or are we demanding that everyone else deal with their 2%, while ignoring our own?
Torah is very clear on what is expected of us. Sometimes we don't understand, and must lean on the Ruach HaKodesh. We have so much to learn and so much to put into practice. We obey our Heavenly Father because we love Him, just like a little child delights in pleasing their daddy. We are not saved by our works, but we work because we are saved. But let us not assume that we have arrived and are doing all we ought. We have put our hand to the plow. Let us not turn back from the plow, and let us not stand still looking at the plow. We must move forward, always seeking that 2%, that bit of obedience that is yet elusive. There is always room for us to grow closer to our Father. If we are truly seeking to serve YHVH 100%, when would we possibly have time to judge others for their 2%?
May we all grow closer to YHVH in this precious feast time! (I'm off to try to deal with my own 2%.)
Shalom!
4 comments:
Such a valuable question to ask your self. In not obeying that 2% one would be very very far from Him in years to come.
In all honesty I think I am 'good' on the 2% not so on the 98%.
Thankful for His Saving Grace & a day of rest tom.
Very well said, Amy. :)
It was so nice to find your blog. I quite stumbled on it by accident, but it is refreshing to see a family who follows Torah. This blog is of particular interest in that I agree with what you are saying, but have a question that you may want to ponder and purhaps spend some time studying further. You mentioned following Torah only 98% of the time, instead of all the time. My question is that, would that not also apply to WHEN we celebrate the Sabbath and the Feasts? YAWH set his time and calendar in the heavens for all the world to see and follow, and yet we still use a paper calendar on our wall and a edict that was established by Rome that the Jews pick and day of their week (which all the days were named after their gods) and stick to that same repeating day rather than following God's time of the Moon and Sun. Something to think about. Thank you for the thought provoking question on how much we give ourselves over to Torah. It is an important one! Shalom!
Nesternitternest - Welcome to my blog! I think your thoughts on timing are very important to ponder. I find myself trapped in a gregorian reckoning of time because my husband has to get to work, the bills have to be paid, appointments must be kept, all based on that calender on the wall. But the sun and moon are supposed to tell us the time. I believe the Bible shows us that Shabbat repeats every seven days, however the feasts tend to move around when compared to a calender. I am anxious for the day when we can all share the same calender, ie look at the sky to determine feast days. In the meantime, my husband must get time off months in advance and cannot wait for the moon, so we make the best guess we can, and praise YHVH for the opportunity to keep His feasts the best we can. Thank you for pointing out another part of growth that we all must be pursuing. I know this is an area where I have plenty of room to grow, and intend to do just that. I hope you enjoy it here! :) Shalom!
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