Understanding that there is no adding to or subtracting from Yehovah’s (the LORD’s) word will guard us from turning from His extremely narrow way which leads to life.
No Adding To Or Subtracting From Yehovah’s Word
You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yehovah, your Elohim which I command you. (Deu 4:2)
“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it. Deu 12:32
Psalms also carries forward this same thought.
Every word of Elohim is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar. Pro 30:5-6
Yeshua never even eluded that He was adding to or talking away from Yehovah’s words which He spoke through Moses and His other prophets. He hated that the scribes and Pharisees who added so many doctrines and commandments of men to His Yehovah’s eternal and unchanging ways. Quoting Isaiah, Yeshua said,
Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, “this people draws nigh unto me with their mouth, and honors me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men [all the statutes and judgments of your elohim].” For laying aside the commandment of Elohim, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, “Full well ye reject the commandment of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition.” Mat 15:7-9 and Mar 7:8-9
The Jews, short for Judah which was only one of the twelve tribes of Israel, kept many of Yehovah’s ways; the Sabbaths, the feasts and many others, but many kept them with an uncircumcised or unrepentant heart and they constantly added to His ways. In contrast, many “Christians†today have subtracted practically all of Yehovah’s ways.
We will not have the praise of Elohim if we do not keep His ways; there is no adding to or subtracting from His words. All His ways are unchanging, just as He and His words, His oracles, are unchanging. Knowing this precept is another firm foundation for understanding and wisely walking in Yehovah’s way which leads to life. We must follow only His oracles, nothing more and nothing less!
I’ve recently learned the error of my traditional Christian upbringing. However, I still cannot understand how circumcision is not necessary even though God commanded it. God did command the male babies of Israel to be circumcised, right? Is it not “required” because technically, if you are a grown man you have always missed the time for when physical circumcision was to be performed? How do I explain this to others?
Thanks.
Yehovah and His eternal and unchanging ways do not change and His words will endure forever. We have learned many lies which have come from our “Christian” understandings and I am so glad that you see that. But please do not think for a moment that I am saying that a man who has circumcised his heart and joined himself (and his family) to Yehovah and His people does not need to be circumcised. Circumcision has a proper place and time.
I have created two videos (also eight blogs) to help folks understand what Yehovah’s word says about circumcision. First. with a circumcision of his heart, a man becomes a ger (with an expatriation from the kingdom of his birth) and then later the ger circumcises himself and all the men of his household and enters onto a covenant with Yehovah at Passover and becomes as one born in the land, an ezrach.
Yehovah only has two kinds of men in His kingdom; the ger and the ezrach. Every man MUST become an ezrach in order to be Yehovah’s people. Here are the links to those two videos and blogs.
Baptism – A New Beginning in Yehovah’s Kingdom – http://weareisrael.org/born-again-series/part-4-baptism-a-new-beginning/
The Process of Becoming Born Again – http://weareisrael.org/born-again-series/part-5-the-process-of-becoming-born-again/