Daily Devotionals

Voice of the Lord

Devotional: 24th of Shevat

Eating without doing n'tilat-yadayim does not make a person unclean (Matthew 15:20).

Yeshua and his disciples were condemned because they did not practice netilat-yadayim (the traditional hand-washing ceremony before eating).

However, nowhere in the Scriptures do we read of such a commandment.

Although "legalism" is not a term used in the Bible, it is clearly an issue in several passages of Scripture. But what exactly is legalism? Legalism is not a lifestyle empowered by grace to fulfill the Torah of God. Rather, it is self-righteousness and pride. It multiplies commandments and requires practices that are not rooted in the Word of God. The legalistic spirit has difficulty discerning between the lesser and the greater commandments.

Yeshua intentionally acted to break the chains of legalism in first century Israel. On Shabbat (the Sabbath), in defiance of the legalists, Yeshua healed the sick and walked through the fields with his disciples picking and eating grain. He said to the Perushim (Pharisees), "You pay your tithes of mint, dill and cumin; but you have neglected the weightier matters of the Torah" (Matthew 23:23).

Legalism destroys spiritual life, makes us narrow, and causes us to miss what is most important to God. We condemn those who differ from us in style of worship, language, and culture because of legalism.While legalism stresses external behavior,Yeshua emphasizes the motives of the heart (Matthew 5-7).

Let us ask the Lord to search our hearts to see if there is any trace of legalism within us; if any is revealed, let us repent and follow the way of Yeshua.

...be true to God's Torah and free from legalism.

DJ