There seems to be a growing number of evangelical groups that are wanting to go back to the Old Testament ways and traditions of the Hebrews by observing feasts, celebrating holidays, and even promoting wearing a tallit, or prayer shawl.
Outspoken on this issue is False Teacher Larry Huch. His website has the following information about the Hebraic Roots Movement:
“As you realize that you are grafted in, and discover your Jewish roots a whole new revelation of God’s Word, promises and purpose for your life will emerge. Start your journey today to discover your Jewish roots.”
He is saying that there is gnostic, New Revelation that God has for his people if we start to take on our Jewish Roots.
Rosh Hashanah
From Larry Huch Site:
In Rabbinical Judaism the fall feast of Rosh Hashanah means “the head of the year” and is traditionally celebrated as the Jewish New Year’s Day. It is observed on the first day of Tishri which generally falls between September or October. It is a ten-day period marked by prayer, self-examination and repentance which concludes on the fast day of Yom Kippur. These ten days are also called the Days of Awe which Jews remember the creation of the universe.
Three books are opened up during Rosh Hashanah. One is the book of the righteous. God opens this book and sees if you have been serving Him, paying your tithes and whether you have been gossiping, backbiting, or you’ve been being the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The second book that is opened is called the book of the wicked. The last nook is the book of the lukewarm, or those that are in-between. This is a time when God is looking at our life over the last year. And He’s giving us a chance to change.
What they do is take the traditions of the Jewish people and turn them into a law that they must follow in order to be blessed by God. The thing is, you will find none of this in the Word of God. Christ fulfilled all of the law. Larry will teach that certain offerings must be taken up in order for you to be blessed for the following year. Again this just isn’t in the Word of God. Any offering taken up will be at the total benefit of the Larry Huch Ministries and God does not recognize it at all as anything to bless, because quite simply:
Everything that God has for us, be it Blessings, Salvation, Healing, etc, was purchased at Calvary and are Freely Given. That is what the definition of Grace is. It means we don’t deserve it and we can’t earn it, but Christ gives it anyway. If any preacher is saying that you have to DO anything to receive from the Lord, He is lying to you. It is in the Bible, check it for yourself.
Yom Kippur – The Day of Atonement
Again From Larry Huch Site:
Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is considered to be the holiest day of the Jewish year. The biblical name for Yom Kippur is “The day of the covering, canceling, pardon, reconciling.” It is the only time when the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies and call upon the Name of YHVH to offer the sacrifice for the sins of the people. It is also the great day of intercession for the people of Israel. The Day of Atonement also has a prophetic insight and points to the Second Coming of Messiah (Mashiach), the full restoration of the nation of Israel and the last judgment of the world.
In Rabbinic Judaism, Yom Kippur is the end of a ten day period of repentance called the Days of Awe. Yom Kippur begins at nightfall on the 9th day of Tishri and continues for 25 hours. That time is spent in complete fasting, prayer and special synagogue services.
Yom Kippur gives time to get right with God. And it also gives us time to get right with each other. We can’t get right with God unless we get right with each other. We’ve been saved by grace, but we need to repent. We’re having too many divorces in the Church. We’ve got too many people in the church world committing adultery. God’s ways are above our ways. God’s thoughts are above our thoughts. God’s plan is above our plans. We need to do it God’s way, not the world’s way.We need to be ready for the rapture. That’s what Rosh Hashanah is about. God opens the books and looks at our life. He says, check and see if you’re lukewarm. The rapture is God’s judgment on the Church. If you are one of the five foolish virgins, instead of being one of the five wise virgins, and you’ve become lukewarm, lost your oil, and the light of your life isn’t lit, then the bridegroom won’t be coming to your house. You’ll miss the rapture.
But God will give you seven years to get your heart ready. That’s what Yom Kippur is about. It’s a time to repent, turn around and go a different direction – God’s direction. It’s a rehearsal for the coming Great White Throne Judgment. God gives you time to repent and change.
What Larry Huch in essence is saying, is that we are to forget about what Christ did at the Cross. We should believe that there was no point to His Sacrifice, because we have the law to govern and guide us. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Paul, in Galatians, had to set them in order on this very subject:
Galatians 3
1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
The people were trying to go back to their old law and traditions. People, like Larry Huch, were creeping in and trying to convince the people to go back, thus ignoring the Cross.
Bottom line:
The law has been fulfilled by Christ. If any man, for ANY reason tells you, “Yea, Christ did fulfill the law, BUT…..” You need to steer clear of them. The law could not cover sin. Christ’s Death, once and for all, took care of every problem that mankind faces. If we put our faith solely in Christ’s Finished Work, we will make it till the end.
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10 Comments, Comment or Ping
the grey coats
We welcome the link exchange. i love the site. let us all go forth and p4wn the false doctrine!! HAHA!!
Sep 4th, 2008
Guy Vestal
What is most hilarious about the pulpit pimps at TBN is how they have taken Satan’s skill at twisting a word or two just enough to cloud the entire issue. Just like Genesis 3:1, they do such a good job at changing that one word, to suit their agenda.
I support celebrating the festivals, not because it leads to anything at all, but because God designed them to be a form of worship, and that is the context they need to remain in.
The law has not changed, and the festivals are still in the scriptures, but the law saves no one of course, and Grace does need to remain at the top of the priority list in the Gospel message.
I liken Passover and the others to a hymn sang on a sunday morning, or a praise report on a wednesday night. Same with the “Prayer Closet” or Prayer Shawl. It serves a purpose, but it does not save. I advocate the observance of festivals, and the use of the tallit, but the festivals only as a celebration of our thanks to God for his sustaining power of our every breath, and the tallit because it allows us a personal space to be alone with the Father, and not because God is going to “hook us up with some cash”, “kick us down with a new car”, or “shoot us a gift” in exchange.
“Getting back to our Jewish roots” is ok, as long as we remember that those roots can lead right back to a hardened heart if those traditions are placed above God Himself, just like they had been when Jesus warned them of it 2000+ years ago.
Christ did fulfill the law, yes. He said so Himself. But He did not abolish it, He also said that. The law serves as a gauge to remind us of what God expects from us, and to help us to recognize where sin is. Christ is the answer to stepping away from that sin when we follow His example, and strive to live like He did. He is faithful to forgive, but only if we are faithful to repent.
If anyone ever tells you “The law no longer applies”, steer clear, because they just threw the ten commandments out the window first, and nothing is stopping them from simply advocating sin run rampant.
The more I come here, the more I like coming here. You do take on the toughest of subjects, that many of us have to search through those thin lines to find the truth in. Which this post alone has prodded me into hurrying up on my latest podcast, addressing this and other issues of “scripture twisting”…
Sep 4th, 2008
Bingkee
There’s nothing wrong to observe the Jewish religious activities and laws as long as we don’t do it to earn righteousness and be complacent in our day-to-day relationship with God. Jesus fulfilled the law and He did not abolish it. Jesus already paid it all. His life, death and resurrection is useless if we all engage in these festivities because we think God will bless us and redeem us. We are already redeemed. It’s up to us to if we believe in the saving grace of God’s death—salvation and by walking in faith through Him. Jesus, sent by God and as God is the only way to live life. Nothing else. No religious activity nor any ritual can give us a place in the kingdom of light, except through faith and love in Jesus.
Bingkees last blog post..I’M SENDING YOU TO THE PHILIPPINES
Sep 4th, 2008
Tony
@ Guy
Thank you for frequenting this blog.
The “celebrating” is fine, as long as no faith is put in them as getting you any closer to God. That was the point of this post. These guys, like Larry Huch, are making their wallets fatter by telling the people that for us all to be blessed EVEN MORE, we have to “DO” these things. Wearing a Tallit, isn’t wrong in and of itself, just like if I wear a tie, as long as I don’t put faith that God requires me to wear that tallit in order to be in obedience or in order for God to hear me and bless me. I think you see my point in this post about how these guys will twist scripture to suit their needs…like a new pool for their mansions. I can’t wait to hear that podcast!!! Let me know when you post it.
God Bless,
Tony
Sep 4th, 2008
Tony
@ Bingkee
I agree with you on the fact that we shouldn’t think these things bring us any righteousness. Cause they don’t, but the guys that are pushing this really heavily right now, are saying just that. They are saying that if we don’t “discover” and “DO” these things, we are missing out on what God has for us. Which is wrong, because, All that God has for us was paid for at the Cross of Calvary, and simple faith in the right Object grants us all that God has for us. It isn’t as pragmatic as people like this claim. Doing stuff to earn blessings. Grace is free and freely given.
Thanks for your comment!!
Tony
Sep 4th, 2008
Wendy
There is some more info in this vein at http://joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/the-hebrew-roots-movement-so-what/ , http://joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/about-law-keepers-an-overview/ and http://joyfullygrowingingrace.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/about-law-keepers-an-overview/.
I’m so thankful for the simplicity of the Gospel!
You wrote,”The law has been fulfilled by Christ. If any man, for ANY reason tells you, “Yea, Christ did fulfill the law, BUT…..” You need to steer clear of them. The law could not cover sin. Christ’s Death, once and for all, took care of every problem that mankind faces. If we put our faith solely in Christ’s Finished Work, we will make it till the end.”
Amen, brother!
Free in Christ,
Wendy at JGIG
Wendys last blog post..Hebrew Roots Movement - Messin’ With the Word
Oct 1st, 2008
janoflay
God’s law and grace do not work in competition with each other but in perfect harmony. The law is the will of God, and grace is the power to do the will of God. We do not obey the law in order to be saved but because we are saved by God’s grace through the Messiah Yeshua and he alone is our salvation. Like what Jesus said in John 5:46-47 – “For if you really believed Moses, you would believe me; because it was about me that he wrote. But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”.. God gave the law to Moses. Please brethren don’t twist the scriptures in to your own liking. Please study the Torah (first 5 books in the Bible) and the Torah will give you full understanding of the Messiah and instructions of God on how to live life. If there was no law, there’s no sin, and if there’s no sin, then there was no need for a Messiah. Since God sent his only begotten son Yeshua (Jesus) to die for our sins, our sinful flesh have died with Him, and we are now born again (resurected) thru Him that we may live like Him thru the Holy Spirit. Romans 8:3-4 - For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: (key word) = That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. I can keep quoting scriptures to show proof, you just have to start over and read again and again. It’s all over the bible from beginning to end. If you truly love our LORD Yeshua, you would obey ALL His commands.
Oct 24th, 2008
janoflay
And about the Feast of God. They were not made up by man, these were God given, again go back to the Old Testament.. God bless you.
Oct 24th, 2008
janoflay
In the book of Galatians you also have to remember who Paul was talking to. Paul was talking to Pharisees and Sadducees who have distorted God’s Word and made man made law in order to please themselves. They also believe in circumsision, they taught the Gentiles that in order to be saved they have to abide by the law only and be converted to be like them. So, with that in mind Paul made it clear that faith/grace is first, then comes obedience. Paul was a Jew who followed all God’s tradition, he was a scholar of the Torah. Jesus taught the Tanakh which consist of the Torah and the gospel of the prophets in the old testament. The new testament hasn’t been written yet, so there was no way He went to a synagouge and opened the book of Galatians, Matthew, Luke, or what have you…. Abraham had faith and believed God so it was accounted to him for righteousness, we all understand that, but Abraham also obeyed God, the word obey means “to follow the commands or guidance of” according to Merriam-Webster, or “To carry out or fulfill the command, order, or instruction of.” The word law was not really the correct word to use, when you look at Hebrew scriptures it was called torah meaning “instructions” or “teaching”. Church doctrines and Christians likes refer to it as law, when the scriptures were translated to greek, Greeks use or translated it to nomos and that’s were the word law came from. May God bless you all and I pray that we may all become ONE because we all believe in the same God, the God of Israel, the God of Jews and Gentiles, in the name of Yeshua Ha’Mashiach. Hallelu YAH!
Oct 24th, 2008
Big B
Starting this conversation quoting ‘one man’ (Mr Larry Huch) is weak, very weak.
Picking one persons comments on the feasts is weak.
Sorry, this is weak, lets stay in The Word, then we can have an intelligent conversation here….
The first comment by Huch mixes parts of Rabinnic Judaism with the Torah, this is Rabinnic Judaism!
This will not mix well with most involved in Western Christianity.
If you understand Biblical Judaism and what it really is, then you can have this conversation.
Try this on; Biblical Judaism=Biblical Christianity.
Biblical Judaism is the faith of our forefathers (Abraham and others) walked out by obedience to His commands, this started in the Garden by the way.
Remember the story Messiah told about those in the Bosom of Abraham? (Paradise)
They were there because of one reason, belief in and obedience to the Commandments.
Remember, they all rose and were seen walking the streets of Jerusalem and were called the First Fruits, Of Messiahs death and blood.
So do not criticize the commandments of our Lord, for they were obeyed by Faith, by our for fathers. Remember Lazerus the rich man?
He did not obey the Commandments, remember where he ended up?
Remember, it was The Messiah who told us this story.
The Commandments are good and holy.
Some in The Church today call the Commandments bondage….
Why would our Father lead the children of Israel out of bondage for 400 years in Egypt, then immediatly take them to the first mountain and give them the Commandments.
To bind them up again???
Foolish talk, foolish thinking.
The commandments are GOOD, they came from our Father in Heaven, those who believed and obeyed them were counted as righteous. Were they saved, no not yet, when they died, they went to the holding place, Paradise, Or Abrahams Bosom, then who set them free?
Messiah Yeshua (his Greek nickname is Jesus)!!!!!
Those in that place were waiting for Him and Him alone.
When He showed up, now holding in His hand, the keys of Death and Hell, they believed and confessed (Romans 10:9-19)
Their salvation was now complete, because of the blood shed by the real Passover Lamb.
Lazarus did NOT partake in this, because of his disreguard of G-ds commands.
So believers, do you throw away G-ds commandments, because of grace and faith, not wise, they come from G-d Himself….
It takes Faith to walk out G-ds commandments.
King David said, he loved G-d’s Law.
Do you think David was in that room with all of the others?
Good question. Selah…
Final thought; The first testament gave us 613 commandments.
The Gospels contain over 1022, even more.
Messiah calls that ‘fulfilled’
Why are there more?
Remember He said, do not commit adultry, but
I say to you, if you even so much as look, you have
done it in your heart.
Messiah came to fulfill the commandments,,,,,hmmmm
Bless our Lord for He is worthy…..
Dec 11th, 2008
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