The Keeping of Days

[Complete]

'Howbeit then, when ye knew not God,
ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.'
(Gal 4:8-11)

Hello there,

When reading God's word, the reader becomes very aware of the care taken to record events and times, names and dates. Also, God chose the fabrics and material used in the making of the tabernacle and it's furnishings, and placed on record the dimensions of it, also equipping those chosen to make it's various parts, and construct it. He chose the dress that the priests had to wear too, it was not left to personal choice. No, everything was meticulously planned and executed to detailed plans and instructions. Days, months, times and years were planned and ordered. Times and dates precisely recorded at God's instruction. So why do we keep days in our calendar which have no Divinely appointed place. Christmas and Easter for example? Both have now become so commercialised, and elaborated, that parents have the burden of providing gifts associated with these occasions, when they can least afford it, so that both festivals have become burdensome to parents, many going into debt in order to fulfill the expectation of their children.

God did not create either of these events, or require that they become part of tradition. if He had they would both have been meticulously planned and precisely ordered to a pattern of God's choosing. No, they have become so by man;s choosing. I would appreciate your input on this.

Thank you
In Christ Jesus
Chris

 

[Soyeong]

'Howbeit then, when ye knew not God,
ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods.
But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God,
how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements,
whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?
Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years.
I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain.'
(Gal 4:8-11)

In Exodus 33:13, Moses wanted God to be gracious to him by teaching him to walk in His way that he and Israel might know Him, and in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said that he would tell those who are workers of lawlessness to depart from him because he never knew them, so the goal of the law is to graciously teach us how to know God and Jesus by walking in His way, which is His gift of eternal life (John 17:3). So those who formerly did not know God who were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods and former pagans who have come to know and be known by God who are going back to being enslaves by weak and worthless elementary principles of the world are former pagans who have come to know God and by known by God by obeying His law who have return to being enslaved by those who are by nature not gods by returning to following pagan holy days. It doesn't make any sense for someone to interpret Galatians 4:8-11 as Paul criticizing to people who were formerly following God's instructions for how to know and be known by Him for returning to following those instructions.

In Mark 7:6-9, Jesus criticizing Pharisees as being hypocrites for setting aside the commands of God in order to establish their own traditions, so the issue is not that there is something inherently wrong with following traditions, but rather the problem is with following those traditions instead of obeying the commands of God, though there can also be things that are wrong with specific traditions. However, it is much more important to be focused on following Christ's example of celebrating the holy days that God has commanded than to be concerned abut whether to follow a tradition.