In the past, communication had been made with some leaders/teachers of several Sacred Name groups, and there happened to occur a discussion regarding the importance of keeping the commanded Festival Days of Yahweh.
It was pointed out during this discussion that scriptural logic dictates that if Yahweh has instructed us to keep his Festival Days, then he would provide us with the instructions for keeping them correctly.
This would seem to be a reasonable assumption on our part unless, of course, Yahweh likes being entertained by the masses of confused people wandering hopelessly in search of his truth, which would lead to their salvation and eternal life.
The response from these religious leaders has been disheartening.
One of these leaders has basically said that no one has all of Yahweh’s truth; therefore, it is acceptable to Yahweh for everyone to continue doing things their own way. Since Yahweh knows the intentions of their hearts, which is to seek the truth continually, he will automatically forgive them for their ignorance. All one needs is patience until Yahweh decides to reveal his truth at the appropriate time.
In the meantime, one should show encouragement and love to everybody while floundering in the muck, so to speak.
Another response given is that when in doubt of the truth, simply observe what most of the people are doing and then embrace the majority viewpoint. The justification for this thinking is given by citing the following verse from the book of Proverbs.
Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety. (Proverbs 11:14)
It seems that the leader’s heart guided him to find the appropriate scriptural verse to reach the correct solution to the problem of his ignorance regarding Yahweh’s truth of the matter.
To add more fuel to the fire so to speak, it also has been admitted by these leaders/teachers that, even though one knows it would be contradictory to Yahweh’s truth to join with others in their errant practice of a Festival Day, it is acceptable and good to Yahweh to participate with them for the sake of fellowship.
If you don’t see any problem with these obvious misinterpretations of Scriptures along with the ensuing rationale, then you are in worse condition than I thought!
Maybe we should proceed to do an investigation into what a person’s heart is all about and how it leads to such thinking.
The two Hebrew words translated as heart in Scriptures are leb meaning the mind and lebab meaning the inner man, mind (innermost self of the mind) (Hebrew English Lexicon #3824). Leb and lebab are translated in the Greek Septuagint as kardia meaning “the thoughts or feelings (mind) (Strongs Greek #2588).”
So now that we know that a person’s heart or leb is really the mind, the next thing to consider is how the heart deals with truth.
One of the most profound questions in Scriptures is found in John 18:38 when Pontius Pilate asked Yahushua the messiah:
What is truth?
The word truth is translated by the various Hebrew words aman, amath, amun, and amunah. The basic meanings are to be firm, faithful, to trust, stability, trustworthiness, security, and fidelity, etc. In the Greek Septuagint, the words are alethes and aletheuo, from peitho translated as, actually, in reality, to convince, trustworthy, trustful, and genuine, etc. Check out the Strong’s Concordance along with the Hebrew English and Greek English Lexicons for all the various definitions.
The idea behind these terms is that trust (faith) and truth are but two aspects of the same thing: reality. Reality is that which is true and exists despite our personal existence or whether we can actually perceive it. Believe it or not, a tree does, in fact, make a noise in the forest when it falls whether or not we are aware of it.
Sanctify them in the truth: your word is truth. (John 17:17)
All your commandments are truth. (Psalms 119:151)
If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:31-32)
Can any of Yahweh’s truth be found in a person’s heart (leb) in and of itself? Here is a sampling of what Scriptures say:
The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly corrupt: who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
He that trusts in his own heart is a fool (stupid); But whoever walks wisely, he shall be delivered. (Proverbs 28:26)
Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (Isaiah 5:21)
If anyone looks for truth inside themselves, they will only find deception and corruption. Yahweh’s truth is only found outside ourselves. We must look to Yahweh for the reality of truth.
For mankind are the arrangings of the heart (leb), and from Yahweh the answer of the tongue. All the ways of a male are pure in his own eyes; but Yahweh measures the ruach (spirit). (Proverbs 16:1-2)
Trust in Yahweh with all your heart, And lean not upon your own understanding: In all thy ways acknowledge him, And he will direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes; Fear Yahweh, and depart from evil. (Proverbs 3:5-7)
A man’s heart plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps. (Proverbs 16:9)
What does a person do after coming to the recognition that, without Yahweh, the heart is deceiving and most likely will lead you in the wrong direction? How can one find Yahweh’s truth? The first step is given in the book of Daniel.
Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart (mind) to understand and humbled yourself before your eloahi, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words. (Daniel 10:12)
This seems to be a simple guideline to follow, but in reality has proven to be extremely difficult for many, especially the leaders and teachers of the various Sacred Name groups. The reason for the difficulty may be gleaned from the following:
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh. (Proverbs 16:5)
A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in ruach. (Proverbs 29:23)
By ridding oneself of arrogance and pride, then one can proceed to find Yahweh’s truth, which, when internalized, becomes trust. Where does one look to gain this trust?
So then trust comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of messiah. (Romans 10:17)
Notice that trust comes by hearing the word of the messiah, which comes from outside ourselves. In order to gain this trust, Yahweh’s truth is to be incorporated into one’s heart (leb, mind).
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my hidden heart. (Psalms 51:6)
And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free. (John 8:32)
Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness. (Ephesians 6:14)
Regarding those who are not ridding themselves of pride, refusing to incorporate Yahweh’s truth into their hearts, and who refuse to obey Yahweh’s instructions regarding his laws, commandments, and statutes, the book of Isaiah states:
Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me . . . and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hid. (Isaiah 29:13-14)
So their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of Yahweh of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 5:24)
Per the instructions from Scriptures, it is you who has to make the first move toward Yahweh’s truth. Truth does not come just because you are waiting for it to find you. For instance, notice who is loving and seeking first in the following verses:
I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me. (Proverbs 8:17)
Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. (Matthew 7:7)
Those who would rather play it safe by pleading continual ignorance of Yahweh’s truth and proceed to create their own comfort zone of bliss should note the following statement directed toward the Laodicean assembly:
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. (Revelations 3:15-16)
Here is the bottom line when considering a person’s heart and its ability to discern truth on its own.
Every man is a liar, and no man is good. The only thing that can come forth from man’s heart is evil. Therefore, we cannot expect to find truth as a natural product of our mind or feelings.
The source of man’s inability to follow Scriptures, as a result, is man’s own heart. It is from man’s mind that false ideas and doctrines spring.
According to Scriptures, we must first control our mind and then set it to understand what Yahweh has to say. This instruction means that we must approach Scriptures with the attitude which allows the book to tell us what it is trying to say, not superimposing our own beliefs or assumptions upon it.
It also means that we must look outside of ourselves to find scriptural truth and then incorporate that truth within us. To incorporate and internalize truth is to establish trust (faith) within, and it is in our trust (faith) that we can move toward eternal life.
To those who insist upon holding on to the opinion that one cannot find truth in regard to the correct observance of Yahweh’s festival days, especially the Feast of Passover/Unleavened Bread, and continue to justify their ignorance by thinking that Yahweh knows the true intentions of their hearts, which is to seek truth, are suffering from a strong case of self-delusion.
Since Yahweh has commanded us to observe his sacred Festival Days, then it would follow that he has the minimum expectation that we would be able to observe them correctly.
If one is actually seeking the truth of the matter, then the truth should readily be found per the instructions Yahweh has provided in Scriptures. On the other hand, if the truth is not forthcoming, this should serve as a warning sign to one’s heart.
The reality of the situation is that Yahweh does, in fact, know the true intentions of your heart, and therefore it would be wise to heed the following:
Would not eloahim discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. (Psalms 44:21)
I Yahweh search the mind and try the heart, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10)
There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death. (Proverbs 14:12)
For anyone who recognizes that the truth can be found regarding the correct observance of Yahweh’s festival days, then it is suggested that you check out the book by Qadesh La Yahweh Press titled, “The Festival and Sacred Days of Yahweh.”