It is a growing phenomenon that many people are waking up to the reality that Scripture actually teaches that the Torah is still for today. In fact, what many are learning is that the Torah itself teaches us that there is only one Torah for all people. It is this truth that actually defines Yisra'el.
One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Exodus 12:49
(Proverbs) 16:18
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
The diversity of things that people can be proud of, is as diverse as the people themselves. Some are proud of the job they hold or do. This can be because of the workmanship involved or the position itself or perhaps it is because the remuneration of the work is quite lucrative. Other people are proud of who they are because they come from a lineage with well known or well to do people. Still others are proud of the sports team that they follow, even to the point of collecting all sorts of memorabilia and even dressing in that team’s colors and jerseys. Others may be proud of who they know, knowing or having met someone of importance or renown. Many follow and are proud of certain actors or singers. Then there are those who are proud for no apparent reason; they are just simply proud.
Then there is the whole health and fitness pride. Some are proud of how they look physically, which may include one’s physique all the way to one’s tan upon his skin; while others are proud of their diet and how healthy they eat. Some are even proud of what they wear, wearing only designer clothing and spending hundreds of dollars, even thousands of dollars upon their wardrobe. Or, for those in the Hebrew Roots movement, believe it or not, it is not too uncommon to find the prideful attitude of: “My clothes are more set-apart than your clothes!” Or, perhaps there is pride in how one ties his tzitziot or even the color of the techelet (blue) thread that is in the tzitziot. Or, perhaps one is proud because one bought his tzitziot directly imported from Israel.
Then perhaps the most common thing of all to be proud of is one’s own children or grandchildren. This pride is perhaps the most pervasive; and it is most difficult to see its destructive nature. But it is every bit as destructive as any other kind of pride, perhaps even more so for it tends to be passed on from one generation to the next.
There are even those who are proud of their religious upbringing or spiritual knowledge and understanding. Christians are often taught from preachers and pastors to be proud, which is in
direct opposition to the teachings of Scripture. It is often taught that there is a good kind of pride and a bad kind of pride. But this concept is completely foreign to Scripture. The truth is, as we will discover in this present study, that pride, all pride, is evil and against the very nature of YHWH our Elohim.
One of the surprising things today is the number of people in the Hebrew Roots movement who are full of pride because they have come out of Christianity and “know more” than the Christians and therefore are somehow better than they are. Even within the Hebrew Roots movement, there is contention among the talmidim of Yeshua. Pride says, “My Torah keeping is better than your Torah keeping.” Then there are those who state that they have been keeping Torah longer, thus in their minds this somehow makes them better or more authoritative than who is listening to them. Then of course there is this whole matter of whose Torah teacher is better...and one more, the question of how to pronounce and spell the name of the Father and the Son. There is so much pride in these areas that it breeds strife and contention between brothers in Mashiach. This mindset is wrong and against everything that Mashiach Yeshua taught us. It is time for us to put to death all vestiges of pride in all things and walk in the humility of His Spirit.
One Torah shall be to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Exodus 12:49
(Proverbs) 16:18
Pride goes before destruction,
And a haughty spirit before a fall.
The diversity of things that people can be proud of, is as diverse as the people themselves. Some are proud of the job they hold or do. This can be because of the workmanship involved or the position itself or perhaps it is because the remuneration of the work is quite lucrative. Other people are proud of who they are because they come from a lineage with well known or well to do people. Still others are proud of the sports team that they follow, even to the point of collecting all sorts of memorabilia and even dressing in that team’s colors and jerseys. Others may be proud of who they know, knowing or having met someone of importance or renown. Many follow and are proud of certain actors or singers. Then there are those who are proud for no apparent reason; they are just simply proud.
Then there is the whole health and fitness pride. Some are proud of how they look physically, which may include one’s physique all the way to one’s tan upon his skin; while others are proud of their diet and how healthy they eat. Some are even proud of what they wear, wearing only designer clothing and spending hundreds of dollars, even thousands of dollars upon their wardrobe. Or, for those in the Hebrew Roots movement, believe it or not, it is not too uncommon to find the prideful attitude of: “My clothes are more set-apart than your clothes!” Or, perhaps there is pride in how one ties his tzitziot or even the color of the techelet (blue) thread that is in the tzitziot. Or, perhaps one is proud because one bought his tzitziot directly imported from Israel.
Then perhaps the most common thing of all to be proud of is one’s own children or grandchildren. This pride is perhaps the most pervasive; and it is most difficult to see its destructive nature. But it is every bit as destructive as any other kind of pride, perhaps even more so for it tends to be passed on from one generation to the next.
There are even those who are proud of their religious upbringing or spiritual knowledge and understanding. Christians are often taught from preachers and pastors to be proud, which is in
direct opposition to the teachings of Scripture. It is often taught that there is a good kind of pride and a bad kind of pride. But this concept is completely foreign to Scripture. The truth is, as we will discover in this present study, that pride, all pride, is evil and against the very nature of YHWH our Elohim.
One of the surprising things today is the number of people in the Hebrew Roots movement who are full of pride because they have come out of Christianity and “know more” than the Christians and therefore are somehow better than they are. Even within the Hebrew Roots movement, there is contention among the talmidim of Yeshua. Pride says, “My Torah keeping is better than your Torah keeping.” Then there are those who state that they have been keeping Torah longer, thus in their minds this somehow makes them better or more authoritative than who is listening to them. Then of course there is this whole matter of whose Torah teacher is better...and one more, the question of how to pronounce and spell the name of the Father and the Son. There is so much pride in these areas that it breeds strife and contention between brothers in Mashiach. This mindset is wrong and against everything that Mashiach Yeshua taught us. It is time for us to put to death all vestiges of pride in all things and walk in the humility of His Spirit.