Tradition. Of the many definitions given, perhaps the transmission or beliefs from one generation to another best summarizes the word. Customs are also part of this description wherein a particular method is passed through family functions.
Biblical tradition has a mixed review; some for the good and others not so. The latter is due to the elevation of the tradition above the heart of God. At the same time there is great value in having a tradition as it tends to keep history in its proper place. The Jews kept the tradition of reading the scripture and in turn it kept them through the centuries, the dark ages, the Holocaust, and to this day.
Attending church on Sunday is a worthy custom. Sunday school is a format for learning as it builds an expectation in the minds of children. Traditions in their proper place keep the family intact. They speak of boundaries and learning. When they are lost, so too are the results in the lives of the people. It is apparent that the enemy of your soul would rather strip you of all traditions, which have the ability to lead you to an altar and hear the preached Word.
In some ways, traditions help deepen the habits which are ingrained in the mind. Some are similar to involuntary functions of the human body. However, their main objective has always been to remind us of the meaning or values that came before us.
The Jews will not eat a particular portion of the lamb by custom. Genesis 32 depicts the angel of the Lord, or a theophany, touching the hip socket of Jacob, hollowing out his thigh. The Bible says that the Children of Israel would not eat the meat of the animal that came from that location. Make no mistake, the meat is good to eat. There is no disease or danger in the meat. However, tradition points to the moment when Jacob had a life change.
As the world shifts, and that violently, I pray that we keep our traditions which lead us to church attendance, prayer, devotions, and serving. The upheaval of these things are showing cracks in the body all around the nation. Compromises are leading people to forget the reason and purpose for the things of God. Cynical voices are dismantling the structures once erected to remind us that our Gospel is of Jesus Christ and we are called out of a sinful world to walk in newness of life.
Pastor Jeffrey Harpole