Tradition
Tradition. It can be defined as a belief, principle or way of acting, passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past.
We see them at national events, but also are found in families, friendship groups and the workplace. You may well have some traditions yourself?
When I was a child, our Christmas Day tradition was that no presents were opened until after the Queen’s speech! Another one we have in our family, is that whenever it is somebody’s birthday, we sing to them ‘Happy Birthday’ in the worst clashing harmonies!
The Bible has its fair share of traditions. The book of Genesis (Ch 25-35) tells the tale of twin brothers Esau and Jacob who were born to Rebekah wife of Isaac.
Tradition was that the eldest son would receive the family inheritance. Esau was the eldest, but Jacob had tricked him out of that birth right.
When their father was close to death, he wanted to bless Esau. Again, tradition said that the eldest received the father’s blessing first. These spoken words were important, they had legal force and could include a Godly blessing or revelation about the future.
Jacob, with a little help from his mother, deceived Isaac and received Esau’s blessing! Esau was furious when he found out, but Isaac said to him…
“I have made him lord over you and have made all his relatives his servants, and I have sustained him with grain and new wine. So what can I possibly do for you, my son?”
Poor Esau, he lost out twice to his scheming younger brother! However, in this case God was behind all this. Whilst Rebekah was pregnant, she felt the twins jostling in her womb and God said to her that ‘the older will serve the younger’.
In other words, God said that the tradition was going to be superseded by His will, for what He had in store for Jacob. And of course, God was right!
This really struck me: are there traditions that I adhere to, that can get in the way of what God is saying? Are the traditions more important than what God is doing?
I do love some traditions, but I want to be someone who priorities what God is saying above them. What about you?
God bless you :)
Gary Bastin - Hope Community Church leader