Let us not forget the reasons why we have traditions

​“Say to all the people of the land and to the priests, ‘When you fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh months these seventy years, was it actually for Me that you fasted?”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7‬:‭5‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/zec.7.5.NASB1995

We don't know the full details of their fast but we know that it was for 70 years and they fasted for two months out of the year. The 70 years are related to the time when the city of Jerusalem had fallen and their relatives were taken captive to Babylon. They were not from Jerusalem, but rather the town of Bethel. 

“Now the town of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regemmelech and their men to seek the favor of the Lord,”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7‬:‭2‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/zec.7.2.NASB1995

Bethel is the place where Jacob saw the stairway to heaven.

“He had a dream, and behold, a ladder was set on the earth with its top reaching to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 

He called the name of that place Bethel; however, previously the name of the city had been Luz.”

‭‭Genesis‬ ‭28‬:‭12‬, ‭19‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/gen.28.19.NASB1995

Bethel was one of the places Jeroboam king of Israel set up his golden calves so the people would not return to Jerusalem. 

“Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭12‬:‭26‬, ‭28‬-‭29‬, ‭33‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/1ki.12.33.NASB1995

With Bethel meaning House of God the people forgot who God was and neglected to the importance of the important things and trusted in their own geographic location for blessings.

“Thus has the Lord of hosts said, ‘Dispense true justice and practice kindness and compassion each to his brother; and do not oppress the widow or the orphan, the stranger or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another.’ 

But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder and stopped their ears from hearing. They made their hearts like flint so that they could not hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets; therefore great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. And just as He called and they would not listen, so they called and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts;”

‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/zec.7.9-13.NASB1995

Just as the Pharisees did in Jesus’ day

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭23‬:‭23‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.23.23.NASB1995

So while the people of Bethel fasted they forgot God in their fast. Their fasting became a tradition for them and forgot the real reason for their fast, the wrath of God that poured down because of their sins. 

We are entering a season of traditions of Thanksgiving and Christmas. But let us not forget the reason why we celebrate. It is easy to obey the traditions but we often can forget the why. And that is Jesus. Jesus provides us with the blessings we are thankful for at Thanksgiving. And at Christmas, we celebrate His birth but also His death for he was born so that way on good Friday he may die and on resurrection Sunday (easter) he may be alive to live at the right hand of God and to invite us into fellowship with God. 

Happy thanks-giving everyone!