By Kathryn Wright

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a well-known novel by L. Frank Baum. Published on May 17, 1900, it follows the adventures of a girl from Kansas named Dorothy Gale, who is swept away by a tornado to a magical land called Oz and is trying to find her way back home.

In 1939, the book was adapted into a musical film starring Judy Garland in the lead role. The film became iconic, not only for its lead actress and music but also because it was one of the first films to use the three-strip Technicolor process.

While the movie begins in black and white tones, the world magically transforms into bright colors when Dorothy enters the land of Oz. This was a considerable development in cinematography. Due to this shift, the film’s creators decided to make a significant change. Dorothy Gale’s shoes were silver in the book, but to make them pop on the big screen, the filmmakers changed them to sequined ruby-red slippers.

Her shoes would become a symbol of the film and a pivotal piece of movie history. Today, whenever Dorothy is portrayed in pop culture, merchandise, art, and costumes, she is seen in her classic ruby-red slippers. MGM’s studio later claimed copyrights to the shoes, meaning other studios could not use them in spin-off adaptations. The original pair that Judy Garland wore can be found at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

The shoes have become a beloved artifact of film and American history, yet they are a total fabrication not found in the book. The tradition has become more well-known and precious than the truth of Baum’s novel.

Traditions often do this. They can take precedence over the original, especially if we don’t take the time to read the original text.

Changing what an author originally wrote is not a new issue. Mankind has always tended to embellish great books. It has even happened to the Word of God. Men trade the riches of the Scriptures for sequined lies. However, unlike Baum’s novel, the consequences of adding to the Scriptures are catastrophic (John 21:22-23; Gal 3:15-16; Rev 22:18-19; Deut 4:2; 12:32; Prov 30:5-6). This is made evident in both the New and Old Testaments.

THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN: ISAIAH 29:13

In Isa 29:13, the Lord speaks to the nation of Israel:

Therefore, the Lord said:

“Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths

And honor Me with their lips,

But have removed their hearts far from Me,

And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men” (emphasis added).

The prophet is addressing the city of Jerusalem (v 1). This honored city where David once dwelt, known for its temple and worship of the one true God, was no longer in fellowship with Him. Instead, they were in rebellion, participating in idolatry and partnering with Gentile neighbors (2:6-9). However, the city of David kept up appearances by maintaining their sacrifices year-to-year and participating in their feasts.

The sin of hypocrisy is a common theme throughout Isaiah. The book opens with the Lord’s rebuke of religious rituals. While they went to the temple and prayed, He refused to listen and called their sacrifices futile. They thought such activities were proof of their holiness, but the Lord hated their hypocritical piety (1:11-15). Later, the Israelites are described as swearing by the name of the Lord, but not in truth (48:1-2). They claimed the Lord as their God but refused to follow His word, speaking out of both sides of their mouth. The book also ends with a rebuke of their hypocrisy, for all their works of pretense were like filthy rags to the Lord (64:6).

Sadly, the nation had become spiritually blind, for their traditions allowed them to mask the true state of their spiritual degradation. The result was that like a sealed book (v 11), which cannot be opened, or a book in the hands of the illiterate (v 12), the Word of God became useless to them.

While the people appeared to be holy, it was all in their mouths and not in their hearts (v 13). They had moved away from the Lord and began to follow men’s commandments. In other words, tradition was elevated over knowing and obeying the Lord. This undoubtedly included both believing and unbelieving Judeans, for even believers can fall away and offer lip service (1 John 1:8, 10; 2:4, 9).

Fruchtenbaum comments:

By Yeshua’s day, the rabbinic law, called the Mishnah, had become of equal authority with Scripture, sometimes even surpassing God’s Word…the words of the sages were compared to the best of wines. Therefore, they were not only “relative [in importance] to the words of Torah” but also “more beloved than the words of Torah and more cherished than words of Torah.” Consequently, studying the Mishnah took precedence over the study of Scripture, as it was thought to be more meritorious (A. G. Fruchtenbaum, The Book of Isaiah, Ariel Bible Commentary, pp. 315-16, emphasis added).

THE TRADITIONS OF THE ELDERS: MARK 7:5-8

This problem didn’t end with Isaiah’s generation. It persisted during the Lord’s earthly ministry. In Mark 7, the Lord quotes Isa 29:13 when addressing the religious leaders of His day. They were complaining about the disciples, who were not following the traditions of the elders (v 5) in how they ate their food. These were oral traditions created by men and not found in the Law.

Due to their traditions, they were blind to the Lord’s teachings and ultimately rejected Him. Like their forefathers, the religious leaders looked to their traditions as protection from spiritual defilement. They did not look to the Word of God. They rejected the teachings of the Lord to keep their elders’ commandments (Mark 7:9). They searched the Scriptures (John 5:39), but failed to hear the truth when God spoke. Like their forefathers before them, their traditions eclipsed His word. Yates comments:

Jesus compared the pretenders of Isaiah’s day to the pretenders of His day. Their heart was far from God. Their worship was in vain. It was empty because it did not come from heartfelt devotion to God. These leaders wanted others to think they loved God. But in reality, they loved their traditions. These traditions allowed them to judge others who did not meet their standards. They judged the common people, the Lord, and His disciples. These leaders did not obey what God had told them to do. Their piety only involved outward observances, as they obeyed their own set of rules” (Ken Yates, Mark: Lessons in Discipleship, pp. 257-58).

It is tempting to look at this account and assume believers are immune to such problems. However, as the passage continues, the Lord turns to the disciples and warns them about following the commandments of the religious leaders (vv 14-23). The Lord exposed the disciples to new things that went against their traditions (2:21-22), most notably the cross. This also included things about holiness, godly living, and servanthood. The authority of the religious leaders would have been seductive, much like the Catholic church today, which draws people by its rich history and ordinances. The comfort and protection of tradition is a tempting alternative to the Word of God, even for believers.

TECHNICOLORED TRUTH

In the story of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy and her friends go to the capital city to meet the Wizard in the hope that he could help the heroine get back home. The capital is called the Emerald City, and it is noted for being a bright green town. The movie shows the capital shining in the distance as the group heads towards its gates.

Once again, the movie fails to reflect the truth of the novel. In the book, when Dorothy and her friends make it to the Emerald City, they are told they must wear glasses. They are told the city’s brightness will harm their eyes, but it is all a ruse. The Wizard of Oz was actually a con man with no magical powers to deliver Dorothy. He made the people of Oz wear glasses, for a green tint was embedded in the lens, which made the city appear emerald. The people blindly followed their leader under the guise of being protected, and in the end, their whole world was distorted.

Baum’s book reflects Isaiah’s similar warning for his generation and, ultimately, the Lord’s message for all generations. Like the glasses in Oz, our traditions often appear safe, especially when the elders and leaders of the day tout them. They are meant to protect, but they distort and warp reality. Even for believers, the temptation to elevate traditions over the text is profound and should be taken seriously. When contradicted by the truth, the faithful disciple should be willing to set aside their beloved green-tinted traditions to see the true technicolor of God’s Word.

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Kathryn Wright and her husband, Dewey, live in Columbia, SC. She is the GES missions coordinator, women’s conference speaker, writer, and Zoom teacher.