Sunday, November 7, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Sabbath Musings
Many Christians wonder why the Jews don't recognize Jesus as the Messiah (after all there are hundreds of prophecies that he fulfilled), yet the church which began teaching that the "law" was bad in the 3rd century, continues to do so to this day. Out of one side Christians say that Jesus is the Word (Bible/Torah/commands/laws/ God's teachings and ways) become flesh and out of the other side most Christians teach that "Jesus was the end of the law and that He came to set us free from the law".
David said of the law (Torah, "Old Testament", teachings, commands): The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. (Psalm 19). Jesus himself said: "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished". The last time I looked out my window, heaven nor earth have passed away. In the "New Testament" in Timothy it is written: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" at the time this letter was penned, the "New Testament" had not been written down or canonized, so this is referring to the only scripture that existed at that time--the "Old Testament"/Torah/Law.
Christians keep telling the Jews the law is bad and does not have to be followed any more. Even Jewish converts to Christianity are discouraged from "keeping the law", as if it is some affront to Jesus for them to continue to keep the same commands that He did as He walked the earth, the same commands He gave as a sign between the Jews and God, a marriage contract, so that they would be a light to the Gentiles (non-believers in the one true God).
All Christians accept the "Ten Commandments", so that "law" is okay. So what "law" do we have a problem with? As far as I can see it boils down primarily to the "food laws" and keeping (observing, treating it as different) the seventh day as the Sabbath and/or the desire to be distinct and separate from "the Jews". The rest of the laws are benign enough, although largely ignored (things such as write God's word on your doorpost, wear fringes to remind you and others of God's laws, do not take a mother bird AND her eggs from a nest, etc.).
So back in Deut. the Jews have been given a directive from God to ignore any prophet who desires to pull them away from "the Law" (the law that God said would bring them life blessings if they obeyed). The Church has turned Jesus into this false prophet since the 3rd century Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion, (morphing pagan religion and practices). The Church says the Law is done away with (which is found no where in scripture, except for a few mistranslated verses or verses plucked out of context and twisted to support pre-conceived church tradition). As long as the church is preaching and teaching this, we are a stumbling block to Jews recognizing Jesus as the Messiah sent from God. Just as Joseph's brothers could not recognize him because he looked so much like an Egyptian (non-believer), so Christians throughout history have scrubbed Jesus of any trace of His Jewishness/Torahness so that even His family cannot recognize Him. Do we recognize that there is One God, One bible, One people, One Law, One Savior? As Paul says, we have been grafted into the Jewish family. In "Old Testament" it is stated that there is one "law" (teaching) for the Jew and for the Stranger/Foreigner/Ger (those that have joined themselves to the Jews and recognized the one true God--Ruth is but one example). She left her pagan gods and worship and followed the one true God, taking on all the commands from the Lord and counting it as a blessing. She did not obey because she sought her salvation...she obeyed because she loved the Lord, and like her grandson David, would later pen, she loved the loved the Law, because it was given to her by her God to be a blessing and because they were words of Life from a loving and wise creator.
So I'm wondering why is "the Law" seen today as bad? And what are we saying to our Jewish breathen when we say "Christ abolished the Law"? What are we saying to non-believers when we insinuate that God gave us a set of rules to follow, and then a few thousand years later insinuate the rules are bad and a curse, and then we tell them that God is perfect and is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow? Confusing?
David said of the law (Torah, "Old Testament", teachings, commands): The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. (Psalm 19). Jesus himself said: "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished". The last time I looked out my window, heaven nor earth have passed away. In the "New Testament" in Timothy it is written: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" at the time this letter was penned, the "New Testament" had not been written down or canonized, so this is referring to the only scripture that existed at that time--the "Old Testament"/Torah/Law.
Christians keep telling the Jews the law is bad and does not have to be followed any more. Even Jewish converts to Christianity are discouraged from "keeping the law", as if it is some affront to Jesus for them to continue to keep the same commands that He did as He walked the earth, the same commands He gave as a sign between the Jews and God, a marriage contract, so that they would be a light to the Gentiles (non-believers in the one true God).
All Christians accept the "Ten Commandments", so that "law" is okay. So what "law" do we have a problem with? As far as I can see it boils down primarily to the "food laws" and keeping (observing, treating it as different) the seventh day as the Sabbath and/or the desire to be distinct and separate from "the Jews". The rest of the laws are benign enough, although largely ignored (things such as write God's word on your doorpost, wear fringes to remind you and others of God's laws, do not take a mother bird AND her eggs from a nest, etc.).
So back in Deut. the Jews have been given a directive from God to ignore any prophet who desires to pull them away from "the Law" (the law that God said would bring them life blessings if they obeyed). The Church has turned Jesus into this false prophet since the 3rd century Constantine adopted Christianity as the state religion, (morphing pagan religion and practices). The Church says the Law is done away with (which is found no where in scripture, except for a few mistranslated verses or verses plucked out of context and twisted to support pre-conceived church tradition). As long as the church is preaching and teaching this, we are a stumbling block to Jews recognizing Jesus as the Messiah sent from God. Just as Joseph's brothers could not recognize him because he looked so much like an Egyptian (non-believer), so Christians throughout history have scrubbed Jesus of any trace of His Jewishness/Torahness so that even His family cannot recognize Him. Do we recognize that there is One God, One bible, One people, One Law, One Savior? As Paul says, we have been grafted into the Jewish family. In "Old Testament" it is stated that there is one "law" (teaching) for the Jew and for the Stranger/Foreigner/Ger (those that have joined themselves to the Jews and recognized the one true God--Ruth is but one example). She left her pagan gods and worship and followed the one true God, taking on all the commands from the Lord and counting it as a blessing. She did not obey because she sought her salvation...she obeyed because she loved the Lord, and like her grandson David, would later pen, she loved the loved the Law, because it was given to her by her God to be a blessing and because they were words of Life from a loving and wise creator.
So I'm wondering why is "the Law" seen today as bad? And what are we saying to our Jewish breathen when we say "Christ abolished the Law"? What are we saying to non-believers when we insinuate that God gave us a set of rules to follow, and then a few thousand years later insinuate the rules are bad and a curse, and then we tell them that God is perfect and is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow? Confusing?
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