Author Topic: Binding Aspects of the Mosaic Law  (Read 131593 times)

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Richard Myers

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« Reply #80 on: June 04, 2007, 01:13:00 PM »
I can see no reason to reject the light God has given in the statutes and judgments. They are moral law. But, they are not enforceable in their given manner by the state nor the church. The laws are laws of our being. Laws which we live and die by even if we do not understand them. But, there are penalties commanded and these were especially written for application in the theocracy, Israel. The punishment for violation of moral laws today needs to be decided by the society in which the laws are made. It would appear that great care needs to be taken to consider what is an appropriate punishment in that society.

The first four commandments pertain to our relationship with God and no state is to legislate in this area. God does not want forced worship and He has not provided tools for the state to persecute those who refuse to bow down to Baal. This is what America has been very successful with, the separation of church and state. No legislation in the area of worship.

We appear to be moving forward as we seek wisdom regarding the moral laws of God.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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« Reply #81 on: June 04, 2007, 05:15:00 PM »
Let's look at some practical applications for a little while and discuss how we can apply the binding aspects of the statutes to our lives. But before we do, Patriarchs and Prophets has this to say of some of the statutes:

 

quote:
The minds of the people, blinded and debased by slavery and heathenism, were not prepared to appreciate fully the far-reaching principles of God's ten precepts. That the obligations of the Decalogue might be more fully understood and enforced, additional precepts were given, illustrating and applying the principles of the Ten Commandments. These laws were called judgments, both because they were framed in infinite wisdom and equity and because the magistrates were to give judgment according to them. Unlike the Ten Commandments, they were delivered privately to Moses, who was to communicate them to the people.  {PP 310.1}
   
The first of these laws related to servants. In ancient times criminals were sometimes sold into slavery by the judges; in some cases, debtors were sold by their creditors; and poverty even led persons to sell themselves or their children. But a Hebrew could not be sold as a slave for life. His term of service was limited to six years; on the seventh he was to be set at liberty. Manstealing, deliberate murder, and rebellion against parental authority were to be punished with death. The holding of slaves not of Israelitish birth was permitted, but their life and person were strictly guarded. The murderer of a slave was to be punished; an injury inflicted upon one by his master, though no more than the loss of a tooth, entitled him to his freedom.  {PP 310.2}
   
The Israelites had lately been servants themselves, and now that they were to have servants under them, they were to beware of indulging the spirit of cruelty and exaction from which they had suffered under their Egyptian taskmasters. The memory of their own bitter servitude should enable them to put themselves in the servant's place, leading them to be kind and compassionate, to deal with others as they would wish to be dealt with.  {PP 310.3}
   
The rights of widows and orphans were especially guarded, and a tender regard for their helpless condition was enjoined.
                                                                         
"If thou afflict them in any wise," the Lord declared, "and they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless." Aliens who united themselves with Israel were to be protected from wrong or oppression. "Thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."  {PP 310.4}
   
The taking of usury from the poor was forbidden. A poor man's raiment or blanket taken as a pledge, must be restored to him at nightfall. He who was guilty of theft was required to restore double. Respect for magistrates and rulers was enjoined, and judges were warned against perverting judgment, aiding a false cause, or receiving bribes. Calumny and slander were prohibited, and acts of kindness enjoined, even toward personal enemies.  {PP 311.1}

This is the extent of comments I could locate on the statutes specifically in one setting.

So --- to begin with one that really has my curiosity: why are we not to mix fabrics? Does this pertain to health? Is there something unhealthy about mixing cotton, linen, and wool?

And what about days of purification for women after childbirth or after menstruation? It is interesting that birthing a female requires 66 days of purification over that of a male, which is only 33. One Jewish website says the difference may be explained that a female child is born with the ability to produce life, thereby the difference. Any thoughts?

I am coming to believe the long days of purification after childbirth were ceremonial in nature but the seven day purification after a regular menstruation cycle is strictly for the woman's health. And this, in my mind, goes to waiting those days before a husband and wife come together. It is healthier for her and her body to wait. And on a related issue, science is now showing us the prevelance of cervical cancer in non-Jewish women and not so much at all in Orthodox Jewish women who practice the days of purification as given in the statutes.  


[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-06-2007).]

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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« Reply #82 on: June 04, 2007, 06:01:00 PM »
Ah...a practical application to the statutes and judgments.  There are blessings for those who want wisdom from above.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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« Reply #83 on: June 05, 2007, 09:03:00 AM »
This little snipit comes from an Orthodox Jewish website discussing why the law of not mixing threads in a fabric:

 

quote:
The law prohibiting Shatnez (mixing of threads on fabrics) falls into the category of what is known as a Chok, a law that cannot be explained. Various reasons have been suggested however. The explanation given by Maimonides is that pagan priests were required to wear garments made of wool and linen. The prohibition may have been established to separate Jews from pagan practices. It is interesting to note however, that the clothing of the priests in the Temple were exempt from the prohibition giving rise to an alternate explanation that the prohibition was designed to separate priestly from public practice.

A second and more colorful explanation is that Abel brought wool as an offering, whereas Cain brought flax. The mixture was lethal and Abel lost his life. The Zohar from the Kabalah, the study of Jewish mysticism, says that wearing Shatnez causes an evil spirit to lurk within the wearer.

A further explanation is that the Parochet, the curtain used in the Temple, and the garments worn by priests in the Temple were made from wool and linen. Therefore. Jews were forbidden to wear anything that was similar.

A more esoteric explanation is that everything has its own spiritual force. By mixing certain items together, these forces are destroyed and cannot perform their assigned task.

Regardless of the reason, the law remains "on the books "


Admittedly even by the author, some of these reasons are almost comical. Do we know of other reasons? Hygiene, static electricity, water absorbtion or repelling? Or was it spiritual?

[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-05-2007).]

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Mimi

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« Reply #84 on: June 05, 2007, 01:11:00 PM »
I am leaning toward health and hygiene - the law against mixing also goes with the agricultural laws and those against working and breeding various breeds of animals with each other.

Further, the Bible commentary on Deut. 23

    14. No Uncleanness of Body, Word, or Spirit.--In order to be acceptable in God's sight, the leaders of the people were to give strict heed to the sanitary condition of the armies of Israel, even when they went forth to battle. Every soul, from the commander-in-chief to the lowest soldier in the army, was sacredly charged to preserve cleanliness in his person and surroundings; for the Israelites were chosen by God as His peculiar people. They were sacredly bound to be holy in body and spirit. They were not to be careless or neglectful of their personal duties. In every respect they were to preserve cleanliness. They were to allow nothing untidy or unwholesome in their surroundings, nothing which would taint the purity of the atmosphere. Inwardly and outwardly they were to be pure [Deut. 23:14 quoted] (Letter 35, 1901).  {1BC 1119.4}
   
We know His will, and any departure from it to follow ideas of your own is a dishonor to His name, a reproach to His sacred truth. Everything that relates to the worship of God on earth, is to bear in appearance a striking resemblance to heavenly things. There must be no careless disregard in these things, if you expect the Lord to favor you with His presence. He will not have His work placed on a level with common, temporal things (MS 7, 1889).  {1BC 1119.5}
   
All those who come into His presence should give special attention to the body and the clothing. Heaven is a clean and holy place. God is pure and holy. All who come into His presence should take heed to His directions, and have the body and the clothing in a pure, clean condition, thus showing respect to themselves and to Him. The heart must also be sanctified. Those who do this will not dishonor His sacred name by worshiping Him while their hearts are polluted and                                                                             otheir apparel is untidy. God sees these things. He marks the heart-preparation, the thoughts, the cleanliness in appearance, of those who worship Him (MS 126 1901).  {1BC 1119.6}

[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-06-2007).]

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Thomas M

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« Reply #85 on: June 05, 2007, 11:12:00 PM »
Sybil, please send me the excell spreadsheet!
You have all certainly done a lot on this thread while I was in the Ukraine! It's taking a while to catch up on this fascinating subject.
Thomas

Mimi

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« Reply #86 on: June 06, 2007, 06:59:00 AM »
We have missed you, dear man! Send me your e-mail address and I will get it to you right away.

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Mimi

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« Reply #87 on: June 06, 2007, 02:03:00 PM »
I am carrying on ... feel free to jump in with words of wisdom.   :)

Leviticus 13 & 14 discuss laws of leprosy. Leslie Hardinge has this to say in his book, With Jesus in His Sanctuary:

 

quote:
"Leprosy develops in two stages: nodular and anesthetic. At first the skin, stretched over rounded, firm cysts, presents a shiny surface. The sluggish circulation of blood then causes the complexion to grow pale until it appears as "white as snow," while underneath lurks rottenness. The nodules, becoming reddish brown, eventually ulcerate into "raw flesh." The survace nerves slowly cease to register pain, and this results in leprosy's anesthetic stage. This is the quiescent side. One might almost call it, its merciful side, when sensation and power to feel disappear. Weakness and paralysis follow, and because he is conscious of no hurt, the leper grows careless, inadvertently allowing his extremeties to bump sharp objects and thus break open. These wounds ulcerate, suppurating toxic "issues."

A most dreaded disease. Two chapters in the Bible are dedicated to its discussion, quarantine and remedies - and remember a leper is cleansed rather than healed. Outside of the obvious solutions the one that caught my attention is the treatment of garments and houses of the leper.

Leprosy in garments was probably caused by various molds. It is reported that these fungi are ubiquitous and grow as readily on clothing as on house walls, when left in damp, ill-ventilated, ill-lighted places and produce reddish patches produced by the growth of the sporendonema, or red mold, very common on cheese.

Symbolically leprous garments typify self-made cloaks of good deeds and benign feelings ingrained with poisonous streaks of selfish uncleanness. The Levitical law provided no hope for such clothing - it must be stripped off and destroyed. And so it is with the houses - producing green mold with millions of minute spores, which, when airborne to suitable sites, establish themselves with incredible speed. The plaster and stones were to be scraped away and the walls rebuilt - but should it reappear, the building was to be destroyed. But if it was rendered clean by the priests the blood of the sparrow was sprinkled on its door posts.

The quarantine of lepers, as we have various quarantines today is a necessity, along with the destruction of clothing and infected areas.

[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-06-2007).]

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Mimi

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« Reply #88 on: June 06, 2007, 06:22:00 PM »
FYI - Studying in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 308, I found this regarding extentions of certain commandments these statutes are married to:

5th - also includes rulers, ministers whom God has placed in authority

6th - hatred, selfish neglect and oppression are included

8th - forbids wars of conquest, kidnapping, theft and fraud

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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« Reply #89 on: June 07, 2007, 12:17:00 PM »
The information on health is really great. We need to consider how stupid the world was 200 years ago about germs. Now we take it for granted and don't appreciate the light that we have been given in the statutes and judgments in Scripture.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Thomas M

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« Reply #90 on: June 08, 2007, 12:28:00 AM »
Having gone through the Excel page on the law (which I very much appreciate, especially considering the enormous amount of work that has gone into it), I still find myself in a quandary.

There are several issues that have come up, but which I do not think have been completely resolved.

1) The law as a type of Christ. This is the foundation of Adventism and the bedrock on which the doctrine of the sanctuary is based. It is bound to and ought to color the way we say the law in entirety. It also has some bearing on the idea of the law (or a part of it) coming to an end at the death of Christ, which in the light of the sanctuary service takes on quite a different aspect from what we see in Christianity generally. Thus, for example, the matter of the feast of tabernacles was raised.

2) The implementation of the law. I see the individual, the church, and the state mentioned here as implementers. Also, the family is implied. Not only are these three agencies not yet defined in terms of their authority and responsibility, but they have not yet been noted in tyerms to ther relationship to the Mosaic and post-Mosaic institutions. There is rather an assumption of the rather Baptist view of separation of church and state, each having divinely appointed areas of application. The process of getting from a theocracy to a church-state dichotomy is not clear, and raises some skepticism of its validity.

3) The three-fold approach to statutes as being binding, no longer binding, and binding in principle is not adequate. There needs to be more precision in why a particular statute is no long binding, and why another is binding in principle but not in literal detail. It is easy to allow personal and cultural prejudices to determing these.

In sum, I would remark that attempts to summarize the law are many, and some of them might give an indication of what the pitfalls may be. Such attempts are the Mishna and its commentaries in Rabbinical Judaism, and Karaite formulations that reject Rabbinical method and relate to the Pentateuch more directly. There might be something to learn from Karaim. The Samaritan tradition also focuses on the law of Moses in a specific and enlightening way. Furthermore, Islamic views of divine law are very much the heir of the Books of Moses as well. The Islamic process of interpreting the law is fourfold. For Sunnis this consists of sourcing Scripture, tradition, concensus and comparison. The Shi'ites replace comparison with a system of Aristotelian logic.

As I read early Advent history, I think there was a specific assumption apparent in the interpretation of law as well as the bible generally. The process included individual study as a background for Sabbath conferences, where the participants presented their findings and through prayer and discussion came to a concensus of views. When that was impossible, they relied on the Spirit of Prophecy to solve the dilemma. This forum and thread can and does serve in some sense like the Sabbath conferences. It's a good system.


quote:
Originally posted by Richard Myers:
The information on health is really great. We need to consider how stupid the world was 200 years ago about germs. Now we take it for granted and don't appreciate the light that we have been given in the statutes and judgments in Scripture.


Mimi

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« Reply #91 on: June 08, 2007, 07:32:00 AM »
Yes, Thomas - it is a huge organizational challenge. We are happy to have you in the mix.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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« Reply #92 on: June 08, 2007, 08:30:00 AM »
Yes, Brother Thomas, this in not an easy undertaking, but necessary. When God gives light, He expects us to appreciate it. The matter is made more difficult because of the unregenerate heart that refuses to love the law or decides that it is necessary to add to it. As we study the subject with the intent to glorify our Lord, He will bless us.

Brother Thomas likes the thought of dividing the carrying out of the law into three divisions, the church, the state, and the individual which includes the family.

He says "The process of getting from a theocracy to a church-state dichotomy is not clear, and raises some skepticism of its validity." Yes, this is the problem area. But, we are making progress in that we have our three-fold division. That helps a lot.

We know a few things that we will list:

1.  There is a broad distinction between the moral and the ceremonial.

2.  The ceremonial law is no longer binding.

3.  The state is to refrain from legislating in respect to the first four commandments and any statutes or judgments that pertain to them.

4.  The state is to legislate morality as we see in all societies. The only standard of morality is the Bible standard of which the last six of the Ten Commandments pertain to the laws that would regulate society. The statutes and judgments that uphold the last six which deal with our relationship with each other provide principles that are to guide the state.

5.  The church has a test of fellowship that specifies which laws are to be enforced with disfellowshipping.  The Bible states what that test was 2,000 years ago, but the standard is to be broadened as the church grows.

6.  The church is not to "punish" any lawbreaking beyond restrictions of fellowship, employment, or office holding.

7.  It appears that the statutes and judgments that are not ceremonial and are moral remain binding upon individuals except for the punishment aspect.

8.  The statutes and judgments given to Israel were given to a theocracy which was to be under the direct hand of God. As such the penalties stated were more harsh than would be called for today.

9.  There is at least one moral law which specified the punishment that was pre-Israel that remains binding today. Out of regard for human life, God specified very clearly that if one tried for murder were proved guilty, no atonement or ransom could rescue him. "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Genesis 9:6. "Ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death." "Thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die," was the command of God; "the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it." Numbers 35:31, 33; Exodus 21:14. The safety and purity of the nation demanded that the sin of murder be severely punished. Human life, which God alone could give, must be sacredly guarded. And, provision was made that none could be condemned by the witness of only one. Two witnesses were required to safeguard the innocent.

That is the best I can do with my feeble and darkened mind. I know that God has much more to add and if there are corrections to be made, then let us set about doing it.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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« Reply #93 on: June 08, 2007, 01:15:00 PM »
I am in high "student" mode here - so direction from you experienced ones is necessary. So far, I like what is presented as a basis from which to begin. Richard, you summed it up well!

Thomas: your points 1 and 2 I am completely clear on. Ceremonial - gone, fulfilled. The distinction between the church and state, very clear - however, it appears that God even made provisions for that as well. Point 3 is one that will be critical to our understanding - applications of those that are true in principle and how they are still binding. I like your thoughts on these. Precision will count to delete the haze.

I feel we need to look purely at Exodus through Deuteronomy, the Pentateuch. We, as a people, have the advantage of the SOP when considering these; however, very little is said regarding them outside the vast amount written regarding the health message and hygiene in general.

I think, through God's leading, we can flesh these out and come to an understanding of how we can continue to apply them to our lives.

[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-08-2007).]

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Thomas M

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« Reply #94 on: June 08, 2007, 10:34:00 PM »
I'm definitely in high student mode here too, even though the problems are ones with which I have considerable experience from some points of view. But I definitely appreciate the summarized points in Sister Sybil's and Brother Richard's last posts.

It comes to mind that several of the Spirit of Prophecy statements quoted on this thread seem to make the ten commandments central and primary, and other statutes secondary and supportive. That is an idea that does not seem foreign to pre-Adventist Christian thought, but is not reflected in Jewish and Islamic approaches to the law, which tend to accumulate vast numbers of legislation without any visible hierarchy. I think it is a fruitful way of thinking, and it is reflected in the Excel page where some of the statutes are referred to commandments. I think this is one of the ways of achieving some objectivity in reference to the abiding validity of certain statutes. This remark is intended to bring some slight precision into the process.

Continuing the idea of the special place of the ten commandments, I would see some development even within the Bible. Purity laws, for example, seem to change a bit from one era to another. There are other examples as well. My thought is that the ten commandments are the universally binding law of God, whereas the supporting statutes may relate to one prophetic era. The supporting statutes are shown to be universal as they appear time and again in the various prophets. Other statutes are neglected by the prophets and fall by the wayside as no longer being relevant. The principle would be to demonstrate the abiding value of a particular statute by showing that it appears over a long period of time in the Scriptures as evidenced by two or three prophetic witnesses.

There is a fundamental concept here. It is that right action in any prophetic dispensation consists of adherence to the ten commandments plus a partly variable body of statutes. That presupposition is impled in the SDA Fundamentals, where the ten commandments are maintained on one hand and a list of standards or areas of standards on the other. Note the sequence in SDA Fundamentals 19-23.

Assuming that the configuration of ten commandments plus statutes is valid, then the specific SDA configuration is found here. The specific statutes taken are tithing and offerings (21), amusement, entertainment, dress, adornment, rest, exercise, proper diet, abstention from Biblically unclean meat, alcohol, tobacco, abused drugs and narcotics, (22) and statutes regarding marital relations (23).

Are there elements in the Fundamentals are go beyond the Biblical statutes? Are there Biblical statutes that we may find to be binding, but are not mentioned here? My gut feeling at the moment is that the ten-commandments-plus principle is valid, and that the SDA movement has been providentially guided to focus on the "plus" standards that are particularly relevant to our time and place in the Great Controversy. If that is so, it may give us a rule of thumb in evaluating the Biblical statutes, suggesting that some are temporary, local and superceded, while others are still binding and deserve to be examined and fortified with Biblical evidence.

quote:
Originally posted by Sybil:
I am in high "student" mode here - so direction from you experienced ones is necessary. So far, I like what is presented as a basis from which to begin. Richard, you summed it up well!

Thomas: your points 1 and 2 I am completely clear on. Ceremonial - gone, fulfilled. The distinction between the church and state, very clear - however, it appears that God even made provisions for that as well. Point 3 is one that will be critical to our understanding - applications of those that are true in principle and how they are still binding. I like your thoughts on these. Precision will count to delete the haze.

I feel we need to look purely at Exodus through Deuteronomy, the Pentateuch. We, as a people, have the advantage of the SOP when considering these; however, very little is said regarding them outside the vast amount written regarding the health message and hygiene in general.

I think, through God's leading, we can flesh these out and come to an understanding of how we can continue to apply them to our lives.


[This message has been edited by Sybil (edited 06-08-2007).]



Mimi

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« Reply #95 on: June 09, 2007, 08:12:00 AM »
I knew I was going to love your involvement.  :)  However, I have never thought of The Ten Commandments - Plus consideration. The statutes give us practical applications that directly relate to the TC and I would assume the "plus factor" would have to do with cleaning up the COI after 400 years of being in slavery under Egypt. They forgot how to act, how to worship, how to dress, how to keep themselves clean and undefiled ... and on and on.

Also your reference to the FBs is also something I have not considered - but you are right - nice little connection.

I am away from home base this weekend but will try to locate what I need on the web to further the study. Let's do it!

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Mimi

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« Reply #96 on: June 09, 2007, 08:33:00 AM »
I wanted to add something regarding "beyond the statutes in the FBs" - my thinking only: The Seventh-day Adventist denomination has especially been blest with the prophetic gift of prophecy. In no way does it add to stated statutes, yet it expands light on them through (sometimes) far-reaching concepts that help us see beyond a singular command that on the surface may appear flatly arbitrary.

Regarding various dispensations - if a statute is morally correct in any era, good for spiritual ethics, health, relationships and stewardship, it is binding.

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Richard Myers

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« Reply #97 on: June 09, 2007, 01:17:00 PM »
Brother Thomas has caused my mind to stretch a little!   :)  It is such a blessing to be able to listen to others who love God and His Word. We can move much further together than alone.

Something came to mind that I have not thus far considered in our study. We see in the statutes provisions for some things that are contrary to God's law. It is not that God is commanding these things that He does not support, but He has made provision for dealing with them....even though they are contrary to His law. I know that some will object and have a problem with this, but in our present company I think we understand.

An example:  Multiple wives by Abraham, Jacob, David, and Solomon.  We all understand that God allowed this, made provision for dealing with it, but it is not His law that man should have more than one wife.

Another example:  Slaves. This is not God's will that man should be in servitude to another. But, He made provision for dealing with this foul practice.

And one last thought along this line. God abhors death. It was never His desire that anything should die. Yet, we have death. And, not only do we have death, we have God participating in it and commanding it.

As we move forward, we must do so without any consideration that God is arbitrary. He is not. His ideas are far past ours. As we contemplate His laws, we must always keep in mind His love for us and that His ways are perfect. He has made provision of us who are not perfect, but rather great sinners.

Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Mimi

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« Reply #98 on: June 09, 2007, 01:30:00 PM »
Excellent elements to add to our searching. "With a multitude of councelors ... "

  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Liane H

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« Reply #99 on: June 09, 2007, 08:17:00 PM »
Hi Everyone:

I have been reading all of this with great interest and do have some concerns with Brother Richard's number 8 and 9. Let me share:

Genesis:

26:5   Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.  

God's laws and statutes were given to God's people long before Moses and I believe clear back to Adam.

Noting that commandments, statutes and laws are all plural implies that God was giving to His people through His words with those such as Adam, Enoch, Noah and Abraham that the people were without excuse in knowing the true living God.

It is in Moses that God put it in writing for the people to remember and to follow with each generation.

Moses was given the written record of God's ways for all generation to follow when they walk with God. There had been to many generations raised in captivity with the Egyptians that the people lost their way and forgotten the wisdom that God had given before that time.

Moses was a restorer of the breach and what we have today is the same given to us through the Spirit of Prophecy and the Word of God.  

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Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

Liane, the Zoo Mama
Romans 8:19   For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.