In this present writing I intend to return to what we, as
newly-born members of God's Family, will be teaching in the new world to
the survivors of the House of Israel, and later to the Gentile nations.
In my last writings on this subject I was focusing on the
little known and taught statutes and judgments of God as found in
Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 22. It would appear that few members have
little interest in them due to thinking they do not apply in this day
and age.
We need to realize that because a law is not taught does
not mean it has ceased to be a law.
I will add that though I am only writing about the laws
found here in these two chapters there are other statutes and judgments
to be found in other Scriptures as well. At this point I am not sure if I
will be writing about any of them in future writings.
The Sermon on the Mount ---
To stress the importance of these and all other laws that
are applicable to the Church of God. we would do well to remember what
Jesus Christ said in what is called the sermon on the mount to His
disciples:
"Do NOT think that I came to destroy the law (10
Commandments and all other laws that are applicable to us today --
excluding the laws that pertained to the sacrificial system, etc.) or
the prophets (prophecies given to them by God). I did not come
to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly I say to you, till heaven and
earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means PASS AWAY till
all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE
COMMANDMENTS, and teaches men so, shall be called least [by those] in
the Kingdom of heaven; but whoever DOES and teaches them, he shall be
called great [by those] in the Kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:17-19).
The Bible clearly reveals in numerous places those who
teach against the laws of God, or who are knowledgeable of them, and
fail to teach or obey them will not be in God's Kingdom (Revelation
21:8; 22:15).
Please consider another very important passage of
Scripture regarding these little known laws, statutes and judgments,
that makes known they are to be remembered now by God's people:
The commission to the Elijah to come in the end-time:
"REMEMBER the law of Moses My servant (the laws God gave to
Israel through Moses) Which I commanded him in Horeb (Deuteronomy
4:7-14) for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments (Exodus 20-23,
plus). Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet BEFORE the coming of
the great and dreadful Day of the LORD" (Malachi 4:4-5).
NOTE IN PASSING: I have already written
about the law of Moses in a previous writing that can be found in the
archives of my Pastor's Comments. In it I wrote that it consisted of two
distinct parts: 1) Civil 2) Ritualistic. Please review the previous
writing for a more detailed explanation. Also, God's Church does not
carry out the penalties as was commanded by God to Israel of old; rather
God Himself will carry out all unrepentant penalties.
The Elijah of the end-time would restore the true
identity of God (as did the real Elijah), the laws of God (10
commandments, statutes and judgments), and restore the true doctrinal
teachings within the true Church of God that had been lost through the
centuries (Revelation 3:1-6; Matthew 17:11).
The Statutes and Judgments of God
With the foregoing in mind, I will return to a few of
these statutes and judgments that I addressed in past writings, as found
in Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 22.
As we found some of the laws there carry over into other
laws with spiritual applications as can be seen in the New Testament.
And this is what we need to understand.
When we put all of these together, and really think
deeply about what God tells us in all of these areas, they just make a
lot of sense.
The laws of God in these two
chapters speak of distinction, diversity, and purity. They also speak of
beauty and harmony.
Since I already addressed some of the statutes and
judgments found in these two chapters (can be found in the archives), I
will now address a couple of the other laws I did not write about
before.
Wearing Clothes with Tassels ---
Because this Scripture is found among the other laws
here, and knowing the wearing of tassels is not required of us today,
it becomes easy for some to reason the others are in the same class and
therefore of little significance without realizing their spiritual
implications should be important to all of us.
This Scripture is a case in point for it has great
meaning that carries over to us today in its spiritual application. Let
us now consider it and its deeper meaning:
"You shall make tassels on the 4 corners of the
clothing with which you cover yourself" (Deuteronomy 22:12).
The purpose of this law for ancient Israel is made known
in the following Scripture:
Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to
the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of
their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread
(intertwined) in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the
tassel, THAT YOU MAY LOOK UPON IT AND REMEMBER all the commandments of
the LORD and to DO them, and that you may NOT follow the 'harlotry' to
which your own HEART and your own EYES ARE INCLINED, and that you may
REMEMBER and DO all My commandments, and be holy for your God ..."
(Numbers 15:37-41).
At this point I do not fully know WHY, the symbolic
meaning of the blue thread. However I will take a quote from the Jewish
Commentary as to their possible explanation.
Soncino Commentary "Blue thread resembles the
sea, the sea resembles the heavens, and the heavens resemble the Throne
of Glory. Thus the outward act of looking upon the tassels was an
inward act of spiritual conformity to the precepts of God.
The heart and the eyes are the agents of Sin, the
eyes sees, the heart desires [lusts] and the person executes [Jeremiah
17:9; James 1:14-15]. It was to be a reminder that he (the individual)
was a member of the holy people Israel."
Now a quote from another source which appears to be
closer to the real meaning of it:
Barnes Notes: "...Each tassel had a conspicuous
thread of deep blue, this color being doubtless symbolic of the heavenly
origin of the commandments of which was to serve as a memento .."
Clarke Commentary: "All the Jews wore them, and
so probably did our Lord; see Matthew 9:20, .."
A Natural Inclination to Sin ---
In this passage of Scripture ( Numbers 15:39), God is NOT
speaking of a NATURAL PULL to Him, but rather a NATURAL INCLINATION that
each human being has to the pull of the human nature within us -- to the
works of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-21).
The apostle Paul addressed this natural inclination AS A
LAW within us -- human nature itself:
"For I know that in me (and all human beings),
that is, my flesh (apart from God's Spirit) nothing good dwells; ...I
see another law in my members, warring against the law of [God in] my
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin [of human nature]
which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me
from this body of death? [He adds] I thank God -- through Jesus Christ
our Lord" [knowing He would deliver him and will us as well] (Romans
7:19-25).
These Scriptures should make it very clear as to why God
commanded them to sew tassels on their clothing. It was to always be a
REMINDER to them of God's law -- especially so in times of temptation.
What the tassels were suppose to do, and failed, God's
Holy Spirit is to do for each of us as His people today.
"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father
will send in My name, It WILL TEACH YOU ALL THINGS, AND BRING TO YOUR
REMEMBRANCE all that I said to you" (John 14:26).
Among these things the Holy Spirit would bring into the
minds and hearts of the members of Gods Church the remembrance of His
laws. Jesus Christ said to His disciples, and all of us as well:
"If you love Me KEEP My commandments" (John
14:15).
Remember He was the One, we know as Jesus Christ today,
who spoke the 10 commandments Himself to Israel and gave all of the
other laws through Moses. Note what Jesus Christ, as the LORD, said
regarding His laws:
"Therefore you shall OBSERVE ALL MY STATUTES AND
JUDGMENTS, and perform them: I am the LORD" (Leviticus 19:37).
The Way We Are to Live ---
The apostle Paul made very plain the vital necessity of continuing
the struggle to keep suppressed this law of sin within us by being close
enough to God to have a sufficient supply of His Holy Spirit working
powerfully within us to help us in this life and death struggle:
Romans 8:13-14 "For IF you live according to the
flesh (law of sin) you will die; BUT if BY the Spirit you put to death
the deeds of the body, YOU WILL LIVE. For as many as are LED by the
Spirit of God, these are the sons of God."
Being filled with God's Holy Spirit will bring to our
REMEMBRANCE the laws of God, and with the Holy Spirit LEADING us, and
the help we can receive from it, we can turn away from the temptation,
sin, and death (James 1:14-15).
Another Law, Trees Bearing Fruit ---
Another law we will be teaching in the new world will be
the laws concerning fruit trees:
Leviticus 19:23 "When you come into the land, and
have planted (grafted) all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count
their fruit uncircumcised (unclean). Three years it shall be
uncircumcised to you. It shall not be eaten."
Please note some clarifications:
Good News, 2-61 "The 3 years in which fruit is
prohibited pertains to the age of the tree from the time it came up or
is rooted, not to the years of its bearing. A 3-year old tree that is
bought and set up would be considered 3 years old."
This Scripture pertains only to the trees that bear
fruit, not shrubs, bushes, brambles, grapevines or olives which are
classified with field crops (Leviticus 19:9-10), and of the Sabbath year
rest for the land (25:3-5). God makes a distinction between small
fruits and trees bearing fruits (see Exodus 23:10-11 for olive trees).
Leviticus 23:24 "But in the 4th year all its
fruit shall be holy, a praise to the LORD. And in the 5th year you may
eat its fruit, that it may yield its increase. I am the LORD your God."
This is the year the fruit was to be given to the
priesthood.
Leviticus 23:25 "And in the 5th year you may eat
its fruit, that it may yield its increase. I am the LORD your God."
After having given these laws, God adds His signature
making the point these laws are from Him.
Firstfruits ---
Added to this law is another one regarding the
first-fruits from the land which includes the fruit trees:
"The first of the firstfruits (from the 5th year
and through the life of the trees) of your land you shall bring into the
house of the LORD your God" (Exodus 23:19).
The firstfruits of the land includes anything that is
planted and harvested by the farmer It also gets into all other areas
such as that regarding the firstlings of the animals. This part I do not
intend to get into at this present time.
Other Statutes and Judgments ---
Though there are numerous other statutes and judgments
found in other places in the Bible, I am not planning on writing about
any of them in the near future.
To Be Continued ---
Possibly next time I will continue in these series of
writings regarding what it will be like in the early years of the soon
coming millennium and our part in it.
Until next time, our love and prayers for all of you,
Don Billingsley
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