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Answering to mockers of the Bible
There are many ways to mock and defame those people who believe in God and the Bible. One very common way is such a kind of in which people mix up all commands of the Old Covenant to the New Covenant. In this writing, I bring forth that how mockers distort, take things out of the context and mix up order of the Old and New Covenant.
Thesis of mockers
Dr. Laura Schlesinger said on her radio show 2004 that she as an observant Orthodox Jew thinks that homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. Someone posted on the Internet an open letter to Dr. Laura.
In this writing, I'm going to deal with arguments of an open letter. My answers are according to the order of the New Covenant, and I rectify few misunderstandings and misrepresented things.
Sacrifice of the altar
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In the time of the Old Covenant purpose of sacrifice of the altar was to remind that sin made by man brings always suffering and pain. In the time of the Old Covenant, the forgiveness of sins shed for sins by many offerings (sin-, a burnt offering and so on). God enacted to the nation of the Old Covenant the system, in which innocent one suffered as the consequence of sins. Purpose of this was to prevent sinning against God, people and all created ones. Threshold to make sin rises when someone else must suffer the consequence of sin.
Making sins and evil deeds must always prevent, and the most powerful way preventing is letting innocent to suffer. For this reason, in the order of the New Covenant the Lord Jesus (innocent one) died and suffered for the sake of sins of the people. By the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, those who repent their sins and believe in Jesus shall receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
The Old Covenant sacrifice of the altar is not in the power in the order of the New Covenant. We can't sacrifice burnt offerings to the Lord in the era of the New Covenant. Smite against your neighbor is a sin. Sardonic argument about sacrifice of the altar has been canceled and cannot use against Jesus' disciples.
Slavery
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Lev 25: 44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and
female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A
friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans but not
Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians? |
Hebrew original text in Exodus and Leviticus speaks about servants, not slaves. Hebrew words ebed (male) and amah (female) mean servants. The nation of Israel "slaves" were servants, which had to treat well. If Israelites treated their servants in bad ways, so they had to let their servants free (Ex chapter 12). The Bible doesn't teach and support slavery. In the order of the New Covenant is not in the power Old Covenant servant system.
Lev 25:44 and the context say that Gentile servants whom Israelites had moved as inheritance to their children, but Israelites servants didn't move, but they served six years and then were freed
.The Lord ordered this command, because He released Israel's nation from the slavery of Egypt. I believe that the Lord God wanted to make this distinction between Gentile servants and Israelites servants, because Gentiles served idols and didn't want to serve and believe in God, but Israelites were the nation of God, His children. Purpose of this command was to show that people who believe in idols are not free, because of bondage of idol worshiping. Gentiles' idol worshipers didn't believe in Almighty God, but to idols, and therefore, to them had to make different rules and commands. God took into consideration gentiles and didn't want to change them by force, but let them live without believing in Him. Gentiles had slaves and didn't loose them, but treated in bad ways. Israelites hadn't the slaves, but servants and treated them very well.
Ex
12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
4 Moos 15:
14 And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in
your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet
savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do.
15 One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for
the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your
generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD.
16 One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that
sojourneth with you.
If a stranger (Gentile) wanted to join to nation and congregation of Israel, so he circumcised himself, which was the sign to become the member of the congregation
. When Gentile wanted to join to the congregation of Israel, so he got same rights as what Israelites had. This is a very powerful example that when a man rejects worshiping of idols and believe in God, so he will be freed from the slavery of sin and satan and translated to a citizen of the God's Kingdom and to His freedom.Thesis of mockers has been annulled also on this matter.
Death penalty
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We are living in the era of the New Covenant, in which death sentence is not in the power. In the era of the New Covenant, the congregation of God can't carry out death sentences. God commanded death sentence in the era of the Old Covenant, because He wanted to prevent sinning against God, people and animals. God put the very high threshold to prevent sin, and it was the death sentence for some sins, because by those sins, Israelites would damage themselves in very bad ways.
Eating shellfish and homosexuality
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God gave the command to Israelites in the time of the Old Covenant, that they can eat in the waters those who have fins and scales, and those who don't have fins and scales are the abomination and can't eat.
God wanted to protect His nation by this command, that they wouldn't eat harmful and dangerous meat of water animals. In the seas and the lakes shellfishes absorb poisons that are in the water and therefore, its meat is not edible. Modern science has researched that eating of shellfishes can cause diarrhea, sickness, symptoms of vomit and in some cases to paralysis or death. In the sea on plankton (seaweed) is poisonious biotoxins, which are not danger to shellfishes, but biotoxins can cause to people very perilous diseases.
God loves so much people that He has warned them not to eat such a kind of which is unhealthy and dangerous to the people.
In addition, in this case mockers argument failed, because the command of God prevents that people don't risk their life.
Homosexuality is unnatural, abnormal and pervert sexuality, for this reason God says in His word (the Bible) that homosexuality is a sin. If man repents his homosexual sin and abandons it and believes in the Lord Jesus he shall receive forgiveness of sins. In the era of the New Covenant homosexuality is also a sin, but can be forgiven by God, if man repents and rejects homosexuality and believes in Jesus the Messiah.
The altar of God
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Statement and question of mockers were wrong and sardonic. Leviticus 21 chapter don't teach that people who have blemishes must be killed. Command was that they can't make an offering in the altar.
Leviticus 3 chapter 21 teach that a man who is blemished can't go near to the altar and make an offering. The idea behind this command was that it was the figure about the Lord Jesus' offering. Because Jesus was and is perfect. Therefore, in the figure can't be any blemish.
Blemish ones weren't discriminated in any ways. Blemish ones who have some disease or lesion had same rights as other people. Exception was only prohibition to make an offering in the altar.
We are living now in the era of New Covenant and the Lord Jesus, the Messiah was the figure of the Old Covenant's offerings. The figure has been fulfilled, because Jesus the Messiah died and poured out His blood for sins. This means that all members of the New Covenant have same rights to come near God and His altar in the Lord Jesus.
Moreover, in this case argument of mockers have failed.
Cutting of hairs and beard
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Lev 19:27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
Hebrew Bible original text speaks about cutting of whiskers and sideburns, not cutting of beard. Some Gentile idol worshipers cut their sideburns and hairs in a certain way as honor of their idols. In the time of Old Testament God gave commands to Israelites, that they cannot imitate and mimic habits of the Gentiles, who worshiped idols. God gave the command that they cannot do similar hair and sideburns cuttings as idol worshipers. The Bible doesn't deny hair and beard cutting.
Also this argument of mockers in distorted. The Bible doesn't teach in this place anything about the killing, but denies that Israel's nation can't involve to rituals of idols' worshipers.
Touching of the dead pig
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Pig was the unclean animal in the Old Covenant. Therefore, touching of dead pig was forbidden. We are living now in the era of the New Covenant, which means that you can play football without gloves.
In this case, also sardonic argument of mockers failed.
Two different kinds of threads and seeds
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God wanted to make sure about that Israel's nation sowing would succeed in the best possible way. Therefore, He gave the very clear command, because two different kinds of seeds in a one field weren't wise at that time, because if one crop gets damage, it would also spoil both crops. Also in this case argument of mockers failed.
Lev 19:
19 ¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle
gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed:
neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
Linen and wool are very different kinds of materials. Linen is not
flexible at all, but wool is flexibility. Clothes that had been made from
linen, and wool caused problems during the era of Old Testament. It is not
wise to mix two different kind of materials who works totally conversely.
In the time of Old Testament, for example, washing of clothes made by
linen and wool would be very difficult, because rubbing of wool by the
water felts the wool.
The prohibition and reasons for it
Throughout the ages, some people are tried to find out the reasons why God forbade the clothes, which are made from linen and wool. The Bible doesn't give an answer that why the clothes mixing linen and wool can't be done.
Some people think that this command had given because two different kinds of things do not fit together with each other.
One theory is the case of Cain and Abel. Cain brought the fruit from the ground as an offering to the Lord. Possibly, his offering also contained linen, which is a fiber and oil plant. Cain killed Abel who brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof as an offering to the Lord. According to this theory, God doesn't want to mix the linen and wool, because Cain killed his brother, and they departed from each other, and therefore the linen and wool must not mix together.
Perhaps we can't know for sure the reasons why God gave this command. Although we can't know it, so we can trust in God that behind the command is very clear reason why the linen and wool cannot mix.
Electricity of the body
Charles Whitlaw in his book: The Scriptural Code of Health with observations of the Mosaic Prohibitions, has said that some observations and researches have proven that wool with mixed with linen increases its power of passing off the electricity from the body. Especially, in hot climates, it can cause malignant fevers and exhausts the strength; and when passing off from the body, it meets with the heated air, inflames and excoriates like a blister. In the worst cases, it can lead to dehydration and death.
When the electric removes from the body in warm and hot climates, so it can lead weakening and fever can rise and cause inflammations.
Nervous system, circulation, heart and brains work electromagnetically. If the electric removes from the body so it weakens functions of nervous system, circulation, heart and brains.
If this research is true, so we know the reason why you can't mix the linen with wool. The nation of Israel lived in very hot climate, so the command would have been reasonable.
However, is good to know that Lev 19:19 is the command, which God gave to Israelites in the era of the Old Covenant, and this command is not valid anymore in the era of the New Covenant.
Also in this case argument of mockers failed.
You cannot to stone or burn cursing people, and this place mockers again distorts the meaning of the Bible. In the era of the Old Covenant in the power was the death penalty from the certain kind of sexual sins. The wicked and ungodly men don't God of the Bible and can't understand powers of evil forces that are impacting in sexual sins. Sexual sins, such as homosexuality, bestiality, incest, sexual abuse of children, etc. are sins, in which impacts evil demon spirits contaminating the heart of men. That is why God ordered to the era of the Old Covenant the death penalty from the certain kinds of sexual sins, that Israel's nation would stay clean and doesn't pollute their hearts and destroy lives of their neighbors.
Menstruation of the woman
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This command ordered in the Old Covenant. It is not order of the New Covenant.
Mark 5:
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all
that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched
his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt
in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of
him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging
thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her,
came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in
peace, and be whole of thy plague.
This woman had an issue of blood twelve years, and she
had spent all her moneys to get better, but things had gone worse. The
Lord Jesus didn't touch her, but she touched Jesus, and she got healed.
Teaching in this is that touching in Lord Jesus makes you healed and
purifies you from your unclean. In the New Covenant Lev 15:19 is not
anymore in the power, because by the Lord Jesus came the change of the
law.
They don't understand changing of the law
People who oppose and mock the Bible says very often, because you believe the Bible, take slaves and stone the sinners, because the Bible says so.
Hebr 7:
11 ¶ If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for
under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that
another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be
called after the order of Aaron?
12 For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change
also of the law.
In the New Covenant isn't in the power a command of death sentence. New Covenant congregation cannot judge or condemn anyone to death. Stoning is not in the power in the time of the New Covenant. Old Testament's "slave" wasn't the slaves, but servants and Israelites had to treat them well.
In the era of the New Covenant majority of the commands of the Old covenant is not in the power. Ideas of mockers are pointless and foolish. It is as foolish as if someone would demand that people must punish in public place by stocks or pillory. Here in Finland, stocks and pillory penalties had been annulled in 1894.
All the commands of the New Testament have been placed in a certain phase of history, but by Jesus' atonement is placed the New Covenant and the new order how to believe in God. You can't go back to order of the Old Covenant, because it is not anymore in the power. In the same way stocks and pillory penalties are not anymore in the power, and it is very foolish and absurd demand to punish people by stocks and pillory. As foolish is to demand to obey those commands of the Old Covenant that is not anymore in the power.
Most of the commandments of the Old Covenant are overruled. However, all commandments of the Old Covenant haven't overruled. For example, the Old Testament's prohibition on eating of the blood is still valid in the New Covenant. One very important observation is that the New Covenant changed the law, but didn't remove it completely. Changing of the law left the Ten Commandments in power and also some other commandments. The high priesthood of the Lord Jesus and His atonement annulled all the laws of the temple service and offerings of the Old Covenant.
This is a good and important question. Generally, from the New Testament, we can find confirmation that which commands of the Old Covenant are valid in the New Covenant. Especially teaching of the New Covenant conforms that homosexuality is a sin.
Do not judge
The last days sinful people reiterate to Jesus' disciples that do not judge, that you be not judged. They don't understand in a right way this Bible verse, and therefore, they distort the real meaning of this verse.
Matt
7:
1 ¶ Judge not, that ye be not judged.
2 For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what
measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.
3 And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but
considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?
4 Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of
thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
5 Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then
shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
6 Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls
before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again
and rend you.
Joh 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
If we are condemning our neighbours by wrong reasons or living in sins ourselves so the beam is in our eyes, and we are hypocrites, and we are doing wrongly. For example, if you say adulterer, that do not live in adultery, and you are yourself living on adultery, the beam is in your eyes, and you are a hypocrite.
According to words of the Lord Jesus, Jesus' disciples can judge righteous judgement. If somebody is stealing, living in adultery or is lying, so we have the right to say sin as sin. Jesus' disciple has a right to say that living in sins lead people to eternal damnation. Jesus' disciple doesn't judge to damnation, but tells that God shall judge sin maker to hell. Last days people are under sins, and they try to do everything that they could make sins and have "peace" in their conscience, and for this reason they distort the word of God. Demons have deceived people by religions and evil beliefs to hold on the good as bad and a bad as "good", for this reason they don't see and understand, that their values of life are corrupted by sin.
Orthodox Judaism
Jer 31:
31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD,
that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the
house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day
that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which
my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the
LORD:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of
Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their
inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and
they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least
of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Changing of the law has been prophesied in the Bible. God has promised to make a New Covenant with the nation of Israel, not according to the covenant that He had made with their fathers, when God led them away from slavery of Egypt. Jeremiah 31 says that God will make a New Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:31 has words Brit Chadasha - New Covenant. The New Covenant is New, which is not similar as a former covenant with the nation of Israel. The word translated in Jer 31:31 "new" is the Hebrew adjective "chadash". It is used 53 times in the Scriptures and always translated as "new" or as "new thing" except once, in Job 20:29, where it is translated as "fresh". However, this adjective is actually formed from the verb "chadash" (same transliterated spelling), which is used ten times in the Scriptures. Chadash is an adjective New and in Jer 31:31 it is an adjective. As verb chadash means to renew and repair, but as adjective new. Old Covenant law was written to stone, but in New Covenant it will be written to the heart, because Covenant is New.
The Jews translated in their Bible like this (JPS - Jewish Publication Society Old Testament 1917) Jer 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah;
Jews have translated in Setuagint Jer 31:31 hebrew word chadash as word kaineen, which means new. Own testimony of Jews is that chadash means new and not renew. Orthodox Judaism tries to claim that chadash means to renew, but their own testimony in JPS and Septuagint says that chadash means new. Septuagint was translated before Yeshua born, so Jews translated there word new (chadash), which is meaning of chadash. But now when Yeshua has born and set up the New Covenant in His blood, Ortohodox Judaism twist meaning of chadash word that they don't have any need to believe Jesus as the Messiah, but they will believe in Him in the last days.
Orthodox Judaism can't live anymore accordance with old law it is impossible in many ways. They can't honestly obey all 613 commands (mitzvoth), because in many cases, they must kill sin makers, but it is impossible and the New Covenant has annulled the death sentence.
Zec 13:
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD,
two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left
therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them
as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall
call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and
they shall say, The LORD is my God.
In the times of the end, in the last days, two parts of Jews shall be cut off, but the third part shall find the New Covenant, Jesus the Messiah and their God.
Epilogue
Ignorance of mockers, falsification and blasphemy collapses in front of the word of God. Still, today is the day of the grace and possibility to repent sins and believe in Jesus the Messiah, and receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Sources:
33/38 Raamattu
King James Version
Online Bible Lexicon
Strong's Lexicon
https://www.kotipetripaavola.com/UusiLiitto.html
https://www.kotipetripaavola.com/sivistyksenkasikirja.html
http://www.riemurasia.net/jylppy/media.php?id=62041
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090324111558.htm
http://www.copewithcytokines.de/cope.cgi?key=Okadaic%20acid
http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?pubRef=
Petri Paavola from Finland
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