Introduction

To Hear and Obey

In this day and age there are many voices clamoring to be heard. Everyone has an answer and an opinion. But what if there were only one voice to be heard? Only one opinion? I along with other like minded people have been seeking, knocking and asking. For a surety there are two voices speaking in the world today. One voice is saying "take your life in your own hands as you see your own needs". The other voice is saying "give up your life, follow me, give me control of your life". The first voice mentioned here seems to be the most popular. So the obvious decision here is to hear the second voice "give up your life" and go with the minority. For with this voice if we follow will lead to a very narrow road. This road is not the scenic route either. Most maps will tell you that it doesn't even exist. In fact if you travel this path everyone around you will do everything in their power to get you off of it. I sincerely hope you have already made a decision to take this road, and since so few choose it may we see each other often in the fellowship on it. If you have not made this decision I pray that you would follow this journey. Shalom, Chris

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Noahide Laws? Prodigal Son's jealous brother?

What are these Noahide laws and are they scriptural or are they the teachings of men? Here is a definition found on the internet. It quotes no scripture nor do I make a claim to it's authenticity or validity.

(definition for research only)
The Noahide Laws comprise the six laws which were given to Adam in the Garden of Eden according to the Talmud's interpretation of Gen 2:16[4] and a seventh one, which was added after the Flood of Noah. Later at the Revelation at Sinai the Seven Laws of Noah were regiven to humanity and embedded in the 613 Laws given to the Children of Israel along with the Ten Commandments, which are part of, and not separate from, the 613 mitzvot. These laws are mentioned in the Torah. According to Judaism, the 613 mitzvot or "commandments" given in the written Torah, as well as their reasonings in the oral Torah, were only issued to the Jews and are therefore binding only upon them, having inherited the obligation from their ancestors. At the same time, at Mount Sinai, the Children of Israel (i.e. the Children of Jacob, i.e. the Israelites) were given the obligation to teach other nations the embedded Noahide Laws. However, it is actually forbidden by the Talmud for non-Jews (on whom the Noahide Laws are still binding) to elevate their observance to the Torah's mitzvot as the Jews do.[5][6]

While some Jewish organizations, such as Chabad have worked to promote the acceptance of Noahide laws, there are no figures for how many actually do.

(definition for research only)
History
Main article: Oral Torah

The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a.Originally, Jewish scholarship was oral. Rabbis expounded and debated the law (the written law expressed in the Hebrew Bible) and discussed the Tanakh without the benefit of written works (other than the Biblical books themselves), though some may have made private notes (megillot setarim), for example of court decisions. This situation changed drastically, however, mainly as the result of the destruction of the Jewish commonwealth in the year 70 CE and the consequent upheaval of Jewish social and legal norms. As the Rabbis were required to face a new reality—mainly Judaism without a Temple (to serve as the center of teaching and study) and Judea without autonomy—there was a flurry of legal discourse and the old system of oral scholarship could not be maintained. It is during this period that Rabbinic discourse began to be recorded in writing.[1][2] The earliest recorded oral law may have been of the midrashic form, in which halakhic discussion is structured as exegetical commentary on the Pentateuch. But an alternative form, organized by subject matter instead of by biblical verse, became dominant about the year 200 C.E., when Rabbi Judah haNasi redacted the Mishnah (משנה).

The Oral Law was far from monolithic; rather, it varied among various schools. The most famous two were the School of Shammai and the School of Hillel. In general, all valid opinions, even the non-normative ones, were recorded in the Talmud.


Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud) (definition for research only)
The Talmud Bavli was transmitted orally for centuries prior to its compilation by Jewish scholars in Babylon about the 5th century CE.[8]


A full set of the Babylonian Talmud.Since the Exile to Babylonia in 586 BCE, there had been Jewish communities living in Babylonia as well as in Judea, as many of the captives never returned home. From then until the Talmudic period, the Babylonian Jewish population increased through natural growth as well as migration. The most important of the Jewish centres were Nehardea, Nisibis, Mahoza, Pumbeditha and Sura. It was no longer necessary for scholars to travel regularly to Israel to gather authentic traditions.

Talmud Bavli (the "Babylonian Talmud") comprises the Mishnah and the Babylonian Gemara, the latter representing the culmination of more than 300 years of analysis of the Mishnah in the Babylonian Academies. The foundations of this process of analysis were laid by Rab, a disciple of Rabbi Judah ha-Nasi. Tradition ascribes the compilation of the Babylonian Talmud in its present form to two Babylonian sages, Rav Ashi and Ravina. Ashi was president of the Sura Academy from 375 to 427 CE. The work begun by Ashi was completed by Ravina, who is traditionally regarded as the final Amoraic expounder. Accordingly, traditionalists argue that Ravina’s death in 499 CE is the latest possible date for the completion of the redaction of the Talmud. However, even on the most traditional view a few passages are regarded as the work of a group of rabbis who edited the Talmud after the end of the Amoraic period, known as the Saboraim or Rabbanan Savora'e (meaning "reasoners" or "considerers").

The question as to when the Gemara was finally put into its present form is not settled among modern scholars. Some, like Louis Jacobs, argue that the main body of the Gemara is not simple reportage of conversations, as it purports to be, but a highly elaborate structure contrived by the Saboraim, who must therefore be regarded as the real authors. On this view the text did not reach its final form until around 700. Some modern scholars use the term Stammaim (from the Hebrew Stam, meaning "closed", "vague" or "unattributed") for the authors of unattributed statements in the Gemara. (See eras within Jewish law.)

I know that this was alot of reading but I think it is important to search out a matter. As a note of interest, they say that even god must obey the oral laws. I cringe at the thought of such a statement, but perhaps they are not in agreement over that. So now to scripture for I do not care to illustrate the doctrines of men anymore.

Matt 23:2 On Moshe's seat sit the scribes and P'rushim. All that he (Moshe) says to you observe and do. But do not do according to their (scribes and P'rushim) works, for they say, but do not.

The one speaking, this is our Messiah, is He saying do what the sages say? No, He says to do what Moshe says. What did Moshe say? It is found in the first five books of Moses. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Nowhere, absolutely nowhere does it say anything about these noahide laws. Messiah Yeshua further speaks and says in,

Matt 23:8-10 But you shall not be called "rabbi" for one is your rabbi, and that is Messiah.
and all of you are brothers. Also be not you called "father" upon the earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be you called "teachers", for one is your teacher, and that is Messiah.


I am not personally implying anything here. These are the words of THE MESSIAH. Back when we were ignorant to this scripture I had asked our "rabbi" why we were following the "rabbinical calendar" for the feast of Yom Teruah. I was told to basically "be quiet" because the sages of old already studied this and they know better than we do. Well if you want to get me upset thats how you do it. My wife and I devoured the scripture and prayed for an answer. For me to buck the "sages of old" system would cause division in the congregation. How could I as the worship leader not be around for their keeping of the calendar because I was going to be out on the top of a dam waiting for the new moon. We found our answer in the scriptures, so we went out to observe the new moon (it was sighted in Y'israel first). We also went away for the Feast of tabernacles to dwell in a booth for the first time. The other option was in the Jones's front lawn the first and last day of the feast. Needless to say the congregation didn't last much longer. That was the beginning of ours and a few others greater journey of obedience to YHWH and His Word.
One of the passages in scripture really caught our attention.

Is 1:14 Your new moons and your appointed seasons my soul hates; they are a burden unto me I am weary to bear them.
YHWH never referred to His Feasts in such a manner. But here He says "your feasts". Is it possible that this prophet that is sent to Y'hudah is referring to men changing YHWH'S appointed times to their own. You read the chapter and decide for yourself. I have gotten rather long-winded on this post. There is still more about this subject. Over and over again the scripture declares by the mouth of YHWH.



Exd 12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
Lev 16:29 And [this] shall be a statute for ever unto you: [that] in the seventh month, on the tenth [day] of the month, ye shall afflict your souls, and do no work at all, [whether it be] one of your own country, or a stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 18:26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit [any] of these abominations; [neither] any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
Lev 19:34 [But] the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am YHWH your Elohim.
Num 9:14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the passover unto YHWH; according to the ordinance of the passover, and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do: ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger, and for him that was born in the land.
Num 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 YHWH; as ye do, so he shall do.

I will finish with this statement: In no way do I think that the Jews are not the people of YHWH. THEY ARE HIS PEOPLE. Neither do I think that any man who adds or takes away from YHWH'S set apart Word should be listened to. As Messiah Yeshua said "Do what Moshe says"
Shalom Chris

1 comment:

ShemaYisrael said...

Pretty clear. The cliche` WWJD or WWYD ..What Would Yahshua Do...He did what Moshe said...Aka, what He told Moshe to do, He did as well. Great post.