I'm sorry, "christ i trust my savior", but Jesus does say we live by the old ways (God's ways). We don't live by man-made tradition though that adds or takes away.
Matthew 23:1-4 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.
Matthew 11:29-30 (NIV)
29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Jeremiah 6:16 (NIV)
16 This is what the Lord says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
Lady Kariel
A man growing out his hair was only acceptable to do under the Nazirite vow. For details read Numbers 6. Priests couldn't do it at all. The priests' hair was not suppose to act as a "covering" (going past the shoulders); there are Old Testament commands requiring this of the priests: Paul's epistle is the first time I see it used of people outside of the tribe of Levi, as a command for all men in general. I addressed both this, and the topic of women wearing head coverings when they pray or prophesy more in-depth, with Old Testament and New Testament verses considered, in [this] thread. I'll quote below the parts of my response that are relevant to this topic in spoiler tags:
But in a nutshell: married women should wear a covering on their heads as the passage suggests (or else they dishonor their husbands). When it talks about their hair being their "covering", it refers to covering their body (shoulders down) in comparison to males (whose hair should not cover their body [shoulders down]). If that sounds confusing, read the spoiler sweatdrop:
Posted: Wed Sep 17, 2014 4:54 pm
[...] However, I'm not convinced of the "veil = long hair" position either, like Candy, but I arrived at it on a different train of thought. Going by what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:5-6—in addition to what I see married women / engaged women doing in the Old Testament—it's a cloth / veil of some sort, not one's hair.
For example, in Genesis 24:64-67, Rebekah covers herself with a veil (not with her hair) when she's about to meet her betrothed (Isaac).
Genesis 24:64-67 (NIV)
64 Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac. She got down from her camel 65 and asked the servant, “Who is that man in the field coming to meet us?”
“He is my master,” the servant answered. So she took her veil and covered herself.
66 Then the servant told Isaac all he had done. 67 Isaac brought her into the tent of his mother Sarah, and he married Rebekah. So she became his wife, and he loved her; and Isaac was comforted after his mother’s death.
In Numbers 5:18, as part of the jealousy offering, when the married woman is suspected of cheating on her husband, her hair is loosened.
Numbers 5:18 (NIV)
18 After the priest has had the woman stand before the Lord, he shall loosen her hair and place in her hands the reminder-offering, the grain offering for jealousy, while he himself holds the bitter water that brings a curse.
Numbers 5:18 (CJB)
18 The cohen will place the woman before Adonai, unbind the woman’s hair and put the grain offering for remembering in her hands, the grain offering for jealousy; while the cohen has in his hand the water of embitterment and cursing.
Women, who were married/once they were promised to be married (and they approved of the husband apparently, and that approval was supposed to be demonstrated by loyalty and keeping her hair covered) did not have their hair out and about in its full glory for all to see—and in their case, they're not even praying or prophesying. This is just about being married and having your head covered in response to this.
So, by the time I got to 1 Corinthians 11 and read verses 5-6:
1 Corinthians 11:5-6 (NIV)
5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head—it is the same as having her head shaved. 6 For if a woman does not cover her head, she might as well have her hair cut off; but if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, then she should cover her head.
...I was already operating on a conviction that it had to do with a cloth / veil (not hair), but I still considered the opposite stance to see if it made cohesive sense: I asked myself, if "covering one's head" = "long hair", then "uncovered" means, what exactly? bald head / hair-shorn off? If so, then we have to plug that in, and it resulted in a problem for verse 6, "For if a woman does not cover her head[is bald/has her hair shorn off], she might as well have her hair cut off [...]". That makes no sense. Her hair is already shorn off / she's already bald, what is there to cut?
However, if to "cover one's head" = "take a veil and cover your long hair", thus "uncovering one's head" = "taking the veil off of your long hair", then verse 6 does make sense. "For if a woman does not cover her head[does not cover her long hair/takes off the veil/has no veil on her long hair], she might as well have her hair cut off [...]" because this woman is married and she should not be doing this as a married woman, dishonoring her husband like that, by showing off her long hair as if she wasn't married or is not in agreement/approval of having him as her husband/head, nor being loyal to that husband/head.
What throws people off is verse 15, and I think there's an assumption being made here: that's it's still talking about a covering for the head, as opposed to a covering for the body.
1 Corinthians 11:14-15 (NIV)
14 Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15 but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering.
The hair on top of a man's head should not be long enough to cover their body. That's why, even in the Old Testament, the priests (who were male) were instructed to keep their hair within a certain length.
Ezekiel 44:20 (NIV)
20 “‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.
So not only were the priests prohibited from shaving their heads buzz-cut short, but they were also prohibited from growing their hair long (special case being the Nazirite Vow i.e. Numbers 6, which people like Samson and John the Baptist were under). The question now became: what constitutes "growing your hair long"? It's extra-biblical but I came across "past the shoulders" (possibly from a Michael Rood video, do not recall which one at the moment) and that makes sense. "Past the shoulders" goes into "covering your body" territory. Thus, Paul suggesting men should not be growing their hair long, because it's been given to women as a covering, not men. Ergo, it is a covering in that sense (past the shoulders, to cover the body).
Granted, if I were solely relying on the Old Testament commands, I would not have enough evidence to apply this ("do not grow hair long") to men who weren't priests. The Old Testament commands only require this of the priests. It's only in addition to what Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 11 (about men not growing their hair long) that I'm convinced: not even common men should grow their hair out to the point that it covers their body.
Though, considering we're called a "royal priesthood" in the New Testament (1 Peter 2:9), no wonder Paul includes all men, not just the Levitical Priesthood. They're all priests now, in spirit, making intercession for others through prayer (not necessarily through animal sacrifice) in our Father's "house of prayer" (Mark 11:17). Prayers have been likened to animal sacrifices (Acts 10:4; Hosea 14:2 [compared to bull/calf offerings depending on which version you read]; Hebrews 13:15 [praise instead of prayer, but an example of a spiritual offering instead of literal animal one]).
But back to women covering their long hair with a veil: according to Paul, all the churches did this, all the assemblies of believers were united in this practice (1 Corinthians 11:16).
1 Corinthians 11:16 (NIV)
16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
I know up until 1983, the Catholic church would make all females (even little girls, which means even unmarried/not-betrothed females) wear a head covering inside of their church, but after that, they just... stopped. A lot of churches still do this though: Anabaptists, Mennonites, Amish (and these groups encourage a headcovering for married women at all times so they can pray wherever, whenever, no problems—regardless of whether inside or outside of a church building), while groups like the Eastern Orthodox and Russian Orthodox only require women to wear it while in a church building (and they too, like the Catholics use to, require all females, both women and girls, not just the married/engaged, to wear a headcovering inside the church building). But Spirit of the law would have married women (or betrothed women who approve of their soon-to-be-husband) wearing a hair covering wherever it is they pray.
John 4:20-24 (NIV)
20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”
21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”
It's not about worshiping in a specific building.
Based on all that, I concluded that married women (or engaged women who approve of their fiance and choose to be loyal to him) should cover their long hair with some type of covering when they pray or prophesy. And men should not grow their hair to the point that it covers their bodies (beyond shoulder length). That's all that the bible requires.
Personally, I started wearing a head covering before becoming a believer (for worldly reasons: it was protective for my natural hair type)—and even before that, I had this tendency to wear the hoodie of my sweater because I felt inexplicably safer (and considering that I do interpret Genesis 6 to be talking about angels and that they fell for women's beauty, imagine my surprise when I read that women were instructed to wear headcoverings "because of the angels" 1 Cor 11:10 in Paul's epistle to the Corinthians. Inexplicable no more!).
After reading Paul's epistle and studying what women in the bible did, I decided to continue wearing a headcovering for spiritual reasons—despite being celibate (ergo not married, nor engaged; at least not to any mere mortal. I am "engaged" to/in covenant with Jesus and I do approve emotion_awesome). After that point, I did it for modesty reasons: to curb a certain type of attention I would receive for wearing my hair down. People would get more "grabby" and on two separate occasions some random guys (who I did not even know) came up to me, to hit on me, precisely because of my hair, one even running his fingers through my hair which, as a celibate person, I was not/am not interested in.
Yeah... emotion_sweatdrop
But to reiterate: the bible only requires about-to-be-married / married women to cover their heads when they pray or prophesy—for two explicitly stated reasons: (1) to not dishonor their head (2) because of the angels. Needless to say, for little girls who don't even know what it is to be saved, born-again, turned away from wickedness, in covenant with Jesus/ are not even in covenant with Jesus...it's kind of meaningless for them to wear it.
[...]
we go by the new testament not the old testament 2nd of all woman need to cover there head . in old testament Abramam married his half sister things was different. in oldtestmaent men can married there cousin they can have more then 1 wife we go by new testament i dont get why you still go by the law of the old testament jesus can changed things because his the word of god.
Jesus didn't change anything. He's still going to eat animal sacrifices when he comes back (even though they don't really atone for human sin; they just served as a prophetic picture of the body that would).
Luke 22:14-16 (NIV)
14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.”
Hebrews 10:4-5 (NIV)
4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
“Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me;
And polygamy (multiple wives) was never commanded by God. The commands of God remain the same (not traditions/culture). I don't know why you're confusing Old Testament accounts of people and their culture VS the commands of God. It's not the same thing.
Again, Jesus didn't change any of our Heavenly Father's commands: if he did, Jesus would have committed sin—and we know Jesus is sinless. It is a sin to transgress the commands of God and God's law prohibits the adding or taking away of commands.
1 John 3:4 (NIV)
4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.
1 John 3:5 (NIV)
5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV)
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV)
2 Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.
As far as headcoverings go, I was in agreement with you. It's supported by both the Old and New Testament. Read people's posts more carefully to avoid misunderstandings between guild members. We rely on all of scripture, not just the New Testament, to get our answers. Just like Jesus and the apostles.
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
Luke 24:27 (NIV)
27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2014 11:27 pm
Umm except Jesus came and died for our sins so that there were no more sarcifices. His death was the end all be all to sacrificing things to God.
To say that he didn't change anything is blasphemous to him and to God if you re-read the chapter of Matthew in whole. You're basically calling him a liar and cheapening his gift.
Also Jesus brought to us the Law of Agape, that's not man-made that is Christ-driven. I would refrain from making those kinds of assumptions if I were you. Maybe you should pray to Jesus for forgiveness for blaspheming him <3
Umm except Jesus came and died for our sins so that there were no more sarcifices. His death was the end all be all to sacrificing things to God.
That's a common misconception when people don't pay attention to detail: Jesus put an end to sacrificing for sin, but he did not put an end to animal sacrificing in and of itself.
Hebrews 10:18 (NIV)
18 And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary.
Take the apostle Paul, for example: we find Paul scheduling sacrifices in Acts 21 long after Jesus offered himself as our "once and for all" atonement sacrifice.
Acts 21:19-26 (NIV)
19 Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21 They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23 so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24 Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25 As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.”
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
I'm not suggesting these animal sacrifices are atoning for anyone's sins. Scripture is clear, however, that as long as a temple/altar is up in Jerusalem, at the appointed place, animal sacrifices can be made. And the temple was up until 70 a.d; thus, the continued sacrifices. Also, the continued observance of Old Testament feast days like Pentecost (also known as "Feasts of Weeks" or "Shavuot" in Hebrew) which involved animal sacrifices, still being kept after Jesus ascended into the clouds, once again by Paul.
Quote:
Pentecost (Ancient Greek: Πεντηκοστή [ἡμέρα], Pentēkostē [hēmera], "the fiftieth [day]") is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks, a prominent feast in the calendar of ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai. [...]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentecost
Acts 20:16 (NIV)
16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
What happens on Pentecost:
Leviticus 23:15-21 (NIV)
15 “‘From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. 16 Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. 17 From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of the finest flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the Lord. 18 Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the Lord, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 19 Then sacrifice one male goat for a sin offering[a] and two lambs, each a year old, for a fellowship offering. 20 The priest is to wave the two lambs before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the firstfruits. They are a sacred offering to the Lord for the priest. 21 On that same day you are to proclaim a sacred assembly and do no regular work. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live.
Footnotes:
a. Leviticus 23:19 Or purification offering
Ever since arriving in the promised land, all sacrificing must be done in Jerusalem; thus Paul wanting to get to Jerusalem for Pentecost. That's the only place the feast can be observed/carried out. During Moses' generation, as they journeyed out of Egypt and across the desert for 40 years, the Israelites sacrificed wherever they wanted, but sacrificing wherever they liked stopped once they entered the promised land—as commanded by YHWH.
Deuteronomy 12:5-14 (NIV)
5 But you are to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put his Name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; 6 there bring your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, what you have vowed to give and your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks. 7 There, in the presence of the Lord your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the Lord your God has blessed you.
8 You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit, 9 since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. 10 But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. 11 Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord. 12 And there rejoice before the Lord your God—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns who have no allotment or inheritance of their own. 13 Be careful not to sacrifice your burnt offerings anywhere you please. 14 Offer them only at the place the Lord will choose in one of your tribes, and there observe everything I command you.
That said, there will be sacrificing at the temple (not up yet), in the pots of Jerusalem, when Jesus comes back, along with Old Testament feast days being observed by Gentiles not even living in the land of Israel (thus their travelling to Jerusalem year after year). To quote some examples of this in prophecy:
Zechariah 14:16-21 (NIV)
16 Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 17 If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain. 18 If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord[a] will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.
20 On that day holy to the Lord will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, and the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the sacred bowls in front of the altar. 21 Every pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord Almighty, and all who come to sacrifice will take some of the pots and cook in them. And on that day there will no longer be a Canaanite[b] in the house of the Lord Almighty.
Footnotes:
a. Zechariah 14:18 Or part, then the Lord b. Zechariah 14:21 Or merchant
Isaiah 66:22-24 (NIV)
22 “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. 23 From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. 24 “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”
Micah 4:2 (NIV)
2 Many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 56:6-8 (NIV)
6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— 7 these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” 8 The Sovereign Lord declares— he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”
Many nations, foreigners, Gentiles. This is new covenant not the Old covenant that only required the foreigners living among the Israelites (in the land) to worship.
Exodus 12:49 (NIV)
49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner residing among you.”
Quote:
To say that he didn't change anything is blasphemous to him and to God if you re-read the chapter of Matthew in whole. You're basically calling him a liar and cheapening his gift.
There's no blasphemy here. I'm just quoting Jesus, the law, the prophets and the apostle's writings. Perhaps if I quote a larger portion of the chapter it'll be easier to see what exactly Jesus taught against. It wasn't God's laws; Jesus came to liberate us from man-made traditions and interpretations that were nullifying his Father's commandments.
Key:
██ = tradition
██ = God's Law
___ = what Jesus is rebuking
Matthew 15:1-20 (NIV)
15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 ForGod said, ‘Honor your father and mother’[a] and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[b] 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it.Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’[c]”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16 b. Matthew 15:4 Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9 c. Matthew 15:9 Isaiah 29:13 d. Matthew 15:14 Some manuscripts blind guides of the blind
The hand-washing ritual mentioned in this chapter is something that Pharisees still observe to this day. It is the called, "netilat yadayim"—which is commanded no where in God's Law; it's pure Rabbinic tradition. A video demonstrating the ritual: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F2R9_nymfM
They pour water over their hands a certain number of times while reciting a blessing. The blessing is essentially saying, "thank you YHWH for sanctifying us with your commandments and for giving us the commandment to wash our hands" (lie; that command is not in the torah; they invented this tradition but are passing it off as if God had truly commanded it). Thus, nullifying God's commandments with their own traditions; they're worshiping him with self-imposed rituals, not anything God told them to do—and of what he told them to do, they're not doing it.
For a literal translation: http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Daily_Blessings/Upon_Bathing/upon_bathing.html
Quote:
Also Jesus brought to us the Law of Agape, that's not man-made that is Christ-driven. I would refrain from making those kinds of assumptions if I were you. Maybe you should pray to Jesus for forgiveness for blaspheming him <3
The Law of self-less, sacrificial love (or "agape" in the Greek) is not new. It literally is the letter of what the Father commanded in the Old Testament. YHWH's Law is not man-made. It has always been Christ-driven. The Word, Jesus, has been around since the beginning.
Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Leviticus 19:18 (NIV)
18 “‘Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5 b. Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
And since no one has seen the Father except Jesus, then whatever interactions people are having with God in the Old Testament, it's actually his incarnate form, the Son (pre-womb-incarnation).
Exodus 31:18 (NIV)
18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the covenant law, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.
Jude 1:5 (NIV)
5 Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord[a] at one time delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.
Footnotes:
a. Jude 1:5 Some early manuscripts Jesus
Exodus 24:9-11 (NIV)
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
Genesis 32:30 (NIV)
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel,[a] saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Footnotes:
a. Genesis 32:30 Peniel means face of God.
John 1:18 (NIV)
18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and[a] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
Footnotes:
a. John 1:18 Some manuscripts but the only Son, who
Nothing about the Old Testament law is man-made, if that's what you were implying (that YHWH's laws were man-made?). YHWH/Jesus handed the law to Moses directly, written by his own finger as Exodus suggests. YHWH/Jesus is a God of love. People just don't seem to agree with his definition of it. Jesus is not going to contradict himself (seeing as Jesus is the Everlasting Father made flesh).
Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
In case you were implying that he's not, Jesus is YHWH incarnate. There is no difference between what he commanded in the Old Testament and what he commanded in the New. The problem was: were the people always capable of perceiving the intent of his commands? and could they walk it in the Spirit? The sinful nature in our flesh, which we inherited from Adam, was an obstacle and will continue to be until our flesh is transformed from corruptible to incorruptible.
Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature[a] a slave to the law of sin.
Footnotes:
a. Romans 7:25 Or in the flesh
But now we at least have a regenerated desire to walk in it. To suggest that Jesus did not leave the law the same, but changed something in His Law (before the heavens and earth pass away), is the actual blasphemy. He came to carry out prophecy, not scrap it. And the Holy Spirit actually moves us to keep it (I'll start off with Matthew 5 again because it ties in with prophecy and to what the apostle Paul said):
Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV)
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 8:7-9 (NIV)
7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
Galatians 5:24-25 (NIV)
24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:27 (NIV)
27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
If I suggested Jesus changed a law in the Torah, only then would I be calling him a liar.
Psalm 119:151-152 (NIV)
151 Yet you are near, Lord, and all your commands are true. 152 Long ago I learned from your statutes that you established them to last forever.
Isaiah 40:8 (NIV)
8 The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 (NIV)
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
John 1:1, 14 (NIV)
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
[...]
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word is forever. Jesus, the Word of God, is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Depending on the circumstances (temple up, temple down, temple non-existent) certain laws, and certain elements of particular commands, just can't be obeyed or put into practice. The laws of the Levitical priesthood are not the same as the laws of the Melchizedek priesthood, sure (in case this is what you're referring to? Hebrews 7:12?).
Hebrews 7:12 (NIV)
12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also.
But even the Melchizedek priesthood isn't new: it was around during Abraham's time.
Genesis 14:18-19 (NIV)
18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
Hebrews 6:20 (NIV)
20 where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.
Laws don't actually get repealed/abolished. Once God spoke it, it's a law forever. And with discernment, we know if it can be put into practice, and who can put it into practice or not.
For instance, we know that those who partake in the resurrection are not given into marriage.
Luke 20:34-36 (NIV)
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.
Does that mean that all those marriage laws get abolished? No, they just can't be applied by / be put into practice by the children of the resurrection. The laws still exist though. And if Gentile nations will travel to Jerusalem in order to observe Old Testament feasts in the future (according to the prophecies I cited early on), from sabbath to sabbath, new moon to new moon, those laws clearly still have application. Jesus didn't change the laws themselves.
And that temple will be up, in Jerusalem (where our Lord was crucified), before Jesus returns.
Revelation 11:1-2 (NIV)
11 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. 2 But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
Revelation 11:8 (NIV)
8 Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified.
