Is some of the Old Testament for Israel only?

Thank you Grace. I agree, we as gentiles may read and know of God through what God told the Israelites. I don't think God wants us excluded because we are gentiles.
Scripture agrees, the law of Moses is not for us. Yet there are many other scriptures saying we are to obey the law and Moses gave ways to do that. The basic law is love, and much of what Moses gives us are expressions of love we are to accept. Scripture does not contradict itself, and here is a contradiction.

It seems to me the only way to understand this as God wants for us to is to see that Paul means by the Law of Moses all the orders given to help the rebellious mob he led to obey the true law. They are called customs of the Jews and we are exempt.

Do you see this contradiction, or have you worked out what scripture means?

that is a very reasonable point of view.

The worship and liturgy of the Jewish people is a preparation for the messiah. Since we believe He came it served it's purpose of preparing a nation but what it did is as meaningful to human life as a childhood is for an individual human.

Thanks for your calm and measured answers. I hope mine is taken in this spirit too - simply a swap pf understanding of a certain matter. I address the Law first, and the Sabbath second since it is an ordinance of the Law.

The Law was given for three things

1. It was to be a way of life for a People that had God dwelling in their midst. No other Nation had this privilege but Israel (Deut.26:16-19). God is a holy God and the creation around Him must be hallowed. Israel were to have a certain moral standard, dress and diet code and an everyday lifestyle that represented Who God was.
2. It was to be a testimony before men of God's righteousness and subsequent blessing to those who obey and worship Him
3. It was to give God, man and the earth its due.

No man except our Lord Jesus was able to conform to this. They broke the Law just days after agreeing to it by building the golden calf. But since it formed the conditions of a blood Covenant with God, it is still in force today. It will form the conditions of the New Covenant with united Israel in the coming Millennial, or Messianic age (Jer.31-33). That is the reason that it must remain till heaven and earth pass. It was given to Israel alone and it remains for Israel alone.

The Sabbath was for God
Without going into all the proofs, we observe that God made the heavens and the earth. God is a God of order and so He made a orderly government of natural Laws to govern nature, and an angelic government to govern the living creatures. He is the Maker of the principalities and powers. Since God made all things in good order (Isa.45:18), the chaos that ensued in Genesis 1:2 was a result of the attempted overthrow of God's order. The darkness and covering with water are sure signs of God's judgment. But God, being that very God of order, cannot indefinitely look upon disorder. So in 6, 24-hour periods, God worked to restore the earth to a pristine condition. By the end of the sixth day, God had achieved three things that would, or should, allow Him to sit back and rest. They are;

1. The earth was again running on its Laws, e.g. Gen.1:11-12.
2. God had a new and exotic creature, a man in His image and likeness, in place to both subdue and rule the earth
3. God had presented the man with a source of His divine nature to equip the man to be both a testimony of God and to empower him for the job
4. God could REST while His man subdued and ruled
5. God called the seventh day - the Sabbath, and hallowed it for Himself. At no time did God state, imply or introduce a restriction on the man concerning this day, except to eat and to subdue and rule to His benefit and the earth's benefit

Time passed and Adam refused to eat from the Tree of life, and instead of ruling, became SUBJECT to an angel - Satan. The earth descended into chaos again and after covering the earth with water again, God raised up Noah. His descendants turned to worship the heavenly host and again the earth was judged by the division of men. Time passed and God called out another man - Abraham, with which to recover His original plan. Abraham was promised to be multiplied, produce kings and subdue and own a choice piece of earth - Canaan. This promise is extended to Abraham's seed. From Adam till the seventh generation of Abraham, the Sabbath is not mentioned. Thus, there can be no talk of the Sabbath binding men before the Law was given, and since it forms part of the Law, it only pertains to Israel.

But since the eighth generation of Abraham, to whom is promised "the Gates of his enemies" ("Gates" in parable means "government" - Deut.21:19, 22:15, etc.), would subdue and rule Canaan, God was in a position to officiate a Sabbath again. The Good Land was beautiful and fruitful like Eden. It had God, and His man - Israel, in position to subdue and rule, and it had men under Law - His testimony - in place. God could REST. The Sabbath Rest was a declaration of a reality that God's government was in place. But it was not universal. It pertained only to Israel and their Land with its borders.

But another startling fact emerges. God's first Sabbath is NOT defined by the "evening and the morning". Adam was made last on the 6th day. So his first official day was the Sabbath. And the threat of God was that Adam would die IN the day he ate of the forbidden Tree. Adam did eat, and did die - at 930 years. Likewise, the time from Joshua's crossing of the Jordan to the deportation of the last of Israel to Babylon, was just under 1,000 years. But, from Hebrews Chapters 3 and 4, where a FUTURE Sabbath Rest is predicted, we learn that the Israelites who (i) died in the wilderness, and (ii) the Israel of David - the kingdom IN the Land who were carried out of the Land, angered God because He did NOT get His Sabbath. However, the Holy Spirit predicts that God will get His Sabbath. And if the first Sabbath - that of Adam's time, and the next Sabbath, that of Israel's time, were defined by 1,000 years, we quickly find when the next Sabbath is. There are two;

1. A Future REST where Christ, the Second Man, subdues BOTH principalities and powers AND men (Rev.19:15). And since the Sabbath is defined by 1,000 years, there is only ONE more period given in the Bible of 1,000 years - the Millennial Kingdom of Revelation 20, commencing with Christ's return
2. Those who are IN Christ have entered a Sabbath. That is, in the Church, the New Man made of men who are being transformed into the image of Christ are present on earth and although it is not given to them to subdue men, it is given to them to subdue principalities and powers of the air (Eph.6) - exactly like our Lord did (Lk.11:20), and God should be able to REST

In the Church age God has Sabbath, but it is NOT that of Israel. It is the occupying commission of the Church on earth. Israel are dispersed and under foreign kings. Their Temple is gone and their King - Jesus, does not feast the Passover during the Church age (Lk.22:15-16). In a discussion with Jews in John Chapter 5, our Lord Jesus says that God has to WORK (5:17). Israel's Lawful Sabbath was still intact then, but GOD'S SABBATH was gone. Then, in 70 AD, with the State of Israel gone, and the Temple gone, Israel cannot fulfill the Sabbath of God. Their land is gone. God's men are gone The testimony of God by the Temple and the People are gone.

For the Church, the Sabbath is when they (i) behave like Christ, and (ii) successfully resist the principalities and powers. Those so involved will be made co-kings with Christ when He subdues ALL and rules the whole earth (Rev.20:4-6). Those of the Church who are defeated go into the Millennial Kingdom in defeat. And Israel will be restored (Ezek.37, Act.15:14-16) and feast (i) her Lawful Sabbaths, and (ii) not be removed from her Land again thus fulfilling the future Sabbath Rest of 1,000 years.

• The true Sabbath of the Law is suspended until Israel are all, as a united nation, in her Land with her King - Jesus
• The True Sabbath of creation is the Millennial, or Messianic Kingdom
• The spiritual Sabbath is being fulfilled by the overcomers of the Church who have no "day" but a lifestyle
• God's Sabbath is when His Man Jesus is King of the Nation of Israel AND King of the earth's kings - the 1,000 year reign

If you feel you need to celebrate a day and call it YOUR Sabbath - you are free to do so (Rom.14:4-6). If you feel that the Law of Moses dictates a DAY, then you have to decide. If you are IN Christ then the Law of Moses is abolished and nailed to the cross for the New Man. If you feel that you must keep this Law, you have to keep them all (Gal.3:10). But sadly then, you are under a curse, you have made Christ's death of none effect and you have fallen from grace (Gal.5:4).

Up to you brother/sister.

God bless.

Paul knew the OT well enough to distinguish between God's word and the man-made additions to it. He made it clear that abiding by the terms of the Law (not the additions) would add nothing to Christian faith. In Galatians, Paul was dealing with people who wanted gentile Christians to be circumcised. Circumcision is clearly biblical law, not man-made tradition.

The Law is a unit, as Paul said in Galatians 3:10. We don't pick and choose which components to obey. We are righteous by faith in Christ; obeying parts of the Law adds nothing, and actually diminishes our standing before God. As Paul asks, "Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?" (3:3).

The old testament of the bible is a mixture of history, prophecy and poetry (writings). Each part is basically giving us knowledge of God to store in our hearts and minds so we can rightly discern the doctrines we now should earn in the covenant of grace.

it’s for everyone , But you have to follow the progression . The old covenant law was never meant to last because Israel would break and defile it and God promised to give a new better covenant .

Christ’s coming fulfilled the first testament which ended with all the world being condemned by the law

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭3:19-

that is where the Old Testament left
Mankind and the New Testament is about salvation from that.

Man became sinners in the beginning , the law then came afterwards to reveal
Mankind’s sin and their impending death because of it. It’s purpose is to hold all sinners guilty before God all the world and the New Testament is about salvation offered to all.

“Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.“

but the New Testament says what it says to save us

“For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
‭‭John‬ ‭5:22, 24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

the Old Testament is a prophecy about Christ’s coming with salvation it’s for us all

Thanks everyone for your thoughts about scripture. I don't think that any of the posts has brought us closer to agreeing on what is truth. Instead it has made each of us dig in deeper into what each thinks is truth.

I still feel that God did not mean for the Edomites, the Egyptians, the Hittites, nor to any of the other non-Israel to not listen to Him, or us not to listen either. Rather it was that they chose not to listen and God does not want us to make that same choice. God would rather we listen to His truths, not Israel only. Just as others feel God spoke some things to Israel only.

I feel that all God does and tells us of is never for any one group, it is for all. It is simply truth.

To me, God never changes His mind about any truth that God gives us and the difference between the old and new covenant does not result in any change of the Lord's truth. Rather it is a change in how God gives us this truth. In the Old Testament, there was much of the physical commands that explained the commands of the Lord that were based on love. In the new covenant, those same commandments based on love are there, it is just that now the Lord speaks to us through the Holy Spirit, through our hearts and minds.

^ Psalm 147=

v. 19, 20= "He has reveled His word to Jacob His Laws and decrees to Israel, He has done this to no other nation, they do not know His laws.

now, for those of us who accept all Scripture, this is very clear and simple.

now, as far as those pushing a Sabbath for salvation agenda...

OOps. When scriptures about Sabbath are posted, the public adds that they say you have to go to church on Saturday to be saved, and scripture they post, or any scripture does NOT say that. We are not to give false witness and this is blatantly false both in falsely judging people who speak of what scripture says about the sabbath and in falsely saying anyone needs to go to church on Saturday to be saved.

once again, either the Sabbath is required or it is optional, up tp the individual to keep or not.

it has to be one or the other. there is no such thing as an optional requirement, that does not exist.

I truly thought it was OK to speak about the creation of the Sabbath in Genesis, but I am seeing reason that it should not be discussed on this forum for it has lead to quarreling and judging of others. In Romans 14: we are told "One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind".

Romans 14:13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.

I agree, we are not to pick and choose. But the new covenant made a change in how the Lord spoke to us, now it is through the Holy Spirit. And Christ showed us how to see the true law and not the rules without love in it. Circumcision and diet control was a law, and we are not required to observe it. So we are required to sort out the real law from what was only helps toward the law. Christ pointed out the difference between honoring the Sabbath and putting that as a law that overshadowed the law of compassion and love.

For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Romans 10:12

27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Gal.3