Prohibitions in the OT

I believe that the NT Acts permission is overworked but am uncertain where to draw the lines. I'm comfortable with pierced ears. (a single one) and used to have a nose ring but let that go. I see that in certain sects of Judaism, the women either cover their hair or wear a scarf. I can't comprehend what some Jewish men wear but know that it is written down in what Christians call the OT.

And NO, I will not be drawn into the trap that Jesus lets us do anything.

The Bible says that for Christians all things are lawful but not everything is helpful. (1 Corinthians 6:12). The principle is that if something hinders our Christian lives, it should go. I had to give up competitive sport. I was getting obsessed and aggressive. Some Christians play without any issues. I used to read fiction, at one stage a book every day. I realised that it was doing me no good and I quit that kind of reading.

The line is your conscience. If you are uneasy about something, you should let it go or at least ask the Lord to show you if it is unhelpful or not. It's vital not to judge others also. I used to think nose rings were wrong. Then I read Ezekiel 16:12.......

So...Perhaps if the Lord gives us something and we are mindful of where it came from and do not over value it...?

I've read perhaps too much Sci Fi, Andre Norton, David Weber, Anne McCaffery, and more...

Bacon.

God is good.

I love Bacon and Ham, bit avoid it to honor God. I may have permission but he knows it is potentially not good for me. Factually: Pigs raised in a clean place, out of the mud and feces are likely OK. Pigs not in those conditions are dangerous. Even Jesus drove them over a cliff. That should tell us something. IMHO

Muslims will eat it if there is nothing else to eat. If I do eat it, I make sure it is very well cooked.

The old testament is the truth of the Lord and so is he new testament. When God gave instructions to do fleshly things in order to remember and do the spiritual commands that were in the spirit of the Lord, these were helps on the real commands of the spirit. Now we have the holy spirit to lead us, we are not to use the fleshly commands any longer. Under the new covenant, these things were told to us directly in our hearts, so we need to use this to determine the ritualistic commands of the old testament.

They were told not to eat any meat that fed on garbage. Under the new covenant, we are told that food is eliminated, but we are to feed our spirit with food from the Lord. We are not to read books with porn, for example.

In the old testament they were told to cut skin to announce they belonged to Christ. Under the new covenant we are to be circumcised with our heart and will.

They were not to mix fabrics in the old testament, under the new covenant we are not to mix things of the world with things of God. We play daily for "thy will be done on earth as it is is in heaven". We need to look to the Lord for how we are to live our lives, not to the world.

In the old days God set out certain rules, with the provision that if we broke them we would suffer the consequence of being cut off from Him. Jesus paid the consequence penalty for us, thereby in a way rendering the rules moot. If there's no penalty for speeding, speeding laws have no real effect, right? Now, we have to realize that this pertains solely to our being cut off from Him. There are still consequences to our actions, like when the Bible says to whomever we submit they become our master. For example, sexual purity was an original rule, the violation of which separated us from God. Sexual impurity no longer does that. BUT! Having submitted to the flesh and possibly some creature yanking it's chain, we are now subject to the flesh and it's yankings (yankers?) So, while the spiritual death penalty may have been repealed, it doesn't mean you can just go out and do bad things and get away with it. You won't be spiritually executed, but you might still end up in chains.

I still try to use the OT as a general guide, moderated by the NT. If the OT says something, it is good to investigate its validity today. Being very independent, I try not to be swayed by what others do. Exposure to Amish, Evangelical and Islamic thinking, it seems acceptable to seek my own way until the day that I can get back in church to fellowship with brothers and sisters. The summer spent weeks very hot, often in the triple digits. The very conservative dress became impractical. When it cools off, practicality will carry the most weight. I drink very little. My Native American physiology will not tolerate it. I've never done illicit drugs but after a broken neck, spent years on opioids (Prescription). It was laughable because when they realized that the drugs were killing lots of people, they offered me addiction recovery. I laughed because I was not addicted.

Not being perfect, I make mistakes. These days, because of Covid, I am a recluse and write lots of Sci Fi. Knowing I needed balance, I came here hoping to find partners to study and learn with. Perhaps much sin has not inroads in my life because it is not available. God has pinned me in and protects me perhaps? I am thankful.

I'm not sure what the point of this thread really is. No doubt there were many prohibitions under the Law of Moses, but they all were for good reasons, since it is God who gave the Law to Moses. But there are also many prohibitions under the Law of Christ. However, there are too many people who assume that Christianity is the same as lawlessness. But that is far from the truth.

For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope (Rom 15:4)

Most people I talk to feel that the OT is null and void. I disagree.

in order to hear the truth we need to begin with Jesus teachings and let that begin to create what we believe God said and wills . The reason we can’t start with Moses is because we have received remission of sins in Christ , they had thier sin upon them so there was a dark cloud separating God from the people . He spoke to them as sinners who would t hear him and repent

“But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.”
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭59:2-3‬ ‭KJV‬‬


Christ speaks to us as if we are young and already cleansed from our sins so the word is different when you speak to a known criminal it’s going to be a lot of what you aren’t allowed to do

but with children you teach them what they should do rather than starting at a point knowing they are corrupt at the heart sinners .

Jesus is the teacher of teachers and doesn’t allow us to live as we will , he is able to change the corrupt will in us d make it the right will of God .

once our spirit begins to be conformed to Christ , we begin to hear God clearly knowing he has come to save us and make us new me acceptable rather than word like “ don’t kill or you must be killed “

to a son learning to walk we hear “ treat others as you would want to be treated “

the thkngs jesus says about not hating , are meant to bring us to repentance new never want to kill or hurt another person if we don’t allow for grudges and hate

the things he says about lust are meant to bring us to repentance so we don’t ever want to commit adultery

his doctrine is complete and perfect and righteousness is revealed at a pace we can grow into so we aren’t condemned for every imperfection , but are standing in grave while we learn and change and come to repentance and righteousness

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth;

to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭1:16-17‬ ‭KJV‬‬

it’s only when we reject the gospel Jesus actually preached and taught gay we come to a conclusion that we can do anything we want if we stick to the true gospel of the kingdom he will call us to repentance so we aren’t going to break the moral commandments like killing lying and cheating stealing

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭5:32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

And he will also teach us the righteousness of God and fill our hearts and minds with true godly righteousness as we hear and grow in his word we grow from faith to faith and while we aren’t yet perfect we don’t have to be afraid or be put to death like under the law , thats really what grace is for while we are learning to trust in the lord and repent and follow his true righteousness

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:33‬ ‭KJV‬‬

He’s able to take sinners and change them if they will come into the light and hear him above the rest

You are assuming that God changed from the God of the old testament to a different God with different ways in the new testament. That is not fact at all. God forgave sins in the old testament, God forgives sins in the new testament, it is the same God. The saints were preserved in sleep in the old testament, after Christ the saints were preserved in life.

If you truly believed that God changed between testaments, please give scripture telling us there is a new God. In the gospels it states that Christ changed nothing of his father.

The pigs drove themselves over the cliff after being inhabited by demons who called themselves Legion.

The demons begged Jesus, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” He gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and went into the pigs, and the herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the water. Mark 5:12-13

“And if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant:

I also will do this unto you; I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague, that shall consume the eyes, and cause sorrow of heart:

and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. And I will set my face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies: they that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: And your strength shall be spent in vain: for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your high ways shall be desolate.

And if ye will not be reformed by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me; Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant:

and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26:15-25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

your right that God hasn’t changed but you are missing this part over the law


“Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.”
‭‭Exodus‬ ‭23:20-21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

when you are thinking he forgave sins under the law consider who this is here bearing the lords title

“And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day.

And they that found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron, and unto all the congregation.

And the Lord said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses.”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭15:32-33, 35-36‬ ‭KJV‬‬

I agree God has never changed

“And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,

They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?

So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.

And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.”
‭‭John‬ ‭8:3-5, 7, 9-13‬ ‭KJV‬‬

it’s just a matter of who is God when he manifest himself in the world and who was set over the law

“Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions,.. and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3:19‬ ‭

Whe. They sacrificed animal blood for forgiveness it didn’t remit thier sins because they never repented it actually being done repetitively reminded them of their sins

“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:1, 3-4‬ ‭KJV‬‬

it was a blueprint given to Moses of what would come in Christ

If this is the case, it probably is, then most people are missing out on the wonder and glory our Fathersr imparts to us .

How can they know what was foretold of Jesus Yeshua without knowing the OT? How can all share the joy of knowing the prophets and the law point ot Him? The OT hs the e4ntire gospel within if people would simply open ther e eyes and their hearts to be blessed by it. The writings of the New Testamen affirm all that is written of the Lam of God, our blessed and beloved Saviour.

Amen the ot is truly one of the most powerful witnesses of Jesus Christ of we look from the gospel into it

As I alluded to other times, there are principles in the OT that lead to a life that is pleasing to God. Lack of even trying to seek out the wisdom of God leads to suffering.

Actually, Jesus didn't drive the pigs over the cliff; the demons did.

Right, forgot.

"In the old testament they were told to cut skin to announce they belonged to Christ. Under the new covenant we are to be circumcised with our heart and will."
(That was way before Christ)