the Sabbath

9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

Can you point out where this verse says;

It went from Levi to Christians.

Which is what I asked.

Yes, He is specifically speaking about the priesthood in that passage, but he is showing How the law HAD TO BE CHANGED, but why change just that one thing? Put this scripture together with, the rest of the book—everything about the old Jewish law was described as inferior to the new law of Christ. When He says it is “obsolete and ready to vanish away,” he is not just talking about the priesthood—he is talking about all of the old law. It was being replaced as Hebrews 10:9 says. He took away that first covenant —ALL of it , not just the priesthood, the whole covenant and REPLACED it with the second” covenant, the New Testament law of Christ. Hebrews 7 says He changed “the law”; he did not qualify it as pertaining only to the priesthood.

Hebrews 7:7-“ For if that first covenant (law” had been faultless, then there would be no need for a SECOND. (The blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sins) that was one of the things wrong with the old Jewish kaw. Then he says, “Behold, the days are coming when I WILL MAKE A NEW COVENANT with the house of Israel and Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with them when I took them Bryan the nand and led them out of Egypt..”. The New Testament law of Jesus Christ’s law is not the old Jewish law—it is even nothing LIKE the old Jewish law. Not only the priesthood was changed, there was a different and better sacrifice—the perfect, holy blood if Jesus. Everythin was changed.

Hebrews 7:18–“…there is an ANNULLING of the former commandment…because the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand there is the BRINGING IN of a better hope…verse 22- Jesus has become a surety of a BETTER COVENANT (law). He’s is not just talking about the priesthood.

So,according to your philosophyGod gave the people his laws but they were not ever able to obey them. Which resulted in physical death for disobeying certain of the laws. So at that death those transgressors either went to Abraham's bossom or Hell. Until many generations later God The Word arrived in the flesh as Yeshua,Jesus,so to redeem a whole generation of different people and give them that new nature so they could obey his laws that he gave the past generation centuries before.

Is that right?

Not quite.

Death came through Adam. Adam did not do what God told him to do. Adam disobeyed the commandment of God, "Don't eat of a certain tree." This was a commandment given by the Father to His son.

From then on, a Savior was needed. But, because God knows the end from the beginning, "the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world". So, it did not surprise God that Adam sinned.

A while later, God blessed Abraham and his seed. God chose Abraham because "He believed God".

Paul tells us that the blessing was to Abraham and the Seed (singular) even though the word for "seed" can be singular or plural. It is like that way in the English language, too. We can plant a field of seed or we can plant a field of seeds. This Seed was Christ.

So, because God promised to bless the Seed of Abraham, who was Christ, God obligated Himself to protect the lineage of Abraham: if Abe's line died the Seed could not appear and God could not keep His promises.

So, and I am skipping a lot here, God leads His people out of Egypt. He brings them to Sinai to make them a nation. You can take the slave out of Egypt, but you must deal with the mindset of slavery in the people.

God sets up a means by which the people could come into His presence. If they do that, again, if they obey God's unwritten voice, Spirit to spirit, just as Abraham received direction from God, they would receive this promise:

"Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

This is NOT forbearance. He's not saying "If you keep the covenant I am about to give you". The covenant at work at that moment was the same one that attended Abraham: God speaks, you obey".

BUT

The people did not obey God at the mountain. They were to come close to Moses and God while God addressed Moses. Instead "they stood afar off".

So, instead of giving the people the promises stated above He gave them the law and the 10 Commandments. Instead of becoming a nation of priests, only one tribe was set aside for priesthood. This is what it means when it is written "The law was added because of transgressions".

So, because the people were not changed by coming into the presence of God, God had to give them written rules for life: the people would not receive what was spoken so He had to give them what was written. By these rules God set boundaries around the limits of sin. Why? So the people through whom the Seed would come would be preserved!

The goal was always to bring Christ through the line of Abraham (physically and spiritually). The law at Sinai and the 10 Commandments restrained the punishments for sin so that the people could survive.

So, Jesus was born. He was then revealed as the Christ, a many-membered being. All people who come to Him in faith can be included in Him.

"For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. 13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body..."

In Christ, we then have direct access to God again. The veil of separation is torn in two. We can come into His presence and be changed just as God intended to do with those at Sinai, before the people refused to come into His presence.

All who receive God as their Father receive the Sabbath rest of God that states "man shall rest from his own work". This means that in each moment of our lives we do as our Father is doing. "The son can do only what he sees his Father doing". This is not about robotic obedience, this is about resting in Him for all direction of our lives.

Except Jesus knew he was here to die on the cross. And yet he still said,if you love me keep my commandments. Those he reiterated from the 10 commands.

The 10 commandments are moral laws. They are not void today.

They are to be obeyed because they are included in the new law of Christ—not because they are in the old Jewish law. They are not in a “list” in the New Testament but are incorporated throughout the New Testament. All except for keeping the sabbath day. God did not include that one in The new law of faith brought in by Jesus Christ. Read Hebrews 7:18-19. “There is an ANNULLING. Of the former commandment..” “on the other hand there is the BRINGING IN of a better hope—Jesus has become a surety of a Better covenant.( law) Verse 22.

At the end of chapter 8- next chapter over— he says, “In that He says a New covenant, He has made the first (covenant) OBSOLETE. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to VANISH AWAY.” The old Jewish law is not in effect anymore. Not since Jesus died on the cross. There is no longer one law for the Jews and one law for the gentiles. Christ brought in a new law for everyone—Jew and gentile alike one law, one fold. The whole book of Hebrews is teaching how inferior the Old Testament law was and how much better the new law is that was brought in by the death of Christ. This is also taught in the book of Galations, where Paul concludes in Chapter 5:4, if you try to be saved. ( justified) by keeping the Old Testament law of Moses, YOU ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE!

And yet he still said,if you love me keep my commandments.

Skipping is good exercise. If you are doing alot of it people may talk, but they will probably talk anyway.

That's not the 10 Commandments.

He went on to say how the commandments will come: by the Spirit

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

This connects us back to the time before the law at Sinai.

and further:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father..."

Jesus is telling them this because these are characteristics of a covenant they have never lived under.

And later;

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

Why would they need the Spirit if they could just follow the written law at Sinai?

What you are reading, from John 13 through 17, is Jesus giving instruction to His disciples for the era that is about to come. This is exactly what His Father did at Sinai with the Jews!

He's not looking back to say "follow the Sinai commandments" He's looking forward saying "The Spirit is coming to give you commandments. Do what He tells you."

The 10 commandments are moral laws. They are not void today.

But they are without power to condemn those in Christ, which was their primary purpose

That's not the 10 Commandments.

He went on to say how the commandments will come: by the Spirit

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you."

This connects us back to the time before the law at Sinai.

and further:

“But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father..."

Jesus is telling them this because these are characteristics of a covenant they have never lived under.

And later;

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come."

Why would they need the Spirit if they could just follow the written law at Sinai?

What you are reading, from John 13 through 17, is Jesus giving instruction to His disciples for the era that is about to come. This is exactly what His Father did at Sinai with the Jews!

He's not looking back to say "follow the Sinai commandments" He's looking forward saying "The Spirit is coming to give you commandments. Do what He tells you."

They are to be obeyed because they are included in the new law of Christ—not because they are in the old Jewish law. They are not in a “list” in the New Testament but are incorporated throughout the New Testament. All except for keeping the sabbath day. God did not include that one in The new law of faith brought in by Jesus Christ. Read Hebrews 7:18-19. “There is an ANNULLING. Of the former commandment..” “on the other hand there is the BRINGING IN of a better hope—Jesus has become a surety of a Better covenant.( law) Verse 22.

At the end of chapter 8- next chapter over— he says, “In that He says a New covenant, He has made the first (covenant) OBSOLETE. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to VANISH AWAY.” The old Jewish law is not in effect anymore. Not since Jesus died on the cross. There is no longer one law for the Jews and one law for the gentiles. Christ brought in a new law for everyone—Jew and gentile alike one law, one fold. The whole book of Hebrews is teaching how inferior the Old Testament law was and how much better the new law is that was brought in by the death of Christ. This is also taught in the book of Galations, where Paul concludes in Chapter 5:4, if you try to be saved. ( justified) by keeping the Old Testament law of Moses, YOU ARE FALLEN FROM GRACE!

True,we cannot sin to lose our eternal irrevocable Salvation. However,this doesn't mean we should violate the laws of God that are written in our hearts.

Speculation.

Besides, He's not a plural "angels" or "saints".
.

There is more:
[Exo 3:4-6 KJV] 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here [am] I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest [is] holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I [am] the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

Below you will find quick study on the topic I just finished this morning for myself to understand the concept " ANGEL OF THE LORD" further, I would like to share with you all my findings and I thank you for your input;

The Angel of the Lord is a fascinating and often debated figure in the Old Testament, and one of the key theological questions surrounding Him is whether He could be a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. This interpretation, often referred to as a Christophany, has been widely discussed in Christian theology. The biblical evidence suggests that the Angel of the Lord is not merely an angelic messenger but may indeed be a manifestation of Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, before His incarnation in the New Testament.

The Angel of the Lord: A Divine Figure

One of the key aspects that point toward the Angel of the Lord being a divine figure is how He is described in certain passages. Throughout the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord speaks and acts with divine authority, sometimes even identifying Himself as God.

In Genesis 16, the Angel of the Lord appears to Hagar in the wilderness. When He speaks, He uses the first person as though He is God Himself, saying: "I will greatly multiply your offspring... because the Lord has listened to your affliction" (Genesis 16:10-11). This moment is pivotal because it demonstrates that the Angel of the Lord doesn't merely deliver a message from God—He speaks on God's behalf, identifying Himself with God in a personal way. Hagar even calls Him "the God who sees me" (Genesis 16:13), suggesting her recognition that she is encountering a divine presence.

Similarly, in Exodus 3, when Moses encounters the burning bush, the narrative transitions from describing the Angel of the Lord to referring to God Himself. In Exodus 3:6, the Angel of the Lord declares, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Here, the Angel not only speaks as if He is God but is also associated directly with the divine identity. This transition between the Angel of the Lord and God speaking suggests that the Angel of the Lord is a manifestation of God, not just an ordinary messenger. Many Christian theologians interpret this passage as a Christophany, a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ, who is God the Son.

Another key passage comes from Judges 13, where the Angel of the Lord appears to Manoah and his wife to announce the birth of Samson. After the Angel consumes the offering with fire, Manoah and his wife realize they have seen a divine being. Manoah says, “We shall surely die, for we have seen God” (Judges 13:22). Their recognition that they have encountered God aligns with other Old Testament accounts where encountering a visible manifestation of God—such as in a theophany—was considered a life-threatening experience. This moment again suggests that the Angel of the Lord is not simply an angel but a divine being, potentially Christ Himself.

The Role of the Angel of the Lord

The Angel of the Lord often takes on a role that goes beyond that of a typical messenger. In several passages, He not only delivers messages from God but also acts as a mediator or intercessor. In Zechariah 1:12-13, the Angel of the Lord speaks directly to God on behalf of Israel, asking for mercy. “O Lord of hosts, how long will you have no mercy on Jerusalem?” In this moment, the Angel of the Lord is interceding for God's people, a role that is associated with Christ in the New Testament. The Angel’s intercession on behalf of Israel further suggests a divine role, one that aligns with the mediating role of Christ, who is the mediator between God and humanity (1 Timothy 2:5).

This intercessory role is significant because it emphasizes the Angel of the Lord's unique relationship with God and His people. While angels in general are messengers who serve God's will, the Angel of the Lord seems to have a special, direct relationship with God, acting on His behalf in a way that is more intimate and powerful than what we typically see with other angels.

Christophany: The Pre-Incarnate Christ

A Christophany refers to a visible manifestation of Christ before His incarnation in the New Testament. Theologically, this understanding is rooted in the belief that Christ, as the eternal Son of God, existed with the Father and the Holy Spirit before He became incarnate in Jesus. Because of this, it is not surprising that Christ would appear in various forms in the Old Testament, particularly as the Angel of the Lord. In the same way that God revealed Himself to humanity in different ways—through the burning bush, the cloud of glory, or the pillar of fire—He could also reveal Himself through the Angel of the Lord.

In John 1:1, 14, we read that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” This passage emphasizes that Jesus Christ, as the eternal Word, existed from the beginning and was with God. It also implies that Christ, as the Word, was active in the world long before His physical incarnation. This fits the idea that He could have appeared in the Old Testament in various forms, including the Angel of the Lord. Christ, as the second person of the Trinity, is the agent of creation, and it makes sense that He would be the one to reveal God’s will to humanity in these special encounters.

The Role of Michael and the Angel of the Lord

Another angle of this discussion involves the question of whether Michael the archangel could be the same as the Angel of the Lord. While Michael is described in Scripture as a chief angel and a warrior, there are key differences between him and the Angel of the Lord. Michael is always portrayed as a servant of God, carrying out specific tasks, like protecting Israel (Daniel 12:1) or fighting against evil forces (Jude 1:9, Revelation 12:7). He is never depicted as divine, and there is no indication that he speaks as God or accepts worship.

In contrast, the Angel of the Lord is shown to speak as God (e.g., in Exodus 3, where the Angel declares, "I am the God of your father"), receives worship (e.g., Judges 13:20-22, when Manoah and his wife worship Him without correction), and acts with divine authority. This suggests that the Angel of the Lord transcends the role of a mere angel and is more likely to be a manifestation of God—specifically, Christ, before His incarnation. Therefore, while Michael is an important archangel, he is not the same as the Angel of the Lord, who is seen in the Bible as a divine figure and a potential Christophany.

The Angel of the Lord as Christ

Based on the biblical evidence, it seems reasonable to identify the Angel of the Lord as a pre-incarnate appearance of Jesus Christ. Throughout the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord speaks as God, receives worship, and performs divine acts that suggest a direct relationship with the Father. These appearances fit the Christian understanding of Christ as the eternal Son of God who was active in the world long before His birth in Bethlehem.

The Christophany view aligns with the broader Christian doctrine that Jesus, as the Son of God, has always been present with God the Father and has been involved in the work of salvation from the very beginning. In the Old Testament, the Angel of the Lord serves as a manifestation of God’s presence and a pre-incarnate revelation of Christ, pointing forward to the fuller revelation of God in Jesus Christ in the New Testament.

Thus, the Angel of the Lord in these Old Testament appearances could very well be Christ Himself, revealing the nature of God to His people before He became fully incarnate in Jesus Christ. This view not only fits the biblical evidence but also enriches our understanding of how God has consistently interacted with humanity throughout salvation history.

Cheers.

So your saying that there was no angel of the Lord?