Hi Mag!
I’m sorry, I’m not a theologian or even really good at getting my point across.
I’m not sure about the Adamic area (if you will). I would assume Adam and Eve didn’t eat meat. Although, they did sacrifice, presumably on my part, for the covering for the sin of partaking of the forbidden fruit and we see that Abel offered from the “firstlings of the flock”. Because of this, I would assume Yehovah told them what was “clean” to sacrifice. There was a distinction between the clean and unclean animals on the ark. Abraham sacrificed the ram (at least that we know of) which is a clean animal. And, we have everything written down plainly as clean and unclean at the time of Moses. I think clean and unclean animals were the same from the time of Adam. That being said, I also think Yehovah considers certain matters of His law “weightier” as spoken by Yeshua, " the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith:" (Mat 23:23)
I believe Yehovah had mercy on Noah. His was a special calling. The earth didn’t produce during this time and Yehovah allowed Noah to eat the “unclean” animals to preserve a people on the earth. This is why there was a deviation or exception for Noah. I think of it not so much as a change but, an allowance.
I’d argue that God does change His laws, as we see, and can at any time. That doesn’t mean His character changes, just His laws for that time. Here’s something that is a real head scratcher:
The first commandment of the 10 is you shall have no other gods before Him, the second is to not make any graven images of ANYTHING in the heavens, on the earth or in the water.
Just a little while later He tells them to fashion the cherubim on the ark. To make a graven image. But He just said not to make any graven image. What the???
We seem to be having the same thing going on with the Sabbath issue. God allows certain things which to us seem contrary to other commandments. I trust that Yehovah understands these things and that they look very different to Him.
btw I just wanted to let you know I don’t begrudge you for wanting to keep the law. You feel that is where God has you and I believe that to be true. We are each exactly where He wants us. Ernest Martin said that he feels that God will institute the mosaic law after the antichrists reign, and after Christ returns because people will have lost their compass so much. That the law is the beginning steps toward godly living. (I don’t agree with his eschatology but I think his reasoning of the purpose of the law is valid). He speaks of progressive revelation, with the revelation of mystery being the highest or final point of revelation (beyond the NC even). The mosaic law is useful for people coming out of paganism, which you are, which is why I believe you are exactly where you should be. But I don’t believe thats the final step, as seen in the NC, and in the revelation of mystery, many of the points I and Auggy and Bob have already laid out. The law is a schoolmaster, but when we mature (not saying I’m fully mature btw, far from it) its no longer needed.
I hope you don’t take this in a condescending way, its not meant to be that at all. Just wanted to share some thoughts on this.
Thank you, Mag. I appreciate you not begrudging me. Thanks for saying so. I am not familiar with Ernest Martin but, what you say makes sense. I have actually been a believer for about 25 years so, I’m not really coming out of paganism. I keep the commandments for a couple of reasons. If the commandments are a schoolmaster to point us to Messiah then, they also seem to me to make one keeping them “pointed to Messiah” themselves and a witness, or a pointer of Messiah, to the world. Also, a pointer to believers who have largely seemed to have lost their way. Another thing is, as written in Psalms and other places, they are a joy to me. They remind me of who my God is and how He is. Also, they are a common sense way to know what action take to minister to my family, friends and people that don’t know me. The Torah is a good standard of what we ought to look like in the flesh if we truly walk in the Spirit of the Law Giver, full of mercy, love and truth. I think that when we lay aside this flesh (are resurrected) there will be no more need for upholding the law because we will be perfect and unable to sin. We are already entering in, as we are being sanctified even now, covered by Yeshua’s blood for salvation and that the “old schoolmaster” not only tells us how to love but, points us to Yeshua, who teaches us how to love.
You don’t sound condescending. Thank you for your sincerity. Perhaps it is that I am still very immature. I don’t deny that I have much to learn and am in need of much changing and sanctification. I just can’t honestly convince myself that under the covering of Messiah, there is no validity in upholding God’s commands. The NT repeats the necessity for them. For example, in Eph. 9 out of the 10 are repeated as how we should conduct our way. If the NT is our big source for faith in Messiah then . . . Yeshua was the rod that came forth out of the stem of Jesse, (and a Branch shall grow out of his roots). If anything, we are grafted into that “tree”. The tree that came forth from an earthly Israelite bloodline. Yehovah could have chosen to graft Israel into the gentile, pagan nations but, He didn’t. He grafted us, a wild olive branch into Israel. The roots of Messiah go deep into the earth, even as they go deep into heaven. But, it is the law and the prophets of Israel that point to the Messiah that we follow. They are the image of Yehovah, He is the image of Yehovah. How can we even know Him without His people or His Torah? I know christians like Martin Luther hated them, persecuted them and spread the hate to others, like Hitler . . . like christianity. But, their God is our God. They have been entrusted with the oracles of God. If our Messiah is a different God, we are lost beyond hope for there is no other way to be saved or any other salvation promised that is worth having. So, as the first Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua did, I also want to do. To be covered by Yeshua’s blood for salvation and keep the commandments of Yehovah with a good will.
Thank you Mag, for trying to sort out my thoughts and I am sorry they are not as clear as I would like.
May Yehovah bless you!