2006-12-08 Statute Disputes

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Dear Brothers and Sisters in IAUA (ee-ah-oo-ah) our Father, Greetings on this day of preparation for the weekly sabbath. I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and happy in the service of the Lord. I have been studying disputes which have occurred over the statutes in Biblical and current times. This subject grows out of my newsletters about the Sacred Calendar, and Unity in Truth as well as others. This time I am going to go a little deeper into one of the most interesting and instructive of these disputes. I have done some extra study lately about circumcision. The original sign of the covenant given to Abraham was the circumcision of all males at the time the covenant was made and the circumcision of a male child on the eighth day after birth. Genesis 17 10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. The rite of circumcision was used deceitfully as a requirement to join with the House of Israel in Genesis 34. Circumcision became an early subject of dispute. Moses wife, Zipporah, objected to circumcision of their son until Moses life was in peril. Exodus 4 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision. Circumcision was specified as required of all who joined with the house of Israel before they could eat of the Passover lamb. Exodus 12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof. Leviticus only indicates the circumcision of babies. Leviticus 12:3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. Circumcision became a major issue in the New Testament as the Gentiles became converted. Acts 15 describes how the circumcision of adults became wrapped up with the keeping of the statutes. The apostles, led by the Holy Spirit, separated the issues and rejected the circumcision of adults. Paul charted a difficult course in this dispute. He had Timotheus circumcised for public relations purposes. Act 16 1 Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: 2 Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. His arrest in Jerusalem (Acts 21:20-28) was the result of misunderstanding and a dispute over circumcision and the keeping of the law. He clearly taught that it was proper to be circumcised or not. I Corinthians 7:18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. He spoke very clearly in Galatians against being circumcised for the purpose of being justified by keeping the law and called it a rejection of the grace of God. Galatians 5 1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. I believe it is clear that the requirement for circumcision of adults was associated with the sacrifice and consumption of the Passover Lamb and both ended at the cross. I believe that those who understand and keep the statutes will continue the circumcision of babies on the eighth day. The careful study of the statutes for greater understanding is the responsibility of those who would be part of the 144,000 of the children of Israel. Revelation 7:4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Malachi 4:4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Many today are rejecting God's statutes and claim that they do not apply. They come up with lots of excuses, convincing themselves and others, because the statutes are just too cumbersome to understand and follow. II Kings 17 13 Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, and by all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments and my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. 14 Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like to the neck of their fathers, that did not believe in the LORD their God. 15 And they rejected his statutes, and his covenant that he made with their fathers, and his testimonies which he testified against them; and they followed vanity, and became vain, and went after the heathen that were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them, that they should not do like them. This will all soon come to a climax when the promised message unites the covenant of the fathers with the children. Malachi 4:5-6 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. Are you carefully studying and following God's statutes in preparation for the end of time? May we strive for peace and unity in truth preparing for the soon coming of IAUShUO (Ee-uh-oo-shoo-oh) Messiah, the Son of God. Shabbat Shalom, Frank T. Clark Webmaster@IAUA.name www.IAUA.name Next: 2006-12-15 Statute Disputes II

Revised 2006-12-15