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4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.I believe most of God's Law was verbally passed from one generation to the next until the decline of human ability made it necessary for the law to be written to preserve its content. God personally dictated His law to Moses to preserve accurately its content for future generations. He added some details to increase its scope of guidance to His people as the ravages of sin increased the degenerate nature of humanity. If the statutes did not exist until Sinai, how could God say Abraham kept them? Was God mistaken or are we mistaken? 5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws. 37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD. 12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. There is a Bible reference where one can read the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:2-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21) and know what they are. What is a Bible reference for the statutes? The statues are scattered throughout Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. These are the primary chapter references for most of the statutes and judgments.
A statute is any commandment given by God through Moses. A statute is often introduced with the same words. 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, A judgment is any commandment with a punishment attached. The punishment of the judgments is now the responsibility of the state government. It is no longer up to us to take the punishment of the law into our own hands. God will shortly be performing the final judgment himself. |
Fulfilled StatutesThere are statutes, which we no longer practice:
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Summary of StatutesThis summary is a brief introduction to the statutes. The statutes are grouped under a relevant commandment. Remember, every individual is responsible for their personal study and understanding from the Bible. This is my understanding of the most significant of the unique statutes, which are to be practiced today. Warning! Do not forget! Our interest in the Law of God is not as a set of rules. We seek His guidance because we love Him and we know He loves us. We desire to follow the guidance of the Law because it is His wisdom, which guides us. We do not find salvation in following a set of rules. We find His help. |
Great CommandmentThere are two great commandments. Love God. Love Others. 36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law? |
Love God4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: First Commandment2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Second Commandment4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
Third Commandment7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Fourth Commandment8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
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Love Others18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD. Fifth Commandment12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Sixth Commandment13 Thou shalt not kill.
Seventh Commandment14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Eighth Commandment15 Thou shalt not steal.
Ninth Commandment16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Tenth Commandment17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
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Church UnityI am becoming increasingly concerned over the conflict within our church over the feasts and statutes. I have spent much time in studying the issues to seek to learn how to resolve this conflict in my own life. This conflict is not new. It started even in the early church. A careful study of Acts 15 and Galatians is important for you to understand the issues. This is a summary of the issues. The initial disagreement was over a statute, which was specific to the eating of the Passover lamb. Circumcision was required of anyone, even adults, who ate of the sacrificial lamb. 43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:According to the Jewish tradition, because of this statute, those who were converted to God as adults were required to be circumcised to be saved. 1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.It is important to note, since the Passover lamb was no longer sacrificed, the statute no longer applied. Adults are no longer circumcised. There is a statute, which says the children of believing parents are to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth. I believe this still applies. 3 And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. There were other specific times when God ordered the circumcision of adults. The practice of circumcision caused a conflict even for Moses and his wife. 24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. It is also interesting to note the question in Acts was taken to the church elders for discussion and guidance. Even there it was only by the power of the Holy Spirit the issue was resolved. This is the same counsel I find in the Spirit of Prophecy concerning dissension in the church. Failure to follow this counsel led to serious public contention, which was not resolved even by the General Conference of 1888. The initial dispute over circumcision of adults in the early church was expanded to include all the statutes. Apparently, the statutes were not emphasized in the initial teaching of the Gospel. This is consistent with understanding growth comes in stages. 5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. The council recognized the guidance of the Holy Spirit, which showed the circumcision of adults ended with the sacrificing of the symbolic Passover Lamb. The Passover Lamb was symbolic of the Son of God who was the true Lamb of God. After the true sacrifice of the Lamb of God, the purpose of the animal sacrifices was completed. The council directed the early presentation of critical statutes, which continues even today. 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.The council recognized the full teaching of the statutes was available on an ongoing basis. As the laws recorded by Moses were learned, they would be followed. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. The Christian walk is a continuing growth into all truth. Those who are farther along in their walk must not be critical of those who have not advanced as far. Those who are indeed farther along in their walk will carefully nurture the growth and strengthening of the foundational faith of their brethren. They will not do the work of Satan to destroy and tear down the church with dissension and discord. The Spirit of Prophecy points to the importance of the statutes but it appears this is not yet a testing truth for this time. Those who know and understand do well to follow their conscience but they need to beware of how they present this truth to others. Criticism, judgment, and argument do not serve the cause of God. God will provide Himself a prophet to call out a reformation and revival in the church and in the world. 4 Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. |
The Jewish Mitzvot
In Judaism, the Talmud specifies that the Torah contains 613 mitzvot. These mitzvot are a starting point for a list of the statutes. Lists of the mitzvot can be found in the
Wikipedia,
Judaism 101, and many others.
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Revised 2015-08-21 |