Deu 25:4
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out
the corn.
1Co 9:7
Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
1Co 9:8
Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
1Co 9:9
For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?
1Co 9:10
Or saith he
it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt,
this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
1Co 9:11
If we have sown unto you spiritual things,
is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
1Ti 5:17
Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
1Ti 5:18
For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer
is worthy of his reward.
What is the principle of the laws?
Paul says: If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
Rom 7:14
For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.
Rom 8:6
For to be carnally minded
is death; but to be spiritually minded
is life and peace.
Jos 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
Psa 1:1
Blessed
is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
Psa 1:2
But his delight
is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
Meditate on this:
Eze 20:18
But I said unto their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols:
Eze 20:19
I
am the LORD your God; walk in my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them;
Eze 20:20
And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I
am the LORD your God.
Eze 20:21
Notwithstanding the children rebelled against me: they walked not in my statutes, neither kept my judgments to do them, which
if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted my sabbaths: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
Eze 20:22
Nevertheless I withdrew mine hand, and wrought for my name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.
Eze 20:23
I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries;
Eze 20:24
Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted my sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.
Eze 20:25
Wherefore I gave them also statutes
that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live;
Eze 20:26
And I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through
the fire all that openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I
am the LORD.
2Ti 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
1Ti 1:8
But we know that the law
is good, if a man use it lawfully;
Meditate on the law. Find the spiritual application behind what is written. What is God trying to tell us?
In the law is the same principle Jesus taught:
Lev 19:18
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.
Mar 12:31
And the second
is like,
namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Gal 5:14
For all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Jas 2:8
If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
If we do away with all the OT laws, what does that leave us?
We would have to leave out Leviticus 19:18.
We would have to say that loving thy neighbour as thyself was nailed on the cross and abolished.
Well, we know that can't be true. So there has to be something more written into the meanings of what is written in the law and not what we understand only with the carnal mind.
I believe if we allowed the land to rest every 7th year we probably wouldn't need chemical fertilizers to boost up the nutrients in the ground. It would have a chance to replenish itself.
That would be the carnal principle of that law, but what is the spiritual priciple behind it?
Another seven years:
Deu 15:1
At the end of
every seven years thou shalt make a release.
Deu 15:2
And this
is the manner of the release: Every creditor that lendeth
ought unto his neighbour shall release
it; he shall not exact
it of his neighbour, or of his brother; because it is called the LORD'S release.
And again:
Jer 34:14
At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
There are spiritual principles behind the laws God gave to Moses but the people were carnal and not able to hear them.
The question is... can we?
So if the Lord has called for a release of the land every seven years to let it rest, him being the creditor that lends to us the good of the land. Aught we not to also give rest to those that are under our authority that work for us?
I know today is different than it was thousands of years ago. And we don't live in the same world as yesterday.
But that doesn't mean the principles don't still apply.
How can we apply this principle in our world today?
What if this release is forgiveness?
Mat 18:21
Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22
Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Luk 17:4
And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him.
Try to look beyond the veil of the carnal law and find the spiritual principle which lies within.
Psa 119:15
I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Don't throw the baby out with the bath water.
Hugs