Questions on old testament topics

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lastsecman

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'You are not to round the corners of your head.'What does this mean? Where are the corners of our head?'Eat unleavened bread at passover.'What is the significance of unleavened bread? Does it taste better than leavened bread? because their hearts are joyful for eating unleavened bread. Why do they have to eat unleavened bread? Doesnt it taste the same as leavened bread?'Women are to cover their heads when they prophesy or pray.'Does this mean just the scalp above the forehead or does it include covering the face as well.
 

Fox

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Firstly, a Rabbinical answer to question 1:
A note related to the "not rounding of the corners". This is in direct relation to the passage about not harvesting the corners of the field, but leaving it alone for G-d. In not rounding "the four corners" of the face, we have a comparison with the tzitzis at the four corners of the tallit. People forget that the hair, the harvesting, and the tallit are all mitzvot. On a practical level, shaving or trimming of the beard is not permitted on the Sabbath or Holidays, and for a few stretches during the year (such as portions of the time between Pesach and Shavuos). A beardless man will grow days or weeks of stubble, but a bearded man who doesn't shave or trim his beard during that time will not look significantly different. To be specific, (my emphasis. Fox)the Law is that one must not use a straight razor (including safety-razors) on one's temples or to shave one's beard. Those Jewish men who have wanted to be clean-shaven have had various options; in the past century, either depilatory powder (ancestor to Nair), or electric shavers. Electric shavers (at least most of them; check with your local Orthodox rabbi for acceptable brands) function like a scissors: two relatively dull blades pinch off the hair, rather than one very sharp blade slicing it off. As for sidelocks, that is a result of a peculiar interpretation of the law against shaving one's temples. The basic law is that there must remain enough hair to bend it over with one's fingers; that can be as little as 1/2 inch or so. Some, notably Hungarian chasidim and Yemenites, do not cut the sidelocks at all, and they grow very long. Most chasidim have short sidelocks: thin, 2-3", that they tuck behind their ears, so you won't see them. Finally, some Jewish men just don't like to shave.
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Fox

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Secondly, the significance of leaven:When G-d freed Isra'el from slavery in Egypt, He told His people that for "seven days you shall eat unleavened bread" (Exodus 12:15). Verse 39 further explains: "And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves." The leavening process, which makes bread rise, takes time. The Israelites had no time to spare when they left Egypt, so they baked and ate flat bread. What started out as a necessity continued for a week. G-d appropriately named this time the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:6), or Days of Unleavened Bread (Acts 12:3). When Yeshua came to earth as a human, He also observed this seven-day festival, as a child and later as an adult (Luke 2:41; Matthew 26:17). G-d gave His earliest instructions concerning this festival to the Israelites as they prepared to leave Egypt. "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to ADONAI - a lasting ordinance. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Isra'el. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat - that is all you may do” (Exodus 12:14-16).Each year as the Israelites observed this feast, it reminded them of G-d’s deliverance of their forefathers from Egypt. The Creator instructed, "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt" (verse 17). The exodus from Egypt remains as a foundational reason for observing this feast today - just as G-d delivered ancient Israel, He delivers us from our sins and difficulties.Yeshua's teaching about leaven expands the meaning of this feast. During His ministry He performed two miracles in which a few fish and loaves of bread fed thousands of people. After one of these incidents, when His disciples had gone around the Sea of Galilee, they forgot to bring bread with them. So Yeshua told them, "Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." The disciples thought He was referring to their lack of bread. However, He was using the occasion to teach them by calling on the symbolism of leaven. He asked them, "How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." Then the disciples "understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Matthew 16:5-12). Some of the members of the religious establishment of His day appeared to be righteous, yet they secretly practiced sinful behavior. Yeshua let them know He knew their hearts. They may have appeared righteous to other people, "but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:28).The Days of Unleavened Bread are to remind Christians that with G-d’s help you must remove and avoid all types of sin - symbolized by leaven - in all areas of your life.
 

Fox

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Head coverings for women - the interpretation varies; some cover the entire hair, some just the top of the head, some wear a veil. The ordinance is more concerned with the actual act of covering the head, to show subjection to G-d, than the style chosen to cover it.On Legalism, The Law, And Shaul (Paul)
Most Christians today disobey G-d's Laws, incorrectly quoting scripture to imply that the keeping of the Laws was somehow abolished by Yeshua. They also argue that biblical law-keeping is "legalism" and therefore to be avoided. However, this use of the word is incorrect. It is not legalistic to obey G-d’s laws correctly. To be legalistic is to misuse G-d’s laws in a way they were never intended. The Pharisees, an excessively strict branch of Judaism whose religious interpretations dominated popular thinking at the time of Yeshua, were examples of this. They added many of their own humanly devised rules and regulations to G-d's laws, which had the effect of misrepresenting and misapplying them. Their added interpretations of God's laws so distorted the original purpose that they rendered them ineffective (Matthew 15:6), nullifying them. By following the Pharisees' interpretations and edicts, the people were no longer following G-d's Law (John 7:19).This mistaken view of the Law led many to reject Yeshua as the promised Messiah, even though that very law had prophesied of Him (John 5:39-40; Luke 24:44). This was why Yeshua so strongly condemned the lack of understanding and hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His time. He taught a return to the correct teaching and practice of G-d's Laws according to their original intent and purpose, and also that He was the promised Messiah.The apostle Shaul also wrote extensively against those who would pervert the proper use of G-d's law. This is particularly apparent in the book of Galatians. What Shaul addressed was not the correct keeping of God's Law, which he himself elsewhere upheld (Romans 3:31; 7:12, 14, 22, 25), but a claim that justification (the forgiveness and restoration of a sinner to a state of righteousness) could be achieved by circumcision and strict observance of the Law. Some false teachers (Galatians 2:4; 5:10, 12; 6:12-13) subverted the Galatian churches by wrongly insisting that circumcision and the keeping of the Law alone were sufficient requirements for justification and salvation, apart from faith in Yeshua Ha'Moshiach. Shaul condemned this erroneous teaching, noting that obedience to the Law had never made eternal life possible (Galatians 3:21). He made it clear that justification - being made righteous in G-d's eyes and thus gaining access to eternal life - is only available through Yeshua Ha'Moshiach (Galatians 2:16; 3:1-3, 10-11, 22; 5:1 4). Shaul made it clear that forgiveness of sin requires a sacrifice, and even the strictest observance of the Law cannot remove the need for that sacrifice.However, the Law of G-d remains the righteous standard by which all mankind will be judged (James 2:8, 12). The Law is NOT annulled or abolished by faith in Yeshua (Romans 3:31), as many falsely believe. Instead, said Shaul, the Law’s proper use is established by faith. When Shlomo concluded that the whole duty of man is to "fear G-d and keep His commandments" (Ecclesiastes 12:13), he expressed the enduring purpose of G-d for all mankind. The apostle Yochanon agreed when he concluded that, if we love G-d, we will keep His commandments (1 John 5:3). The woman taken in adultery was told by Yeshua to "sin no more" (John 8:11) - in other words, to uphold G-d's Law! Yeshua told the rich young man, who came to Him asking what he could do to have eternal life, "If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matthew 19:17).So what does the Bible tell us about legalism? To substitute humanly devised Laws for G-d's Laws, as the Pharisees did, is legalism. To rely upon the keeping of Law alone to make one righteous in G-d's eyes, instead of faith in Yeshua Ha'Moshiach, is legalism. If all one focuses on is obedience to Law apart from the motivation of pleasing G-d, loving G-d and loving neighbor, this distorts the purpose of the Law (Matthew 22:36-40; Romans 13:10) and is legalism. If we believe that only the keeping of G-d's Law can earn our salvation as our reward, we are guilty of legalism. Technical obedience, or strict obedience to the exact letter of the Law while searching for ways to get around the underlying purpose and intent of the Law, is legalism. But Yeshua and the remainder of the Bible make one thing perfectly clear: Proper obedience to the Law of G-d is not legalism. After conversion, a Christian is given a much fuller understanding of the purpose and intent of G-d's Law. He understands the importance of faith in the person and sacrifice of Yeshua Ha'Moshiach. He is given a more complete understanding of why he is to be obedient. But it remains for him to obey. That is not legalism. To obey G-d's biblical commands in a proper attitude, such as His command to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy, is not legalism. Don’t allow anyone to beguile you with such a false notion, which is itself a contradiction of Yeshua's own command (Matthew 5:19).
 

n2thelight

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A "Law" is something that God says that we are not to do; a "Statute" and an "Ordinance" is something that God says that we are to do. And a "Statute" is more grave than an "ordinance." Laws are committed, but Statutes and Ordinances are violated. You committed murder (by killing), but you violated the Passover (by not keeping it), etc. The exception to this (in wording only) would in the 4th and 5th Commandments (Keep the Sabbath Day holy & Honor mother and father), but this is in wording only; for, to dishonor mother and father is TO NOT honor them, and to NOT keep the Sabbath Day holy is to not do the commandment to keep it holy "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ...thou shalt not do any work...." (Ex 20:8-10a). So that it could be taken as 'though shalt not dishonor mother and father' ....What did Jesus Christ fulfill?Matthew 5:17 [Jesus speaking]17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. KJV With the Advent of Messiah Jesus Christ several things were changed (fulfilled, better stated). First and most importantly, Christ became the punishment-paid for the sins of the believers. because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we are not guilty of sin that we have repent of in Jesus Christ's name. Not that God put away His law and allowed sin now—God forbid! But rather, it is mainly this: A sin is still a sin, and "For the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23a) is still in full force, and all who sin shall face the Judgment; however, those (and only those) who believe upon Jesus Christ AND repent of their individual sins to God in Jesus' name receive forgiveness because Jesus already paid the price of death for that sin. So, for the Christian believer who repents of any certain sin, that sin is blotted out—it is not to be found on the books on Judgment Day—it has already been adjudicated (settled). We sin, and Jesus took the punishment—IF, and ONLY if—we believe upon Jesus Christ. For, how can we lay the punishment at the feet of Christ if we do not even believe upon Him? We cannot. One must believe to take part of the promise and blessing. Belief is so very important to God—we must have faith. Why? Because: "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb 11:6).Romans 6:2323 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. KJV1 John 2:12:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: KJV1 Timothy 1:1414 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. KJVRomans 6:1-66:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. KJV That is the exact and most fundamental reason why it is a terrible and misleading thing for these new-age churches nowadays to say that "All religions lead to the same God," and that "there are many different paths to God." These egalitarian and ecumenical churches are telling untruths, wittingly or unwittingly; and thereby endangering the souls of the unsaved who might have search Christianity deeper had they been told boldly, plainly, and unapologetically that without Jesus Christ no man shall see paradise. For, "...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), and "...the wages of sin is death" (Rom 6:23).2 Corinthians 5:17-2117 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath [through Jesus Christ] committed unto us the word of reconciliation [forgiveness] .20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.21 For he [God] hath made him [Jesus] to be sin [the sin-punishment] for us [Christians], [Jesus] who knew [committed] no sin; that we [Christians] might be made the righteousness [forgiven-blamelessness] of God in [through] him [Christ Jesus]. KJV Christ also became the Passover.1 Corinthians 5:77 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: KJV Also, through Christ Jesus the Gentiles (non-Israelites) could also be adopted into the eternal covenant that was reserved for Israel. That is why the New Testament Scripture says:Galatians 3:2828 There is neither Jew [Israelite] nor Greek [Gentile], there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. KJV Also, regarding this above Scripture, since Jesus Christ, circumcision is no longer of the "male member," but symbolically of the heart—thus opening the doors to self-determination for women in salvation matters. Before Christ, the women were saved/lost by their husband's (or before marriage, by her father's) house. A woman could never enter the Holy place in the Temple, and she could not offer sin-offerings to God for herself or her family. The man did all that, and it was his place, not hers. Likewise, a "common man" could never enter the Holy of Holies (the innermost room of the Temple which contained the Ark of the Covenant and the very presence of God), lest he died! Not even the priests could enter this Holy of Holies inner sanctum of the Temple; but only the high priest could enter therein, and only once per year at that—lest he died! This is no longer the case. Another "thing" that changed with Christ (and which many churches might not want you to know, is that since Jesus Christ we can all have access to God directly. Before Christ, and evidenced by the rending 0tearing-down) of the curtain in the Temple's Holy of Holies at Christ's precise moment of death, is that now no longer do we need a priest to petition God for us, we no longer need a priest to deliver our (sin) offerings to God. Now, since Christ, all of us whom simply believe upon Jesus Christ may speak directly to God one-on-one.Study by Nick Goggin
 

n2thelight

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Quote"'Women are to cover their heads when they prophesy or pray.'Does this mean just the scalp above the forehead or does it include covering the face as well."ReplyA woman is to be covered with the veil in the end-times. That veil is Christ. ‘Hair' is used symbolically for the covering of the head, for the veil (see below Scripture). The reason that she should be covered with Christ (by Christ Jesus) is because the fallen angels are coming back. Jesus Himself warned as much:Luke 17:26-3026 And as it was in the days of Noe [Noah in the Greek], so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [at the Second Advent]. (KJV) Who was given in marriage and to whom were they given? Flesh women were seduced by the fallen angels and the fruit of that union was the Giants, which Noah's Flood was sent to destroy. Below is the incident that Christ was referring to, and which shall again transpire in the end times (the Tribulation):Gen 6:2-82 That the sons of God [the fallen angels] saw the daughters of men [flesh women] that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.3 And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.4 There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown.5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (KJV) Below we shall examine the Scripture in question, observe that the "hair," in a spiritual sense, is the covering, the veil. A woman is to have that covering in the end times to protect her from the ‘advances' (sexual) of the fallen angels who come back here with satan (antichrist) in the end-time (Rev 12:9). And what it means where it says that it is a shame if the man has to have the ‘hair' (covering) to protect him from the fallen angels, is that if he needs this it is something perverted going on (homosexual), because the fallen angels are male (there is no female form in spiritual bodies [which incidentally, is further witness to the fact that the so-called Marian sightings (Fatima etc.) are in reality, demonic apparitions (2nd Cor 11:14-15)]). Also, in the above Scripture (the first one) in Luke 17:28-29, you notice that Sodom was mentioned in context with the fallen angels of Gen chapter six. It is my belief that there was another irruption of the fallen angels in Sodom, though I be hard pressed to fully document it. We know that there was another irruption of the fallen angels in David's time, for the Goliath was a giant (the offspring of a union between angelic beings and human women). There are others mentioned in other places in the old Testament as well. "There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. (Gen 6:4) But anyway, below is our Scripture in question. I have supplied certain definitions from key words in the Scripture. These definitions are from the time trusted Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, a necessary tool for the English-only (non-Greek or Hebrew) language speaking Bible student. But be careful with free Internet versions of the Strong's, there are many spurious versions out there that are not real Strong's Concordances: 1 Cor 11:10-1510 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering. (KJV)Strong's definitions from above:power: Greek word # 1849 exousia (ex-oo-see'-ah); from 1832 (in the sense of ability); privilege, i.e. (subjectively) force, capacity, competency, freedom, or (objectively) mastery (concretely, magistrate, superhuman, potentate, token of control), delegated influence: KJV-- authority, jurisdiction, liberty, power, right, strength.uncovered: Greek word #177 akatakaluptos (ak-at-ak-al'-oop-tos); from 1 (as a negative particle) and a derivative of a compound of 2596 and 2572; unveiled: KJV-- uncovered.shame: Greek word #819 atimia (at-ee-mee'-ah); from 820; infamy, i.e. (subjectively) comparative indignity, (objectively) disgrace: KJV-- dishonour, reproach, shame, vile.covering: Greek word #4018 peribolaion (per-ib-ol'-ah-yon); neuter of a presumed derivative of 4016; something thrown around one, i.e. a mantle, veil: KJV-- covering, vesture.Christ is our veil:Heb 10:19-2019 Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus,20 By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh; (KJV)
 

lastsecman

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Rounding the corners of the head would make us appear un-natural and looks more fierce e.g. Skinheads. But God's people must be holy.Women are to cover themselves with shamefacedness, because of their original sin. Therefore it should be something like a hood that covers areas above the forehead and hangs over the face.