I wrote this on another thread which was posted to refute how some say that the Sabbath has changed ( it was closed and not reopened yet) and think since it has to do exactly with Acts 15 I will repost it here.
Religion, Sex And Food!
Yes, you can have a book titled that with the sub-title:
~And Jesus Said, Salvation is of the Jews, we know what we worship, you don't so here is your starting manual:
'Walking with the true G-d 101 - a Primer for Heathens'
Many today don't understand this because they were raised up in a 'Christian nation'. I think Americans have the most trouble with this. But back then all those in the world, except the Jews, had only heathen gods and were embroiled in what was handed down by their ancestors, and where they lived the religious buildings/temples were the center of the communities.
Those first four (four stands for the world and I see this as giving them four things to start helping them be not of the world) were dealing with everyday life.
Part of everyday life then (and now even) revolved around fleshly things, this is the 'surface start' in life in the truth, and then it goes deeper into the spiritual. But to start you must address the outside, the flesh and that is what these four things did.
First thing addressed has to do with , again, what their former life centered around, Religion.
A Trief animal can be clean or unclean, but for G-ds way of thinking and for food we will talk about clean. So you can have a trief turkey, or chicken or lamb, or goat, cow, etc ( fish don't fit into this category). Firstly it can't have died of itself ( disease), but most important it needs to be slaughtered in a G-dly manner. The L-RD wrote the butchering book on how to do this. Animals are his creations and he made them for our pleasure, they have breath and blood of life in them just like we do. It is life, and as such should be honored in a manner of speaking. Not over the top like those in PETA, but the way G-d commanded them to be treated, even in death. They are to be cut and bled out. The Blood is to be poured out on the ground and buried. All the blood is to be removed, as well as certain areas of fat on the larger animals. It is not to be torn in any way, that is what treif means, to tear, in other words, you are not to eat animals not properly slaughtered. Which ties in with the next command.
Now some say that the Torah of Moshe is gone, we have a new torah, but this is very clear that this is for all generations, everywhere you live (not just a commandment tied to the land of Israel) so it is still valid today.
Getting more specific in Leviticus 7:26 we see the L-RD says:
What will happen if you do?
Again, in Leviticus 17, (we see that the L-RD is very adamant about this) he refines it even more, so there is no mis-understanding.
Now that addresses the eating part, but I think it goes deeper than that. Blood ties in with something besides eating, that of cutting oneself ( Lev 19:28, 21:5, Kings 18 ) pagan rituals using blood, and also Niddah, family purity which ties in the blood with number 2, sex.
As you can see these four things entail many commandments, but they encompass everyday life that needed to be addressed at once, Religion, Sex and Food, and the rest of Torah could be learned each week as they sat in synagogue and heard the word of G-d read.
editing to get html
Religion, Sex And Food!
Yes, you can have a book titled that with the sub-title:
~And Jesus Said, Salvation is of the Jews, we know what we worship, you don't so here is your starting manual:
'Walking with the true G-d 101 - a Primer for Heathens'
Many today don't understand this because they were raised up in a 'Christian nation'. I think Americans have the most trouble with this. But back then all those in the world, except the Jews, had only heathen gods and were embroiled in what was handed down by their ancestors, and where they lived the religious buildings/temples were the center of the communities.
Those first four (four stands for the world and I see this as giving them four things to start helping them be not of the world) were dealing with everyday life.
Part of everyday life then (and now even) revolved around fleshly things, this is the 'surface start' in life in the truth, and then it goes deeper into the spiritual. But to start you must address the outside, the flesh and that is what these four things did.
First thing addressed has to do with , again, what their former life centered around, Religion.
This can mean many things, it meant to: stay out of the heathen temples, not participate in any of the 'holy days' celebrated to these idols/other gods, not to have sex in relationship to these idols, not to sacrifice to idols, not to eat offerings or sacrifices made to idols. It covers a lot actually.
The number two thing in the heathen life after religion was SEX. Sex was much involved in the 'holy days' of the false gods, the sacrifices and much 'worship' in the temples of the heathen. Even not in relationship to the gods, they were involved in inappropriate behavior with animals, sex with children, homosexuality, and general promiscuity. Again, a big part of everyday life that needed to be addressed immediately.
What does that mean exactly? What does it have to do with? FOOD. Most gentiles don't know, they didnt then but more so then than today. In a Kosher lifestyle, the word 'treif' is used; it means something we can't eat. It does not mean that it is an unclean animal ( such as a pig) but rather a clean one that G-d said we could eat, but that was killed in the wrong manner. The heathens were worshipping false gods who all had their foundation in the fallen one. Therefore we know he has no respect for life, in fact he brings death, because he brings sin, HaSatan.
A Trief animal can be clean or unclean, but for G-ds way of thinking and for food we will talk about clean. So you can have a trief turkey, or chicken or lamb, or goat, cow, etc ( fish don't fit into this category). Firstly it can't have died of itself ( disease), but most important it needs to be slaughtered in a G-dly manner. The L-RD wrote the butchering book on how to do this. Animals are his creations and he made them for our pleasure, they have breath and blood of life in them just like we do. It is life, and as such should be honored in a manner of speaking. Not over the top like those in PETA, but the way G-d commanded them to be treated, even in death. They are to be cut and bled out. The Blood is to be poured out on the ground and buried. All the blood is to be removed, as well as certain areas of fat on the larger animals. It is not to be torn in any way, that is what treif means, to tear, in other words, you are not to eat animals not properly slaughtered. Which ties in with the next command.
This can mean in relationship to eating as we see in number 3 or to other things. Do not eat blood This stems all the way back to when the L-RD gave animals to man to eat, after the flood. Genesis 9:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat. It cant be any clearer than that, but how many observe this today? The L-RD reiterated this almost a thousand years later in the wilderness:
Now some say that the Torah of Moshe is gone, we have a new torah, but this is very clear that this is for all generations, everywhere you live (not just a commandment tied to the land of Israel) so it is still valid today.
Getting more specific in Leviticus 7:26 we see the L-RD says:
What will happen if you do?
Again, in Leviticus 17, (we see that the L-RD is very adamant about this) he refines it even more, so there is no mis-understanding.
There are more scriptures reiterating this but I think you get the picture.
Now that addresses the eating part, but I think it goes deeper than that. Blood ties in with something besides eating, that of cutting oneself ( Lev 19:28, 21:5, Kings 18 ) pagan rituals using blood, and also Niddah, family purity which ties in the blood with number 2, sex.
As you can see these four things entail many commandments, but they encompass everyday life that needed to be addressed at once, Religion, Sex and Food, and the rest of Torah could be learned each week as they sat in synagogue and heard the word of G-d read.
editing to get html
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