Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

​What is in it for me?

Human beings are born selfish and will even from before birth do everything in their power to survive.  We are born with a tremendous will to live; a characteristic essential to our survival during the first few months of our lives. However, our selfish natures have to be tempered early in life; else we become what are known as spoiled brats. From a very young age and because of our inborn selfish natures we do nothing without knowing that there is something in it for us, personally.

When someone tells us to do something, we naturally want to know: What is in it for me? Will I benefit by doing what you ask me to do?  A pertinent question at this time is: How does this apply to our spiritual lives? If you have young children, you will remember how often they repeat the phrase; ‘life is not fair’. But, even if you think your child is unique in saying this, let me assure you that you and most people have been using this exact same phrase more than once in a lifetime.  Similarly, most non-believers  who have perchance read the first five books of the Scriptures, or realized that Yahshua confirmed and even made the Torah more binding in Matthew 5: 17 – 48, think that ‘the way of YHVH is not fair’. This is in fact an age old drawback with especially those of us from the lost sheep of Israel, as recorded in  Ezekiel 33: 17 – 20, as follows: “Yet your fellow citizens say, ‘The way of YHVH is not right’, when it is their own way that is not right. (18) When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, then he shall die in it. (19) But when the wicked turns from his wickedness and practices justice and righteousness, he will live by them. (20) Yet you say, ‘The way of YHVH is not right.’ O house of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his ways.”  So we see that like today, people never liked to be told what to do, even by our Creator.

Because of our inborn selfishness, most human beings would rather choose to live their lives their own way. It is part of who and what we are; it is because of our survival instinct. But it is also because of what happened in the Garden of Eden. After YHVH created Adam He took him and put him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it, as we read from Genesis 2: 16 & 17, in this way: ‘And YHVH Elohim commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; (17) but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.”’  We know that despite this commandment, Adam and Eve induced by the lies and temptation of Satan eventually ate of the forbidden tree and was driven from the Garden of Eden.  Since then all humankind have sinned (disobeyed YHVH) and fall short of Elohim’s glory. YHVH removed the light or glory {(אור) - transliterated as ‘ohr’ in Hebrew} with which mankind was clothed in the beginning and dressed them in skin {(ﬠור) – which strangely enough, is also transliterated as ‘ohr’ in Hebrew}, thus dooming us to death, as we read from Genesis 3: 17 - 19, as follows: ‘Then to Adam He (YHVH) said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. (18) Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; (19) By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because  from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

 

 Satan introduced the doctrine that man has an immortal soul to Eve, when he said to her in Genesis 3: 4, “You surely shall not die!”  He did this despite of (YHVH)’s warning to Adam, saying: ‘in the day that you eat from it you shall die.’  Most people believe that because Adam and Eve did not die during the first day after eating of the forbidden fruit that YHVH lied to them. Even so, we should not forget the words in the prayer of Moses recorded in Psalm 90: 4 that a thousand years is like one day to YHVH. A second witness comes from 2 Peter 3: 8, in this way: “But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with YHVH one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” We read accordingly from Genesis 5: 5 “So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died.” So we see that YHVH did not lie to Adam and Eve, but Satan was responsible for their fall from grace.  Despite being aware of this, most people see Elohim’s instructions to avoid adultery, fornication (pre-marital sex) and divorce in Exodus 20: 14 and Matthew 5: 27 – 32, as hopelessly outdated. Most believe that sex is permissible, as long as it is between consenting adults and as long as they take precautions to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, because of the lies that many churches teach today, most Christians believe that you may do whatever you like, as long as you ‘believe in the name of J*e*s*u*s C*h*r*i*s*t’. Without knowing what it means to believe in the real Messiah, these people are totally blinded to the good news of the Kingdom of Elohim. Believing in Yahshua, means that we believe in His name, namely that He is the salvation of YHVH, which is also the meaning of His name; but it also means that we believe in what He taught whilst He was on earth. For example we read Yahshua’s answer to the lawyer who questioned Him in Luke 10: 25 - 28, as follows: ‘And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? (26) And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?”  (27) And he answered and said, “YOU SHALL LOVE YHVH YOUR ELOHIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” (28) And He (Yahshua) said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.”

 

Apart from eternal life, which because of the life experiences of most who do things their own way do not care about, what other benefits are there in obeying YHVH? What is in it for me? Is it really worth it to obey Elohim? You may think that this line of thinking is ridiculous, but ask yourself; why don’t all people obey the commandments given by YHVH our Elohim? Broken marriages are the cause of a great deal of stress, which result in a number of ailments, including weight changes, fatigue, sleeping disorders and tension. It is no wonder that divorced people are more likely to suffer from chronic and acute diseases which are very costly to human society. However, children are often most affected by the divorce of their parents. The majority of economically disadvantaged people are from broken homes.  Homes headed by single parents are a leading factor in subsequent criminal activity. To this must be added the cost of legal fees, the reduction in productivity and income of divorced parents. It also results in the frequent loss of homes and other belongings. Divorce often results in long custody battles with devastating effects on the children. Society suffers because we have neglected to treat our partners the way YHVH intended from the beginning. A happy marriage by far outweighs the benefits that people think they will get by getting divorced. Most human beings desire and need the benefits that come from a stable marriage. We need to return to the way that Elohim intended and give marriage the respect that it deserves. Children whose parents are happily married are blessed with the ideal environment to grow up in and produce emotionally stable leaders for future generations.

 

It is so sad to see that not everyone is willing to follow Scriptural principles promoting happy marriages and how to avoid divorce. There are many warnings against adultery in the Scriptures. One such warning appears in Proverbs 6: 32, as follows: ‘The one who commits adultery with a woman is lacking sense; he who would destroy himself does it.’  We should also be mindful of what Rav Shaul said about immoral sexual relationships in 1 Corinthians 6: 9 – 18, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of Elohim. (11) And such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Master Yahshua Messiah, and in the Spirit of our Elohim. (12) All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything. (We may drink wine and even whiskey, but we should never get drunk)  (13) Food is for the stomach, and the stomach is for food; but Elohim will do away with both of them. (We should also not be gluttons). Yet the body is not for immorality, but for the Master; and the Master is for the body. (14) Now Elohim has not only raised the Master, but will also raise us up through His power. (15) Do you not know that your bodies are members of Messiah? Shall I then take away the members of Messiah and make them members of a harlot? May it never be! (16) Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH.” (17) But the one who joins himself to the Master is one spirit with Him. (18) Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.’

 

To understand what further benefits there are to be had by obeying Elohim’s Torah, we need to consider the blessings and the curses recorded for us in Deuteronomy 28.  The first 14 verses specify the blessings we will receive by obeying all the commandments Elohim gave us through Moses, in this way: “Now it shall be, if you will diligently obey YHVH your Elohim, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, YHVH your Elohim will set you high above all the nations of the earth. (2) “And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey YHVH your Elohim. (3) Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the country. (4) Blessed shall be the offspring of your body and the produce of your ground and the offspring of your beasts, the increase of your heard and the young of your flock. (5) Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl. (6) Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out. (7) YHVH will cause your enemies who rise up against you to be defeated before you; they shall come against you one way and shall flee before you seven ways. (8) YHVH will command the blessing upon you in your barns and in all that you put your hand to, and He will bless you in the land which YHVH your Elohim gives you. (9) YHVH will establish you as a holy people to Himself, as He swore to you, if you will keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim, and walk in His ways. (10) So all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of YHVH; and they shall be afraid of you. (11) And YHVH will make you abound in prosperity, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your beast and in the produce of your ground, in the land which YHVH swore to your fathers to give you. (12) YHVH will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (13) And YHVH shall make you the head and not the tail, and you only shall be above, and you shall not be underneath (meaning you shall be in control, and not be controlled), if you will listen to the commandments of YHVH your Elohim, which I charge you today, to observe them carefully, (14) and do not turn aside from any of the words which I command you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.’ These blessings should be enough to get most human beings to obey Elohim, but because Christianity teach that the harsh commandments of YHVH have been done away with by the false Messiah called J*e*s*u*s, most wouldn’t even consider reading the Torah, let alone obey it.

Continuing in Deuteronomy 28 from verse 15 onward, we see that there are 54 verses in which the curses are given that will befall us if we do not obey the commandments of Elohim. The curses in Deuteronomy 28 are like a nightmare, but because most of the people in the world are disobedient to the teachings of Elohim, we see how most of these diseases are occurring amongst our people, some of which are listed in verse 27 (KJV), in this way: ‘YHVH will smite thee with the botch (boils) of Egypt, and with the emerods (hemorrhoids), and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst be healed.’ From reading the blessings and the curses in Deuteronomy 28, we see that when those who are blessed, they are blessed everywhere they go and in everything they do. The curses likewise, imply that those who are cursed are cursed everywhere they go and in everything they do. That it is why we should keep away from religious leaders and others who teach that their savior did away with the Torah. This is confirmed in verse 58 & 59 of Deuteronomy 28, as follows: ‘If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, YHVH your Elohim, (59) then YHVH will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.’ YHVH has given us the pattern or way in which He wants us to serve Him in His word. We read accordingly in Deuteronomy 4: 1 & 2, “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, in order that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which YHVH, the Elohim of your fathers, is giving you. (2) You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of YHVH your Elohim which I command you.” These blessings and curses should be motivation enough to get the worst sinner to start obeying Elohim’s commandments, but because most believe in a false Messiah, they curse their children and themselves, by their disobedience.

We see the end result of these curses being, that Israel will be scattered among the nations. We read about this unbearable situation in verse 65 & 66 of Deuteronomy 28, as follows: “And among those nations you shall find no rest, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot; but there YHVH will give you a trembling heart, failing of eyes, and despair of soul. (66) So your life shall hang in doubt before you; and you shall be in dread night and day, and shall have no assurance of your life.” There are not many holocaust survivors alive today, but I am sure, if it is possible for us to ask one of them who are still alive, about their experiences, it will sound a lot like the two verses quoted here.  However, we read a prophecy about the coming trouble in verse 14 of Ezekiel 21, as follows: “You therefore, son of man, prophesy, and clap your hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword for the slain. It is the sword for the great one slain, which surrounds them.” This is clearly talking about World War 3, and it is saying that the armaments to be used during it will be double as much as that used during World War II. People from Judah as well as many of us from the Israelite nations will again be put in concentration camps, but what happened during World War 2 will look like a Sunday school picnic compared to what is coming. Jeremiah puts it like this in Jeremiah 12: 5, “If you have run with footmen and they have tired you out, then how can you compete with horses? If you fall down in a land of peace, how will you do in the thicket of the Jordan?”

 

The fact that Yahshua has redeemed us from the curses of the Law (as per Galatians 3: 13), has been taken out of context and have caused many ignorant and week believers to stumble, by thinking that Rav Shaul was contradicting both Torah and what Yahshua taught in Matthew 5: 17 – 20. Yes, Yahshua has wiped our slate clean of past sins, but, if we continue to sin after being immersed into His saving name, we will reap what we sow. If you look at the world around us, you will notice that most people suffer from one or even a number of health problems. If Yahshua is continuing to remove the curses of the Law from His followers, Hisas some believe, why are so many people sick and dying from incurable diseases? The reason is contained in the portion of the Scriptures which most falsely believe to have been abolished by Messiah. But, since YHVH is busy calling people from the churches of the world to come into the truth and His way of life, it is necessary to explain these laws contained in Torah. The reason being that Gentiles do not as a norm believe or study the Torah and Christianity where most returnees come from, insists that their Messiah abolish His Father’s Law for His followers. We know that in His own words Yahshua our Messiah and savior said that He did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets, but to make it more binding (in Matthew 5: 17 – 48). In addition Rav Shaul tells believers in 2 Corinthians 6: 14 – 18, saying: ‘Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? (15) Or what harmony has Messiah with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? (16) Or what agreement has the temple of Elohim with idols? For we are the temple of the living Elohim; just as Elohim said, “I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR ELOHIM, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. (17) Therefore, COME OUT FROM THEIR MIDST AND BE SEPARATE,” says YHVH. “AND DO NOT TOUCH WHAT IS UNCLEAN; and I will welcome you. (18) “And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me.” Says YHVH Almighty.’  We should not touch what is unclean; a leper, discharges from a human body, idols, unclean meats, dead bodies and if perchance we do, we are considered unclean until the evening and should wash our clothes and bodies with (soap and) water. But, to ensure that we remain in good health, let’s examine the things that renders a person unclean in more detail:

1. Eating unclean foods:  We read from Leviticus 11: 7 – 8: “and the pig, for though it divides the hoof, thus making a split hoof, it does not chew cud, it is unclean to you. (8)You shall not eat of their flesh nor touch their carcasses; they are unclean to you.” Did you know that pork parasites can be contracted by simply handling fresh pork? When ingesting pork man is often infected with the Trichinella larvae; the capsule that surrounds each larva is dissolved by the digestive juices and the larva attaches itself to the intestines, from where they enter the bloodstream. Pork tape-worm is another parasite that grows to almost two meters in length in its human host. Influenza (flu) is one of the illnesses which pigs share with humans. This illness is harbored in the lungs of pigs during summer months and tends to affect pigs and humans in the cooler months. Sausage containing bits of pigs’ lungs and those who consume pork sausage tend to suffer more during flu epidemics. Pig meat can also lead to itching and inflammation and sulfur contained in deposits of its mucus in tendons and cartilage causes Arthritis and Rheumatism. The reason why YHVH tells us what to eat and what not, is because He created certain things for the benefit of His covenant people, and He also knows what would be harmful to us. The reason we can eat cattle, sheep and goats is because they have a lot lower incidence of communicable diseases. Hooves protect clean animals from cuts and injury, which are entry points for germs, parasites and prevent diseases entering the body. These animals are ruminating animals, meaning they chew the cud – their stomachs have more than one compartment. Their food is thoroughly digested as it moves from one compartment to the next, before it passes on to the intestines where the nutrients are extracted and absorbed into the bloodstream for nourishment. They eliminate toxins much more effectively than they would, if they had shorter digestive processes like other animals and humans.  In addition ruminating animals do not by nature eat flesh, and are not predatory, but are vegetarians and eat food less complicated to digest, than meat. Consequently meat from ruminating animals is ideal for human nourishment.

 

Like ruminating animals, birds that are suitable for human consumption have stomachs or gizzards with a double skin which can be easily separated, such as chicken, turkey, and certain species of duck and geese. They have digestive systems much like the ruminating animals, more capable of eliminating impurities from their food than the digestive systems of unclean animals; leaf eating birds like ducks, geese, pigeons and swans have bacteria in their intestines that break down roughage. This form of rumination, also render these birds suitable for human consumption. The only clean insects that are considered fit for human consumption are the variants of grasshoppers that has a crop, gizzard, intestines and a stomach, in that order, from front to back. Like clean animals grasshoppers chew their food with jaws and have long digestive processes like ruminating animals or clean birds. These facts could not have been discovered by mankind through mere observation, and it was for this reason that YHVH, the Creator of these animals revealed these to His people through His Torah. It is not only pork that makes us detestable, but shell fish, like lobsters, crabs, shrimp; rodents like mice, rats, rabbits, squirrel, raccoon, kangaroo and wallaby; scavengers like eagles, buzzards, catfish and sharks, even though they each have a purpose their meats are detestable and not fit for human consumption.

 

We read further from Leviticus 11: 10 – 11: “But whatever is in the seas and the rivers, that do not have fins and scales among all the teeming life of the water, and among all the living creatures that are in the water, they are detestable things to you, (11) and they shall be abhorrent to you; you may not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses you shall detest.” Shellfish such as shrimps, lobsters, oysters, mussels, clams and crabs are considered scavengers and consume foods that are harmful to human beings.  They are contaminated with parasites, viruses and enteric organisms that cannot be killed even with high heat. These could cause Typhoid, Dysentery, Hepatitis B or paralysis of the muscles of the arms, legs or lungs, depending upon the degree of pollution of the water, in which they live. In addition meat and milk products should not be cooked and/or eaten at the same time. Now perhaps when YHVH gave this law initially it did not make sense to the Israelites, but today we know that violating this rule results in high cholesterol that causes heart attacks and strokes.

1. Leprosy and other contagious diseases:  Examples of leprosy and similar contagious diseases are Hanson’s disease or leprosy, Chickenpox, Smallpox, Typhoid, Polio and Scarlet fever. In today’s society the Aids virus is very resourceful and escapes new medicines and the body’s own defenses. People with these diseases should be isolated or quarantined (as per Leviticus 13: 4 & 5). Anything a person with these diseases touch must be washed (Leviticus 15: 11) and whoever touches such a person’s bed or skin must wash his clothes and himself (Leviticus 15: 1 – 7).

2. Excrement:  The biggest health problem is that flies spread germs because they feed off decaying food and feces. Every time an Israelite ‘goes to the bathroom,’ he must dig a hole and cover his dung with earth (Deuteronomy 23: 12 – 14). This should be done when we are camping outside, where there are perhaps no ‘bathroom’ facilities available. In the modern sense, we must flush the toilet and ensure that it is clean when we are done.  Also be sure to wash your hands after you’ve been to the ‘bathroom’.

3. Seminal emissions and menstrual blood:  A woman beginning with menstrual flow must not have marital relations with her husband (Leviticus 18: 19) and after the cessation of menstrual flow, she must count seven days (Leviticus 15: 19 & 28) and then immerse her entire body in water. Then, after a couple have had marital relations, both husband and wife should bathe and are unclean until the evening (Leviticus 15: 18). By the way the uncircumcised are also considered unclean (see both Isaiah 52: 1 & Ezekiel 44: 9), since it is more difficult to wash germs of under the skin.

4. Contact with dead bodies: All dead animals are unclean (Leviticus 11: 8, 24, 29 – 31), including those permitted as food for mankind (Leviticus 11: 31 – 39). If a man touches it, he becomes unclean until the evening and should wash his clothes and his body. Touching a grave, a human corpse or a bone renders a person unclean (Numbers 19: 11 – 18; Leviticus 22: 4). This applies to funerals, autopsies and soldiers in war. The forbidding of defiling oneself with the dead has a required 7 days of purification should this occur. If one’s home is constantly in the environment of the ‘dead’, one will have a continual defiled atmosphere. For example, those people who insist to keep the ashes of their deceased within their homes are defiling their atmosphere in their ignorance of the laws of the Set-apart Scriptures.

5. Idols:  We read in Genesis 35: 2: ‘So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away foreign gods (idols) which are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments.”’ We also read in Isaiah 30: 22 ‘And you will defile your graven images, overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing; and say to them, “Be gone!” And we further read in Ezekiel 36: 17 & 25: “Son of man, when the house of Israel was living in their own land, they defiled it by their ways and their deeds (eating pig and unclean foods, keeping pagan feasts and bringing Christmas trees into their homes, keeping pictures and statutes of Mary, J*e*s*u*s and even B*u*d*d*h*a*, as well as attending church in buildings with steeples); (25) “Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols” The Scriptures do not specify how idols make us unclean, but tell us not to learn the way of the pagan nations and worship idols, for example Xmas-trees  (see Jeremiah 10: 1- 5).

6. Childbirth:  After the birth of a baby boy, a woman must count seven days and wash in a mikveh. After the birth of a baby girl she must count fourteen days and wash in a mikveh as per Leviticus 12: 1-5.

7. Clothing made from manmade materials:  During periods of recuperation from sickness patients should avoid wearing bedclothes and sleep on bedding made from manmade fabrics, such as polyester, rayon, nylon and blended fabrics, since these materials dramatically reduce the human body’s ability to heal itself. Since the earliest times, flax has been known to have healing properties. Recent studies done in Japan, confirmed that linen garments and bed sheets contain health benefits and scientists have identified that linen is an inhibitor of toxic electrostatic energy and stimulates a human’s immunity system.  We read further about clothing from the last part of Leviticus 19: 19, as follows: ‘You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed, nor wear a garment upon you of two kinds of material mixed together.’

8. Household pets:  Household pets spread their parasites throughout the carpets, bedding and floors. In addition commercial pet foods are also a source of massive contamination of organisms that hinder health. People who desire to remain healthy should keep pets outside and wash their hands regularly after contact with pets.

 

Besides the health and hygiene benefits to be had by refraining, as far as is possible from coming into contact with the above mentioned, we read from Deuteronomy 23: 14, “Since YHVH your Elohim walks in the midst of your camp to deliver you and to defeat your enemies before you, therefore your camp must be holy; and He must not see anything indecent among you lest He turn away from you.” If we do not clean up our lives, then we cannot expect YHVH to be amongst us, or to protect us. The point is who or what makes YHVH angry? We read from Isaiah 65: 3 – 4: ‘A people who continually provoke Me to My face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks; (4) Who sit among graves, and spend the night in secret places; Who eat  swine’s flesh, and the broth of unclean meat is in their pots.’ Moses knew how to avoid contagious sexual diseases. In addition to capital punishment for homosexuals and adulterers as set out in Leviticus 20: 13, quarantine laws for victims infected with communicable diseases are given in Leviticus 13: 45 & 46. In Leviticus 13: 4 we read about Hyssop. Hyssop oil is an antiseptic which kills fungi and bacteria. Branches of hyssop were used in water on an unclean person. We should be careful to touch unclean things and wash daily (Numbers 19; Leviticus 11: 15) using soap (Numbers19: 18). We should also avoid sitting on public benches or public toilets. We should wash our hands and the food we eat (Leviticus 22: 6). We should wash after going to the bathroom (Deuteronomy 23: 12 – 14) and after touching dead bodies (Numbers 19: 16) insects and spiders (Leviticus 22: 5 – 6). 

 

Willful violation of any Scriptural law is sin, but impurity is not always associated with sin. For example marital relations, giving birth, burying the dead, menstruating or becoming leprous all causes impurity, but none are sinful acts as such. So even though we cannot always avoid contact with things that defile us, we need to make sure that we follow the Scriptural rules to become pure after such incidences. We may for example not partake of the Passover, if we have been in touch with dead bodies – when attending a funeral and assist as a pallbearer. In Numbers 9 : 9 - 12 we read what to do in such a situation, as follows: ‘Then YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, (10) “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to YHVH (11) ‘In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.  (12) ‘They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it.’ This tells us that if we could not partake of the normal Passover, because we were considered unclean at the time, i.e. on the evening of the fourteenth of Aviv, then we should partake of it a month later. We must never neglect to partake of the Passover, since such an action could result in us being cut off from our people (Israel), according to verse 13 of Numbers 9. However, we should also remember that we need to be circumcised in both the heart and the flesh to partake of the Passover.

 

The regulations and rules that medical doctors know and use today are all to be found in the Scriptures. Rules regarding scrubbing with (soap and) water after contact with a disease are found in Leviticus 14: 9; 15: 7, 13 -19; 17: 16; 22: 6; Numbers 19: 7 – 8 and Jeremiah 2: 22. Clothes washers, sinks, bathtubs and showers are all Scriptural as per Numbers 31: 20 – 24. We use Hyssop as an antiseptic (Numbers 19: 18) and fuller’s soap (Malachi 3: 2) to clean ourselves. The law concerning quarantine is mentioned in Leviticus 12: 1 - 4 and 13: 46. Using a face mask like dentists and doctors do is used in Leviticus 13: 45. It is common practice in hospitals to shave off body hair for better hygiene as mentioned in Leviticus 13: 33, 45 – 46; 14: 8 – 9. We see in Leviticus 15: 8 that spit is regarded as an infective discharge. Gonorrhea and Herpes can both be contracted from towels, clothing and bedding as per Leviticus 11: 32. Unglazed pottery must be broken and cannot be easily cleaned of germs (Leviticus 11: 33), which means that chipped drinking cups and cracked ceramic dinnerware, should be discarded. Containers of food and drink must be covered to prevent bugs or flies and gnats from sitting or falling on it (Numbers 19: 15).  When it comes to obeying most of these health laws and keeping pagan festivals like Xmas, people often ask: How can most of Christianity be deceived about these very important issues to Elohim? The answer is contained in the following Scriptural witnesses:

• Revelation 12: 9, ‘And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.’

• 1 John 5: 19, ‘We know that we are of Elohim, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.’

• Ephesians 2:  1 & 2: ‘And you (insert your name here) were dead in your trespasses and sins,  (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.’

• 2 Corinthians 4: 3 & 4: ‘And even if our gospel (the gospel of the coming kingdom of Elohim preached by Messiah in amongst other Mark 1: 14 & 15) is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, (4) in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Messiah (who is coming to rule the world for a thousand years and beyond), who is the image of Elohim.’

We read further from 1 John 2: 15 – 17, as follows; ‘Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. (17) And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of Elohim abides forever.’ Nevertheless, we also read Rav Shaul’s exhortation to those of us who already know Elohim’s truths from Hebrews 6: 4 – 8, saying: ‘For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of Elohim, and put Him to open shame. (7) For ground that drinks the rain which often falls upon it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from Elohim; (8) but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.’

We know that many Christian believers obey some of the Scriptural rules without ever reading the Tanach, since they have been taught these rules by their parents. Some of these rules are common sense, but I am certain that some of these we have learnt from our parents by word of mouth, because they learnt it from their forefathers, who were in the very distant past, part of the twelve tribes of Israel. This was the way Torah upon the lips used to be passed on from one generation to the next, in Scriptural times. There might also be many of these rules, which we transgressed, because those amongst us, who come from a Christian background, were taught incorrectly by deceived parents and their deceived ministers of religion. In that case brethren, it has become time for us to say as we read in Jeremiah 16 verse 19, in this way: ‘O YHVH, my strength and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of distress, to thee the nations (Goiim) will come from the ends of the earth and say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit.” My fellow believers in Yahshua, it is time for us to repent and return to full Torah observance – if we truly want Elohim to come and tabernacle with us again. Think about it!