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Leviticus, chapter 25

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof;
4 But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.

Every seventh year the land was to be allowed to rest.

5 That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land.

For one year the land was not to be dressed and kept like Adam was to have done in the Garden of Eden. It was to be left alone to grow wild.

6 And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee,
7 And for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.
But you could eat of that wild takeover as could your animals.

8 ¶ And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
9 Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.
10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
11 A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.
12 For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.
13 In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession.
14 And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another:
15 According to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee:
16 According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.
17 Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the LORD your God.

There is something prophetic about this jubilee year and I can’t figure it out. If you have any ideas let me know.

18 Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

This was a literal promise given to a literal and physical national nation, Israel. It can be applied, in principle, to any people anywhere but you harm people’s faith when you apply doctrinally passages to yourself or your country that weren’t written to you or your country.

19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

This was a promise given to Israel. There have been other, wicked countries that had an abundance of agricultural surpluses and lived in safety. But, this was promised to Israel if she lived in God’s Law.

20 And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase:
21 Then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.
Here is the typical promise from God that required faith to see it through. He promised that if they obeyed then certain things would happen. We have been promised that, as well, but every time when we don’t claim God’s promises for the Christian it is not because of a lacking in God but in ourselves.

22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.
23 ¶ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me.

The promised land belonged to God and the Hebrews were foreigners, aliens, and temporary occupants. It is clear that God claims the land. Recent scientific discoveries show that the promised land began drying out after the Jews were dispersed from it. It appears to be the barren waste that we have of it in our popular mind after this. It is God’s land.

24 And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.
25 If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.
26 And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it;
27 Then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession.
28 But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

This is a pretty fair and equitable financial situation, don’t you think?

29 And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.
30 And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile.

Here is an exception.

31 But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.

This refers to land to be used for agriculture. Notice the difference between the two types of house with regard to location. Also notice the difference between a walled city and an unwalled village.

32 Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time.
33 And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.
34 But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

The class of priests had specific rules about the condition of their ownership of property.

35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
36 Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.
37 Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.
38 I am the LORD your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

A fellow Jew or a foreigner was to be taken care of and not lent money with interest or sold or given food for profit. God had been the benefactor of the Hebrews and they were sojourners in His land which He had given them.

39 ¶ And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant:
40 But as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile:
41 And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.
42 For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen.

They could not retain a fellow Hebrew as a slave. They could however hire him, because these people belonged to God.

43 Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

They were to be kind and easy with their Hebrew servants.

44 Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

They could only have slaves of the heathen that were around them.

45 Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession.

At this particular point in time, as the only Theocracy ever approved by God on earth, was being formed, this nation of former slaves was permitted to make slaves of foreigners which lived among them that they bought.

Now, this isn’t something you can easily move to our time or to any other time to justify slavery. Slavery was a fact of the ancient world. God didn’t condemn it outright and even placed constraints on it for the Hebrews. The problem is when ecclesiastical organizations and movements like the Roman Catholic Church and the “mainstream” Protestant churches claim to have taken over Israel’s promises and attempt to set up an Old Testament theocracy with their own priests as the inheritors of the Levitical priesthood then we have all sorts of problems and excuses for wickedness.

46 And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

These slaves were property and could be inherited. The children of Israel were not to be harsh taskmasters over each other.

47 And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family:
48 After that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him:
49 Either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself.

I think its interesting how God, in a wicked pagan world, goes about setting up a people for Himself and creates laws and rules favoring them and underlining their separation from the rest of the world.

50 And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him.
51 If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.
52 And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.
53 And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight.
54 And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him.
55 For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Here, the Hebrews are referred to as God’s servants.

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Leviticus 24

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

Oil is a type of the Holy Spirit used for anointing of an individual set apart by God, for instance, a prophet in the Old Testament or any Christian after the New Testament is in force.

Exodus 29:7 Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.

1 John 2:20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.

3 Without the vail of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually: it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.
4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

The true origin of the “eternal flame”, preceding pagan antiquity by hundreds of years.

5 And thou shalt take fine flour, and bake twelve cakes thereof: two tenth deals shall be in one cake.
6 And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.

Twelve cakes of bread. Here are the twelve tribes of Israel. They are laid out six and six, 66 being the number of books in the Bible.

7 And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
Frankincense represents God and is one of the three gifts given to the child, Jesus, by the wise men of the east.

8 Every sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.
9 And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’; and they shall eat it in the holy place: for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute.

This was to be honored forever by the Jews.

10 ¶ And the son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel: and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp;
11 And the Israelitish woman’s son blasphemed the name of the LORD, and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother’s name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan:)
12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them.
13 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.
15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.
16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.
17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.
18 And he that killeth a beast shall make it good; beast for beast.
19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.
21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.
22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the LORD your God.
23 And Moses spake to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

For those people who are trying to put Christians back under the law given to the Hebrews I point out the fact that you are going to have commit legal murder in the event that anyone, even a visitor from another country, were to blaspheme God, and by extension, as Christians, Jesus Christ. You will also have to commit aggravated battery by putting out the eye of someone whose violence causes an eye to be removed.

This is the Law for the nation of Israel, the Hebrews, a theocracy to be run directly by God. It will be in force again when God, the Lord Jesus Christ, physically rules from Jerusalem for a thousand years. We have a further explanation of the rules for the kingdom of heaven on earth in the Gospels.

To be a “Judaizer”, as Paul says, and to try to force Christians back under the Law, seems to be the primary motive of many “big church” priests as well as a large number of fundamentalists. The purpose seems to be to create a copy of the Hebrew priesthood, a Nicolaitanism, and force the congregant to submit to the authority of that priest, whether he be wearing the vestments of a Roman Catholic or Anglican priest or simply the ‘off the rack’ suit of a Baptist “man o’ God”.

These modern day “Judaizers” have made the church a weak, political tool and wiped out its spiritual power by looking to the government to create an imitation theocracy. When things were bad morally in the Colonial ear, the people of God prayed and God sent a revival and thousands were saved. After the revolution things were bad spiritually and people prayed and God sent a revival and thousands were saved. When Christians looked to government to take God’s place and to defeat the evil of slavery without God’s blessing, God sent a Civil War which killed hundreds of thousands. When Christians did the same thing with alcohol, God sent a World War and took away our Bibles.

As Christians become more and more interested in establishing a theocracy, a mimicry of God’s standard on earth, weak political power replaces the influence of the Holy Spirit in the church.

Leviticus 23

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.
This is a special day of the week, the seventh day, traditionally celebrated from sundown Friday to Sundown Saturday. It is a command not repeated in the list of commandments to Christians in Romans 13 because it was a sign to the Hebrews.

Exodus 31:13 Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.

The Sabbath represents the seventh age, corresponding to the seventh day of creation, the Lord’s day of rest which will never end but even after the millennial reign of Christ will go on forever.

4 ¶ These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
5 In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.
6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

Here is a distinction between Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But later the Jews will lump the entire celebration together, referring to it as Passover.

Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

So, there are two special days during this feast, the first and the last where no work is to be done.

9 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

1Corinthians 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

1Corinthians 15:23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.

11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.
12 And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.
Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

13 And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.
14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
15 ¶ And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

I think, and I may have this wrong, but that this is Pentecost.

17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.
19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.
20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.
21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

The poor and foreigners were allowed to gather what was left over of any harvest. This was a type of welfare in the Hebrew Theocracy.

23 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.
25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
28 And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.
29 For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.
30 And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

Verse 29, which is hard to understand, is then defined by verse 30, as is often the case. A person who is not afflicted with thoughts of his own sin and his separation from God on the day of atonement will work and ignore the sacredness of the day. Therefore, that person is to be killed. In fact, God will kill him.

31 Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
32 It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.
33 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.
35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.
36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.
37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:
38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.

As you can see, there are several Sabbaths and there are feast days. It’s important in understanding this to look at when Christ was crucified. For instance, who many Sabbaths were in that week.

39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.
40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

John 12:13 Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Notice how they rejoiced before Jesus Christ, who is God the Son, or God in the flesh.

41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.
42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:
43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

I believe that the Jews still celebrate this holy day.

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Leviticus 22

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not my holy name in those things which they hallow unto me: I am the LORD.

They were not to dishonor God in the way they worshipped Him. Can we take a clue from that?

3 Say unto them, Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, that goeth unto the holy things, which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from my presence: I am the LORD.

Under the Law they would die, the priests, for coming to the Lord unclean. But, how many of us go to worship with unconfessed sins on us?

4 What man soever of the seed of Aaron is a leper, or hath a running issue; he shall not eat of the holy things, until he be clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him;
5 Or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing, whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath;
6 The soul which hath touched any such shall be unclean until even, and shall not eat of the holy things, unless he wash his flesh with water.

We wash today on a daily basis before coming to God. How?

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

How many Christians, of the ones that do pray, start out their day seeking God’s face in prayer without letting God’s word cleanse them? Do you not recite verses and read your Bible first to hear God speaking to YOU before you try to talk to HIM?

7 And when the sun is down, he shall be clean, and shall afterward eat of the holy things; because it is his food.
8 That which dieth of itself, or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

Obviously, this has health implications whether or not they are incidental. A dead animal may be diseased as may be something killed by other animals.

9 They shall therefore keep mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it, and die therefore, if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.
10 ¶ There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing: a sojourner of the priest, or an hired servant, shall not eat of the holy thing.

Foreigners, visitors, or hired servants (employees) are not to eat of that which is set apart for the Lord.

11 But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house: they shall eat of his meat.

However, a purchased slave and those born in the priest’s household are free to eat of the holy food.

12 If the priest’s daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

If the priest’s daughter marries a foreigner she can’t eat of the holy things.

13 But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat: but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

She can eat if she goes home after being widows, divorced, and has no child to care for her.

14 And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put the fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.
15 And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD;
16 Or suffer them to bear the iniquity of trespass, when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

These were serious issues for the Hebrews. How can modern Christians keep trying to put themselves back under the Law and then selectively choose which laws they will obey?

17 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them, Whatsoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that will offer his oblation for all his vows, and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering;
19 Ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.
20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you.
21 And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.
22 Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.
23 Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering; but for a vow it shall not be accepted.
24 Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.
25 Neither from a stranger’s hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these; because their corruption is in them, and blemishes be in them: they shall not be accepted for you.

By inference, how many of us, when we give something to God, is it broken or blemished or what’s left? Our time to and with God is not our first priority. Our money to God is not our first fruits but what’s left after we have used it to satisfy our own wants and needs. We are all sottish and foolish children.

26 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
27 When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth, then it shall be seven days under the dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

I am not smart enough to understand the purpose of this rule. Is it about mercy to the animal? I don’t know.

28 And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

An even more peculiar statement. Could this have something to do with mirroring something in Heaven itself?

29 And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

Thanksgiving offerings must be voluntary. But we should always be thankful.

1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

30 On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.
31 Therefore shall ye keep my commandments, and do them: I am the LORD.
32 Neither shall ye profane my holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD which hallow you,
33 That brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.

These things separated the Hebrews from other people. They also glorified God and made His name known to the heathen.

Leviticus 21

1 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them, There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people:
2 But for his kin, that is near unto him, that is, for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,
3 And for his sister a virgin, that is nigh unto him, which hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

Handling and preparing a dead person for burial is limited to certain close relations.

4 But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

However, a chief man was not to handle the dead.

5 They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

These were obviously religious proscriptions. People apparently did these things for religious motives. Scarification is part of the modern fetish of Primitivism.

6 They shall be holy unto their God, and not profane the name of their God: for the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and the bread of their God, they do offer: therefore they shall be holy.
7 They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.

A priest could not marry a whore or a divorced woman.

8 Thou shalt sanctify him therefore; for he offereth the bread of thy God: he shall be holy unto thee: for I the LORD, which sanctify you, am holy.
9 And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.

A priest’s daughter who was a whore had to be killed.

10 ¶ And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head, nor rend his clothes;
11 Neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
12 Neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

The priest is not to make the signs of mourning and grief, of tearing clothes or tending to the dead bodies of a close relative.

13 And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

The priest is to marry a virgin, a woman who has never had sex with a man.
14 A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife.

The priest is limited here as to what the condition is of the woman he is to marry.

15 Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the LORD do sanctify him.

The priest is set apart for God. He must not do certain things that others are allowed to do.

16 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17 Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

The priest was not to have a handicap. This is not politically correct but it is true in regard to God’s rules for the priesthood. This is one reason not to take the doctrine of the Christian as a type of priest too far.

18 For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,
19 Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,
20 Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;
21 No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.
22 He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
23 Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.
24 And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

The handicapped man is to worship and partake of the bread of God, but he is not to enter into the vail. We will have no handicaps in our glorified bodies.

Latest Reading

Latest Reading
From Dawn to Decadence, 1500 to the present, 500 years of Western Cultural Life, by Jacques Barzun, Harper Collins, 2000. This is a great book that illuminates many trends in the rise and decay of Western Civilization and presents many possible conclusions to my mind, most of which probably weren't intended by the author. This is a must read for any history buff or honest critic of our culture.

Latest Reading

Hamburger Hill, The Battle for Ap Bia Mountain, May 11-20, 1969, by Samuel Zaffiri, Presidio Press, 1988. This is one of the most awesome and exciting military books I have ever read and is very much a must read for students of the Second Indochina War. All I can say is "four stars!" and worth every second of your time. Please read this book.

Leviticus, chapter 20

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth any of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

A stranger, once again, is a foreigner. The murder of infants in a religious ceremony was common in the Ancient Near East and it has been said by historians that in Carthage, a former Phoenician colony, that 300 upper class babies were killed in one day in this way to Baal in hopes of ending a siege. The different names of various gods are all simply manifestations of Satan.
3 And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people; because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy name.
4 And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he giveth of his seed unto Molech, and kill him not:
5 Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

It’s very clear that the Hebrew religion was a communal one. They were responsible for chastising and even executing members of their community who, regardless of belief, transgressed God’s commandment. Those of us who consider America to be a Christian Nation or to have once been a Christian Nation often have the faulty thinking that the magistrate should enforce God’s laws.

However, under the Dispensation of Grace we have no such command. Christianity is a personal religion and no nation can be Christian, only individuals can. America’s first error was in its freedom of religion, allowing political religions such as Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, Communism, and now Islam to influence its national character.

This is the philosophy that destroyed America’s promise; that government is God and that God is so weak He needs humans to enforce His statutes and that America is a kind of ancient Israel. Both Republicans and Democrats have this false messianic vision of our country.

6 And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people.

Idolatry is often likened to sexual immorality. Here, it is said that they would “go a whoring” after familiar spirits and wizards. God will kill that person who does this, among them.

7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

Set yourself apart for God, being holy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God and not anything else.

8 And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the LORD which sanctify you.

Here He orders them to keep His statutes and to do them but here He says He is doing the sanctifying.

Psalm 119:1 ¶ ALEPH. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. 4 ¶ Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently. 5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes! 6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments. 7 ¶ I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments. 8 I will keep thy statutes: O forsake me not utterly.

9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.

Those Christians who want to put us all back under the Mosaic Law don’t like to pay heed to the rules such as this. We would today regard it as a tad extreme to put a child to death for cursing his parents. There is no comparable verse under the doctrines of Grace that would permit us to consider this remedy.

10 ¶ And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

If adultery were punishable by death under our laws our population could be halved.

11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Was this Ham’s crime?

Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without.

It certainly was the crime of the churchgoer in First Corinthians.

1Corinthians 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father‘s wife.

12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.

The same applies to the man’s daughter in law.

13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Under the Mosaic Law, male homosexual behavior was proscribed and the offenders would be put to death.

14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.

In the same respect, a man having sex with a woman and her mother was ordered to be put to death.

15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.

Bestiality with regard to male sexual behavior is condemned here.

16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

Bestiality with regard to female sexual behavior is condemned here.

17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father’s daughter, or his mother’s daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people: he hath uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity.

Incest is forbidden. Oddly, it doesn’t mention a man having sex with his daughter but only sister, half-sister, or step-sister seems to be included in this proscription.

18 And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness, and shall uncover her nakedness; he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood: and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

Here is an interesting rule for the Hebrews. It was forbidden to have sex with a woman during her period. This is curious due to certain fetishes and practices today. In addition, there are a great many emotional concerns around this time of the month for a female. Truthfully, since during her period it was not likely she could get pregnant this may have been an admonition to discourage the practice of having sex during this time to prevent pregnancy.

19 And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister, nor of thy father’s sister: for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

It was forbidden to have sex with an aunt by blood.

20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle’s wife, he hath uncovered his uncle’s nakedness: they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

It was forbidden to have sex with an aunt by marriage, also.

21 And if a man shall take his brother’s wife, it is an unclean thing: he hath uncovered his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

They were forbidden to have sex with a sister-in-law.

22 ¶ Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.

There is a threat here that the sexual immorality that they might commit will result in their being vomited out of the land like the Canaanites before them.

23 And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

These forbidden sexual acts were, apparently, commonplace among the Canaanites, the sons of Ham, who lived here.

24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.

Here is given the purpose of the sexual admonitions, to separate these people from others.

25 Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean: and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast, or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

The dietary regulations also made them different, which eventually became the grounds for much baseless pride.

26 And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the LORD am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine.

Again, he stresses the differentness of the Hebrew from the ethnic groups around them.

27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.

The spirit medium and the wizard was not to be tolerated by them.

Mark, chapter 16

1 ¶ And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him.

The Sabbath is past. Once Jesus Christ dies there is no Sabbath to keep any longer. Jesus is our Sabbath, our rest. There is no holy day for a Christian any more.

Col ossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

2 And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun.

Jesus had to have come out before daybreak.

3 And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?
4 And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away: for it was very great.
5 And entering into the sepulchre, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were affrighted.
6 And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him.
The central focus of Christianity is an empty tomb.

7 But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you.

Peter is singled out to be used as a leader of the early church but right now, also, he is in a backslidden condition. He is separated from the disciples until Christ appears. We are saved saints but we are not truly Christians unless we are walking a disciplined life, walking with Christ and being like Him. Most of us who are saved are just that, but not Christians.

8 And they went out quickly, and fled from the sepulchre; for they trembled and were amazed: neither said they any thing to any man; for they were afraid.

Although, of the 620 Uncial or most ancient block letter manuscripts that contain Mark 618 contain the following verses they are called into doubt in some Bibles. The two that don’t have these verses are the darlings of the Roman Catholic Church and modern day Protestant expositors, Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. They are corruptions from the 4th century, most likely prepared by Constantine’s’ bootlicker, Eusebius, for his own purposes of creating a Roman based and controlled church. Jerome’s revision of the Old Latin Bible called the Latin Vulgate and all modern versions gave these two abominations preeminence.

There have been many books written that prove the validity of the last twelve verses of Mark, most predominantly “The Last Twelve Verses of Mark” by Dean John Burgon. If your Bible version calls these verses into any question, throw that “Bible” out. It is trash. Justin Martyr, Tatian, Irenaeus, Ambrose, and Chrysostrom all quote these verses. Even Jerome’s Vulgate contains these verses even though he gives the two aforementioned codices preeminence elsewhere.

9 ¶ Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils.

A woman who had seven devils removed from her is the first person that Jesus shows Himself to. Think about that or a century or so.

Luke 7:36 ¶ And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. 37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.

To whom much is forgiven much love should be expected toward the Lord.

10 And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.
11 And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.
12 After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

Luke 24:13 ¶ And, behold, two of them went that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about threescore furlongs. 14 And they talked together of all these things which had happened.15 And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. 16 But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.17 And he said unto them, What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another, as ye walk, and are sad? 18 And the one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto him, Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days?
19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:20 And how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him to be condemned to death, and have crucified him. 21 But we trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done. 22 Yea, and certain women also of our company made us astonished, which were early at the sepulchre; 23 And when they found not his body, they came, saying, that they had also seen a vision of angels, which said that he was alive. 24 And certain of them which were with us went to the sepulchre, and found it even so as the women had said: but him they saw not. 25 Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken: 26 Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. 28 And they drew nigh unto the village, whither they went: and he made as though he would have gone further. 29 But they constrained him, saying, Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent. And he went in to tarry with them. 30 And it came to pass, as he sat at meat with them, he took bread, and blessed it, and brake, and gave to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. 32 And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures? 33 And they rose up the same hour, and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together, and them that were with them, 34 Saying, The Lord is risen indeed, and hath appeared to Simon. 35 And they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them in breaking of bread.

13 And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.

Three witnesses and no one believes them. I’m not bringing all of these in from other gospels because we will get to them eventually.

14 ¶ Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.
15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.

Here is the Great Commission, given to the Jewish apostles specifically.

16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Salvation is predicated upon belief, not upon baptism.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

1Corinthians 1:22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:

John 4:48 Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

1Corinthians 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

These five signs are given to the early Jewish church.

1 Corinthians 8 ¶ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.


These signs vanished with the death of the last apostle. That which is perfect, the Bible, is here. We are to read and hear it, to believe it and obey it. Those people who play with these gifts given to the apostles invite demonic oppression and possession in themselves and in their churches.

The fruit of the Spirit are not these signs for the Christian today. They are;

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

2Thessalonians 2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,

Are you manifesting the fruit of the Holy Spirit or are you communing with Satan?

19 ¶ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

The signs given to the apostles are no longer extant, although in the Tribulation the Jews may receive those again. For Christians today to claim these signs and not be able to produce them as defined by the Bible makes Christians a laughingstock.

God honors faith. He expects faith. Believe the Book. If you need a sign you are wicked. You have no faith. Unbelief damns you. As time goes by we will see these signs evident in the early, predominantly Jewish church. Let’s keep moving on.

Leviticus, chapter 19

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

God is holy and He wants His people to be holy. His people are to be set apart for His purpose. There are a lot of ways to live and to think and different possible lifestyles among men and women but they are not all holy to God. It’s not “all good”. God has set limits upon our behavior. Our culture no longer recognizes many of these limits.

3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

Our social services mentality does not want us to fear mother and father because mother and father are no longer examples and leaders of families, but they are merely mothers and fathers by accident and often disdain the position. You can’t trust mothers and fathers, on the whole, to even take their parental responsibilities seriously. After the 1820’s we began having an influx of immigrants from country and faith backgrounds that were not self-reliant, Bible believers, but people used to being taken care of.

The welfare and nanny state we have today is the natural outcome of that constant dissolution of the original settlers in this country. It is a natural devolution where parents surrender to the state in loco parentis.

4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

God’s people are to worship, to trust, and to depend on only Him.

5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

Offerings, like submission itself, is not submission, unless it is voluntary.

6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

God is our Master. We must obey God. These things were serious enough that if they defied His standard they were to die. Most Christians do not understand the nature of submission to God. They act like they are doing Him a favor by being on “His team”.

9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Here, provision is made for excess, of which there will be a lot, if they obey, to go to the poor and foreigners.

11 ¶ Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Most cultures accept this as a standard. Stealing is rarely considered a good thing unless you are stealing from others. Civilization can’t be maintained in an atmosphere of lying and false dealing. Of course, we lie to ourselves the most.

12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

They were told, and we should follow, that we are not to take God’s name lightly. “Gosh”, “golly”, “gee whiz”, and the like are simply Christian cursing and swearing. It is the attitude that must be deal with.

13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

Cheating people, stealing from them, or holding the wages of the worker past the end of his work day are forbidden. This makes all of our employers today with their one or two week withholding wages to be sinners. You were to be paid for that day’s wages when the day was done.

14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Abusing or mocking the handicapped is forbidden. It is put in contrast to fearing God. Oppressing those weaker than you does not show a fear of God, who will avenge them.
15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.

They were called to do the right thing always in judgment. They were not to be favorable either to the poor or the powerful, but to do justice. It is an ethical standard that we adhere to but often don’t seem to follow as the inheritors of the Judeo-Christian way of thought.

16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

Here we have an admonition against not only gossiping but also bearing false witness to get an innocent person punished.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him.

This is even more personal and shows God’s presumed command of our thoughts and His ability to read them. Obviously, considering other statements made, we are to tell our neighbor when we see him in open sin and not to give our approval by letting it pass. This is in opposition of our American ideal of freedom where you have the right to be wrong.

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.

Revenge and bearing a grudge, loving your neighbor as yourself are good principles to follow in all dispensations. This is God’s standard of righteousness. Notice how a husband is to love his wife as he loves his own body here;

Ephesians 5:28 So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.

19 ¶ Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.

This command specifically impacts the Hebrews nationally as it is along the lines of God wanting to maintain their separateness. It would be foolish and lacking in common sense if we tried to make it our own standard today. But, is there a greater truth in here than what we read. God’s standard calls for there to be differences and distinctions. The modern man’s hunger to make all things the same and to eliminate all differences seems to be at odds with God.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

Under the Law a woman who was engaged and a servant was scourged for having sex and man who had sex with her had to pay a trespass offering. Do you really want to be back under the Law?

23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.
24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

New fruit trees were to have five years of produce before their fruit was to be eaten.

26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

Here, under the Law, as before and after the Law, eating blood is forbidden.

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

Under the Law the Jewish man was not to trim his hair or bead in the manner of the gentiles.

28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

Here, tattoos are forbidden. I still don’t see any good in tats, but to each his own.

29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

This is an obvious reference to temple prostitution, to me, after reading Daniel Snell’s ‘Life in the Ancient Near East’.

30 ¶ Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

There are different Sabbaths other than just the last day of the week.
31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

Mediums and spiritualists are forbidden. Séance’s and attempts to contact the dead are totally in opposition to God.

32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Respect for age is commanded here, a fundamental part of any civilized nation.

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

Foreigners were not to be oppressed.

34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

A certain honor is to be given to the foreigner in deference to the Jews’ struggle in Egypt.

35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Do what is fair and equal, they were commanded. Do not cheat others.

37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

The Hebrew was commanded to obey all of God’s laws, thus acknowledging Him as their Lord.

Mark, chapter 15

1 ¶ And straightway in the morning the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him to Pilate.

This Wednesday. I’m not going to get into a specific argument about the day of the week that Christ was crucified, though.

The council always goes against the truth of the Lord. The only reference to a council that is righteous is the one in the millennium that Christ talks about in the sermon on the mount.

These rulers are in subjection to the Roman governor.

2 And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering said unto him, Thou sayest it.
A Gentile like Pilate is only interested in who is going to be in charge. This was his first concern. Jesus says the equivalent of “you said it”.

3 And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing.

You want to drive people crazy who are doing you wrong. Don’t say anything. Whenever I’ve had the moral courage to use it, it has done wonders. There is authority in silence.

4 And Pilate asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they witness against thee.
5 But Jesus yet answered nothing; so that Pilate marvelled.
6 Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.
7 And there was one named Barabbas, which lay bound with them that had made insurrection with him, who had committed murder in the insurrection.
8 And the multitude crying aloud began to desire him to do as he had ever done unto them.
9 But Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
10 For he knew that the chief priests had delivered him for envy.
11 But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

The world will take a person who is guilty of murder over the sinless Son of God. That’s just the way the world is.

12 And Pilate answered and said again unto them, What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?
13 And they cried out again, Crucify him.
14 Then Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? And they cried out the more exceedingly, Crucify him.
15 ¶ And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.

Pilate is a typical politician, pandering to the people. All of them lie and are afraid of the people. Rarely do they have the courage of their convictions and usually too late after a long line of cowardice. Being a politician is not consistent with being a Christian.

16 And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band.
17 And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head,

The Romans put this robe on him. The robe is to make fun of him, a mockery of his kingship.

18 And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews!
19 And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him.
20 And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.

Notice the mockery of Jesus.

21 And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.

Alexander and Rufus must have been important Christians eventually. Rufus is mentioned in Romans 16. There are a couple of Alexanders mentioned. But the one in 1 Timothy 1:20 might be him. Notice it doesn’t say Jesus fell down like the Roman Catholic myth states.

22 ¶ And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull.

Golgotha is the Hebrew while Calvary is from the Latin. The place of the skull would be linked to cranium.

23 And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.
24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take.

Psalm 22:18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.

This is nine o’clock in the morning.

26 And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.
27 And with him they crucify two thieves; the one on his right hand, and the other on his left.

The entire human race is on a cross. Either you are on his left hand or on his right. One will receive Him and one will reject.

28 And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

29 And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
30 Save thyself, and come down from the cross.

Proverbs 22:7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

31 Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save.
32 Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him.
33 ¶ And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

This is noon, our time. Here is a physical sign for the Romans.

34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

This is 3pm our time. He is quoting Psalm 22 for you to see.

Psalm 22:1 To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

Read the rest of the Psalm and notice those of us who are born again through Christ.

Psalm 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

We deserve to be forsaken by our God. If we had not received what Christ did for us on the cross, we would be doomed to Hell. At that point, God the Father turned his back on what was a worm on the cross. This is what Jesus Christ did for us. This makes me more ashamed when I am led apart by my own lusts and sin.

35 And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias.
36 And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down.

Psalm 69:21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

The Jews are looking for Elijah to come back.

Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 6 And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

But they didn’t know that a type of Elijah had already come but he wasn’t received.

Matthew 11:12 And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

37 And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

John 10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

38 And the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom.

The holy of holies is open to all of us now. It was not torn from bottom to top by a man but by God from top to bottom. This is a religious sign for the Jews. Both nature and the temple have revealed Him.

39 And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God.

This person was saved at this point. The acknowledgement, responding to what he hears, understanding that Jesus is God in the flesh, is what is necessary for salvation.

40 There were also women looking on afar off: among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the less and of Joses, and Salome;
41 (Who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and ministered unto him;) and many other women which came up with him unto Jerusalem.

Women played a prominent role in Jesus’ earthly ministry but are not given a command to lead. They are not responsible for what the apostles are given. This does not imply inferiority. There are several Mary’s other than His human mother.

42 ¶ And now when the even was come, because it was the preparation, that is, the day before the sabbath,

Here is why everyone says that Christ was crucified on Friday because the Sabbath would have been Saturday even though it is said in different places that he spent three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

Matthew 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

But, this isn’t a regular Sabbath but a special Sabbath. This was a special high Sabbath.

John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
Read Leviticus 23 carefully.

Jesus spent three days and nights in the grave and at some point on Saturday night He arose. Jesus is killed on the Passover and the next day is a Sabbath and so is the next Wednesday in addition to the regular Sabbath.

43 Joseph of Arimathaea, an honourable counsellor, which also waited for the kingdom of God, came, and went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus.
44 And Pilate marvelled if he were already dead: and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether he had been any while dead.

It was very common for a person to stay on a cross for a long time before they died but usually not ripped to shreds like Jesus was. People under crucifixion often stayed up there and slowly died. It was a brutal death.

45 And when he knew it of the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

Here, he gives permission.

46 And he bought fine linen, and took him down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre.

Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

Genesis 41:42 And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;

Exodus 28:39 And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

Revelation 19:8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

By the way, the so called Shroud of Turin is a fraud.

John 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre. 5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

There are, in fact, two pieces; a wrapping for the body and a wrapping for the face. The Shroud of Turin is a one piece shroud that has the image of a complete man. It is a fraud, another Roman Catholic myth to con the suckers.

47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where he was laid.

Luke 8 tells us that Mary Magdalene had seven devils removed from her. The Bible does not say she was a prostitute, which is another Pagan/Christian myth.

Latest Reading

Jefferson and the Ordeal of Liberty by Dumas Malone, Little, Brown, and Company, 1962. This is an interested but dry work on Jefferson's career as Secretary of State under Washington and then as Vice President under Adams. If anything it underscores what a fascist Alexander Hamilton was and it is the end of the Jeffersonian Republic and the fulfillment of Hamilton's dreams that resulted from the Civil War. Jefferson represents the Libertarian ideal while Hamilton represents the dictatorship of the Federal Government we have today. This is an important book, I believe, though.

Latest Reading

Night of the Silver Stars, The Battle of Lang Vei, by William R. Phillips, Naval Institute Press, 1997. This is one of those riveting and truly great books about a little known battle in the Second Indochina War, which we usually just call the Vietnam War. It was a battle in which the North Vietnamese Army used tanks. This battle was a loss for the Americans and their indigenous allies but an incredible story of bravery. It is a must read for anyone who lived in that era or is interested in it, about the war we never were told the truth about in the news media and in popular entertainment. Get it and read it and you'll enjoy it.

Latest Reading

Bloody Bill Anderson, The Short, Savage Life of a Civil War Guerrilla, by Albert Castel & Thomas Goodrich, Stackpole Books, 1998. This is a terrific and exciting historical account of the subject. If you remember the movie "The Outlaw Josey Wales" and the line, "My name's Anderson. They call me Bloody Bill." you'll know the type of action written about very credibly and very carefully. Now, I know why John Wayne's character in "True Grit" called his cat what he called him. Worth reading.

Leviticus, chapter 18

1 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, I am the LORD your God.

What a profound statement, “I am the Lord your God”. Is the Lord your God? Who is leading you; your flesh? The world? At various times all of us Christians have our “Self” on the throne of our hearts. It is a daily and constant struggle to exalt and glorify our Creator over ourselves. We even pretend to be honoring our Creator while we are, in fact, honoring Self.

We need true worship, true obedience. My flesh is very powerful and it does not diminish its power as I grow old. Its demands hardly change. I want the Lord to be my God in every thing. My flesh demands worship. The world insists on it.


3 After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall ye not do: neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

We are not to be like the world we came out of and we are not to live the way they live.

4 Ye shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am the LORD your God.

If we are to have the Lord as our God we are to obey him and keep his testimonies and ordinances.

Psalm 119:2 Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.

5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

For the Christian, there is this warning akin to this verse;

Romans 8:13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

Lest you think that you have won a great victory because you haven’t done the following things in your body, keep this admonition to the Christian in mind;

2Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

In this I have failed repeatedly. How about you?
6 ¶ None of you shall approach to any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

Here is a Biblical euphemism for sexual contact; to uncover someone’s nakedness. Note this in Genesis;

Genesis 9:22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.

The nakedness of one’s mother is called “thy father’s nakedness” in verse 8. This will give you a hint as to the origin of the American black slang word, “mother......”. Ham’s sin is very clear on this regard. He either saw his mother naked or he had sex with her, indicating his lack of sexual impulse control, his basic tendency toward deliberate immoral behavior.

7 The nakedness of thy father, or the nakedness of thy mother, shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

It is very clear here that sex with father or mother is forbidden, or, for that matter, to even see them naked.

8 The nakedness of thy father’s wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father’s nakedness.

Even though the father’s wife might not be one’s actual mother, it is forbidden to have sexual contact with her.

9 The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father, or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home, or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

One’s sister, whether she be step or half sister, no matter where she is from is not an appropriate sexual partner.

10 The nakedness of thy son’s daughter, or of thy daughter’s daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover: for theirs is thine own nakedness.

Your granddaughter is not an appropriate sexual partner.

11 The nakedness of thy father’s wife’s daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister, thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Your half sister is still your sister.

12 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s sister: she is thy father’s near kinswoman.

It is forbidden to have sexual contact with your aunt.

13 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother’s sister: for she is thy mother’s near kinswoman.

Again, this is about your aunt on your mother’s side.

14 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father’s brother, thou shalt not approach to his wife: she is thine aunt.

This is very clear.

15 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter in law: she is thy son’s wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

Okay, your daughter in law is out of bounds.

16 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother’s wife: it is thy brother’s nakedness.

So is your sister in law.

17 Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son’s daughter, or her daughter’s daughter, to uncover her nakedness; for they are her near kinswomen: it is wickedness.

Taking a woman and her daughter, or her daughter in law, or her granddaughter is forbidden.

18 Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life time.

Your wife’s sister is out of bounds.

19 ¶ Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness, as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

As was a woman in menstruation.

20 Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her.

Here, our common understanding of adultery is clearly shown.
21 And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

The ancient near eastern religious practice, as some scholars point claim, of putting your infant into the arms of a superheated statue of Baal while trumpets and drums drowned out the screams of the dying baby, to appease the Devil, was forbidden. It is in this way, it has been said that 300 babies were killed in one day in Carthage during a siege.

Our passion for aborting our babies on the altar of affluence and ease of living is similar. Only we kill 4,000 a day on a regular basis.

22 Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.

Male homosexual behavior is here condemned.

23 Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith: neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

What we call bestiality is condemned.

24 Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things: for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you:
25 And the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

It is clear that these things were practiced by the nations, ethnic groups, which resided in Canaan and which God had chosen to be displaced. These things are also openly practiced in America and the West today. There is no reason for us to assume that God won’t judge us similarly.

26 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you:
27 (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)
28 That the land spue not you out also, when ye defile it, as it spued out the nations that were before you.

True submission to God involves obedience. Doing the above mentioned sins, even in thought, is not obedience. We can’t come close to obedience because we haven’t learned to submit to Christ as our authority and as our Master.

29 For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls that commit them shall be cut off from among their people.
Romans 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

30 Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.

These are some of the restrictions that set the Hebrews off from other peoples and that set Christians off from non-Christians.