The EVERLASTING Covenant

Shavua' Tov yedidai ha-yeqarim.  (Good week, my dear friends.)

It's been a very long time since I've last posted anything.  Rather than continuing in this silence, I'm going to be posting old articles / writings that I had on my old sagayvah.tripod.com site, to insure they don't disappear in the case that something unexpectedly happens to that site.  I had this happen to my old hotmail account and lost a lot of information.  So here goes... This first one is fairly simple:

The Law of Moses, the so called 'Old Testament' or 'Old Covenant' that the Almighty made with the Jews, was commanded to the people of Israel as an Eternal Guidance.  The only individuals who are required to keep the body of commands included in this covenant are individuals whose mothers are Jewish or someone who has chosen to join the people of Israel (the Jews) by taking upon himself with an everlasting vow/oath to accept as binding on himself this Covenant, to uphold it.  According to the halakha, all other individuals are only legally accountable to the 7 commandments, but liability before G-d is another matter entirely. [ The only exception is the Arab people.  They have an additional command to circumcise their male children on the 8th day.  If they fail to properly do so, there is no judicial punishment.]

Psalm 111:5-9         "He has given food to those who revere Him;           He will remember His covenant forever.         He has made known to His people the power of His works,           In giving them the heritage of the nations.        The works of His hands are true and just;           All His precepts are certain.         They are upheld forever and ever;           They are carried out in truth and uprightness.        He has sent deliverance to His people;           He has ordained His covenant forever;           Holy and awesome is His name." Psalm 105:8-11, 45      He has remembered His covenant forever,          The word which He ordered to a thousand generations,        The covenant that He made with Abraham,     And His oath to Isaac.        Then He confirmed it to Jacob as a statute,          To Israel as a covenant everlasting,     Saying, "To you I shall give the land of Canaan,       As the portion of your inheritance," ....In order that they shall keep His statutes and observe His laws,    Praise the L-RD! Psalm 119:44 "So I will keep Your Torah - continually forever and ever." Psalm 119:111-112 "I have inherited Your testimonies forever,  for they are the joy of my heart. For I have inclined my heart to do Your statutes forever, unto the end." Psalm 119:144  "Your testimonies are forever right;  Grant me understanding that I may live." Psalm 119:152  "From long ago I have known your testimonies, that You have established them forever."

Keep in mind - Whenever reading any verses in the Hebrew Bible (aka 'Old Testament'), read them with the historical context in mind.  For example, at the time King David wrote the Psalms, much of the rest of the Hebrew Bible was not yet written.  Therefore, any references he makes should be understood in the context of those books which were already written, which he had in his hands. Leviticus 3:17 "It is a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwelling places.." Leviticus 6:18 "it is a permanent law throughout all your generations.." Leviticus 6:22 "by an eternal ordinance it shall be entirely offered.." Leviticus 7:36 "it is an eternal law for their generations." Leviticus 16:34 "Now this is to you an everlasting ordinance.." Leviticus 16:29 "This is to you a permanent law.." Leviticus 17:7 "This is to them for an everlasting law in all their generations.." Leviticus 23:14 "is to you a perpetual ordinance in all your dwelling places throughout your generations.." Numbers 15:15 "As for the community (of Israel), there shall be one law for you and for the one who converted and joined with you; An eternal Law throughout your generations, as you are, so shall the convert be before the ALL-TRANSCENDENT One." Numbers 19:21 "So it is a law forever for them.." And on and on and on... A prophet or teacher (or preacher) who comes along and claims to believe that the 'Old Testament' is the Word of G-d, but at the same time believes that the 'Old Testament' is no longer applicable or valid, declares that the Almighty is a liar for saying all these statements listed here.  In addition to this, anyone who teaches that the 'Old Testament' is abolished and is no longer applicable fulfills Deuteronomy 13:5 "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams must be put to death, because he has instructed rebellion against the L-RD your G-d.....seducing you from the way in which the L-RD your G-d commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the wickedness from among you." When this verse says 'the way in which the L-rd' commanded them to walk, it is referring to the Law of Moses, the Torah, as it plainly continues on to say: "...heed the voice of the L-RD your Gd, by keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the L-RD your G-d."   - Deuteronomy 13:18 "...the hidden things belong to the L-RD our G-d, but that which is revealed belongs to us and our sons forever to do all the words of this Torah." - Deuteronomy 29:29 See further:  Why Jews don't accept Christianity "The Torah of the L-RD is whole, restoring the soul; The testimony of the L-RD is trustworthy, making the simple wise." - Psalm 19:7