No Christian who forgets the laws/commandments could fully understand GOD and our society
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When the Israelites escaped from Egypt, GOD gave them laws/commandments/ordinances/statutes.

There are laws for justice.

There are commandments for proper conduct acceptable in the sight of GOD.

There are ordinances for festivals/priests for teaching and judging/Levites/offerings/conduct within GOD's tabernacle/rules of cleanliness/Nazirites/Spirit-of-jealousy on suspected adultery/ ... etc.

There are statutes for proper attitude towards animal, tree; or statutes concerning land sales, house sales, ...


It is a complete "system" pertaining to a proper functioning society. And the Israelites used it well until Saul.

When the Israelites asked for a king, GOD gave them Saul, and GOD's system was replaced by a king's system, much to the sorrow of Samuel (and perhaps GOD).

Now most governmental systems are either a Roman system, or a king system. And people pay no attention to GOD's system.

Also Christian pay no attention to laws/commandments/...; but they do so at their own hurt.

For example, the kidney and gall-bladder and fat are removed and burnt in Peace Offering. Though GOD did not explicitly say that we should not eat such, the way peace offering is conducted shows us that these are not to be eaten. GOD explicitly taught us that we should not eat fat, blood.

GOD also taught us what are clean animals that may be eaten, what are unclean animals that may not be eaten; what are clean birds that may be eaten, what are unclean birds that may not be eaten; what are clean sea food that may be eaten, and what are unclean sea food that may not be eaten; what are clean insects that may be eaten, and what are unclean insects that may not be eaten. (see [Lev 11])

GOD taught us that if we touch unclean things, we should take a bath and change clothes before sunset (or before we go to bed). If we touch a dead body/grave/bone of dead person, we should cleanse ourself with "Water of Impurity" on the 3rd and 7th day. ("Water of Impurity" is ash from burning a red heifer together with cedar wood, scarlet stuff, and hyssop. We do not have such nowadays, and I think soap can serve the purpose, though not as effective.)

GOD taught us to rest one day in a week, 1 week in every 6 months, 1 year in every 6 years, 1 additional year in every 50 years.

GOD taught us that woman should rest on menstrual uncleanness, on giving birth to baby.

People forget all those teachings, even Christians pay no attention to them. So they get all sort of illnesses -- kidney failure, liver failure, heart-attack, cancers, .... (Note : illness is not the result of improper food alone, but also our breaking laws/commandments. e.g. GOD taught us not to hate our neighbour, but reason with him/her; and not take vengeance or bear any grudge against others, but love them as ourself [Lev 19:17-18]. People keep "hate" in their heart, and this generates harmful "hormones" that destroy his/her own body.)

The festivals (Feast of Passover, Feast of Booth) serve to unite people in a society as a BIG FAMILY, serve to teach them to care for the widows/orphans/poor, apart from rousing their remembrance of GOD.

Laws pertaining to house sales, land sales serve to prevent people having no land, thus without living support. There have been many revolutions around the world, and are still happening, because of land difficulties (the rich get all the land, the poor have no land).

The Roman system, king system will one day pass away; and people will realize the simplicity and effectiveness of GOD's system. If my interpretation of Book of Ezekiel is not wrong, then LORD's system will be used in new Israel (when the lost tribes are found and recovered and gathered back to Israel), and in the New Heaven and in Earth.

GOD taught Joshua to meditate upon His laws/commandments/.... day and night, and should not let such depart from his mouth, but be careful to do them [Joshua 1]. Moses, GOD's most important servant in the Old Testament, whom GOD taught to face to face, taught the Israelites to meditate upon laws/commandments/... when they are sitting in their houses, or walking in the streets [Deut 11].

A full understanding and appreciation of laws/commandments/... and resolute walking in Jesus teachings (and thus forming attitudes of Jesus) could make us a Christian useful in the hand of GOD.

Wu Siu Yan

P.S. I would let all Christians know the laws/commandments/ordinances/statutes of GOD, but require keeping of the four demanded by the Jerusalem elders (1) Eat not food sacrificed to idols (2) Eat no blood (3) Eat not strangled animals (4) no unchastity [Acts 15]