Hebrews 13:8-9
"The Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings ..." The Messiah is the Word of God. The Word of God does not change.
"The Messiah is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings ..." The Messiah is the Word of God. The Word of God does not change.
FIRST: Let me say this is a brief overview and not an in-depth one. There is a lot more information to study but this should give a brief overview and help get you started in your own studies.
SECOND: Let me say, I know many are attempting to reconcile or "figure it out" the Law and the Bible so what I say here is done not in condemnation but in an encouragement toward a less common view because I see God's Word proves that the Sacrificial System is not done away with.
QUICK OVERVIEW
If I were to say, all Scripture points to the Messiah, most would agree. If I were to say that we do not longer need to observe the Passover because Y'shua/Jesus already was the sacrifice Passover Lamb given for our sins, most Messianic/Hebrew Roots People would disagree - saying that Scripture in the New and Old Testament states to observe the Passover. Even though the Passover is still observed and will be observed forever (as the Bible states) it is done to remember his sacrifice. Similarly, I can show you that the Levitical Sacrificial system will be also carried out into eternity. Why? To remember Y'shua/Jesus sacrifice.
Before the Messiah came in his earthly ministry, all LOOKED TO THE FUTURE fulfillment of the Messiah. After, for all eternity, we will always remember LOOKING TO THE PAST fulfillment of what the Messiah did.
It is a common misconception that the sacrificial system has been done away with, quite to the contrary, it is eternal. True it cannot take away sins, and it was never meant to be. What it was meant for is to always point to the Messiah and have us remember.
ARE WE "DOING AWAY" WITH "SOME" OF GOD'S LAWS?
FEASTS: Are not the Feasts (Biblical Holy Days) in Leviticus 23 also Levitical Law?Does that mean we do not need to keep the feasts?
Many attempt to categorize the Law of God into "moral" and "ceremonial" law in order to foster disobedience. Since when is God divided!? I suggest this is a dangerous practice. Just as we should be freely opening our arms to God without holding back, I argue we should do the same with the Word of God and God's Commands. Is not the Messiah the Word of God?
THE TEST FROM GOD
If someone comes telling you something different that what is spoken of in the Torah, then God is testing you to see if you will keep/guard his commandments.
In Deuteronomy 13:1-4, God states he uses false prophets and teachers to test us:
“ …for the LORD י ה ו ה your God tests you, to know whether you love the LORD י ה ו ה your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall walk after the LORD י ה ו ה your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and hold fast unto him.”
LAW & THE PROPHETS
The Messiah states clearly in Matthew 5:17-19
"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets...
(19) Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Is this not the common Biblical argument from Hebrew Roots folks that the LAW IS NOT DONE AWAY WITH? This is true, and rightly so.
THE SLIPPERY SLOPE
I cannot argue ANY LAW is done away with nor changed in any way. Sacrificial Law for Sin, yes that has been completed or "paid for" by the Blood of the Messiah, BUT that does not mean we are not to carry out the law of sacrifice for sin, for how are we to understand the work of the Messiah better except to "DO" the Word of God. COULD IT BE that by classifying the Sacrificial or Levitical Law as NOT IN EFFECT anymore, so that we don't have to do it, that we are missing the whole point of learning about the Messiah? Are we not lessening the value of the sacrifice of the Messiah?
IS GOD THE ABSOLUTE PERFECT TEACHER?
Yes. Do you trust him?
What many fail to grasp is one of the main purposes of the Law or Commands of God is to teach us, to grow us, to bring us closer to him.
Just because we don't understand the purpose for a law does not mean we should not obey it. "Why! Why! Why!" the child screams in rebellion. The parent says? "Do it because I TOLD YOU SO!" The parent knows better. The child must trust their parent. OFTEN WE LEARN WHY and the purpose AFTER we obey, not before.
I thought you gave up your life for God?
Then give up your control and Trust and Obey him.
HEBREWS IN DOUBT?
If someone comes speaking another story that goes against Torah, THIS IS A TEST.
Does this mean the Book of Hebrews is in doubt. Possibly or our view of Hebrews is incorrect. But we must remain FIRM on the FOUNDATION OF TORAH. FAITH WITHOUT TORAH IS DEAD.
Some say Hebrews was not written by Paul but by a third party who lived at the same time as Paul and wrote some of Paul's teachings along with their own. Is this true? I am sure of this, for a book to be "inspired by God" it cannot go against Torah, Period. End of sentence. This is the one absolute constant that can never be changed. If you read something that possibly conflicts with the Torah or the Old Testament, you should re-evaluate your own views.
THE PURPOSE IS TO REMEMBER
Do we still partake of the Passover Lamb each year? Why? The Messiah is the Passover Lamb and has been sacrificed once and for all. Why is not the Law of Passover observance DONE AWAY WITH?
In addition to the clear command to observe Passover in Leviticus 23, and the other Scriptures that state we will be observing Passover in Eternity, The Messiah states in Luke 22:19 "And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me."
THE PURPOSE OF THE SACRIFICIAL SYSTEM...
1) NOT TAKE AWAY SIN
Paul writes in Romans 3:20: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin."
2) AS A REMINDER, A MEMORIAL
Hebrews 10:3-4: "But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins."
Even in the Old Testament times, the purpose of the Sacrificial System was never to take away sin, it was to remind us of our sins.
THE PURPOSE WAS ALWAYS to point to the Messiah. In the Old Testament, it was to point to the future coming of the Messiah. Still today and into eternity, it is to remember and understand what the Messiah did for us in paying our penalty for our sins.
SACRIFICES IN ETERNITY?
Ezekiel 43:6-7, 18-19
(6-7) "...I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. ...
(18-19) And he said to me, "Son of man, thus says the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it, you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord GOD, a bull from the herd for a sin offering."
WHAT ABOUT THIS! WHAT ABOUT THAT?
Questions, Questions. Where do we sacrifice? Can we sacrifice? Ehew... poor little animals - You murderer! (LOL). We can't because there is no existing temple today! Does the sacrificial system teach us about us being "living sacrifices" since we are the temple?
Yes, there are a lot of questions and details you need to study yourself, but the primary and foundational question is: Do we have to keep the Sacrificial System today? I believe the answer is Yes. The Law Remains, all of it.
I will add a note here, that Cain and Able in Genesis 4:2-7 observed a sacrificial system. I suggest that the sacrificial system written down in the Torah existed long before the Torah was written down for God's Word is the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. God's Word is Eternal.