From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Friday, August 29, 1997 1:14 AM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Numbers 15:38-40 for the non-Jew ???
From: "SamL"
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Numbers 15:38-40
How might we observe this today -- just as literally? Or do we have a
transformed approach?
Is there anyone here who observes this specific command? This is a
NOT a trap question. I sincerely want an answer. I observe the
TORAH (the laws of God) including the Sabbath, the Holy Days etc.
This has been asked of me by an friend as a trap question. Your
response might influence my response to him. Thanks for your
assistance.
SamL
From Eddie:
**************
In Numbers 15:38-40 it is written:
"Speak unto the children of Israel and bid them that they make them
fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations
adn that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue.
And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and
remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye
seek not after your own heart and your own eyes after which y use go
go a whoring. That ye may remember and do all my commandments and be
holy unto your God"
Before we discuss this issue, we ALWAYS need to remember
several things.
#1) Salvation is by GRACE/MERCY through FAITH and that not by keeping
the TORAH (Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:8-9)
#2) AFTER we are saved, we must KNOW HOW we are to LIVE our LIVES
in a way that is pleasing to our heavenly father. The word SALVATION
in Hebrew is YESHUA. The word TORAH in Hebrew means
TEACHING or INSTRUCTION. YESHUA is meant to SAVE. TORAH is
meant to TEACH or INSTRUCT.
The TORAH which is synonymous with the WORD OF GOD (Isaiah
2:3, Psalm 119:17-18) was given by God to show us HOW we are
to live our lives AFTER we are saved by the GRACE/MERCY of God.
FIRST came Passover which represents salvation and redemption
from EGYPT which is a type of the world and the world's system.
The RESPONSE to PASSOVER (salvation/redemption) is the
experience at Mount Sinai (Pentecost/Shavuot). This is God's
INSTRUCTION regarding how we are to LIVE our lives.
#3) AFTER are saved and AS we attempt to live our lives according to
God's Torah/Word we must understand the ROLE in the Kingdom
of God for the Jewis believer in Messiah and the ROLE in the
Kingdom of God for the non-Jewish believer in Messiah.
#4) God's Word has a PHYSICAL and a SPIRITUAL application and truth.
The sabbath and the Biblical Festivals are for ALL believers.
In Isaiah 66:22-23 it is written:
"For as the NEW HEAVENS and the NEW EARTH which I will make shall
remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name
remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another
and from ONE SABBATH TO ANOTHER shall ALL FLESH come to worship
before me, saith the Lord"
In Isaiah 56:3-7 it is written:
"Neither let the son of the stranger (non-Jew) that has joined
himself to the Lord speak, saying, the Lord has utterly separated me
from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that KEEP MY SABBATHS and
choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; even
unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a
name better than of the sons and daughters: I will give them an
everlasting name that shall not be cut off. Also the sons of the
stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love
the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the
sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of MY COVENANT: even them
will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of
prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted
upon mine altar: for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for
ALL PEOPLE"
So, the SABBATH is to be kept by ALL PEOPLE.
The Biblical Festivals are to be kept by ALL PEOPLE also. In
Zechariah 14:16-17 it speaks regarding the Feast of Tabernacles being
celebrated in the Messianic Age as it is written:
"And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the
nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to
year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts and to KEEP THE FEAST OF
TABERNACLES. And it shall come be that whoso will not come up of ALL
THE FAMILIES OF THE EARTH unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the
Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain"
So, here, ALL FAMILIES ON THE EARTH are REQUIRED to keep the
Feast of Tabernacles during the Messianic Age.
Some of the other Biblical commandments like circumcision and
the wearing of Tsi-tzit are SPECIFICALLY for the Jews and the Jewish
believer in Messiah. They are REQUIRED (according to the Torah) to
do so. There is no such REQUIREMENT for the non-Jewish believer to
do these things.
If the INDIVIDUAL non-Jewish believer is convicted and
desires to keep the wearing of tzi-tzit, he should be allowed and
encouraged to do so. However, he SHOULD NOT require it of other
non-Jewish believers. The conviction to do so must be PERSONAL and
a conviction of the HEART by the Ruach HaKodesh / Holy Spirit.
These are example of our obligations as non-Jewish believers
in Messiah to follow the Torah AFTER we are saved but not for
salvation while STUDYING the scriptures to understood each ROLE that
God has in His Kingdom for the Jewish and non-Jewish believer in
Messiah.
For example, I am currently engaged to be married to a
Chassidic Orthodox Jewish believer in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah. Our
future son IS OBLIGATED to be circumcised the 8th day and wear
tzi-tzit. If I was engaged to be married to a non-Jewish believer in
Messiah, our future son would NOT be obligated to do these things.
The Jew is called to fulfill the LITERAL PHYSICAL COMMANDMENTS
as well as keep them SPIRITUALLY in their heart so that they can be a
LIGHT to the secular world. The non-Jew is PRIMARILY called to keep
the TORAH in his HEART by LIVING the Torah truths of love, mercy,
compassion, forgiveness of others etc and be a LIGHT to the secular
world while keeping those Torah commandments that are UNIVERSAL
for the Jew and non-Jew (keeping the sabbath and Biblical Festivals)
while some of the other Torah commandments (wearing tzi-tzit and
circumcision) are OPTIONAL PHYSICAL requirements and REQUIRED
SPIRITUAL commandments to keep.
In I Corinthians 7:18 it is written:
"Is any man called being circumcised? (the Jew) let him NOT become
uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? (the non-Jew)
let him NOT be circumcised" (Take on physical Jewish commandments)
I hope that this answers your question while at the same time
explaining the BALANCE of the scriptures of the ROLE that the
non-Jewish and Jewish believer in Messiah has toward the TORAH.
************************************************************************