Tuesday, June 27, 2023

The Conditional Commandments

Which commandments apply to all believers?

There is much confusion about the commandments of the Law of Truth.

Some say that the Law of Truth has been done away with, so the commandments of the Law of Truth do not apply to anyone today.  However, that would include commandments like to not commit murder.

Those who espouse this view will then start to back track and say commandments like that are still in effect.  However, if the commandment against murder has not been done away with, then neither have the other commandments.

Others will say that all of the commandments of the Law of Truth apply to every follower of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ), because the Law has not been done away with.  That would include the commandments of circumcision.

Those who espouse this view will then start to back track and say all of the commandments except that one applies to all followers of the Man of Truth.  However, if the commandments of circumcision do not apply to all followers of the Man of Truth, then all commandments of the Law of Truth do not apply to every follower of the Man of Truth.

So, both groups conceded that some commandments apply to every follower of the Man of Truth, and other commandments do not.  Why is that?

Both groups take their position based on the idea that all the commandments of the Law of Truth applied to all people at all times in all circumstances.  Was that ever the case?

Like everything in the Book of Truth, correct understanding comes from applying the principles for rightly dividing the Word of Truth that are laid out in the Book of Truth itself.  Of these principles, context is king!

First we have to understand that the Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament) is not just one covenant but contains many Covenants of Promise.  Each covenant is built upon the previous covenants without nullifying or replacing the previous covenants.  So, we will begin with looking at the context of these two commandments in that context.

The commandment against murder was first given in a covenant made with Noah concerning his descendants (the entire human race) (Genesis 9:5-6).  So, this commandment was included in the commandments of the Covenant of Sinai given through Moses almost a thousand years later (Leviticus 24:17).

However, the commandment of circumcision was first given to Abraham in the Covenant of Circumcision concerning only his descendants and those who joined his household (Genesis 17:9-14).  This commandment was therefore included in the Covenant of Sinai, but still only included the descendants of Israel (who descended from Abraham) and those who had joined his household (John 7:22).

So, we can see that the commandment against murder applies to everyone because it was part of a covenant that concerned the entire human race and so were included in the Covenant of Sinai since the descendants of Israel were part of the human race.  In like manner, the commandments concerning circumcision concerned the descendants of Abraham and so were included in the Covenant of Sinai since the descendants of Israel were part of the descendants of Abraham.

However, the Covenant of Sinai was not made with just the descendants of Israel, but also those of other uncircumcised ethnic groups who left Egypt with them (Exodus 12:37-38).  So, commandments of the Pesach (Passover) memorial was given to the entire Congregation of Israel, but only those who were marked by circumcision as part of the household of Israel could eat the lamb (Exodus 12:43-49).

So, we can see that before the Covenant of Sinai was given to the Congregation of Israel, that only the descendants of Israel were required to be circumcised but those of other ethnic groups were not.  They had the option to become part of the household of Israel through circumcision to enjoy all the benefits of the household of Israel but were not required to be circumcised to be part of the Congregation of Israel.

So, we can see that these two commandments are different even though they are both contained in the Law of Truth.  The one concerning murder applies to all people at all times in all places, but the one concerning circumcision only applies to some people.

Therefore all the commandments of the Law of Truth never applied to all people at all times in all places under all circumstances.  Some only apply to some people under certain conditions.

What other commandments are conditional?

If the daughter of a Priest of Truth did not keep her virginity until marriage, then she was to be burned to death (Leviticus 21:9).  However, if the daughter of anyone else gave her virginity to a man before being engaged to be married, then she was to marry the man she gave her virginity to and they were to remain married for the rest of their lives (Deuteronomy 22:28-29).

Anyone would become unclean by touching a dead body or being in the same room as one or even touching a grave (Numbers 19:14-16).  Everything they touched became unclean and anyone who touched anything they had touched also became unclean (Numbers 19:22).

However, the Priests of Truth were only allowed to go to the funeral of their near relatives, but not anyone else (Leviticus 21:1-3).  The High Priest could not go to any funerals – including his own parents – nor even show signs of mourning as long as he was in the Temple (Leviticus 21:10-11).

So, there were commandments that applied to only the Priests of Truth and the High Priest.  These commandments did not apply to anyone else.

These are just a few of the many commandments that are conditional upon the status of the person.  There are commandments dependent upon gender, age, ancestry, and many other things.

It was only when the Congregation of Israel was in the Promise Land that they were to let the land rest every seventh year (Leviticus 25:2-7).  This is the only place where the Father of Truth promised to give a triple crop in the sixth year, so they could do this (Leviticus 25:18-23).

Every male in the Promise Land had to appear before the Father of Truth for three times a year at a Feast of Truth with an offering (Exodus 23:14-17).  However, any man that was not in the Promise Land was to turn their offering into money and bring to next Feast of Truth after they returned to the Promise Land (Deuteronomy 14:24-27).

So, we can see that some commandments were conditional upon place.  There were many of these, with most only in effect when people were in the Promise Land.

The commandment to bring these offering to Jerusalem were only in effect after the Congregation of Israel had peace from all their enemies in the Promise Land and the Father of Truth revealed the place where He put His name on, so they could build the Temple there (Deuteronomy 12:10-12).  In like manner, the commandment to wipe out the Amalekites did not take effect until after they had peace from all their enemies in the Promise Land (Deuteronomy 25:17-19).

So, we can see that some commandments are only in effect at certain times as well.  These are just two of those commandments.

It was only when a leper was cleansed of leprosy that he was to shave off all his body hair, hair, beard, and eyebrows (Leviticus 14:2-9).  Anyone who became unclean due to a dead body was to observe Passover a month later (Numbers 9:9-11).

So, some commandments are only in effect under certain circumstances.  There are a number of other commandments dependent upon circumstances like these as well.

There are many cases where only one commandment out of several applies depending upon various conditions.  So, at no time did all commandments apply to all people at all times in all places under all circumstances.

So, how can we tell which ones apply to which people?

Of the over six hundred commandments given in the Law of Truth, about four hundred of them are dependent upon the Temple standing in Jerusalem.  So currently, none of those commandments apply to anyone.

There are also a number of commandments concerning governance.  Most of these do not apply outside of the Promise Land.

Even in the Promise Land, most do not currently apply because there is currently no king there nor the Temple.  Some could be carried out in the Promise Land, but it would require the government of Israel to implement them.

A few can be carried out inside of each congregation, but that requires the leadership of the congregation to implement them with the cooperation of the congregation.  No single member of the congregation has responsibility for keeping these commandments beyond being willing to do their part to implement them in their congregation.

Which of the rest of the commandments each Child of Truth has to keep depends mostly upon whether they are circumcised and whether they are in the Promise Land.

There are certain commandments that the Man of Truth called the least commandments.  Keeping these least commandments has nothing to do with being part of his kingdom, but they do have everything to do with the position people will have in his kingdom (Matthew 5:17-19).

He also said that those who keep these lighter commandments were in no way to not keep the weightier commandments that concerned judgment, mercy, and faith as well (Matthew 23:23).  The only Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) required to keep both the lighter commandments and the weightier commandments are those who are circumcised (Galatians 5:3).

Still some of the circumcised Children of Truth have taught that the uncircumcised Children of Truth -who are not descendants of Israel - are required to be circumcised and keep these lighter commandments to come into the House of Truth (Acts 15:5).  However, the uncircumcised Children of Truth are not to be troubled with these lighter commandments as long as they keep the weightier commandments (Acts 15:19-20).

Even some of the least commandments only apply to the circumcised Children of Truth living in the Promise Land.  The circumcised Children of Truth living among uncircumcised Gentiles outside of the Promise Land are not required to keep those commandments that only apply to those in the Promise Land.

In similar manner, the uncircumcised Children of Truth living among the circumcised Household of Israel in the Promise Land are required to keep some of these least commandments because they apply to everyone living in the Promise Land.  The uncircumcised Children of Truth living outside of the Promise Land are not required to keep any of these least commandments.

However, the weightier commandments apply to all people at all times in all places and under all circumstances.

So, what are these weightier commandments?

The weightier commandments necessary for the uncircumcised Children of Truth all concern living right in the eyes of the Father of Truth - without them being burdened further by requirements to keep the lighter commandments (Acts 15:28-29).  Anyone who breaks the weightier commandments concerning things like murder, homosexuality, getting drunk, adultery, sex outside of marriage, stealing, and the like will not be part of the kingdom of the Father of Truth (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

Those who break the weightier commandments by doing things like worshiping idols (even if the statues or icons (images) are named “Jesus” or “Mary”), witchcraft, and consulting psychics, will not be part of the kingdom of the Father of Truth (Galatians 5:19-21).  Anyone who tells people that they can break the weightier commandments and still have a part in the kingdom of the Father of Truth is a deceiver (Galatians 5:19-21).

Those who break these weightier commandments will have a part in the Lake of Fire instead (Revelation 21:8).  It is only those who keep the weightier commandments who will eat from the Tree of Life and enter into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:14-15).

So, the uncircumcised Children of Truth do not need to keep these lighter commandments, but still need to keep the weightier commandments that apply to everyone (Acts 21:22-25).  Yet, only the Man of Truth has been righteous before the Father of Truth by keeping every commandment of the Law of Truth that applied to him (Romans 10:4-5).

Therefore no one can be justified by keeping the commandments of the Law of Truth because the Man of Truth is the only one who never broke any of them (Romans 3:20-23).  In fact, anyone who tries to be justified by keeping the commandments of the Law of Truth has left the House of Truth because they are no longer trusting in the Man of Truth – who saves both the circumcised and the uncircumcised through faith (Galatians 5:4-6).

The Book of Truth (the Bible) was written so the Children of Truth would no longer break any of the commandments of the Law of Truth that applies to them, but if they do break any, then the Man of Truth will intercede for those who put their trust in him (1 John 2:1-2).  The Man of Truth came to take away transgression of the commandments of the Law of Truth (1 John 3:4-5).

The Children of Truth must return to keeping the commandments that apply to them to know the Father of Truth (1 John 2:3-4).  They must keep the commandments that apply to them to be followers of the Man of Truth (1 John 2:5-6).

No one can keep the commandments of the Law of Truth without the help of the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) (Romans 8:6-8).  The Children of Truth have been given the Spirit of Truth so they can keep the commandments that apply to them (Romans 8:9-11).

Come into the House of Truth so you can keep the commandments of the Law of Truth that apply to you.

You just need to commit to obey the Man of Truth in everything because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9-11).  Both those obligated to keep the lessor as well as the greater commandments AND those only required to keep only the greater commandments will be saved if they call on the Man of Truth (Romans 10:12-13).

Come into the House of Truth!

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