One Sunday, I was talking to the boys about how God always gives �beneficial advice� to his children. We were talking about some of the guidance he gave on clean animals and unclean animals, and various other commandments that to some appear to be arbitrary.
After our talk, I thought about the verses below. I know that God does not give arbitrary guidance. Consequently, I decided to put together a little experiment to see if we could perhaps �see� some sort of benefit in the guidance below in the growth of 2 pepper plants. Important: I did not know what the outcome would be NOR did I know �exactly� why the blood was better poured out as water than eaten. So I told myself that even if there was no measurable difference between the 2 plants, I still would believe that God�s guidance was beneficial.
Now the verses:
Deu 12:24 Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.
Deu 12:25 Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
I bought the plants both about the same size, and the next Sunday when I had the boys I told them about the idea, and they thought it would be fun. The plants were cayenne pepper plants that had a maturity period of 70 days (or 10 weeks). The boys chronicled the experiment on video, and here is what we did next...
For the next 2 weeks, we gave both plants water, BUT one of the plants we gave either turkey or chicken (hormone free) blood. After just TWO WEEKS the plant that we gave the blood to started to bare fruit! It was noticeably larger than the other plant too.
The boys and I were ecstatic! To make a longer story shorter, over the next 2-3 weeks, the plant that we gave the blood to continued to grow and bare healthy fruit some of which we were able to even share with grandma! The other plant appeared to still be following the maturity period that was included in the directions, and not only did it not bare any fruit, but it was much smaller than the blood enriched plant.
Being satisfied that our little experiment was a success, and that we proved GOD was indeed not arbitrary, after about 4 weeks, we decided to give the smaller plant blood too. In about 1 week, it too began to bare fruit and grow. Remember, these plants were not supposed to reach maturity for 10 weeks!
I know that people have a problem with old covenant guidance, but the reality is that without the old there could be no new. Also, they tend to miss the fact that the law is still firmly in place (Mat 5:18) whether they believe they are under grace or not � GRACE IS UNDER THE LAW.
What I also learned is that God has foresight that we at times do not have. The 2nd verse above talks about how keeping this commandment will go well with the parents and their children. What did God mean by this?
Specifically as it relates to the increased fertility of the ground, I believe God meant that if you follow my guidance, it will not only benefit you today, but also it will help to establish an inheritance for your children, and since the children of Israel were farmers, I know that he meant harvest yield and land quality. This by the way was also the way Israel gave God tithes via the Levites. Isn�t that just like the Father?
We not only proved that there is life in the blood, BUT also in God�s word!
Galatians 2:14-16,20,21; 3:2,5,10-13;23-25: Paul said, When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs? We who are Jews by birth and not 'Gentile sinners' know that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.!"
Galatians 2:20,21: The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not set aside the the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
Galatians 3:10-13: "All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written "Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, "The righteous will live by faith." The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, "The man who does these things will live by them." Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us!
Galatians 3:23-25: "Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, *WE* ARE NO LONGER UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE LAW!!"
Hebrews 8:8,9,13: "The time is coming." says the Lord, "when I will make a New Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah".... By calling this Covenant "NEW", He has made the first one OBSOLETE; and what is OBSOLETE and aging will soon disappear."
Hebrews 8:6: But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which He is Mediator is SUPERIOR TO THE OLD ONE, and it is founded on better promises.
Colossians 2:16,17: Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you **EAT** or drink, or with regard to a religous festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a *SHADOW* of the things that were to come, the reality, however, is found in Christ!!!
All of the OT sabbath laws have been eliminated. Both Jesus and His Father have declared all foods are now clean. All of the OT sacrifical and temple laws have been eliminated. All of the stoning to death laws for breaking the law have been eliminated. All of the laws concerning an eye for an eye and making oaths have been eliminated. Circumcision laws have been eliminated. Loving one another as Jesus loved us has replaced loving one another as you love yourself.
Their about 400 NT laws to be obeyed with *LOVE* in the hope of countless eternal rewards for faithful and loving service has replaced the 613 OT laws.
