So Deuteronomy chapter 14 right there in verse 1 it says
Ye are the children of the Lord you shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead
for thou art and holy people unto the Lord thy God and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a
Peculiar people unto himself above all nations that are upon the earth
So right out of the gate before God gets into all of the do's and don'ts of the dietary restrictions
These first two verses he gives us the why why is it that he's laying all these
What the Bible calls is we'll see later cardinal ordinances upon man. Why is he putting these restrictions in the place?
Why is he saying don't do this don't eat that you can't eat this you can't eat that
Well, it's because of verses 1 & 2 where he says there ye are the children of the Lord and you know
That's a very special thing to be God's child. You know, that's that's not everybody is God's child
And you know, we live in a world where people have this philosophy that you know, everyone's going to heaven. Everyone's God's child
Well, that's just not Bible, you know that Jesus said, you know there that there are few that be saved
He called us his little flock and he goes on he kind of further explains that there in verse 2
He says for thou art and holy people and what does it mean to be holy?
It means to be set apart means to be different, right?
And he even further clarifies it by saying that he hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people and peculiar meaning
You know not in the sense that we're weird, you know
But in the sense that you know
We're different that we're not like everybody else that there's something about us that is different and that's the why right there
You know because of the fact that not everybody is a child, you know that makes what we have a very special thing
You know that if we believed in Christ, we're as his child that we've been set apart, you know
We're made distinct from that which is common
We're not now I'm not saying that in a puffed up way and I don't think we should walk around thinking well
You know, I'm God's child and you're not you know, we endeavor to make others God's child
We want other people to join us, you know
What to God that the whole world were God's children would to God that that were true
That they wouldn't there wouldn't be many that go to destruction as Jesus said
But the fact is that there aren't few there are few that be saved that way
It is a peculiar thing that we have here that we have are
Unique that we are different in the fact that we believed on Christ and he has set us apart unto himself
He has purchased us with his own blood. That's a very special thing and you know this applies to them back
Then you know, he chose one nation out of all the nations of the earth
To be a light unto the Gentiles when he was one nation that he brought out of Egypt and that he brought
You know it brought up out of bondage and raised up and and you know that applied to them then
You know as being a peculiar people and applies to us today as well
And if you would turn over to 1st Peter chapter 2 will see that where this is
Reiterated to some degree in 1st Peter chapter 2 this is New Testament
You know this applied to Israel back then but this applies
To us today just as much as it did to them
Back then you're going to 1st Peter 2 it says in Titus 2 that
speaking of Jesus who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and
Purify unto himself a peculiar people. So there's that word again a peculiar people zealous of good works
He says there in 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 9 and you'll see this sounds very familiar. He says but he our chosen generation
A royal priesthood and holy nation a peculiar people that you should show forth
His the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light
Which in times past were not a people but now are the people of God which had not obtained mercy
But now have obtained mercy. See what we have is very special. What we have is very dear to us
That's why he goes on to verse 11 says dearly beloved
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims and abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul
so that's what we can apply these verses to ourselves today and really that's the why and
You know that could be the why for many of the reasons for many of the things that we do today
I mean the things that we observe today as well as Christians, you know, we even in the New Testaments
We have a lot of do's and don'ts, right?
There's a lot of things like he says there at the end right of 1st Peter chapter 2 abstain from fleshly lusts
You know God commands us in the New Testament not to be fornicators not to be covetous not to be drunk
It's not to be all these things and why is it?
It's not just because God's trying to ruin our good time down here even though those things
You know might might there is a pleasure for sin for a season, you know, they don't really
You know, it's not really worth it in the long run
But why is it that God says abstain from these things because of the same reason that he told them
Here in Deuteronomy to not do the things
That he's about to tell them to do that we just read because they are dearly beloved because they are
Peculiar people because they are holy because they're set apart because they've been sanctified
so
That's applies to us today just as much as it did back then and you know
He says he's calling them a holy people right somebody that is set apart and we could think about
examples in the scripture of of where things are referred to as holy and one that comes to mind is when Moses
You know spoke with the Lord at the burning bush
What did he tell him is to take off thy feet for the place where on thou standest is holy ground. It's sanctified
It's different because it was in the presence of God
So we establish this holiness or we we don't establish it
But rather I should say that we we display it or we show this holiness or at least they did back then
Through the behavior through the way that they live their life through the things that they did do and they didn't do
You know and even before we get into the dietary restrictions
He's saying look there's certain things that you as my people
Will not do that
I command you not to partake in that I want you to be different set apart peculiar
Unto me in this way by not doing certain behaviors and he says here one of them of course is not cutting yourselves, right?
This was a heathen practice if you recall this is something that they did
You know, it was demonic and he says there in verse 1
You shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldness before your between your eyes before the dead now
I didn't really get into the making the baldness between your eyes, you know
That's kind of a I don't want to say it's necessarily a vague term
But it's not really we don't really use that vernacular today now when we read that we are
You know, I don't know about you, but I immediately think of like this spot
I'm like, well, it's already bald, you know, so I'm good there, right, you know
But I think what he's referring to if you look in other passages
We'll see it in Deuteronomy. It says you shall mar the corners of your beard, you know
Not make any, you know, not to make any strange markings or to shave your head for the dead things like that
So he's saying like, you know, I believe he's referring to you know, this could be considered between your eyes as well
Couldn't it? You know, it's just the other way around
So maybe that's what he's talking about and I'm treading very lightly here because you know that spot, you know
Some of us we would like to make that bald don't we?
I don't think that's what he's referring to that can continue. All right
Let's just move on before I get myself in really hot water there
So but more particular he's talking about the cutting of yourselves no cutting of yourselves now
Why is it that he didn't want them cutting themselves? Well one, you know, it's not healthy. It's not good for you
I mean, that's a very bad thing to do if you're you know
People who are doing that are very disturbed people often people that are going through
You know very serious bouts of depression and I believe in many instances people that are even
You know demonic that have been possessed by the devil
This is something that we're gonna see here if you would turn over to Mark chapter 5
But he's saying look there's certain behaviors
You're not going to participate in that you as my people are not going to do because you are holy unto me and one of
Them is to not cut yourselves and this was a heathen practice that went on back there and still goes on today
You know, I remember when before the whole before it was emo it was called goth
All right, and who remembers that right when I was in high school
They called the emos the Goths and they listened to a certain type of music and they dressed in all black and they moped around
they had long hair and they paint they powdered their faces and they'd paint their nails black and
One of the things that they would do is they would cut themselves
In fact, I had a friend that I grew up with in an elementary school
we spent a lot of time together and then he was a great ahead of me and going through junior high and
then into high school we drifted apart and he became one of these goth people and
Later we kind of reconnected I would bump into him and talk to him from time to time
But it was well known that he was known throughout the high school for being the kid that cut himself
that would cut things into his arms and his idea of a good time was to go hang out at the graveyard and
You can kind of see why we drifted apart. I just said, you know what?
I'm gonna keep playing basketball and skateboarding you can go cut yourself
Right. So but that's something that you know, it still goes on today
This isn't say, you know preach something relevant this happens this goes on
You know, and I'm sure nothing's changed, you know
I'm sure even people today we could testify the fact that they know people that still
practice this this demonic practice of cutting yourself and you know, it reminds us of course of when
Elijah was calling down fire from heaven when he was stood the prophets of Baal and he said you recall the story
He said put the ox on the on the they were to put their ox on the altar and call upon the name of the
Baal and whoever sent fire down from heaven. He was to be he was the god and
What what did the prophets of Baal do?
Well, one of the things that they did is that they cried aloud right and it says and they cut themselves after their manner
with knives and lancets so people that are you know,
demonic these these prophets of Baal right these these wicked false teachers
One of the things that they practice it says after their manner, you know
this is something that they were they did commonly was to cut themselves and
So this is something you know, cutting yourself is associated with he that it's a heathen practice
It's a it's a it's something that you see associated with demonic possession. Even we'll look here in Mark chapter 5 verse 1
it says and they came over into the other side of the sea into this country of the Gadarenes and
When he was come out of the ship immediately there met him a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit
Now that doesn't mean a spirit that was rolling around in the mud, you know, that's talking about
a demonic spirit, you know a
You know, we would say it was
You know was devilish. It was a fallen. It was a demon, right?
He says in verse 3 and who had his dwelling among the tomb
So he's talking about this man who's to possess and no man could bind him. No not with chains
Because he had been often bound with fetters and chains and the chains have been plucked asunder by him and the fetters broke in pieces
Neither could any man tame him and always night and day
He was in the mountains and in the tombs, right?
There's that graveyard again and crying and what was he doing at the end and cutting himself with stones?
So you can see why God doesn't want his people participating in this now
I'm not gonna say every time somebody is involved in this practice that they're demonic
But they're definitely either they are possessed by a devil or they're being influenced by somebody who is possessed by a devil
A lot of times people get into this especially in high school and stuff like that
Where their people are trying to fit in there and they're impressionable and they're trying to fall into a certain crowd
You know, they might just start doing this to try to fit in or you know, maybe their favorite music artist
You know encourages this and maybe there have been listening to I don't know who's out there anymore
But you know my day was Marilyn Manson, you know a great name, you know, Nine Inch Nails
these type of bands that are you know into these type of things, you know, and we could
and I don't want to go on and on about that, but you know, we could see here that this practice of cutting yourself is
Demonic in nature now this also would include tattoos, you know
I believe that this would include tattoos as well
The tattoos are not something that we as Christians should be getting, you know
And let me just preface by saying, you know, if you have tattoos in here tonight
I'm not you know that that's in the past, you know, you know, I understand people get saved later in life
They come to this knowledge later in life and my goal is not to you know
Pick on people or make them feel bad
But there's a whole lot of people in this room who have not gotten tattoos that one day might be tempted to get a tattoo
You know and if they and there's a lot of and they need to hear this, you know
and if you're if you're right with God tonight and you have a tattoo you're gonna want them to hear this and
In fact, I don't think there's anybody in this room that if somebody came to you
If someone that didn't have a tattoo came to somebody with the tattoo and said hey
I want to get a tattoo that person with a tattoo if you're following me still would say no don't do it
I believe every person in this room that has one if they're right with God and I believe they are would tell the person without
One to not get one because number one they're permanent, you know and don't buy into this whole thing when they say
Oh, it could be removed
You know some if you now if you're one that you know got one with a homemade gun with like Bic pen ink
You know or you know, or you have some really bad
Unprofessionally done tattoo that it's just on the outer layers of the of the skin, you know
You might have a chance of maybe getting that taken away, but it's still a very painful process
It's still gonna leave a scar it's still gonna leave a mark, you know
But if you're one who actually went to a professional tattoo, I mean tattoo parlor
They're serious about their profession and it's they want it to last they want it to remain bright and colorful
I mean, they're they're gonna they're gonna have professional guns that thing's not coming off friend, you know
And I and I you know, I have some of my best friends are covered in tattoos and you know
I can I don't even notice it, you know, but you know when this comes up
We got to preach it but even one of those friends they've even showed me pictures
Hey
I went to have this removed with a laser and
What it does is it causes the skin to boil up and you get a blister and he said it was more painful than the tattoo
It's more painful and expensive than getting the tattoo to the point where you don't even bother
Because it's not even going to get rid of it in the end
It's just gonna dull it and fade it and maybe maybe it make it less noticeable, but it's still gonna be there
So don't get tattoos if you haven't got one and if you have got one, you know what confess it forsake it
It's in the past, you know, we had that new body that's coming and and praise God for that
And but you know, this is a particular and you say well, how's that cutting? Well, how's that get into cutting?
Well, that's what tattooing is
It's making a bunch of little cuts repeatedly very fast at a high rate of speed in your skin a needle plunging into your skin
You know, I mean, maybe it's not slicing but it's definitely piercing the skin and putting ink in your body
So that I believe that would count as cutting
And you know what if that's not good enough for you
You you could turn to Leviticus chapter 19 and read verse 27 where it says you shall not round the corners of your heads
Neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard
You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print any marks upon you
I am the Lord and you know, that's a verse on even a lot of Christians today
I don't even know is in the Bible, you know, I remember when I first got saved
I was hanging out with this guy who claimed to be a Christian and he very well may have been I don't I don't know
I never didn't really have enough discernment to kind of feel him out there
But he definitely came from a godly home with Christian parents and I remember him saying so, you know
The Bible says it's okay to get tattoos. I'm like, where's the verse that says that? I don't know
He's just all mad, you know, and then I read this I'm like it says the exact opposite
It says don't put any prints. I mean what else could that be talking about?
You know, that's not talking about you know, the your your toddler sitting down with the with just going to town with a you know
One of those Crayolas or whatever the little washable markers they get it all over their hands, you know
I don't walk, you know, my kids do it all the time
They'll be drawing something and then you'll book them over you later
They'll have pen all over their hand from other their creativity and it's like don't you haven't you read Leviticus?
1927 you're putting marks upon you, you know, that's not what's referring to it's talking about putting you know
tattoos on your body because this is something that's been going on for a long time because this is something that
You know and it used to be it was it was you know
Only a certain group of people got that kind of thing that they would go get tattoos
But now it's become so popular that it's very fashionable to get to get a tattoo
I mean, we'll see policemen walking around now with just full sleeves, you know, they're representing their community and they're just you know
They walk around these these full tattoos. It's just like it's weird, you know, but that's where we're at in this culture
It's become so popular
That
You know, it needs to be preached against someone needs to stand up and say hey the Bible says don't do it
So don't do it and God says that's one of the things he doesn't want you to do
Why so be set apart and you know, why do a lot of people get tattoos so they can look different?
So they could be unique so they can draw attention, right? But we're getting to the point now
We're not having a tattoo is what's gonna make you need you need you say hey, well, what kind of ink you got man?
I haven't got any Wow
You're weird, you know, you want to stand out in a crowd these days. You don't get the tattoo, right?
so
Christians should not be getting tattooed. They should not be
Cutting themselves and they should and there's several other things here. Namely when it comes to the diet that God says look
These are there's certain things you're going to eat and certain things you're not going to eat and why is that?
Why is God putting all these do's and don'ts here again?
Because he wants to put a difference between his people and the heathen he wants to put a difference
He wants us to be holy unto him to be a peculiar people
So he goes on in verse three and starts talking about the not eating and the eating of certain animals
Which animals are allowed in which our animals aren't?
And you know, this is just a long
This is the you know litany of of different animals that we are allowed and to eat and not to eat
I really don't know that we need to go through the whole thing now. This wasn't in my notes
You know if now here's the thing you can go over this list
I know we just read it before the service if you really want me to feel like I need to break down every animal for
You tell you you know we can do that later for sake of time. I'm not gonna do it
I don't feel like I'm you know glossing over the Word of God or trying to avoid some you know
Controversial portion of Scripture here by not reading this. I think we're just sparing ourselves a little bit time
But I'm kind of shooting from the hip on this one. I will point out the fact that it says
Never where does that there where he says you shall not eat the hair right the
Well, we might just end up having read the whole thing here because I can't find it in my notes
Verse 7 nevertheless you shall not eat of them that chew the cud or of them to divide the cloven foot as the camel and
The hair which is referring to like a rabbit right now. I've heard some people and again. I'm shooting for it
I probably shouldn't be going down this road, but I've heard some people say well a rat the the modern-day rabbit
Doesn't chew the cut it doesn't do that so they so they'll say aha
You see the Bible is wrong here because it says that they eat the cut there that they chew the cut
Where we know that the rabbit does not know I again
I don't I should have taken the time to go on Google
I was just thinking about this as brother Garza was reading I remembered this came to mind
That somebody had said that to me once now does anyone know whether or not that's true does the hair chew the cut or not I?
Thought I was in the impression that they did now maybe so maybe somebody's wrong, but here's the point
I was gonna make it doesn't matter to me if that if they have the rabbit today does not chew the cud
It doesn't even I'm not gonna
You think my whole faith is resting upon whether or not you know whether the the silly little rabbit is chewing its cut or not
Like I'm gonna go all the Bible's wrong. You know like well. Here's here's a possible explanation
Let's say that the rabbit doesn't chew the cut and it sounds like it very well may so maybe this is pointless anyway
But let's say it didn't or you know and you could apply this to something else
Maybe you know another objection like this comes up if if let's say it didn't chew the cut well
You know do you remember when this was written?
Thousands of years ago, this is written, right
So really that would just testify to the fact that animals change on their own the animals adapt
You know maybe it could just be that the rabbit is adapted now. It sounds like the rabbit hasn't changed at all, but
You know we can continue to be Christians today right because the rabbit still choose the cut
Right like people point out things like that like aha you know and they think they just blew your whole faith right out of the water
And we shouldn't be just so shaken by that well
Here's a possible explanation
Perhaps that animal has done exactly what it's God's created to do to adapt to change not evolve
You know a micro evolution not evolved in the sense that it was once a different animal
But that it's actually adapted to a different set of circumstances where it no longer needs to chew the cut. You know I'm not
Gonna break that down. Why that might be or why not anyway again kind of shooting from the hip there
But I thought it was worth pointing out that hey
You know little things like that in the Bible there could be another explanation
But
Now when we read through this list
You know there's nothing inherently bad or good about any of these animals
You know he starts to talk now. I will say he starts to talk about you know seafood there. It has to be anything
Verse 9 these shall you shall eat of all that are in the waters all that have fins and scales shall you eat, right?
So there goes your lobster, or was I affectionately call it the sea rat, right?
It's like a little rat of the sea scurrying around under the rocks
It's got a weird tail you know there goes your shrimp, which has also been affectionately called the sea cockroach
Right another bottom feeder right, but so delicious at the same time right so this would be kind of a bummer back
Then you're right because we enjoy those things right now
We could eat the cow right so you'd go to the restaurant, and they'd say it's surf and turf on the menu tonight
Well, no sir for me all right well praise the Lord for the New Testament
And we can have the lobster tail and the the steak as well
So, but why is that? Why is it God saying no lobster is it because lobsters bad for you?
Is it because shrimp is bad for you is?
Because any of these animals have some new you know are devoid of nutritional value
But they have nothing to offer to you in the way of nutrition
No, that's not it at all. It's again because God is trying to put a difference between his people and other people
Now you know go have somebody come up to you and ask hey
You want to get some seafood say I don't eat seafood whenever I hear that
I think you're a little weird you know cuz seafood's good. You know depending where you go
I don't recommend red lobster anymore, but
You know if you're anytime. I'm near an ocean. I was in Houston a few weeks ago
I'm like where is the seafood at unfortunately didn't have time to get to it
But you know whenever you get somewhere you could actually get fresh caught seafood. That's great
You know now not everybody's not into seafood. I get it. You're just a little weird
That's fine, but first proves my point
You know that that not eating certain things makes makes you peculiar
Right like if this is what's on the menu well my religion tells me. I cannot eat that
You know well why is that why you know that's the way the Lord said you know in Deuteronomy?
You know and it just it just makes a difference between God's people and his people
I mean how else is God going to make a distinction?
between his people and the lost his people in the heathen I mean
How else but besides through their behaviors I?
Mean sure you could reach down from heaven and maybe you know put a dot on our foreheads or something like that right you know
but
Wouldn't it be easier just to have us you know it would be more on our part
We would have to hold up our end of the bargain at that point
You know and actually and you know watch what we eat or at least they did you know and watch what we allow our?
What we're gonna allow into our lives and what we're gonna keep out
See it's it's it puts something we have a responsibility to uphold to to
Take on that privilege of being God's peculiar people you know it's a two-way street
You know we know whether even if we don't do those things that God tells us, so we're still saved
We're still his people. It's just that you know we're not we're not showing that to other people other people aren't going to notice that
So again, there's nothing inherently good or bad about any of these animals
You know but the purpose of them not eating it was simply to set them apart from others around them and
There is some symbology here though that I've heard preached, and I think this is just as true
And where it says you know they were allowed to eat animals that chewed the cud and part the hoof
Right so I think everyone knows what chewing the cut is with an animal brings up that which is partially digested
Chews it some more and it goes down into another stomach
I think cows have like was it four stomachs, but they bring food back up
Then they chew it some more it goes back into their stomach. It's just part of their digestive process
But they also part the hoof
You know so they don't have a cloven hoof, but they part the hoof
He says well an animal that chews the cud and parts the hoof you are allowed to eat now
Why is that why does God choose that animal I believe it's symbolic of
Basically it boils down to this this common phrase
You got to walk the walk and talk the talk when you think about it
That's kind of what the symbology is there
This is somebody who not only walks the walk
But talks the talk and I believe there's a lot
You know there was a great pastor Anderson preach a great sermon on that called part the hoof and chew the cut
I believe it. That's what it's called where he really goes into that if you're interested. I really recommend that one, but I
Believe that's some of the symbology that's behind it that God doesn't want us just to be people that only talk the talk
He wants us to be people that you know say what we mean and also you know we preach and we practice what we preach
Because you're you're you know as the saying goes your walk talks louder than your talk talks
right
So that's I believe what he's getting across here, and that's something that we've seen in the New Testament as well
He says in 1st John chapter 3 my little children
Let us not love in word neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth
And you know if you recall this was the hypocrisy of the Pharisees
You know they did a lot of talking
But they didn't do a lot of walking did they they did a lot of chewing of the cud, but they didn't part the hoof
Right and he said of them and Matthew chapter 23 then spake Jesus to the multitude and to his disciples saying
The scribes and the Pharisees said in Moses see all therefore whatsoever
They bid you observe that observe and do he's saying look what they're telling you to do is right
It's it's the law. It's it's Bible, but do not after their works
Before they say and do not
They're saying you guys need to do this you need to do that and they say hey what they're telling you to do is right
But don't be like them where you say to do this, and then don't do it yourself. Don't be a hypocrite
He's saying for they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be born and lay them on men's shoulders
But they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers
So I believe that's some of the symbology there in that dietary restriction
Why did God choose those specific animals is because of the symbology of walking walk talking to talk not being
Hypocrite and you know what there's probably a whole lot more in there, too
Even a passage like that that we would read and say what it know why why does that even in there?
We don't you know this isn't for us today
well
There's probably a lot that we could pull out of it if we would meditate upon the Word of God and compare Scripture with Scripture
And we probably get even even more out of it
But I will say this you know this needs to be clarified too
Is that the dietary restrictions these these this law Deuteronomy here only applied to?
The to them to Israel during the time of the Levitical priesthood
You know it all things were allowed prior that you know if you recall in Genesis
God when Noah came off the ark
He tell them be fruitful and multiply replenish the earth and the fear and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the
Earth and upon every fowl of the air upon that moved upon the earth
Upon all the fishes of sea into your hand they are delivered
He said every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you
No restrictions, so the surf and turf is back on the table
You know the surf portion is there if you want it unless you're weird, right?
So I know there's somebody in this room that doesn't like I'm kind of picking on them a little bit, but anyway
But it's there. You know we can eat whatever we want. We can have whatever we want. We don't have to worry about
Well at least that's the way it was back then that's the point
I'm trying to make and all things are allowed today, and this is important to understand because there's some people
You know Judaizers that would want to bring us back under the law back under Carter Lawrence's, and if you would
Turn over to Hebrews chapter 9
You know people want to go back to this they want to say well
Let's bring the dietary restriction back into play you know they'll say well. You shouldn't eat pork
That's that's blasphemy my friend
You know fry up the bacon get the pork sandwich out, let's go to smoky Moe's
You know they're closed already, but you know I almost went there this afternoon
But ended up at Chipotle anyway
Chipotle I gotta start saying it right
Hebrews chapter 9 old habits are hard to break
Hebrews chapter 9 verse 8 it says the Holy Ghost this signifying that the way
That the way into the holiness of all a holiest of all is not yet made manifest
Well as yet the first tabernacle was yet standing
Which was a figure of the time then present in which were both offered gifts and sacrifices?
That could not make him that did the service perfect as pertain to the conscience
which stood only in meats and drinks and
Diverse washings and cardinal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reaffirm way reformation
So he's saying look this old. He's talking about the Levitical priesthood here, right? He's talking about
You know the tab or the first tabernacle the holiest of holies which could not make the comers there unto perfect
in regards to the conscience and it says that it stood only in meats and drinks and
Diverse wassings and carnal ordinances, and it says that all that would now the carnal ordinances that would include you know carnal
Is the flesh things that pertain to the body like a diet right?
He's saying look your diet the the dietary restrictions would be included in the cardinal ordinances
He's saying these things were imposed on them until what until the time of reefer make reformation
That's not talking about Martin Luther. Okay, it's talking about in verse 11, but Christ becoming in high priest of good things
To come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with ants that is to say of this building
It's talking about the coming of Christ. That is the Reformation
Christ came so all of these cardinal ordinances the tabernacle do we still set up a tabernacle today?
We still go sacrifice animals and and have a priest that puts on the garments and
Burnt incense and all of that that goes on that goes along with that. We don't do any of that
Because those are cardinal ordinances that have been done away in Christ and that would include
The dietary restrictions as well
Well, I mean how you can't people they want to select and pick out of the Old Testament what they want
Well, we're gonna take the dietary restrictions. We're gonna leave off the animal sacrifice. Well, that's convenient, isn't it?
You know, we're gonna we're gonna take, you know honor, you know, keeping the Sabbath holy and on the fifth day, you know
But then we're not gonna you know, do some other part of the law
They they pick and choose that's not how it works either, you know
Now there are certain things that have you know that are very if they're not specifically spelled out
In the New Testament that are still in play, right?
Does God need to repeat everything in the Old Testament in order for us to understand that we you know, we shouldn't kiss grandma
Or something, you know in a bad way, you know, he goes on we're gonna get into later in Deuteronomy
We're talks about you know, all of the different types of physical relationships that are you know wicked and allowed
Does God need to reiterate all that in the New Testament for us to get it?
No, all those things still apply unless they're specifically done away with in the New Testament
and one of the things that we see here in Hebrews and if you would turn over to Colossians chapter 2 is
The cardinal ordinances were done away at the time of reformation and the time of reformation was when Christ came and
It says in Colossians chapter 2 verse 8
It says beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit after the after the tradition of men
After the rudiments of the world and not after Christ for in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and he are complete
in him
Which is the head of all principality and power in whom also you are circumcised the circumcision with made without hands in
Putting off the body of sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ
buried him with him in baptism
where and also you are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God who hath raised him from the dead and
You being dead in your sins and the uncircumcised in your flesh hath he quickened together with him having forgiven you all trespasses doing what?
Verse 14 blotting out all blotting out the handwriting of ordinances there it is again
Cardinal ordinances that was against us which was contrary to us and took it out of the way
It says nailing it to his cross and having spoiled principalities and powers and made a show of them
Hopefully try anything over them in it verse 16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat. He's saying this right here
It's clear as day
Let no man judge you therefore in me
You know not just the eating of meat whether it's okay or not to eat meat, but specifically what meats are you know?
Forget the pun on the table and which ones aren't
You know, that's what he's saying here. Don't judge
You know if I want to sit down and eat sea rat and sea roach, you know
I have that liberty to do that
The more I say that the less likely I'm probably to do it because they'll have that image with every time I go to eat
It right, but if I want to eat something that that doesn't you know, chew the cud and something that doesn't part the hook
I'm a lot. I you can't judge me on that according to Colossians
According to the New Testament, you know, he goes on
He says, you know a meat or a drink or inspective and holy day or the new moon or the Sabbath days
All these things have been specifically done away in Christ
Which are a shadow of the things to come but the body of Christ
I mean that was the purpose of those things to point us to Christ. There's a lot of symbology in this in these things
So go ahead and go back to Deuteronomy chapter 14. We'll move on here
And he says in verse 21
You shall not eat of anything that dieth of itself thou shalt give it under the stranger that is in the gates
That he made of it or thou might say it sell it unto an alien now when it says an alien
It's talking about a stranger. It's not saying give it to ET
Right because we all know he ate Reese's Pieces anyways
This is so bad, but you know, he's saying look if you're something dies of itself and this kind of thing goes on today
You know, I don't know that this would classify
Roadkill would count as that. I mean, it's not really dying of itself
I think it's referring more of like a disease or something like that. He's saying look you're not gonna eat of that
You're gonna give it to somebody else, you know, you can give it to the stranger because he's not like you
And wouldn't that can you see how that would back then especially like that would make them a peculiar people to that person?
Hey, I found this fresh roadkill that there's and people do this in Alaska and other places
I knew a guy from Alaska. He lived up there worked for a while
He said that you would actually put in a part you would you would apply for roadkill license
And you would get a tag they'd have you a name on a list
They just start calling down the list and they because I mean, you know a moose or an elk or something like that
It hits up there. That's that's a lot of meat
I mean you could feed a family for a very long time on one of those animals
And he said, you know that someone would hit a moose or something like that and
He'd get the call. Hey over on highway so-and-so at the certain mile marker on the you know, whatever bound lane
It's yours go take it and you know
Someone would go cut that up and eat it cuz a lot of good meat
So it's not like God's saying hey sell rancid meat to these people, you know or give them something
That's gonna make them sick and die. That's not what he's saying here, right?
What he's saying is I give them something that there's nothing wrong with it
You can sell it to them, but you're not allowed to eat it
Now wouldn't that make me strange?
You know if I if a peculiar person if I had perfectly good meat and I just said here you can have it here
I'll sell it to you. Well, why don't you want it? Is there anything wrong with it? No
Why don't you want it, you know cuz back then especially it wasn't like you just went down to bashes and you know picked up
You know, whatever the roast beef was on sale or whatever you get a chuck roast or something
You know meat was something you had to raise a lot of went into it
They'd say we'd say well I don't do that because you know, the Lord doesn't allow us to do that
Well, tell me more about this this God of yours, you know, it would make us peculiar
You can see how these things would set you apart and you know, God does it in such a practical manner
He sets his people apart through their behavior the things that they do and the things that they are not allowed to do
So he says there
He could sell it to an alien for thou art and holy people in the Lord thy God there again
That's the reason because you're holy because you're different because you're peculiar
And he says thou shalt not see the kid in his mother's milk
Now if anybody in this room has an idea of why that's there
I'd love to hear it because I've thought about that and talked to guys about it and I've not heard a really great explanation
I'm sure there is one. I know there is one but that's that's a real interesting verse and I'm sure there's a lot to it
But I don't have anything for it. So if you got anything, let me know after the service
I'll say where were you earlier, you know, but verse 22 it says thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed
That the field bringeth forth year by year and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God in a place where he shall chose
choose to place his name there the tithe thy corn of thy wine and thine oil and the first thing thy herds and thy flocks
That thou mayest learn to fear the Lord thy God always so, you know, this is another go
He goes he's talking about the tithe back then how it was done
but notice another great principle even one that we practice here when it comes to the tithe is that he says there and
You know, he says thou shalt truly try tithe right verse 22 the verse 23 and thou shalt eat before the Lord thy God
So it wasn't like they take their tithe and give it to the priest and then they're like, oh
You know, well good thing we brought our sack lunch while the priest goes and eats our food, right?
He says no you'd go there and you make the sacrifice and the priest and you would eat together
You would eat with him, you know, you would partake of that tithe, you know, and that's a principle that we practice here
You know, that's why you know, the baby shower was free of charge, you know
That's why all the borrows came down and you know, that was part of the tithe, you know
That's why we're gonna have the you know, the barbecues the church picnics and activities. That's that same principle, you know
It's not just that God's the people that are you know in full-time the ministry just hoarding all this money and sitting on it
And becoming something rich now is that out there sure it is
Right, but you know the principle is that you know, everybody gets to partake in that to some degree and he says here
And I want to go on about the tithe because I preached sermon about that recently and he says in verse 24
So he's telling him, you know, hey, you got to bring the first fruits of your your your your seed
You know all your fruits and vegetables your livestock
You got to bring this to the place where he puts his name and tied it and he says in verse 24 at the way
Be too long for thee so thou are not able to carry it or if the place be too far from thee which Lord thy
God shall choose to set his name there
When the Lord hath blessed thee then thou shalt turn it into money and bind up the money in thine hand
And shall go into place with the Lord thy God shall choose and shall bestow the money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after
For oxen or for sheep or for wine or for strong drink or for whatsoever thy soul desireth
And thou shalt eat there before the Lord thy God and thou shalt rejoice thou in thine household. So he's saying look
God, you know God is very practical
You know, God God understands man's position and God I that's all about the Bible is so practical and all of these things
He says look he understood that there's gonna be people that are very far away from
Jerusalem or Shiloh or wherever he put up the tabernacle or the temple eventually and he says look you can if it's too far for
You if you have so much abundance that you know, you you don't even have a cart big enough to haul it all down there
It's just gonna be too much work. It's not practical and just turn into money and go down there and buy it
I mean God, he's just he's very practical in the way. He he asks us to serve him and
Now I do want to point out here where it says in verse 26 that they were allowed to buy wine or for strong drink
Right and some people I've seen turn to say will say well see that there that is an endorsement for drinking alcohol
They'll say hey Bible says you could gone down there and bought strong drink now
I do not believe that this is an endorsement of drinking alcohol at all
Yeah in in the same verse if you notice it says there and thou shalt eat before the Lord
They got notice the drinking is left out right and other passages. God says talks about eating and drinking
Okay, and I don't believe that's a coincidence
And if you look elsewhere and we're not gonna dive real deep into this
But you know God talks about strong or strong wine being poured out as a drink offering in the holy place before the Lord
That I believe that's what was to be taking place with this you say well, I don't know about that
Well, it doesn't say anywhere
It says they're allowed to eat but doesn't say they're allowed to drink this stuff
right doesn't say go ahead and drink the strong drink and
You know elsewhere we know if we know our Bibles is that strong drink is strictly forbidden in the Bible
And he says in Leviticus chapter
So this would be a contradiction for God to say don't read alcohol except when you come to worship me
Except when you're gonna come worship me then you can just get drunk as a skunk all bets are off
You know get three sheets to the wind and make a fool yourself at the tabernacle or at the temple that makes no sense
Okay, and anybody who knows anything about strong drink is this it doesn't take much that's why it's called strong drink right now
I don't believe that this is referring exactly to what you know, this isn't your black label whiskey, but this is you know potent
You know fermented beverages that would get people drunk as I believe it's referring to
he says
We know elsewhere that it's forbidden, you know, specifically in the priests, you know, Leviticus chapter 10
He said and he spake an errand saying do not drink wine nor strong drink nor thy sons with thee
He says look you're not to drink strong drink. We know Proverbs right Proverbs has a lot to say about the subject
It says wine is a mocker strong drink is ranging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise
And you know any of us that have either
Had it had experience with this in the past or know people who were involved in it can probably tell a lot of very
Embarrassing stories about
you know people that who are who have been deceived by strong drink and
Even tragic things have taken place due to strong drink, you know a things that people are not proud of
It's raging, you know, it says there Proverbs chapter 31
It says it is not for kings o'leh me. Well, it is not for kings to drink wine
Nor for princes to drink strong drink and what about Proverbs 23 and I've preached on this
I know brother Cale was down here. He preached on this recently. So we're not gonna turn to all these passages
But he says look not thou upon the wine when it is red or giveth its color in the cup with it move itself
Right saying look it's not for the priests. It's not for the kings
He's saying if you're deceived by it, you're not wise and he says here you're not to look upon the wine when it's red now
What's the problem with the wine? Because if you think God doesn't want you're looking at it because of the color
Is that what guys think don't look at it. It's the wrong color
You know, it's it's too much of a chartreuse
You know when it gets more into a burgundy, you know or whatever, that's not what God's that's not the problem with the wine
The problem of the wine is that it moveth itself, right? It's fermented, right? It's it's has living
Organisms in there that will get you drunk. It has yeast in it
And you know, some people will object all this and say well, you know everything you just cited only applies to the priests
It only applies to Lenuel Kings right and only apply it only applies to the priests the sons of Aaron
Well, what does the Bible say about us
It says in Revelation chapter 1 verse 4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia grace be unto you and peace
And from him which is and which was and which is to come and from the seven spirits which were before his throne
And from Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness and it says that in verse 6 and hath made us kings and priests
unto our God
So now, you know, it's it's twofold not for us, you know, not every priest was a king
And not every king was a priest. We're both we are kings and priests unto our God
And it's not for kings and it's not for priests and notice if you know
I know I didn't have you turn there
But if you if you paid attention there when I read verse 6 and half made us kings and priests that's present tense
You know if you're saved today, you already are a king
You already are a priest you are you know that you might as already well be in the kingdom ruling and reigning with Christ
You're as good as there
so it's not for us to be partaking in
Strong drink and things like that and to turn to a passage like that and try to I mean if that's that you're you're pretty
Desperate to go to a passage like that to try to justify the the consumption of alcohol
when there's so many other verses that strictly forbid it and condemn it and cast it in a very poor light and
Like I said earlier anybody who knows has been around it involved with it knows everything that goes wrong with it
And it doesn't take a genius to figure out and you know the so the warning
You know is don't find out for yourself. You know kids
There's no reason for you to go figure that out the Bible already told you alcohol. It will ruin your life
God already told you you know don't cut yourself. Don't go and do those things
Right so we've already we can learn so many things about what not to do from the Bible
And it will help us become what a holy and peculiar people and a God
When we learn to abstain from the things we should abstain from and start to actually do the things that we're supposed to be doing
You know we'll finish up here in verse 27
He says in the Levite that is with thine the gates thou shalt not forsake him for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee
At the end of three years thou shall bring forth all the tithe of thy increase the same year and shall laid up with thy
gates and a Levite because he hath no part or inheritance with thee and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow which are in that
Gate shall come and shall eat and be satisfied
You know God doesn't have a welfare system
You know then that's not because God doesn't care for the poor
It's because God has provided a better way to take care of folks that are in you know in
Tough circumstances such as the fatherless the widow you know you think of the fatherless
You know that that's probably in all likelihood going to be a poorer family
There's one you know the maybe mom has to go out and earn the income now
You know she didn't you know if she's widowed later in life
She didn't get a chance to develop the skills as a you know as a tradesman that dad did to go out and earn a
Profitable living you know and now she's got all these kids to provide for you know that that makes for a very poor set of circumstances
Where you know food could become?
Scarce you know nutritionally it's not there
So God has provided a way to take care of the fatherless and the widow right and like I was just saying you know
He says you know the the woman that has lost her husband
You know maybe doesn't even have kids to provide for her
You know or has a you know a whole bunch of little kids that she herself has to take care of
God's provided a way to take care of them. This isn't the only way either
You know we'll get into it later in Deuteronomy where God tells them to not go back after the sheave if they forget it in
The field but to leave it for the poor that they were not to you know glean every corner of the field
That they were to leave some behind for so that the poor of the land could come and eat
He says there and notice it says that these poor people were to come and shall eat
God didn't say send it to them in their post office box and let them just you know walk out in their you know
Pajamas and just go you know or get it electronically and just decided you know
Well, they when they work up enough ambition to go use their EBT card or something like that
They had to go there and to put some effort into it
You know when the God told them to leave this stuff in the field they had to actually put some effort
You know and say well, why is that because they probably felt better about themselves?
Rather you know you feel better about yourself when you actually have to put it some effort into it
Especially you know as a poor person maybe you know
Maybe they don't have the ability to you know
Do a lot of that you know to work a regular job or whatever it is
They have an opportunity to go out and to earn what they get and that gives you a sense of self-worth
That's what I'm trying to say
So that God systems better you know and it's not that God's you know you know neglects the poor
You know God in fact you know warns his people
To to not neglect the poor to not treat them poorly to treat them well to care for them to have compassion now
Well, it'll come up later in coming weeks
What actually constitutes the poor, but we have a different idea what it means today, which is not biblical
I believe but God does provide for the poor and this is one means that he does it that
When people would come and eat of the they bring their tithes
It wasn't just you know if we were to go to Jerusalem if we were under live back
Then it took all our tithe our our first fruits of our animals, and there's you know our field and went there
You know wouldn't just be the Levite over there. You know stuffing himself to the gills
You know and leaving us with nothing. You know we get to partake in that as well, and it wouldn't be just us
You know it would be the widow would come along with us
You know and it would be a great time of fellowship, and if you recall we read there earlier
It says and you shall go and you shall eat, and you shall do what you shall rejoice
It would you know have been a great
Fest you know festival have been a great time of fellowship and food and a really great system praising the Lord worshiping
God this wasn't a this wasn't dreary this wasn't something that they did grudgingly in fact. I'll be perfectly honest. You know there's a
There's a little a Mexican meat shop right down the road
From where I live and I go by every day to the church and
Several times during the week they have just a big grill that they go out
And they just grill up all their meat
You know they turn the stereo speakers on and it's they're having a good time over there
And I mean the flames are like leaping out onto 40th Street, and the smell of just burning
You know cow flesh just comes across and it just smells so good
Right sometimes. I go me that Levitical priesthood wasn't such a bad thing you know me
Maybe these Judaizers are onto something maybe we know I'm just kidding you know, but you know this thing
I mean imagine just having been there
It's smelling that all the food cooking and the vegetables and everything and the Bible makes you hungry sometimes, right?
But what's this chapter about this chapters about you know God's people being peculiar?
God's people being holy being set apart unto him, and how are they to do it?
You know not through just their words, but actually how they behave not just talking to talk, but walking the walk
you know through
Abstaining from some things and practicing other things in their practical life. That's how we're going to be peculiar today
We're going to obey the commandments of God when he tells us what what to do and what not to do
That's how we're going to be holy. That's how we're going to be set apart. Let's go ahead close the word prayer