Zzyzx wrote:
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oldbadger wrote:
Most of the 600+ OT laws are(were) good and positive (in their time). Obviously cynics would rush to pick a difficult example for me, rather than pick one fairly, t random, but if I stick a pin in somewhere, and come up with, say, the 'Do not eat Shellfish' law, that one is(was) massively good and positive in it's time.
You see, mostly every law kept the tribes as healthy and as strong as possible.
Easy......... easy.......
Perhaps you refer to Leviticus 11:9-12 ESV “These you may eat, of all that are in the waters. Everything in the waters that has fins and scales, whether in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But anything in the seas or the rivers that has not fins and scales, of the swarming creatures in the waters and of the living creatures that are in the waters, is detestable to you. You shall regard them as detestable; you shall not eat any of their flesh, and you shall detest their carcasses. Everything in the waters that has not fins and scales is detestable to you.
Aquatic animals without fins and scales include lobster, crabs, shrimp, squid, crawdads, catfish, eels, sturgeon, etc.
First, let us name the commonly known unclean fish -- these are scaleless fish -- which are not fit for food: catfish, eels, paddlefish, sculpins, sticklebacks, sturgeons, and swordfish. These fish do not have true scales. Together with these creatures are other forms of sea life unfit for human consumption: abalone, clams, crabs, lobsters, oysters, scallops, shrimp, whale.
http://www.giveshare.org/Health/cleanunclean.html
Kindly explain to us (easy, easy of course) WHY a law against eating such things "is (was) massively good and positive in its time".
AND explain why prohibition against eating such things is not (or is) applicable now.
Prohibitions are negative commands. I was more looking foward to postive commands/verses for this thread. Be that as it may, I have heard from Jewish sources that these early prohibitions were for health and sanitary reasons. In those days anyway, perhaps there was a "red tide" or some such contamination in the area.
I have also heard from Jewish sources that some prohibitions which seem arbitrary are for the purpose of establishing and maintaining tribal identity...as in "Jews are those people who (among other things) do not eat pork or shellfish" These types of laws stengthen cultural ties and identity.
Also, these seemingly unreasonable, (but not productive of any harm) laws are in place because they demonstrate that sometimes obedience to God defies, but does not contradict reason. They are, in effect there for folks to practice obedience without having to know the reason for EVERY command. Jews are taught to question...sometimes. (Israel means one who wrestles with God) But at other times, they are taught to simply obey. SOMETIMES, "because I said so" is enough for the obeservant Jew, or should be enough.
That's my understanding anyway. But I am remided of the old joke that if one gets two Rabbis in a room for discussion, one will get three opinions.
Anyway, here is an example of the positive kind of verses that I am looking for in this thread:
Micah 6.8: "He hath shewed thee O man, what the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
