From: heb_roots_chr@mail.geocities.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 5, 1997 11:31 PM
To: Hebraic Heritage Newsgroup
Subject: Should Christians wear Tzitzitot and beards ??
From: "Scott R. Ward"
To: <heb_roots_chr@geocities.com>
Subject: Tzitzitot and beards
Shalom Eddie,
I sent this letter a while ago but there has been no reply. so I am
resending it. If you have already replied to this question then please
disregard it. Thanks
I have been reading over some of your letters from a way back, dealing
with the Law / or Torah. I have recently completed a reading of the entire
New Testament reading and marking (in Green) everything
pertaining to the law or Torah. Now I am reading back over what I
have marked, and I have been going over old material from this news
group to help shine some light on this topic (It's not an easy one).
In some of your comments you have talked about the different
reasonability of the Jew and the non-Jew to the Torah. While you
indicate that Sabbath is for everyone, you say the wearing of the
Tzitzit is required of the Jew only.
I would like to know what commands are for the gentiles and
what commands are for the Jews alone. Such as the
commandment to not marr the edges of your beard, and to not
round the sides of your head. I know there are 613 commandments
recognized by the Rabbis, and this makes a big list. Perhaps this
could best be answered with an addition to your web page. This
question has really been on my mind lately.
Acts says that Moses is read in the synagogue every shabbot.
We (my wife and I) are trying to observe Torah. We keep the Shabbot,
eat Biblically Kosher and Keep the Feasts. But with all this and the
way we were raised in Churches we still have a lot to learn. I hope
you can answer this question for us and the other rooters
who are probably asking the same question.
>From Eddie:
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What God desires most in our lives is to have a PERSONAL
RELATIONSHIP with HIM. Man looks on the outward but God looks
on the heart (I Samuel 16:7). In everything that we do, we are to do
so with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) while loving God with all our
heart, mind, soul and strength (Deut 6:4-5, Mark 12:29-30) and being
led by the Spirit of God (Romans 8:14).
The leading of God's people in the OT by His Spirit was symbolized
by the "cloud". The "cloud" was associated with being in the presence of
God and being led by His Spirit. In Exodus 16:10-11 it is written:
"And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of
the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness and
behold the glory of the Lord appeared in a CLOUD and the Lord spake
unto Moses saying ..."
In Exodus 24:15-16 it is written:
"And Moses went up into the mount, and a CLOUD covered the mount. And
the glory of the Lord abode upon Mount Sinai and the CLOUD covered it
six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst
of the CLOUD ..."
In Leviticus 16:2 it is written:
"And the Lord said unto Moses ... for I will appear in the CLOUD upon
the mercy seat"
God led His people through the wilderness by His Spirit via a
CLOUD. The MOVING of the CLOUD was the leading of God's people
and His presence being with them. In Exodus 40:34-37 it is written:
"Then a CLOUD covered the tent of the congregation and the glory of
the Lord filled the tabernacle ... and when the CLOUD was TAKEN UP
from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went ONWARD in
their journeys. But if the CLOUD were NOT TAKEN up, then they
journeyed NOT till the day it was taken up"
Therefore, when the CLOUD moved the people were to move
with the CLOUD. When the CLOUD remained the people were to
remain. So what is the "cloud" of God doing today? How is it moving?
This newsgroup is a testimony of the CLOUD (Spirit of God) moving all
over the world for people from all denominations to examine and study
the Hebraic Roots of their faith. We presently have members from all
50 states in the USA and over 30 foreign countries.
So, what is the "cloud" of God saying to His people? How is the "cloud"
of God moving since we by type and example in the
OT ( Romans 15:4, I Cor 10:11) are to move when the cloud moves and
remain when the cloud doesn't move.
The "cloud" of God is moving in this way. God is calling His people
to study His Word from a Hebraic understanding focusing on the
culture of the Jewish people and the history of the land of Israel to
help us to gain a deeper knowledge of God's Word and the ways of His
Kingdom. In doing this, God is putting it upon the hearts of His
people to study and begin to observe and keep the sabbath and the
Biblical Holidays. If God could get the people who are called by His
name to study the scriptures from a Hebraic perspective to gain a
deeper understanding of God's Word and to keep the sabbath and
Biblical Festivals, God would be well pleased with His people at this
point in time in history. This I believe is undoubtedly how the
"cloud" of God is moving all over the world and in all Christian
denominations. Therefore, this then should be our focus and this is
the primary focus of Hebraic Heritage Ministries and this newsgroup.
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