DIGEST OF DIVINE LAW
by Howard Rand (1942)
THE INDIVIDUAL AND
FAMILY AND HEALTH
It has already been shown that the knowledge of the perfect laws of life are absolutely essential to man, for without that knowledge men are unable to comply with the requirements of the law. It has been the lack of the keeping of these laws which has been responsible for sickness and prevented the establishment of peace and happiness with justice for all. We have also shown that no laws, not even the Divine commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord, will enforce themselves. Therefore it became necessary that a kingdom be organized, the purpose of which would be to administer the laws of the Lord, and so the Kingdom of God was established upon earth for this purpose when Israel, organized into a Kingdom at Mount Sinai, accepted the responsibility of administering the Commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord.
Consequence of Disobedience
In the process of time Israel departed from keeping and administering these laws and because of that departure were taken captive and carried away out of their own land. Centuries passed in a long period of national chastisement during which time Israel, under different names, moved from the land of their captors through Asia Minor, the Caspian Region, then Central and Southern Europe: finally arriving in the Isles north and west of Palestine. Here they grew into a nation, and with the United States of America, occupy an immense amount of territory; having become the nation, company of nations, and great people of prophecy.
Evidence which cannot be lightly set aside definitely establishes the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples as modern Israel today! This makes them responsible for restoring the Jehovah administration in obedience to their Divine Constitution. Only in so doing will justice be established upon earth and victory be assured over all their enemies. The time has come for His people to return, restore, and again keep and administer all His commandments, statutes and judgments as the law of their land. Isaiah prophesies of this time when he says, "There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked." The sin of the House of Israel is her refusal to keep and administer His laws, and it is because of this refusal that peace has been taken from the earth and war, destitution, want and suffering afflict mankind. These afflictions will continuue until the Anglo-Saxon-Celtic peoples awaken to their responsibility and make restitution of their Divine constitution. In fact, the pressure upon modern Israel will become increasingly disastrous until we fulfill our obligation and keep the oath our forefathers made at Mount Sinai when they said, "All that the Lord hath spoken we will do."
(THE NATIONS OF ISRAEL HAVE NOW STEPPED OVER THE LINE OF REJECTING GOD'S LAWS; THERE WILL BE NO RETURNING TO THE ETERNAL GOD; HENCE THE END TIME DESTRUCTION AND CAPTIVITY WILL COME UPON THEM AS OUTLINED BY THE HOLY PROPHETS IN THE PROPHETIC BOOKS OF THE BIBLE - Keith Hunt)
A Call to Repentance
Isaiah issues a challenge to modem Israel as he calls for those who know this message to "Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins." (Isa. 58:1.) Our national transgression is the refusal to administer His laws and this has become sin unto us. We will yet be compelled to keep all that law, for only in that way can we have God's blessing which will save our nation from destruction at the hand of the enemy who seeks our annihilation. Let us, therefore, study the laws of the Lord — which He required that we keep — in order that peace may come and happiness and contentment be assured to all!
(IT CAN NOW ONLY COME TO INDIVIDUALS.....OUR NATIONS WILL NOT REPENT, SO PUNISHMENT WILL COME TO US IN GOD'S TIME PLAN - Keith Hunt)
In the approach to a study of the Divine Law as revealed through the instruction given Israel it must be recognized that Moses was dealing with men and women who knew the fundamental fact that there was a Divine Law. Moses reminded the people that Abraham had kept these laws and now that these same laws were to become the foundation of their national existence judgments were rendered by Moses in conformity with their requirements. The purpose of these judgments was to clarify the application of the law in the administration of the commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord by His Kingdom nation.
Individual and Family Important
Of importance in approaching the digest of the Law is an understanding of the fundamental principle of Divine justice. Primarily, this rests in the protection of the rights of the individual and in the assurance of a happy and peaceful continuity of family life. This principle of placing the rights of the individual and family above all else is never lost sight of, even in matters pertaining to administration and the laws governing national existence.
The Kingdom of God exists solely for the purpose of protecting the individual in his right to justice, freedom and the pursuit of happiness: throwing around the family every safeguard to bring domestic tranquillity and peace.
Men have subverted these principles of justice through promulgating and practising the doctrine that the individual exists to support the state and the family to provide children for the future protection of the state and for the purpose of expanding its dominion. While the Divine Law provides defense for, the Kingdom that there might be national continuity, the purpose of that defense is to protect the individual and preserve the family. There is no valid reason for the existence of a government other than to assure individuals their rights and privileges and to protect the family that the children may have a right to inherit the blessings of peace and be surrounded by an environment of spiritual and national well-being.
Reason for Violence
When a nation departs from these fundamental principles, making the individual and family life secondary in importance to the functions of the state, oppression and tyranny follow, individual freedom passes, and family life suffers. This is followed by discontent among men while the injustice and violence engender hatred and brute force takes the place of law and order. All this leads to evil aggression with its lusts and destruction. Thus crimes committed against individual freedom and liberty, with family relationships made difficult, with war between nations — is but mute testimony of man's failure to recognize, keep and administer the commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord.
Protection of the Individual
Because protection for the individual and family is a fundamental principle of the Divine Law these laws in operation will bring justice, and peace, and establish domestic tranquillity. With the formation of the Kingdom at Mount Sinai the very first thing on the agenda after Israel had assembled to hear the promulgation of the laws which this nation was destined to administer was the giving of the Commandments dealing with the individual relationship to God, the individual's personal conduct and his relationship to his fellow man. Following this are set forth the statutes and judgments. In all these laws, even in the laws pertaining to matters of state, the protection of the individual in all of his rights is never forgotten. This is because such protection for the individual is the only reason that can possibly justify the existence or continuity of any government.
Theological Failure
When the laws of the Lord are mentioned man thinks only of the Ten Commandments. This is the usual extent of the average knowledge of the law, and this lack of the complete information concerning the matter is in a large measure due to the fact that theological teaching covers only the principles of man's relationship to God and to his fellow man as set forth in these laws of moral conduct. Theology has not gone beyond this, and the reason is clear, for theologians by their very training and calling are in no position to handle the great body of law governing the conduct of statesmen, judges, lawyers, doctors, economists: in fact every profession that represents any phase of human conduct or governmental administration. It has been unfortunate that men have assumed and acted upon the assumption that it was the exclusive duty of theologians to present Biblical truths. Because this has been so men know something of the moral and spiritual teachings of the Bible, but its instruction regarding matters of administration and economics has been almost completely ignored. For this reason, and because of the need of the information which the Bible contains for times such as these, it is imperative that a knowledge of these perfect laws become known.
Codification of the Law
Deuteronomy is the codification of the law of the Lord by Moses, a system of laws which he admonished Israel to administer at all times. In this book there are no laws of ordinance or ritual. In chapter after chapter for over 600 verses there are set forth statutes and laws for individual, national and economic well-being. Fifteen verses only of this book cover the Ten Commandments, the perfect moral code which men have continually acknowledged.
The Great Commandment
When a lawyer asked Jesus Christ, "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? " Jesus replied, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Then He added, " And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Jesus then said that on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. The full meaning of this statement of Jesus clarifies as one studies the underlying principle of the law of the Lord. The burden of the message of the Prophets as well as the underlying principle of the entire law of the Lord is a love of God and of your fellow man.
The Golden Rule
Unless the law is being kept, men or nations are unable to keep the rule, "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." When the law of the Lord becomes the law of the land, however, destructive competition will have passed. Then and only then will the Golden Rule be in full operation. In that day the jungle law of the "survival of the strongest" will give place to the law of assisting thy neighbor: when everyone will help his brother, thus instituting a competition of service instead of for selfish advantage as at present.
Christian and Jew
It is written, "Ye have caused many to stumble at the law." The Christian condemns the Jew for failure to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. The Jews have reason to condemn the Christians for failing to believe the Scriptures in all they teach, including the need of keeping and observing all the law. If the Jew has been blind to the fulfillment of ancient Messianic prophecies, Christians have been just as blind to the truth of the Kingdom and its laws of administration.
Division of the Law
The law can be divided into three main clauses: 1) Those laws declaring, commanding or prohibiting something. 2) The orders or injunctions from the Lord, instructing or charging the individual or nation. 3) The decisions under the statutes and commandments.
The commandments, statutes and judgments of the Lord can be classified as those laws dealing with human conduct, personal responsibility and governmental accountability to God for the administration of the affairs of His Kingdom and the meting out of justice and equity to all.
The Laws of Health
Health of body and mind is so essential to the fulfillment of every task that before Israel came to Mount Sinai where they received the law it became necessary that the people be instructed in the matter of health that they might be free from disease and sickness. In the journey from Egypt they came to Marah where the water was bitter. This brought murmurings against Moses who cried unto the Lord and was shown a tree which when cast into the water made it sweet. At that time the Lord made for Israel a statute and an ordinance regarding the health of His people. This law became both a statute of administration in the nation and an ordinance in the ecclesiastical order of service for the nation.
And the Lord said, "If thou wilt diligently harken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee." (Ex. 15:26.) Later on, Moses reminds Israel that the "Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; And re-payeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face. Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them. . . . And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee." (Deut. 7:15.)
Reason for Sickness
Wherever there is disease and sickness among His people as a nation they are refusing to keep and administer His laws. Multitudes continue to live in pain and suffering, while countless numbers have gone to untimely graves for national failure to keep and administer the law and individually observe the requirements for continued and uninterrupted health. Also, and importantly, there are many who have not been able to avail themselves of immunity from sickness because of ignorance of the law and its requirements.
Healing Available Today
Though the law of health was made a statute in the nation, assuring the removal of all sickness from the people when all His commandments and statutes are kept, yet the individual does not have to wait until the nation is righteous before the blessings of continued health are available. This is because healing and health were made an ordinance as well as a statute in the nation forever, and this statute and ordinance have never been abrogated. They are still operating for those who can claim their benefits through complying with the requirements.
We live in a strange world. Professing Christians seldom, if ever, search the Scriptures for guidance in their everyday activities and particularly is this true in the requirements for health. Certain fundamental laws are given in the Bible which, if kept, would give that health and vigor so characteristic of the life of Moses. Moses died at the age of one hundred and twenty years and the record states, "His eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated." (Deut. 34:7.)
Clean and Unclean Animals
Man was a vegetarian in the years prior to the Deluge (Gen. 1:29). When Noah began to load the ark he was instructed to bring in seven pair each of the clean and one pair each of the unclean animals. This presupposes a knowledge of such classification long before similar instructions were given to Israel at Mount Sinai. After the Deluge, God added meat to the diet of man. "But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat." (Gen. 9:3-4.)
(INCORRECT....MANKIND WAS NOT VEGETARIAN BEFORE NOAH. I HAVE A STUDY ON THIS WEBSITE THAT PROVES WHAT I HAVE STATED. YOU WILL FIND IT UNDER THE SECTION ON HEATH AND DIET - Keith Hunt)
Promise of Healing
When Israel in Egypt forgot God they experienced the diseases of the Egyptians. At Marah Israel received instruction as to how they might secure immunity from all sickness. While the keeping of the law will give immunity from disease yet for those who have violated its provision healing is promised. The Psalmist had this in mind when he said, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases." In both cases the conditions must be kept in order to secure both forgiveness and healing.
Thou Shalt Not
That which men consume will mean for them either health and life or sickness and death. When finally the full story is written it will be found that the diseases which afflict mankind are the direct result of eating the forbidden things. The "Thou shalt not" of the Commandments is no more binding than the "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing?"
It was not necessary to instruct Israel in the type of herbs (vegetables) and fruit they could eat, for such instruction had already been given to man during the time he was a vegetarian. The rule was simple. Man could eat the vegetables bearing seed and the fruit of the trees yielding seed. God has provided a great variety of food without violating this rule. Fungi of all kinds such as mushrooms are forbidden (Gen. 1:29).
(YES, TO THE SHOCK OF SOME....MUSHROOMS AND FUNGI TYPES WERE NEVER MEANT OR CREATED FOR THE HUMAN DIET. IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE WHAT SOME MIGHT SAY THESE THINGS CONTAIN IN VITAMINS AND MINERALS [I HAVE A BOOK THAT TELLS YOU ALL THE VITAMINS AND MINERALS PORK CONTAINS] - HEALTH IS OBTAINED IN PART BY EATING ONLY WHAT GOD HAS GIVEN US AS "CLEAN" FOODS. AND AS THE FAMOUS HEALTH AND STRENGTH MAN, CHARLES ATLAS SAID, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT - Keith Hunt)
Abominable Things Forbidden
When Israel received the law regarding meat, God said, "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing." (Deut. 14:3.)
Simple rules are given for our instruction which are easy to remember. Of the four-footed animals only those that have the cloven hoof and also chew the cud are to be meat to eat. The pig is forbidden, for although it has the cloven hoof it does not chew the cud. Of the fish that live in the water all can be eaten which have both fins and scales. This excludes shell fish of all kinds including the lobster. Of the birds and fowls, any can be eaten which are not birds of prey, such as the eagle, vulture and hawk, etc. The eating of blood is strictly forbidden at all times. Veal is forbidden until the calf has been weaned. Thus there is no danger of eating this meat when the calf is too young. The detail of these laws will be found in Deuteronomy fourteen and Leviticus eleven.
Broth of Abominable Things
The four-footed animals that are lawful to eat all have the double digestive system. Through Isaiah the Lord said of our generation, "A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick [established Church practice]; which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments [with burial places of their dead marked by monuments in their Churches], which eat swine's flesh [Anglo-Saxons consume great quantities of such flesh], and broth of abominable things is in their vessels " [clam chowders, oyster stews, etc.]. (Isa. 65:3-4.)
Diseases of Egypt
Examination of the mummies of Egypt has disclosed the fact that the Egyptians were subject to the diseases which afflict our nation today. God declared that the violation of His laws would bring upon us all the diseases of Egypt, also every other sickness and plague (Deut. 28:58-61). We have them all. The judgment as pronounced has come upon us. This is evidenced in the sickness and suffering for our failure to keep the law and obey the injunction, "Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing."
Way of Life and Death
Men are resentful when there is interference with their appetites. Christians who would not think of violating any of the Ten Commandments will deliberately violate the laws of continued health. Later in life, when the inevitable happens, and health is gone, they blame God, though Moses said, "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; in that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments that thou mayest live and multiply." (Deut. 30:15-16.) Can God be blamed when men deliberately choose the way of death? Because the penalties for such law violation are deferred, in some cases until life has nearly run its full course, men harden their hearts and Christians cite New Testament passages to justify themselves in the sins they commit.
Sanctified Meat
Paul told Timothy that meat was to be eaten, provided it was sanctified (that is, set apart) by the Word of God (I Tim. 4:4-5). The only Word of God for Timothy was the Old Testament wherein we have a list of meats set apart for man to eat.
Peter's Vision
Some cite Peter's vision wherein he saw a sheet let down from heaven with all manner of four-footed animals and creeping things upon it to justify the eating of abominable things. Read that vision carefully (Acts 10:10-28) and note that Peter did not slay and eat. After he awoke, he knew no vision could set aside the plain teachings of Scripture. As he pondered the meaning of the vision there came men from Cornelius' house inquiring for him. Peter himself then explains the vision, "God hath showed me that I should not call any man common or unclean." To put any other interpretation to this vision than that given by Peter is to change the meaning of the Word of God.
Jesus said, "Not that which goes into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." (Matt: 15-11.) This had nothing to do with the eating of forbidden foods. Jesus in answering the Pharisees who had complained that His disciples were eating with unwashed hands was showing that that kind of dirt did not defile.
Meat Offered Idols
Paul said, "I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean." (Rom. 14:14.) The context and other utterances of Paul, clearly show he had reference to meat which had been offered to idols. "Whatsoever is sold in the shambles [market place], that eat, asking no question for conscience sake." (I Cor. 10:25.) The forbidden meats were not sold in the market, but there were meats sold which had been offered to idols. Paul instructs the Christian not to inquire as to whether or not they had been so offered for from their point of view the idol was nothing. The New Testament in no way contradicts the Old Testament and when men recognize this they will begin to search the entire Book for all of its truth!
Healing in Atonement
The Psalm cited above, referring to the forgiving of iniquity and the healing of diseases makes healing a part of the atoning work of our Lord. It is not the purpose of God that any of His people should suffer. Sickness is the result of failure to comply with the laws of health. Healing is a gift of God through His Son Jesus Christ who made a demonstration of the Kingdom laws of healing and health in operation. He restored the lame, the halt and the blind to a state of physical perfection and healed all diseases. Isaiah prophesied of coming Kingdom blessings, the benefits of which Jesus so successfully demonstrated, "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. Then the eyes of the blind shall be open, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." (Isaiah 35:3-6.)
Ordinance in the Church
Healing is also an ordinance in the Church. James said, "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the Church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." (James 5:14-15.)
(THIS IS A "GENERAL" STATEMENT; FOR SOMETIMES GOD HEALS BY ALLOWING THE PERSON TO DIE. OBVIOUSLY HEALTH IS NOT ETERNAL, WE ALL DIE, SOMETHING IN US FAILS, OR WEARS OUT, AND WE DIE. SOMETIMES WE HAVE FROM THE SINS OF GENERATIONS PAST, INHERITED WEAKNESSES IN THE BODY, AND SOME OF US DIE. JAMES 5:14-15 MUST BE UNDERSTOOD AS ONE OF THE MANY "GENERAL STATEMENTS" IN THE BIBLE. YET WE COMPLY WITH IT FOR UNTIL DEATH WE DO NOT KNOW HOW GOD WILL ANSWER - Keith Hunt)
Seeking the Physicians
Nationally we refuse to keep and administer the law and pay a fearful price in crippled men and women with untold suffering, pain and death: while individually we seek the physicians instead of the Lord. An eloquent testimony of the results of such a course is given regarding Asa, king of Israel, "And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers." (II Chron. 16:12-13.)
Health being one of man's most valuable assets —as evidenced in the fortunes continually spent by those who, having lost it, seek to regain its blessings again — has led us to deal first with the statute and ordinance received by Israel before they arrived at the foot of Mount Sinai.
..........
WE SHOULD WITH SERIOUS SICKNESS SEEK THE LORD, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF JAMES 5:14-15, IMMEDIATELY.
IT IS NOT WRONG TO SEEK THE HELP OF SKILLED PEOPLE VERSED IN SICKNESSES AND SURGERY. IT IS NOT WRONG TO DO YOUR OWN INVESTIGATIONS TO SICKNESS PROBLEMS, LIKE USING THE MODERN INTERNET TO SEE WHAT IS WRITTEN ABOUT IT, ALL THE PROS AND CONS.
IT IS NOT WRONG TO GET MANY "OPINIONS" FROM THE SO-CALLED EXPERTS IN THAT PARTICULAR AILMENT OR SURGERY. IN OTHER WORDS DO YOUR HOMEWORK; DO NOT LIVE IN BLIND FAITH, SPIRITUALLY AND/OR PHYSICALLY.
Keith Hunt