Why Don't Christians Follow Jewish Dietary Laws?

  •    Some Muslims are wont to claim that they, as followers of Muhammad, are better Christians than Christians because they do not eat pork. It is their belief that, since Christ followed the Mosaic Law, then therefore so should Christians.


      What Muslims are missing is that Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob instituted the Mosaic Law to prepare the nation of Israel -- and only Israel -- for the coming of their Messiah. Yahweh was setting His People apart from all the Gentile nations, shining a spotlight on them so to speak, so that everyone would know to watch these people who worshiped only one God, as opposed to all of their polytheistic neighbors, and who dressed and lived and ate differently than everyone else.

      Yahweh wanted the known world to have their eyes on these people because One was about to come out of them Who would alter the course of history forever. Literally.


      Muslims are also missing the fact that, once again, they are cherry-picking Bible verses. They are selecting the ones that suit them while ignoring the ones that don't. Such as this statement from James, the brother of Jesus. James wrote:


      "For whoever keeps the entire law, yet fails in one point, is guilty of breaking it all." James 2:10


      James, known in Hebrew as Jacob, is in effect telling us that, though Muslims keep the law meant for the Jews that prohibits the eating of pork, they remain guilty of breaking all the Law because they have not kept all 613 commands that form the Law. One just cannot come to God in his own righteousness and expect to be accepted because our righteous acts, as the prophet Isaiah informs us, "are as filthy rags" in God's sight (Isaiah 64:6). 


      So just how good are Muslims at keeping all 613 commands of the Law? Here are just a few of them, with our comments following:


      - a Torah-observant believer must learn Torah (the Law) and teach it (Deuteronomy 6:7). Not only do the vast majority of Muslims not know the Mosaic Law, many of Muhammad's commandments contradict and violate God's Law. More on that shortly


      - a Torah-observant believer should cleave to those who know Yahweh (Deuteronomy 10:20). Islam not only teaches that Muslims are never to be friends with Jews and Christians, but it also says they are to slay them until Islam completely rules the world. God's Law says, "Do not murder." Muhammad's law says, "Slay them all"


      - a Torah-observant believer must never add to the commandments of the Torah (Deuteronomy 13:1). Muslims strike out here again, as Muhammad added so much of his own interpretations to the Torah it is virtually unrecognizable   

      
      - a Torah-observant believer must dress according to Torah. He must have tzitzit on the corners of his clothing (Numbers 15:38), tefillin on his head (Deuteronomy 6:8), and on his arm (Deuteronomy 6:8)(see example below)


      Since we've never seen Muslims wearing these on their bodies as part of their worship of Allah, it is clear that they are failing yet again to keep this law, and are therefore guilty of all of the Law.

      Here's one Muslims will most definitely have a problem with:


      - a Torah-observant believer must pray to the God of Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 23:25; Deuteronomy 6:13). This is a problem because the name of the God of Moses is Yahweh, while the god of Islam is called Allah. They are not one and the same god. Rather, they are polar opposites. Of course, Muslims can try to solve this by calling on the name of Yahweh instead of Allah but not many of them appear willing to do it


      Here's another major problem in the Mosaic Law for most Muslims. It says:


      - a Torah-observant believer must not lay down a stone for worship (Leviticus 26:1). The vast majority of observant Muslims directly disobey the Law of Moses at least 5 times a day since part of their worship is 5 daily prayers which must be made while facing the Ka'aba Stone in Mecca. No matter where Muslims are in the world, they are commanded to turn towards the Stone and pray towards it. Which is another strike against them, according to the Mosaic Law


      Our next example is a keystone in Judaeo-Christian teaching, though the same attitude is extended to non-believers in both the Old and New Testaments:


      - a Torah-observant believer must love all human beings who are of the covenant (Leviticus 19:18). As noted previously, Muslims are not allowed to make friends with Jews and Christians, both of whom are "of the covenant," thereby putting Muslims at odds once again with the Law they claim to be keeping better than Christians


      And our final example of Mosaic Laws that Muslims do not follow:


     - a Torah-observant believer must not put a Jew to shame (Leviticus 19:17). Yet again, Allah's hatred for Jews will not allow Muslims to follow Yahweh's Law as given to Moses. Rather than teaching love, compassion and kindness to Jews, Allah calls them accursed, "apes and pigs," and declaring himself to be the "enemy of unbelievers." Muslims are taught to subjugate, demean and humiliate Jews (as well as any other non-Muslims) every chance they get. This is especially true when Muslims have large enough numbers and sufficient power to rule over Jews and other non-Muslims


      Among the most revealing examples of Allah's hatred for the Jews is this quotation from Muhammad, as it has been recorded for us in both of Islam's most-respected hadith collections:

    "The Day of Judgement will not come about until Muslims fight the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Muslims, O Abdullah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (the Boxthorn tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." -- Sahih Muslim 41:6985, Sahih Muslim 41:6981, Sahih Muslim 41:6982, Sahih Muslim 41:6983, Sahih Muslim 41:6984, Sahih al-Bukhari 4:56:791, Sahih al-Bukhari, 4:52:177.
      As we have seen, Muslims are being neither Torah-observant nor are they "better Christians than Christians" by any stretch of the imagination. After all, if Muslims are failing to keep the Old Testament's 613 Laws, how much more will they fail to keep the New Testament's 1,050 commands?

      So why don't Christians keep the dietary laws? As we have already noted, the dietary laws were given to the Israelites who were set apart by Yahweh to be the nation by which He would bring forth the Messiah. Muslims need only read those portions of the Bible where Yahweh passes on His Law to Moses. They will see for themselves that Yahweh doesn't say, "Tell the Ishmaelites." Rather He says, "Tell the Israelites..." time and time again.


      God gave those laws to serve as a tutor, as the Apostle Paul puts it, a guide to show sinful men that they were in dire need of a Savior. And we know which of God's laws apply to us Gentiles because they are discussed in the New Testament. For more on this, read Acts chapters 10 and 15.


      Today, Christians are part of the New Covenant which was promised in the Old Testament, and fulfilled for us all, whether Jew or Gentile, by the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. No longer is there a need to sacrifice spotless animals on an altar to atone for our sins. No longer is there a need to find a human high priest to plead with God on our behalf because Jesus came to fulfill the Law. And fulfill it He did. And perfectly.


      Today, Jesus is our Great High Priest. It was He, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, Who suffered and died -- once for all -- that we might find forgiveness of our sins and a restoration of fellowship with God.

      
      Today, Jesus is our Sabbath rest.

      Jesus is our Passover Lamb.


      Jesus is our Manna from heaven.


      Jesus is our eternal Tabernacle.


      Jesus is our Living Water.


      Jesus is our Judge and Lawgiver.


      Jesus is our Lord of Hosts!



    Jesus is Lord!


      See also:


      Should Christians Observe the Seventh Day Sabbath?


      http://old.askdrbrown.org/ask-dr-brown/35-ask-dr-brown/76-should-christians-observe-the-seventh-day-sabbath


      Does It Matter to God If Christians Keep the Dietary Laws?


      http://www.lineoffireradio.com/2010/06/16/does-it-matter-to-god-if-christians-keep-the-dietary-laws/


      A List of the 613 Mitzvot (Commandments) 


      http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm


      References to Jews in the Koran


      https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/anti-semitism/koranjews.html 


      Does the Quran really contain dozens of verses promoting violence?


      http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/quran/023-violence.htm



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