"HEARING” AND NOT HEARD.
CREDIT: www.ishn.com
It is interesting to know that, faith comes by hearing God’s Word. It is not much of the Word you have heard; but, the Word which you are hearing. Faith comes by the Word of God you have heard; but, if you must see your faith grow, you have to keep hearing the Word. It is not a matter of what you heard ten months ago; it is a matter of what you are hearing today. The Psalmist declared – “God hath spoken once; twice have I heard this; that belongeth unto God” Psalm 62:11. When you allow what you have heard of God to keep re-echoing in your ears and in your mind; you will be providing a good platform for your faith to grow. It is not just what you have seen of God; but, what you are seeing daily of Him. It is such that we are admonished by God’s Word to bind the Word of God as frontlets between our eyes (Deuteronomy 11:18). This simply means, we have to keep seeing the Word.
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God told Joshua after the death of Moses, when the mantle of leadership fell on him; that, “This book of Law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shall meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make the way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success” Joshua 1:18. The Book of the Law was meant to be with him, him, not just as what he has known; but as something he was to keep knowing, something he was to keep hearing and something he was to keep seeing. It was meant to be a day and night kind of thing; something he was to apply himself wholly unto. This application was the guarantee for his success and prosperity in his God given assignment.
God’s requirement of us today has not changed. It hinges still on our ability to keep His Word in view. The now of your life is very crucial with God: “For now, faith is …” Hebrewas 11:1. Faith is in the now and “now is the accepted time …” 2 Corinthians 6:2. If you truly seek to live a life pleasing unto God; you will have to learn to do it by faith, for without faith, it is impossible to please God. If it has to be by faith; then, it has to do with what you are hearing and seeing of God now and not just what you have seen or heard. Ensure your ears and your eyes are divinely open and your faith will grow.
We don't need to have the Book of the Law always on our lips. We're not under the old covenant. The 613 parts of the Jewish law have passed away. So we don't have to marry our brother's widow if he dies childless. We can't stone blasphemers or people caught in adultery. We no longer have to keep the Sabbath or provide animals to sacrifice for our sins.
FYI, Careful saying things like "The 613 parts of the Jewish law have passed away."
They include things like
See, now only 609 have "passed away"... unless we continue to read.
Careful with those blanket statements, and I only provide this as some food for thought. You listed some things, but certainly overlooked others. If you know that Christians shouldn't sleep with their aunts, prostitute their daughters, disrespect the elderly, or eat meat with blood in it, then you'll realize that God's laws are good.
Those pertaining to the old priesthood and physical temple may not be in effect, but we don't need things reiterated in the new testament to know that they are good laws. For example, "You shall not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shall fear your God: I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:14). The new testament never says not too trip the blind as far as I am aware of, yet we know that we shouldn't... 608 now...
On a side note, I hope that you are doing well and staying safe. Nice to see that you are still out there somewhere @barncat