Praise God in the highest glory, for He is good, and for this Blackberry which falls down from Heaven. Now I can chat with my beloved godmother and god-siblings in AO group, and learn new things about His scriptures everyday. Now I want to share about Leviticus 19:26-28. Those are some of His commandments which have been considered as vanished now, whereas Jesus comes not to do away with or undo the Law but to complete and fulfill them. Let's take a look.
Note: Please understand that I'm not judging anyone here. I did it too in my past, and I just want to share to let you know. Please don't feel offended because I just try to convey the truth of His scriptures. Please accept my apology if it's contradictory to your beliefs because I use Christian's point of view here. Again, what I mean by Christian here is not as the religion, but as the Christ follower.
Lev 19:26-28:
(26) You shall not eat anything with the blood; neither shall you use magic, omens, or witchcraft [or predict events by horoscope or signs and lucky days]. (27) You shall not round the corners of the hair of your heads nor trim the corners of your beard [as some idolaters do].(28) You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead nor print or tattoo any marks upon you; I am the Lord.
Here is the explanation:
He stated it clearly that in verse 26-28 those activities are prohibited to be done by His children because idolaters did it. They ate blood, rounded the corners of their hair and trimmed the corners of their beard, then they putted tattoo there.
At that time, people who did idolatry (hereby we call as idolaters) also dealt with magic or witchcraft. They believed in other powers besides God's. Just like when the Israels made a golden bull and praised it. We think we do not deal with that kind of things, but sometimes we don't realize that horoscope and lucky days are the same. Many of us who believes in Jesus still believes in divination. Some go to soothsayer, or fortune-teller. Some don't do that, but still read horoscope and Chinese zodiac. Some still try to read their fate by doing palm reading or "jiam si".
People think it's okay because they do not really believe it. Someone said, "I read horoscope but I don't take it seriously. If it's good then great, if it's bad then I forget it."
Right. So it means it's believable if it's good? Have we noticed that believing other powers besides His power is not acceptable for Him? Horoscope is written from the movement of the stars. Either true or not, believing or even only reading it indicates that we try to seek other powers besides God which can give answers or clues for our future. We want to know what will happen after this or in this week from those kinds of divination.
If we are the children of Christ, why do we need to read our future? Even some of us need "lucky day" to do their wedding or open new business (numerology). As the children of Christ, shouldn't we think that every day is good? As the children of Christ, must we be afraid to go out because at that date our horoscope said that there will be accident? Then to avoid it we stay and cancel our meeting. While actually we know that He will protect us from any harm?
Let's make a parable. When someone ask us, "Can I take this brochure?" and before we can answer, he or she asks someone else, "Can I take this brochure?". Will it hurt us? We must think, "Why would you ask me then if you even can't wait to be answered, or if it has been answered, you still don't believe me and ask someone else?". That's exactly what He feels when we deal with fortune-telling. Any kind of it.
We should realize that Jesus was crucified to tear the veil. He was sacrificed to reconcile our relationship with God. Why confuse about our future? Why read horoscope to see our fortune this year? Doesn't He promise us the answers? Now since we have reconciled with God, we can communicate with Him in the easiest way, through prayers. We can get answers directly. We even can know His promises. He promised good to us, to our future. He will bless us abundantly if we are in His track. Then why should we go to the fortune-teller? Just think about this, what do we get from fortune-teller? If he said our fate is good, we will be happy. If he said our fate is bad, what will we do? Suicide?
Also for the horoscope and Chinese zodiac, we can say that they don't affect our mind and our way of thinking. We still believe in Jesus Christ. But then why do we read it if it doesn't bring us any good at all? When we read or only take a glance at it, we have opened a gap to master us, to control our mind. Why should we do things that disappoint our Father?
He can give us answer when we ask. He prepares our future so well although we can't see it now. He provides all we need so why worry about money? He has our future spouse somewhere so why bother asking about soul mate? Fortune teller, zodiac, horoscope, and any kind of fate-reading can give us nothing. They only will trap us in endless questions. Please, stop reading and believing them now, good or bad. Just believe the one and the only, God. He is the one who answers. Luke 10:10.
(10) For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives; and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
Now, let's talk about tattoo. It's cool, I know. We know. When I was in high school I wished I could have a temporary tattoo on my neck. Since I didn't have enough money to be spent for something like that, I never did it. Now I want to thank God for giving me barely enough money at that time.
It's stated also in verse 28 that tattoo is not pleasing God. We may say, "O c'mon you take the verse from Old Testament!" But Jesus Himself has said that He doesn't delete it, He fulfills it. Even if in the past tattoo was forbidden because it's associated with idolatry, nowadays it's still forbidden. Why? Because we cut and harm our flesh. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
(19) Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, (20) You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.
That's why we are not allowed to do any kind of activities that harm our body. These verses are applicable for smoking, too. Besides, sometimes we cut our flesh by words or symbols, for example a boy writes this "Mia, my girl". It can be a kind of idolatry which means that he loves this girl more than he loves God.
How about temporary tattoo? It has not bad effect for our body, then is it okay? No. Because we will be a Stumbling Stone. Even if we draw a cross or Jesus' face on our skin. Some of us will think, "Oh she or he is a Christian but they also have tattoo, so it's okay then." While actually it's not okay. So because of us, other people fall to the same hole. Many of us think that tattoo is cool, piercing is cool. As a Christian, I just want to share what my godmother said to us her children:
"We are cool not because of tattoo or piercing.
We are cool because we have Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit"
Good day to us! God bless super abundantly.
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