You shall observe all my statutes, and all my ordinances, and do them. I am Yahweh.'" (Leviticus 19:37)
The Lord of heaven's statutes are an interesting portion of His Law, perhaps because they often make little if any sense to our human minds. However, God has made it clear that His statutes were to be obeyed fully by Israel, with firm punishment if they weren't. More so, they were to be careful not to follow after the statutes of other gods, but rather to hold fast unto Yahweh's. Let us look at the word:
The Hebrew words "khoq" and "khuqqah" come from the root verb "khaqaq," meaning to cut out, to inscribe, to set, to engrave. The statutes of Yahweh are sayings that put down a certain wish that He desires the children of Israel to keep forever. When something is appointed by statute, it cannot be changed as it has been inscribed or engraved permanently. This is often seen by the phrase "keep it by statute forever."
God's statutes often have to do with making some commandment permanent. When something is kept by a statute, it remains in effect until the specified time. It is not overruled, nor changed, until its allotment of time has elapsed. For example, the festivals are often mentioned to be kept by a statute "until the age" (Exodus 12:14), as well as the daily services in the Tabernacle (Exodus 29:9).
Let us fully look at what our Lord considered important enough to engrave into His Law for the children of Israel.
When they have a matter, they come to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make them know the statutes of God, and his laws." (Exodus 18:16)
Scripture Quotes: World English Bible Translation.
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