ILIVING ACCORDING TO THE RULES The Oracles given to Israel by God are timeless in wisdom, able to span the ages and be pertinent to all men and women throughout all generations. Many are the blessings for obedience to His Holy Law yet most view them as a burden and choose to live apart from God's way. Unknown to most is that the laws also carry a curse for disobedience. Consider just one problem of modern man. The Aids virus is a seemingly invincible plague, which many see as an epidemic destined to sweep the planet.

First identified in 1984, HIV is a human retrovirus, containing RNA as it's genetic material. HIV is spread via bodily fluids, infects the host and rapidly replicates, infecting primarily white blood cells and invading the nervous system. So far any attempt for a cure or vaccine remains elusive. The toll on lives is tragic with 14 million deaths and 33 million infected. Recent findings indicate that in the USA, 40,000 new infections occur annually with 60% being homosexual men, 25% drug users, 15% exposed through heterosexual contact. Among women 75% is from heterosexual contact and 25% from drug use, and minorities will represent 70% of new cases! As terrible of a disease as it is, it is also very preventable. Observing just a few of God's Laws would safely protect people and the disease would die out in just one generation.

All bodily discharges are to be avoided completely. Anyone touching it are to bath in running water and wash any clothes or bedding that comes in contact. If it is a woman and the issue is blood, she is to set apart for seven days as is anything she touches. Even touching these things makes one unclean as well {Lev 15}. Homosexuality is called an abomination to God and punishable by death. Likewise, sex relations with animals is strictly forbidden {Lev 18}. Sexual partners are closely regulated that it may not be relatives. Rape and sex before marriage is forbidden. Adultery is a severe violation and punishable by death to both participants {Lev 20}.

Even among married couples there is a code of conduct such as not coming together during her time of impurity and touching fluids. There are many other laws concerning burying human waste, washings, no tattoos and cuttings of the flesh, and avoiding touching dead humans and animals. Quarantine of diseased afflicted people was liberally used to avoid the spread of diseases. Most of us will see these few rules as common sense and value them as wisdom from the One that Created our realm. Sadly, modern man would rather invent ways to get around simply obeying God, and concoct various drugs to treat the symptoms rather than the cause. Regardless of mans efforts to circumvent His guidelines; the curses remain in effect. But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: He will send on you cursing, confusion, and rebuke in all you set your hand to do, until you are destroyed and you perish quickly because of the wickedness of your doings and make the plague cling to you and strike you with consumption, fever, inflammation and strike you with the boils of Egypt, tumors, the scab, and the itch from which you cannot be healedalso madness, blindness, and confusion of heart { Deuteronomy 28}.

Many have looked at the woes of this life and remarked that they cannot see the Hand of a loving God. Could it be that we have not seen His love because we have shut Him out of our lives and have chosen to live apart from Him? As a nation it may be impossible to turn around and become a people of God, but individually, we can claim the promises He made by simply resolving to repent of our wicked ways and obey his will as He has revealed in the Law. What will you do?