Lets get one thing straight. Brothers and sisters if you claim to follow Christ Son of SoNiNi, you must know about the Laws of Moses. We will go further and say this, if you you do not have an inner desire or heartfelt need to follow the Father of Christ and His commandments. We say you do not know any of these two. Neither the Son nor the Father. And we know they are one. If you do not know the commandments of The Almighty, you do not know the One that died and paid for all of your sins. Full stop. And repeat this to your brothers and sisters who speak other things and other Gospels. They know someone else. It is indeed another god. These are the people will hear the words from their Saviour, I never knew you, depart from me you lawless people (Matthew 7,23):
21 "Not Everyone who says to me,`Lord, Lord,` will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord,`did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?` Then I will declare to them, `I never knew you, go away from me, lawless people. "
The one we call Christ (Immanuel) known in Bantu as uMsindisi, did follow all the Laws and Commandments to perfection. Now He did that, not because you do not have to follow the Laws (thing is, you could not follow them to any satisfaction or perfection to SoNiNi, even if you tried ever so hard), but Immanuel did this so you could start afresh with SoNiNi. By coming to the forgiver of sins (mkhululi wezoni). Only then can you start the walk, and begin the journey of Drawing closer to The Father. And continuing your walk with Him, not by staying lawless, but by deepening your understanding of Him by following His laws and commands. Not being lawless, but becoming lawful. Following His instructions. Living a pleasing life to SoNiNi, by staying away from sin. Your life does not stop after coming to Christ. That is just the beginning. This is where the work starts. He laid the foundation for you to start with a blank page before SoNiNi, where you go from the foundation laid, is up to you. Now as Christ said, you can build your house on a strong foundation. His words. Or build on your own. Build on sand. The foundation will either be Deep and strong or shallow and weak. On the Laws of The Almighty or the laws of your own. You choose. There certainly are two Gospels, but only one saves.
Now modern Christianity will tell you that the Law is done away with... But Law is culture, niyakwazi! Abantu! You know this people, you cannot do away with the parts of say Zulu culture, that still resonates from the pages of the Bible. The songs, the dances... the clean rituals. They still please SoNiNi. You cannot do away with names, language and culture. They have a deeper meaning to His people. Even The Bantu Calendar shouts to us that the current system is just plain wrong and goes against SoNiNis laws and set apart times. Look at the current calendar, the pagan deities being used to separate the months and days, HAYBO! Lets go back to the old ways. Follow the old times, read the sky for its sign of times.
We know that Christian pastors (black and white alike) will demonize Bantu cultures and disconnect them from Biblical tradition. Furthermore, they discourage people from reading Scripture and interpreting on their own, with a pure and obedient mind, and more importantly, interpreting the Laws in prayer with SoNiNi. Reading into the Laws. Discussing the Laws. Remember Christ asked people who came to Him, how do you read it? (Luke 10,27). Then Scripture turns into a form of philosophy really, because different minds read them. Therefore they can be discussed in the light of the Law. So the question should be asked, how do you read it... The hard answers lie in this question, who can interpret rightly at all times?
The hard fact is that people need this, just like children we need answers to questions. We need to feed the soul. The soul, however wicked, yearns for some degree of morality and instructions. And People without Laws is a Kingdom doomed to fail. So, to go deeper into this, we feel we have to start with language.
Now English is great, for communicating. But this tongue and phonetics, is it clean? Does it resonate before the Most High? Sure its very convenient, as now many people of the world and tribes in Africa can understand one another. At least to one degree. Its not like before when the different colonial parts of Africa would speak French in one, Portuguese in another and German in another. And now, for the most part, you will find among people in southern Africa at least one English speaker. And again we say, its a very convenient time to be an English speaker. However, as for compliments for the colonial languages, for us, it stops there. Because with the English comes their culture, which is not Bantu culture. It does not have the dances, it does not have the songs, it does not have the names, it certainly does not have the right laws and concepts of morality. An outward morality, but it does not follow a heartfelt morality. The one that concerns the soul. Its all about the outer world, the inner man gets no attention.
So we find today, that languages are sometimes called official in colonised countries. Certainly, a colonial term putting one language on top of another, and making the African languages inferior. This is such a backward way of thinking, as African grammar and idioms are much richer in context and meaning than English anyway. Describes the ways of the land, which took thousands of years to perfect and more importantly participation. We must remember that Language is culture for sure. Collective memories from past events and cultural changes. War and peace, heavy prices paid.
Now we can go a bit deeper with this, because when you accept another man's language as your own. You accept many things, and guess what? You decline others that should be coming your way. Now when a people lose their language, you could go as far as to say they lose their identity... Is that why no one can read or write ancient Hebrew any longer? Was it forbidden to speak this language and keep the writings? Could be and we think so.
When a language goes, the body (along with the people) goes next, then goes the land, and then goes the gold, silver, copper, diamond, coffee, tea and then coconut. All the resources go by means of letting go of that first very crucial matter. Language. The Spoken word. You will always associate or disassociate. So if you only are an English-speaking person. Branch out, learn northern or southern Sotho (as they have in their parts of the language spoken in the northern and southern parts of the kingdom), and pick up some Zulu, Xhosa or Venda (if you can manage it). Many of these still hold Bantu words and resemble the old Tongues and have their old ways. And we see here that some are good and indeed, some are bad. You must recognize the contracts that are made with demons and the other parts that belong to SoNiNi, and indeed bring closer to SoNiNi.
Now you will find among the Bantu's fundamental teachings and pillars, that are traceable to the original Mosaic Law, The Commandments of SoNiNi. Abrahamic customs like male circumcision, marriage ceremonies (Lobola), birth rituals, funeral practices, clean and unclean foods, preparation of foods, clean and unclean clothing, concept of elders, protocols for greeting and speaking in general, naming of children, oral (unwritten) laws and songs, sacred times and events. All of these mirror the below as found in Exodus 20:
20 Then SoNiNi spoke all these words:
2 I am SoNiNi naNiNi, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me. (1st Command)
4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I SoNiNi am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments. (2nd Command)
7 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the SoNiNi naNiNi, for SoNiNi will not acquit anyone who misuses his name. (3rd Command)
8 Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10 But the seventh day is a sabbath to SoNiNi naNiNi; you shall not do any work—you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11 For in six days SoNiNi made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore SoNiNi blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it. (4th Command)
12 Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that SoNiNi your God is giving you. (5th Command)
13 You shall not murder. (6th Command)
14 You shall not commit adultery. (7th Command)
15 You shall not steal. (8th Command)
16 You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour. (9th Command)
17 You shall not covet your neighbours house; you shall not covet your neighbours wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbour. (10th Command)
Thats it. Those are the Golden 10. And you can see that they are more fleshy when read in their entirety than the ones you might remember from Sunday School. On the surface, they seem easy enough to keep right? But We challenge anyone to go a day without breaking the last one. We are a generation over coveters, our neighbour's goods, and women. Which is a stronghold for the devil in your life. People think this is easy, it is not - when you reflect these words unto your heart and mind.
You see, we believe your thoughts are just as guilty and capable of breaking these Commandments, as you can break them with your physical actions. Indeed, if we take Immanuels words seriously, actions and thoughts in the heart are not that far apart. This is what The People said was such a harsh teaching when you look at another woman and lust after her in your heart. You do according to Immanuel transgress. The next question forms itself then, which is worse, wanting inwardly or wanting outwardly? Are they not both an evil?
So then, you break most of these 10 Laws unintentionally every day.... Perhaps even all of them within a week. A fit of rage could result in a want or desire to kill. Adultery is always just one look away. Giving a false testimony, perhaps to keep someone out of jail, is a sin. Wanting another person's things is coveting which is a sin people. And who has not taken something that did not belong to them? Any awakened man would confess that We break these commands daily.
Now then, the first 4 commandments of the Great 10, are the most difficult to keep my people. And when you look deep into them you will see that they have the power to bring closer to SoNiNi. Or further away. Especially if you keep them because you want to seem righteous... in the eyes of other people... you see now, if you go that way you are in trouble. The heart hardens a different way when doing this, and this is what happened to the Pharisees. You start to believe your own hype, so to speak. And my oh my did Immanuel try to tell the Pharisees where they would be going after they passed from this earth. There is a long tirade in the Gospels (Matthew and Luke), where Immanuel really lays it into these priests of Moses. Go read it, Christ really lets them have it.
Now moving on to Moses' territory, we find in Deuteronomy some more meat for the bones (Deuteronomy 6,1-25):
6 Now this is the commandment—the statutes and the ordinances—that SoNiNi naNiNi charged me to teach you to observe in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, 2 so that you and your children and your children’s children may fear SoNiNi naNiNi all the days of your life, and keep all his decrees and his commandments that I am commanding you, so that your days may be long. 3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe them diligently, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, as SoNiNi, the God of your ancestors, has promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: SoNiNi is our God, SoNiNi alone. 5 You shall love SoNiNi naNiNi with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10 When SoNiNi naNiNi has brought you into the land that he swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—a land with fine, large cities that you did not build, 11 houses filled with all sorts of goods that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and when you have eaten your fill, 12 take care that you do not forget SoNiNi, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 13 SoNiNi you shall fear; him you shall serve, and by his name alone you shall swear. 14 Do not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who are all around you, 15 because SoNiNi your God, who is present with you, is a jealous God. The anger of SoNiNi your God would be kindled against you and he would destroy you from the face of the earth.
16 Do not put SoNiNi your God to the test, as you tested him at Massah. 17 You must diligently keep the commandments of SoNiNi naNiNi, and his decrees, and his statutes that he has commanded you. 18 Do what is right and good in the sight of SoNiNi, so that it may go well with you, and so that you may go in and occupy the good land that SoNiNi swore to your ancestors to give you, 19 thrusting out all your enemies from before you, as SoNiNi has promised.
20 When your children ask you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that SoNiNi naNiNi has commanded you?” 21 then you shall say to your children,
“We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but SoNiNi brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. 22 SoNiNi displayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. 23 He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. 24 Then SoNiNi commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear SoNiNi naNiNi, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. 25 If we diligently observe this entire commandment before SoNiNi naNiNi, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.”
These are all encouragements to the fact that one should be diligent in observing SoNiNis statutes. As the text says, He has brought you out of Egypt (which is the rest of the World for us), so you are called to live a different kind of life. And you do that and follow the Laws do them because it pleases Him and you show your allegiance by following them. Like keeping the Sabbath (at the right time) you show where your allegiance lies. By not looking at the beautiful woman on the street or coveting our neighbour's goods, which is rather shameful as Ben Sira teaches us, by looking the other way and curbing whatever desires might be there, you show your allegiance. You show to SoNiNi where your heart and intents lie.
Now we can go on and into these Laws and examine them in more depth. Like the example of how to make things more navigable between different kinds of men (in real-life situations), we can find the Laws for the Servant and the Bondman (Deuteronomy 24,7 & 24,14-15):
7 If someone is caught kidnaping another Israelite, enslaving or selling the Israelite, then that kidnapper shall die. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.
14 You shall not withhold the wages of the poor and needy laborers, wether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns. 15 You shall pay them their wages daily before sunset, because they are poor and their livelihood depends on them, otherwise they might cry to SoNiNi against you, and you would incur guilt.
Ah yes, you gotta love Deuteronomy. If it does not supply a clear guideline it will at the very least give you something of a sketch and manual of how to settle things right. Furthermore, in Deuteronomy 24, we can find more mentions of the Laws on Leprosy (and remember, this is touchy stuff especially when we know Leprosy (unclean skin) is basically white skin or albino skin). With mutations and exceptions of course. uMsindisi makes anyone clean!
But get these Laws, mentioned just before the Servant and the Bondman (Deuteronomy 24,10-13:
"10 When you make a neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. 11 You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. 12 If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. 13 You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your benefit before SoNiNi naNiNi."
So in other words, do not go into the house where you are collecting the loan or making a pledge. Wait outside. And whatever you do do not sleep in the same clothing that you gave the pledge. Now all this is so that the one does not curse the other (we think) either in enviousness or in covetousness. Thats how we read this one, you might have a different read. It looks like its about making the transaction clean. And my oh my has the devil turned this one upside down. Where do you go to take a loan? The bank. Do you do into their facility? Yes we all do. Do you change your clothing before sleeping that day? Some people do, but some dont, hence this pledge is very much open for attack. Not to mention the concept of usury (which is against what people of faith should be about). Taking interests or demanding interests on loans, or benefitting from a loan.
Now if we bask even more in Deuteronomy, we can see that there was even a Law of Harvest (Deuteronomy 24,16-22):
16 Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death. 17 You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. 18 Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and SoNiNi naNiNi redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this. 19 When you reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be left for the alien, the orphan, and the widow, so that SoNiNi naNiNi may bless you in all your undertakings. 20 When you beat your olive trees, do not strip what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, do not glean what is left; it shall be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow. 22 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this.