12. Cleave to those who know Him

Edited Post
The 12th commandment of Mosaic Law is to cleave to those who know Him.  

Where in scripture?

Deuteronomy 10:20

The LORD, your God, shall you fear, and him shall you serve; hold fast to Him and swear by His name.

Jewish Tradition and the Talmud state that cleaving (clinging) to religious scholars is equivalent to cleaving to God.

New Testament References
(Wbmoore, who has a website you might want to check out, posted a comment below suggesting that I add the following citations. 

2 Corinthians 6:14

Do not be yoked with those who are different, with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?

The NAB footnote for this verse states that the verse makes “the point that Christianity is not compatible with paganism.” It does not seem to state precisely that we must cleave to religious scholars or those who know God.

  

Hebrews 10:25

We should not stay away from our assembly, as is the custom of some, but encourage one another, and this all the more as you see the day drawing near.

(According to the NAB footnote, “Our assembly: the liturgical assembly of the Christian community, probably for the celebration of the Eucharist.” Paul seems to be encouraging us to go to mass.)

On the other hand a few chapters later, Hebrews 13:13 says,

Let us then go to him outside the camp, bearing the reproach that he bore.

I have been told by several people who have had problems with substance abuse that one of their biggest obstacles to staying clean and sober is fall back to old habits when they hang out with their old friends. The old friends are not good influences and they add increased pressure and temptations.

Also, I recently talked to a good Christian who told me that when he talks to atheists, a seed of doubt is sometimes planted within him.

For these individuals, and many others, it is a good idea that they should try to cleave to people who are religious. Scripture clearly tells us that we should avoid temptation.

Matthew 5:29-30

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into Gehenna. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into Gehenna.

However, the issue with which we are dealing with is not whether the Mosaic Law is a "good idea," but whether it is binding on Christians.

As we recently discussed on this blog, the 11th commandment of Mosaic Law is to emulate His ways. By examining whether Jesus cleaved to religious scholars, we can better determine  whether we are bound to follow the 12^th Mosaic Law.

First, we know that Jesus didn’t choose learned scholars, scribes, or Pharisees to be his disciples. He chose uneducated men.

 

Second, scripture shows us that He favored those who were looked down upon by the rest of society.

Matthew 9:11-12 

The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do.   

Third, scripture also demonstrates that Jesus didn’t seem to enjoy the company of the religious scholars of His day.

Matthew 23:25-28

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

Part of this discussion hinges on what we mean by "cleave." To m, this Mitzvah suggests the avoidance of contact (at least to some extent) with those who don't know God and might be outside of the Law. To me, the Mitzvah suggests a somewhat cloistered environment.This might have been more appropriate for the Israelites, who for most of their history did not strongly pursue converts among the Gentiles.  


Every baptized Christian, however, has a duty to evangelize. We must go out among the unbelievers and, as St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary use words." 

Mark 16:15

He said to them, "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Romans 10:14

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?

It may be a good idea for those who are easily tempted cleave to those who know God’s ways, but following the example of Jesus, we are not required to do so - and at least to some extent we are required to go out among unbelievers and evangelize.

Conclusion

Not Binding on Christians