the original Messianic Judaism?

I dont' give a flying leap about the Essenes. They were a heretical sects that is now completely gone.
The Essenes are NOT completely gone. They are a Jewish-christian sect of Judaism stretching from the 7th century BC as the royal cult of Judaism to today as christianity. Messianic Judaism evolved into christianity and Joshua is King of Kings.

This is where you plug your ears and go, “But animal sacrifice, but temple rituals, but killing gay people, I want to do these things because I am commanded to do them.”

The problem is that you stopped thinking for yourself. And you need some mythical story to tell you how to think and live. (Yes, the Exodus story is a mythical story written for instruction, not to be literally believed.)

Again, do you think you have the right to pick and choose which commands from God are to be obeyed?
I not only have the right but responsibility and freedom in Christ to live a holy life WITHOUT sacrificing animals, killing gays, sabbath observance, temple rituals, as your god commands.

Why?

Because outward rituals or works of the flesh have zero efficacy for righteousness. Their ONLY purpose was symbolic instruction of higher, celestial, events. And so were your god’s commands, both good and bad commands, for instruction, to reveal celestial events, just as the Essenes taught.

This is where you plug your ears again and start chanting, Torah!, …Torah! …Torah!
 
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the purpose of the Law of Moses -

1. to reveal the Holiness of God
2. to provide a rule of conduct for OT saints (those obligated to Mosaic covenant)
3. to reveal Sin
4. to make one sin more
5. to lead one to Faith (specifically in Messiah as promised Savior)
 
the purpose of the Law of Moses -

1. to reveal the Holiness of God
2. to provide a rule of conduct for OT saints (those obligated to Mosaic covenant)
3. to reveal Sin
4. to make one sin more
5. to lead one to Faith (specifically in Messiah as promised Savior)
6. To bring us closer to God
7. To give us better lives
 
Israel rejected "getting closer to God" at Mount Sinai

The People Afraid of God's Presence
"Then they said to Moses, 'You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'" Exodus 20
 
"So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near the thick darkness where God was."

The Promise of God's Presence
"Then Moses said to the Lord, “...consider that this nation is Your people.”

"And (God) said, “My Presence will go with You, and I will give you rest."

"Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him."
" So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." Exodus 33

"For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people."
 
God seems to want relationship where someone has face to face friendship with Him
some OT persons are said to have had just that - to whatever extent
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses
 
the purpose of the Law of Moses -

1. to reveal the Holiness of God
2. to provide a rule of conduct for OT saints (those obligated to Mosaic covenant)
3. to reveal Sin
4. to make one sin more
5. to lead one to Faith (specifically in Messiah as promised Savior)
6. To bring us closer to God
7. To give us better lives
…and none of those reasons include,

To be interpreted literally
To be taught as historical events.

The reasons are always about REVEALING something about holiness, sin, faith, relationship, good and bad, etc. It is about revealing not through the letter but by, guess how? Through the Spirit or moral consciousness in us. Whether we use that inner spirit or merely believe the letter makes all the difference in the world.

Paul: “the Letter kills.”
 
20230317_153705.jpg(maybe) Happy New Year to all of the Way

" God is light and in Him is no darkness at all -
...if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another"
1 John 1
 
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God seems to want relationship - face to face friendship with Him
"Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”
Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” and kissed Him.
But Jesus said to him, “Friend, why have you come?”

Judas knew Him, face to face
but still didn't Believe? uh...
 
"God is light" "sons of Light" etc a Solar calendar

interesting Qumran community rule -
"NO association with Sun worshippers allowed"

 
Comparison of the Jewish sects:[93]

PhariseesSadduceesEssenes
Free willMostlyYesNo
AfterlifeResurrectionNoSpiritual
Oral TorahYesNoInspired Exegesis
HellenismSelectiveForAgainst
InterpretationSophisticated scholarly interpretationsLiteralistInspired Exegesis
- Wikipedia

by "no free will", I assume means under influence of inherited Sin nature (ie. "no one can be completely righteous")
by afterlife "spiritual", we will be raised to glorified bodies, no longer able to sin
"Inspired Exegesis", part of method of interpretation of Hebrew Bible was comparison with earlier texts passed down from ancestors, not Oral Torah
 
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