Not so, in the OT the priest was the go between God and man, so, in otherwords, it was only the priests who knew God.
So the Jews still to this day have priests who intercede on their behalf, no one told them things are different. Oh you say, the bible. Well the Jews wont accept the bible which sprung up from a bunch if no hoper hippies shuffling around the dust in sandals 100 years after Jesus death.
Not at all! Don't you remember any Old Testament stories? Lots of people had relationships with God and also the Scriptures were a big part of their lives: Found this in Wikipedia about ancient Israelites and the Scriptures: Three Torah commandments (numbers 10, 11, 17) command provision of education in general society: Number 10 - To read the Shema twice daily, as it is written "and thou shalt talk of them . . . when thou liest down, and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6,7). Number 11 - To learn Torah and to teach it, as it is written "thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children" (Deuteronomy 6,7). Number 17 - For every man to write a Torah scroll for himself, as it is written "write ye this song for you" (Deuteronomy 31,19). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_education_in_ancient_Israel_and_Judah This New Testament passage lists a lot of the Old Testament believers. I only recognized Samuel's name as a priest. The rest were just ordinary, or maybe not so ordinary, people. 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead. 5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.” For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. 7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. 8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death. 20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff. 22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones. 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned. 30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days. 31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. 32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground. Hebrews 11
Yeah a handful got special treatment, but the thousands of other 'rabble commoner' Jews just did what they were told.
What?!!! More like: A handful got mentioned in the Old Testament, but thousands and thousand and thousands (maybe millions?) knew God personally. Remember the story of Hannah? Her story was only in the Bible because she was Samuel's mom, but before that she wasn't special in any way. She prayed to God for a baby and God gave her Samuel. Lots of other stories are there about God answering prayers or helping them, but the important thing is that He was there for them. One of my favorite verses (maybe written by David): I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. Psalm 116:1,2
I see Mickey is once again bearing false witness; of course, with no cites to any sources. I really do understand some of your motives, but I still want to drop this right here regardless.
This has nothing to do with anything on this thread, and is not intended to represent any person or persons or trolls on this thread. It's just funny. And someone texted it to me just now, so now I'm passing it on:
Do you remember reading in the Bible about "the disciple whom Jesus loved" ? That title used to bother me a little. I wondered why he had to rub it in that he was loved so much by Jesus. It was John, who was the author of the book of John, and for whatever reason, he chose to use that title for himself whenever he wrote about himself. It was really bothering me one day. I kept thinking he seemed kind of proud of it. Then it dawned on me that he probably did that for two reasons. First, because that is truly how he perceived himself, that Jesus really, really loved him. And second, that he wanted people to understand that this is who Jesus is: Jesus loves people. This was the same guy that also wrote in a different book that "God is love." So, Jesus love for him was probably the most wonderful thing he experienced. And I can now say I feel the same. Back to the point. I'm pretty sure he wrote that so that everyone reading the phrase, "The disciple whom Jesus loved" would want Jesus to love them the same way, and that is possible. We won't fully know His love for us in this life, but in eternity believers will know His love. And @themickey, you can be a whosever too. Nobody is stopping you except you. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. Revelation 22:17 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:14, 15
Fortunately/unfortunately, the older one becomes the more informed and sceptical one is of human 'honesty'. I'm no longer a sucker for believing everything told me, I like to see a bit of proof first and the way Jesus' disciples did not record anything about Jesus' miracles but it took something like 70 years later before other followers made mention of it, big red flag. Besides that, I'm not a Jew and I don't really attach myself to their beliefs either in terms of, the OT does nothing for me. As mentioned, I think the bible is a great story book, but fundamentally I'm not going to get suckered into believing all of it. If you find sustanance in your faith, great, personally when I left going to church that gave me sustanance.