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Hi Trey, this is Ed Reed, enjoying your teachings, really happy for it.
I do have a question if very few people ever touch on it.
Can tattoos, which I have plenty of, can tattoos get you a one way ticket to where it's hot?
So, that's my question.
And by the way, all my tattoos, except for one, all relate to the Lord and how good he is.
Salvation message on my arms.
Thank you again and the Lord bless you. Bye bye.
Leviticus chapter 19. Drop in at verse 28.
This is the verse many use in their vain attempt to condemn those who decide they want to get a tattoo.
Leviticus chapter 19 verse 28, Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you.
Obviously, the Israelites were making cuts in their flesh and marks on their body to honor their dead,
and the Lord told them not to do this.
Now, for all those legalists out there who make a big deal about someone having a tattoo, I find it quite interesting that verse 27, which is the verse before 28 by the way, says, Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
Don't round the corners of your head, neither the corners of your beard.
But no one talks about this.
They'll look down their pharasitical holier-than-thou noses at those with tattoos, but are silent about someone who has rounded the corners of their head, or of their beard.
When studying Scripture, staying within the parameter of context is vital.
It's crucial to getting this right.
And if we just keep reading, in verse 30 we read, Ye shall keep my Sabbaths.
Now, who in the Bible were Sabbath keepers?
Correct. Israel, not us.
I know, I understand that seventh-dayers are confused on this, but we're not.
Our first clue as to who is being addressed here is found in verse 2, way back up at the top of the chapter, verse 2.
And it says, Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them.
Did you catch that?
This is not written to us, and it's not doctrine for us.
It's to and for the children of Israel, just as the Bible says.
And the people being addressed here were also making animal sin offerings in verse 21
that no one wants to talk about.
They don't dare mention bringing a ram blood offering and laying it on the altar at the church this Sunday morning.
No, they don't do that as they stand there in their own self-righteousness, condemning others of something as insignificant as a print on their flesh.
Listen, your flesh is going six feet under, and it ain't coming out.
It'll be maggot food.
And hey, in verse 36 and 37, Moses wrote, I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.
Is he talking about you here?
When did he bring you or me out of Egypt?
Common sense goes a long way when trying to make sense out of the Scriptures.
Verse 37, Therefore shall he observe all my statutes and all my judgments, and do them. I am the Lord.
Is he talking about you here?
Hmm, all my statutes and all my judgments?
It's obvious that this is speaking of the law, the law that we're not even under today, and thankfully so, because if we were, we're doing a horrible job at keeping it.
And may I remind you that if these laws in Leviticus are for us to follow, we would not be allowed to cherry-pick and choose which ones we're comfortable in following.
No, it don't work that way.
Now, I do think motives are important.
Asking yourself, Why do I want a tattoo?, may prove to be a wise question.
Should we go around trying to draw undue attention to ourselves by how we look?
Believe me, if you're speaking truth, you're going to get plenty attention without altering your physical appearance.
In this day and time we live, a truth speaker stands out for simply speaking truth.
So, for those who don't have a tattoo yet, but perhaps you're thinking about it.
You're contemplating it.
My only advice to you would be to not be too hasty.
Take your time.
Give it some thought beforehand, but there is no such law against getting a tattoo today.
And anyone attempting to hold that over you is twisting and ripping the scriptures from their context to do so.
Now, Ed, you already have a lot of tattoos, so just enjoy them.
And if you're witnessing to others, your tattoos could be used as a great witnessing tool.
So relax and remember they're merely something on your flesh, and have nothing to do with your salvation.
Your flesh isn't going to be saved anyway, and it's why 1 Corinthians 15:50 says, Flesh and blood won't inherit the kingdom of God.
So don't worry about it.
Just continue to rest your faith in the finished work of Christ.
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