Expert: Clifford H. Readout, Jr. - 8/23/2007

Question
Most of the writings mainly practises in Bible are similar that are done in India.



For Ex: Worshipping Calf,Cow, People in India do it even now.



Applying blood in the door, in one of the villages in Tamil Nadu they have done. One of our brothers told us when they went for meeting.



The seven lamps in the old testament and in Revelation, written. Here in India, if there is a function, Even Prime Minister, President of India or anyone, they start the program lighting it with Candle. You can see it in T.V.



And as God told to shed the animals in Temples, for their sins, Here in India, all most everyone do it. Mostly Southern India. They shed the blood of cock, goat in Temples. Now some year back there is a ban from Tamil Nadu Govt.



The Musical instruments told in Revelation are with these people of India.



So many I can relate with Bible. My Question is who are these people in India, What is there connection with the old testament. Any details, history news, do tell me.

Answer
Dear Promise Sushil,

Many religions and cultures have similar practices and beliefs to that which is described in the Old Testament.  Most of these similarities are a matter of appearance, however, and not substance.  None of it is surprising.

According to the Bible, all human cultures developed from the family of one man, Noah.  It should not surprise us that each of those cultures retain something from the original culture.  Also, the principles of the Creator, Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, are universal, and most of them find some expression in every human society.
Romans 2:14 “For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:”

However, there are significant differences even in those shared practices which make it easy to distinguish which ones most closely relate to those ordained of God in the Old Testament. These differences are due to the peoples of the various cultures not knowing the God of the Old Testament.  Even those who know about Him may not really know Him.  If they followed the principles He gave them, rather than merely practicing the rituals, they would have come to know Him, and retained the purpose He ordained for such practices.  Unfortunately, the various tribes, even the Hebrew people, failed to genuinely submit themselves to God, and did not retain the relationship with Him that His laws would have provided.
Romans 1:28 “And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;”

All of the Old Testament laws were designed to focus man’s attention on the coming of the Savior, Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, only a remnant of those people to whom God gave His Law actually understood His purpose, and rejected Him when He came.

Colossians 2:16-17 “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.”

Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”

Hebrews 10:1 “For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.”

2 Corinthians 4:3-6 “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost:  4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.  5 For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.  6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

It is easy to distinguish between the similar practices of each religion and culture by identifying the deity or deities they claim to worship through their rituals.  The sacrifices of animals and other things in all false religions are designed either to gain favor or appease the particular god to which the sacrifice is made. The sacrifices and rituals prescribed in the Old Testament were designed to remind people of the benevolent care God gives them, their responsibility to serve Him for their own good.

Deuteronomy 6:1-24 “Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:  2 That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son’s son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.  3 Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.
4 “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  6 And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  7 And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  8 And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.  10 And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,  11 And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;  12 Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.  13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;  15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.  16 Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.
17 “Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  18 And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,  19 To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.  20 And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you?  21 Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh’s bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand:  22 And the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes:  23 And he brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in, to give us the land which he sware unto our fathers.  24 And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.  25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.”

All these factors assure us that there really is no significant spiritual relationship between the similar practices of different religions and cultures.

Allow me to comment about the specifics you mentioned in your question:

Worshipping Calf, Cow:
This was the most sinful of all the failures of God’s people in the Old Testament.  He was very angry at the people who did it. You can read about it in Exodus 32.

Applying blood in the door, in one of the villages in Tamil Nadu they have done:
God commanded this to be done to be a mark of separation between the Israelites and the Egyptians.  It was to be done once a year before the Feast of Passover (Exodus 6), and commemorated the sparing of the lives of the Jews during the death plague which came upon Egypt.  Even so, it was intended to point to the coming Christ:
1 Corinthians 5:7 “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”

The seven lamps in the old testament and in Revelation, written.
Lamps were common in all cultures and religions.  The “Menorah” used in worship in the Old Testament, and mentioned in the Book of Revelation, had a particular shape which is not common outside of the Jewish culture.

And as God told to shed the animals in Temples, for their sins, Here in India, all most everyone do it. Mostly Southern India. They shed the blood of cock, goat in Temples.
Practically all organized religions practiced such “atonement” sacrifices. The most significant difference between them and that mentioned in the Old Testament is their purpose.  The Bible’s sacrifices were intended to turn the people to faith in Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 10:4 “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Hebrews 10:11 “And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:”

Musical instruments.
All cultures have such instruments.  They come from our common ancestry.

My Question is who are these people in India, What is there connection with the old testament.
The people of India are descendents of Noah, as are the peoples of all nations. It is to be expected that their culture will have some similarities to others.  Their “connection” with the Old Testament is minimal, and as described in the answer above.  As almost all others, they have missed the purpose of God in the practice of such things.

I hope this helps you some.

Yours for Truth,

CR