There is a common voice that many who come to the 7 Universal Laws are voicing. Many of us who have been around a while voiced this same concern but I do not remember it being as common as it is now, maybe with the growth of online groups we are hearing it more.
And that is, “I miss having that sense of religious community with those who share the beliefs as my own.” This was taken from an actual statement of someone who joined a Noahide group to only leave after a few days. His desire for religious community outweighed the learning of the way of the Creator.
I want to say this up front – the 7 Universal Laws are not about religious community – they are about living a life of obedience to the Creator. He has shown us how to walk with Him and fellow man. Actually being apart of a religious community is not even within the 7 Universal Laws. Even if there is a community of Noahides/righteous humans, it is not supposed to be religious – if it is then it is creating a new religion which is forbidden and adding to the Laws which is forbidden.
I will be blunt before we look at some passages of scripture together.
Nowhere in the 7 Laws are there any directives of the formation of a community of like believers. Now I do not say that against those who have formed one or desire one. But it is not a directive of the 7 laws, that is a pure human desire that left over from coming out from a religious system. What we need to do is be living examples of the 7 Laws in the communities we live and through that attract every human we can to the observance of the 7 Laws because it is what the Creator wants from every human.
As I have stated many times, your community is outside your window, you shop with it, you work with it and the Creator takes care of their needs just like He does yours. Matter of fact, the obedience of the 7 laws depends on your involvement with those outside your window.
Now lets look at a few things together.
Jeremiah 16:19-20
O LORD, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge, in the day of affliction, unto You shall the nations come from the ends of the earth, and shall say: ‘Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things wherein there is no profit.’ Shall a man make unto himself gods, which are not gods?
Before I go any further – Judaism is not a religion, It is one family that are doing what they were told to do by the Creator. This family was being picked by the Creator to be a human priestly line for the rest of the nations. When I was studying to join this priestly family, all the books and classes I read and attended, did not teach on belief but how to do the commandments the family was commanded to keep. A Jew is commanded to do certain things before the Creator, as their service/work to Him. What we see going on in a synagogue is a service of Divine work before the Creator, it may look like and seem to be religious to us, but it is all service/work for the Creator. It is one family coming together to do what they are commanded to do, every gathering they do in their service toward the Creator is like a family reunion not a religious gathering of like minded people.
Today, those of us from the nations that are leaving the religions of the world are like a wave coming to the Creator and admitting we inherited lies from our fathers (notice, fathers is plural), I see this as pointing to the many human creations of many religions around the world. And these lies have been of no profit – so it is interesting that so many want to return to a system that there is no profit in it.
Then I got to looking at verse 20, “Shall a man make unto himself gods, and they are no gods?” A question that came to me while writing this blog is – could the desire for what we had in the religious systems of this world be idolatrous?
Just think about it – The 7 Universal Laws are given to us by the Creator to walk with Him and man – nothing else – if one who feels they cannot keep the 7 laws outside of being tied to a religious community, are they adding to the laws for themselves?
Yes, the 7 Laws is the desire of the Creator for all humanity but they really start of with just you, one person, it is very important that you as a person are doing your obligations before the Creator – Yes, we all have desires for others to do the same but as we can see in the case of Noah the impact of one person doing what the Creator told him to do. Before and after the flood.
The fathers of the religions of this world brought community within the religious belief system. The 7 Universal Laws is not a belief system, they are a system that governs the actions of man not what he believes.
Even the prohibition of idolatry comes from the Hebrew about strange service – first one needs to know the ‘who’ is in this prohibition and the rest of the prohibition is on actions toward the ‘who’. The Hebrew is Avoda Zara/strange service or strange work to the Creator.
The issue of being a Noahide/righteous human is ridding the lies of the fathers, and taking on the correct obligations the Creator that the Creator has told us to do.
Genesis 9:1
And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.
The above verse begins the instructions given to Noah and his sons after the flood, which goes to verse 17.
In all of this instruction there are no religious instructions given, what we find are instructions to repopulate the earth, instructions involving human contact and instructions about the eating of meat.
The largest part of the human creation was not given any religious duties to perform in their instructions for life.
This is one of the most difficult issues of those leaving a religion and taking on a life of no religion – I hope to delve more into this issue in a future blog.
The religions of this world creates a desire for religion in a person, so when they leave one religion they seek to replace it with another. This too is a lie from the fathers of religion, it has taken a very strong grip on many folks.
Shall a man make unto himself gods, which are not gods?
Terry W. Hayes
12/2018
Emuna Trek 
I’m not sure that those who are expressing this sentiment from a lack of a “church” feeling… it’s more about community. It is not good for mankind to be alone… it’s a truth even HaShem knows… we’re not meant to walk this journey alone… we were made for relationship – with our Creator, yes, but also with others. Being a Noahide is the loneliest journey I’ve ever taken… and I’m blessed with a Noahide husband and children! But to sit and experience fellowship without having to be guarded about our beliefs for fear of attack (“How COULD you REJECT Jesus?!?!??!” or better yet, “Aren’t you worried about your Salvation, you’ll spend eternity in Hell donchaknow?!”). It can become an emotional black hole in a way.
Yes, HaShem is all we need, if there were no people around us… but instead, we are surrounded by people… surrounded by others who do not share our love of HaShem and the Torah. Oh… wait, there are Jewish folk who do, but unfortunately Noahides aren’t always made to feel very welcome in those communities, despite our shared beliefs.
I can completely understand the POV of the new Noahide… all we have are virtual communities. We have no welcoming embrace of people face to face who look at us and call us brother/sister. We’re floating alone… adrift… with HaShem.
Maybe that’s a good thing… but it is also a hard thing. I think perhaps it is time that the Jewish community step up their Light Unto The Nations game and form houses of prayer, communities to learn under… places to WELCOME the Noahide… so that they too have the community that Jews experience by their very “family” alliance. We’re in need… they are the Priests for the world, yes? Then they need to up their pastoral game. We’re not supposed to create these things ourselves because we run the risk of falling into false teaching.. this is THEIR job… and people feel this isolated… that means for the most part, they are doing a rubbish job. I wonder what HaShem will have to say to them about it one day?
Don’t misunderstand me, there are AMAZING Jewish folk doing AMAZING work… but they are the tiniest percentage of their ranks… the creme de la creme if you will…. what are the rest doing? Nothing. Nada. I know from personal experience how unfriendly and welcoming they can be. That can be scary for those on this counter-Christian-cultural journey.
And the Noahide groups online? From personal experience, they can sometimes be just as unwelcoming /unfriendly – which is not helpful for people who are in a place of giving up everything they’ve ever known… on FAITH… that their newly understood knowledge is correct, they won’t burn in hell, and that someday, all those “friends” they may have lost along the way will be replaced with those who understand and love HaShem and the Torah as they do. But for today? They are lonely, they are isolated, they are – can I even say it? – scared out of their minds. Let’s be gentle with them, let’s be welcoming… and let’s build a community that can give them back the earthly community that they have lost. I do think it’s important. Even HaShem gave Adam a companion suitable to him.
I thank HaShem every day for having “stumbled” across you, Terry… and am SO grateful for those you’ve directed me to as well… but remember… I walked this journey a long time before we met, and it was very very alone.
I completely understand, in the place I live, we are alone as well. At first it was a major struggle. And I have mentioned that this issue is probably the hardest of struggles we have. But for some reason the Creator designed it this way for many of us.
Pesach and I talk about this issue weekly. We are trying to begin helping out in this area. But it starts out online at this time.
I have wanted to try to start something here but not sure how to do it. I have done home study groups in the past but they grew in to mini congregations – This time I want to do it right and stay away from creating a religious congregation but one based on study and fellowship. This is new ground for many of us because we are the only ones in our respected area.
Being hammered with questions from Christians doesn’t bother me any more, I was in an online debate group for 2 years and have had a lot thrown at me, I learned that most asking questions are not interested in the answers and will pretty much reject anything you say because they themselves are not ready for the true answers to your questions and are mainly asking from an emotional religious brainwashed stance.
Pesach and I talked today about how a true Noahide path is narrow and difficult at times. He gave me some more food for future blogs.
The pain of loneliness is something that is a struggle and those of us that really get it, we struggle with how to meet that need among fellow Noahides. Your voice is heard, with Hashem’s help we all will get past this phase in our journey. He has people in your area, just wait for they will come in due time but for now being a pioneer stinks in some ways.
I hope you understand that my blogs are in general not pointing toward one person but many times one person inspires me to write on a subject.
Thank you for your input.
I felt compelled to leave a comment….I really do enjoy reading your Blogs. I am a newbie so to speak with respects to becoming a B’nai Noah. I live a single parent life, my daughter is two years old. Loneliness by far, has been the most difficult struggle for me. I have been reaching out to the local Synagogue here where i live. It’s a very Rural Town, Up North in Vermont., and I believe most people here have a Christian based Faith, or agnostics. My Relatives are mainly of a Christian Faith. I Agree with the both of you, that the very small community of Jewish people are not the friendliest on Earth. But, i have been told that is a normal Trait for them to project, Especially when someone like me, is trying to go through a Conversion Process. Perhaps if there were more of a community of Noahides. That i would not feel that i am grasping at thin air. I Enjoy reading these posts. Please continue…..
Thank you for the kind words, keep continuing to learn. Yes it is lonely out here. I know several in the same situation you are in. If you ever have questions feel free to ask, I am linked up with Torah for the Nations based in Tzfat, Israel, so if there is something I can not answer I can get it for you.
Hi Terry, It is lonely and I get what your saying but having a Noahide family like the Jewish family would make things alot easier, but all things come with time I suppose. Chabad has made me feel very comfortable at shul and classes.
I agree, but for many, like myself included are not able to be a part of a like minded community at this time. It is like for some reason God wants us to learn to walk with Him alone at this time. This will be something we will have to get involved in forming on in our communities and I do not see that happening very fast, or at least here in the Christian south. Many are so emotional over their religion that a non-religion scars them.