World Blog by humble servant.A Lesson on Peter’s Dream: God’s Unchanging Law and the Devil’s Deception The Danger of Ignoring God’s Eternal Word

A Lesson on Peter’s Dream: God’s Unchanging Law and the Devil’s Deception

The Danger of Ignoring God’s Eternal Word

Building our faith on New Testament ideas that contradict the eternal words God gave through Moses is a path to destruction, especially as the last days draw near. The devil deceives us, making sin look fair and reasonable, whispering that God’s laws—like those forbidding pig, crab, and carnivorous foods—don’t matter anymore. Acts 10, with Peter’s dream, is one story people twist to excuse disobedience, claiming, “We can eat anything now.” But this is a wicked lie, rooted in the false idea that God changes and His Word doesn’t last forever. Oh, Master God, forgive our blindness and open our eyes!

The Bible warns us clearly: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a slaughter for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled Israel’s seed underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the spirit of grace?” (Hebrews 10:26-30). Jesus Himself said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23). Lawlessness means “Torah-lessness”—ignoring God’s instructions through Moses. The devil pushes this deception, and people look for excuses to disobey, but God’s truth stands firm.

The Story of Acts 10: Cornelius and Peter

Acts 10 tells of a Roman soldier named Cornelius, “a devout man and one who feared Elohim with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to Elohim always” (Acts 10:2). He wasn’t Jewish, but he loved God and lived righteously. Because of his heart, an angel appeared to him, saying, “Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before Elohim. Now send men to Joppa, and send for Simon whose surname is Peter” (Acts 10:4-5). Cornelius obeyed, sending three Gentile men 32 miles south to find Peter.

Meanwhile, Peter was in Joppa, staying at a friend’s house. Raised as a Jew, he’d been taught the “oral law”—traditions of men that added rules to God’s Word, like forbidding Jews from entering a Gentile’s home, calling them “common” or “unclean.” But God’s law in the Torah never said this—it was a human invention (Deuteronomy 4:2 warns, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it”). Just like us today, Peter had to unlearn false ideas and renew his mind to God’s truth: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2).

Peter’s Vision: A Misunderstood Moment

As Cornelius’ men approached, Peter went up to the housetop to pray. He became hungry, and “he fell into a trance and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, ‘Rise, Peter; kill and eat’” (Acts 10:10-13). The sheet held clean animals (like sheep or doves) and unclean ones (like pigs, crabs, and carnivorous beasts), as defined in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. God’s law forbids eating pork, shellfish, or animals that eat flesh—these are unclean for our good. Peter, faithful to God, replied, “Not so, my master! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean” (Acts 10:14). The vision repeated three times, leaving him puzzled.

While Peter wondered, the three Gentile men arrived. The Holy Spirit spoke: “Behold, three men are seeking you. Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them” (Acts 10:19-20). Peter met them, saying, “Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?” They answered, “Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears Elohim and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy messenger to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you” (Acts 10:21-22). Peter invited them in—a bold move against Jewish tradition—and they stayed the night. The next day, they all traveled to Caesarea.

The True Meaning Revealed

When Peter arrived, Cornelius had gathered his relatives and friends. As Peter entered, Cornelius fell at his feet, but Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself am also a man” (Acts 10:26). Then Peter spoke the key to the vision: “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go into one of another nation. But Elohim has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean” (Acts 10:28). There it is—the dream’s meaning! It wasn’t about food; it was about people. God used the sheet of animals as a symbol to break through Peter’s tradition-bound thinking. The Gentiles weren’t “unclean” in God’s eyes if they feared Him and followed His ways. The laws about clean and unclean foods—like not eating pig, crab, or carnivorous animals—stayed the same. The vision showed that God’s kingdom is open to all who obey Him, Jew or Gentile.

The Devil’s Lie and Human Excuses

Yet people twist this story, saying, “Peter’s dream means we can eat anything now—pork chops, crab legs, whatever!” That’s the devil’s deception at work, making sin look okay. God’s food laws in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are clear: pigs are unclean because they don’t chew the cud; crabs and shrimp are unclean because they don’t have fins and scales; carnivorous animals like lions or vultures are forbidden because they eat flesh. These rules protect us, and God doesn’t change them. Saying He did denies His Word: “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35). The devil pushes this lie, and people grab it as an excuse to disobey, but Peter’s vision isn’t about food—it’s about God’s love for all people.

God’s Unchanging Call

God’s law is our safety. “And now, Israel, what does God, your Elohim require of you? But to fear God your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve God your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of God and His statutes which I command you today for your good!” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Solomon summed it up: “Fear Elohim and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For Elohim will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). That includes what we eat. If we turn from sin and obey, God promises life: “But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all My statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live” (Ezekiel 18:21-22). But if we build our beliefs on New Testament misreadings that contradict Moses, we’re in danger.

The Lesson in Full

Peter’s dream shows God’s heart for all people—Cornelius and his Gentile friends could join His family, just as Peter did. But it doesn’t cancel God’s eternal laws. The devil deceives, and men excuse themselves, saying, “God’s okay with pig and crab now.” No—those foods remain unclean. Peter’s vision used animals to teach about people, not to rewrite Leviticus. Cornelius, Peter, and the three messengers were part of God’s plan to spread His truth, not to undo it. We must fear God, love Him, and obey His Word— all of it—for our good and our life.

A Note from The Humble Servant:

My dear brothers and sisters, let us not be fooled by the devil’s lies or men’s excuses. God’s law, given through Moses, is our safety and our life. Eating pig, crab, or carnivorous creatures is forbidden—not because God is harsh, but because He loves us and knows what’s best. Peter’s dream in Acts 10 is about welcoming all people into God’s family, not about changing His holy rules. Cling to the truth, obey His Word, and live! May our Master, Elohim, guide us in His everlasting ways.