The article that follows is good food for thought. I hope you will read it and pray about it:
To follow Torah or not to follow Torah.. That is the question..
Would you believe a source if they gave you half of the truth? How would you feel if you were brought up on charges and only half the evidence provided was “the half showing guilt” without having the WHOLE story? How can anyone who believes in the Bible disqualify any portion of it or say that a piece of the Bible is “done away with” or “no longer applies.” These people will say the Holy Bible IS YHVH’s (G-d’s) ETERNAL WORD.. (I say YHVH because Yod-He-Vav-He are the Hebrew letters that are the “tetragrammaton” although some ancient sages say it’s YHWH and many believe this as well. I can not personally guarantee any pronunciation as the accurate one for my feeble mind can not fathom the glorious ways of HIS) These very same people who say the Bible is HIS Eternal Word claim that the first five “books” of that very same Bible (the Torah) does not apply “anymore” or only “applies to Jewish people”, implying His Word is temporary (not eternal) or exclusively to Jewish people. If that were the case we’d have to throw out the whole Bible as void. Obviously there is a contradiction for someone who believes the Bible (His Word) is truth, yet only chooses to “endorse” part of that Bible.. This would take away the validity and credibility of it being His infallible Word. The other huge problem I have is that the “Ten Commandments” are inside Torah, which they say no longer applies. They make it seem like they are the “Only Ten Commandments” when in fact, they should be called the “First Ten Commandments” because there are more that most churches choose to ignore.
Note that I have NOTHING AGAINST the “Ten Commandments” but I truly do believe a quick clarification MUST BE MADE to this phrase for accuracy. They are just “The FIRST TEN Commandments” of many more pertaining to His teaching/instruction to give us the best quality of life possible. These “Ten Commands” are also known as the first 10 Devarim (Words). Many “Christians” take their pastors WORD for it, place it on a pedestal and assume their interpretation is better than the Ruach Hakodesh’s (Holy Spirit) revelation. There is nothing wrong with listening to someone else talk about what their revelation was, but the problem arises when we don’t investigate and study for ourselves (2 Timothy 2:15.) Let me ask you something, do you know the reason why G-d stopped after 10? If you read Exodus 20:18-19 you will find they were afraid:
“they said to Moshe, “You, speak with us; and we will listen. But don’t let God speak with us, or we will die.” (Ex 20:19).
This shows us very clearly it was NOT because He “only had 10 for us” but because the people were afraid they would die. In my personal opinion they were accumlatorily convicted of their sin after each command compounded onto past sin. They only had the courage to make it to 10 in fear of their life after the 10th was said. Remember, they had just got done with making a golden calf earlier- violating “Thou shalt not make engraven images..” in Exodus 20:4-6.. Some christians say all the other commands/regulations fall under “the ten”.. These people are speaking without knowledge, for they have yet to review dietary regulations and I’d love to see them explain how not eating unclean, toxic, abominable animals to our bodies falls under the first 10 mitzvot/commands. If the FIRST Ten Commands apply, so do they all; for if you break one, you break them all.. (James 2:10) Likewise the same applies that if you ignore or abolish one; you must ignore/abolish them ALL!
Another thing I find a huge contradiction with most churches teachings was when I heard Dr. Robert Jeffress (other pastors too). Jeffress specifically, said on Christian-Talk radio station that Americans are not “obligated” to observe Shabbat (sabbath), yet clearly, it is the FOURTH of the very same “Ten Commandments” that Christians are so quick to spout off and say apply. Most christians will agree that the FIRST Ten Commands do apply, but little do they know the fourth command is the first one known as “the sign” which is symbolism for something like a wedding ring. He says in Exodus 31:13:
“Tell the people of Isra’el, ‘You are to observe my Shabbats; for this is a sign between me and you through all your generations; so that you will know that I am ADONAI, who sets you apart for me.” (Ex 31:13)
Much like how a spouse is identified as married by their “sign” (ring) this too, is how we know we are in unison with our Wonderful Creator. They will try to spin things and say that it’s done away with; just like they claim that Torah was “done away with” after Yeshua’s sacrifice on the execution-stake (cross). This is one of the biggest lies being spread around “the church.” They pervert Scripture and take it out of context to support their own agenda and bring glory to someone other than G-d Himself. I wish to clear this issue up for those who aren’t so biased and willing to hear Intellectual AND Biblical evidence without the interference of personal pride.
To begin I’d like to say that Torah has had a bad reputation amongst believers in Yeshua HaMashiyach (“Jesus the Christ”) because of the way it’s purposefully misrepresented. Most christians call it “Mosaic Law” and the major issue I have with that is IT’S NOT MOSHE’S NEITHER should it be translated as “LAW” in the English vernacular. Law is a very harsh word to describe something so beautiful. Torah is about love and how YHVH, the one who created us, says is the best way to take care of ourselves and our neighbors. It’s all about LOVE, so if it is a “law” IT IS THE LAW OF LOVE- teaching us how to love YHVH and love our neighbor; what’s so bad about that? To be more exact, Torah is more accurately translated as “Instruction”, “Teaching”.. These instructions (Torah) are for all of mankind (Ecclesiastes 12:13) and as some translations of Ecc 12:13 says “Applies to Everyone” (NASB)..
In Torah we find verses speaking of one “law” for all. It was NOT JUST Jews at the bottom of Mt. Sinai. Some non-jews had left Egypt with them as you’ll find as Exodus 12:38 says “A mixed crowd also went up with them, as well as livestock in large numbers, both flocks and herds.. Why else would there be commands speaking of the “foreigner living among you” or “stranger who dwells among you” or “the sojourner/stranger.” In addition to this evidence, the fact that our Gracious and Awesome Elohim spoke these very words, brings reality to the existence of OTHERS (mixed crowd) who left Egypt and was with them who were NOT JEWISH!
The other side of this argument says Torah is only for the Jew or if to be kept by “sojourners/Ger Toshav” only can they do so “in the land of Israel.” This is another false claim usually derived from orthodoxical perspective. To assume this would mean that a Jew ceases being a “Torah-keeping” Jew if he moves outside of the land of Isra’el or that one can ONLY LIVE IN ISRAEL to follow our Wonderful Creator. I ask you to just remember Genesis 26:5 about Abraham obeying. Abraham was not a “Jew/Israeli” although he is the head patriarch of Israel, yes, but not considered of the tribe of Isra’el considering his time was before Isra’el even existed as a nation! Regardless of his “racial identification” he still obeyed Elohim and was blessed because of his trust-grounded obedience which is the TRUE MEANING of “faith.”
Enough of my own ranting; I will let Scripture speak for itself.. (CJB Translation unless marked otherwise)
TaNaKh: (Psalm 119 :D)
TORAH (“Teaching”):
“All this is because Avraham heeded what I said and did what I told him to do -he followed my mitzvot (commands), my regulations and my teachings (Torah.)” -Genesis 26:5
“The same teaching (Torah) is to apply equally to the citizen and to the foreigner living among you.” -Exodus 12:49
“You are to apply the same standard of judgment (Torah) to the foreigner as to the citizen, because I am ADONAI your God.” -Leviticus 24:22
“For this community there will be the same law (Torah) for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before Adonai as yourselves. The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.’” -Numbers 15:15-16
“The cohen (priest) will make atonement before ADONAI for the person who makes a mistake by sinning inadvertently; he will make atonement for him, and he will be forgiven no matter whether he is a citizen of Isra’el or a foreigner living with them. You are to have one law for whoever it is that does something wrong by mistake. -Numbers 15:28-29
NEVI’IM (“Prophets”)
“You are to divide it by lot as an inheritance both to you and to the foreigners living among you who give birth to children living among you; for you they are to be no different from the native-born among the people of Isra’el – they are to have an inheritance with you among the tribes of Isra’el.” (CJB) -Ezekiel 47:22
KETUVIM (“Writings”):
“Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot (commands); this is what being human is all about.” -Ecclesiastes 12:13
Torah, Nevi’im and Ketuvim = TaNaKh which is called today by christians the “Old Testament” because of the divisive (and succesful) efforts of Marcion by claiming one was “old” and one was “new”. In actuality the implication of Jeremiah 31:31 is the same meaning as “repair/reforge/renew” (to the best of my studies ofc.) In this we have the TaNaKh- Teaching, Prophets, Writings saying that those non-jews are to have the same standard of judgement or teaching/”law.” now I will go even further into showing that “Non-Jews” are to have the same “Law” as “Jews” for we are all ONE PEOPLE in Yeshua HaMashiyach. The beautiful thing about the Bible is it never contradicts itself, even from “Old to New”, the only contradiction you will find is man’s twist of it. That’s why I said never take a person’s word without studying YHVH’s word. He is perfect and the only One who has no contradiction in Himself. Considering we have found Scripture in the TaNaKh supporting the fact that non-Jewish people are suppose to follow Torah, we will find similar ideas in the B’rit Chadashah if it truly is united and one book.
B’rit Chadashah: (Here are more references from a previous post)
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” -Matthew 5:17 (NIV)
“Also I have OTHER SHEEP which are not from this pen; I need to bring them, and they will hear my voice; and there will be ONE FLOCK, ONE SHEPHERD.” -John 10:16
“But if some of the branches WERE BROKEN off, and you – a WILD OLIVE – WERE grafted in among them and HAVE BECOME EQUAL SHARERS in the rich root of the olive tree,” -Romans 11:17
“Therefore, remember your FORMER state: you Gentiles by birth – called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the circumcised AT THAT TIME had no Messiah. You WERE ESTRANGED from the NATIONAL LIFE of ISRA’EL. You WERE FOREIGNERS to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You WERE in this world without hope and without God. BUT NOW, you who WERE ONCE far off HAVE BEEN brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood.” -Ephesians 2:11-13
“So then, you are NO LONGER foreigners and strangers. On the contrary, you are FELLOW-CITIZENS with God’s PEOPLE and members of God’s FAMILY.” – Ephesians 2:19
I would like to say that in John 10:16, the ONE FLOCK is us being Gentiles being the other sheep allowed to be brought in when we hear His voice and we will be ONE with the “flock” of Israel and be ONE FLOCK with ONE SHEPHERD Romans 11 speaks about grafting of branches, very similar to the concept of Ruth (1:16-17.) This is how “gentiles” were former strangers to the Torah. Now we are of (as some translations say) “commonwealth/citizenship” which would imply we may now partake in Torah keeping as the Messiah Himself did.. after all we are to Walk as He walked right? He washed Peter’s feet because he was “already clean” (saved by faith) but he needed his feet cleaned to continue to WALK in Torah. The fact is by faith we are saved, because if you ONLY did Torah without faith it’d equal nothing. Most christians keep a good portion of the Torah already, but because of the false theology passed along we (including myself in the past) have grown accustom to certain foods or certain days that violate YHVH’s teaching. Medical science has proven what the Torah knew thousands of years ago about staying sanitary and eating healthy while treating others with respect and properly showing appreciation for the one who gives us our very existence.
I do not post this to condemn anyone, for I have no right to try to place judgement on anyone’s soul. I do have the right to identify the fruit of those teaching. The biggest problem I have is when a verse gets used out of context and I find that in some translations many verses are purposefully rendered to fit accordingly to the theological doctrine of man, rather than being a close and accurate translation of the Teaching of G-d Himself. The fact is, without Yeshua (Jesus) we are condemned because we’ve sinned falling short of righteousness because of the wickedness, deceitful and lawless ways of our natural heart. There was a curse put up on that cross with Him, and that’s the curse of death; or the same curse found INSIDE the Torah (proving the curse is not the Torah itself), this is explained in Daniel 9:11.
The fact is, when Yeshua said in John 14:15/1 John 2:3-6 – if you LOVE HIM you will KEEP HIS MITZVOT (commandments), or you will do your best not to sin. Here the commands are not just the first 10 because identified later is 1 John 3:4 which SIN is TRANSGRESSION OF THE TORAH (or the fear-bringing word “law”)
Mosaic Law? Nahhhhh…. It wasn’t Moses’ in the first place!! In addition to that, the fact it wasn’t a “law” as much as a HOLY Teaching from our Wonderful and HOLY CREATOR telling us how he designed us to sustain ourselves in love; 1 Peter 1:15, Romans 7:12, Psalm 119.. Yeshua is the LIVING Torah, the one who showed us how to live it out properly, the one who said it’s NOT more about the strict conformity to the letter of the law, but it’s about the heart and intent behind it..
“A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” – Luke 6:45
Anyone who has a problem with Torah needs to bring up in prayer to the One who Created it.. It’s pretty difficult to deny Torah when the very person we put our faith in the atonement of our sins followed Torah.. How blind would we be to claim that we need to follow him, yet ignore Torah that he followed?
SHALOM SHALOM CHAVERIM TOVIM!
(Don’t take my word for this, study yourself 
Rightly divide the word of truth!)
“The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person.” -Ecclesiastes 12:13
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
<:footer>Posted on April 22, 2013 by jwat5
YAHOWAH THE ONLY ONE 