Over the next couple of days I’m gonna have to dive into the topic of God’s Law and how it’s relevant to believers in our day and age.
Why is this important?
Because divine legality is a core issue in the Scriptures…
Whether we’re talking about the “Old” or New Testament.
Ya feel me?
See, here’s the thing.
God did NOT view Saul as Israel’s first king.
He only viewed him as Israel’s first HUMAN king.
Once the Lord rescued Israel from slavery in Egypt…
From that instant, Israel’s only King was YEHOVAH.
And I don’t mean King in some vague spiritual mumbo jumbo way.
I’m saying God became Israel’s king in a fully legal sense.
This is something few Christian pastors or preachers really understand.
But this is what God was communicating to the people through Samuel in 1 Samuel Chapter 9.
He was telling Israel that once they switched over their government to a monarchy patterned after their gentile neighbors…
This would result in a new legal arrangement being established between them and their new human ruler.
We’ll see this idea fleshed out a lot more in the next chapter.
But in order to fully understand the contents of that chapter, you need to possess at least a basic working knowledge of Torah…
Which is something 99.9% of Christians do NOT possess.
This puts them at a distinct disadvantage.
Why?
Because they’ve been brainwashed to avoid “legalism” at all costs resulting in their overall condescending attitude towards God’s Holy Law.
I find this funny…
Because their or anyone’s salvation for that matter depends on the legal code in Scripture…
Think about it homie.
The only reason Yeshua qualifies to be our Messiah and Savior is because he fulfilled the Law.
You can’t have salvation without God’s Law.
The two go hand-in-hand.
Anyways, I’ll stop here for now.
But rest assured we’re gonna be diving deeper into this topic in the days ahead.
Necessity demands it!
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“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
“For if you believed Moses,
you would believe me;
for he wrote of me.”
-John 5:46
As you say, Rich- traditional Christian teachings equate obedience to the Torah as legalism, which Shaul (Paul) was against.
And for good reason- legalism is not obedience to the law, per se’, but it is going through the motions with no repentance, no spiritual faith, and no real love for God.
Faithful obedience, on the other hand, is following the way God told us to worship him and treat each other, which is only found in the Torah- nowhere else throughout the entire Bible does God instruct us in the same way. And faithful obedience is not to earn points or to buy our way into heaven through good works (that’s legalism), but rather we obey by means of faithfully trusting God and do what he says because of that trust, knowing God only wants us to be happy and live.
Legalistic obedience is performance-based obedience, but what God wants is faith-based obedience.
Hasn’t it occurred to Christians who are taught almost nothing but the New Covenant, that there is not one place where any commandments are given? Oh, yes, we are told to love one another, but that is old stuff, going all the way back to Leviticus 19:18. And every “spiritual” thing Shaul talks about in his managerial directions to the congregations he formed reference the laws in the Torah.
Here’s the reason that the Torah isn’t really given a lot of coverage in the Gospels- it’s because everyone that Yeshua talked to already knew the Torah!
The Epistles Shaul and the other apostles wrote (except for Hebrews) was helping Gentiles learn the Torah, but not in the same way the Pharisees had been teaching it.
Without the Torah, there can be no Messiah, no salvation, and no hope for anyone.
A lot of awesome clarifying points in your comment Steve.
My favorite one is this one:
“The Epistles Shaul and the other apostles wrote (except for Hebrews) was helping Gentiles learn the Torah, but not in the same way the Pharisees had been teaching it.”
Be blessed and thanks for sharing!
I find it always amusing when “Return to our Jewish Roots” clan quotes only a PORTION of Matthew 5:17, deleting the word PROPHETS. Jesus was NOT discussing the TEN COMMANDMENTS in that verse. He was discussing prophesy of HIMSELF. Nothing more. The Law and the Prophets is the TENAKH, the totality of Genesis to Malachi.
Luke 24:44
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
The OLD TEST, aka, The Ten Commandments, or the 613 Commandments, begin in Exodus 20, not Genesis 1.
Now, some will say that I’m wrong, because Jesus said:
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
However, that statement, “THESE” does not relate to Matthew 5:17, but to the REMAINING of the chapter.
21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;
24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.
26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.
27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:
28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.
41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.
42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?
48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.
Notice, if you will, that Jesus said, “YOU HAVE HEARD IT SAID…”, followed by, “BUT I SAY…”
Question…WHERE DID THEY “HEARD IT SAID”? and WHO SAID IT?
As it is said:
Romans 7:4
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
Galatians 2:19
For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Galatians 2:21
I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
Remember this?
Deuteronomy 6:25
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.
Romans 9:30
What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
Romans 9:31
But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
Romans 10:5
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
Romans 10:6
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Ed Chapman
You should check out today’s post…