Today we begin Deuteronomy Chapter Eight.
For the Complete Jewish Bible, click here.
For the King James version, click here.
“All the commands I am giving you today you are to take care to obey, so that you will live, increase your numbers, enter and take possession of the land Adonai swore about to your ancestors.”-Deuteronomy 8:1
The opening words of Deuteronomy 8 are clear.
Israel is to remember its dependence on God by observing His commands.
This means that an awareness of God and obedience to His Torah are NOT to be separate phenomena.
The practical truth is a believer is to express his or her allegiance to God by obeying the commands.
This is the heart of what Deuteronomy Chapter 8 (and chapter 9) are all about.
Moses’ speech here in Deuteronomy exposes what I believe to be one of the biggest mistakes the gentile church has ever made.
I think by now you all know what I’m talking about.
The gentile church has pretty much ignored the foundational God-principle that obedience to the Lord’s commands IS THE EXPECTED EXPRESSION OF LOVE TOWARDS OUR CREATOR.
I know many of those with a Christian background are reluctant to accept this foundational principle…namely that active obedience to God’s Torah is not only expected but demanded!
In the Christian world, to even attempt to keep the Lord’s commands is a “work” and thus labeled as a form of legalism that is to be avoided.
A gentile whether consciously or unconsciously has been brainwashed beyond belief to believe that accepting Yeshua as Lord and Savior is the last “work” or act of obedience expected of them.
You think I’m joking?
I’m not.
I really think every Christian should go back and read Deuteronomy 8.
It would really give them some serious food for thought and cause them to reevaluate their “Jesus did away with the Law” doctrinal nonsense.
Here’s something we should be keenly aware of.
With the emergence of the Messianic movement and with Hebrew Roots groups springing up all around the world, more than ever before Jews are watching us.
I’m serious.
They are really curious as to how gentile and Jewish Believers in Yeshua operate and do things.
If you’re a gentile (as I am), let me share some points I have gleaned from interacting with Torah observant Jews and their thoughts on lawless Christianity.
Here’s how Torah observant Jews really feel about Christianity.
First and foremost, this whole idea of Yeshua being G-d is something they will NEVER accept (and they shouldn’t).
It literally goes against the SHEMA which is the foundation of their faith and is idolatry in the sense that you’re making some thing or some one who is not God out to be God Himself.
Second, another problem Orthodox Jews have with the Christian church is that from their perspective, it is all about emotion and no substance.
This makes sense, because when you throw away God’s Commands, what the hell else do you have left?
You have to rely on emotionalism.
Here’s the problem though.
The New Testament does NOT promote a religion based on emotionalism
But, for the Jew, he can only go by how he observes the actions of those who claim to be living a so-called “New Testament” life.
And what does he find?
He finds this bizarre as hell disconnect of faith in God from any desire or effort to be obedient to God’s commands.
For anybody who has attended a Christian church, I’m sure you’ll agree that is the rather common attitude there.
And speaking of the New Testament.
Let’s take a look at the words of Yeshua himself.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the kingdom of heaven;
but he who does the will of
My Father who is in heaven.
“Many will say to Me on that day,
‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy
in Your name, and in Your name
cast out demons, and in Your name
perform many miracles?’
“And then I will declare to them,
‘I never knew you;
depart from Me,
you who practice lawlessness.’
-Matthew 7:21-23
Now let me ask you a question.
As the Jewish Messiah, what “lawlessness” could Yeshua possibly have been speaking about?
Was he talking about breaking the Roman Law?
No.
Was he talking about breaking the Greek Law?
Nope.
Was he talking about breaking the American civil code?
Of course not.
Well then, which law or laws was he referring to?
As a Jew, there could have been only ONE set of Laws he was referring to.
He could only have been talking about the Biblical and eternal laws of the Lord Our God.
In other words, Yeshua could only have been talking about the Torah.
There’s no two ways about it.
As followers of Messiah, we are obligated to keep the commands of God…or we will lose our inheritance.
I’m not kidding.
Thank you so much for sharing. I had received a post this morning from a friend where it speaks of luck and Christmas, tree and so on and being a real friend if I send one back. It grieved my spirit. While I was reading my Torah portion. Asking FATHER to help me to be understanding and kind for I have walked this way. I am so glad that I can say like Ruth said to Naomi ” your GOD will be my GOD also ”
Shalom and soon
Shabbat Shalom
Petra
Thank YOU for sharing Petra. Be blessed and shalom!
The emotionalism part such as speaking in tongues or singing worship songs in such a frenzy so as to make things happen! That was the norm in our meetings! Come to think of it now, I agree, it was to replace obedience to His instructions and commands . Yeah, no kidding!
Thanks for sharing Sueni. I totally agree. The Pentecostal church is emotionalism gone overboard.
Rich,
You and I have been following each other for a while and as a Jewish man who is Messianic, I know both sides of the story (so to speak), so let me add to what you have written from a Jewish perspective.
First of all, Jews are taught from birth that Jesus was a Jew who betrayed his people and formed a new religion, Christianity, which hates and kills Jews- the Crusades, the Inquisition, and even Nazi Germany ( a Gentile is a Gentile is a Gentile.) The first thing we think of when someone is Christian is that they think they are better than us and want to make us reject God and become Christian. I have run into this way too many times, and not just from Gentiles but from Jews who call me Christian because I accept Yeshua as my Messiah. The fact that I am Torah observant and live a Jewish lifestyle, and am a Jew by blood doesn’t mean anything to them- if you “believe in Jesus” (whatever that is supposed to mean), you are a Christian. Period. Jews see Christians as prideful and idolatrous- just walk into a Catholic church and all you see are graven images, pictures of saints and they even desecrate their sanctuary by burying their dead right under it!
One last thing- Jews will not separate Catholic from Protestant from Christian from any other form of Christianity- they are all the same because they all follow their God, Jesus Christ. They all hate Jews and they are all trying to turn Jews into Christians.
This is a very harsh thing I have written, but it is the truth. I have never been more hated by someone than by my own Jewish brothers and sisters, even family members because I accept Yeshua as my Messiah. I have to joke about it, explaining to people who don’t know about Messianic Judaism that no one likes us- Christians say we are not saved because we do all that “Jewish” stuff, and Jews say we are not Jews because we must be Christians if we believe in Jesus.
Talk about being only a remnant!
Steven, Thanks a lot for sharing your experience as a Jew. This feedback is very helpful and I feel will help bridge the huge cultural and doctrinal gap that exists between gentile and Jewish believers in Messiah Yeshua. Shalom.
Steven R. Bruck, you are right.
Even though most Seventh-day Adventists guard the fourth commandment (“Think of the day of the Shabbath to set him apart as special. You will serve and do ALL your businesses in six days. But, the seventh day of the week is Shabbath towards Yahweh your power. You, your sons, your daughters, your slaves, your maids, you cattle and your strangers who is within your gates shall not perform ALL business on that day. Since Yahweh made the skies, the land, the sea and ALL which are inside them within six days and he ceased on the seventh day of the week. Therefore, Yahweh respected the day of the Shabbath and set him apart as special”), they may be rejected by orthodox Jews as they are Christians who guard the fourth commandment.
Ellen Goudh White said that “Yeshua NEVER trampled the fourth commandment underfoot.”
If Yeshua moved the day of the Shabbath to Sun’s Day, he’d be false. That is why the orthodox Jews reject Yeshua.
Even though most Seventh-day Adventists guard the fourth commandment (“Think of the day of the Shabbath to set him apart as special. You will serve and do ALL your businesses in six days. But, the seventh day of the week is Shabbath towards Yahweh your power. You, your sons, your daughters, your slaves, your maids, you cattle and your strangers who is within your gates shall not perform ALL business on that day. Since Yahweh made the skies, the land, the sea and ALL which are inside them within six days and he ceased on the seventh day of the week. Therefore, Yahweh respected the day of the Shabbath and set him apart as special”), they may be rejected by orthodox Jews as they are Christians who guard the fourth commandment.