12 weeks after their departure from Egypt, the Israelites finally arrive at the famous Mount Sinai (the real Mount Sinai located on the Arabian Peninsula, not the fake one on the Sinai Peninsula promoted by the Christians).
Recall Mountain Sinai also went by the name Mount Horeb and is the same place where Moses had his Burning Bush experience.
This must have been a major blast from the past for Moses as he remembered the first time he encountered the Lord.
Hashem again goes over the promises He first made to the people during the time when He was cursing Egypt with the 10 plagues and takes things a step further by informing Moses…
…”if you will keep my covenant, then you will be My own treasure from among all the peoples”.
The Lord is saying that Israel will be a Kingdom of Priests (COHANIM in Hebrew) unto Him.
Moses climbs back down the mountain to gather the people and tell them what the Lord had told him.
Understand that not every person out of the approximately 3 million population heard Moses.
It was only the leaders and elders who received the message directly from Moses…
…and then later on behalf of the people replied…
…”Everything that God has spoken, we will obey!”
Moses headed up to the mountain to receive the 10 DABAR or 10 Words (also known as the 10 Commandments).
Actually Moses made multiple trips up and down that mountain to receive all of the doctrine, laws and commands that make up the Torah, the first 5 books of the Bible that serve as the foundation for our Bibles.
Many modern Bibles when translating the word “Torah” use the word “Law” and I have to tell you I think this is a big mistake that invites much theological misunderstanding.
The word Torah more means “instructions” and “teaching” rather than referring to a body of “Law”…even though laws and commands are included in it.
But that’s another topic for discussion we’ll dive deeper into later.
The “Law.” Yes, a badly misunderstood matter, indeed. I certainly agree that Torah is erroneously viewed as Law as opposed to Instruction, but that is what man has always done with God’s Word — ignorantly misrepresent it and frequently confuse it.
A real beef I have is how most view the Ten Words, aka by most as the Ten Commandments, as a list of “do’s and don’t do’s.” The Ten Words are not a list of laws. The Ten Words are a covenant, an agreement between God and the people of Israel. The Ten Words are even more than that. The Covenant is actually wedding vows exchanged between God and the people of Israel when God became Israel’s Husband at Sinai. And that Covenant stands uniquely apart from what is called The Law aka The Mosaic Law. It stands apart because the Covenant was spoken directly from God’s mouth to Israel’s ears, and in the physical presence of one another! No man stood in meditation of this act of “marriage”, this making of covenant. God and Israel stood face-to-face as bride and bridegroom. And, no man etched that Covenant into eternal stone, a Covenant that will stand forever. (Such is why it was etched in stone.) No, no, the Covenant was carved into those stone tablets by the finger of God Himself! Yes, it was written by the eternal God onto eternal stone recording an eternal Covenant of marriage. The origin and intent of the Mosaic Law was guite the opposite.
The Mosaic Law, or simply put, the “Law”, was not given directly to Israel. It was spoken to one man, Moses, and he wrote it down with his own hand onto parchment or papyrus with pen and ink. The Law of Moses was written by the hand of a mortal, a man who would one day die. And, it was written with, and on, materials that would one day turn to dust and blow away into nothingness. God’s Covenant with Israel is not law. Those Ten Words are eternal vows of marriage. The Mosaic Law was a work of rules and regulations meant for only a time and precise purpose. And, once time and purpose were fulfilled, the Law would turn to dust and be no more.
So, that’s my beef about the “Law.” Regrettably, most of us Christians just don’t get the difference
I think it’s funny that you have a problem with the word “law” as “torah”, when I’ve read from you that the words, “Old Testament” includes Genesis.
The Old Covenant/Testament begins in Exodus 20, but most people, including yourself, equate the words, “Old Testament” to begin with Genesis 1:1, ending with Malachi. Or, in other words, you equate the Old Testament with the Tanakh, which includes THE PROPHETS.
Furthermore, your clan, which doesn’t like the word, “law” as “torah”, uses the word “law” in Matthew 5:17, when it is supposed to be Tanakh, which includes THE PROPHETS. But “THE PROPHETS” doesn’t seem to get mentioned by many in Matthew 5:17.
So, you use the word “law” when it is to your convenience in Matthew 5:17, but don’t like it when used as “INSTRUCTION”?
Now, I know you are a Gentile PRETENDING to be a Jew, as most RETURNING TO OUR JEWISH ROOTS clan do, but to the few actual real Jews I actually spoke with, who wear the Yamaka, to them, TORAH means, FIRST FIVE BOOKS. They didn’t say anything about “INSTRUCTION”.
Hence, the word “Pentateuch”
Penta, meaning 5, the remaining of the word meaning BOOK. The First Five Books.
Conclusion, the Old Testament does NOT include Genesis to Exodus 19, nor Joshua to Malachi.
Ed Chapman
By the way, do you know how you can prove that you misuse Matthew 5:17, by using law incorrectly?
I’ve heard most people say, “Jesus fulfilled THE LAW”, equating that with THE TEN COMMANDMENTS, because Jesus was SINLESS. But that was not the case, as it pertains to Matthew 5:17. It pertains to the following:
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.
Key words, “CONCERNING ME”. The FIRST FIVE BOOKS and THE PROPHETS…and in the Psalms.
Not “THE TEN COMMANDMENTS”.
And here is a like verse:
Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
In that, THE LAW is just known as MOSES.
Similar verses:
John 1:45
Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Was Jesus written in the Ten Commandments?
Acts 26:22
Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come:
Acts 28:23
And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.
And a final note…
Acts 15:5
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Please note the last ten words of Acts 15:5
Now verse 24
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Please note the last eleven words.
Then when you are done with that, read Romans 5:20, the PURPOSE of THE LAW was to INCREASE SIN, not to DECREASE IT.
This is from the EASY TO READ VERSION:
Romans 5:20
20 The law was brought in so that more people would sin the way Adam did. But where sin increased, there was even more of God’s grace.
There are NUMEROUS verses that shows that we are NOT under INSTRUCTION (TORAH).
Galatians 3:24
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:25
But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Faith and Law don’t mix. Like Oil and Water.
Hebrews 4:2
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
Galatians 3:12
And the law is not of faith
Galatians 4:21
Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law?
Earlier, I had quoted Romans 5:20 from the Easy To Read version from biblegateway.com. But, choose any version you want. In plain English, what that verse is saying, is that the Law was given for the sole purpose as a SETUP TO FAIL.
Notice Acts 15?
10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
He’s talking about THE LAW OF MOSES here, the law, in which you think is NOT BURDENSOME!
Acts 15:23-24
23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Is being circumcised burdensome? At 8 days old? No, but keeping the law is. Please note: “we gave no such commandment”.
Ed Chapman