The First Discourse of Moses

“These are the words which Moses spoke to all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite Suph, between Paran, Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab. On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses began to explain this law...” (Deuteronomy 1:1-5)

“Law,” or Torah תורה in Hebrew, means commandment, guidance, instruction, teaching unto life.

The Israelites in the wilderness were plagued with unbelief. Reason and fear clouded their faith. Here on the far side of the Jordan, Moses will remain, having lost through disobedience, the supreme privilege of leading the Tribes into their inheritance. How? Because Moses robbed Adonai of His Glory before His People at the waters of Meribah. This momentary act of disobedience misrepresented the Holy One of Israel—a serious thing!

Moses now recounts to the Israelites their journey from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea—and reminds them just how close they came to possessing the Land a generation past—had they not listened to the evil report and turned against God and His servants.

Defiance of their Glorious God and King ... shocking disobedience and rebellion after all Adonai had done ... we can only shake our heads in disbelief at these “stiff-necked” Jews.

Yet, are they any different than us?

Matthew Henry sees a commonality between the Israelites of antiquity and all people of faith in his commentary on Deuteronomy 1:

“An unbelieving heart was at the bottom of all this. All disobedience to God's laws, and distrust of his power and goodness, flow from disbelief of his word, as all true obedience springs from faith.” —Matthew Henry Concise Commentary

It’s unfortunate that most Christians have a fairly negative knee-jerk reaction to the words “law” and “Torah.” It’s doubtful that the Holy Spirit would inspire this aversion to any portion of God’s Holy Word.

What would be the Torah’s “lawful” use?

The Torah is not and never was a means of salvation. The Torah was given to an already redeemed people (chosen and redeemed by grace), to teach how a redeemed people shall live before a Holy God.

The Hebrew word Torah does not and never did mean “Law” in the narrow, Greek or western understanding. It means, and always has meant, “Teaching” (Herford).

The word Torah may refer to moral guidance, or to a single specific teaching, as in Proverbs 1:8, "forsake not the teaching (torah) of thy mother." It is also applied to a body of religious precepts of teachings—such as form the central portion of the Book of Deuteronomy. Often it denotes the entire sum of Israel’s religious doctrine and life—the Torah of Moses.” Dr. J.H. Hertz, PENTATEUCH AND HAFTORAHS, SONCINO PRESS, 1936

Blood sacrifice on the altar dealt with the problem of sin. (Leviticus 17:11) From the time of the rebellion in the Garden, there has been a need for blood sacrifice to remedy the problem of sin. Adonai provided the first sacrifice when he covered Adam and the woman with the skin of an animal. In the Torah, YHVH instructed the Priesthood to provide blood sacrifices to cover the sins of His People.

In the fullness of time, He sent Yeshua, His Son, the Lamb of God, the once-for-all sacrifice, who covers our transgressions—which are outlined in His Word—from Genesis to Revelation.

A large portion of commandments in the Torah—the first five books of the Bible—are not allowed to be done today as there is no Temple or Priesthood in Jerusalem. But many of the commandments for mankind transcend time, and lift the redeemed above the lawless, godless, and hopeless of the nations—identifying them as citizens of the Kingdom of Light.

Our God has inspired us to delight in and treasure His Word—including the Torah/Law.

"My son, do not forget my Torah, but keep my commands in your heart." Proverbs 3:1

“The Torah of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul...” Psalm 19:7

“I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your Torah is within my heart.” Psalm 40:8

“Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your Torah." Psalm 94:12

“Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your Torah.” Psalm 119:18

“Great peace have those who love Your Torah.” Psalm 119:165

“For the commandment is a lamp, And the Torah a light.” Proverbs 6:23

One may say, “Ah, but that is the “OLD” Testament—Paul speaks against the Torah in the “NEW” Testament!” But does he, really? It is confusing.

Paul never departs from scrupulous observance. What he does is continually correct every instance of erroneous dependance upon Torah observance for justification. Salvation is through Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice alone. How one lives as a member of the redeemed community is another story.

Paul did not tell the Corinthian church to stop keeping the biblical feasts, but he did instruct them how to keep the feast as a new creation—with regards to Passover, for instance: “keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (I Corinthians 5:8)

How does that square with: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10)?

Or Galatians 5:3 for that matter—that any man who is circumcised is a debtor to keep the whole law?

Well, obviously there has been a problem with the interpretation. Once again, Paul is addressing those who rely on the circumcision or the keeping of the law for their salvation. They must keep the law perfectly, or they are lost! (Which they are—Yeshua alone was able to walk this earth as a sinless man.)

Why would Paul be so inconsistent as to tell believers to be obedient to the most ungodly earthly rulers, (Titus 3:1) and at the same time instruct them to be rebellious to Almighty God? (A teaching, by the way, that would utterly contradict the explicit Words of his beloved Lord, Yeshua...)

Answer: he didn’t... When read in context, we can see Paul doing much the same as Yeshua—bringing light, understanding, and correct interpretation.

Context is essential to understanding the perceived conflicting words of Paul.

Paul said too many positive things about Torah for us to believe that it was his intent to create a church that would be disrespectful to God or any portion of His Word, in essence embracing lawlessness.

“Do we then make void the Torah through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the Torah.” Romans 3:31

“Therefore the Torah is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.” Romans 7:12

“For we know that the Torah is spiritual...” Romans 7:14

“For I delight in the Torah of God according to the inward man.” Romans 7:22

Are you rolling your eyes? Are you compiling a list of difficult (or what may seem ridiculous) commandments to keep—such as not mixing wool and linen in the same garment? If so, I would ask why you can trust Yeshua’s sacrifice to atone for some sins but not others, such as that which is commanded in the first five books of the Bible.

Only the mind set on the Spirit can discern these truths

Paul explains: "...the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:7,8

The early church were fruitful branches grafted into the original root and tree being Israel. They worshiped the God of Israel and His Messiah, Yeshua, the Root of Jesse, and Son of David. Erroneous influences had to be addressed such as gnosticism and the notion that Gentiles could not be saved without conversion to Judaism first. And we are still coming up with a plethora of brilliant but flawed ideas to this day.

History reveals that anti-Semitism (not biblical exegesis), formulated abominable theology born of the accusation that the Jews “killed God,” and thus were without expiation for eternity. As expressed by the early Church Fathers, this belief system inspired the dictates forbidding Christians from observing the Sabbath, the feasts in Leviticus 23, or any of the “observances of the odious Jews.”

The modern church has inherited that antipathy to the Torah, but thankfully it has not adopted the rabid anti-Semitism on the over-arching scale that characterized the councils of the fourth, fifth, and sixth centuries.

Many theologies have been developed to reconcile what seems to be a vast change in Adonai— BUT, this is God, “who changes not.” (Malachi 3:6)

Has our God, the Sovereign of Creation who calls all who love Him to obey His commandments—in both Old and New Testaments, really changed? Or is it perhaps man that attempts to change Him to conform to our sensibilities?

“We set ourselves above the Holy Spirit, and judged the foundations of Holy Writ to be unworthy. That accomplished, we found ourselves freed. No anchor, no manifest, no ruler. Each man his own, answerable only to conscience and reason. Good humour and godly intent succumbed to self preservation, and selfish pursuit as the seas of life drowned the Eternal’s small voice, and storm-tossed vessels lost their bearings for want of anchor, rudder, and alas, the Almighty’s guiding Hand.” (Unknown)

We have seemingly exalted lawlessness—rejection of Torah—as if it were a noble thing to do.

Yet lawlessness and rejection of Torah is the very thing the bulk of Scripture teaches us grieves the heart of God, and cost the Israelites inconceivable hardship.

Has the Almighty changed?

Not according to 2 John 1:6: “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.”