Let me begin by quoting a wonderful book: "Christ in the Passover" by Ceil and Moishe Rosen. "The Jews are Gods chosen people! This is the inescapable teaching of Scripture."
Those were the very first two sentences in the book. And, they alone speak volumes. They tell us that our Blessed Messiah, Master Yeshua brought to us a wonderful way of life and worship. It is called Judaism. And that is exactly what "Is God on plan "B" Now?" is all about.
My name is Steve Chumbley and I lived in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado most of my life. I am not a minister, nor a scholar, nor a theologian. I am a simple man who yearns to know the truth. In my prayers, I ask God; Please show me the truth. I dont care what it is. I just want to know what is true. I just want to know what is right.
One of the many questions I have asked God, and to many leaders within the evangelical Christian church is; Did God change His mind regarding how men may be saved, and how God must be worshiped when Messiah came 2000 years ago? In other words; Did God move to plan B in the New Testament?
And, of course, they always tell me; No, He did not. Then they would ask me why I would ask such a question.
Before going too far, perhaps it would be best to tell you a little about myself. I was raised in a very traditional Southern Baptist Church. My grandfather and my mother always insisted that we go to church every Sunday.
However, I am an overly curious person. I dont often take the word of other people blindly. I tend to check it out, if you will.
As I grew and matured as a Christian, my questions became more complicated. And, more frequent. The leadership in my church had no idea what I was going to ask them next.
I remember being told that I did not understand, because I had not gone to seminary. They said I lacked sufficient education to properly understand what God was saying. I asked if they could explain it to me in a way that I would understand. But, they never did.
Over the next several years, I visited many other churches. But, they were all pretty much the same. They completely avoided issues they knew little, or nothing about. Especially, when the question involved the Old Testament, the Torah or Judaism. Most of them felt these issues had little or no relevance to evangelical Christianity.
Then one day I was introduced to a man who said he was a Messianic Jew. I had never heard of such a thing. He told me that he was a Jew, yet he worshiped Yeshua. This is the Hebrew name for Jesus. He said that he followed the teachings of the Torah, yet professed to be a born again believer in Jesus Christ.
I was very confused. I had always been taught the laws of the Old Testament did not apply to the evangelical church, because we were under grace. But, this man intrigued me. I wanted to know more.
After more than three years of studying with the Messianic Jews, I came to learn something that few other churches have yet to discover. At the heart of Gods law, is Gods grace. All of which has led me to write this short study; Is God on plan B now?
Before going into too much detail, permit me to answer that question. NO!! God is not on plan B!!
As a matter of fact, plan B does not even exist. There has never been a plan B, nor shall there ever be a plan B. God is still working out the same plan He put into motion the day He hung the moon and the stars in the heavens.
This study will appear incomplete. Well...it is. However, this was done intentionally. Rather than go into a lengthy dissertation, I have chosen to leave things incomplete. This was done in the hope you will open your Bible, pray hard, ask questions of your spiritual leaders and study for yourself.
My Bible is called; The Scriptures. The Scriptures was written primarily for the Messianic Jew (of which I have now become). However, this is a wonderful resource for any serious student of Gods Holy Word.
They have put the names of the men and women of the Bible back into their proper Hebrew. For example; Jesus is called Yeshua. However, the translation team of The Scriptures spell it in Hebrew as 3:&%*, and the Lord (God) is spelled %&%* out of respect for the Holy One, blessed be He.
Ezekiel is called Yehezquel, Peter is called Kepha, the Apostle Paul is called Shaul, etc. They also call cities and nations by their proper Hebrew names.
It is amazing how the Bible comes to life when you learn more about the ancient Jews and their language. The Scriptures is available only on the Internet from The Institute for Scripture Research. I highly recommend it.
The translation team of The Scriptures believe, as I do, that Gods Word was originally written entirely in Hebrew, from Genesis to the Revelation. Then they translated the Hebrew directly into English.
This is very important. Because, once you realize and understand two very important facts, the Bible simply comes to life and your understanding increases ten fold. And, those two reasons are;
1. There is only One God!! He has many names. Those names include, but not limited to; Father, Elohim, Adonai, Yeshua, Rabbi, Jesus, The Christ, Messiah, Lamb of God, Prince of Peace, Son of Man, Son of David, Emanuel, Lion of Judah and many more. This is the same God who walked with Adam in the Garden of Eden, the same God who entered into the blood covenant with Abraham, the same God who talked to Moses on Mount Sinai, the same God who spoke to the Apostles on the Mount of Olives and the same God who hung on the cross, and paid the price of our sins with His own blood. From Genesis to the Revelationthere is only One God!! Only One!!
2. The Bible is a book for Jews. The Bible was written by the Jews, it was written to the Jews, it was written for the Jews and the Holy Scriptures were then given to the Jews. This includes both the Old and New Testaments.
However, for the ease of the reader, I will not use The Scriptures in this study. I fear that will cause confusion and create more questions than it will answer. Therefore, all scripture verses will be taken from the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
All underlining, (parenthesis) and emphasis will be mine unless actually found in the Holy Scriptures.
For those of you who know me, you may be asking; Hey, I thought you were a 1611 King James only man? Well, for many years, I was. That was until I did a great deal of research and study into the translation team and the manuscripts used to translate the 1611 King James Bible.
That was when I learned the 1611 King James Bible is not as accurate as I was always told, and believed. And, that the New American Standard Bible is probably the best English translation to use. I will briefly explain why later in this study.
Getting back to the subjectWe must also understand who God is. We must put Him in His proper place and keep Him there. Once we do that, it is far easier to obey God and keep His Commandments.
And, just how do you put God in His proper place? I would think God is already in His proper place. Well, He is. But, do we act and talk about God (or Jesus) as if He were? Or, do we talk about Him like He was a good ole boy we hang out with? That is exactly how most Christians act, and many evangelical churches teach. And, that is wrong!!
God is sovereign. He is Master. He is King-of-Kings. He is Lord-of-Lords. He is the creator of the Universe. He is God!
He is worthy of total awe and respect. He is worthy of total worship and service. Anything else is blatant blasphemy.
Yes, put God in His place. And, we do that through a change of heart, change of attitude, a change in our worship and a change in how we look at the mighty sovereign of the universe. We need to put God in His place. And, that place is in complete control over our lives, families, finances and homes.
It is my hope and prayer that you will not take my word blindly. Please research and study this for yourself. Please do not let ignorance and the anti-Semitism that has plagued our churches for centuries prevent you from learning the truth about what God wants for your life. Study, ask questions and learn something I think is truly amazing.
Now, lets get started.
In Gods Holy Word, it says in Hebrews 9:22; And according to the Law (the Torah), one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
First of all, please note these words were spoken by the Apostle Paul in the New Testament. Not the Old Testament. This is very important! So, please keep this in mind.
According to Jewish law, which is found in the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), without the sacrificial shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sin. As we saw above, this is supported in the New Testament. But, how did all of this get started?
In the book of Genesis 15:9&10, the Lord God said; So He (God) said to him (Abraham), Bring Me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. Then he brought all these to Him and cut them in two, and laid each half opposite the other; but he did not cut the birds.
God continues in verse 18; On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram (his name was later changed to Abraham by God), saying, To your descendants I have given this land (Israel), From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:
God and Abraham entered into a blood covenant with each other. But, what made Abraham worthy of such an honor as this? Because, God found Abraham to be a righteous man.
Was this because of the blood shed by the sacrificial animals? No, it was not. You can sacrifice all the animals you want and shed all the blood you want, and all you will do is make a horrible mess. Then what was it?
In an earlier verse, Genesis 15:6, God said; Then he (Abraham) believed in the LORD; and He (God) reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Abraham was saved just as you and I were. By faith and by the grace of God. It was no different. It was Abrahams faith that made the sacrificial blood effective. Whether it was the blood of a ram, or the shed blood of our precious Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. The blood is ineffective until there is faith. Both are required for salvation. Whether it is in the Old Testament, or the New.
But, where did it all begin? What is the origin of Torah? The answer to that is certainly found in the Old Testament. But, is it found in the New Testament? Lets see what the New Testament says about that.
In John 1:1, is says; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
It goes on to say in John 1:14; And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
The Word is Torah.
Some will argue that the Word is God. And, yet others will argue that the Word is Messiah. To that I would say, you are all correct. The Word, the Torah, God and Messiah are all one in the same. And, all existed before the creation of the Earth.
With the birth of Jesus Christ, the Torah (the Word) became flesh. This is evident with Jesus faithful and flawless observance of Torah during His Earthly life.
One quick note before moving on. Notice in verse 14, it says ...and dwelt among us In The Scriptures, this is translated as ...pitched His tent.
Scholars believe this is an indication that Jesus was born during the Festival of Booths (Tabernacles). This would place His birth in late September and not in December. But, now on with the question; What is the origin of Torah?
The law (Torah), in an oral form, was first given to Adam and Eve. Yes, Adam and Eve were the first recipients of Torah. Evidence of this is found in Genesis 3:21, where we find the first sacrifice of an animal to cover the sins of man. The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
If being naked was not wrong (a sin), as it was in the beginning, why was it necessary for God to cover their nakedness? Why did an animal have to be sacrificed? Because, Torah says there is no covering, or forgiveness of sin without a sacrifice and the shedding of blood.
Does the Bible support this? In Deuteronomy 33:10, God said; They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, And Your law to Israel. They shall put incense before You, And whole burnt offerings on Your altar. This describes a blood sacrifice.
God goes on in verse 12; Of Benjamin he said, May the beloved of the LORD dwell in security by Him, Who shields (covers) him all the day, And he dwells between His shoulders."
And in Psalms 85:2; You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Selah.
Now, lets look at what the New Testament says. Paul said in Romans 4:7; BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
Lets move on with another example of Torah being honored before Abraham was even born.
In Genesis 4:3&4, it says; So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground. Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;
These are clearly two offerings made in compliance with Torah. One being a meal offering and the other a slaughter offering. Both were made many years before Abraham and many more years before Moses. But, the point is; Torah has always been with us.
Now, lets ask the question; Does the Torah commandment requiring the shedding of blood still apply to the 21st century evangelical church? My answer to that is; Yes! It is still required. Lets look at why.
Before the coming of Messiah, the High Priest would enter into the Holy of Holies in the temple and offer sacrifice for his own sins, the sins of his family and the sins of the people. This had to be performed daily. In Abrahams day, it was Melchisedec.
Take a look at what it says in Hebrews 7:26&27; For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
We all know this passage is referring to the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. When He was sacrificed ONCE for all sin, for all time. By what kind of sacrifice did Messiah make? It was a blood sacrifice in fulfillment of the laws of Torah.
But, does this alone that saves us? No, it does not? Otherwise, there would be no need for professions of faith and repentance. The mere fact that Messiah bled and died on the cross would be enough and no one would ever see the gates of hell.
There must also be the belief that Messiah came, that He was sinless, that He did sacrifice Himself on the cross, that He did rise again on the third day and there is atonement in the shed blood of the Lamb of God. There must also be faith.
Even though there is no longer the need to build an alter and sacrifice animals to God, there still remains the need to accept the blood sacrifice made on our behalf in Jerusalem 2000 years ago by Jesus Christ.
Even though the blood was shed many centuries ago, its power remains and we must have faith in its power, and take part in the blood covenant with God, before it can cleanse us of our sins.
It amazes me how many good intentioned Pastors tell their congregations every Sunday about the saving power of the blood of Jesus. And, they are correct in what they are saying. But, they will then tell their congregations the Torah does not apply to them. We are not bound by the yoke of the law. We are saved by grace, they will shout.
To which I would reply; You are right on both counts. Because, I do not believe the Torah to be a yoke. I find the Torah to be a joy. I love being obedient to God and serving Him as He has commanded. Therefore, if the Torah is a yoke, please bind me tighter to it. I dont ever want to be loose if it.
I would also ask; If the Torah no longer applies, why do Christian ministers preach obedience to it? Why do they say that we must accept the blood sacrifice of Messiah, who was a Jewish Rabbi, who obeyed and observed Torah daily, who remembered and observed the Sabbath without fail, and said that if we love Him we will obey His commandments if Torah no longer applies (John 14:15)?
Please remember this. The New Testament DID NOT exist when Jesus walked the Earth 2000 years ago. And, the Apostle Paul had not yet traveled the road to Damascus. So, what commandments was He instructing us to obey?
Jesus would not have told the people to obey something they had no knowledge of. That would have only confused them. He would have talked to them about the commandments they were familiar with. The commandments found in Torah.
I will repeat what I said earlier. The biggest thing the evangelical church has yet to discover is; At the heart of the Torah (the law), you will find Gods grace.
Most people believe, just as I once did, that the law was first given to Moses on Mount Sinai. As we learned earlier with Adam and Eve, Cain and Able, and with Abraham, this is not true.
Then, what was given to Moses? Moses was given the Written Law! That was the reason God had the Israelites make the Ark of the Covenant. It was the place God commanded the stone tables given to Moses was to be stored.
God is a Righteous and Holy God. And, it was God who gave us Torah. Yes, God gave us Torah. It is not something manmade. So, dont you think we should have a little more respect for it?
Even though the coming of Jesus Christ is a wonderful and glorious thing, it was also a fulfillment of Torah. It was also a fulfillment of many, many prophecies. Prophecies that are found ONLY in the Old Testament.
Many Christian ministers will tell us that the virgin birth, earthly life, ministry, arrest, conviction, crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension into heaven were the fulfillment of over 100 Old Testament prophecies. And, they are absolutely correct. But, will say with their next breath; But, God changed everything and we are no longer bound by what it says in the Old Testament.
If ALL of the prophecies concerning the 1st coming of Messiah are found in the Old Testament, how could God suddenly change His mind and bring Jesus into the picture? How could God suddenly change everything He personally planned from the first day of creation?
And, there in lies my point. He didnt. God did not say; Oops. Time for plan B. God changed nothing!!
One other thing you may want to consider. Most of the prophecies concerning the 2nd coming of Jesus Christ are also found in the Old Testament.
God did not suddenly decide that Torah was no longer a good idea and send in Jesus to save us by grace alone. That is not, nor was it ever intended to be the sole purpose of Messiah. Otherwise, Jesus would not have said in John 14:15; If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Jesus Christ was not an after-thought on the part of God. Messiah came exactly when He was suppose to come, live as He was suppose to live and He was sacrificed exactly as He was suppose to be. He did everything God asked of Him. Exactly as it was prophesied. And, in doing so, honored and fulfilled Torah. Read your Bible and see for yourself.
Anyway, I got off the point...again. Back to the question; how was Abraham saved? By works alone? No. He was saved by believing in God and in the saving power of the shed blood of the sacrificial lamb. Just like you and I were saved. And, just like every believer before Abraham. After all, dont you think Able found his way to Gods kingdom after he was murdered? I believe he did.
What does God say in the New Testament? In Romans 4:2, He says; For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. What does this say?
Abraham was saved by God, because of his faith. And, that he was obedient to God in his works, because of his faith. And, that Abraham had no right to take credit for his salvation. Because, like someone who is saved by believing in Jesus Christ, the glory and the credit all go to God.
But, what does God say about works? Does He say works are no longer necessary? In James 2:20, God goes on to say; But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
There is nothing in Scripture that says that the Torah was abolished with the coming of Messiah. There is nothing in Scripture that says we are not to obey God just because we are saved by grace. As a matter of fact, the Scriptures say the complete opposite. We are to obey God, or risk being punished for our disobedience.
So, what does the law do? And, why should we be obedient to it? The obedience to Torah is the fruit, or the evidence of our faith. If we obey God and joyfully serve Him, this is the fruit of our faith.
In Gods Holy Word it says in Jeremiah 17:10; I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds (works).
Or as Messiah said in Matthew 12:33; Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit (his works).
I would like to talk about Jesus Christ, our Messiah for a little bit. And, I would like to ask a question to get you thinking on your own. I would like to talk about what Messiah tried to tell us when He walked the Earth 2000 years ago.
If you could sum up the ministry of Messiah in just one sentence, what do you think He would have said? I have thought about that a great deal and this is what I have come up with.
I believe Messiah would have said something like this. Do as I have done, and as I have instructed you.
And how did Messiah instruct us? What exactly did He tell us we should do? The Bible very clearly answers that question.
Just a cursory search of the scriptures will reveal that Jesus was born into Judaism, to Jewish parents, with a Jewish linage and, in fact, lived the life of a Jew. It is clearly evident that Jesus attended at least three of the Jewish festivals. Hanukkah, Tabernacles and Passover. I personally believe that He kept all of the Biblical holidays in compliance with Torah.
The Bible also very clearly teaches that Jesus attended the synagogue on the Sabbath. That He taught others in the synagogue. The story about the woman with the issue of blood tells us that Jesus not only attended and taught in the synagogue, but He also wore the traditional clothing of a Jewish worshipper. It is also very clear that His followers called Him Rabbi.
The term Rabbi is used 15 times in the entire Bible, and ALL are found in the New Testament. None are in the Old Testament. Of those 15 references, 12 of those uses are made in direct reference to Jesus. Rabbi means Teacher.
The term Rabboni is used twice. Once in Matthew 10:51 and in John 20:16. And, it is used in direct reference to Jesus.
Rabboni is translated in the Bible to mean Teacher. This is a wrong translation. Rabbi is the root word for Rabboni. But, Rabbi and Rabboni are two distinctively different words. Therefore, they have two different meanings.
Rabboni is a Jewish title of respect and has a multiple meaning. It can mean Great Teacher, Great One, Great Prince or it can mean Great Presence. And, once again, it used only twice, and only when talking about our Messiah, Jesus Christ.
It is clear to me that Messiah led the life of a Jew and a great teacher of Judaism, and of Jewish law and tradition. While, at the same time, fulfilling the prophecies of the Old Testament, and revealing Himself as the Divine Messiah. But, what did Jesus actually say about the Torah (the law)? Lets look and see.
In Matthew 22:36-40, God said; Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? And He (Jesus) said to him, YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, `YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.
I would ask for someone to show me in this passage where Messiah said the two commands He spoke replaced the Torah. I would challenge you to re-read the passages. Jesus clearly said that Torah hung on those two passages. But, nowhere did He say these two commands replaced or superceded the Torah.
I spend a great deal of time in the study of Gods Holy Word. However, I have not yet read the Bible in its entirety. But, I am working on it. Yet, in my study, I not only notice that certain things are in the Bible, but I also notice when something is not there. Something I was told to exist, but I cannot find.
And, one thing I cannot find is where God abandoned the Jews for Christians. I have intentionally looked for the book, chapter and verse in the Old Testament that said the Messiah would come and bring a replacement for Judaism and call it Christianity. I have also looked in the New Testament where Jesus proclaimed that He had arrived and brought a replacement for Judaism called Christianity.
One thing I did find is our Messiah teaching us by His example when He kept and honored Torah. In Luke 18: 20&21 Jesus said; "You know the commandments, `DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.' And he said, "All these things I have kept from my youth."
During the 1st century after Jesus ascended into heaven, the believers in Jesus Christ were just another sect of Judaism. Some believe the 1st century Jewish followers of Jesus were the Esseness (pronounced: S-Seens). The Esseness are credited with writing the Dead Sea Scrolls by some archaeologists (however, this is in dispute). The famous 1st century historian, Josephus writes of the Esseness. Philo also speaks of them.
Rabbi Akiva proclaimed a man by the name of Bar Kochba to be the Messiah in 135 A.D. This was done in an effort to bring all the tribes of Israel together against Rome. Wellit backfired on him. This so angered the believers and followers of Jesus Christ; they abandoned the other Jews and went their own way. This led to the total destruction of the Jewish rebellion by Rome. It also led to the creation of Christianity by mannot God.
It also led to two even more tragic consequences.
· A deep separation between the Orthodox Jews and the Jews who follow Jesus Christ.
· And, it led to the unchecked introduction of pagan religions and customs by Gentile converts. Such as the unbiblical holidays of Christmas and Easter.
Christmas and Easter are eastern pagan holidays introduced by anti-Semantic Christians and the Catholic church. But, that is another story and not applicable to this study. Perhaps I will write something on this another day.
In 99.5% of every English Bible translation I have read, it says in Acts 11:26; And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.
This is actually a wrong translation. The word Christian was not used in the English language until the year 1526. Thats right. 1500 years after Messiah returned to heaven to take His place at the right hand of God.
The original meaning of the word Christian was cretin which meant fool. To be called a Christian was originally an insult. It was not until after the 1611 King James Bible was produced did the word come to mean a follower of Messiah.
There were two other English translations produced prior to the 1611 King James Version. They are the 1395 John Wycliffe Bible and the 1525/1530 William Tyndale Bible. The word Christian appears only 3 times in the 1611 King James Bible. However, the word does not appear once in either the Wycliffe, or Tyndale translations.
And, to my If it aint King James, it aint Bible brothers and sisters, nor does the word Christian appear in the 1550 Textus Receptus. This is the manuscript they claim the 1611 King James Bible was translated from.
If that is true, the translation team of the 1611 King James Bible did not translate the manuscript correctly. There are many discrepancies between the 1550 Textus Receptus and the 1611 King James Version of the Bible, and this is just one. I do not have the time to list them all. However, I will list one more later. So, be sure to watch for it.
For those of you who think I am anti King James, please let me say this. At the time of this writing, I am 47 years old. For almost 45 of those years, I was vehemently 1611 King James Version only.
I was one of those If it aint King James, it aint Bible people. Not only would I not read any other translation, I would rarely allow another translation in my house. I was raised in a King James home, and was saved from the teachings of the King James.
I defended the 1611 King James Bible tooth and nail. I was so aggressive in my defense of the King James; I angered and alienated both friends and family. However, after shutting my mouth and opening my ears, and my mind, I actually learned something. I learned that I am not always right, and I have a lot to learn.
And, to those I angered and offended, I am genuinely sorry and seek your forgiveness for the way I acted.
Frankly, I like how my Bible, The Scriptures, translates Acts 11:26. It says; And the taught ones (disciples) were call Messianites first at Antioch.
Since these people were followers of Messiah, would it not make more sense to call them Messianites? I would think so. And, since these first century believers were Jews, still obedient to the Torah, the term Messianic Jew also begins to make sense.
So, I will ask my questions once again. Can you show me the book, chapter and verse where Messiah replaced the Jews for Christians? And, can you show me where Messiah told us that we are no longer commanded to follow Torah?
And what about God? Do you think He says what He means? Do you think He is serious when He speaks to us? Or do you think He just talks because He likes the sound of His own voice?
I am amazed at how many Preachers quote the verses that talk about God being the same yesterday, today and forever. They even speak of the 10 Commandments to be with us forever. And, that we should follow the 10 Commandments daily. And, do you know what? They are right. So, why dont they practice that they preach?
In 58 places throughout the Torah, God said that His Words are a statute (a law), and are to be observed throughout ALL GENERATIONS, FOREVER. 58 times God said this to us.
Do you think He was trying to tell us something? Do you think there was a message in there, which He wanted us to find and understand? Do you think, just maybe, He wants us to obey these laws forever?
But, people will tell me; Oh, but now we have Jesus.
And, I reply; Whats your point?
People act like Jesus and God are two different people. That is not true. Jesus and God are the very same person. The evangelical church teaches they are one in the sameand unconsciously denies it.
It is no different when God, the Messiah commanded us to do something from the Mount of Olives then it was when God, the Father commanded us from Mount Sinai.
They talk as if God said we were only to obey His law until Messiah comes. That is not what God said. He said to observe and obey the Torah forever.
Lets see what the word forever means. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines forever to mean, quote; For a limitless time. At all times. Always.
So when God said forever, what do you think He meant? Just until Messiah comes? Or, forever?
I want to ask something about God and Jesus. I want you to pretend to take a pencil and draw a line through the name Jesus every time it appears in your Bible. Then write in the name God in its place.
Would it be wrong to replace the name Jesus with the name God in the New Testament? I would certainly think not. Considering the fact that God and Jesus are the same person.
Now, take your pencil and go to the Old Testament. Every time you see the name God, draw a line through it and write the name Jesus above it.
Would that be wrong? Again, no, it would not. Again, for the same reason stated above. God and Jesus are one in the same.
Now I want to ask something about our very own hypocrisy. How many homes and/or churches have you seen that proudly display the 10 Commandments? Perhaps your home and/or church display them. I know my home does.
How many times have we pointed an accusatory finger at a thief, or gossip, or blasphemer, or some other offender and promptly remind them of which commandment was violated?
If so, then we need to be reminded of something ourselves. Starting with our very own ignorance. We need to be told exactly where the 10 Commandments are found. They are found in the Torah.
Yes, they are found at the very beginning of where God gives Moses the Law. And, by the way, there are a lot more than 10 commandments in the Bible. There are over 600 commandments in the Bible.
We really need to make up our minds. Are we going to obey God by being obedient to Torah? Or, will we observe only part of it? Which is a sin. God said to violate any part of the law is to violate it all. That is found in both the Old and New Testament. Or, will we simply ignore the law all together? Which is certainly a sin.
I want to talk about another subject open for much debate within the evangelical church. The observance of the Sabbath.
I have personally spoken with Christians who tell me that we should be obedient to the Sabbath. However, the Sabbath they are referring to is going to church on Sunday morning. But, will turn around and admit that the Sabbath spoken of in the Bible is on Saturday, and not Sunday.
How can you claim to honor Gods commandment to keep the Sabbath, and go to church on Sunday? Especially when you are well aware of the fact the Sabbath is on Saturday?
Part of my formal education is in engineering. As such, I like to crunch numbers. It is one of the curses of studying engineering. The other is constantly asking; Why? With that, I want to show you some numbers I came up with out of the Bible.
In the Old Testament, the word Sabbath appears 57 times.
· Genesis:
0 times
· Exodus:
12 times
· Leviticus:
10 times
· Numbers
3 times
· Deuteronomy:
3 times
· All other Old Testament books:
33 times
Out of the 61 references to the Sabbath in the Old Testament, 25 of them are found in the Torah books. Over 40% of the references are found in 4 of the 5 Torah books. Now, lets take a look at the New Testament.
In the New Testament, the word Sabbath appears 55 times.
· Matthew:
9 times
· Mark:
10 times
· Luke:
17 times
· John:
9 times
· All other New Testament books:
10 times
Out of the 55 references to the Sabbath in the New Testament, 45 of them are found in the 4 Gospels. Over 81% of the references are found in only 4 books of the New Testament.
Of those 55 references to the Sabbath, Jesus made 20 of them, Himself. Jesus referred to the Sabbath 38% of the time in the New Testament.
Before going too much further, I want to talk to those who may be thinking it is a sin to ask God Why. They will point to Job in the Bible and say something like; Look what happened to Job when he questioned God.
In order to answer this properly, we must understand the difference between questioning God and asking God a question. God chastised Job, because Job did not ask God a question. Rather he questioned the wisdom of God.
I for one do not believe it is a sin to ask God a sincere question. A question that is meant to increase understanding, and thereby strengthening your relationship with Him. Lets look at some Biblical examples to explain my point.
In the 18th chapter of Genesis, Abraham is talking with God above the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. God is about to destroy the two cities for their wickedness. But, Abraham is concerned. He has family down there. Lot and his family. And, Abraham knows that Lot, along with many others in the city, were innocent of the crimes over which God was going to destroy the two cities.
So, in Genesis 18:25, Abraham swallowed hard, took a really deep breath, looked upon his Creator and said;
Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?
Oh my goodness. Did Abraham really say that to the Holy Sovereign of the Universe? Yes, he did. Please look closely at what Abraham exactly said in this passage. Was Abraham asking God a question? Yes. But, Abraham was also questioning the very motives of God.
Did God chastise Abraham like He would do Job? No, He did not. Why? Here is the answer God gave to Abraham in Genesis 18:26.
So the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare the whole place on their account.
Not only did God not chastise Abraham, but also He actually began to bargain with him. Why? Because, God knew that Abraham was sincere in his question. He was not arguing with God for the sake of arguing. Nor was Abraham questioning the wisdom of Gods will. Abraham simply wanted to understand more. He was hoping that God would teach him something. And, God did, if you read more of what happened later on in the chapter.
He is another example of God being asked a question.
When Moses was speaking with God in the burning bush on Mount Sinai, Moses asked God a question. A question to increase his understanding who God is. Remember, Moses was not raised in an environment where he learned of God. So, to Moses, God was someone he did not yet understand. Yet, he wanted to understand, so he asked God a question. In Exodus 3:13, Moses asked;
Then Moses said to God, Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, The God of your fathers has sent me to you.' Now they may say to me, What is His name?' What shall I say to them?
Did God chastise Moses for asking? No. Not until Moses began to argue with God and start making excuses for himself did God chastise him. However, for the question Moses first asked, here is Gods answer to him in Exodus 3:14.
God said to Moses, I AM WHO I AM; and He said, Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.'
I AM has sent you. This was Gods way of answering Moses in a most intimate manner. God did not chastise Moses. He drew closer to Moses. God wanted Moses to know that God was not some distant or untouchable demigod. He wanted Moses to know that He was desiring a personal relationship with Moses and Israel.
Look at what God said in Exodus 33:11 and see if we are not to draw closer to God. And, if God does not desire to draw closer to us. Then I will move on with my discussion about the Sabbath.
Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, just as a man speaks to his friend.
Now, back to what I was discussing earlier. The Sabbath was a very important part of their lives. And, perhaps they were trying to tell us that the Sabbath should be an important part of our lives, too. Lets look at how important God said the Sabbath is to Him.
The Sabbath was blessed and made Holy by God, Himself at creation.
Genesis 2:2&3 says; By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.
The Sabbath was instituted as the sign of the everlasting covenant between God and His people. And, as with all of Gods laws, it is to be observed throughout all generations, forever.
And, who are Gods people? Most evangelical churches believe and teach, Gods people are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Jew and Gentile. And, I agree.
The 20th chapter of Exodus is where we find the 10 Commandments. Most evangelical churches still agree that we should obey the 10 Commandments. Keeping in mind the 10 Commandments are in the Torah, lets see what God told Moses about the Sabbath.
Exodus 20:8-11; Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; {in it} you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
God goes on to say in Exodus 31:12-17; The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, You shall surely observe My sabbaths; for {this} is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you. Therefore you are to observe the sabbath, for it is holy to you. Everyone who profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD; whoever does any work on the sabbath day shall surely be put to death. So the sons of Israel shall observe the sabbath, to celebrate the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. It is a sign between Me and the sons of Israel forever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, but on the seventh day He ceased {from labor,} and was refreshed.
Wow! A lot was said there. But, lets boil it down to a single statement.
YOU SHALL guard and keep the Sabbath throughout ALL generations, FOREVER! Period! End of discussion!
Re-read the above passage. That is exactly what God has commanded us to do.
But, does this continue into the New Testament? Once again, I can hear people say; we are no longer bound by law, because of grace.
And, I will once again ask; Did God mean forever when He said forever, or did He mean something else?
And, where, in the New Testament, did Jesus say that we no longer worship on the Sabbath and for everyone to start going to church in Sunday?
I have heard more than one Preacher say the Sabbath was changed in Acts 20:7 where is says; And upon the first day of the week (Sunday), when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
All this verse says is; Paul preached until midnight on the first day of the week. That is what Paul loved to dopreach Gods Holy Word. And, that is all this verse is telling us. Nowhere in this verse, or in the remainder of the chapter is there any mention of God changing one of His most Holy covenants with His people.
It will never cease to amazes me how people can take a single verse and make a religion out of it. Please read the entire message God has for you. Read it in its proper context, do not read into it and simply accept what God says. The Bible is much easier to read once you do that.
I will tell you exactly where Sunday worship started. It started in the 4th century AD by the Roman Emperor Constantine when he outlawed Judaism and made Christianity the official religion of the State. This was the beginning of Catholicism.
In keeping with his break from Judaism, Constantine said there would be no more worship on the 7th day (the Sabbath). Instead, people would worship on the 1st day of the week, the Honored Day of the Sun (Sunday).
The Honored Day of the Sun was a day set aside by Roman pagans to worship their gods. Worship on Sunday was ordered by a pagan (Constantine) who is touted as the first Christian Emperor of Rome. A pagan who hated the Jews and was responsible for the murder many of them.
That is where Sunday worship comes from. It is in history. Please, please look this up for yourself.
God said in Ezekiel 20:12; Also I gave them My sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctifies them.
He goes on to say in verses 19&20; I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes and keep My ordinances and observe them. Sanctify My sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the LORD your God.
That was the Old Testament. Lets see what Jesus had to say in the New Testament. In John 14:15, He said; If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Is Jesus the Lord, God or is He not?
Lets look at the word of God as told through the Apostle Paul. Paul was a High Priest. He was a Pharisee. A very religious Jew. Considered by many not only to be a very righteous man, but very well educated as well.
Paul knew the Torah and the laws of Moses forwards and backwards. That is exactly why it was no coincidence that God chose to convert this man and use him to write the majority of the New Testament.
God used this man to tell you and I the Torah applies to the 21st century evangelical church. And, we are still to guard and keep the Sabbath. Lets see what he has to say.
In the 4th chapter of the book of Hebrews, our Lord God said in verse 1; Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it.
In verse 3; For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said, AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST, although His works were finished from the foundation of the world.
In verse 9; So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God
God tells us through Paul, in the New Testament, that Gods commandment for keeping the Sabbath is still there. In Hebrews, we are warned of punishment for not keeping the Sabbath. But, there is also reward.
I did not put all of the 4th chapter in here, because I want you to study this, too. But, the point is made very clearly in verse 9. The Sabbath remains, and Gods people are to keep it.
Enjoy singing and dancing as King David did. Find joy in reading the Torah as Moses did on the Sabbath.
In Acts 15:21, is says; " For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
Experience the joy of welcoming the Holy Shabbat (the Sabbath), and Yeshuas return by lighting the Sabbath candles with your family every Friday evening.
I now come to another glaring discrepancy in the 1611 King James Bible. It is with the word Jehovah. There are many people who believe that Jehovah is the name of God. I once did. But, I promise you this. It is not!
The name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is YHWH and is pronounced Yahweh.
In the Hebrew language, there are 22 letters. None of which are vowels. All Hebrew letters are consonants. The English-speaking people added the vowels a and e so they could pronounce the name of God.
Nor does the letter J or the sound of a J appear in the Hebrew language. As a matter of fact, the letter J was not found in the English language until its introduction in the 16th century AD. So, where did the name Jehovah come from?
Some of the translators of the 1611 King James Bible were German. In the German language, Ja is pronounced Ya. Therefore, when they translated Yahweh, it was misprounced and continued to be mispronounced until it came out Jehovah.
And, worse yet, according to the Strongs Hebrew lexicon, the suffix of Jehovah, hovah, or havvah in the Hebrew has a derogatory meaning. It means, quote; calamity, iniquity, mischief, naughty, perverse and very wickedness.
Source: Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the (1611 King James Version) Bible,
Hebrew and Aramaic dictionary of the Old Testament, Strongs numbers 1942 & 1943.
In other words, people who call God Jehovah, are defiling His Holy Name. For those who believe it does not matter whether or not we should put His Holy and Righteous name back into the original Hebrew apparently do not care what they call God, or Master Yeshua. This is just one of the reasons why His Holy Name has become nothing more than a common swear words among men.
Here is a little more evidence to support what I just said. I researched the 1611 King James Bible, the 1550 Textus Receptus, the 1525/1530 William Tyndale Bible, the 1395 John Wycliffe Bible, the Latin Vulgate and the Latin Vulgate from the Hebrew to find how many times the word Jehovah is used.
Here is what I found.
· 1611 King James Bible
14 times
· 1550 Textus Receptus
0 times
· 1525/1530 William Tyndale Bible
0 times
· 1395 John Wycliffe Bible
0 times
· The Latin Vulgate
0 times
· The Latin Vulgate from the Hebrew
0 times
· Every other English translation I have read
0 times.
Why does the word Jehovah appear only in the 1611 King James Bible?
I believe it is a combination of ignorance and anti-Semitism of the translation team and of King James, himself when he ordered the Bible translated in 1611 AD. I really do not know for certain. But, I do know, the word Jehovah is an insult to the Living God and we need to stop using it.
Again I say; it is very important that we call the men and women in the Bible by their proper Hebrew names. Especially the name of God and of Messiah. For years I have been insulting the Father, and did not know it. And, I am very ashamed and ask God for His forgiveness.
Earlier, I very briefly mentioned the woman with the issue of blood when making the point that Jesus was a Jew. I want to explain this in more detail so this can be understood more clearly. I want to show some examples that clearly show that Messiah was, in fact, a practicing Jew and Rabbi.
If Jesus came to abolish Judaism, why did He attend the synagogue every Sabbath day? He did!? Yes, He did! And, here is proof.
In the New Testament, Jesus is found in the Temple on the Sabbath 29 times. Three times in Matthew, five times in Mark, twelve times in Luke and nine times in the book of John.
If I was told about man, any man at random, doing these things, being in these places at specific times and called by such titles; I would logically conclude he was Jewish.
Is that all I have? No. There is more. The aforementioned was just for openers. The following will either convince you that Jesus Christ was a Jewish Rabbi, or it will convince me that you are not interested in who Jesus really is.
Mark 5:25-34 says; A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse--after hearing about Jesus, she came up in the crowd behind Him and touched His cloak. For she thought, If I just touch His garments, I will get well. Immediately the flow of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in Himself that the power proceeding from Him had gone forth, turned around in the crowd and said, Who touched My garments? And His disciples said to Him, You see the crowd pressing in on You, and You say, `Who touched Me? And He looked around to see the woman who had done this. But the woman fearing and trembling, aware of what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.
How does this prove Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi? These four quick points should answer that question.
1. The garment Jesus was wearing is called a Tallit in Hebrew. Another way to describe it is to call it a prayer shawl. Only Jewish men wear this garment on the Sabbath, on the way to the temple and while they are worshipping. If Jesus is not Jewish, why was He wearing the garment of a Jewish worshiper?
2. In Matthew 9:20, it says what she specifically touched. ...and touched the fringe of His cloak;... In Hebrew, this fringe is known as tzitzit. Tzitzit are tassels that are on each of the four corners of the prayer shawl (Tallit). God commands men to wear them in the book of Deuteronomy to be a reminder of His commandments. If Jesus is not Jewish, why was He wearing these fringes, or wings called tzitzit on His Jewish prayer shawl? And, if we are not to obey the Torah, why was Jesus showing obedience to the Torah?
3. And, why did this woman think if she touched His garment that she would be healed? What led her to believe this? Four hundred years before Jesus was born, the prophet Malachi said the Messiah would come and that He would have healing in His wings. In Malachi 4:2; But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. This is a very specific reference to the tzitzit (tassels or fringe), also called wings on the corners of Jesus Jewish prayer shawl.
4. And, lastly, why did the woman duck & cover after touching Jesus garment? The scriptures say in Mark 5:33; But the woman fearing and trembling She was scared. Why? We must remember this incident occurred while the men were on their way to the Temple for Sabbath worship. According to Orthodox Jewish law, the Talmudic punishment for defiling a Rabbi was death by stoning. And, a woman touching the garment of a Rabbi was enough to be considered defiling. The woman was afraid she would be stoned. But, she acted believing this particular Rabbi was our Messiah. And, she was right when Jesus said; And He said to her, Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace and be healed of your affliction.
In this passage, and many others, it speaks of Jesus teaching in the temple. I would like to ask; What qualifies someone to teach in the temple? The Torah tells what the criteria is for this. There are five basic criteria that qualifies someone to teach in the temple on the Sabbath. They are;
1. He must be a man
· Jesus was definitely a man.
2. He must be at least 30 years of age.
· Jesus was at least 30 years old when He began His earthly ministry.
3. He must be Jewish.
· Jesus was Jewish.
4. He must be Torah observant in every respect.
· Jesus was Torah observant.
5. He must be a Rabbi.
· Jesus was a Rabbi.
However, did Jesus ever "admit" to being a Jew? I am not certain, but I do not think there is a single verse in the Bible where Jesus actually, openly "admitted" to being a Jew.
So, let me rephrase the question. Did Jesus ever "deny" He was a Jew? And, to that question, I can say; No! He did not.
Before explaining myself, let me ask a couple of questions. Would you agree that Jesus is God incarnate (in the flesh)? I would hope your answer is yes. If so, is God a Holy, a Just and a Righteous God? Again, I hope you said yes.
Therefore, if someone called Jesus a Jew, and if in fact He were not a Jew, yet allowed this person to continue believing He was a Jew, wouldn't you call that deceitful? And, isn't deceitful another word for liar? I would certainly think it would be.
By now, you must be asking; What in the world are you talking about? I'll explain. Do you remember the story in the Gospel of John when Jesus talked with the Samaritan woman at the well?
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, Give Me a drink. For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman? (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) John 4:7-9
This woman called Jesus a Jew. Look at verse 9 again where is says, quote; "...You, being a Jew,..."
And, at no time does Jesus say; Oh, wait a minute, Lady. I'm no Jew. Nor did Jesus correct the woman by saying He was a "Christian."
If Jesus was not a Jew, and He permitted this woman to believe a lie, then Jesus is also a liar. That would make the entire Gospel record of Jesus a lie. And, our God would no longer be a Holy, Just or Righteous God. It would also make Him a liar.
But, let's jump down to verse 22 and see what Jesus did say to this woman.
"...for salvation is from the Jews."
Excuse me? What did Jesus say? He said, quote; "...for salvation is from the Jews." End quote.
Read it for yourself. That is exactly the message our Blessed Messiah gave to us.
Each, and every one of the points I made above can easily be verified with just a cursory search of Gods Holy Word.
I want to make one more quick point to show the Jewish Influence of the first century believers and the 21st century Christian and then I will move on.
Luke 2:21-24 says; And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses (the Torah) were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD"), and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, "A PAIR OF TURTLEDOVES OR TWO YOUNG PIGEONS.
Very quickly, I want to make a point. Refer back to Genesis 15:9. What did God command Abraham to bring as a sacrifice to their blood covenant? It says; and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.
God commanded two birds. In Genesis it was to be a turtledove AND a pigeon. In the New Testament book of Luke, it was either two turtledoves, or two pigeons. What do you think God is trying to tell us regarding obedience to Torah here?
It clearly says that Messiah and His parents were observing the Torah. The only difference between my Bible and other translations is; the word Torah is replaced by the word law or commands. But, they are essentially the same.
We must remember something very important about God. God is Holy, He is Righteous, and He is Just. God must do exactly what He sayswithout hypocrisyor He is no longer Holy, Righteous or Just.
Up to this point, you have read only my opinion on what the Holy Word of God is saying. I would now like to share the words of a leading Christian teacher and author. His name is Dr. Ron Rhodes.
Dr. Rhodes is the president of Reasoning from the Scriptures Ministries, is heard regularly on nationwide radio and is the author of Find It Quick Handy Bible Encyclopedia, Find It Fast in the Bible, Miracles Around Us, Angels Among Us, and The Complete Book of Bible Answers. He holds a Th.M. and a Th.D. from the Dallas Theological Seminary.
To make this next point, I will be quoting from Dr. Rhodes book, Find It Quick Handy Bible Encyclopedia, published by Harvest House Publishers.
On page 332 of the Find It Quick Handy Bible Encyclopedia, Dr. Rhodes says this about the Torah.
Quote; The Torah refers to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The word Torah literally means instruction, guidance, or teaching. This gives a clue as to the purpose of the Torah. This law from God instructs, guides, and teaches people in how they are to live The five books in the Torah guide people in their relationships with other people, with God, the natural world around them; It also instructs people in the nature of both God and man. It is considered to teach a total way of life. End quote.
Now, lets move on to page 333 of Dr. Rhodes book and see what he has to say under the caption of Supremacy of Scripture.
Quote; Jesus told the Pharisees and the teachers of the law; You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition (Matthew 16:6). There is no doubt that Jesus here prioritized the Word of God over traditions and pointed to the Word of God as the final authority. Jesus said, Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). He also said, I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished (Matthew 5:18). He said, It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of pen to drop out of the Law (Luke 16:17).
Jesus used Scripture, not tradition, as the final court of appeal in every matter under dispute. To the Sadducees He said You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God (Matthew 22:29). Jesus informed some Pharisees, You have let go the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men (Mark 7:8). To the devil, Jesus constantly responded, It is written (Matthew 4:4-10). In Colossians 2:8 the apostle Paul warns: See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elementary principles of this world, rather than on Christ. In view of such verses, it is clear that Scripture alone is our supreme and final authority. End quote.
Look at what Dr. Rhodes is saying here. He is confirming that Torah is the Law from which God instructs us in how He wants us to live. Dr. Rhodes then goes on to support this with the very words of Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul.
Jesus was clear when He said, Scripture cannot be broken, that heaven and earth will disappear before a single letter will disappear from the Law and that the Holy Word of God is our supreme and final authority.
The irony of all of this is, I agree completely with what Dr. Rhodes said in his book. But, I wonder if he would agree with himself when he said Torah is to be obeyed by the evangelical Christian church?
One more quick point to show our Messiah was Jewish. What were the last words spoken by Jesus before He died on the cross?
We find in Matthew 27:46 and in Mark 15:34, Jesus said; At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, "ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" which is translated, "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"
"ELOI, ELOI, LAMA SABACHTHANI?" is Hebrewthe language of the Jews. And, not Greekthe language of the Romans.
When Mary saw Jesus at the tomb following His resurrection, Mary spoke to Him. In what language did Mary speak?
In John 20: 16, it says Mary spoke to our Lord in Hebrew. Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabboni!"
And, when Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, in what language did Jesus speak to Paul?
It says in Acts 26:14; the Lord spoke to Paul in Hebrew. "And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew dialect, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me (Jesus)? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.
We must also remember that it was God, Himself that gave us Torah. And, if God will not be obedient, how can He discipline us for our disobedience and remain Righteous?
Lets take one more look at the Torah being obeyed in the New Testament. It was by one of Messiahs more trusted Apostles, Peter. Look in the book of Actsalso known as The Acts of the Apostles. It is in chapter 10 where we find this Act of this loyal, and obedient Apostle.
Peter had been instructed by God in a vision to go to the house of Cornelius, have dinner with him and teach him the Word of God. Peter obeyed, but this is the comment he made up arriving at the house of Cornelius.
Acts 10:28; And he (Peter) said to them (Cornelius and those in the house), "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and yet God has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.
Very clearly here, Peter says two things. And, he is saying these things AFTER Messiah was resurrected and ascended into heaven to be with His Father.
1. Peter is saying; I am a Jew!
2. Peter is proclaiming obedience to Torahthe law.
If God changed everything when He sent Messiah, and Peter spent three years walking, talking and learning with Jesus; why was he worried about the law of the Jews? The answer is very, very, very clear.
Jesus said in John 14:15; If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.
Peter loved the Lord, and Peter obeyed God by keeping Torah.
Also, people claim that Acts 11 is where God cleansed the food He previously proclaimed to be unclean. This could not be further from the truth. God told Peter not to call any man unholy or unclean.
This has absolutely nothing to do with food. We are still to obey the dietary laws in Torah. A careful study of both Acts 10 AND 11 proves this. But, I will leave the reader to study and pray about that.
God leads by example. He told us what is expected of us, then came to Earth as Jesus Christ and lead a life of example. And, what was that example? It was obedience to Torah.
However, my point is this. If God did not want us to obey the Torah, why was Yeshua born into a Jewish family that did obey the Torah? And, if Jesus Christ obeyed, dont you think we should? I will leave you to pray about that.
The Bible also teaches that we will be celebrating the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles during the 1000 year millennial reign AFTER the 2nd coming of Messiah.
In Zechariah 14:16, it says, quote; Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths (tabernacles).
If Gods people were observing these Jewish feasts and festivals BEFORE the 1st coming of Messiah, and we if we are going to observe them AFTER Messiahs 2nd coming, why do we not observe them in the mean time? I believe we are suppose to be obedient to God and observe His festivals.
Recently, a 10-year-old child asked me some questions about why man has so many religions. She thought it would be nice if there were just one religion that we could all agree on. She thought that would be so much easier. Oh, out of the mouth of babes.
I told her that God did exactly that. Now, I dont like the word religion. I feel it has too many negative connotations. However, so as not to confuse the child, I told her that God did create just one religion over 5,000 years ago. And, He reminded us of what He wants us to do with the life and example of Jesus Christ. And, He reminds of this each and every time we read His Word.
All we need to do is read the Bible and stop trying to interpret what it says. Just accept what God says. If God says we are to do something, then we should do it. And, if God says we are not to do something, we should not do it. We should obey what God says and, in doing so, we will have just one religion, if you will. And, we will show our love to the Father.
Remember what our Blessed Messiah, Yeshua said.
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15
"He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." John 14:21
"If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love." John 15:10
We claim to love God. Then why dont we follow His commands? This is the entire point of this study. If we love Him, why dont we obey Him COMPLETLEY?
Here is something else I would like for you to think and prayabout.. Where does it say that once you are saved, you are a Christian?
Look in the New Testament book of Romans and see what the Apostle Paul had to say on this subject.
Romans 2:28&29 says; For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Paul very clearly says; when there is a change of heart (repentance) brought about by the Spirit of God (having Jesus in your heart) and you are found acceptable to God (having been saved), then you are A JEW.
Nowhere in this passage does it say you are a Christian. In fact, Christianity is not mentioned. Why? Because there was no such thing as Christianity when the Apostle Paul penned these words over 20 years after Messiah ascended into heaven to be with His Father.
I have spoken with more than one godly man who believes the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19 is a command from God to go out and bring the Gentiles to Judaism. And, after more than three years of prayer and study, I now believe this myself.
In closing, I would like to leave you with the thoughts of another man. Hershel Shanks is a world leader in biblical archaeology and a man with whom I am thoroughly impressed. I have read much of his work.
Hershel Shanks is the founder and editor of Biblical Archaeology Review and Bible Review and editor of Understanding the Dead Sea Scrolls, a collection of essays on the controversy surrounding the interpretation and dissemination of the scrolls. He is the author of Judaism in Stone: The Archaeology of Ancient Synagogues, Jerusalem: An Archaeological Biography and The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In 1991 he was the first to publish excerpts of the Dead Sea Scroll fragments, which had been secreted by a small coterie of scholars who them controlled them.
To make my point, I will be quoting from Mr. Shanks book: The Mystery and Meaning of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Chapter 5: Undermining Christian Faith Of A Certain Kind.
The [Dead Sea] scrolls both enrich our understanding of early Christianity and, at the same time, undermine a certain kind of simple Christian faith the naïve notion that Jesus Jewishness was accidental or incidental and the belief that his message was wholly new, unique, and unrelated to anything that had gone before, astonishing everyone who heard it.
Thus, the [Dead Sea] scrolls do not have a direct connection with Jesus or early Christianity but they do provide a vastly important context. Form them we get a direct glimpse into the world out of which Christianity grew. This was the soil. Here are the roots. For those who want to understand the history of Christianity, the scrolls are exciting and enriching. For those who see Christianity and Christian doctrine as something entirely new and unrelated to its Jewish milieu, the scrolls are threatening.
If learned men like Hershel Shanks, and you and I can see the Jewish influence in these areas; why cant the 21st century Christian and the evangelical church see the teachings of the Jews regarding the coming, life, ministry and the return of Jesus Christ? Well, a few have. And, this is just some what has been learned.
Having been accused of being too long winded, I will stop here. The last brief work I attempted ended up being over 80 pages in length. So, for me, this was a very brief work.
I hope the goals I set when I began writing have been realized. And, what were those goals? They were the goals of getting you open your mind, think on your own, get you to open the dust-covered pages of your Old Testament and to get you to ask a lot of questions.
It is also my desire this book will take you into a closer walk with God. God has so many wonderful things for us if we will only be obedient to Him. I said before, the Torah will not save you. It is not by works you are saved. It is by grace.
Jesus, or as I call Him, Master Yeshua settled the matter of your salvation on the cross 2000 years ago. That is a done deal. Your salvation is forever settled.
What I am talking about is; What is the fruit of your faith? That is what Torah is. It is the joyful celebration of a personal relationship with our Father. It is the fruit of our faith. It is how a believer walks and talks with Father God in a personal way.
And, once you realize this, you will also realize something I only recently learned myself, and many churches still miss -
At the heart of Torah, you will find Gods grace.
Copyright 2004
Steven W. Chumbley
All Rights Reserved
