One concept, which Christians are quick to present is the idea of Jesus "fulfilling the law." As I’ve been told by many people, "the law was fulfilled in Christ." In essence, that’s like saying Jesus did the right thing so you don’t have to do it anymore. Over and over again in the Jewish scriptures, we are told to follow the Torah, follow the Torah, and follow the Torah. Then one self-proclaimed prophet comes along and preaches otherwise, and the masses believe him instead.
Deuteronomy 4:40 Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes, and His commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong [thy] days upon the earth, which the LORD thy G-d giveth thee, for ever. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 4:2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your G-d which I command you. (KJV)
Deuteronomy 5:29 O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear Me, and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (KJV)
Deuteronomy 12:32 What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it. (KJV)
Follow the commandments, don’t add to them or subtract from them, and do them forever. That seems fairly simple to grasp. How well does this fit with sublime passages such as these below:
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin. (KJV)
Romans 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto G-d. [5] For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. [6] But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not [in] the oldness of the letter. (KJV)
Romans 10:4 For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. (KJV)
So, when given the choice, who do you believe? Do you believe Moses the greatest of all prophets, who gave us the Torah and told us to perform it forever, or do we believe Paul, a single upstart who contradicts Moses’ Divine message?
The concept of one man performing the commandments so perfectly that others would not have to do the same is completely poisonous compared to the sweet drink one takes from the fountain of Torah. If one man does it perfectly, then he is to be commended. If he can encourage others to do the same, so much the better.
I have no argument with the observation that keeping the Law completely is difficult. The rewards are great; why should the effort required be small? And clearly, were it not for G-d’s infinite Grace and Mercy, no human would live long enough to "fulfill" the Law. Ask yourself this: If G-d really expected us to be perfect right off the bat, why does the Torah describe the procedures required for atonement? I’d think that if G-d expected us to do everything perfectly the first time, and that if we were going to Hell for doing otherwise, then repentence, the sacrificial procedures and the Day of Atonement would not be part of the Jewish faith. G-d knows we aren’t perfect. He simply expects us to try our best, to work constantly at becoming more perfect than we are.
Genesis 4:6 And HASHEM said to Cain, "Why are you annoyed, and why has your countenance fallen? [7] Surely, if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven. But if you do not improve yourself, sin rests at the door. Its desire is toward you, yet you can conquer it." (Artscroll)
But is the law itself too difficult to try keeping at all? Your New Testament will tell you that. However, what does it tell you when G-d Himself disagrees?
Deuteronomy 30:11 For this commandment that I command you today -- it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. [12] It is not in heaven, [for you] to say, "Who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?" [13] Nor is it across the sea, [for you] to say, "Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?" [14] Rather, the matter is very near to you -- in your mouth and your heart -- to perform it. (Artscroll)
G-d Himself knew there would come a time when people would start to think that the Torah was too difficult to follow, so He assured us that the law was always within our grasp to perform. Additionally, the Torah is G-d's standard of right and wrong. Are we to think that standard would change? G-d told us that the eating of certain foods defiled us. The standard changed? While the dietary laws seem minor, the fact remains that G-d gave us 613 commandments in the written Torah, which govern right and wrong. When you say that "Jesus fulfilled the law so I don't have to" what happens to your moral compass? How do you decide what is considered right and wrong? If you can say that the eating of certain foods is no longer forbidden because it's no longer wrong, what's to stop you from committing adultery, murder, and idolatry? Jesus fulfilled the law, didn't he? Doesn't that mean we don't have to avoid these things any longer? The doctrine of fulfillment is a self-defeatist's doctrine. All it tells me is that a Christian will only follow G-d's law when it isn't an inconvenience.
Exodus 23:13 Be careful regarding everything I have said to you. The name of the gods of others you shall not mention, nor shall your mouth cause it to be heard. (Artscroll)
We don't get to pick and choose which laws we follow. G-d gave us all of them.
We have the following passage from the Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (KJV)
According to Jesus, those who preach that you don't have to follow the Torah are going to be the least in the kingdom of heaven. While being the least in the kingdom is still being in the kingdom, it's not exactly the most desirable position to be in that kingdom. What does it tell you about Paul?
Psalm 111:2 The works of the LORD [are] great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. [3] His work [is] honorable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. [4] He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD [is] gracious and full of compassion. [5] He hath given meat unto them that fear him: He will ever be mindful of His covenant. [6] He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that He may give them the heritage of the heathen. [7] The works of his hands [are] verity and judgment; all His commandments [are] sure. [8] They stand fast for ever and ever, [and are] done in truth and uprightness. [9] He sent redemption unto his people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever: holy and reverend [is] His name. (KJV)
Even in the Book of Psalms, which the Christians are so fond of quoting, we find clear indications that the Torah is eternal, and to be observed forever.
Ezekiel 11:17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord G-D; I will even gather you from the people, and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. [18] And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence. [19] And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an heart of flesh: [20] That they may walk in My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances, and do them: and they shall be My people, and I will be their G-d. (KJV)
To fully understand the word usage in the following reference from Isaiah, I shall use Artscroll’s translation:
Isaiah 2:2 It will happen in the end of days: The Mountain of the Temple of HASHEM will be firmly established as the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills, and all the nations will stream to it. [3] Many peoples will go and say: ‘Come, let us go up to the Mountain of HASHEM, to the Temple of the G-d of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For from Zion will the Torah come forth, and the word of HASHEM from Jerusalem.
In the KJV, the word "law" is used in place of "Torah." However, I used the Artscroll translation here because "Torah" is literally the word used. Now, we see that the Messianic Age is characterized by increased, not decreased observance of the Torah. This point seems beyond debate.
By far one of the most substantial messianic prophecies is in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel. If you read it, you’ll find out why. It describes a mass resurrection of the dead of the House of Israel. Verse 24 finally speaks of G-d’s servant David being made king over us in that age. It is not David in the literal sense, but the promised descendant of David, whom we call by convention the Messiah. At this point, you’re probably wondering why I’m apparently going on a tangent here.
Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant [shall be] king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. (KJV)
Here again we see the age of the Messiah, observance of the Torah will be increased, not decreased! Torah observance is an integral part of G-d’s plan, from now until the end of time.
Unless otherwise indicated, all the following verses are from the King James Bible:
Leviticus 19:37 Therefore shall ye observe all My statutes, and all My judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.
Leviticus 20:22 Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes, and all My judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out.
Leviticus 25:18 Wherefore ye shall do My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.
Deuteronomy 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord G-d of your fathers giveth you.
Deuteronomy 4:8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
Deuteronomy 11:1 Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy G-d, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, alway.
Deuteronomy 30:16 In that I command thee this day to love the Lord thy G-d, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the Lord thy G-d shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
This isn't just something that might be a good idea. This is the way it is. What do we see when we look at David's instructions to Solomon before he died?
1 Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, [2] I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; [3] And keep the charge of the Lord thy G-d, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
David knew how important the commandments were, and so did Solomon. Unfortunately, it seemed like only every other king of Judah heeded this message. As time went on, G-d's prophets continually stressed the importance of adhering to the Torah:
Jeremiah 11:3 And say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD G-d of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant, [4] Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey My voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be My people, and I will be your G-d: [5] That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O LORD. [6] Then the LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them. [7] For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey My voice. [8] Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do: but they did them not.
Proverbs 4:2 For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not My law.
Proverbs 6:23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:
Proverbs 7:2 Keep My commandments, and live; and My law as the apple of thine eye.
Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my G-d, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful G-d, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments; [5] We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments: [6] Neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, which spake in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. [7] O LORD, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither Thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against Thee. [8] O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee. [9] To the Lord our G-d belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him; [10] Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our G-d, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. [11] Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of G-d, because we have sinned against Him. [12] And He hath confirmed His words, which He spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. [13] As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our G-d, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. [14] Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our G-d is righteous in all His works which He doeth: for we obeyed not His voice.
Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. [8] This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. [9] Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy G-d is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Jeremiah 16:10 And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our G-d? [11] Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law; [12] And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me: [13] Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour.
Jeremiah 26:4 And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, [5] To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; [6] Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
Jeremiah 44:23 Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord, nor walked in his law, nor in his statutes, nor in his testimonies; therefore this evil is happened unto you, as at this day.
Jeremiah was perhaps the most tragic case, warning of the grim fate that would befall the people, the first exile.
Ezekiel 18:5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, [6] And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, [7] And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; [8] He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, [9] Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord G-d.
At this point, it should be fairly obvious that the prophets, at G-d's instructions, stressed how important the Torah is.
Malachi 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts. [6] For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. [7] Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return?
G-d does not change. If He doesn't change, what makes one think that His law or the requirements that come with it changed? Malachi was the last of the prophets. Just before he tells us Elijah the prophet will return at the end of days, he gives us a message of paramount significance.
Malachi 3:23 Remember the Torah of Moses My servant, which I commanded him at Horeb for all of Israel -- [its] decrees and [its] statutes. (Artscroll)
This verse (4:4 in Christian versions) tells us the way. G-d will return to us if we return to Him. How do we return to Him? We return through the Torah of Moses, His servant, our teacher.
2 Kings 17:37 And the statutes, and the ordinances, and the law, and the commandment, which He wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.
This is not a difficult concept to grasp. The prophets repeatedly told us that we have to perform the Torah forevermore, and then Paul came along and said otherwise. That makes Paul a false prophet, because he contradicted Moses.
G-d formulated the Torah. The Torah is perfection. For a Christian to say the Torah is anything less is to insult G-d. G-d gave the Torah to Moses. Moses taught it to the children of Israel. Moses told us that this was the way it was going to be forever. It's that simple.
Copyright © 2001, Michael Levy for http://response.messiahtruth.com/.All rights reserved.
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