As believers Why should we obey Torah?

Shalom, we are over halfway through counting the omer and soon Shavuot or Pentecost will be here.?We know that Pentecost means fiftieth and Shavuot means weeks so there is 50 days or 7 weeks that we count the Omer.

As believers Why should we obey Torah?

To answer that question, we need to answer some other questions first like; Does Yeshua say we should obey Torah? Or does he say he has done away with Torah? Did the disciples preach Torah? Did the Hebrew bible Preach the gospel? How do we incorporate the Gospel of Messiah with Torah?

First, let’s remember that the new covenant was not written until after Yeshua was resurrected. Scholars suggest Yeshua was put on the cross Passover 30 AD and the first books of the New Testament or New Covenant were not written until about 35 AD of course there are many speculations about when these books were written but 35 AD seems to be the earliest. I am not going to go into all the speculations but you can do your own research.

Let's look at what God Said about His word.

Deuteronomy 4:1–2 (TLV) 1“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that Adonai the God of your fathers is giving you. 2You must not add to the word that I am commanding you or take away from it—in order to keep the mitzvot of Adonai your God that I am commanding you.

From this scripture alone we see that God does not want us to add or take away from His Statutes or Ordinances.?So for Yeshua or the disciples to ADD or Take Away from Yah’s statutes or ordinances would be a sin. So our interpretation of the New Covenant must line up with the Hebrew bible.

Even Yeshua said: in Matthew 5:17–20 (TLV)17“Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. 18Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass. 19Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, this one shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees and Torah scholars, you shall never enter the kingdom of heaven!

Whom was Yeshua talking to? He was talking to the Jews in Israel. Yeshua goes on to explain that if you have even thought to sin you have sinned in your heart. Yeshua was dealing with the heart issue concerning obeying Torah. Yeshua Preached Torah. Paul preached Torah the disciples Preached Torah. ?Yeshua fulfilled Torah by obeying and teaching others how to obey it.

Many Christians say that we just can’t obey Torah that is why we need Yeshua. I agree we need Yeshua to know Torah we need Yeshua to understand Torah we need his power and the Holy Spirit to walk in righteousness. ?Remember Yeshua is the Word of God (John 1) if Yeshua is the word we cannot add or take away Yeshua.

So where does the new covenant come from and who is the new covenant for? Let’s look at Jeremiah 31:30–33 (TLV)

Jeremiah 31:30–33 (TLV) 30“Behold, days are coming” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 31not like the covenant I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. For they broke My covenant, though I was a husband to them.” it is a declaration of Adonai. 32“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days” —it is a declaration of Adonai— “I will put My Torah within them. Yes, I will write it on their heart. I will be their God and they will be My people. 33No longer will each teach his neighbor or each his brother, saying: ‘Know Adonai,’ for they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest.” it is a declaration of Adonai. “For I will forgive their iniquity, their sin I will remember no more.”

First, the New Covenant is for the House of Israel and the House of Judah and not for anyone else. So how does everyone else participate in the New Covenant I will show scripture later.?What is the new covenant? God says He will put His Torah (Instructions, Statutes, and ordnances) within them and on their Hearts. Yeshua is Torah He is Yah’s Word. He also says He will forgive them of the Iniquity, and He will forget their sin. This is how Yeshua fulfilled Torah.

So, Salvation has to do with Torah written in Your Heart and put with you. So as believers in Messiah His Torah is in our hearts. So, Christians should have a desire to obey all of the Torah and walk as Yeshua walked on this earth, without sin. This desire is because we are saved not to earn our salvation through works of obedience.

Is there any hope for the Gentile? Yes, there is. God says in His Torah

Exodus 12:47–49 (TLV) 47All the congregation of Israel must keep it. 48But if an outsider dwells with you, who would keep the Passover for Adonai, all his males must be circumcised. Then let him draw near and keep it. He will be like one who is native to the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat from it. 49The same Torah applies to the native as well as the outsider who dwells among you.”

We see in Exodus that all who want to serve Adonai will be like a native and that there is one Law for the Native and the outsider. Gentiles Or goyim means nations other than Israel. So, if you are not Jewish or Israel and believe in the Passover Lamb Yeshua your heart is circumcised. You become a native and participate in Communion which is really the Passover. ?Now should you really physically be circumcised? not for salvation but if you are not I believe God will lead you to do that as the Holy Spirit reveals Torah to you.

Let’s look at more scripture that says if you are not a native Israeli you still have to obey the same laws remember this is not for salvation and even Israel and Judah who believe in Messiah don’t have to obey Torah for Salvation but because the Torah is written on their heart because Yeshua fulfilled Torah.

Numbers 15:29 (NASB95PARA) 29You shall have one law for him who does anything unintentionally, for him who is native among the sons of Israel and for the alien who sojourns among them.

Leviticus 24:22 (NASB95PARA) 22There shall be one standard for you; it shall be for the stranger as well as the native, for I am the Lord your God.’?”

God repeats the concept that there is one law. So those who teach that there are two Laws one for the Gentile and One for Israel and Judah teach in error.

In Eph 2 Paul say we are no longer enemies of Torah when you read through Paul’s writings you will see his heart that Torah is not a burden but there is freedom when we obey Torah.

Deuteronomy 30:6–14 (NASB95PARA) 6“Moreover the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. 7The Lord your God will inflict all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you. 8And you shall again obey the Lord, and observe all His commandments which I command you today. 9Then the Lord your God will prosper you abundantly in all the work of your hand, in the offspring of your body and in the offspring of your cattle and in the produce of your ground, for the Lord will again rejoice over you for good, just as He rejoiced over your fathers; 10if you obey the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul. 11“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

?John Say’s that Yah’s laws are not grievous

?1 John 5:3 (NASB95PARA) 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.

Paul Say’s the Law is Holy, Just, and Good

Romans 7:12 (NASB95PARA) 12So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

The Torah is only bad to the one who does not want to obey it. The evil in our hearts causes us to be an enemy to God's Torah or Law. Yeshua broke down the wall that separated us from God's Law and now as believers, we are no longer enemies of Torah. ?Having Torah written on our hearts is a good thing it is a delight to obey His Torah.

?Paul Never told anyone to disobey God's Torah!!!!

?The disciples always taught us to obey God's commands the ones in the Old Testament. They never added or took away. We must look at the context of what the disciples and Yeshua were saying. They were saying obey Torah, not for Salvation but because Yeshua came, and His Torah was written on your heart. But if you stumble Yeshua is that sacrifice that atonement for your sins and God will no longer remember your sins because Of Messiah.

Yeshua said:

?John 14:21 (NASB95PARA) 21He 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 14:23–24 (NASB95PARA) 23Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

?John 14:26–27 (NASB95PARA) 26But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.

?Today, search your heart and ask God where you need to start obeying Him. Now we must use common sense if you are not a farmer those laws do not apply to you etc. We are all commanded to celebrate the feasts of Adonai forever if you are a believer in Messiah Yeshua because as a believer you are now a fellow citizen of God's People Israel.

Matthew 7:13–14 (NASB95PARA)13“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.?14For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.