SESSION 1
INTRODUCTION
God’s Laws are presented in Scripture as His revealed will that are perfect even as He Himself is perfect. His Law supercedes and transcends all others, given to us for our protection, accompanied with fullness of blessings as had been designed from before the beginning of time. It is comprehensive, universal and speaks to all areas of life, and to every living person. God gave 3 types of biblical laws:
1. Moral Law
The moral law refers to the 10 commandments written by the finger of God on tablets of stone. They were kept in the ark of the covenant also known as the mercy seat.
2. Civil Laws
These contain information regarding our duty towards God and others that originally governed the daily and social life of the Jewish people. They contained issues that were unique to their customs and religion (Acts 18:15). The Sanhedrin was created to govern using these rules which was a group of 71 men chaired by the high priest. Originally, these laws formed part of the Mosaic law.
3. Ceremonial or Mosaic Law
This law governed the temple and its services which had to be meticulously followed for the sins of the Israel to be forgiven. The priests performed ceremonies as instructed by Moses. These became obsolete following the destruction of the 2nd Temple in 70AD but to those who are believers they represent shadows and types regarding the plan of salvation fulfilled by Yeshua.
There is also a 4th law recognised and established within traditional Judaism and afforded a status equal to the 3 biblical laws which is known as the Oral or Rabbinic Law. Messianic believers recognise the place of the oral law but only as a secondary source, one which contains statements in parts, most especially with regard to the Messiah, which we would strongly disagree with.
The Oral Law is a legal commentary on the Torah, explaining how its commandments are to be observed. The Jewish people explain that the Torah alone, even with its 613 commandments, is an insufficient guide to Jewish life. For example, 4th Commandment, states, “Remember the Sabbath day to make it holy” (Ex 20:8) Over a period of time the rabbis added their commentary attempting to make that which was ambiguous, understandable (building a fence around the law in order to present a unified understanding and implementation).
In 200AD, these laws, orally transmitted, began to be codified by Rabbi Judah ha Nissi (known as “The Prince” ). Why did they wait until then to codify them? For centuries, it had been resisted. It was thought that by transmitting the Law orally, it compelled students to maintain close relationships with their rabbis who they considered to be the best conveyors of Jewish tradition. In addition, written texts were rare and usually one would not find more than one copy of a handwritten Tanakh per synagogue that would suffice for a whole community. The majority of people learned through memorisation of a text with only the exception of elite groups such as the religious hierarchy.
With the destruction of the 2nd Temple in AD70, and the final exile of the Jewish people to the 4 corners of the earth following the Bar Kochba revolt in AD132, Rabbi Judah feared that the Oral Law would be forgotten unless it was written down. Consequently, he systematically set down and codified the Oral Law into 63 tractates, that became known as the Mishna where things were organised topically. For example, all laws pertaining to the Sabbath were put into one tractate, etc.
Eventually, some of these rabbis wrote down their discussions and commentaries on the Mishna’s laws in a series of books known as the Talmud. The rabbis of Palestine edited their discussions of the Mishna about the year 400AD: Their work became known as the Palestinian or Jerusalem Talmud.
The Talmud’s discussions are recorded in a house style that ensures a consistent format. A law from the Mishna is cited, which is followed by rabbinic deliberations on its meaning. The Mishna and the rabbinic discussions (known as the Gemara) comprise the Talmud, although in Jewish life the terms Gemara and Talmud usually are used interchangeably.
The many extensive legal discussions contained in the Talmud is known in Hebrew as halakha (“walkings”).
We shall not be studying the Oral Law in this course because of time constraints, but also because as believers we consider it biblically only a secondary source, albeit very interesting and insightful in parts as one reflects upon many pearls of wisdom and insights from the sages contained therein regarding interpretation of biblical texts.However, , I will be making a few references to it during our sessions from time to time. What is vital to understand is that Judaism considers the Oral Law equal in status to the Tanakh which they claim was given at the same time when the laws were given to Moses on Mt Sinai. Sadly, the majority of orthodox Jews spend far more time studying the Talmud than they do the Tanakh. Second, there are places in the Oral Law, especially those sections that were codified post-Yeshua, which vilify and blaspheme the name and character of our precious Saviour.
God’s revealed Law we see presented in the Bible embraces every facet of life including, philosophy, psychology, biology, physics, all other sciences, economics, ecology, theology, culture, politics, military relations, international and domestic relations, family life, church life, business, criminal and civil law which embrace all areas of life. There is nothing that God’s Law fails to address and thereby it regulates all life.
For believers, the NT holds equal status to the OT and are totally harmonious. The NT is simply an augmentation of what is already contained in the Old. That which was concealed in the OT is revealed throughout the NT and goes above and beyond in revelation, though at all times in complete harmony and alignment. For example, we see this plainly revealed in Yeshua’s statements in the Sermon on the Mount. (“You have heard it said…but I say unto you…”). Yeshua Himself was recognised as “…one who had authority” or semikha in Hebrew, literally meaning, the laying on of hands, a term used to this day for a rabbi who has been ordained. However, in Yeshua’s time a person with semikha was a rarity often no more than one person per generation and those who were given this title were distinguished by age and wisdom and godliness of exemplary character proven over many decades. Such were people like Hillel, Shammai and Gamaliel all who were recognised as sages with semikha in the 60’s and beyond. What makes the conveyance of semikha upon Yeshua was that it was conferred when He was in His early thirties! To be recognised required the endorsement from two other recognised sources. In Yeshua’s case, both witnesses occurred at His baptism: “ …John saw Yeshua coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb[f] of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the One about whom I told you, ‘He who comes after me is above me, because He was before me.’ 31 I didn’t know Him, but I came immersing with water so that He might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John testified, “I have seen the Ruach coming down like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on Him. 33 I did not know Him; but the One who sent me to immerse in water said to me, ‘The One on whom you see the Ruach coming down and remaining, this is the One who immerses in the Ruach ha-Kodesh.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is Ben-Elohim.” (John 1:29-34)
The word ‘Law’ as translated from the Hebrew as ‘Torah’ can be very misleading because the English does not properly define the meaning. It’s derived from the root (‘Yareh’) which literally means, ‘To shoot an arrow in order to hit a mark’ the opposite of the Hebrew word for ‘sin’ (‘chatah’) which means, ‘To miss the mark.’
There are also other words in the Hebrew texts which contain the same root as the word ‘Torah and provide us with insights such as,
• ‘Moreh’ meaning ‘Teacher.’ A moreh is someone who not only imparts knowledge, but facilitates his students to fulfil their true potential.
• ‘Horeh’ meaning ‘Parent.’ God is our Abba Father who covers, protects and provides for all our needs, schooling us to walk in His ways.
‘Torah’ is best translated as ‘teaching,’ or ‘instruction’ rather than what is commonly translated in the English as ‘Law’. In Lev.10:11 God instructed Moses “…to teach the Israelites all the statutes (the written Law) which the Lord has spoken.” This refers both to the 5 books of Moses (Greek, ‘Pentateuch’) and the entire canon of Scripture known as the ‘Tanakh’ (Old Testament)
The Hebrew names for the books of the Torah are derived from the first word or phrase of each book; the names from the Greek Septuagint reflect the main theme of each book:
Genesis: “origin” (Hebrew: B’resheet – “In the beginning”)
Exodus: “going out” (Hebrew: Sh’mot – “Names”)
Leviticus: “relating to the Levites” (Hebrew: Vayikra, – “And he called”)
Numbers: “numbering of the Israelites” (Hebrew: B’Midbar – “In the wilderness”)
Deuteronomy: “second law” (Hebrew: D’varim – “Words”)
Throughout the OT, major themes are taken from the Torah (e.g., the exodus from Egypt) and re-used to make new points or to build upon existing ones.
The NT makes many references to the Torah. Yeshua, who observed the Torah meticulously, spoke out against the ‘traditions of men’ and mis-interpretations of the Law – which became a stumbling block within the legalistic straight jackets and mindsets of the religious Jewish hierarchy. Sadly, the same thing has continued throughout the Church Age within the christian denominations.
We shall be making brief reference to three GROUPS of Torah in the first 5 books of Moses:
i. The Seven Noahide Laws,
ii. The Ten Commandments,
iii. The 613 Mosaic Laws.
i. THE SEVEN NOAHIDE LAWS
These are referenced in the Babylonian Talmud, and are considered the minimum moral duties required by the Torah that are applicable to everyone, because everyone shares one paternal ancestor – Noah, and are the elements that form the basis of civilisation. Judaism teaches that any Gentile who accepts these 7 laws, and observes them, is a “Ger Toshav” literally, a stranger-settler, (a Proselyte of the Gate) and a “semi-convert.”
The 7 Noahide laws, taken from Gen. 2:16 and 9:4-6 are identified as: cursing God, idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, robbery, and eating flesh from a living animal. (Tractate Sanhedrin 56a)Since these commands are contained in both the Noahide laws and the biblical Mosaic Law (Lev. 17-18), it implies that the universality of these laws are relevant both to Jew and Gentile.
ii. THE 613 COMMANDMENTS
The Noahide laws are general commandments that are broken down into many parts and details. For example, what is meant by “murder” as understood in its broadest sense? This approach differs substantially from the 613 Commandments which relate specifically to the Divine law given to God through Moses to the Israelites.
These include the Ten Commandments, (known as ‘mitzvoth’) plus 603 additional commandments. They can be divided up into 248, ‘thou shalts’ and 365, ‘thou shalt nots.’ Here, we see how the Talmud makes some fascinating comparisons such as the fact that each human being also has 248 limbs (and organs), corresponding to the 248 positive commandments of the Torah, and 365 connecting tissues, veins or sinews, corresponding to the 365 prohibitions of the Torah.
Another observation from a famous 19th century theologian is where he noted there exists “…a curious passage in the Talmud [the body of Jewish civil and religious law] which says that Moses gave six hundred injunctions to the Israelites. As these commands might prove too difficult to memorise, he provided eleven in Psalm 15. Isaiah reduced these eleven to six in Isaiah 33:15. Micah (6:8) further reduced them to three; and Isaiah (56:1) again brought them down to two. These two Amos (5:4) reduced to one. However, lest it might be supposed from this that God could be found only in the fulfilment of the law, Habakkuk (2:4 KJV) said, ‘The just shall live by his faith.’”
The apostle Paul made this same point strongly (cf., Rom 2:12 ff; Gal 3: 6ff) and it became a revelation in the 16th century forming the basis of the Protestant Reformation.
If these things be so, has the law become obsolete? And biblically, we can immediately respond, ‘Absolutely not, because Torah still defines the reality and quality of one’s faith. Paul wrote in Rom.8 that,
“3-4 The Law never succeeded in producing righteousness—the failure was always the weakness of human nature. But God has met this by sending his own Son Jesus Christ to live in that human nature which causes the trouble. And, while Christ was actually taking upon himself the sins of men, God condemned that sinful nature. So that we are able to meet the Law’s requirements, so long as we are living no longer by the dictates of our sinful nature, but in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit.” (J.B Phillips)
Paul said that, “…the Law never succeeded in producing righteousness—the failure was always the weakness of human nature” or, “weak through the flesh” (Rom. 8:3).
In our sinful, fallen nature, the law has no power to transform us and make us righteous. This is the ‘weakness’ of the law. So we are in need of something else to restore that broken relationship with God.
Rom 8:3 provides the Divine solution…”For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
Paul wrote in Gal. 3 24, that the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Yeshua, so we might be justified by faith. The purpose for providing us with Torah (the Law) and its instructions was to lead us to Him standing in His justification, not of our own, which we take hold of by faith. In this sense, we therefore, live and walk by faith in Yeshua.
When Paul was referring to the Law as a “schoolmaster” it includes both the moral and ceremonial laws’. Is the moral law of the ten commandments holy? Rom 7:12 states that “…wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.”
If then the law is holy but due to our sinful nature inherited from Adam and Eve, we have an in-built natural tendency to sin against God’s holy law, which makes us unholy, we have a problem. What can the ten commandments do about our sinful nature? Paul provide us with the solution stating that “…what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom 8:3).
Since the law is ‘holy’, how can it be also ‘weak’? Paul here clarifies the limitation of the Law by using the expression “weak through the flesh”. In other words, due to our fallen nature, the law has no power to transform us and make us righteous. This is what he means by the ‘weakness’ of the law. We can never attain to its standards so we are in need of an alternative remedy to bring us into a right relationship with God. Striving to do so based upon our own efforts will always fail.
It is here that God provides us with the perfect solution: “…For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” (Rom. 8:3)
What then was the situation before Yeshua? Paul explains that humanity needed a ‘schoolmaster’ with the appropriate authority for someone to enter a right relationship with God. Before the fall, Adam and Eve did not need “school master” since they had a perfect and unbroken relationship with God. But when sin entered, that connection to God was broken and humanity progressively fell further away.
So God introduced written instructions to provide the Israelites with regulations to observe that would keep them from falling away. Central to this was the sacrificial system and even that was imperfect because it served only as a temporary covering that needed to be repeated on an ongoing basis. This is why Paul wrote that, ”…the (moral) law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Messiah, that we might be justified by faith” (not through works of the law). How so? Because the law as our “schoolmaster” reveals sin and the hopeless situation whereby it is impossible for us to be justified and attain the status of righteousness outside of faith.
So, while the written law is holy and good, it has no power whatsoever in and of itself to change our fallen, sinful nature which is the common lot of every descendent of Adam and Eve. This is why Paul called it a ‘schoolmaster’ until Yeshua came. He states clearly in Rom 3:20 that “…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.”
Later on in Rom 7:9-13 Paul reflects about his own fallen nature that “…for I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.”
Paul is saying that the ‘schoolmaster’ teaches us about sin whose wages is death because the sinful nature is opposed to everything which is holy. Can the law itself do anything about our sin? No, not a thing! This is the shortcoming of the Law and why it can only be a ‘schoolmaster’ to reveal and teach us about sin. What is missing? It is our desperate need for Messiah Yeshua reflected again by Paul as he cries out in anguish in Rom 7:24 “ …O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
This is as far as the written law can bring providing us with the realisation that we are sinful, wretched and heading for death. And the solution is only in the person of Yeshua. Through the Law we are condemned because all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards, but in Yeshua God provided us with a solution who brought us redemption through the shedding of His precious blood at Calvary. So, the primary purpose of the law [our schoolmaster] is to lead us to Yeshua.
Does that now mean that when we become a believer, the ten commandments become obsolete? Paul answers this question in the strongest terms: “God forbid!” Instead of futilely observing the law as the means to attain salvation something new now takes control of our lives (2Cor. 5:17) that is not available in the law. This is the Ruach ha Kodesh, who fills and nurtures us when we receive Yeshua by faith and walk in His ways instilling within us a thirst and passionate desire to keep His word because not as a means for justification but as a consequence of the highest motive – our love for Him.
Whenever we consider the term ‘schoolmaster’ (παιδαγωγος) as used in Scripture, it may conjure up for us the picture of a stern and belligerent autocrat. However, the English translation from the Greek word has a very different meaning. The pedagogos was a servant responsible to guard the children under their care against all evil, both physical and moral rather than instructing them in any kind of academics. They carried the books and instruments for their children that they needed for study.
The position of tutor in wealthy Greek families was assigned to only the most trustworthy of slaves who came under his care from the age of 6 or 7 and they remained with the tutor (magister) until they attained the age of accountability.
Paul used this imagery to illustrate that the purpose of the servant pedagogos (Torah) is to lead us to the ‘Servant King.’
It is important to understand that the Bible doesn’t teach us that we ‘graduate’ from the Law and exchange it for the ‘Servant King.’ As Yeshua stated at the very beginning of His public ministry, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”
Yeshua emphasised this consistently throughout His ministry, in response to those who sought to test Him. (c.f., Matt 22:35-40) In this regard, “… one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?] And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. These two commandments sum up and upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets.” (Amp. Classic)
Yeshua used a method of interpretation which intensified the deeper meaning of Torah. He put everything beautifully in context here with regard to the Law, explicitly making it clear that outside of Divine relationship, striving to keep the Law is at best empty. When we love Him with all our heart, mind and strength, it will cascade into our relationship with others, and keeping His Torah becomes a bridal desire rather than a tyrannical enemy. Paul put it this way: “13 If I [can] speak in the tongues of men and [even] of angels, but have not love (that reasoning, intentional, spiritual devotion such as is inspired by God’s love for and in us), I am only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers (the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose), and understand all the secret truths and mysteries and possess all knowledge, and if I have [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but have not love (God’s love in me) I am nothing (a useless nobody).
3 Even if I dole out all that I have [to the poor in providing] food, and if I surrender my body to be burned or [c]in order that I may glory, but have not love (God’s love in me), I gain nothing. (1Cor. 13:1-3)
SESSION 2 – LIGHT AND HEAVY COMMANDS
In our introductory session last week we examined the meaning of Law from a biblical perspective and identified various types of Laws that God provided His covenant people. The Bible makes it clear that God’s Laws supersede and transcends all other laws and we explored those that were given to the Israelites: the moral, civil and ceremonial/Mosaic Laws. We noted there is also a 4th Law regarded in Judaism as equal to the other three, known as the oral Law that is an interpretation of the biblical text from the revered sages of old. However, Messianic believers reject the authority of the Oral Law as being anything more than a secondary source containing interesting and often profound and inspiring insights but only subsidiary in authority to Scripture.
God’s revealed Law as presented in the Bible embraces every facet of life and is complete and perfect, which we delight in and cherish in as expressed most comprehensively in Psalm 119 throughout its 176 verses!
We also made brief reference to three GROUPS of Torah in the first 5 books of Moses: i. The Seven Noahide Laws, ii. The Ten Commandments, iii. The 613 Mosaic Laws.
We examined the claim of many people who identify as christians who insist that the law is obsolete, which biblically we strongly contend. Scripture makes it abundantly clear that the Law defines the reality and quality of one’s faith as Paul wrote in that, “3-4 The Law never succeeded in producing righteousness—the failure was always the weakness of human nature. But God has met this by sending his own Son Jesus Christ to live in that human nature which causes the trouble. And, while Christ was actually taking upon himself the sins of men, God condemned that sinful nature. So that we are able to meet the Law’s requirements, so long as we are living no longer by the dictates of our sinful nature, but in obedience to the promptings of the Spirit.” (Rom 8)
Paul said that, “…the Law never succeeded in producing righteousness—the failure was always the weakness of human nature” or, “weak through the flesh,” an important phrase whose meaning we reflected upon. (Rom. 8:3)
In our sinful, fallen nature, the law has no power to transform us and make us righteous. This is the ‘weakness’ of the law. So we are in need of something else to restore that broken relationship with God.
Rom 8:3 examines the Divine solution…”For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.”
Then, we also considered Paul’s words in Gal.3:24, that the Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Yeshua, so we might be justified by faith.
Last week covered much territory and today will be no different. I would like to begin by drawing our attention to an incident where Yeshua was asked by a lawyer a question to test Him in Matt.22 that contains a curious phrase.
”Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light—which are heavy?]” What does this curious phrase, “Light and Heavy Commandments” (Kal ve’chamer) mean?
Literally, it distinguishes between a minor premise and a major one. What applies in a less important case (a light command) will certainly apply in a more important one (a heavy command). This is something we need to unpick.
We have a perfect example in Num 22:14 when Miriam sinned: “…after reprimanding Miriam, God sent her out of the camp for a week. Moshe asked for clemency for his sister but God replied, “If her father had spit in her face, wouldn’t she hide her face in shame for seven days?” If she would hide for a week after being chastised by her father, kal v’chomer , how much more she should leave the camp for a week after being chastised by God.
Yeshua made references applying the same principle. In Matt 23:23 He warned the religious hierarchy, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, (Light command) and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness (weightier/heavy command) These you ought to have done, (keep the light laws ) without neglecting the others (the heavy laws)
Yeshua clearly contrasts the tithing of “mint and dill and cumin” against the “weightier matters of the law” which He defined as “justice and mercy and faithfulness.” Interestingly, tithing on herbs such as dill, mint and cumin is only in reference to grain, wine and oil but nonetheless although this was not a biblical injunction it still became embedded as an oral tradition. (c.f.,Talmud (b.Niddah 50a–51b).
Yeshua said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:17–20)
Yeshua refers here to the “least” of the commandments. It is these “least” commandments which can be defined as “light” as contrasted against heavy or weighty ones.
Therefore, how can we can distinguish between light and heavy commandments? Simply, should they ever be in conflict the weightier commandment always takes precedence.
For example, Yeshua referred to this when He violated Shabbat for the sake of healing others or by illustrating the principle that “…the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” This does not invalidate the Law but places it in its proper context. Yeshua set a standard for His disciples to distinguish, differentiate and place priority upon the weightier commandments, which here He listed as “justice and mercy and faithfulness,” in circumstances which the religious hierarchy strongly opposed. Yeshua urged His disciples to place their priorities in alignment with His the Word of God over and above the traditions of men (oral law).
Yeshua always emphasised the importance of every mitzvah in the Torah. In Matt.5:19, He said, “Whoever, therefore shall break one of the least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.”
This places a frightening responsibility upon leaders who are placed in authority over others, as echoed in the book of James: “ Not many [of you] should become teachers [serving in an official teaching capacity], my brothers and sisters, for you know that we [who are teachers] will be judged by a higher standard [because we have assumed greater accountability and more condemnation if we teach incorrectly]. (3:1)
Clearly, every biblical commandment is important otherwise God would not have given them to us and Yeshua emphasised this by referring to “the least of the commandments.”
Since Yeshua referred to the commandments in terms of light and heavy when referencing “the weightier matters of the Law” (Mat. 23:23) one might conclude that there is an inequality between the two, but is that how we are to understand things?
There is a famous example in the Torah where it states that, “…if you happen to come upon a bird’s nest along the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young; you shall certainly let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself.” (Deut. 22:6-7)
This classic example is known in Judaism as ‘shiluach haken’ (sending away the mother bird). At first glance, this seems a peculiar thing to include in the Torah, yet on further examination are contained profound spiritual parallels.
If a person finds a bird’s nest and wants to take the eggs, he must first send the mother bird away before taking the eggs. Concerning shiluach haken, is written that “…there is no easier mitzvah [to perform] than sending away the mother bird from the nest. And what is its reward? ‘So that you will live long.’” (Midrash Tanchuma)
Anyone can perform this without concern without consequences. Therefore, to send away the mother bird is a light commandment! This demonstrates the type of command Yeshua had in mind when he spoke concerning “the least of the commandments.” And yet, the Torah attaches one of the greatest rewards through its observance: “in order that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.” (Deut. 22:7)
And, it is interesting that the mitzvah of shiluach haken is only one of two in the entire Torah that carries this amazing promise of blessing. The other is the command to honour our parents: “Honour your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” (Deut. 5:16)
So now, we can see how the Torah connects sending away a mother bird with respecting our parents! How then can a light commandment and heavy commandment carry the same reward? What is the connection?
Let’s look at it this way. What actually happens when the mother bird is sent scattering from the nest. She panics and is inconsolable! She searches all over for her young without ceasing in order to find her babies! And there before our eyes is an object lesson illustrating the same instinctual depth of love and compassion of us as parents for our children. But, in addition, the Bible describes the love of God for us as that of a father and a mother (Hosea 11:1) who does everything in His power to return us to Him when Satan steal, kill and destroy us.
But there is much more. This very characteristic of God can be found in the words of shiluach haken. The word for bird, tzipor, contain the same root letters (צפר) used to spell the word poretz (פרץ), which is one of the names linked to the Messiah. And in this respect, we find an incredible analogy drawn by Yeshua as He wept over Jerusalem: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not (Mat. 23:37).”
The importance of even lightest mitzvah now becomes clear to us. Just as we observe the self-sacrificing love in the mother bird, and in our own parents, so too is revealed God’s love for Israel and each one of us through Yeshua.
10 Commandments (‘Aseret Ha’dibrot’, “The Ten Statements”)
The Talmud poses the question, “Why were the Ten Commandments not written in the beginning of the Torah? It responds with a parable. “To what may this be compared? To a king who entered a province and said to the people, ‘May I be your king?’ The people said to him: ‘You have not done anything good for us that you should rule over us.’ What did he do? He built the (city) wall for them, he brought in the water (supply) for them, and he fought their wars. He said to them: ‘May I be your king?’ They said to him: ‘Yes, yes.’ Likewise, God brought the Israelites out of Egypt, divided the sea for them, sent down manna for them, brought up the well for them, brought quail for them, and fought for them the war with Amalek. Then God said to them: ‘Am I to be your king?’ And they replied, ‘Yes, yes.’”
Scripture itself corroborates much of what Jewish tradition has to say regarding the Ten Commandments that were not, as commentators usually suggest, carved out of regular stone. In Exod 24:9-10 we read something very interesting: “9 Then Moses took Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 of Israel’s elders and went up the mountain. 10 There they saw Israel’s God. Beneath His feet, there appeared to be paving stones of sapphire, as pure and clear as the sky above.”
Ezek. 1:26 provides further information suggesting that what Moses and the other elders saw was not something symbolic but was indeed the throne of God. In Ezekiel’s vision, he describes what he saw: “26 Now above the expanse that was over (the heads of the 4 living creatures) there was something resembling a throne, it appeared like [it was made of] sapphire; and [seated] on that which looked like a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a man. 27 Now upward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something like glowing metal that looked like it was filled with fire all around it; and downward, from that which appeared to be His waist, I saw something like fire; and there was a brightness and a remarkable radiance [like a halo] around Him. 28 As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.”
From this information, we see that the tablets were written by the finger of God and not by human origin (Ex. 32:16) undergirding the importance of God’s law.
The sapphire blue reminded the Israelites to observe God’s law. How so? In Num.15:37-39, the Lord said to Moses: “Speak to the people of Israel, and tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a cord of blue on the tassel of each corner. And it shall be a tassel for you to look at and remember all the commandments of the LORD, to do them, not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, which you are inclined to whore after.”
The cord of blue would remind the wearer of the sapphire tablets of stone engraved with the 10 Commandments to reflect and observe. For it was in keeping covenant with God that His presence with Israel was manifested and His Name revealed to the nations.
The 10 Commandments were located in the centre of Israel’s encampment as a constant reminder of His covenant until its disappearance following the destruction of the First Temple. Throughout the period of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness, and later when they took possession of their inheritance of the Promised Land, Israel’s ‘testimony’ preceded them.
God’s covenant was specifically with Israel, but this did not exclude non-Jews from making the God of Israel theirs too. Gentiles who converted were called proselytes with numerous examples from Scripture. (e.g., Rahab the harlot, Ruth the Moabitess, the people of Ninevah, and Nebuchadnezzar, etc)
The mixed multitudes who joined the Israelites from Egypt were known as ‘strangers or aliens in the midst’ and as a nation, Israel were mandated to respect their rights. I find that very ironic because historically, when the shoe was on the other foot, the nations behaved the opposite was against Israel.
Yeshua unravelled the meaning of the 10 Commandments by undergirding their underlying principles in addition to their concrete applications. He raised the stakes by teaching that the intent of one’s heart is equivalent to the actual implementation. He emphasised how our righteousness must exceed the scrupulous adherence to the Law that was demonstrated by the Scribes and Pharisees. How? By giving substance to externals that can only occur when the Law is written upon our hearts. For example:
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OLDER LAW (written upon tablets) |
NEW LAW (written upon the hearts) |
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No murder (Ex 20:13; Deut: 5:17 |
No anger or resentment (Matt 5:21- 24) |
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No adultery (Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18) |
Deut 5:18) No lust (Matt 5:27-32) |
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No false witness (Ex 20:16; Deut. 5:20) |
Simple honesty (Matt 5; 33-37 |
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Eye for an eye justice (Ex 21:24) |
Forgiveness (Matt 5:38-42)Love friends; hate enemies (Lev19:18) Love all people (Matt 5:43-48) |
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Outer righteousness |
Inner righteousness (Matt 6:1-4) |
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Outward show of prayer |
Secret prayer (Matt 6:5-6) |
Yeshua often prefaced His teachings with the words, “You have heard that it was said to those of old… but I say to you…” (e.g., Matt 5:21-28). He re-aligned the outward requirements of the Torah by emphasising the inward intent of the heart. The Torah holds true significance when we place God first in our lives. Only then, the outward manifestation of this reality can be meaningful. There is no place for empty ostentatious displays of ‘righteousness’ in the Kingdom of God to prove ones’ spiritual worth because then they are reduced to meaningless gestures or , as Yeshua described, “the hollow traditions of men.” Yeshua stated categorically “…unless your righteousness (uprightness, moral essence) is more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt.5:20)
Yeshua clearly taught that God is primarily concerned with relationship and frequently spoke out against the ‘traditions of men’ that had taken precedence. The uniqueness of His teaching was enshrined within the primary command to ‘love the Lord God with all one’s heart, mind, and strength and our neighbour as ourselves.’ From this would determine the quality of fruit manifested in our lives including the desire to follow in His footsteps (i.e., to observe His Law).
The weakness of the Law are not in the commands but in the inability for anyone to observe them perfectly. Therefore, Yeshua turned things subtly on their head by teaching, ‘…if you love Me you will obey my commands.’ (John.14:15; John.14:21) This is not a chicken and egg question, but a fundamental clarification of the true meaning of Divine redemption. Yeshua Himself is the way, the truth and the life. No-one can come to the Father but through Him. (John 14:6)
THE PLACE OF TORAH IN THE LIVES OF 1st CENTURY BELIEVERS
The three main groups which existed in the Early Church were:
1. Messianic Jews who believed in Yeshua as their Messiah yet continued to observe Jewish Law,
2. Gentile Christians who adopted certain aspects of the Law. Some had been Jewish proselytes before turning to Yeshua,
3. God-fearers (Heb: ‘Ger Tzadikim’) who were supportive of Judaism before they came to faith in Yeshua.
Within each of the above groups, there existed a range of ideas on how to apply their faith within the Jewish context. The apostles made it very clear to the congregations that we are “saved by grace through faith in Yeshua” (Eph. 2:8) and freed from the tyranny of the Law. However, they also recognised the importance of the Law as a measure which defines the quality of our faith (e.g., “Faith without works is dead” – James 2:14-26) ’) a statement that was reiterated many times by Yeshua Himself. He fulfilled the Law completely in all of its requirements rather than rendering it obsolete. (Matt.5:17)
Scripture clearly teaches that every true believer should diligently study the Torah as part of what the apostle Paul describes as, “the whole counsel of God.” (2Tim 2:15) Those who relegate the Tanakh as something irrelevant, fall headlong into heresy since it bears witness to Yeshua as the promised Messiah and King of the Jews. (Matt 2:2; Luke 24:27)
At the other extreme are those who fall into the trap of Jewish legalism in pursuit of their Hebrew roots. Paul strongly criticised such people: “At one time when you had no knowledge of God, you were under the authority of gods who had no real existence. But now that you have come to know God, or rather are known by him, how can you revert to dead and sterile principles and consent to be under their power all over again? Your religion is beginning to be a matter of observing certain days or months or seasons or years. Frankly, you stagger me, you make me wonder if all my efforts over you have been wasted!” Gal. 4:9-11
So then, is being Torah observant in the traditional Jewish sense right or wrong? For the Jew, it has always been a normative part of cultural and religious identity, as practised by Yeshua, the disciples and the early Church. Yet, when we cover it with the mantle of Deut. 6:5 and Lev19:18, it remains relevant but ceases to be of such critical importance.
What about for Gentiles? To the Jewish mind, the whole idea is rather strange! After all, who in their right mind would want to be Jewish? As Tevye, from the musical, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ lamented to God in a moment of reflection when he felt the full load of life’s injustices upon his Jewish shoulders: “I know, I know, we are the chosen people. But once in a while can’t you choose somebody else?”
More seriously, the issue of being strictly Torah observant for the Gentile Church is a non-issue rather than a primary point of doctrine. Although Gentiles are not prohibited biblically from being Torah observant or vice versa, whatever they choose they should pursue within a spirit of freedom and liberality.
