Let's look at some New Testament verses and see if they say that keeping the Old Testament Commandments are legalistic and brings us under bondage.

 

 Matthew 5:17-19

Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I have not come to destroy, but to completely reveal it in its intended fullness. For truly I say to you, until the current heavens and earth passes away, not one yud, or one point shall by any means pass from the Torah until all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore, shall break one of the least Torah Commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever shall do and teach the Commands, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

 

 How many times have you read a passage of Scripture and then when you read it again, it was like it was the first time you had read it and your eyes were opened to behold the revelations of the Truth of His Word?

 

I couldn't believe that if someone did obey and taught others to obey, they would be called "Great" in the kingdom of heaven and those who did not obey the Torah and taught others to disobey the Torah, would be called "Least" in the kingdom of heaven.

 

This is another BIG, BIG Whopper of a lie that slick Willy has told us is that we do not have to keep the Commandments and we have fallen for it hook, line and sinker.

 

Who would want to call YHVH's Torah and Commandments as being legalistic and brings us under bondage, but ole slew foot himself?

 

Did he not question YHVH's Command to Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden? He did it back then and he is still using the same tactics even today.

 

We are still falling for his deceitful lying words; rather than believing our Abba's Word.

 

It's time we woke up and smelled the sweet savor of His Torah and come out of the lies that we do not have to keep our Creator's Torah.

 

The Hebrew definition of Torah is: The loving instructions found in the five Books of Moses, or instructions of Moses from YHVH; Mistranslated as "Law".

 

Would our Creator want us to keep Commandments that are not loving?

I would say not.

 

Moshe said in Deuteronomy 32:46: Set your hearts to all the words that I testify among you this day, which you shall command your children to guard and to do, all the words of this Torah.

 

 Look closely at verse 47: For it is not a vain thing for you; because it is your life: and through this thing you shall prolong your days in the land, which you go over the Jordan to possess.

 

 That sounds like a pretty done deal to me for keeping the Torah. Look at the things it does for you:

1} It is not a vain thing for you

2} It is your life

3} You shall prolong your days

 

I know that it says the days will be prolonged for the Israelites to stay in the land of Israel and as we know since they refused to obey the Torah, they have been scattered throughout the nations. But those things are for us too.

 

I've heard Christians say that they are a "New Testament" believer only. A friend told me "I'm going to raise my children after Paul." That is good to do.

 

But, if you want to raise your children after Paul, then you must teach them to guard and obey the Torah because that is what Paul did. He said, "Follow me as I follow Messiah."

 

How did the Messiah live? He lived according to His Father in heaven's Commandments which were in the Old Testament.

 

If you are not obeying the Torah, then you are not following Paul as he followed Messiah.

 

 John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Living Torah, and the Living Torah was with YHVH and the Living Torah was YHVH. The same was in the beginning with YHVH. All things were made by Him and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

 

 f the Torah is the Living Torah Who is YHVH Yshua, then how can we say that it has been done away with? His Word is what spoke things into existence. Just a thought, but would we be doing away with Him also?

 

If Yshua did not think that keeping His Abba's Commandments were legalistic, why do we think that they would? You got it right, ole slew foot again.

 

Can someone explain to me, please, that if the Torah is not legalistic for the Jews, then WHY ARE they legalistic to us if we keep them? It just does not make sense to me.

 

Either they are legalistic and puts EVERYONE under bondage, including the Jewish people; or they are kadosh, righteous, good and full of the Ruach and are for every one of us!

 

 John 7:49

But these people who know not the Torah are cursed. {NIV - there is a curse on them}.

 

WOW! If we do not know the Torah, we are cursed. Notice this is a New Testament verse, my brethren AND one that our Savior said! I didn't see that one either until I started doing this writing.

 

Either we take YHVH's Word literally or we will splice it up just like ole slew foot does.

 

 Romans 3:31

Do we then make void the Torah through personal faith? By no means! Actually we establish the Torah. {NIV: we uphold the law}.

 

Paul is saying that our personal faith will not make the Torah void but will establish it. The only time it becomes legalistic is when we try to obey it by the letter of the Torah and not by the Ruach {Spirit} of the Torah.

 

 Romans 7:12, 14

Therefore the Torah is kadosh and the Commandment is kadosh, righteous and good... For we know that the Torah is full of the Ruach {Spirit}.

 

 Romans 8:4

That the righteousness of the Torah might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature, but after the Ruach.

 

 The NIV Notes states: "the law still plays a role in the life of a believer - not, however, as a means of salvation but as a moral and ethical guide, obeyed out of love for God and by the power that the Spirit provides. This is the fulfillment of Jer 31:33-34 - a prophecy of the new covenant}."

 

 James 1:22-25

But be doers of the Torah and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if any be a hearer of the Torah and not a doer, he is like a man beholding his natural face in a mirror. For he sees himself and goes away and immediately forgets what type of man he was. But whoever looks into the perfect Torah of freedom and continues in it, he will not be a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the Commandments, this man shall be blessed in his way.

 

 Again, this is a New Testament verse, as you know. But thought I'd point it out anyway. As I said, sometimes, we can read something and it does not click in our brain at the time, but when we read it again, then it makes sense to us.

 

The RSTNSB Notes state: "The only word that believers knew was Torah, since most of the Renewed Covenant had not yet been written. Torah-keeping guards us from possible self-deceptions. When the exiles hear the Torah and do not perform it, they continue in the path of all who are Yisrael, and at one time knew who they were, but became the lost tribes due to a departure from doing Torah. Since they did not continue in observing it, they need to be constantly reminded that they are the lost sheep of the House of Yisrael. They need to look into the mirror of Torah, in order to have their memory jarred as to their identity. Looking carefully at Torah then will reestablish their identity and end their amnesia."

 

James 2:12

So act and do as those who are going to be judged by the Torah of liberty. {NIV - that gives freedom}.

 

NIV Notes states: "This judgment is not for determining eternal destiny, for James is speaking to believers (v. 1), whose destiny is already determined (Jn 5:24). Rather, it is for giving rewards to believers (1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 5:10 Rev 22:12) Plus also Rev 22:14.

 

James is saying that we will be judged by the Torah of liberty. He did not say that they would be judged by the Torah of sin or legalism.

 

Can you imagine Yshua or any of the Apostles saying that the Torah is legalistic and puts us under bondage?

 

No, they would not. In fact, in Matthew 15:1-20 some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Torah were more concerned why Yshua's disciples did not wash their hands according to the traditions of the elders, and that their tradition was broken than whether the Torah was being broken.

 

What was our Savior's response to their question? Not a very good one, but true!

 

 But He answered and said to them, Why do you also transgress the Commandment of YHVH by your tradition?... You hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy about you saying, This people draws near to Me with their mouth and honors Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. In vain they do worship Me, teaching as doctrines the Commandments of men.

 

 Our Savior called them hypocrites. Why? Because they were teaching as doctrine, the commandments of men. The religious leaders started out well, intending to do right by putting so many fences around the Torah, that it would be harder to break one of the Commandments.

 

But as time went on, they added TO the Torah, which Deuteronomy 4:2 prohibits.

 

 You shall not add to the word, which I command you, neither shall you take away anything from it, that you may guard the Commandments of YHVH your Elohim that I command you.

 

 There's a big difference between the elder's traditions and what the Torah actually says.

 

I read on a web site that if you are not obeying the Torah, you cannot claim any of its provisions or protection. Makes sense to me.

 

Colossians 1:17 says that the Torah holds the world together. We do not even want to do away with the Torah. Well, we can't anyway. If we were able to, the universe would explode!

 

The Torah is still here according to Matthew 5:18 because the heavens and earth are still here.

 

There are still prophecies in the Torah, Prophets and Writings that still need to be fulfilled in the Torah.

 

Whether you want to be obedient to the Torah or not, it is still here and will be here as long as the heavens and the earth are still here. Which is forever because they will be renewed, not destroyed.

 

So in summary, why would we not want to keep the Torah?

 

1. Kadosh or holy, set apart

2. Pure

3. Enlightening to the eyes

4. Give understanding and wisdom

5. Is YHVH's moral teachings on how to live this life AFTER we are saved

6. Righteous

7. Brings liberty

8. We will be like a tree planted by the rivers of water where our leaves do

not whither

9. Perfect

10. Revives the soul

12. They are sure

13. Our footsteps will not falter

14. Wonderful things to behold in the Torah

16. It brings us peace.

 

And the last one which is the #17 for "Victory in Messiah":

17. Because it is the Truth

 

 

 

If it is all of these good things, then,

 

WHY

would you not want

to guard and obey the Torah,

so that you will be blessed

and not cursed?

 

The choice is up to you.

 

Look throughout the New Testament and you will not find one, single verse saying that the Commandments in the Old Testament are legalistic and brings us under bondage.

 

I hope that you will realize that you have been told a BIG Lie from the father of all lies! The slick slimy serpent has been at it again. He does not want us to know that we will be blessed if we keep the Commandments of our Creator!

 

I pray that the Ruach HaKodesh {Holy Spirit} will grant you understanding and wisdom to know the Truth of His Torah and Word.

 

Rev. Charles Wilder taught us that:

 

WISDOM = Torah

KNOWLEDGE = Yshua

UNDERSTANDING = Torah and Yshua

 

When you bring the Torah and Yshua together, then you will have understanding.

 

YHVH bless you and keep you.

YHVH make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.

YHVH lift up His countenance upon you, and give you shalom.

And they shall put My Name

upon the children of Yisrael and I will bless them.

 

Numbers 6:24-27

 

 

"Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the Only Eloah,  

be honor and glory forever and ever. Amein!"

1 Timothy 1:17 

 

Shalom and abundant blessings,

Anna Constance