December 11, 1998
When I hear the word “Toro”, my mind immediately conjures the picture of a big and fierce black bull, pawing up dirt and getting ready to charge the red cape of a matador. A similar scene is played out by some, upon hearing a word of a very similar sound: “Torah”. To these individuals this word is much like the red cape, dangling within a few feet of the bull. “I am not under law!” they exclaim emphatically, as their reasoning leaves them, charging forth into the proverbial
red cloth. Why is there so strong a reaction to that one little word? Might it be some sort of insecurity and fear of loss? Could it be something more ancient working deep in the heart? Is it a spiritual issue, or perhaps some other matter?
If Torah is equated with law, meaning “legalism” which imposes action (works) for salvation, it would indeed be a shift, away from the New Covenant gift of grace and from our spiritual heritage. Let us review a few scriptures which pertain to this topic: “For sin over you shall not have lordship, for ye are not under law, but under grace” (Romans l6:14). This is speaking very clearly about sin, or the ‘law of sin and death“, lording it over us, and not about Elohim’s Loving Instructions. The Torah declares that disobedience to Elohim, or to His Word (which includes the first five books of the Bible), will bring about death. But to hear and obey the voice or word of YHVH is life (Deuteronomy 30:19). “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Let it not be!” (Romans 6:15). This is referring again to being under the rule, or dominion, of sin. It is impossible to sin, and at the same time to be under grace. If sin is lording over you, you will be under the law that governs sin (that is the curse). If you are practicing righteousness, you will be under the law that governs blessings. Is the goodness of YHVH, seen in the Torah, that leads to repentance, pointing us to the grace that is in the New Covenant. “The Law has become our tutor to lead us to the Messiah” (Galatians 3:24), but if I may add, not only to Him, but further, to know Him in the height, length, breadth and depth.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, says YHVH, I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their Elohim and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying know YHVH for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
Chapter four of the letter to the Galatians is one of the most difficult to understand, because it can be interpreted in many different ways. My opinion is that this chapter deals with our level of spiritual maturity, rather that with the Law-versus-Grace issue. It is impossible not to be under some type of law, whether it be reaping and sowing, cause and effect, blessings and curses or gravity. There are laws that govern the physical realm. There are also laws which influence the soul, and of course there are laws which affect the spiritual domain. Therefore, actions, attitudes, thoughts and words are not without their varying consequences, whether one is a believer or not.
To live in the flesh, or to sin, is to live in a state of rebellion, missing the mark of Torah, which is a revelation of Elohim’s divine order. “If by the Spirit you are led, you are not under law of sin and death but under the law of Elohim or life in Yeshua” (Galatians 5:18). To walk in the Spirit is to walk in obedience to Elohim’s commandments, His statutes, ordinances, and principles that are in the Torah and are now being written on our hearts.
Torah, as understood by the early Apostles, refers to the first five books of Moses. It was viewed as the prophetic root of the full counsel of Elohim, the blueprint for the redemptive plan. All through the book of Acts, and the other writings, the Apostles quote from these scriptural sources. Does that mean that they were “under law”?
Paul himself preached and taught from morning to evening from the Torah of Moshe and the Prophets. “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of YHVH, persuading them concerning Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23). Was he under law? Paul was a Torah-practicing Jew. Did that make him a hypocrite? The Apostles used the Torah for building the foundations of the Gospel of the Kingdom and proving that Yeshua was the Messiah. Were they “under law”?
YHVH promised that in the later days we would understand the things which have been written in the torah of Moshe and by the Prophets. “The fierce anger of YHVH will not return until He has done it, And until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it” (Jeremiah 30:24). Is this why we, as the redeemed of YHVH, as the returnees to Zion and to our Israelite heritage, must take seriously the exhortation in Malachi 4:4-6: "Remember the Torah of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YHVH, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."
What is this “fierce anger of YHVH” and His “great and dreadful day” in which He smites the earth with a curse? Remember what He had to do to the Egyptians when He sent those horrible ten plagues in order to bring His people back to the land. Why such devastating judgments?
Because YHVH is a jealous Elohim, and that which belongs to Him He desires to possess. “YHVH’s portion is His people, Jacob is the lot of His inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). Absolutely nothing is going to stop our Elohim from fulfilling all that has been spoken by His servant Moshe. As a matter of fact, even Yeshua said: “If you believed Moses, you would also believe me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words” (John 5:46-47). Just a few verses prior to that statement, Yeshua exclaimed: “You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me…I have come in My Fathers name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:39, 43). We must be careful today because many are coming in His name, but without knowing the Yeshua of Torah, in ignorance they will give glory to man. “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only true Elohim?” (John 5:44).
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians speaks of hardness over the mind, and a veil over the heart, that when the Tanach (Old Testament) is read, even to this day, those who read it cannot understand what is written there. But when we come to the Messiah it becomes life, for the Holy Spirit has been given to lead and teach us into all truth (ref. 2Corinthians 3: 14-15, 18; John 16:13). But if we have discarded the whole counsel of Elohim in Torah, we will still remain ignorant of what is written for our edification, especially “that we might know Him the only true Elohim”; “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 5:20; 2:3). Does knowing Him and keeping His commandments put us under law or does it transform us into His image and likeness from glory to glory?
Ephraim
When I hear the word “Toro”, my mind immediately conjures the picture of a big and fierce black bull, pawing up dirt and getting ready to charge the red cape of a matador. A similar scene is played out by some, upon hearing a word of a very similar sound: “Torah”. To these individuals this word is much like the red cape, dangling within a few feet of the bull. “I am not under law!” they exclaim emphatically, as their reasoning leaves them, charging forth into the proverbial
red cloth. Why is there so strong a reaction to that one little word? Might it be some sort of insecurity and fear of loss? Could it be something more ancient working deep in the heart? Is it a spiritual issue, or perhaps some other matter?
If Torah is equated with law, meaning “legalism” which imposes action (works) for salvation, it would indeed be a shift, away from the New Covenant gift of grace and from our spiritual heritage. Let us review a few scriptures which pertain to this topic: “For sin over you shall not have lordship, for ye are not under law, but under grace” (Romans l6:14). This is speaking very clearly about sin, or the ‘law of sin and death“, lording it over us, and not about Elohim’s Loving Instructions. The Torah declares that disobedience to Elohim, or to His Word (which includes the first five books of the Bible), will bring about death. But to hear and obey the voice or word of YHVH is life (Deuteronomy 30:19). “What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Let it not be!” (Romans 6:15). This is referring again to being under the rule, or dominion, of sin. It is impossible to sin, and at the same time to be under grace. If sin is lording over you, you will be under the law that governs sin (that is the curse). If you are practicing righteousness, you will be under the law that governs blessings. Is the goodness of YHVH, seen in the Torah, that leads to repentance, pointing us to the grace that is in the New Covenant. “The Law has become our tutor to lead us to the Messiah” (Galatians 3:24), but if I may add, not only to Him, but further, to know Him in the height, length, breadth and depth.
“But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, says YHVH, I will put my Torah in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their Elohim and they shall be my people and they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying know YHVH for they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them” (Jeremiah 31:33-34).
Chapter four of the letter to the Galatians is one of the most difficult to understand, because it can be interpreted in many different ways. My opinion is that this chapter deals with our level of spiritual maturity, rather that with the Law-versus-Grace issue. It is impossible not to be under some type of law, whether it be reaping and sowing, cause and effect, blessings and curses or gravity. There are laws that govern the physical realm. There are also laws which influence the soul, and of course there are laws which affect the spiritual domain. Therefore, actions, attitudes, thoughts and words are not without their varying consequences, whether one is a believer or not.
To live in the flesh, or to sin, is to live in a state of rebellion, missing the mark of Torah, which is a revelation of Elohim’s divine order. “If by the Spirit you are led, you are not under law of sin and death but under the law of Elohim or life in Yeshua” (Galatians 5:18). To walk in the Spirit is to walk in obedience to Elohim’s commandments, His statutes, ordinances, and principles that are in the Torah and are now being written on our hearts.
Torah, as understood by the early Apostles, refers to the first five books of Moses. It was viewed as the prophetic root of the full counsel of Elohim, the blueprint for the redemptive plan. All through the book of Acts, and the other writings, the Apostles quote from these scriptural sources. Does that mean that they were “under law”?
Paul himself preached and taught from morning to evening from the Torah of Moshe and the Prophets. “So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of YHVH, persuading them concerning Yeshua from both the Torah of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening” (Acts 28:23). Was he under law? Paul was a Torah-practicing Jew. Did that make him a hypocrite? The Apostles used the Torah for building the foundations of the Gospel of the Kingdom and proving that Yeshua was the Messiah. Were they “under law”?
YHVH promised that in the later days we would understand the things which have been written in the torah of Moshe and by the Prophets. “The fierce anger of YHVH will not return until He has done it, And until He has performed the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will consider it” (Jeremiah 30:24). Is this why we, as the redeemed of YHVH, as the returnees to Zion and to our Israelite heritage, must take seriously the exhortation in Malachi 4:4-6: "Remember the Torah of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YHVH, and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."
What is this “fierce anger of YHVH” and His “great and dreadful day” in which He smites the earth with a curse? Remember what He had to do to the Egyptians when He sent those horrible ten plagues in order to bring His people back to the land. Why such devastating judgments?
Because YHVH is a jealous Elohim, and that which belongs to Him He desires to possess. “YHVH’s portion is His people, Jacob is the lot of His inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). Absolutely nothing is going to stop our Elohim from fulfilling all that has been spoken by His servant Moshe. As a matter of fact, even Yeshua said: “If you believed Moses, you would also believe me; for he wrote of Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words” (John 5:46-47). Just a few verses prior to that statement, Yeshua exclaimed: “You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is these that bear witness of Me…I have come in My Fathers name, and you do not receive Me; if another shall come in his own name, you will receive him” (John 5:39, 43). We must be careful today because many are coming in His name, but without knowing the Yeshua of Torah, in ignorance they will give glory to man. “How can you believe when you receive glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only true Elohim?” (John 5:44).
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians speaks of hardness over the mind, and a veil over the heart, that when the Tanach (Old Testament) is read, even to this day, those who read it cannot understand what is written there. But when we come to the Messiah it becomes life, for the Holy Spirit has been given to lead and teach us into all truth (ref. 2Corinthians 3: 14-15, 18; John 16:13). But if we have discarded the whole counsel of Elohim in Torah, we will still remain ignorant of what is written for our edification, especially “that we might know Him the only true Elohim”; “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1John 5:20; 2:3). Does knowing Him and keeping His commandments put us under law or does it transform us into His image and likeness from glory to glory?
Ephraim
"How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity…for in this Elohim commands the blessings – life eternal" (Psalm 133: 1-3).
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