brought out to be brought in

“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD our God has commanded you?’ then you shall say to your son: ‘We were slaves of Pharaoh in
Egypt, and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand; and the LORD showed signs and wonders before our eyes, great and severe, against Egypt, Pharaoh, and all his household. Then He brought us out from there, that He might bring us in, to give us the land of which He swore to our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.’” Deu 6:20-25

The father's answer to his son's question, which is, essentially, Why do we do these commandments of the Lord's? is in three parts.

First: Israel was delivered from slavery in the kingdom of Egypt. Deliverance from Egypt is history- prophecy of deliverance from the kingdom of darkness, which is salvation. What commandments did Israel obey in order to be delivered from Egypt? Just one: apply the blood of the Passover Lamb to your doorposts. Thus we see that salvation in the Old Testament is exactly the same as salvation in the New Testament: it is achieved by grace through faith in the shed blood of the Lamb.

So the first part of the answer to Why do we do the Lord's commandments, is that He delivered us from the kingdom of darkness (where we were slaves to sin) by grace through faith in the shed blood of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Second: God brought Israel out from Egypt, that He might bring them in to the Promised Land. In fact, He brought them out of one kingdom, out of Pharaoh's kingdom, that He might bring them into another kingdom, into His kingdom, where He would be king over them (1 Sam 8:7-8). Israel was not delivered from one kingdom in order to live in anarchy; they were brought out in order to be brought in. This is why, when Jesus preached the gospel, He preached that the kingdom of God was at hand (Mar 1:14-15). He was saying, that with His coming, we were being brought out of the kingdom of darkness in order to be brought in to the kingdom of God. Thus we do not become free from submission to a king upon salvation, but the kingdom in which we dwell changes.

So the second part of the answer to Why do we do the Lord's commandments, is that we were delivered from the kingdom of darkness, in order to be brought into the kingdom of God.

Third: In our new kingdom there are commandments to obey. That is the way it is in any kingdom. If there is a kingdom, there is a king, and if there is a king, there are citizens of that kingdom who reveal their citizenship by obeying the commands of their king. Those who are outlaws have renounced their citizenship and have revealed themselves to be outsiders by living outside the Law (outside the Torah). That is why we do not want to be found to be outlaws (Law-less or Torah- less) when Messiah returns (Mat 7:21-23)!

So if we are not of the kingdom of God, then we are of the kingdom of darkness - because there are only two kingdoms, and no one is an anarchist. But belonging to the kingdom of God is like being born into a big family where your Papa is the King, and moreover, the commandments He has given us are not to benefit Him or anyone else, but obeying them is for our good always.

So the third part of the answer to Why do we do the Lord's commandments, is that we obey the commands of the King in whose Kingdom we dwell as citizens, for our good.

Now it is clearly taught in both Old and New Testaments, that deliverance and redemption (from Egypt in the Old, and darkness in the New) is by grace through faith. We do not obey commands in order to get into the kingdom. But once we become citizens of the kingdom of God, there is a certain way to walk which is worthy of the Name by which we have been called (1 The 2:10-12). And that way to walk, is in accord with the will of Him who is our King. This is why, when we pray for the Lord's kingdom to come, we pray that His will be done (Mat 6:10). His will is expressed in His commands.

The bias many of us have against obeying commandments is a learned bias and not a doctrine of Scripture.

the curse of the law, part two

Originally posted at a little perspective in October 2007.

Previously: the curse of the law

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Gal 3:10-14

The heading in my Bible, at the beginning of this passage says, “The Law Brings a Curse.” (The headings, paragraph divisions, chapter divisions, footnotes, and references are not divinely inspired, by the way!) Yes, how does the law bring a curse, and what is the curse of the law?

The assumption is generally made, that the curse of the Law is upon all those who obey the Law. But we saw yesterday that the curse of the Law is not brought upon us by obedience to the Law. But the curse of the Law is brought upon us by disobedience to the Law, which condemns us as sinners in God's sight (Deu 28:15, Rom 2:12-13, Gal 3:10).

Jesus has redeemed us from the indictment of the Law, which decreed us a transgressor of the Law (Col 2:13-14) and therefore worthy of death, the wage for sin (Rom 6:23). He has redeemed us by becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13)! He has taken the sin, which is charged to our account because we broke the Law (which is the definition of righteousness and sin), upon Himself. Our sin was imputed to Him, and His righteousness (for He lived a sinless life and did not break the Law in any particular) was imputed to us (2 Cor 5:21). We receive the gift of righteousness through faith, not by obedience to the Law (Rom 3:19-24). For, as Paul points out, if we receive righteousness because of our work, then it is our wage, and not a free gift (Rom 4:4-5).

Paul is saying that we have been into the courtroom of the Heavenly Judge, the blood of the Lamb was found brushed over our guilty verdict, and therefore we have been redeemed from the indictment -- the curse -- of the Law which required death as a result of our sin.

Yes, Messiah redeemed us from the curse of the Law! But it is not obedience to the Law which is the curse, but our having to be justified by our obedience to the Law that is the curse! We know that the curse cannot be obedience to the Law itself, because the prophets tell us that the Law will be written on our hearts (Jer 31:31-34) and we will be careful to obey its statutes (Eze 36:25-27); Jesus tells us that He does not know those who practice Law-lessness (Mat 7:21-23); John tells us that sin is Law-lessness, and the one who practices sin (Law-lessness) does not know Jesus (1 Joh 3:4-8); and Paul tells us that no one who makes a practice of those things which the Law condemns as sin, will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9-10). Paul himself was obedient to the Law throughout his ministry (Act 21:18-24).

Now that we have been redeemed from the curse of having to be justified by our obedience to the Law, we are free! Free to love God from a heart washed clean, and to show Him that we love Him, by clinging to His Word which includes His Commandments in love with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength (Deu 6:4-9, Joh 14:21-24)! He is our loving Abba, and we are His loving children, who walk in His straight way (which is Torah, the father's teaching for his son) that He has marked out for us!

the curse of the law

Originally posted at a little perspective in October 2007.

Previously: law or torah

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Gal 3:10-14

Now many people read, “as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse,” and automatically assume it means that anyone who is obedient to the Law is under a curse. However, Paul himself was obedient to the Law at least until he was taken prisoner to Rome (Act 21:17-24)! So let us look into this passage to see what it is really saying.

In the book of Galatians, Paul is contrasting two kinds of people: those who want to be declared righteous in God's sight by obedience to the commands of the Law (the Torah), and those who receive right standing before God by grace through faith as a free gift. The occasion of this letter was the rise in influence of a zealous sect of Pharisees who had believed in Jesus as the Messiah -- the circumcision party (Act 15:1-2) -- who were going around to all the churches teaching that no man could be saved or justified in God's sight unless he converted to Judaism first and received the sign of circumcision (the sign of the Abrahamic covenant) and then kept the whole Law (the Sabbath is the sign of the Mosaic covenant) before he could be accepted in God's sight, in order to receive salvation. That the point of contention was about justification can be shown by seeing how many times Paul refers to it as his topic (emphasis mine):

“And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Gal 2:4-5

(What is the truth of the gospel? That righteousness is of faith!)

“We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified.” Gal 2:15-16

“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Gal 3:10-11

“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Gal 5:4

Now Paul is not saying that those who obey the Law are under a curse or have been severed from Christ, but those who seek to be justified by obedience to the Law are under a curse and have been severed from Christ; for we saw that the truth of the gospel which Paul is preserving, is that righteousness (justification) is of faith - to which the patriarchs, Moses, the prophets, and Jesus all attest.

So we can see that Paul, in the above passage and throughout the book of Galatians, is speaking about what it is that justifies a man. With this understanding, we can clarify Paul's meaning in Gal 3:10-14 so as to make it crystal clear (my clarification in brackets):

“For as many as are of [justification by] the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet [justification by] the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse [brought by having to be justified] of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

So what is the curse of the Law from which Jesus Christ has redeemed us? Is it obedience to the Law that is the curse, or something else? To be continued ...

Continued in the curse of the law, part two

law or torah

Previously: written on hearts instead of stone

The Hebrew word found in the Old Testament, which was translated into the English word “law,” means something slightly different than the Hebrew word from which it is translated. Our English word is closer in meaning to the Greek word for “law”(since English civilization, Western civilization, stems from the Greeks) and means what we think of when we think of “law”: rules and regulations. Obligations. Courtrooms. Punishment. In Hebrew, however, the word is Strong's H8451, hrwt, torah. It means “instruction” or “teaching.”

“Hear, my children, the instruction of a father, And give attention to know understanding; For I give you good doctrine: Do not forsake my law (torah). When I was my father’s son, Tender and the only one in the sight of my mother, He also taught me, and said to me: “Let your heart retain my words; Keep my commands, and live. Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.” Pro 4:1-5

The word translated “instruction” in the above passage is Strong's H4148, and actually means, the correction of children by their parents; chastisement. The word translated “doctrine” is Strong's H3948, and means any art which is received, i.e., learning, or doctrine. Think school. When a child learns the laws of physics, he has learned the doctrine which governs the natural universe. But neither of these words are torah.

The word translated “law” is torah. But in Proverbs, the writer is using the word as if it means the instruction, teaching, and wisdom of a father to his son! Fathers teaching their sons brings to mind (in my mind, anyway) gentle guidance, loving but firm authority, that which is appropriate for the age and capacity of the child, delight in passing on the knowledge or skill of previous generations. The instruction, or torah, of a father.

Torah is, in fact, used over and over again in Proverbs in the context of parents guiding their children. Now I am not thinking of courtrooms anymore.

“Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the torah, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” Isa 2:3

Torah, in Hebrew thought, is equivalent to the teaching of the Lord which illuminates His ways and His paths, which is synonymous with His Word! If we desire to know the paths of the Lord so that we may walk in them, then we desire His torah!

The word torah comes from the primitive Hebrew root yarah, Strong's H3384, an agricultural word meaning “to cast forth rain or fruit.” The idea behind torah, then, is that just as the rain is cast forth and the ground produces fruit because of it, so the torah -- the instruction and teaching of the Heavenly Father to His children -- is cast forth into our hearts, which then produces the fruit of life and blessing.

In fact, it is the Promised Seed, the Messiah, who is the Word, the Living Torah, who is implanted within the human heart, and so produces fruit after His kind: fruit of blessing from the tree of life!

According to Strong's, yarah can also mean, “to throw, shoot, cast, or pour,” especially “to shoot arrows.” But sin also means, “to miss the mark.” Torah, therefore, directs us to hit the mark, while sin causes us to miss the mark.

Continued in the curse of the law

written on hearts instead of stone

Originally posted at a little perspective in September 2007.

Previously: God's word gives life to those who find it

We had asked, So now that we have spiritual life, do we need to obey the Law any longer?

Well, remember the purpose of the Law: to give physical life to those who adhere to it. So I guess the answer to that question would be:

Only if you want physical life! And all that pertains to it: health, needs met, happiness, marriage and children blessed, etc.

But actually, it is because we have such a disconnected and disjointed view of Scripture that we ask that question. We are so used to reading the New Testament without the Old, without the insight of the Old, which was not the way it was for Jesus, the disciples, or Paul. When they mention Scripture in the New Testament, they are talking about the Old Testament exclusively, since there was no New Testament yet. They interpreted and saw everything through the lens of the Old Testament. So they were very familiar with several passages of Scripture which are less familiar to us:

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jer 31:31-34

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.” Eze 36:24-28

We ask, Must we obey the Law? as if it is a dreaded chore. Many people tell me the Law is bondage, but you will not find that idea in Scripture! Read Psa 119 sometime, and see the delight which David takes in the Law, and the blessing obeying it returns to his life! In the New Testament as well as the Old, God requires obedience from His people - this principle did not pass away when Jesus rose from the dead. The New Testament writers equated obedience with a renewed heart and being led by the Spirit! The heart that is reluctant to do the will of the Lord is the heart that does not love Jesus. Jesus said that (Joh 14:21). Paul testifies that those who practice Law- lessness, which is unrighteousness, will not inherit the kingdom of heaven (1 Cor 6:9-10). And John says that those who say they know Jesus, but break the Law, are liars (1 Joh 2:4).

Our English understanding of the word “Law” is actually to blame for some of this; it is misleading for the word which is used in Hebrew, which is torah. I began to do some research into this word, and what I discovered amazed and delighted me! To be continued ...

Continued in law or torah.

God's word gives life to those who find it

Originally posted at a little perspective in August 2007.

Previously: the righteousness that is of faith, part two

We saw that granting anyone right standing before God -- righteousness -- was never the Law's purpose, and that Jesus hinted that the scribes and the Pharisees misunderstood Moses about this point (Mat 5:20). Paul, in fact, does not even hint it, but boldly says that Israel was completely ignorant of it (Rom 10:3)!

So I started searching the Law to see what it said about itself, and whether it stated its purpose. What I found surprised me. First of all, I discovered that the Lord was very clear about the purpose of the Law, stating why He had given it in the Law itself. And secondly, He repeated the same message so many times and in so many ways (I assume to be certain not to be misunderstood) that the references to them are far too numerous to list.

But here is a stab at it (I highlighted the purpose part of each verse):

“So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am YHVH.” Lev 18:5

“Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which YHVH, the God of your fathers, is giving you.” Deu 4:1

“So you shall keep His statutes and His commandments which I am giving you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may live long on the land which YHVH your God is giving you for all time.” Deu 4:40

“Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which YHVH your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it, so that you and your son and your grandson might fear YHVH your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as YHVH, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.” Deu 6:1-3

“So YHVH commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear YHVH our God for our good always and for our survival, as it is today.” Deu 6:24

“And now, Israel, what does YHVH your God require of you, but to fear YHVH your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve YHVH your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of YHVH, which I am commanding you today for your good?” Deu 10:12-13

“Now it shall be, if you diligently obey YHVH your God, being careful to do all His commandments which I command you today, YHVH your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey YHVH your God.” Deu 28:1-2

And there are many, many more which say essentially the same thing (I am in the process of compiling a list of all I can find). The pattern I began to see repeating over and over again, is that we are to obey the Lord's commandments so that we will have life, length of days, blessings, so that good would happen to us and to our children and our children's children after us. If you study every instance in which the Law gives a reason for obedience, you will find a common theme running through it all:

Obedience to the Lord's commandments gives physical life to those who adhere to it.

All that promotes health, prosperity, well- being, and happiness -- all that is necessary for the life of the body -- will abound to those who obey the commandments of the Lord as contained in the Law. I began to see that Moses and Jesus were not at cross purposes at all. Moses gave the Law which gives physical life to those who obey it, and Jesus gave Himself for our sins so that we might have spiritual life!

Then why does Paul say that the purpose of the Law was to guard us until Christ came (Gal 3:23)? Those who do not have physical life cannot inherit spiritual life. The people who lived in Noah's day were wiped out - they died, i.e. ceased to have physical life -- because of their great wickedness. The Canaanites were wiped out as a people because of their great wickedness. A people who, because of wickedness, cannot survive on the planet, will not be around to inherit spiritual life through Jesus when He is come. Only those who are physically alive, after all, can hear the gospel -- that righteousness is of faith -- and respond to it to receive spiritual life!

So now that we have spiritual life, do we need to obey the Law any longer? To be continued ...

Continued in written on hearts instead of stone.

torah

torah: mountain top meaning
commandment: mountain top meaning
statute: mountain top meaning
judgment: mountain top meaning

law or torah
God's word gives life to those who find it (purpose of torah)
brought out to be brought in, deu 6:20-25 (why torah?)

under the law, 1 corinthians 9
the curse of the law, part one, galatians 3
the curse of the law, part two, galatians 3

commandment: mountain top meaning

Commandment is in Hebrew, Strong's H4687, mitsvah. The primitive root is Strong's H6680, tsavah, hwx, tsadey vav hey. In the ancient Hebrew pictographs, the tsadey is the man lying on his side, as if a hunter in wait for prey. The letter conveys the idea of side, then, or lying in wait, chase, hunt, or snare. The vav is the tent peg, which was used to secure one thing to another. So the meaning can be add to, secure, or hook. The hey is the man standing with his arms raised, as if in exclamation. It can mean to look, reveal, breath, breathe, or sigh. The mountain top meaning, then, from the pictographs, which five- year- olds can understand by looking at the stick figures, is to lay upon the man a revelation.

The lexicons say it means to lay a charge upon. That might be imposing the English meaning of the word onto the Hebrew. I like revelation - it carries the picture of a man who did not know what to do or how to walk, but then when YHVH reveals to him His way of walking, His mitsvah, the man can now walk YHVH's way instead of his own way. The English of these words - commandments, law, statutes, and judgments - carries so much baggage of courtrooms and punishment with it. The Hebrew shows us it is rather more like instruction, as a father does his child.

Of course, the Father wants His children to take to heart His instructions. Why? Not to make us righteous in His sight, we learned! When YHVH gave His mitsvah to Moses and Israel, they had already applied the blood of the Passover lamb to the doorposts of their houses; they had already been delivered from death the destroyer; they had already been set free from bondage in Egypt! They had already passed through the Red Sea, which Paul taught us was a picture of baptism (1 Cor 10:1-2).

In other words, God had - past tense - made them the children of His house! Now that they were children, now that they were free and not slaves any more, He was laying upon them His way of walking by revelation. He wanted them to walk in His way, Moses tells us over and over and over again in Deuteronomy, so that they will live (Deu 4:1), so that it will be well with them, so that it will be well with their sons (Deu 4:40), so that they will prosper, so that they will be in health, so that blessings will come upon them and overtake them (Deu 28:1-14)! Blessings follow obedience!

Every good earthly father does the same. Because he has lived in the world for awhile, he knows that if his children do things one way, it will go bad for them, but if they do things another way, it will go good for them. Because the father loves his children, he wants good for them, so he instructs them in his way. There is a reason the Word of God calls YHVH our heavenly Father and we His children! God is trying to show us something by that!