Was the Law nailed to the cross?
Although Judaism and Christianity are based on the same Scriptures, there is one major difference in their beliefs regarding these very Scriptures, and that has made all the difference. Basically speaking, the Jews look at the first five books of the Bible, those books that were given to Moses by God Himself, containing the Laws of life, known simply by the Hebrew word, “Torah,” as foundational to their walk of faith. The Christians, on the other hand, agree with the Jews in theory, yet they don’t believe that these Laws of life apply to them, even though they believe that all of the promises of God, with special focus on His promise of Salvation through His Messiah, do apply to them. How can these two groups of people see the same set of Scriptures in two totally different ways?
Christianity traditionally places a heavy weight upon the teachings of the Apostle Paul. Could it be that this heavy weight is misplaced? Or could it be that Paul’s teachings are so greatly misunderstood as to create a false doctrine? Peter warns that Paul’s teachings are very difficult to understand (2 Peter 3:15-16) and we really must bear in mind that Paul was a Torah scholar and never spoke against the keeping of the Law. We know this because of these verses in the 21st chapter of Acts:
And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.
“What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come. Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law. (Acts 21:20-24)
Paul himself kept the Laws of God, and taught others to do so as well, including the Gentiles. Here is an example, where Paul is telling the Gentiles of Corinth that they should celebrate the feast of Passover:
Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:7-8)
How can we possibly understand why Paul is talking about leaven unless we study Passover and the feast of Unleavened Bread? It makes no sense. Therefore, Paul must have expected his students to understand these things due to the fact that they were keeping these feasts and festivals that are contained in the Law of God.
More importantly, why would this disciple of Yeshua (Jesus) teach something that is completely opposite of what our Savior Himself taught? Are not Yeshua’s words more important to us as His followers than the words of any other man? So what does Yeshua say about His purpose here?
“Do not think3543 that I came2064 to abolish2647 the Law3551 or2228 the Prophets4396; I did not come2064 to abolish2647 but to fulfill4137.” (Matthew 5:17)
I included the Strong’s numbers so that we can take a closer look at exactly what is being said here, for this seems to be a major part of the misunderstanding regarding our requirement to keep the Law. First, let us look at the word “abolish.”
Abolish – 2674 – From G2596 and G3089; to loosen down (disintegrate), that is, (by implication) to demolish (literally or figuratively); specifically (compare G2646) to halt for the night: – destroy, dissolve, be guest, lodge, come to nought, overthrow, throw down.
Clearly Yeshua is stating that He did not come to demolish the Law, halt it, dissolve it, nor overthrow the Law of God, neither literally nor figuratively. Second, we need to look at the word “fulfill,” for this is the big stumbling block for many:
Fulfill – 4137 – From G4134; to make replete, that is, (literally) to cram (a net), level up (a hollow), or (figuratively) to furnish (or imbue, diffuse, influence), satisfy, execute (an office), finish (a period or task), verify (or coincide with a prediction), etc.: – accomplish, X after, (be) complete, end, expire, fill (up), fulfil, (be, make) full (come), fully preach, perfect, supply.
To fulfill the promises of God, satisfying His requirements, as found in the Torah (Law of God), is what Yeshua claimed to have come to accomplish. He has perfected the Law of God. There was a task that the Law set before Him, and this task is what He has come to finish. Does that mean that the Law that spoke of His coming is now worthless? Does this word (fulfill) give any indication that something that would then disappear? No, it does not.
Unfortunately most Christians take Yeshua’s words to mean this: I have not come to do away with the Law, but I’ve come to get rid of it. Hello? Does this make any sense? It’s like getting a glass, filling it up full of milk, and then removing the glass and still expecting the milk to stay where it is, magically suspended in mid-air. Is this the logic of a sane person?
What else did Yeshua teach in regards to the Law?
One of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, ” ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:35-40)
There are many who teach that these are the only two Laws that Christians are require to keep. Is that what Yeshua is actually saying here? No. He is saying that these two commandments summarize the rest. Whenever we see all capital letters, we understand that the speaker is quoting Scripture. Here Yeshua is quoting Torah. First He quotes Deuteronomy, and these Scriptures are defined as the “watchword” of the faith:
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)
Just how does one love the Lord with all their heart, soul and might? Adonai gives us the short answer within the first five commandments spoken from the mountain top, written on the tablets, and given to Moses:
Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.
“You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.
“Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.” (Exodus 20:1-12)
When one keeps these five commands, they are demonstrating their love for the Lord God Almighty. Even the command to honor our parents reflects back on Him, since He is our Heavenly Father; if we can’t treat our earthly parents with respect, how can we ever expect to honor Adonai?
The second verse that Yeshua quoted was found in the book of Leviticus:
‘You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the LORD.’ (Leviticus 19:18)
This instruction is the summarization of the second set of five commandments given to Moses:
“You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:13-17)
The rest of God’s instructions (Torah) not only give a fuller explanation on how to love God and our neighbors, but they also instruct us in regards to the Holy Days that Adonai has given unto His people. These feasts and festivals are designed to not only draw us closer to Adonai, but instruct us regarding His ultimate plan for His people. Why would we want to get rid of them? What could possibly be gained from ignoring these teachings? More importantly, what could possibly be gained from following these teachings? Maybe a closer walk with Him?
Too many Christians misunderstand what the Good News actually was. They seem to think that the Good News was that we were no longer bound to God’s “silly” Laws, since Yeshua came to set us free. But was it from the Law that we needed to be released? Or was it the penalty defined in the Law? Just what is the Good News?
“And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers, that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.’” (Acts 13:32-33)
Adonai made certain promises to our fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and Yeshua is the evidence that Adonai keeps His word. But how can we possibly know that if we don’t read or study the promises that He made? How do we know that Yeshua is the long promised Messiah, stemming from the tribe of Judah, unless we know that the Messiah was promised to that tribe?
It seems highly improbable that Yeshua would state that He did not come to abolish the Law and then do just that. The Good News has nothing to do with the keeping of the Law since the Law is what shows us the promises originally. The Law, or the Torah, simply guides us in how to live out this life of faith that we have been called to walk, so why would God remove those guidelines? It simply makes no sense when you take the time to think it through.
So, if the Law was not what was nailed to the cross, what was? Well, let’s look at what Paul actually said to the Colossians:
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13-14)
Think of it this way: you have been caught speeding and the officer gives you a ticket and tells you that you must appear before the district justice. When you stand before him, and he finds you guilty, he then imposes a punishment upon you, usually in the form of a fine that must be paid or you will go to jail. Yeshua walks up, pays the fine, and takes the ticket, nailing it to the cross. He does not then remove the traffic laws that the speeding ticket was based upon; that would be silly since we still need those laws in order for our roads to function properly.
So too it would be silly to remove the Laws of God simply because we have been forgiven for transgressing them. Then what would we need to be forgiven for? Without the Law, how can Yeshua come in judgment? If judgment indeed begins in the house of the Lord (1 Peter 4:17), then must the house not be under the Law as well? If the Law has disappeared, then heaven and earth must have also disappeared, for Yeshua also said:
“You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God. The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it. But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.” (Luke 16:15-17)
That last sentence bears repeating: It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail. Heaven and earth are still here, therefore the Law must not have failed, passed away, been made null or void. What’s more, those who have been teaching that the Law is not valid are obviously acting within a spirit of Law-less-ness. And what did Yeshua teach in regards to Lawlessness?
“Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.” (Matthew 24:12)
Looking around it is easy to see that this is exactly what has happened. Our love has grown cold, and not just our love for one another, but also our love for God. Yeshua warned us that this would happen if we turned our backs on the Law of God. Adonai has given us a choice:
“See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am commanding you today; and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.” (Deuteronomy 11:26-28)
When we ignore the Feasts and Festivals of Adonai, instead celebrating man-made festivals, even those that were intended to honor Him, that incorporate the rituals from pagan (false) gods, we are choosing the curse. If we want the blessing, we must be willing to listen to the commandments of God, never turning aside from them, observing to do according to all that is written within His Torah, just as He told Joshua so long ago:
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. (Joshua 1:8)
Bonnie
><}}}:>
Bondservant of Yeshua the Messiah
