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The Torah - It's place in Scripture
The first five Books of the Bible Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are called the Pentateuch or in Hebrew Torah. They are called the Books of Moses and form the centre of the Bible. This can be demonstrated graphically as concentric circles around the Torah with the Writings, the next circle followed by the Prophets and finally the New Testament forming the outer circle to form the complete Bible. In the Hebrew Scriptures this order is slightly different besides the lack of the B’rit Hadashah. Here the Torah is encircled by the Prophets (Nevi’im) and then the Writings (K’tuvim) that together make up the Tanach (which is made up by combining these three word in Hebrew). This diagram can be used to come to a better understanding of the place of the Torah in Scripture. The word Torah occurs over two hundred times in the Hebrew Scriptures while the word used in the Greek is nomos. It occurs also over two hundred times in the New Testament. Most translators have tended to mistranslate these words as law in most English translations of the Bible. The word Torah is derived from the verb yarah to teach or instruct. Hence Torah carries the meaning of Teaching or Instructions of God. It is a archery term that means 'to hit the mark'. This then fits with the description above as an archery target with the Torah forming the bulls-eye as shown below with the arrow hitting the bulls -eye in yellow with the red and the blue representing the Prophets and Writings as shown below. |
It is only with much practice that we are able to hit the bulls-eye with the help of the Holy Spirit, Ruach HaKodesh. Interesting the term in Hebrew 'to miss the mark' is chet which means sin or error!!! More on this in the next newsletter. Hebrew is one of the few languages that is not only phonetic, but numerical and pictorial. The four letters תורה that spell Torah represent the numbers 5+200+6+400=611! Now traditionally there are 613 commandments that are contained in the Torah, so what about the two missing commandments. Yeshua was asked in Matthew 22:36 which is the greatest commandment in the Torah and the Prophets and He states 'to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself on these two commandments depend all the (611) commandments'. For as Paul writes in 1Corithians 13:1 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal." The commandments of Torah hangs on these two commandments of love. Hence love is the key for Torah to be written on our hearts! It is not about salvation but about righteousness and holiness.
In Summary
To bring about the One New Man the Jewish people need to accept their Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach and return to Torah to be sanctified. While the Gentiles, once they have accepted the Jewish Messiah need to start walking in the truth of the Torah in preparation for the return of Messiah who is the living Torah (Word made flesh).
The Torah - Its Place in Our Lives
In Matthew 22:36 Yeshua is challenged by the Pharisees; "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Torah?" And Yeshua said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Deut. 6:5) This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev. 19:18) On these two commandments all the Torah and the Prophets hang."
Our Heavenly Father cannot love us any more than He already does. The closeness of our relationship with Him is how much we love Him and by how much we love others. Yeshua said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments" .So a measure of how much we love Yeshua is how much do we desire to be obedient to His Word (Logos), the Living Torah as quoted in verse 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.. that needs to be written on our hearts."
The relationship between this Gospel message and Torah can be considered as four concentric circles (similar to the Torah) with Salvation by Grace at the centre, secondly the Moral law, thirdly Ritual law and fourthly Religious tradition:*
1. Yeshua, Salvation is hidden in the Torah and is revealed in the New Testament through the Living Word (Logos) given in John. Acceptance of Yeshua is the entry point into the Kingdom of God, there is no other way to be saved.
2. Moral standards are essential for a godly walk with the Lord as summed up in the Ten Commandments (10 Words) as stated by Yeshua in Matt 19:17-19 to the rich man. In Matthew 5:17-19 Yeshua emphatically states, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill(uphold) them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota(yod), not a dot(vav), will pass from the Torah until all is accomplished." (Note that the yod and vav are the two smallest letters in the Hebrew alphabet and are 'soft letters' as they may be left out of a word without changing its meaning!). "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." In Matthew 5 Yeshua raises the bar on six specific moral commandments to such a level that without grace and the Holy Spirit it is impossible to get over them.
3. Within the Torah (Law) there are commandments of greater importance and those of lesser as stated by Yeshua in Matt 23:23 "... and you have left undone the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith." The moral commandments are primary as they are motivated out of love, whereas the ritual commandments or 'signs' of covenant are not binding commandments in the same way as the moral commandments are (Mark 12:23). Sacrifices, festivals, food laws and circumcision are on a lower level than commandments against murder, adultery, stealing or lying. If this order is swopped about one gets religious hypocrisy as Yeshua states very strongly in the eight woes against the Pharisees in Matt 23:13-29.
4. Religious Traditions are never binding or authoritative. Yeshua questions the Pharisees and scribes in Matt 15:3, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (paradosis)?. Interestingly paradosis is one of only two Greek nouns that has the gematria of 666 with europia meaning wealth/ affluence being the other.) We are not to elevate religious traditions above moral law as the Pharisees were want to do and which Rabbinic Judaism has continued. Likewise, Christianity has done exactly the same over the centuries by adding to God's Word. Where religious traditions become part of the culture as with Judaism and Christianity, we can embrace it in love to get the Gospel message through just as Paul states in 1 Cor 9:20. Culture can be Biblical true, neutral or against scriptural truth. Where culture is against the word of God we need to have discernment on how not to come under it. This is all about becoming the One New Man Paul speaks about in Ephesians 2:15 where Jewish and non-Jewish become one (Echad in Messiah) and the wall of hostility arising from man-made decrees and dogmas are removed by Yeshua.
In Summary
So Torah does not justify us (Gal 3:11) but it sets the standard of righteousness. My wife recently has a range of blood test to find a reason for high blood pressure. The results of the various test are checked against a normal range. If the results are outside this range it indicates a problem with her health. The Torah is like these normal medical ranges. It just indicates where there is sin in our lives. It does not heal or save us, but if we ignore the warning we move from blessing to curse as we come under the curse of the law.
The Sabbath - Its Place in Our Lives
"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Gen 2:2-3)
If God Himself rested on the seventh day and we are created in His image and likeness, then surely we need to do likewise? God then declares this Sabbath day as holy, set apart from the other six days. So this day is all about being set apart to be a holy people. It is not surprising then that this seventh day has been and is such a major stumbling stone to people in the mainline Christian denominations who have taken on the lie that the Torah is done away with and has been replaced by Grace. The enemy, the Anti-Christ supports those who are anti-Torah as he is the Lawless One, the 'Torahless' One! We who are call Christians, the followers of Messiah are meant to be 'called out', ecclesia from the world. Set apart to be holy and righteous under a Holy God who hates sin but loves the sinner.
Our Heavenly Father cannot love us any more than He already does. The closeness of our relationship with Him is how much we love Him and by how much we love others. Yeshua said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments". So a measure of how much we love Yeshua is how much do we desire to be obedient to His Word (Logos), the Living Torah as quoted in verse 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me."
In Summary
To bring about the One New Man the Jewish people need to accept their Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach and return to Torah to be sanctified. While the Gentiles, once they have accepted the Jewish Messiah need to start walking in the truth of the Torah in preparation for the return of Messiah who is the living Torah (Word made flesh).
The Torah - Its Place in Our Lives
In Matthew 22:36 Yeshua is challenged by the Pharisees; "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Torah?" And Yeshua said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Deut. 6:5) This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Lev. 19:18) On these two commandments all the Torah and the Prophets hang."
Our Heavenly Father cannot love us any more than He already does. The closeness of our relationship with Him is how much we love Him and by how much we love others. Yeshua said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments" .So a measure of how much we love Yeshua is how much do we desire to be obedient to His Word (Logos), the Living Torah as quoted in verse 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.. that needs to be written on our hearts."
The relationship between this Gospel message and Torah can be considered as four concentric circles (similar to the Torah) with Salvation by Grace at the centre, secondly the Moral law, thirdly Ritual law and fourthly Religious tradition:*
1. Yeshua, Salvation is hidden in the Torah and is revealed in the New Testament through the Living Word (Logos) given in John. Acceptance of Yeshua is the entry point into the Kingdom of God, there is no other way to be saved.
2. Moral standards are essential for a godly walk with the Lord as summed up in the Ten Commandments (10 Words) as stated by Yeshua in Matt 19:17-19 to the rich man. In Matthew 5:17-19 Yeshua emphatically states, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill(uphold) them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota(yod), not a dot(vav), will pass from the Torah until all is accomplished." (Note that the yod and vav are the two smallest letters in the Hebrew alphabet and are 'soft letters' as they may be left out of a word without changing its meaning!). "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." In Matthew 5 Yeshua raises the bar on six specific moral commandments to such a level that without grace and the Holy Spirit it is impossible to get over them.
3. Within the Torah (Law) there are commandments of greater importance and those of lesser as stated by Yeshua in Matt 23:23 "... and you have left undone the weightier matters of the Law, judgment, mercy, and faith." The moral commandments are primary as they are motivated out of love, whereas the ritual commandments or 'signs' of covenant are not binding commandments in the same way as the moral commandments are (Mark 12:23). Sacrifices, festivals, food laws and circumcision are on a lower level than commandments against murder, adultery, stealing or lying. If this order is swopped about one gets religious hypocrisy as Yeshua states very strongly in the eight woes against the Pharisees in Matt 23:13-29.
4. Religious Traditions are never binding or authoritative. Yeshua questions the Pharisees and scribes in Matt 15:3, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition (paradosis)?. Interestingly paradosis is one of only two Greek nouns that has the gematria of 666 with europia meaning wealth/ affluence being the other.) We are not to elevate religious traditions above moral law as the Pharisees were want to do and which Rabbinic Judaism has continued. Likewise, Christianity has done exactly the same over the centuries by adding to God's Word. Where religious traditions become part of the culture as with Judaism and Christianity, we can embrace it in love to get the Gospel message through just as Paul states in 1 Cor 9:20. Culture can be Biblical true, neutral or against scriptural truth. Where culture is against the word of God we need to have discernment on how not to come under it. This is all about becoming the One New Man Paul speaks about in Ephesians 2:15 where Jewish and non-Jewish become one (Echad in Messiah) and the wall of hostility arising from man-made decrees and dogmas are removed by Yeshua.
In Summary
So Torah does not justify us (Gal 3:11) but it sets the standard of righteousness. My wife recently has a range of blood test to find a reason for high blood pressure. The results of the various test are checked against a normal range. If the results are outside this range it indicates a problem with her health. The Torah is like these normal medical ranges. It just indicates where there is sin in our lives. It does not heal or save us, but if we ignore the warning we move from blessing to curse as we come under the curse of the law.
The Sabbath - Its Place in Our Lives
"And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation. (Gen 2:2-3)
If God Himself rested on the seventh day and we are created in His image and likeness, then surely we need to do likewise? God then declares this Sabbath day as holy, set apart from the other six days. So this day is all about being set apart to be a holy people. It is not surprising then that this seventh day has been and is such a major stumbling stone to people in the mainline Christian denominations who have taken on the lie that the Torah is done away with and has been replaced by Grace. The enemy, the Anti-Christ supports those who are anti-Torah as he is the Lawless One, the 'Torahless' One! We who are call Christians, the followers of Messiah are meant to be 'called out', ecclesia from the world. Set apart to be holy and righteous under a Holy God who hates sin but loves the sinner.
Our Heavenly Father cannot love us any more than He already does. The closeness of our relationship with Him is how much we love Him and by how much we love others. Yeshua said in John 14:15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments". So a measure of how much we love Yeshua is how much do we desire to be obedient to His Word (Logos), the Living Torah as quoted in verse 24 "He who does not love Me does not keep My Words, and the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me."
The 10 Words otherwise known as the Ten Commandments contain the moral commandments that most Christians try to obey except for one, the fourth commandments! (I call this 'blink' theology) This commandment is the most detailed commandment in both:
Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
And Deuteronomy 5:12-15:
"Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you, so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there by strength and power. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."he Sabbath day."
The Exodus passage relates directly with our Genesis passage as it refers to creation as the foundational text. God rested and enjoyed all He had created especially mankind who He had made in His likeness. However, the Deuteronomy passage refers to the redemption from slavery. It is a day to remember that we were once slaves to sin and are now free through the blood of Yeshua HaMashiach, our Paschal Lamb, to enter into His Rest/Shabbat. Both text clearly stated that foreigner/non-Jews 'ger' in Hebrew who are in covenant relationship with the God of Israel are to keep the Sabbath. Hence Sabbath is the time for joy to rise up in our spirit as we give thanks to our Creator for all He has created especially mankind and the joy of redemption from slavery into freedom from sin so we can regain what the first Adam lost. This is not to do about salvation but all about coming into deeper communion with the Living God, Yehovah, through Yeshua.
There is only one covenant people Jew and Gentile who are obedient to Yehovah through Messiah. Jew and Gentile believers are called to become One New Man in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Christ who is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mtt12:8, Luke 6:5). So surely if He is our Lord we need to be under His covering as Lord of the Sabbath. Yeshua was fully Sabbath observant as the Torah requires but not as the Pharisees observed it. Paul was also fully Sabbath observant as a study of his epistles and Book of Acts points out in Acts 17:2; 18:4; 22:3 Phil 3:5. How far has Christianity fallen away from Yeshua and Paul His Apostle in Sabbath observance. By replacing the Sabbath by Sunday we have followed in Emperor Constantine's foot steps of Sun worship when on March 7, 321AD he decreed:
''The day sacred to the sun, to which the ancients very properly gave the name of Sunday'' and “Let all judges and townspeople and occupations of all trades rest on the vulnerable day of the Sun (Sunday)” (Refer: The Code of Justinian)
“Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Hebrews 4:9-13
I pray that this article may get you to search out the complete word of God so it may judge the desires and thoughts of our hearts in this matter. So we may be prepared for the Millennium when Yeshua will rule with a iron scepter.
Exodus 20:8-11
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.”
And Deuteronomy 5:12-15:
"Be careful to observe the Sabbath day just as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to work and do all your tasks in six days, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD your God. On that day you must not do any work, you, your son, your daughter, your male slave, your female slave, your ox, your donkey, any other animal, or the foreigner who lives with you, so that your male and female slaves, like yourself, may have rest. Recall that you were slaves in the land of Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there by strength and power. That is why the LORD your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day."he Sabbath day."
The Exodus passage relates directly with our Genesis passage as it refers to creation as the foundational text. God rested and enjoyed all He had created especially mankind who He had made in His likeness. However, the Deuteronomy passage refers to the redemption from slavery. It is a day to remember that we were once slaves to sin and are now free through the blood of Yeshua HaMashiach, our Paschal Lamb, to enter into His Rest/Shabbat. Both text clearly stated that foreigner/non-Jews 'ger' in Hebrew who are in covenant relationship with the God of Israel are to keep the Sabbath. Hence Sabbath is the time for joy to rise up in our spirit as we give thanks to our Creator for all He has created especially mankind and the joy of redemption from slavery into freedom from sin so we can regain what the first Adam lost. This is not to do about salvation but all about coming into deeper communion with the Living God, Yehovah, through Yeshua.
There is only one covenant people Jew and Gentile who are obedient to Yehovah through Messiah. Jew and Gentile believers are called to become One New Man in Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Christ who is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mtt12:8, Luke 6:5). So surely if He is our Lord we need to be under His covering as Lord of the Sabbath. Yeshua was fully Sabbath observant as the Torah requires but not as the Pharisees observed it. Paul was also fully Sabbath observant as a study of his epistles and Book of Acts points out in Acts 17:2; 18:4; 22:3 Phil 3:5. How far has Christianity fallen away from Yeshua and Paul His Apostle in Sabbath observance. By replacing the Sabbath by Sunday we have followed in Emperor Constantine's foot steps of Sun worship when on March 7, 321AD he decreed:
''The day sacred to the sun, to which the ancients very properly gave the name of Sunday'' and “Let all judges and townspeople and occupations of all trades rest on the vulnerable day of the Sun (Sunday)” (Refer: The Code of Justinian)
“Consequently a Sabbath rest remains for the people of God. For the one who enters God’s rest has also rested from his works, just as God did from his own works. Thus we must make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart. And no creature is hidden from God, but everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must render an account.” Hebrews 4:9-13
I pray that this article may get you to search out the complete word of God so it may judge the desires and thoughts of our hearts in this matter. So we may be prepared for the Millennium when Yeshua will rule with a iron scepter.
Two Laws or One Torah?
From a traditional Jewish perspective there are two laws, one for the Gentile nations and one for the Jewish people. According to the Talmud, the seven laws of Noah apply to all humanity as sons of Noah (B’nei Noah), whilst the Torah and its 613 commandments is are only applicable to the descendants of Jacob (Am Isra’el). Christianity has generally accepted this understanding and has used this to interpret the Jerusalem council’s (Apostolic) decree in Acts 15 and to affirm that Gentile believers do not have to comply with the Torah. The four requirements given in Acts 15:20 are then taken to be part of the Noachide laws that are only for the Gentile believers as follows:-
Seven laws of Noah Acts 15:20
ii. Abstain from strangled animals
7. The requirement of maintaining justice
Is this a correct understanding of the Jerusalem councils ruling or Halakhah (a set of rulings for the living out of Torah) or is something else behind the four rulings?
The laws of Noah are inferred from the Noahic covenant promises given to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9 and the Book of Jubilees. If one accepts that there is one (echad) covenant with progressive revelation starting with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses to David which finds its fulfilment in the New Covenant, then there is only one Torah (echad Torah). This covenant issue will be covered in the next article on the ‘The Covenants in the Rainbow’.
An in-depth study of these four rulings given in Acts 15:20 and 29 as done by Abram Yehoshua in ‘The Lifting of the Veil’ reveals a very different understanding that aligns with the rest of Scripture.
Firstly you will notice from the above list that the requirement of not eating meat of strangled animal is not found explicitly in the seven Noachide rules nor is it found in Torah! It can however be deduced, in that the blood remains in the flesh of strangled animals. The second rule to abstain from pornay’ah in the Greek is very often translated as fornication or sexual immorality. Avram makes the very strong point that this word and its equivalent word in the Hebrew zinute are both used to refer to cult prostitution over 96% of the time in the New and Old Testaments not just any sexual sin.
Now the reason for the Jerusalem’s ruling was all about "Unless you (heathens) are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." in verse 1. So these rulings are all about the minimum requirements for heathens to be saved. If they continued to visit pagan temple, took part in the religious rituals which involved eating meat of strangled animals, drinking the blood and/or having sex with the temple prostitutes they would not be saved. We serve a jealous God (Ex 20) and God hated idolatry as it breaks covenant. Only the Blood of Yeshua can save one: Circumcision cannot! All believers are called to have their hearts circumcised. (Rom 2:29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.) If you have any doubts about the truth of this then please get hold of Avram’s book and research it for your self.
Most people seem to suffer from what I have call ‘blink theology’ as they read verses 20 to 29 but do not notice what verse 21 has to say. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." (Act 15:21) The word translated ‘for’ is a primary particle (G1063) gar that properly assigns a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification) for the four rules. So the reason for giving these four minimum rules are for the salvation of pagans, who through attendance every Sabbath will hear the Torah given to Moses and be led into the ways of the Lord.
In Summary
Does this not turn on the head what so many in the church have been taught that the Torah is only for the Jews (Seed of Abraham) and not for non-Jewish believers? There are not two laws or dual covenants, one for Gentiles another for Jewish believers, but only ONE (Echad) Covenant that contains the requirements for a faithful Bride to obey God’s Teaching for Life, the Torah.
Our next article will look at ‘The Covenants in the Rainbow' followed by a look at the food requirements from a non-Jewish perspective. I pray that these articles will get you to study Scripture from a Hebraic perspective and help you to take off the Greek spectacles’ with which the church has grown up.
From a traditional Jewish perspective there are two laws, one for the Gentile nations and one for the Jewish people. According to the Talmud, the seven laws of Noah apply to all humanity as sons of Noah (B’nei Noah), whilst the Torah and its 613 commandments is are only applicable to the descendants of Jacob (Am Isra’el). Christianity has generally accepted this understanding and has used this to interpret the Jerusalem council’s (Apostolic) decree in Acts 15 and to affirm that Gentile believers do not have to comply with the Torah. The four requirements given in Acts 15:20 are then taken to be part of the Noachide laws that are only for the Gentile believers as follows:-
Seven laws of Noah Acts 15:20
- The prohibition of idolatry The prohibition of idolatry
- The prohibition of murder
- The prohibition of theft
- The prohibition of sexual immorality Abstain from Pornay’ah
- The prohibition of blasphemy
- The prohibition of eating flesh with blood
ii. Abstain from strangled animals
7. The requirement of maintaining justice
Is this a correct understanding of the Jerusalem councils ruling or Halakhah (a set of rulings for the living out of Torah) or is something else behind the four rulings?
The laws of Noah are inferred from the Noahic covenant promises given to Noah and his sons in Genesis 9 and the Book of Jubilees. If one accepts that there is one (echad) covenant with progressive revelation starting with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses to David which finds its fulfilment in the New Covenant, then there is only one Torah (echad Torah). This covenant issue will be covered in the next article on the ‘The Covenants in the Rainbow’.
An in-depth study of these four rulings given in Acts 15:20 and 29 as done by Abram Yehoshua in ‘The Lifting of the Veil’ reveals a very different understanding that aligns with the rest of Scripture.
Firstly you will notice from the above list that the requirement of not eating meat of strangled animal is not found explicitly in the seven Noachide rules nor is it found in Torah! It can however be deduced, in that the blood remains in the flesh of strangled animals. The second rule to abstain from pornay’ah in the Greek is very often translated as fornication or sexual immorality. Avram makes the very strong point that this word and its equivalent word in the Hebrew zinute are both used to refer to cult prostitution over 96% of the time in the New and Old Testaments not just any sexual sin.
Now the reason for the Jerusalem’s ruling was all about "Unless you (heathens) are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." in verse 1. So these rulings are all about the minimum requirements for heathens to be saved. If they continued to visit pagan temple, took part in the religious rituals which involved eating meat of strangled animals, drinking the blood and/or having sex with the temple prostitutes they would not be saved. We serve a jealous God (Ex 20) and God hated idolatry as it breaks covenant. Only the Blood of Yeshua can save one: Circumcision cannot! All believers are called to have their hearts circumcised. (Rom 2:29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter.) If you have any doubts about the truth of this then please get hold of Avram’s book and research it for your self.
Most people seem to suffer from what I have call ‘blink theology’ as they read verses 20 to 29 but do not notice what verse 21 has to say. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." (Act 15:21) The word translated ‘for’ is a primary particle (G1063) gar that properly assigns a reason (used in argument, explanation or intensification) for the four rules. So the reason for giving these four minimum rules are for the salvation of pagans, who through attendance every Sabbath will hear the Torah given to Moses and be led into the ways of the Lord.
In Summary
Does this not turn on the head what so many in the church have been taught that the Torah is only for the Jews (Seed of Abraham) and not for non-Jewish believers? There are not two laws or dual covenants, one for Gentiles another for Jewish believers, but only ONE (Echad) Covenant that contains the requirements for a faithful Bride to obey God’s Teaching for Life, the Torah.
Our next article will look at ‘The Covenants in the Rainbow' followed by a look at the food requirements from a non-Jewish perspective. I pray that these articles will get you to study Scripture from a Hebraic perspective and help you to take off the Greek spectacles’ with which the church has grown up.
