The Two-Hundred-Fifty-Ninth (What Path? Part 2)

As promised, this week we are going through scripture looking at what it says about YHWH’s Law and how it relates to believers in Yeshua.  As a short recap, last week we looked at the main foundations of beliefs many Christians hold today regarding the Law.  From the Law being “fulfilled” to it being “nailed to the cross,” we found out that many of the standard verses used to say the Law was “done away with” don’t actually say that at all.

This week it’s important to recognize something fundamental about this belief that the Law was done away with: there is no scripture that actually states this.  Not one verse.  And because that is true, you have to question if this doctrine has any basis whatsoever.  For such a fundamental change to what YHWH’s chosen people believed, what they centered their lives around, and what they experienced judgment for because they didn’t follow it, wouldn’t you think there would be at least one verse where someone just comes right out and says believers are no longer expected to follow the Law?  

This brings us to another one of the main arguments many theologians, pastors, and church leaders use: those believers being preached to by Yeshua, the first group of believers to follow Him, were Jewish, and we’re Gentiles.  We were never expected to follow the Law, they say.  We’re going to go into greater detail about the fallaciousness of this argument, but as we saw last week, the Law defines sin for all mankind.  Over the course of history, Gentiles as well as the Israelites were subject to judgment based on their transgression of the Law.  Otherwise, YHWH’s direction to Israel for whole groups of Gentile people to be killed would be unjust and unrighteous.  Their deaths were actually the judgment imposed based on their transgression of the first commandment: You shall have no other gods before me.  They did not worship YHWH.  They worshipped a myriad of other spiritual beings, and as a result, their judgment was death.

So, let’s take a look at what scripture really says rather than what the teachings and traditions of men say.  After all, if we don’t, are we really and truly following the catch phrase coined during the Reformation: “Sola Scriptura,” or, scripture alone?  As we go through all these verses, we must remind ourselves that at the time of writing of what we call New Testament scripture today, the only scripture believers had were the writings of what we call the Old Testament.  So, whenever the term scripture is used in the New Testament, or an allusion to scripture is made, it is referring to the Law (generally called “instruction,” or Torah; the first five books of the Old Testament) and the prophets (essentially, the remainder of the Old Testament).  In fact, we also see that certain books, like Jasher and Enoch, were referenced as scripture as well (Joshua 10:13, 2 Samuel 1:18, Jude 1:14-15), however in the commonly accepted books of the Bible today, those are not included.

The first thing to look at in order to gain accurate context for the application of Old Testament scripture to our lives is Paul’s explanation of our grafting (Romans 11:11-24).  We looked at this recently during our study of Paul’s use of the term “all Israel,” but as a reminder, Paul is talking specifically to the Gentiles and saying that they are grafted in to an olive root.  Many inaccurately believe Paul is talking about Yeshua being the olive root here, but Yeshua is actually the method by which people are grafted in to the olive root, not the olive root itself.

The olive root is actually faith in YHWH, and by extension Yeshua.  Paul makes this clear when he says those that were broken off from the olive root (referring to unbelieving and unfaithful Israel who rejected Yeshua) were broken off because of their unbelief, and Paul contrasts this with the fact that the Gentiles are grafted in to the olive root based on their faith (Romans 11:20).  This also aligns with Paul’s focus on connecting believers to Abraham and the fact that his faith is the reason YHWH counted him righteous (Romans 4:3, 9, Genesis 15:6).

Again, Christians like to use these types of verses from Paul to argue that because Abraham’s faith made him righteous, and because this righteousness was before the Law was given, the Law doesn’t apply to believers.  Did you know that there was likely only two people that would have been required from Adam to Abraham for Abraham to be passed down any commandments Adam received from YHWH?  Noah was alive at the beginning of Abraham’s life, and Methuselah and Lamech were alive while Adam was still walking the earth.  What makes us think commandments of YHWH weren’t passed down orally to Abraham?  Not to mention the fact that the whole reason YHWH had to write down the commandments for the Israelites is because they were so paganized during their time in Egypt they had forgotten them!  There’s even scriptural proof that this happens amongst the Israelites as we see in Nehemiah’s time that the people wept at the reading of the Law because they had forgotten it and were convicted in their hearts that they had been transgressing it when they should have been following it (Nehemiah 8:9).  

Since we’re grafted into the olive root that is belief and faith in YHWH, we are supposed to be the same type of people as YHWH’s chosen people of the Old Testament, not some unique group in the body of Yeshua.  How would it make sense that one set of people (the Jews) in His body would be required to follow the commandments while another set of people (the Gentiles) would not?  There are multiple verses in scripture that tell us YHWH is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34, Romans 2:11), meaning we are all the same to Him, so it is unscriptural to believe He has a different standard based on what family we were born to, a Jewish one versus a Gentile one.  We are all expected to do our best not to sin, and sin is defined universally as transgressing the Law (1 John 3:4).  And to be clear, obedience to the Law is directly associated with faith in YHWH, because as Moses said, Israel was in the wilderness to show if they had faith enough in YHWH to follow His commandments (Deuteronomy 8:2).

I tell you now, we are no different.  We will continue to be in our own wilderness if we do not follow His commandments.  And just like the Israelites, if we truly have faith in YHWH, we will follow His commandments, walk in His ways and fear Him (Deuteronomy 8:6).  This expectation didn’t end with Yeshua and His crucifixion, it is forever (Deuteronomy 29:29) and Yeshua Himself said nothing has passed away from the Law (Matthew 5:18).

One of the most commonly quoted verses by Christians is the one where Yeshua states that He is the way, the truth, and the life and that no one comes to the Father (YHWH) except through Him (John 14:6).  Not so common, is the understanding of what Yeshua was referring to when He called Himself those things.  The Law is the way (Psalm 119:1), the Law is the truth (Psalm 119:142), and the Law is life (Deuteronomy 32:46-47).  For us to believe in Yeshua, we have to believe in the Law.  He did not change the Law, He did not do away with it, and in fact, He stated in His ministry the exact opposite.  He specifically said that His doctrine is YHWH’s, and in that same context He even referenced the Law (John 7:16-19).  So, any doctrine that claims there is some new, unique “law of Christ” that’s different from YHWH’s Law is false doctrine.

Those holding up the “law of Christ” as a basis for not following YHWH’s commandments also claim that the ones we’re no longer required to follow are the ones that Yeshua didn’t specifically reiterate during His ministry.  The most common commandment this is used for is observing the Sabbath.  What people fail to realize is the logical fallacy present in this argument.  The term is called an “argument from silence,” meaning because someone didn’t say something it means that unspoken thing is not important to them, or that they don’t believe in it.  

The funny thing is, I actually heard the same logical fallacy used by a news host to argue that because Yeshua didn’t specifically mention abortion it wasn’t important to Him to speak against it and therefore, Christians today need to follow Him and also not speak against it.  We can all get onboard and agree that this is quite possibly the most ridiculous thing anyone’s ever said, yet some use the same false logic to argue against Sabbath-keeping, and somehow it’s accepted among Christians.  We’re not going to belabor the point this week because we already talked about it last week, but as a reminder, not only did all of Yeshua’s teaching originate from the Old Testament, to include the Law, He specifically said that the two greatest commandments, and therefore the ones we absolutely must follow, were what all the Law is based on (Matthew 22:34-40).  

Mind you, Yeshua also said whoever breaks even the least of the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, and whoever practices and teaches the commandments will be called the greatest (Matthew 5:19).  Are we not to take Yeshua at His word?  Furthermore, are we to ignore all the New Testament verses related to eschatology (end times) that talk about saints following the commandments (Revelation 12:17, 14:12)?  It even states that those who enter the gates of New Jerusalem will be the ones who follow the commandments (Revelation 22:14).

Nothing has changed since the Law was given regarding it defining obedience to YHWH, and subsequently transgression of it defining sin.  As in those times, today it is still the whole duty of man to fear YHWH and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13).  There is no subsequent scripture that has annulled those facts.  There’s also no scripture that annuls Proverbs 28:9, which states that turning an ear from hearing the Law makes a person’s prayer an abomination.  While we may have righteousness through the grace provided by Yeshua’s sacrifice, we are still expected to follow YHWH’s commandments.  That obedience does not take us from being under grace to being under the Law, and that obedience also is not what gives us eternal life, but YHWH still desires that obedience to Him.  He is certainly gracious to us when we stumble in trying to be obedient, and we thank Him for that, but the fact that we stumble doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to try.

To be clear, this message is what Paul would put in the category of “meat” vice “milk” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Hebrews 5:12-14).  The concept of following the Law even when our eternal life doesn’t depend on it is not an easy one for a new believer to understand.  This is made clear in the instruction of the apostles to the new believers coming out of the Gentiles.

I still have yet to hear a logical explanation of why the apostles would instruct new believers to follow certain commandments from the Law if, in fact, the Law was no longer required to be followed (Acts 15:20, 29, 21:25).  The best they’ve come up with is that these are commandments that are added to the list of commandments that were reiterated, and thus they are a part of this new set of commandments we’re supposed to follow (another “argument from silence” logical fallacy).  The truth is, just like new believers today, if you tell them they have to follow all these commandments right after you told them they had eternal life simply by faith, you’re not only going to confuse them but you’re going to probably drive them away.  The apostle’s point was that these are some initial commandments to start observing, and other commandments would be heard as the new believers attended synagogue on Shabbat and heard the rest of the words of Moses read aloud (Acts 15:21).  As the new believers hear those words, they will more and more feel convicted to start observing the rest of the commandments.

This is no different than what we saw occur throughout church history.  In case you weren’t aware, there have been a subset of believers that have followed the commandments ever since Yeshua’s death and resurrection.  As we just read in the New Testament, it was initially all believers, but over time the “anti-Law” group has become the dominant one (with the technical term being antinomian, from the Greek).  Still, believers throughout time, after reading scripture and doing their best to study on their own (which at times was difficult due to lack of literacy, lack of availability of scripture in one’s native language, and the fact that reading for yourself was outlawed, punishable by death, for quite a long period), have come to the conclusion that we should still be following the Law (including observance of the Feasts of YHWH).  At times, it was even so prevalent, and apparently such a concern to certain church leaders, that at multiple councils they banned observance of the Law (the councils at Carthage, Hippo, and Tours).  You have to ask yourself, why would they be so concerned with believers following the Law that they would take the time and effort to meet and agree to ban it?

The point is, understanding that believers should be following the Law is not a new phenomenon.  And to me, this makes perfect sense.  No matter how I read scripture, no matter which way I slice it or dice it, if I am being true to it, it tells me that YHWH still expects us, desires us, to follow His Law.  

At this point, seeing they have no other recourse because it’s so clear in black and white (and sometimes red) letters, antinomian believers resort to picking a random commandment and either asking, “Do you observe this one?” or “Do you believe we’re still supposed to follow this one?”  Usually, that question is supposed to invoke a doubt of whether or not that commandment is still valid (sound a little familiar?  Like Satan invoking doubt in YHWH’s commandment in the Garden of Eden?), but we’ve referenced multiple times throughout our studies that YHWH’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:9).  No, I don’t know why He gave certain commandments, but I do know that He gave them for a purpose and it’s not for me to determine if that purpose is still valid today or not.  

In fact, more and more people today are finding out that some of the commandments actually make sense based on the results of current scientific studies.  Take the commandments regarding food, for example.  Those are of particular interest to Christians today because for some reason things like bacon are a beloved meat to a lot of them.  Doctors have been studying this for decades now, but it has been “rebranded” under the heading of “gut microbiome,” and they are seeing the effects of an unhealthy gut microbiome on a person’s overall health.

There are doctors out there curing even mental health issues like schizophrenia and suicidal tendencies simply by changing a person’s diet.  I mean completely curing, as in a previously schizophrenic person now has no multiple personalities.  Don’t you think YHWH knew how important a healthy gut is when He gave His commandments?  Why do we think that somehow now it’s perfectly healthy for us to eat animals that are the “cleanup crew” of the earth like pigs and shellfish?  The role of those animals hasn’t changed, and our bodies haven’t changed.

This is a common blunder of Christians: to believe that they know more than YHWH and thus can pick and choose what commandments to follow.  They exert themselves in all sorts of theological gymnastics (and I use the term “theological” loosely because in some cases it’s far from logical) to work out a way that they can continue doing whatever they want instead of being obedient to YHWH.  That, by definition, is rebellion, and another word for it is lawlessness…something Yeshua warned would result in Him saying He never knew us (Matthew 7:23).  

Just like last week, I implore you to please search the scriptures for yourself.  Start there, and then figure out if the teachings and traditions of Christianity today are in agreement with scripture.  To me, this is not a matter of interpretation.  It is a straight fact, and to believe otherwise requires skipping verses, looking sideways at other verses, and just plain going against the majority of verses related to the Law.  Seek out the truth for yourself with the Holy Spirit as your guide.  

I will reiterate what I stated last week, that I am not coming from a position of superiority or pride regarding this subject.  I will be the first one to tell you that I know I don’t follow every commandment today.  That doesn’t mean I’m not working my way towards that goal out of love for YHWH and a desire to be obedient to Him.  My aim for the past two weeks was simply to provide what I’ve learned so that you can study it for yourself.  This may be controversial among Christians, but I truly believe that as we get closer to Yeshua’s return, following the Law is becoming more and more important.  I see more and more believers coming to the realization that that’s what YHWH expects us to be doing.      

We’ll close this week with some questions for you to ponder during your studies on this topic.  Why, if the Law is no longer expected to be followed, did Paul worry so much about the fact that he struggled to follow it based on the desires of his flesh? (Romans 8:8-25)  Why would he write to believers about not sinning if the Law, which defines sin, was done away with? (Romans 6:1-2, 15)  And who is the prophecy of Isaiah 56 referring to when it talks about foreigners observing the Sabbath and following the Law being blessed and brought to YHWH’s mountain? (Isaiah 56:2-3, 6-7)  The same house of prayer YHWH will make these foreigners joyful in is the one Yeshua was talking about, and this is the same prophecy He quoted from when He said it (Isaiah 56:7, Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46).

The subject of study these two weeks has been to ask “What path?” we should be on as believers.  This week, choose what path you feel the Holy Spirit leading you down.  Shabbat shalom and YHWH bless you!

-Rob and Sara Gene