Today is Simchat Torah, "Rejoicing in the Torah," and so it seemed
like a good idea to review just what the Torah is and why we should
rejoice that the Holy One graced us with it.
The Torah is the Way God commanded us to walk (Deu. 11:22), the Truth
(Psa. 119:142), and is the fountain of life to those who keep it (Pro.
13:14, Lev. 18:5), just as Yeshua is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John
14:6) for all who trust in and follow Him. Indeed, the Torah is the very
Spirit of Life in the Messiah Yeshua (Rom. 8:2).
Yeshua did not come to abolish the Torah, but to fulfill it (Mat.
5:17)—that is, to make it full of meaning both by His teachings and by His
Life, Sacrifice, and Resurrection. Therefore, we do not annul (cease to
keep) the Torah through our faith; on the contrary, we uphold it (Rom.
3:31), for Messiah is the goal to which the Torah points (Rom. 10:4) and it
is not the hearers of the Torah who are justified, but the doers of the
Torah (Rom. 2:13).
Until heaven and earth pass away, not one yod (the smallest letter) or
one penstroke will pass away from the Torah until everything is fulfilled
(Mat. 5:18). Therefore, he who stumbles at one command of the Torah is
guilty of breaking it all (Jas. 2:10) and those who break the least
commandment and teach others to do the same will be the least in the Kingdom
of Heaven; but those who do and teach it will be called great in the Kingdom
of Heaven (Mat. 5:19, 23:23).
The Torah is not sin—that is, keeping it is not sinful (Rom. 7:7)—but
rather is perfect (Psa. 19:7), more precious than gold and silver (Psa.
119:72), Spiritual—that is, of the Spirit (Rom. 7:14)—holy, just, and good
(Rom. 7:12), and a Torah of liberty (Jas. 1:25, 2:12), provided that one
uses/interprets it as it is intended (1 Ti. 1:8).
The Torah is neither too difficult to understand nor too difficult to
do, but is near to and written on our hearts that we may keep it (Deu.
30:11ff, Psa. 40:8, Isa. 51:7)—this is especially true under the New
Covenant (Jer. 31:33, Heb. 8:10). The Torah is easily summed up in
loving God and loving our neighbor (Mat. 7:12, 22:38-40; Luke 10:27; Rom.
13:8ff; Gal. 5:14; Jas. 2:8).
The righteousness of the Torah is the mark of the greatness of God’s
people (Deu. 4:8), for it takes strength and courage to keep it (Jos. 1:7,
23:6). In fact, the Torah can only be truly kept by those who walk in the
Spirit, not those who walk after the flesh/sin nature (Rom. 8:4-9). The L-RD
gave the Land to Israel specifically so that they might keep His Torah (Psa.
105:45).
The Torah is only “weak” and impossible to keep perfectly because we are
weak in our flesh (Rom. 8:3) and all fall short of its righteousness (Rom.
3:23, Gal. 2:16). The weakness is in us, not in God’s Word. That
is why we need the Grace of God extended to us in the Messiah Yeshua, and
cannot be justified by the “works of the Law” (Rom. 3:27, Gal. 2:16).
The Torah curses those who do not keep all of it (Deu. 27:26; Isa. 5:24,
24:5: Jer. 6:19; Rom. 4:15; Gal. 3:10). In fact, prayer is an abomination
from those who refuse to hear the Torah (Pro. 28:9). It was these curses
that Messiah took upon Himself and redeemed us from (Gal. 3:13).
The Torah also blesses those who keep its commandments (Deu. 28:1ff,
30:9f). Now that the curses of the Torah have been taken away, all that
remains is for us to receive its blessings.
The Torah brings repentance (Psa. 19:7), for it informs us of our sin;
that is, what is sinful (Rom. 3:20, 5:13; 7:7)—indeed, the very definition
of sin is Torah-lessness (1 Jn. 3:4). Therefore, the Torah keeps the
righteous from stumbling (Psa. 37:31), for it is a light unto our path (Pro.
6:23), and those who forsake the Torah also praise the wicked (Pro. 28:4).
The blessed, righteous, and wise meditate on the Torah day and night
(Jos. 1:8; Psa. 1:2, 119:97), take delight in the Torah (Psa. 1:2, 40:8,
119:70; Rom. 7:22), and keep it with their whole hearts (Psa. 119:34).
Those who delight in the Torah will not perish in their affliction (Psa.
119:92), for the Torah brings peace and joy to those who love it (Psa.
119:165, Pro. 29:18).
The Torah makes the simple wise (Psa. 19:7), and contains wondrous
things for those whose eyes God opens (Psa. 119:18). Blessed is he whom God
teaches from His Torah (Psa. 94:12) and who walks in the way of the Torah
(Psa. 119:1), for even obscure agricultural details in the Torah have a
deeper meaning (1 Co. 9:9).
Agreement with the Torah is one of the tests of a true prophet (Deu.
12:32-13:5, Isa. 8:20).
Paul kept the Torah (Acts 21:24, 25:8), serving it with his mind, even
though he often stumbled in his flesh (Rom. 7:25), and the early Jewish
believers were zealous for the Torah (Acts 21:20, 22:12). In fact,
Circumcision (being Jewish) only profits one if he keeps the Torah (Rom.
2:25, Gal. 5:3f).
And yet, the Torah is not for Jewish believers alone, for if one
uncircumcised (a Gentile) keeps the Torah, it is counted to him as if he
were circumcised (Jewish; Rom. 2:26), and one’s Jewishness or Gentileness is
considered nothing compared to whether one is keeping God’s commandments (1
Co. 7:19).
In the Age to Come, many will go to Jerusalem to learn the Torah, for
the Torah will go forth from Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3, Mic. 4:2). God will
magnify the Torah and make it honorable (Isa. 42:21). In connection with
the coming of Elijah, God commands us to remember the Torah of Moses (Mal.
4:4).
