Unconvinced
True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity. Malachi 2:6 NASB
True instruction – It doesn’t take much to discover that “true instruction” is really torat ‘emet, the Torah of trustworthiness. It also doesn’t take much to acknowledge that Malachi, speaking the words of YHVH, tells his listeners to guard the knowledge of the messenger who brings torat ‘emet. Who is that messenger? The house of Levi, the bearer of the covenant. The text could not be clearer. Ah, but why do most readers of the Scriptures remain unconvinced? Why do they suppose that the torat ‘emet was only for the Jews, that since the death of the Messiah the torat ‘emet, sworn by YHVH Himself to be the source of righteousness, no longer applies? Why do they actually fulfill the dire prediction of Malachi by ignoring or rendering void what YHVH Himself requires of His followers?
Can there be any doubt of the outcome? “From the days of your fathers you have turned aside from My statutes and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. “But you say, ‘How shall we return?’”(Malachi 3:7). Yes, Malachi is speaking to Israel, but is the situation any different today? Haven’t we who claimed biblical allegiance done exactly the same thing? “From the days of your fathers” is just as true of us. For nearly 2000 years we have trodden under the torat ‘emet given through the house of Levi. Why?
You might want to suggest that it is all the fault of the early Church fathers, the Gnostics, the Catholic bishops, Constantine and the ones who quite deliberately separated the identity of Christian from Jew. Historically, you would be correct. But there is another factor, one that continues to operate today. One that provides just the right excuse for not returning to torat ‘emet in spite of the baffling history of separation. That factor is delay.
Judgment does not come instantaneously. We violate the Torah. Nothing happens—yet. We think, “Well, it must not be true since everything seems to function without Torah observance. In fact, things are spiritually fine. Programs continue. Projects get done. People are saved. It certainly looks like torat ‘emet wasn’t really necessary.” But there is just one small problem. Delay. The final analysis of our efforts is not determined yet. In fact, if we strictly apply what Malachi suggests, we are the nations, not the children, since YHVH is dealing with us as if we never had the revelation from Sinai. The children are subject to punishment, but punishment hasn’t been obvious among Christians (I didn’t say it has occurred. I just said it isn’t obvious). That can only mean that Malachi’s warning must not apply to Christians. Christians are strangers to Torah, just like all the other “pagan” nations. YHVH deals with them differently. It really doesn’t matter that Christians have the Bible. They do not treat the Bible as one continuous covenant with YHVH. They have a different God, one who only shows up in the reinterpreted “New Testament.” They are not part of the true covenant community delivered through the revelation given to the house of Levi via Moshe. Those of us who have come out, who are attempting to find sustenance in the root, grafted into the commonwealth of Israel, are subject to Malachi’s prophetic words. Those who follow the thoughts of Augustine, Jerome, Luther, Calvin and Wayne Grudem have a different god, or at least a substantially different understanding of the God of the Bible. No wonder they remain unconvinced. How could they see anything else?
Topical Index: Levi, covenant, torat ‘emet, true instruction, Malachi 2:6
CORRECTIONS: Apparently I am date-disadvantaged. First I got the wrong date on the article by Bremmer. It was June 15, 2015 (last week), not November last year. Then I put the wrong date for Hiroshima. Obviously, it was 1945, not 1941. Apologies. Please make the corrections to your copies as I have to the web site articles.
This is a sobering topic! It also answers a whole lot of questions we surely should have already been asking. Thank you for pointing it out!
We may be getting treated as if we have been “the nations” but at some point, surely we are going to get called to the floor because we have been guilty of “taking His Name in vain” without doubt.
” We violate the Torah. Nothing happens—yet.”
“The final analysis of our efforts is not determined yet.”
So much presumption, even on the part of some “Torah observers/congregations” who do not think they have much more to learn, from one another, and from sound teachers who are humble and walking after YHWH’s heart.
Toda ABBA, for chesed and chen to learn to walk pleasing to You, and not be ever learning but never coming to the knowledge of truth.
We taught our children: delayed obedience is not true obedience. Now, Abba, i too am accountable to my own words.
Considering you are date-disadvantaged, let me remind you of the one date you never want to forget. Today is your ezer kenegdo’s and warrior woman’s birthday. Happy birthday Rosanne. It was nice to meet you in February. Thank you for helping us.
I am not sure if i am not understanding correctly but are yesterday and todays, Todays Word in conflict with each other? Maybe i am not reading them correctly.
I’m not sure what you see as conflict. June 23 is about the demand placed on those who claim to follow YHVH, i.e, Torah observance. The point is that Christians who do not consider the Torah relevant might actually find themselves treated as the “nations,” those outside the camp, while the ones inside the camp have much stricter obligation. The point of June 24 is that those who reject Torah do so because there is no IMMEDIATE consequence for their action. This allows Christian, for example, to continue to experience life without judgment even though they do not follow the expectations of YHVH. Of course, the same can be said for anyone who rejects Torah after being exposed to its demands.
Now tell me where you think there is a contradiction so I can address that.
Does YHWH not instruct one TORAH and one Judgement for both the Israelite and Foreigner?
True instruction is so needed but seems to be a rare pearl.
Maybe it is because not all Leviim are good guys.
Evyatar of the Itamar-line chose not to follow David in the end; whereas Tsadok of the Eli’ezer–line did.
Whereupon Shlomo reacted:
“And unto Evyatar the cohen, said the king, Get you to Anatot, unto your own fields, for you are deserving of death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you did bear the ark of the Adonai YHWH before David my father, and because you were afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Shlomo thrust out Evyatar from being cohen unto YHWH, that the word of YHWH might be fulfilled, which He spoke concerning the house of Eli, in Shiloh.” (1Kings2: 26-27)
And YHWH said of the future by the mouth of Ezekiel:
“But the cohanim, the L’vi’im, the sons of Tzadok, that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Yisra’el went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me. And they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, says the Adonai YHWH.” (Ez.44:15)
“And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north, is for the cohanim–the keepers of the charge of the altar; these are the sons of Tzadok, who from among the sons of Levi come near to YHWH to minister unto Him.” (Ez.40:46)
“You shall give to the cohanim, the L’vi’im, that are of the seed of Tzadok, who are near unto Me to minister unto Me, says the Adonai YHWH, a young bullock for a sinoffering. (Ez. 43:19)
“The sanctified portion shall be for the cohanim of the sons of Tzadok, that have kept My charge; that went not astray when the children of Yisra’el went astray, as the L’vi’im went astray.(Ez.48:11)
The Tzadokites is said to have been closely associated with the Essenes of Qumran.
Interestingly, most modern day Cohanim in Rabinic Judaism apparently are from the Itamar line.
I’m hopeful that there is something I just do not understand. You said,
Christians are strangers to Torah, just like all the other “pagan” nations. YHVH deals with them differently. It really doesn’t matter that Christians have the Bible. They do not treat the Bible as one continuous covenant with YHVH. They have a different God, one who only shows up in the reinterpreted “New Testament.”
The sound of this has been repeated many times as I’ve read TW. It is a rather angry sound and though you are “cutting them some slack” it still has a sound of judgment falling like a judge’s gavel. To be perfectly clear….I DO believe that a spirit of religion took control in the early “Christian” church – but in the same way that a spirit of religion also took control over the Jews.
I want to be very careful here because we are not discussing religion or a study book on Theology or Languages. We are living, speaking, walking and discussing the Creator of the Universe…Who is more intimately in tune-hears and knows – what our heart of hearts is saying while our mouths are moving.
Clearly, Constantine had his own agenda….was it in ignorance, or because he was deceived or was he spitting in God’s Eye? I don’t know. Luther…as I recall had a tremendously impacting experience with the Reality of God….during a time when the whole earth was covered in darkness of the enemies’ making to keep people without understanding. Because of him, the Bible (however you want to see that) was put into the hands of the common man for the FIRST TIME EVER! That’s pretty incredible. He also – without a doubt – made some horrendous, disgusting errors….were they made in ignorance or was he also spitting in God’s Eye? I don’t know. There have been wonderful Rabbis, who at the root…spoke truth and loved God with all they knew to love….but was also tripped up by a spirit of religion. The good news is..God knew all of this was going to happen way before it actually did..and He’s big enough to work it out…maybe over centuries but He’ll work it out.
In my heart, I have always believed that Jesus was the living, breathing Torah….everything that was written so many years before – had now come alive. Following His teaching example of how to live WAS following Torah. I have trusted Him to show me what I am not understanding or what about my faith I need to adjust to His way and not mine. It made sense to me for John to explain it just that way, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God, He was with God in the beginning. All things came to be through Him, and without Him nothing made had being. In Him was life, and the Life was the Light of mankind…” (like the Light that shone from Moses face?) “The Word became a human being and lived with us-(the Torah came to live with us?), and we saw His Sh khinah, the Sh khinah of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.” As I began to learn more I saw that Torah was another way to say, “Instructions for Living” or “Word” whether it is written or lived. That made sense to me-we had it, first written and then lived before us. I could trust that He had made a way for me and would walk with me through it. Then I read from Paul-Romans 1, There is now…”a powerful means of bringing salvation to everyone who keeps on trusting, to the Jew especially, but equally to the Gentile. For in it is revealed how God makes people righteous in His sight, and from beginning to end it is through trust – as the Tanakh puts it, “But the person who is righteous will live his life by trust.” He goes on to say that some do not want to hear God’s truth…they have become “futile in their thinking; and their undiscerning hearts have become darkened. Claiming to be wise, they have become fools!” So it is in the knowing of the Living Word and trusting His Way that salvation is ours. Romans 2, “For whenever Gentiles, who have no Torah, do naturally what the Torah requires, then these, even though they don’t have Torah, for themselves are Torah! For their lives show that the conduct the Torah dictates is written in their hearts………He does this through the Messiah Yeshua. ..the real Jew is one inwardly; and true circumcision is of the heart, spiritual not literal, so that his praise comes not from other people but from God.” Romans 3, “For in His sight no one alive will be considered righteous on the ground of legalistic observance of Torah commands, because what Torah really does is show people how sinful they are….It makes no difference whether one is a Jew or Gentile, since all have sinned and come short of earning God’s praise. ….God put Yeshua forward as the kapparah for sin through His faithfulness in respect to His bloody sacrificial death…..so what room is left for boasting? None at all! What kind of Torah excludes it? One that has to do with legalistic observance of rules? No, rather, a Torah that has to do with trusting.”
God came to walk with Adam…..it was His Heart’s desire…his enemy deferred that…He came again, put it in writing….deferred again….He brought it to Life and the enemy could NOT defer that. We however…sigh… like to find everything wrong with someone else that we can. We have not learned that His way is to Love them. “..don’t you realize that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to turn from your sins?” Romans 2. It reminds me of a lesson I had to learn…..and take a refresher course in now from time to time). As I stood in a worship service quite a few years ago…my eyes happened to land on a gentleman I knew…”How can he stand there and sing praises to God when he……………?” My Father’s words came swiftly..”That’s very good discernment….you are correct.” I’m sure my head swelled…it felt like it. Silence for a moment then He continued, “Do you know how you were able to recognize it?……
Because you have the same sin in your life.” I didn’t judge anyone’s heart for a very long time after that and even now I am very careful of my assumptions. I am looking forward to the day when we can meet on the grounds of what we do believe as truth and then share what we have learned that has broadened our understanding and deepened our experience of faith in trusting Him. When that day comes the enemy will have lost the ability to use his spirits of judgment, pride, condescending attitudes, and anger to keep the body of Christ on earth divided and weak. After all….we are not arguing words here…we are sharing the Breath of God that lives in us. I have learned, not through someone who told me how wrong I was but who showed me Him. I apologize for the length…and if I have misjudged…please consider the source..I am sorry.
No need to apologize for the length. It is important to see how you are thinking. Let me reply. First, don’t consider my words as “judgment.” I am simply recounting the historical facts of the religion. That means I am NOT saying (as I have often repeated) that every person who claims to be a Christian falls within this critique. Obviously, that is not the case. But we are not talking about individual people. We are talking about the institution of Christianity in its traditional form. In that form, Christianity is deliberately anti-Judaic. It draws a hard line between the practice and philosophy of the Jews and the practice and theology of the Church. One of those distinctions is the Church’s view of the Torah of the Jews. There is NO doubt at all what the Church teaches about the relevance of the Torah of the Jews. Long before Luther, as early as 95 CE, the Church began to teach that the Torah of the Jews was replaced by the work of Jesus, and no longer applicable to believers. In particular, the Church taught three critical changes: circumcision was not longer necessary, dietary laws were no longer required and Shabbat was changed to Sunday. Obviously, these three elements make it much easier for a Roman to be a Christian. In order to become part of the Jewish way of life, these three elements would be required. I have provided plenty of references on these changes and today many scholars recognize that these changes were essential for Christianity to distinguish itself from the Jewish way of life. But the claim is more than just this. Christianity was formed around the idea that “Jesus” brought about a NEW religion. Yes, it had some connection with God’s interaction with the Jews, but it was essentially a replacement of God’s prior choice of the Jews. This idea is still very much a part of Christian theology today. You can find it virtually everywhere by simply asking the following question of a Christian: “Do you think a Jew needs to accept Jesus as his savior in order to be saved?” My comments are about the ubiquity of Christianity’s rejection of Torah as it was delivered to Moses. You might suggest that Christians (individuals) still hold Torah in high regard, but that isn’t the same thing. Honoring 9 of the 10 commandments is not the same as committing myself to a Torah way of life. I am sure you can see that.
Now, just a comment of the biblical references you cite. I am not sure which translation you are using, but there is a lot of theological interpretation in the way you have conveyed the verses. I suspect that you might not have examined the translation for its bias, and you probably have not compared it to the original language. Please tell me which translation you cite.
Finally, just a side remark. You suggest that God knew all of this would happen in advance and that He will work it out. Unfortunately, that idea is also very much a part of the Greek philosophical assumptions brought into Christianity through the early fathers. I have written extensively on this (see my book on God and Time). Without realizing where the idea comes from, you are likely to make theological mistakes because the the implications of the idea of Parmenides, not Moses.
I await your response. Thanks.
You might know I’d remember something else I’ve always found interesting. Wasn’t it God who first used the term “Hebrew”? One who crosses over. A name not based on nationality or race but on action…crossing over…from what to what? Abraham “crossed over” from being the god of his own life to living His life under the covering of God – then he became a “Hebrew” in God’s Eyes.
Someday..ONE NEW MAN will “cross over” together – what a day that will be!
You go, girl!
OKAY! Here I go….you might want to grab a cup of coffee. I know the word “judgment” is rather harsh. I totally agree the original concept of what Christians were to believe was anti-Judaic – shamefully so due to Constantine’s bias…and the threat of death to all who wouldn’t comply. But let’s take the battle to a little higher perspective then the blood and guts on earth. This war didn’t begin between Christians and Jews..or anyone else on earth. The enemy had made his claim – if his throne couldn’t be higher – he WOULD, at least, have earth conquered. Try as hard as he could – he could NOT keep that Promise DEAD!!!! #**#!! NOW WHAT?!! Okay….let’s think…..yeah….divide and conquer….we’ll keep them so confused and hating each other they’ll NEVER be united enough to do ANY damage to him. PERFECT!
Lies and confusion are the bread and butter of lucifer’s strategy….throw in a little self righteousness, spirit of religion, downright hatred and we’re only a step away from total victory. If we don’t go higher than Constantine and his council we’re playing right into the enemies’ hands. I’m afraid we are all in serious trouble..Christians, Messianic or Jewish. Overall, we have gone aside in our hearts to our own gods to satisfy ourselves. We may observe Torah on the outside or sit in church every Sunday but the rest of the week we are slaves to satisfaction. I’m afraid that old jibe fits, “Sitting in church on Sunday doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than sitting in a garage makes you a car.” True, we will battle some kind of attack against our desire to love and serve our Father of all Light – as long as we live on the battlefield….but He is totally aware of that and He looks at the heart and walks us through the things too hard for us. 1 and 2 – I don’t want to serve other gods – I only want Him..but sometimes He has to ask…”why are you bowing to that idol?” Whaaa? I didn’t realize!!! Correction. 3. Have I thrown His Name around like we’re “Buds” while my heart is somewhere else….God help me. 4. I LOVE Shabbat – that’s napping day with Jesus! 5. Honoring my parents is a reflection of my respect for Him-it tells a lot about who I am. 6. I’ve heard it said that shaming a person is the same as murdering them…have I spoken that angry? 7. Adultery? Don’t even get me started. After I throw up be ready for a whippin’. 8,9,10. Stealing, bearing false witness, coveting……scares me…SCARES me, I want no part. I can think of nothing I could want more than Him…He is everything. Then there are those times…say..someone has purposefully hurt me again and again with no remorse…and again. After so long a time is it humanly possible to even LIKE that person? No, it is completely and totally impossible. Now what do I do? I’m breaking a law that will not bend anymore then a stone block. AH! He knew that all along and was concerned for me – so He gave a Blood Sacrifice that will cover what I WANT to do but cannot do-no matter how hard I try. He made the way…first to show me what was wrong and then to cover me when I am helpless to obey. I’m afraid we live in II Timothy 3. “Moreover, understand this: in the acharit-haymin will come trying times. People will be self-loving, money-loving, proud, arrogant, insulting, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, uncontrolled, brutal, hateful of good, traitorous, headstrong, swollen with conceit, loving pleasure rather than God, as they retain the outer form of religion but deny it’s power.” Sound familiar?…it scares me…what will deliver us from this sick atmosphere?
Verse 14, “But you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, recalling the people from whom you learned it; and recalling too how from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which can give you the wisdom that leads to deliverance through trusting in Yeshua the Messiah. All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth, convicting of sin, correcting faults and training in right living; thus anyone who belongs to God may be fully equipped for every good work.” (The rest of Paul’s letter is good too.) We have GOT to connect again to the “power” behind the Word. That power will strip away every confusion, harsh judgment and misconception as we fall before it – together – in awe of His Majesty. THEN we will go forward united in that power to rescue…on earth as it is in heaven. In answer to your question and side remark. I’m using the “Complete Jewish Bible” and to think that God doesn’t know the end from the beginning and everything in between – that’s just plain foolish. Love ya’!
A few comments. 1. Attributing the divisions to Satan puts a great deal more in His hands than in the hands of evil men. I find no Scripture that says Satan was the one who separated Christianity from Judaism. While Christian have a propensity to saddle Satan with all bad things, it seems clearer that the Bible hold MEN accountable. You might want to make this into a cosmic battle of good and evil, but to do so goes beyond Scripture. 2. Saying that you are “helpless to obey” suggests that you have accepted the usual sinful nature argument, one that is neither Scripturally sound nor part of Paul’s thinking. I have written a bit on this and will be writing more, but the origin of this idea is not in the Bible despite our desire to make it “God’s problem.” 3. The Complete Jewish Bible is better than most but still contains plenty of doctrinal assumptions, particularly when it comes to sinful nature. I would investigate the ORIGINAL texts and not lean to heavily on any translation.
Thanks for the continued dialogue. We all benefit.
Okay, now me. 1. John records in Chapter 8 a rather heated back and forth between Yeshua and a group of scribes and P’rushim who wanted to stone an adulterous woman in their custody. Wanting to trap Him they say, “Moses would have her stoned..what do You say?” Instead of answering, Yeshua bent down and began writing in the dust. Well that’s frustrating! After a bit, Yeshua rose calmly and said, “The one of you who is without sin, let him be the first one to throw a stone at her.” Then He bent down and began writing again. The accusers began drifting outside. After they were all gone Yeshua turned to the woman and told her, “Go and sin no more.” Jumping to verse 39, Yeshua tells those still watching Him, “If you are children of Avraham, then do the things Avraham did! As it is you are out to kill Me, a man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Avraham did nothing like that! You are doing the things your father does.” “We’re not illegitimate children!” they said to him. “We have only one Father – God!” Yeshua replied to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me; because I came out from God; and now I have arrived here. I did not come on My own; He sent Me. Why don’t you understand what I’m saying? Because you can’t bear to listen to My message. You belong to your father, Satan, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. From the start he was a murderer, and he has never stood by the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he is speaking in character; because he is a liar – indeed, the inventor of the lie! But as for Me, because I tell the truth you don’t believe Me. Which one of you can show me where I’m wrong? If I’m telling the truth, why don’t you believe Me? Whoever belongs to God listens to what God says, the reason you don’t listen is that you don’t belong to God!” The Judeans answered Him, “Aren’t we right in saying you are from Shomron and have a demon?” Yeshua replied, “Me? I have no demon. I am honoring My Father. But you dishonor Me. I am not seeking praise for Myself. There is One who is seeking it, and He is the Judge. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever obeys My teaching will never see death.” In this circumstance, satan was very much…at least according to Yeshua..trying his best to separate Jews from Christ followers and He was very clear in laying the blame at satan’s feet-the father of lies. 2. My admission of “being helpless to obey” did not really complete the picture. In my own strength it was a HUGE battle to obey so I obeyed what I knew and understood of what Yeshua told me to do…”he whoever obeys My teaching will never see death.” I continued moving forward and His Grace came at inexplicable moments to cover me and give me the where with all to obey. The grace could not have come from this empty vessel it had to come from Him. Much as Paul writes in II Corinthians 13:14, “The grace of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, the Love of God and the fellowship of the Ruach HaKodesh be with you all.” It is the same grace, Love and fellowship that enables an addict to press through to clean..no matter what the failure/lie tells him. My earthly father died knowing the saving grace of God and the Love He held in waiting for him for 82 years. Blessings cover you!
A little confusing. You know, of course, that the passage in John 8 about the woman caught in adultery is not consider part of the original gospel. While it reads like something Yeshua would do, it doesn’t have the same authority as the rest of the text. So it probably should not be used for theological argument. As for the passage about “your father Satan,” the metaphor would have been commonly understood in the rabbinic world of the first century, not as a claim that Satan was responsible for all evil things but rather as a reference to the character of the actions as similar.
On the “helpless” issue, I’m not sure what you are trying to convey. Are you saying that you didn’t have the power to act obediently? But you did, didn’t you? How to account for this ability might be your interpretation of the work of the Spirit, but that isn’t the same as claiming that you were “powerless” because you were human, something that I don’t think you meant.