Biblical Deductive Logic (Rewind)
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of YHWH, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances Ezra 7:10 JPS 1917
To Seek – More than a decade has passed since I wrote this initial study of Ezra 7:10. When I read Gordon Tucker’s footnote about this verse (as you will see later), I went back to my archives and read this examination again. It challenged me. I wrote these words, but now, twelve years later, I needed to read them, to be reminded that Torah isn’t rules. Before we look at Tucker’s comment and its implications, maybe we need to look back and remember why we’re doing this.
“Does this salad dressing have bacon in it?” “Yes,” he replied. “Then I’ll have to skip it, please.”
The other men at the table looked up. “Hey, what’s the matter with you? This tastes great.” “I’m sure it does,” I replied, “but I can’t eat it. It’s pork.”
“Are you Jewish or something?” “No, I’m not, but God asks me to live differently than the rest of the world. This is just one of those differences.” The opportunity to express God’s goodness presented itself simply because I asked for vinegar and oil. What would have happened if I hadn’t made that choice?
It’s time to reflect on our unspoken evangelism. What we say is far less important than how we live. That’s the point of Torah obedience. Let me offer a little explanation.
Torah obedience covers nearly every aspect of life. God gives us His instructions about how to live a life that will accomplish His purposes. It doesn’t always seem to make sense to us, but that really doesn’t matter. After all, I am not smart enough or wise enough to see God’s eternal purposes in His daily requests. I just know that He asks – and that’s enough. So, living according to Torah becomes a way for me to demonstrate that my life is under His control, even when I don’t talk about it. The intention of Torah obedience is to be different! After all, what message can I send to the world that desperately needs a Savior if my behaviors are the same as those who are lost? By being Torah-observant, I stand out. And when I stand out, people ask why. Then I am given the natural opportunity to express my trust in my Lord. Even salad dressing can become an evangelistic tool.
Of course, silent evangelism is not the only reason for Torah obedience. I also decide to follow God’s instructions about living because He is God. Unlike the Greek mindset, I do not get the right to ask God to explain Himself to me before I consent to His request. I obey first. If He decides to explain why, that’s just an added benefit. Ezra understood how important this principle is. He determined to seek God’s will and to live it. The Hebrew word is darash. It is primarily a word about deduction. Ezra deduces what God wants from our lives by intense, careful study of God’s Word. Judaism has a term for this kind of study. It’s called midrash – the systematic approach to Scripture that allows the words to be applied in contemporary life. For example, not eating pork becomes a means of evangelism, a way to honor God, and a health benefit. Abstaining from pork is not about “working my way to righteousness.” It’s not legalism. It is simply obedience, born from gratitude and the desire to honor Him. There’s nothing more to it – except, of course, all those interesting conversations that come at the dinner table.
Ultimately, Torah-observance is about trust. Do I trust that God really knows what He is asking me to do even if I don’t get it? Do I trust who He is even if I can’t always understand His ways? Am I willing to trust Him enough to be different just for His sake?
Unreflective Christian theology often attempts to draw a hard line between grace and works, claiming that observing Torah instructions is a “works-based” salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. Living Torah is honoring the God who saved me by grace. I do it so that I please Him and He uses me for His purposes. I do it in order to make a difference.
So, no more ham and cheese, please.
Topical Index: Torah, dietary laws, darash, midrash, pork, evangelism, Ezra 7:10
