The Road Less Traveled
He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. Psalm 103:7 NASB
Ways – If there were any doubt about David’s opinion on Torah observance, this settles the question. David declares that YHVH made His ways known to Moses. That can only mean the Torah given at Sinai and its subsequent retelling in Deuteronomy. David recognizes that Moses received a revelation from YHVH. As far as David is concerned, this revelation is the basis for God’s interaction with men and Man’s interaction with God. If we are to count David among the sons of the Most High, then there is no possibility of claiming that David did not recognize Torah as his standard. Furthermore, David makes it clear, by poetic parallelism, that the acts of YHVH are intimately tied to the ways of YHVH. What we observe in God’s actions tells us how to live just as surely as what we hear from God through Moses tells us how we are to act.
Any claim that Torah has been set aside as a result of the work of the Messiah must account for David’s specific declaration that the ways of YHVH are directly tied to Moses, endorsed in the acts of YHVH with Israel. If the Church ever wants to replace Torah or Israel, I’m afraid David will have to be swept out the door as well.
David connects derakim and ‘alilot—ways and acts. Instructions and deeds. Two sides of the same coin. This is not surprising, is it? Commitment to Torah is the same as exhibiting the character of YHVH in our behavior. What we do is who we are. That applies to God and to men. The fact that what we do is directed by the instructions of YHVH only emphasizes the connection. We are in God’s image when we do what He does, and doing what He does is Torah.
The result should make life far less complicated. How are we to treat neighbors? Torah gives us instructions. How about accidental injury or property damage? Consult Torah. Which relationships are prohibited and which allowed? Torah again. How do we properly worship the Lord? Torah to the rescue. What about loans and collateral? Torah again. Charity? Torah! Diet? Torah. Dress? Torah. Rest? Torah. The reason that the revelation through Moses is not codified into civil and religious categories is because Torah is about living. It is essentially not legislation. It is a code of conduct voluntarily adopted by those who wish to follow the God of Israel as citizens of His kingdom. Ultimately, it isn’t even religious. It’s just a way of life, not fundamentally different than the way of life you grew up with, the patterns of behavior, the social expectations, the rights and obligations you inherited as a result of the culture you were born into. To become Torah observant is not a religious conviction. It is weltanschauung, a way of seeing the world that governs all of what we do and who we are.
Before Torah, Israel was alien Egyptian. Israel was a displaced tribe of Semites in a culture of Egyptian dynasties. YHVH removed the tribe in order to establish a new order of things, a new kingdom based in a different cultural perspective. Before you and I arrived at the brook Jabbok, we were also already the products of our own heritage. We had a worldview based in what we were taught, where we grew up, who we accompanied. Then YHVH confronted us with a new way of seeing the world. Some of us still struggle with this new way. We attempt, with great struggle, to hold on to some of those old ways, ways that no longer fit the culture of the new Kingdom. Conflict arises. We have to decide.
David viewed the world through the lens of Moses’ revelation. You and I are invited to do the same. It’s an invitation, not a demand, but it is not an invitation to homogenize your current weltanschauung with a new one. YHVH doesn’t work that way. This is not pagan syncretism. This is His Kingdom or some other. Mixture is not admissible.
Right?
Topical Index: Torah, derek, way, ‘alila, act, weltanschauung, Psalm 103:7
Torah as weltanshauung. Hmm A God-originated world view superimposed over the human experience, as opposed to a human-originated world view superimposed over the experience of God. Two opposing realities, and never the twain shall meet.
We think we know what love is, for the human interprets ‘love’ to mean ‘whatever I have personally experienced in the places that I needed love’. Therefore, my idea of love is going to be mostly set in the first experiences of earliest childhood, when such parent- and community-initiated actions toward me were taken. I was more or less adequately or poorly loved then, but my beliefs ABOUT love are going to be based upon my experience of how the world (my infant world) loved me first. For the rest of my life, then, I am going to be trying to equate my attempts to attain love based upon what I believe love to be. Any subsequent religious world view that I embrace later is also going to interpreted through that early lens. When the preacher or priest says “love”, I am going to HEAR that word through a paradigm that was already built for me by my early experience of it. To the extent that I was loved well, I am going to hear something that matches, or equates with, a more or less clear picture of what love IS. BUT, to the extent that I was not properly loved, I am going to hear the word “love” in any setting or context, with fear. John says “he who fears is not made perfect in love”. To the extent that love frightens me, is a measure, then, of the extent to which I have not actually been loved. All of us are afraid. None of us were loved good enough to know what love is. Therefore, my worldview, my personal paradigm, my weltanshauung, is going to be an inadequate platform upon which to build a picture of love that will actually be a good enough GPS to steer me into the parking lot of the love I must have to survive. My GPS was set, then, toward my own destruction, and all of it was in the name of love. I need a different GPS! And there better not be any of that “mixing of the two” stuff, either! I need to survive!
We got told what love really is because we do not know actually know what it is. We were not loved well; any of us; so we can forget going on the patterns of how we were done by, even though that was how the human model was wired in the factory. Natural law, which was that hard-wiring, only is set to work correctly in a world that is still completely connected. Our world, and therefore our view of that world, has been put through a paper shredder in an attempt to destroy the evidence of a crime. We started out with the signposts, the GPS system we got given, crystal clear as to what love is, with the road to the Promised Land and the road to the City of Destruction clearly marked, but in a dark hour for mankind, an enemy turned the signpost around, and it has been downhill ever since.
There are good reasons for all the instruction in the Torah, and we should not be afraid to ask our Daddy what those reasons may be, just like a child is expected to ask what the objects and practices of the Seder supper are for. All of it is designed for our instruction in righteousness; in love. All of it is essential information, then, for our survival. All of it is designed to re-connect the fractures, and to re-reveal a true picture of love for us so that we can re-build – this time through deliberate choice – a weltanshauung that can actually get us what we so desperately seek.
I agree and thank you for the confirmation that others are “hearing” what think I am hearing. Torah maybe the missing link in true “salvation “. At least it is stable and never changes. Because people in the church seem to hate what is translated the Law and the Bible says it is perfect, David asked more than once for God to teach It to him, and no one I have asked can tell me what is so bad about the Law. I decided to find the 613 and study them. I haven’t gotten through them all yet, but to date, I have found none that were offensive or too hard to keep. I have found many I am trying to keep. I also found many Rabbinic stories that bring Torah, law, to life and make it applicable and understandable. My studies bring a lot more joy than the repetitive mantra I hear in the churches.
As far as the word “love” goes. To me it has become one of those over used words that has lost its meaning. When I ask people I know what is love they can’t give me an answer. So the actions of love have to speak louder than the word. So I look at the sunrise, sunset, the beautiful colors, all the different trees, grasses, flowers and conclude this is love. God could have given us a gray tone world, we could be stick figures, one kind of tree, one kind of grass, or none, we would not have known the difference. Instead because of love He paints us a new picture every morning, every evening, and in between. I think Torah is part if love.
Thank you.
The Road Less Traveled
“For (because) straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads unto life.. and those who find it are few “ (Matthew 7.14)
And yet the Savior (Himself the Living Word of God) has enjoined us to —
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” Matthew 7:13
How can we know the Way? God (Himself) must reveal it unto us:
~ You (will) make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your Presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand ~ Psalm 16:11
And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. (Isaiah 35:8)
A “fool”is not someone lacking in intelligence – a “fool” is a morally corrupt, “anti-God,” “anti-Christ,” anti-Authority, self-centered (it’s all about me!) eccentric (off-centered, out of kilter!) person.
“Holiness is NOT the way to Christ!! – Christ IS the Way to Holiness!”
Christ IS the center. Christ IS the compass! and Christ is the circumference. “Christ is ALL and in you all!” “Christ in you and Christ in me IS our (only) hope of glory!
Once again.. (this time with feeling?) WHO (sumdumguy inquired) IS “THE” Way? NOT “A” way, but “THE” Way? WHO is (not only) “the Way,” but “THE” Truth? Truth IS a Person! Truth Incarnate, Truth “in the flesh” is our LORD!! – and WHO IS “the Life?” – our very Life? When Christ “WHO IS our Life” shall appear..!!
~ When Christ the Messiah, *Who is our Life,* is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory! (Colossians 3.4)
May I? HALLELUJAH!! – AMEN!
~ He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out ~ (John 10:3)
~ The LORD IS my Shepherd, — (therefore!) — I shall not want!.. ~
Savior, like a Shepherd lead us, much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us, for our use Thy folds prepare.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.
We are Thine, Thou dost befriend us, be the Guardian of our way;
Keep Thy flock, from sin defend us, seek us when we go astray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus!
Hear, O hear us when we pray.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Hear, O hear us when we pray!
~ O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come ~ (Psalm 65.2)
Thou hast promised to receive us, poor and sinful though we be;
Thou hast mercy to relieve us, grace to cleanse and power to free!
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! We will early turn to Thee.
Early let us seek Thy favor, early let us do Thy will;
Blessed LORD and only Savior, with Thy love our bosoms fill.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us, — love us still.
Blessed Jesus, blessed Jesus! Thou hast loved us.., love us still.
(Attributed to Dorothy A. Thrupp, 1836)
Skip says Torah is “a way of seeing the world”. Here is my WAY, TRUTH, LIGHT.
Abraham, Moses, Paul, all were shown a way of seeing the world in similar fashion, the obvious way. By seeing the light. A blinding light! A revelation. A mystical light, something that truly mystical people experience and find hard, nay impossible, to describe so they use allegory just as Paul did with his Messianic mystical experience. Paul never refers to Yeshua’s worldly experiences because there were none. Paul’s message was about his paranormal experience of the Messiah the only way he could relate it, through allegory, the same way all mystics speak.
Paul never once mentions the man Yeshua in the full historical sense yet he was the Bible writer, par excellence, as a Hillel rabbi, who wrote nearest Jesus in actual time. He describes Christ as “not after the flesh.” His opus contains not a single reference to any of the great miracles, teachings, and other events Biblically vital to the Jesus story yet Paul is regarded by many as the founder of Christianity. Neither does the knowledgeable, highly regarded Philo, an exact contemporary of Jesus, mention him.
Paul spoke to the people of his time the way they would understand the current Hellenic concepts of the era controlled by the Romans. In Colossians he reveals the totality of the Messianic message thus; “Christ in you, the hope of glory” and elsewhere in his famous saying, “you have the mind of Christ.”
When we think mystically like Paul, the Bible, the Word of God, both OT and NT becomes liberating instead of limiting, it becomes inclusive, not exclusive, to all mankind in all ages, everywhere throughout the world. It reflects us “in the image of YHVH” and also incorporates the Messiah, the Logos and the Spirit, the Trinity as the Church would have it and we are all freed from the bonds of Egypt and Babylon. Creed and doctrine disappear whether they be traditional Christian or Islamic. We are out of Africa, the “rift” valley!
YHVH has always revealed Himself to mystics and mankind of all ages everywhere. Why would He limit Himself otherwise? The Sun and the Son both become the symbols they were meant to be whether they be of ancient Stonehenge, astrology or the Bible. As Martin Luther King once said, ‘Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are free at last.’
……just my way of “seeing” the free world……
“Weltanshauung.” Now there’s a crossword puzzle word if I ever saw one! YHVH has shown us that by His Torah, our renewed weltanshauung is now our fahrvergnügen. Baruch HaShem!
Now if we can just get the bugs out. Loved it, Chris. Really made me smile this morning. 🙂
I am curious about use of the word “way” in the context of those referred to in the book of Acts many times. The original word from the concordance is “hodos” vice “derek” as found in Psalms. I don’t want to assume anything, but it seems like the Scriptures are referring to same thing. Thoughts?
Have you looked at the LXX parallel of hodos? Research the Greek translation of derek?
Thanks Skip! A way of life is much more appealing than legislation. Shabbat Shalom!
Before a branch from one cultured tree can be grafted into the rootstock, it must first be completely cut off from it’s original stock.
Will We Join Them?
Who was the most “Torah-obedient Jew” ever to have lived? So obedient, He was “sinless.” – (no, not one!). Can the same be said of Abraham? or Jacob? or Isaac? or Moses?
These are the Messiah’s words- “Follow Me.” Do, as I do. He did not say “look to Moses!” The very instructions (Torah) Moses received were hand-written by? “Before Abraham was, – I AM!”
“Look unto Me and be saved – all the ends of the earth!”
I don’t mind “Torah-talk,” or even “Torah-walk!” We ALL should obey the commands (these aren’t suggestions!) of YHWH. “If” this is true, and you would agree to hear and to obey God, then what about these words? “This is My beloved Son, – Listen to Him!”
The Law (Torah instructions) was (still is and ever will be!) our “schoolmaster” to lead us to Christ!!”
Nicodemus (the original Nick-at-nite?) was no slouch! An outstanding citizen, a ruler of the Jews, highly thought of and respeced in the community, no doubt!
But what did our Savior say to him? The very same thing He would say and does say to each one of us! “YOU* must be born from Above!
Just ask Cain, -The absolute WORST form of human “badness” is human goodness when substituted for the new birth!
As to our “righteous deeds?” How are we ever to “impress” God with how good we are?
No. ~ We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind ~ (Isaiah 64.6) As to our condition? This is my confession! We are sinners all, who now stand in need of a Savior! For without Him we can do? – “nothing.”
Are we to discount or disagree with the scripture which simply states: “ALL” have sinned? How many sins or how much sin does it take before we are “impure?” “Only” one! Either sins of comisssion (what I’ve done) or sins of omission (what I’ve left undone), we will never settle the “sin” question until we settle the “Son” question!!
~ For to which of the angels did He ever say, “YOU ARE MY SON, TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU”? And again, “I WILL BE A FATHER TO HIM AND HE SHALL BE A SON TO ME”? And when He again brings the Firstborn into the world, He says, “AND LET ALL THE ANGELS OF GOD WORSHIP HIM!.”
Worship Him? Worship the Son? Is He worthy?
What did John see?
~ Then I saw in the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it,And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that He can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. And He went and took the scroll from the right hand of Him who was seated on the throne. And when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,
(Shall we join them?))
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
Shalom. Is it an invitation? The law says do or die and “[n]ow God commands all men everywhere to repent [and believe in the gospel of his Son].” Acts 17:30. “For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw near unto God. And inasmuch as not without an oath he (Christ) was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament; And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood: Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them; For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself. For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.”
Heb. 7:19-28.
Yeshua is the Derek.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me.” John 14:6. Shalom.
Elohim needs to see His reflection in us not what we create.