Are you ready for ROUND 3?
Let’s get to it!!
We are commonly taught that as Christians, we are no longer required to keep the law, the instructions given in Torah. We are in the New Covenant, and the law applied to the Old Covenant. Jesus fulfilled the law, and now we don’t have to. Besides, it was too hard for us, too difficult, and a curse to us. That is why Jesus had to do it on our behalf. Thank God for that, right?
As you know, I like to evaluate these ideas using scripture, as opposed to the things I was taught for three decades in the Mainstream Church.
DISCLAIMER:
By the way, this is not about bashing the church system. The church is comprised of many good men and women who do many good things in this world of ours. My evaluation of what scripture says vs. what gets taught is in no way meant to be disrespectful, and is not an attack on them.
Today, let’s take a look at several times Yeshua (Jesus, our Messiah) mentioned Moses in scripture. We all know Moses, right? He is the one who wrote down the Torah instruction, the law, as it was given to him by Yehova (God, Elohim, Adonai, the God of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac). We are taught that Jesus is the one who did away with the things Moses taught, by dying on the cross on our behalf.
So, knowing He did away with the law of Moses, it would make sense for Jesus to tell us exactly that when He refers to Moses.
Well, let’s find out what happens…
Here is what our Messiah said about the rich man and Lazarus:
Luke 16:19-31
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ 29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’”
Cool story, bro! Right?
The important part is at the end, when the rich man wanted Lazarus to be sent to his brothers, that they might be warned. He wanted his brothers to gain salvation, so they would not know this place of torment.
Abraham’s response is incredibly important. Did Abraham say, “Your brothers just need to say the sinner’s prayer?”
No, he did not.
Did Abraham say the rich man’s brothers just need to believe in Jesus and they’ll be saved?
No, he did not.
He said this:
‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’
Are you saying that in the era of Jesus, we are being told by the Messiah Himself that Moses and the prophets taught everything we need to know to repent and be saved?
Yes, Jesus Himself just told us that!! Let that roll around in your mind for just a bit. Let in marinate a little…
Based on the very words of our Messiah in scripture, if we do not do as Moses and the Prophets taught, then not even one raised from the dead will persuade us to do the right things.
Did Yeshua (Jesus) mention Moses any other times in scripture, indicating that the things Moses taught are good and necessary? Yes, He did…
Let’s move on to Matthew 23:1-3
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
First of all, Matthew 23 is one of the harshest chapters in the whole bible. It consists of Jesus rebuking the Pharisees (the educated religious leaders of His time) for turning away from the word of Yehova (God) and burdening the people with their own traditions.
Yeshua (Jesus) begins by telling the people to “observe and do” what the Pharisees teach from Moses’ seat. Through research, we learn that “teaching from the seat of Moses consisted of reading from the Torah scroll word for word.
Jesus is telling the people to observe and do the instructions that are given in Torah (the law).
Do you see the significance of this?
We are taught that we are not to follow the law, but Jesus Himself is teaching that we are to observe and do what is in the law.
Yeshua (Jesus) then goes on to tell the people NOT to do what the Pharisees teach and do of their own accord, because they teach the traditions of man instead of the Word of Yehova. Read the remainder of Matthew 23 to hear Jesus rebuking the Pharisees. Warning – it is not pretty. Your Messiah calls the powerful, well respected, educated religious leaders hypocrites, blind guides, fools, ‘dead men’s bones’, unclean, lawless, murderers, and a brood of vipers.
Hmmm, He doesn’t sugar coat anything does He?
How do you think He will treat the powerful, well respected, educated religious leaders of our day if they are teaching the traditions of men, instead of the Word of God?
In summary, Yeshua (Jesus) teaches in Matthew 23:1-3 that we are to observe and do the things that Moses recorded in the Torah. Yes, the law.
Still not convinced? Let’s look at another time Yeshua refers to Moses during His own ministry.
John 5:45-47
Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?”
Wow, this direct quote of our Messiah is loaded, and not in a good way. He actually makes two important points in just a few words.
First Point:
Yeshua (Jesus) tells us that He will not accuse us of our wrong doing. Instead, Moses is the one who defines the accusations against us. The Torah (the law) defines sin, and therefore, the writings of Moses are what will accuse us before the Father.
Did I just make that up?
Nope.
Check out the definition of sin, per Apostle John:
1John 3:4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.
Second Point:
Yeshua (Jesus) is telling us that He stands for and teaches the same things that Moses wrote down and taught.
Really?
Yes. We see it through the direct quotes of Jesus. He always teaches that the law is to be observed and kept, all throughout scripture.
In this passage, Jesus says if we know the words of Moses, we will know and recognize Him. And Jesus says if we don’t believe the writings of Moses, then how will we ever believe His words (because they teach the same thing).
Wow, straight from the mouth of our Messiah. Are you taking notes?
I have just illustrated three times when Jesus validates and upholds the words of Moses in scripture.
But wait, this is all in error, right?
It doesn’t matter that Jesus said these things.
Why? Because at this point, He had not been crucified yet. He had not risen yet. These words and these stories are before the New Covenant took effect.
Ahhhhh… all is right with the world.
Even though Messiah said these things, it all went away after his death, burial, and resurrection.
Not so fast…
Let’s look at what scripture tells us about the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
Wait, the New Covenant does away with the law. What is this “put My laws in their mind and in their hearts” stuff???
In the Old Covenant, the law was written in scrolls and on tablets and placed with the Ark of the Covenant. Now the law is even closer to us, not further away or done away with!!
Really?????
Well, what does it say?
The law is not done away with… It is placed in our minds and in our hearts.
Another important item to note in this whole passage is this:
There was not fault with the Old Covenant.
Yehova gave His Word, and made a covenant with Moses and the people. He stated that it was forever, for all generations, never ending, perpetual.
But it ended.
Was it because the law was too hard for us?
Was it because the covenant was too hard and faulty?
No, check out Hebrews 8:7-9
7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second. 8 Because finding fault with them, He says: “Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah— 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord.
We are told that the people were at fault, not that the covenant was at fault.
Because the people failed the covenant.
Because the people did not continue in His covenant…
The New Covenant shows His love for us, that He is willing to die on the cross to re-establish covenant with us, after we failed Him.
Study the idea that Yehova (God) divorced the people in the first covenant.
Study in the Torah what has to happen for someone to re-enter into covenant following divorce. If you guess it requires a death, you would be right.
We are only on Installment #3 of this series of things our Savior actually said, and so far, everything points to keeping Torah.
Are you listening to your Messiah?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you’ve been taught?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you believe?
Are you comparing what He says to the things you practice?
Is your veil being lifted? Are you understanding?