I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Son, Yeshua the Messiah. I believe the Son came to give eternal life through faith and also teach the correct way to obey Torah (Yah’s instructions). He also by His death and resurrection removed the curse of the Torah (the Law) (Galatians 3:13). I don’t place a burden upon myself to obey each commandment to the jot and tittle. And most don’t even apply to the everyday believer. However, I give it my best because I believe they are a blessing from Yah. The instructions of Yah identify sin (Romans 7:7) therefore constantly reminding of my need for a Savior and His grace .
Let me be clear, I do not obey Yah’s commandments for my salvation, as I hope no one would. I obey because I love Him. (John 14:15,21, 1John 2:3-7, 1John 5:3). And I do what I understand pleases Him as best as I am able. I observe the Sabbath according to the commandments given (Genesis 2:3, Exodus 20:8-11, 31:16, Deuteronomy 5:14), Moedim (Feast) of Yahweh (Leviticus 23, Deuteronomy 16) and dietary instructions (Leviticus 11).
Through Yeshua’s death and resurrection, when I believed, I became a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17, Ephesians 4:17-24) and was grafted into the new covenant in the Israel of God (Romans 11:17). The Torah (Law) is now written upon my heart by the Spirit (Jer. 31:33), empowering me to follow the Father’s commandments (Romans 8:3-4) and I receive grace and mercy when I fail, stumble, and repent for my transgressions. Simply meaning, I am no longer under condemnation, as long as I do not live by the flesh (Romans 8:1). I have died to sin and now live in Messiah submitting to His authority given by the Father, thus removing the authority of Torah (instructions of Yah) to condemn me, but not rescinding my responsibility to obey (Galatians 3:21-26, Romans 3:31).
Again, through Messiah, I’ve entered into covenant with the Elohim (God) of Israel, and I’m given the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and grace to do the will of the Father. What’s the will of the Father? To obey His Word, His Instructions (Torah). Yeshua is the Word of God (John 1:1). He is the Torah. He is the Instructions, the Way , the Truth, the Life (John 14:6). The Ruach HaKodesh is also the power of Yah. When I have faith and obey, the power is unleashed to heal the sick, cast out demons, bind up the brokenhearted, give sight to the blind and even more things above what I can ask or think (Mark 16:17-18, Ephesians 3:20)
Yeshua says in Matthew 22:37-40,
“Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.
Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. “
Indeed, the two stated precepts in verse 37 and 39 are from the Torah, Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. It appears that the love of God and others is of primary importance. He adds in verse 40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” So none of this matters without love for Him and love for others. (1Corinthians 13:1-8) The core principle of the Torah (Law) is LOVE! Really? Yes, really!
In addition, Yeshua states in Matthew 5:17-19,
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Mat 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Yeshua never spoke against the commandments of His Father. Yeshua taught a deeper understanding and interpretation revealing the heart behind the commandment. Look in Matthew 5 when He talks about contemplating adultery (7th commandment) being sin, not just the act itself; or if we say, “Raca” which is to say a person is void and have no value or is fool; this is equated with committing murder (6th commandment).
Yeshua never challenged His Father’s commandments (Matthew 5:17-19, John 7:16-18). He only challenged traditions and customs when they were exulted above the commandments of God and caused a person to sin against God.
Example Mark 7:7-13:
Mar 7:7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
Mar 7:9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Mar 7:10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Mar 7:11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Mar 7:12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
Mar 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Yeshua also says in Matthew 23,
Mat 23:2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat,
Mat 23:3 so practice and observe whatever they tell you–but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Mat 23:4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.
This “heavy burden” is some of the traditions, customs and aspects of the Oral Law that were placed upon the people in addition to and above the Torah given to Moses.
Jesus (Yeshua) says that “My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30). And from the Father He gives us Holy Spirit who guides us in all truth (John 16:13-15) and strengthens us. (John 14:16-18). Also the disciple and apostle John states in 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. “
Now I kindly ask you, “What do you obey and why do you obey it?” Think about it. I’m not judging anyone, but only asking a question. There’s only one judge, and He judges righteously. And we are all truly accountable to Him.
I being justified by my faith, am learning what I should obey by Yah’s instructions (which is the word “Torah” in Hebrew) through the Ruach HaKodesh ( Holy Spirit), thus acquiring that deeper understanding which teaches me how to love my Elohim along with how to love others.
Truly, as a believer, I’ve have been given all that I need to succeed. No, I’m not trying be Jewish, yet we wouldn’t have the written Word without them. And if we go back to the beginnings of our faith, we will find Jewish, Israelite, Hebrew roots. The first apostles sent into the world were Jews, thus Israelites hence Hebrews. The prophets and kings were also Israelites mostly Jews. Yeshua came as a Jew.
Because we have seen these things done by Jews, we believe them all to be just Jewish tradition. Right now, I am learning to distinguish what Jews have retained that is of Yahweh and what is not. Judaism has many doctrines and dogma that has nothing to do with Yah’s instructions, yet, follow many of His commandments we disregard. The Feast (Moedim) of Yahweh are not Jewish Feast. They belong to Yah (Leviticus 23). So does the Sabbath and many other commandments the Jews observe.
The Torah was given to all of Israel; not just the tribe of Judah (Jews). Better yet, any stranger could join to Israel (Numbers 15:14-16) even in the old covenant as long as they adhered to the Torah. I also find it interesting we many times claim all of the promises written in the Torah given to Israel by Yah, and at the same time separate ourselves from the obedience required by covenant. And for the record, I am not bound to a another covenant that only gives me four commandments, (Acts 15); four directives that are taken directly from the Torah.
I, now being adopted into the family in the one covenant to all through Yeshua, I am a Son of Elohim (Romans 8:14-17), lead by His Spirit, grafted into the Israel of Elohim and I should now began to look a lot like Yeshua and I wait for His soon return in the Millennial reign.
If you haven’t already, I invite you to consider giving your life to Yeshua (Jesus) or find out more. Feel free to read my testimony – a story of what He can do when we surrender to Him. And please contact me if you have questions or concerns.
Find out about Yahweh’s plan of salvation.
Shalom and May Yah bless and keep you,
Allen C. Williams Jr.
Servant of Yahweh in Yeshua (His name means “Yah is Salvation”).