Author: David Wilber
Is there a danger of leaving Jesus and the Gospel behind in our pursuit of Torah obedience?
When a few of my Christian friends first learned that I believed in keeping the Torah, one of their concerns was that I was too focused on things like the Sabbath and feast days and thus not emphasizing the value of Yeshua (Jesus) and the Gospel. I firmly stand with my Christian friends in our mutual commitment to the Messiah as the foundation of our faith. Indeed, any denomination or movement that deviates from that foundation is set up to fail (Matthew 7:24-27). So I can understand the danger in getting distracted from Yeshua. But that doesn’t have to be the case with the Torah. A correct approach to the Torah actually highlights the Gospel message.
All throughout the Torah are prophetic hints that point to the Messiah. In John 5:46, Yeshua said, “If you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.” Yeshua’s life and mission are outlined in the very writings of Moses. This is obvious with things like the sacrificial system, but it can also be seen in commandments like the Sabbath day. For instance, in Deuteronomy chapter five, Moses repeats the Ten Commandments that were originally given in Exodus 20. But you might notice a difference when he repeats the Sabbath commandment.
In the Exodus version of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath points to creation:
For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:11)
The Sabbath highlights the fact that God is the Creator. This magnificent universe didn’t just pop into existence via random chance. No, an intelligent designer is behind all of it. We affirm this truth every time we rest on the seventh day.
In the Deuteronomy version of the Ten Commandments, the Sabbath points to another important truth—that is, God is our deliverer:
You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. (Deuteronomy 5:15)
So in Deuteronomy we see that the commandment to rest on the seventh day includes remembering that God rescued us from slavery in Egypt. Since Egypt is often used to refer to sin throughout the New Testament, we can see how this aspect of the Sabbath is a prophetic picture of our salvation in the Messiah. In addition to physically resting, a correct approach to the Sabbath according to Scripture would include reflecting on the Gospel. We are to remember that we were once enslaved to our sins, but now we are free because of Yeshua.
Isn’t it amazing how the Gospel message is clearly foreshadowed in this story of deliverance that we’re told to remember every seventh day? Yeshua is the foundation of everything we believe, and ultimately keeping the Sabbath brings us right back to Him. Hallelujah!
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Can you recall times in your life when you’ve lost control of your emotions? Perhaps it happens more often than you’d like to admit. We’ve all had heated moments where we’ve reacted out of anger or pain, often provoking others and dragging out arguments. What guidance do the Scriptures give us in these situations?
Is there a danger of leaving Jesus and the Gospel behind in our pursuit of Torah obedience?
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Feelings are important and shouldn't be dismissed. But we must not be led by our feelings. We cannot assume that our feelings reflect the complete truth of any situation. Our feelings reflect only how we interpret the truth of the situation. New information or another perspective often leads to a different interpretation.
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Recently my wife Diana and I had the opportunity to travel to North Carolina to attend and speak at a conference. The weekend was wonderful, and I was so blessed by the encouragement from believers around the world. But I admit I didn’t feel that way at the beginning.
Did you know that God gives us physical things to do in order to teach us spiritual principles? Indeed, He didn’t give us a bunch of random commandments just to watch us jump through religious hoops. He is a loving Father, and His Torah (instructions) is designed to teach us His character and His truth. Every “jot and tittle” in God’s Word has a profound Spiritual purpose—whether or not we recognize it from our limited perspectives.
It's easy to get discouraged by the instability of our culture these days. There is a growing distrust towards our leaders, the Media, and each other—and for good reasons, in many cases! But we shouldn't feel hopeless. Instead we should consider this the perfect opportunity to be a light in the darkness by offering something different, something stable, something that people can hold on to.
In Matthew 24, Yeshua (Jesus) told His followers to look for very specific signs that will mark the end of this present age and signify His Second Coming. But what are faithful followers of the Messiah supposed to do with these signs? How are we to live our lives as these signs begin to take place?
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On every 4th of July in America, we are reminded of the value of liberty. But liberty is not an American concept; it's a biblical concept. God created us to be free.