The G-d Given Way Of Torah Fulfillment
How are we doing in keeping G-d’s commandments?
G-d Himself spoke from Mount Sinai. He made His covenant with Israel and gave them His law.
As one of its main functions, G-d’s law expresses His righteousness - the righteousness that is required of the people who belong to Him. We are to trust and honor Him as the only true G-d who redeemed His people. He commands us to love Him with all our hearts and our fellow man as ourselves.
Are we meeting God’s standards, do you think?
The Torah and the rest of the Tanakh tell us a sad story. We all have a problem. The intention of man’s heart is evil from its youth. (See Genesis 8:21.) We see in Scripture that even Israel, G-d’s chosen people, has this inclination to distrust and disobey G-d.
We can be optimistic and try harder to be better. Some endeavor to be very religious. But will that really solve the heart problem? Religious observance and human effort too easily leads to misplaced pride. We may try very hard with good works on the outside while the internal heart problem remains unsolved.
The Torah points us to another solution. Along with His righteous requirements, G-d provided an extensive system of sacrifices for atonement. He established Yom Kippur, the special Day of Atonement, to deal with the sins of His people. This made it possible for His holy presence to dwell among His people in the tabernacle.
Beyond this, we find in the Torah and the prophets G-d’s promise to one day change the hearts of His people into hearts that love Him. He will give them hearts on which His Torah is written. This heart change flows from the experience of radical forgiveness. (See for example Deuteronomy 30:6; Jeremiah 31:32; Ezekiel 36:25-28; Zechariah 3:9; Psalm 130:4,8.)
New Covenant, Messiah and the confirmation of the Torah
Let’s explore this promise of radical forgiveness a bit further. The Scriptures tell us Israel broke God’s covenant (Deuteronomy 31:16) and describe it as a painful divorce (Hosea 1:9, 2:1). That’s bad news.
But against this black background we find amazing good news. G-d wants to “remarry” His people! He promises a new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31). He says, “I will betroth you to me forever!” (Hosea 2:19).
Parashat Yitro, which describes G-d’s revelation on Mount Sinai, is accompanied with a fitting haftorah reading from Isaiah 6. On one hand, that passage shows us G-d’s holiness seems to threaten us. (“Woe is me!”) On the other hand, it shows us that same G-d gives atonement.
In the Ashkenazi and Yemenite tradition two additional verses are read; Isaiah 9:5-6 speak of the peace the Messiah gives. That is again very fitting!
Why? Because the prophets directly connect the promise of a new covenant – the promise of radical renewal and forgiveness - with the Messiah. He is the basis of this new covenant as He approaches G-d as a very special priest. (See Jeremiah 30:21; Zechariah 6:12-13 NKJV). He provides the atonement we need so desperately.
The Torah comes with promises of blessing for disobedience but also with a terrible curse for disobedience. Israel experienced some of that judgment when their sins resulted in exile. Our sins separate us from our holy Creator. (See Isaiah 59:2.)
But now the Messiah comes. Although completely righteous himself, he takes the curse for our disobedience to the Torah upon himself. He suffers and dies for our transgressions. He gives himself as the ultimate sacrifice upon which this radical forgiveness is based. (See Isaiah 53.)
See also: Isaiah 53: The Gate To Shalom
When we take G-d’s demands for true righteousness seriously we see the need of this atonement. Nothing confirms the Torah more than this.
How the Torah is fulfilled in us
When we start participating in what G-d provides in the Messiah, the righteous requirements of the Torah are fulfilled in us. This happens in two ways.
First, the Messiah died for our disobedience to the Torah. He pays, as it were, the “bill” of the Torah’s demands. In return, his followers get a completely clean slate. Even more than that, all those who trust in the Messiah have the perfect righteousness of Messiah credited to them.
Second, when we experience the love of G-d by receiving His amazing, undeserved forgiveness and acceptance, it causes us to love G-d.
In the Torah we see that the sacrifices in the tabernacle made it possible for G-d to be present among His people. The same way, Messiah’s ultimate sacrifice makes it possible for G-d’s Spirit to dwell in us. This enables us to begin a new life in which we can walk according to G-d’s will. A process starts in which the goal of the Torah will be finally reached. G-d’s work in transforming our hearts accomplishes what can never happen through our own efforts in our own power.
Moses prophesied about this amazing reality when he said that one day G-d would circumcise the heart of His people. (Deuteronomy 30:6.)
The Messiah who makes this reality available has come already: Yeshua (Jesus) of Nazareth. He is Israel’s Messiah but is often misunderstood by many in Israel, his own people – just as the prophets foretold. Thankfully, this misunderstanding won’t endure forever. When Israel will recognize him for Who he is, final redemption will come.
One of the main misperceptions about Yeshua is that he led Israel away from the Torah. The opposite is true. He is G-d’s only provision for true Torah fulfillment. Yeshua is the only truly viable way for the righteous requirement of the Torah to be fulfilled in us.
You are invited to explore this essential issue further.
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