Torah is commonly translated as “Law” in English translations of the Bible, and Torah does contain commands and prohibitions. However, Torah more properly means teaching or instruction. The purpose of YHWH’s Torah is to teach mankind right from wrong, to show us how to distinguish good from evil, and to instruct us on the best way to live. Torah was given to us for our benefit; through it, we learn how to relate to YHWH and walk in His righteous ways.
To have a relationship with YHWH and be His people, we must act in obedience to His word and will. We must have a genuine value of, and desire for, YHWH’s word. We must strive to live according to YHWH’s word out of love and obedience to Him, revering His Torah without adding to or subtracting from it.
Recap
Foundations of the Faith is a series where we examine the basic concepts of our faith in YHWH as recorded in the Bible. This series is intended to be a summarized overview of the faith, which we hope will guide new disciples in the beginning of their study. Throughout this series, we will address such fundamental issues as:
Who is God and how do we relate to Him?
What is Torah (God’s teachings and commandments)?
What is sin and the penalty of sin?
How can the penalty of our sins be resolved?
What do we do after receiving salvation?
What is Torah?
תּוֹרָה (Torah) — Teaching, instruction, direction, guidance
The word Torah properly means teaching or instruction. Torah is derived from the root word Yarah.
יָרָה (Yarah) — Literally: To throw or shoot, such as an archer firing an arrow. Figuratively: To point to or teach.
Yarah expresses the concept of an archer shooting an arrow at a target to hit the bullseye. Figuratively, Yarah expresses the image of a teacher pointing the way or guiding us. Yarah embodies the idea of aiming true and hitting a target or goal.
When we understand Torah, and its root word Yarah, we understand it means teaching that directs us to hit the mark and avoid error. And this is the proper meaning of Torah as expressed in the Bible.
Torah is the instructions of YHWH given to teach mankind His will. Through YHWH’s instructions, we learn to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil, and clean from unclean. By studying Torah, we can apply the teachings of YHWH to live righteously or to recognize when we have failed so that we can make correction.
Where is Torah
In the Tanakh (“Old Testament”) the Torah is contained in the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. In these books, YHWH’s instructions and commandments are recorded and preserved for our benefit. So, these books form the foundation of scripture; they define who YHWH is and what His will is for mankind. Therefore, these books should be the starting point for all study.
Because the first five books of the Bible are collectively referred to as “Torah”, there is a misunderstanding that the word Torah means “first five books of the Bible” or “books of Moses”. This is not true.
The Tanakh is organized categorically into three sections: Torah, Prophets, and Other Writings.
Because the first five books of the Bible contain YHWH’s Torah, they are categorically referred to as Torah. But, the word Torah still means teaching or instruction; it’s just being used to categorically group together the Biblical books that contain YHWH’s instructions.
What is Torah’s Purpose?
YHWH is orderly and just; He created everything for a purpose, and He wants life to go well for His creation. So, understanding why YHWH provided instructions for living should not be a difficult theological question to wrestle with. It should be obvious the Elohim of creation and order would give His people instructions on how best to live.
Instruction to Know YHWH
Through Torah, we come to understand who YHWH is and what He is like. This occurs in two ways. First, YHWH directly reveals aspects of His character in His teachings. In various portions of the Torah, such as Exodus 34:5-7, YHWH directly tells us what He is like.
Secondly, as we learn the instructions of Torah we are gaining a personality profile of YHWH. We are not only learning instructions and commandments for our lives; but, we are also learning what YHWH likes and dislikes, what He values, and what He considers important. Every instruction and commandment in the Bible is a reflection of YHWH’s thought, behavior, and moral standard. The more we put Torah into practice and allow it to shape our thought and behavior, the more like YHWH we become and the closer our relationship is with Him.
Instruction in Righteous Living
Of course, having clear instructions from YHWH gives us guidance for living upright lives. This is the primary purpose of Torah, to teach us how to live according to YHWH’s will and avoid doing what is evil. And, we’re told that if we walk in obedience to YHWH’s instructions then He will bless us and our lives will go well.
Forewarning Against Wickedness and its Penalty
Ultimately, YHWH will judge every one of us according to the standard of His Torah. Anything we do to violate Torah incurs a penalty, which YHWH will hold us to.
Having been instructed in advance, we are able to distinguish good from evil so that we can make right decisions to do what is good. On the day of YHWH’s judgement there is no excuse, because He made His instructions available to us so that we could govern ourselves accordingly.
If we violate Torah, that is on us and we are accountable.
If we neglect Torah, that is on us and we are accountable.
We can’t say we didn’t know, because it was made known to us and we have opportunity to study, acknowledge wrongdoing, and improve.
Does Torah Still Apply Today?
Behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares YHWH.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH: I will put my Torah within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know YHWH,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares YHWH. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. (Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:8-12)
There is often confusion as to whether or not Torah still applies to us today under the New Covenant. Why should there be any confusion? Wasn’t YHWH clear that Torah is His instructions and commandments for our lives? Wasn’t YHWH clear that He will judge us according the standard of His Torah? Wasn’t YHWH clear that He doesn’t change, and what He called evil in the past would still be evil today and tomorrow?
The purpose of the New Covenant wasn’t to abolish Torah and create a new religion with new instructions and commandments. The purpose of the New Covenant is:
The New Covenant is Made with Israel
1. It is made by YHWH with Israel and Judah. This idea carries two concepts:
a) The people of YHWH became divided into two kingdoms: Israel and Judah. The New Covenant brings the people back together as one and restores our relationship with YHWH.
b) The New Covenant is made with Israel and Judah, not a new entity called “The Church”. When people teach God divorced Israel and transferred His blessings and promises to “The Church”, that is a false doctrine. YHWH Himself declared the New Covenant would be made with the old Israel; so, anyone coming into the New Covenant must come into Israel and not the other way around.
We do not come out of Israel and join “The Church” in order to receive the blessings promised to Israel. That’s a crazy doctrine; it makes no sense. Rather, people of all nations are accepted into the New Covenant with Israel so long as they desire a relationship with YHWH and have in their hearts to obey His Torah. And, the means to come into the kingdom is through the atonement offered by Messiah (which we will discuss later in this series).
The New Covenant Includes The Torah
2. The entire Torah carries forward. The promise of the New Covenant never declared Torah would come to an end. Rather, YHWH directly said He will write His Torah on our hearts. If we are New Covenant believers, the Torah should be on our hearts. We should have a desire to know Torah and live it.
This writing of the Torah on our hearts is accomplished by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who acts as our internal teacher and guide. If we are filled with the Holy Spirit then we should be in a better position to understand and obey Torah than the people of the past who did not have YHWH’s Spirit within them. Therefore, the New Covenant should draw us closer to Torah, not further away from it.
If anyone claims the Holy Spirit is directing him or her to violate Torah, that simply cannot be. There’s no way the Spirit of YHWH is telling us to break YHWH’s instructions and commandments. Anyone claiming to hear a spirit tell him or her to violate Torah is either speaking his or her own thoughts or is hearing from an unclean spirit. See Deuteronomy 13.
The New Covenant Resolves Our Penalty for Breaking Torah
3. The penalty for our violation of Torah is resolved. YHWH’s promise of a New Covenant includes our sin (violation of Torah) being forgiven and no longer held against us.
So, the answer is: Yes, Torah still applies today. We still need to know the instructions and commandments of YHWH, and we still need to live righteous lives by walking in His ways. Do not think you can receive the pardon for your violation of Torah only to then continue living the rest of your life in willful violation of Torah.
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