Understanding the Torah - A Biblical Perspective on Living a Life Pleasing to Yah

 

Readers, family, and friends have asked me many questions since I started this blog, but one of the questions that comes up often is, “What exactly is the Torah?” This is a great question, for if you do not know what the Torah is, then how can you properly love YHWH?

“And this is the love, that we walk according to His commands. This is the command, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.” (2 John 1:6)

The Torah is Not Just For the Jews

Torah is Elohim’s instructions for us on how to live a life pleasing to Him. It is not just a Jewish thing, it is a Biblical thing, all of Israel was given the Torah, not just the House of Judah (Which didn’t exist at the time). 

“And Mosheh (Moses) came and called for the elders of the people, and set before them all these words which יהוה commanded him. And all the people answered together and said, “All that יהוה has spoken we shall do.” So Mosheh (Moses) brought back the words of the people to יהוה..” (Exodus 19:7-8)

If you identify as a follower of Yeshua and yet believe yourself to be a gentile and outside of the nation of Israel, read my post “Grafted In”. In that post, I show Biblical proof that those of us who believe have been grafted into the olive tree of Israel. Further, if someone chooses to believe that the Torah is only for the Jews, then they are saying only the Jews can sin. But everyone sins.

“Whosoever commits sin transgresses also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” (1 John 3:4) NIV

“Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4) The Scriptures 2009

Keeping Torah is How We Love Him

Yeshua said he spoke only the words that His Father gave him, and Yeshua said If you love me, keep my commandments.

“Because I spoke not from Myself, but the Father who sent Me has given Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak.” (John 12:49)

“If you love Me, you shall guard My commands.” (John 14:15)

No matter how you dice it, we should be keeping Torah, for that is how we show that we love our Elohim. Torah or Law, as it is often translated as, is the commandments YHWH gave us. It is more than the 10 that everyone thinks of; it is all 613 (an in-depth study shows this to be inaccurate, but an estimate) that are found within the first five books of the Bible. I know it sounds like a lot, but many of the commands have to do with the Levitical priesthood, farmers, the temple, and some commands distinguish between the two genders or being in the land of Israel. So large portions of the Torah will not be doable in your life, but we must do what we can. 

The Torah is Not Burdensome 

At the bottom of the page, I will leave a link to a website that has all 613 commandments as written down by Rambam. I also have a Testing the 613 tab, if you wish to check that out. I know many say, “We can’t keep the law; nobody is perfect.” Well, let’s see if the Bible describes the Torah as being burdensome or too difficult to do.

“For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy,” (1 John 5:3)

“For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. “It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ Nor is it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ ” “For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it.” (Deuteronomy 30:11-14) 

It’s not too hard, and we can do all things through the Messiah.

“I have strength to do all, through Messiah who empowers me.” (Philippians 4:13) 

What makes keeping Torah difficult is not the Torah itself, but the fact that our fleshly desires war against the spirit. 

“For we know that the Torah is Spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin.” (Romans 7:14)

“For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you desire to do.” (Galatians 5:17)

Delighting in the Torah

Do not fret or feel intimidated by the Torah; it is to be enjoyed and loved!

“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, And shall not stand in the path of sinners, And shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, But his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, And he meditates in His Torah day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2) 

“O how I love Your Torah! It is my study all day long.” (Psalm 119:97)

“I have hated doubting thoughts, But I have loved Your Torah.” (Psalm 119:113)

“I have hated falsehood and loathe it, Your Torah I have loved.” (Psalm 119:163)

“Great peace have those loving Your Torah, And for them there is no stumbling-block. ” (Psalm 119:165)

“I have longed for Your deliverance, O יהוה, And Your Torah is my delight.” (Psalm 119:174)

“Where there is no vision, the people are let loose, But blessed is he who guards the Torah.” (Proverbs 29:18)

The Father Makes the Rules, Not the Children

I do not understand the disdain or the neglect Christians have for the Torah. How do they show love for Elohim without it? How do they know how to live without it? The Bible makes it very clear that it is a delight to have and obey the commands of YHWH. I fear for those who claim to be followers of Yeshua and do not guard the commandments. 

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

Do not misunderstand me, I know we are bound to mess up, but we must continually try to live as obedient children. 

“My little children, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the Father, יהושע Messiah, a righteous One.” (1 John 2:1)

I hoped this helped shed some light on what Torah is and what it isn’t. It is His instructions for us, not some man's doctrine; it is not burdensome but is a delight. Test all things, including this, and I pray that the Ruach (Spirit) leads you into all truth. 

http://the613.info/ 

P.S.

Check out some of my books! Available in both print and Kindle versions.   

Messianic's Views on Abortion: A Biblical Perspective

 

With the recent rulings on third-trimester abortions, I thought it would be a good time to address this and see what the Bible has to say about the topic. Although I have never personally met a believer in Elohim who was in support of abortions, I decided to look up if any sect of Christianity approves of abortions (Outside of cases where the mother would die). Lo and behold, there are groups of Christians that believe abortions to be ok and cite certain Bible verses as poetic and not to be taken literally. This is one reason why I have an issue with Christians taking the Bible as metaphorical or allegorical. The Bible is very clear when it is being literal or symbolic. If you would like to learn more about this, you can read my post, “Biblical Literalism”. 

Poetry can Speak the Truth

One such example of this interpretation of scriptures is that they claim Psalm 139 to be out of context when used to oppose abortion. The quote you are about to read comes from the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

“To use a poetic reference such as that in the Psalm as if it were a literal description of the beginning of personhood is to confuse poetry with a factual explanation of stages of gestation.” (http://www.life.org.nz/abortion/abortionreligiouskeyissues/christian-religions/) 

The particular verses they say are taken out of context are the following.

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14) ESV

“For You, You possessed my kidneys, You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I give thanks to You, For I am awesomely and wondrously made! Wondrous are Your works, And my being knows it well.” (Psalm 139:13-14) The Scriptures 2009

Sure, this is a song, and like songs nowadays, poetic speech is interlaced with the truth. Ask anyone who writes poetry or songs, and they will tell you the same thing. Maybe YHWH didn’t knit me together like one knits a blanket, but that doesn’t take away the part He played in informing me. 

Changes in Childbirth 

I know someone will probably say, “If He forms everyone, why are there children born with deformities?” I don’t claim to know everything, but if I had to surmise why abnormalities are a possibility, it is that sin is active and entered into the world after the fall. I have no reason to believe that if the fall had never happened, malformations would occur. We know this for certain, though, that sin did change aspects of Childbirth.

“To the woman He said, “I greatly increase your sorrow and your conception – bring forth children in pain…” (Genesis 3:16)

A Lack of Fear 

What is bizarre is that there are “Christians” (proclaimed followers of the Messiah) who support abortions. When even the Hebrew midwives of the past had the wisdom to fear Elohim and violate a direct order from the Pharaoh.

“Then the sovereign of Mitsrayim (Egypt) spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Pu‛ah (Puah), and he said, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stools, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death, but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” But the midwives feared Elohim, and did not do as the sovereign of Mitsrayim (Egypt) commanded them, and kept the male children alive. So the sovereign of Mitsrayim called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and kept the male children alive?” And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Mitsrian (Egypt) women. For they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” So Elohim was good to the midwives, and the people increased and became very numerous. And it came to be, because the midwives feared Elohim, that He provided households for them. And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Throw every son who is born into the river, and keep alive every daughter.” (Exodus 1:15-22)

I know many may argue that, technically, what Pharaoh wanted to be done was murder and not abortion. Spare me the antics; just because the child is in the womb versus out of the womb does not change how YHWH feels about them. Again, some may state that Elohim Himself has killed children, such as when he flooded the Earth or when He killed the firstborn of the Egyptians. I have thought about this, and while I might not have a concrete answer, I do know this. His ways are higher than mine, and as a created being, I have no right to judge YHWH on His actions, for He is just, and His way is perfect. It should be noted, though, that whenever this does occur, it is either to bring judgment upon a people or to save Israel from being assimilated into the nations. 

Deuteronomy 7 Explored 

Many may cite Deuteronomy 7 to show that YHWH sanctioned the massacre of all those living in the promised land, but let us examine this ourselves. 

“And when יהוה your Elohim gives them over to you, you shall strike them and put them under the ban, completely. Make no covenant with them, and show them no favor. And do not intermarry with them – you do not give your daughter to his son, and you do not take his daughter for your son,” for he turns your sons away from following Me, to serve other mighty ones. Then the displeasure of יהוה shall burn against you and promptly destroy you. “But this is what you do to them: Break down their slaughter-places, and smash their pillars, and cut down their Ashĕrim, and burn their carved images with fire. “For you are a set-apart people to יהוה your Elohim. יהוה your Elohim has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a treasured possession above all the peoples on the face of the earth. “יהוה did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more numerous than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples, but because of יהוה loving you, and because of Him guarding the oath which He swore to your fathers, יהוה has brought you out with a strong hand, and ransomed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim (Egypt). And you shall know that יהוה your Elohim, He is Elohim, the trustworthy Ěl guarding covenant and loving-commitment for a thousand generations with those who love Him, and those who guard His commands,” but repaying those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He does not delay to do so with him who hates Him, He repays him to his face. “And you shall guard the command, and the laws, and the right-rulings which I command you today, to do them.” (Deuteronomy 7: 2-11)

Here we see the reason those who inhabited the promised land were exterminated was because they would have led the Hebrews astray (they also had the genetics of giants). Which would have led to the Israelites being destroyed as well, and that was not a risk YHWH was willing to take, and rightly so. Ok, I know that was a bit of a detour, but I know some of those arguments would arise. 

Abortion in the Bible

Does the Bible say thou shalt not have an abortion? Well, no, but it does say this.

“You do not murder.” (Exodus 20:13)

Some may say abortion is not murder, but that is far from the truth; it is a lie the wicked want you to believe. In Exodus, we learn what should happen to someone who hurts an unborn child.

“And when men strive and they shall smite a pregnant woman, and her children come out, yet there is no injury, he shall certainly be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband lays upon him. And he shall give through the judges.“But if there is injury, then you shall give life for life.” (Exodus 21:22-23) 

The penalty for causing a miscarriage appears to be death (for more information, check out my post titled "Eye for Eye"). The argument that life starts after birth is ridiculous; in Luke, we read that John leaped for joy in the womb. When’s the last time you witnessed an inanimate object move on its own accord? 

“And it came to be, when Elisheḇa (Elizabeth) heard the greeting of Miryam (Mary), that the baby leaped in her womb. And Elisheḇa (Elizabeth) was filled with the Set-apart Spirit, and called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! “And who am I, that the mother of my Master should come to me? “For look, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.” (Luke 1:41-44)

The Origin of Abortions 

To those who are unfamiliar with the book of Enoch (Check out my post, “Ripped from the Bible, 1 Enoch”), it may surprise you to learn that it was a fallen angel who taught men how to perform abortions. 

“And the name of the fifth is Kasdeyae; this one showed the sons of men all the evil blows of the spirits and of the demons, and the blows that attack the embryo in the womb so that it miscarries…” (1 Enoch 69:12) Note: Some translations of Enoch will have this verse at 69:17.

It is a wicked thing, make no mistake, it is not something Elohim wishes to see. I know there are cases when abortion might be appropriate, such as saving the life of the mother. I pray that you never find yourself in that situation. But if you do, I would seek the guidance of the Rauch Hakodesh. As always, test all things, including this, and may the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth.

There is still Time to Repent 

One more thing, if you have had an abortion or if you condoned the act, I do not wish for you to feel as if forgiveness is beyond you. Do not let the sins of your past rule in your life. Yeshua is our Great High Priest, through whom we can find forgiveness; now walk in obedience to your Elohim YHWH. 

“My little children, I write this to you, so that you do not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Intercessor with the Father, יהושע Messiah, a righteous One.” (1 John 2:1) 

P.S.

Check out some of my books! Available in both print and Kindle versions. 

The Dark History of Valentine's Day and its Pagan Roots

 

Valentine’s Day is the day when hopeless romantics and lovers send cards, chocolate, and roses to the one they desire. Many see this holiday as fun and innocent; after all, school children across the earth will be sending little cute cards and hard candy that say, “Be mine.” For those who grow up in the Catholic Church, it is a day to remember Saint Valentine, who was killed for converting people to Christianity. But these are not the true meanings of the holiday; in fact, as we will see, Valentine’s Day is rooted in paganism. 

Lupercalia and Valentine's Day

Before it was known as Valentine's, it was celebrated by the Romans under the festival of Juno Fructifier and the Feast of Lupercalia. On February 14th, during a festival to honor Roman goddess Juno Fructifier (The queen of the Roman pantheon), women would put their names into a box and men would draw a name at random. After this, the two would pair off for the coming Feast of Lupercalia, though sometimes these sexual flings lasted longer and ended with the two getting married. Below is a quote from Alberta Franklin’s book “The Lupercalia”, which depicts the rites performed during the Feast of Lupercalia.

“For goats are slain, then two boys of noble rank are led up to the victim, and a sword which has been dipped into blood is pressed upon their foreheads, after which the blood is immediately wiped off with a bit of wool moistened in milk. The blood having been removed, the lads must laugh. After this [the Luperci] cut the hides of the goats into strips and, naked except for a girdle, they run about [the Palatine], striking with the thongs everyone whom they meet. The young women do not shun the blows, since they believe that they will avail for the conception and the easy delivery of children.” (The Lupercalia – Alberta Mildred Franklin pg. 16) 

It is quite evident that during this time, sexual immorality was rampant; these festivals were about fertility after all. During this holiday, the giving of red roses can be seen as trying to garner the favor of the Roman goddess of love, Venus, whose favorite flower is the red rose. Even Cupid, who looks innocent enough, is the Roman god of desire, affection, and love. Look around as Valentine’s Day nears, and the pagan god Cupid will be on full display. Something interesting I stumbled upon while researching is that in some sects of witchcraft, anonymously giving cards of affection is linked to love magic. 

The Issue with ‘Christianizing’ Pagan Ways

So, where did the idea of this being a Christian holiday come from? Well, just like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween, it was “Christianized” by the Catholic Church. 

“At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius I replaced Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day.” (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Valentines-Day) 

As I stated in “The True Origins Behind Christmas” we do not have the power or right to Christianize pagan festivals or practices. If you haven’t read that post or “Understanding the Mo'edim: The Biblical Holy Days Given By YHWH”, I highly recommend you do, for our Father YHWH has set apart days for us to follow. Elohim makes it very clear that he does not want us to do as the pagans or gentiles (Read “Grafted In” to learn how, once you accept Yeshua, you become part of Israel. No longer a gentile). 

“Thus said יהוה, “Do not learn the way of the nations…” (Jeremiah 10:2) 

“Speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl (Israel), and say to them, ‘I am יהוה your Elohim. ‘Do not do as they do in the land of Mitsrayim (Egypt), where you dwelt. And do not do as they do in the land of Kena‛an (Canaan), where I am bringing you, and do not walk in their laws. ‘Do My right-rulings and guard My laws, to walk in them. I am יהוה your Elohim.” (Leviticus 18:2-4)

YHWH tells our ancestors when He brings them out of Egypt not to do as the Egyptians, or as the Canaanites in the land of Canaan. So, why would we think it is any different when it comes to Roman practices? If our forefathers couldn’t rectify the pagan ways of Egypt or Canaan, then neither can we, regardless of what the Catholic Church states. 

Worship of the Saints 

I was looking at their website to see what information they had on Valentine’s Day and found this at the bottom of the page.

“St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, beekeepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travelers, and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses and his feast day is celebrated on February 14.” (httphttps://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159s://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=159) 

The way they describe St. Valentine is how he is the saint of couples, love, and marriages. Sounds an awful lot like how pagan gods are described as being over some aspect of life. For example, Aphrodite (Greek goddess) is said to be over love, fertility, and marriage. Not only that, but the Catholic Church advocates praying to dead saints. Here is one version of a payer to St. Valentine.

“Oh glorious protector Saint Valentine, Defender of marriage and true believers, Defiler of pagans and idols, I offer this prayer to you. Help me in my marriage and in my daily battle to keep my faith, Help me to defy doubts and forget my fears, Help me devote my life to the Lord as you devoted yours. Saint Valentine, I ask you to bless me in my time of need. I will devote the 14th of February to you and hold your name in my heart. Please help me see the truth and the way and the light. Just as you fought for the young people who needed your guidance, draw your sword for me, carve a path for me. Forgive me for the sin of temptation and help me to leave temptation behind.” (A version of a prayer to St. Valentine)

We have one mediator, Yeshua the Messiah.

“For there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the Man Messiah יהושע. (1 Timothy 2:5)

We should not be praying to various saints that are patrons of a certain aspect of life, like the pagans of old did to their chosen pantheon. Don’t let the doctrines of men lead you astray; the Catholic Church and mainstream Christianity are polluted with such nonsense. Do your due diligence and read your Bible for yourself, ask YHWH to show you the truth, and leave out any preconceived notions. Your Bible starts in Genesis, not Matthew, and all of it is applicable to your life. 

I hope this post helped shed some light on the pagan origins of Valentine’s Day. As always, I ask you do your own research, it’s actually quite fun! Down below is a link to a free e-book, “The Lupercalia” by Alberta Mildred Franklin. I pray the Rauch Hakodesh guides you into all truth.

“The Lupercalia” by Alberta Mildred Franklin 

P.S.

Check out some of my books! Available in both print and Kindle versions.