Is Astrology a Sin According to the Torah?

 

I was recently asked if astrology was bad, and while the answer may seem obvious to more seasoned followers of Yeshua, those still growing are still in the process of learning the Torah. When responding to young ones in the faith, and this can apply to both physically young and those who have just started to walk in the way of the Messiah, it is best to answer the question truthfully, humbly, and with evidence. To answer the question, we must first understand what astrology is, and according to Britannica, it is:

“Astrology, a type of divination that involves the forecasting of earthly and human events through the observation and interpretation of the fixed stars, the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Devotees believe that an understanding of the influence of the planets and stars on earthly affairs allows them to both predict and affect the destinies of individuals, groups, and nations.” (Britannica, Astrology) 

The most common way this is done today is with horoscopes, where you look up for astrological sign and read what your daily fortune is. This practice is very popular in the world, with practically every culture having its own variant of it, if not the same one. So, it’s easy to see for the young ones that something so commonplace can be sin, and make no mistake, divination is a sin.

“Do not eat meat with the blood. Do not practice divination or magic.” (Leviticus 19:26)

“Let no one be found among you who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices divination, or a user of magic, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. “For whoever does these is an abomination to יהוה, and because of these abominations יהוה your Elohim drives them out from before you.” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) 

Seeking the stars to provide insight into the future or for reasons of mysticism is an abomination to Elohim and is not something we should be doing. This is different than looking to the stars for navigation or using the sun and moon to tell the time. 

“And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years.” (Genesis 1:14)

I hope this has helped, and continue to test all things, to include this, and may the Ruach Hakodesh lead you into all Truth.

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The Inspiring Story of Hanukkah Uncovering the Details from 2 Maccabees

 

Last year, during the time of Hanukkah, I covered the events that led to the creation of the festival of dedication (Hanukkah). The details gathered from 1 Maccabees provided us with an overall view of what transpired: the Greeks invading Jerusalem, the plundering and ransacking of the Temple, the slaughtering of the House of Judah, the Maccabean rebellion that pushed out the Greek army, and the rededication of the Temple that became known as the festival of Hanukkah. This post will cover some of the finer details mentioned in 2 Maccabees, which are as inspirational as they are tear-jerking. As I stated in “The Story of Hanukkah”, many see a connection between what the Greeks did to Judah and what will occur during the time of the great tribulation. So, as you read on, take to heart the courage our ancestors showed in the face of death and how they honored Elohim until the end. 

The Greeks Outlaw the Torah

“Not long after that, the king sent an elderly Athenian to force the Jews to abandon their religion and the customs of their ancestors. He was also to defile their Temple by dedicating it to the Olympian god Zeus.” (2 Maccabees 6:1-2) 

“The oppression was harsh and almost intolerable. Gentiles filled the Temple with drinking parties and all sorts of immorality. They even had intercourse with prostitutes there. Forbidden objects were brought into the Temple, and the altar was covered with detestable sacrifices prohibited by our Torah. It was impossible to observe the Sabbath, to celebrate any of the traditional festivals, or even so much as to admit to being a Jew. Each month when the king's birthday was celebrated, the Jews were compelled by brute force to eat the intestines of sacrificial animals. Then, during the festival in honor of the wine god Dionysus, they were required to wear ivy wreaths on their heads and march in procession. On the advice of Ptolemy, the neighboring Greek cities were also instructed to require Jews to eat the sacrifices; they were told to put to death every Jew who refused to adopt the Greek way of life. It was easy to see that hard times were ahead. For example, two women were arrested for having their babies circumcised. They were paraded around the city with their babies hung from their breasts; then they were thrown down from the city wall. On another occasion, Philip was told that some Jews had gathered in a nearby cave to observe the Sabbath in secret. Philip attacked and burned them all alive. They had such respect for the Sabbath that they would not fight to defend themselves.” (2 Maccabees 6:3-11)

The punishment for keeping Torah was death, and while many Jews acquiesced to the demands of the Greeks to preserve their lives, a great number also remained obedient unto death. If we are ever faced with such atrocities, we must remember what Master Yeshua said. 

“Then יהושע said to His taught ones, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his stake, and follow Me. “For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. “For what is a man profited if he gains all the world, and loses his own life? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Adam is going to come in the esteem of His Father with His messengers, and then He shall reward each according to his works.” (Matthew 16:24-27) 

It is better to die being obedient than it is to live in disobedience. 

“I beg you not to become discouraged as you read about the terrible things that happened. Consider that this was YHWH’s way of punishing his people, not of destroying them. In fact, it is a sign of kindness to punish a person immediately for his sins, rather than to wait a long time. YHWH does not treat us as he does other nations: he waits patiently until they have become deeply involved in sin before he punishes them, but he punishes us before we have sinned too much. So YHWH is always merciful to us, his own people. Although he punishes us with disasters, he never abandons us. I have made these few observations by way of reminder. We will now get on with the story.” (2 Maccabees 6:12-17) 

The House of Judah was being punished for the transgression they had committed before the Greeks arrived. The author of 2 Maccabees points out that YHWH punishes his children promptly instead of allowing them to wallow in sin until utter destruction befalls them. This is in agreement with the rest of the scriptures.

“Thus, you shall know in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so יהוה your Elohim disciplines you,” therefore you shall guard the commands of יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.” (Deuteronomy 8:5-6)

“My son, do not despise the discipline of יהוה, And do not loathe His reproof; For whom יהוה loves He reproves, As a father the son whom he delights in.” (Proverbs 3:11-12)

The following account shows us how important it is to stand up for Yah, not only for ourselves but for those watching around us. 

Death Before Dishonor 

“There was an elderly and highly respected teacher of the Torah by the name of Eleazar, whose mouth was being forced open to make him eat pork. But he preferred an honorable death rather than a life of disgrace. So he spit out the meat and went willingly to the place of torture, showing how people should have courage to refuse unclean food, even if it costs them their lives. Those in charge of the sacrifice had been friends of Eleazar for a long time, and because of this friendship they told him privately to bring meat that was lawful for him to eat. He need only pretend to eat the pork, they said, and in this way he would not be put to death. But Eleazar made a decision worthy of his gray hair and advanced age. All his life he had lived in perfect obedience to YHWH’s holy Torah, so he replied, Kill me, here and now. Such deception is not worthy of a man of my years. Many young people would think that I had denied my faith after I was ninety years old. If I pretended to eat this meat, just to live a little while longer, it would bring shame and disgrace on me and lead many young people astray. For the present I might be able to escape what you could do to me, but whether I live or die, I cannot escape Almighty Elohim. If I die bravely now, it will show that I deserved my long life. It will also set a good example of the way young people should be willing and glad to die for our sacred and respected Torah. As soon as he said these things, he went off to be tortured, and the very people who had treated him kindly a few minutes before, now turned against him, because they thought he had spoken like a madman. When they had beaten him almost to the point of death, he groaned and said, YHWH possesses all holy knowledge. He knows I could have escaped these terrible sufferings and death, yet he also knows that I gladly suffer these things, because I fear him. So Eleazar died. But his courageous death was remembered as a glorious example, not only by young people, but by the entire nation as well.” (2 Maccabees 6:18-31) 

Truly an inspiring example from Eleazar and the next passage will be as emotional as it is rousing.

“On another occasion a Jewish mother and her seven sons were arrested. The king was having them beaten to force them to eat pork. Then one of the young men said, “What do you hope to gain by doing this? We would rather die than abandon the traditions of our ancestors.” This made the king so furious that he gave orders for huge pans and kettles to be heated red hot, and it was done immediately. Then he told his men to cut off the tongue of the one who had spoken and to scalp him and chop off his hands and feet, while his mother and six brothers looked on. After the young man had been reduced to a helpless mass of breathing flesh, the king gave orders for him to be carried over and thrown into one of the pans. As a cloud of smoke streamed up from the pan, the brothers and their mother encouraged one another to die bravely, saying, “YHWH Elohim is looking on and understands our suffering. Moses made this clear when he wrote a song condemning those who had abandoned YHWH. He said, YHWH will have mercy on those who serve him.” After the first brother had died in this way, the soldiers started amusing themselves with the second one by tearing the hair and skin from his head. Then they asked him, “Now will you eat this pork, or do you want us to chop off your hands and feet one by one?” He replied in his native language, “I will never eat it!” So the soldiers tortured him, just as they had the first one, but with his dying breath he cried out to the king, “You butcher! You may kill us, but the King of the universe will raise us from the dead and give us eternal life, because we have obeyed his Torah.” The soldiers began entertaining themselves with the third brother. When he was ordered to stick out his tongue, he quickly did so. Then he bravely held out his hands and courageously said, “Elohim gave these to me. But His Torah mean more to me than my hands, and I know Elohim will give them back to me again.” The king and those with him were amazed at his courage and at his willingness to suffer. After he had died, the soldiers tortured the fourth one in the same cruel way, but his final words were, “I am glad to die at your hands, because we have the assurance that Elohim will raise us from death. But there will be no resurrection to life for you, Antiochus!” When the soldiers took the fifth boy and began torturing him, he looked the king squarely in the eye and said, “You have the power to do whatever you want with us, even though you also are mortal. But do not think that Elohim has abandoned our people. Just wait. Elohim will use his great power to torture you and your descendants.” Then the soldiers took the sixth boy, and just before he died he said, “Make no mistake. We are suffering what we deserve, because we have sinned against our Elohim. That's why all these terrible things are happening to us. But don't think for a minute that you will avoid being punished for fighting against Elohim.” The mother was the most amazing one of them all, and she deserves a special place in our memory. Although she saw her seven sons die in a single day, she endured it with great courage because she trusted in YHWH. She combined womanly emotion with manly courage and spoke words of encouragement to each of her sons in their native language. “I do not know how your life began in my womb, she would say, I was not the one who gave you life and breath and put together each part of your body. It was Elohim who did it, Elohim who created the universe, the human race, and all that exists. He is merciful and he will give you back life and breath again, because you love his Torah more than you love yourself.” Antiochus was sure that the mother was making fun of him, so he did his best to convince her youngest son to abandon the traditions of his ancestors. He promised not only to make the boy rich and famous, but to place him in a position of authority and to give him the title ‘Friend of the King’. But the boy paid no attention to him, so Antiochus tried to persuade the boy's mother to talk him into saving his life, and after much persuasion she agreed to do so. Leaning over her son, she fooled the cruel tyrant by saying in her native language, “My son, have pity on me. Remember that I carried you in my womb for nine months and nursed you for three years. I have taken care of you and looked after all your needs up to the present day. So I urge you, my child, to look at the sky and the earth. Consider everything you see there, and realize that Elohim made it all from nothing, just as he made the human race. Don't be afraid of this butcher. Give up your life willingly and prove yourself worthy of your brothers, so that by Elohim's mercy I may receive you back with them at the resurrection.” Before she could finish speaking, the boy said, “King Antiochus, what are you waiting for? I refuse to obey your orders. I only obey the commands in the Torah which Moses gave to our ancestors. You have thought up all kinds of cruel things to do to our people, but you won't escape the punishment that Elohim has in store for you. It is true that our living Elohim is angry with us and is making us suffer because of our sins, in order to correct and discipline us. But this will last only a short while, for we are still his servants, and he will forgive us. But you are the cruelest and most disgusting thing that ever lived. So don't fool yourself with illusions of greatness while you punish Elohim's people. There is no way for you to escape punishment at the hands of the almighty and all-seeing Elohim. My brothers suffered briefly because of our faithfulness to Elohim's covenant, but now they have entered eternal life. But you will fall under Elohim's judgment and be punished as you deserve for your arrogance. I now give up my body and my life for the Torah of our ancestors, just as my brothers did. But I also beg Elohim to show mercy to his people quickly and to torture you until you are forced to acknowledge that he alone is Elohim. May my brothers and I be the last to suffer the anger of Almighty Elohim, which he has justly brought upon our entire nation.” These words of ridicule made Antiochus so furious that he had the boy tortured even more cruelly than his brothers. And so the boy died, with absolute trust in YHWH, never unfaithful for a minute. Last of all, the mother was put to death.” (2 Maccabees 7:1-41) 

Better to Die for Obedience than to Live in Disobedience  

Wow, what a heart-reaching account of a family standing up for Yah and His Torah. To think they would lose their life instead of eating pork, and yet billions of people proclaim to love Elohim while stuffing their faces with pork. The Torah is not a burden; if it were, these people would not have endured the torture they did to honor it. This Hanukkah and the ones that follow, remember what those who came before us went through, and if that time comes, let us prove worthy of remembrance as well. 

P.S.

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Uncovering the Truth Behind the Mistranslation of Jacob as James in the Bible

 

It comes as a surprise, I know I was certainly shocked, to learn that the Book of James is really the Book of Jacob. I should have caught on sooner than I did, as I use the Scripture Research Institute 2009 version of the Bible. They have the book in English as James, but Hebrew as Ya’aqob, which is properly translated as Jacob. Wherever “James” is mentioned in the Brit Hadasha (New Testament), it is always rendered in Hebrew as Ya’aqob.

His Name is Spelt Ya’aqob

“Is this not the son of the carpenter? Is not His mother called Miryam? And His brothers Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob) and Yosĕph (Joseph) and Shim‛on (Simeon) and Yehuḏah (Jude)?” (Matthew 13:55) 

Jacob, the one who would become Israel, is spelled the same.

“And afterward his brother came out, with his hand holding on to Ěsaw’s heel, so his name was called Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob). And Yitsḥaq (Isaac) was sixty years old when she bore them.” (Genesis 25:26)

So why is Jacob, the brother of Yeshua, inaccurately translated as James? It seems to start with John Wycliffe when he translated the New Testament in 1380. Wycliffe was an English philosopher/ theologian and one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation. Some have speculated that the change in Jacob’s name was to create distance from the Christian Church and all things Hebraic. Something my website has covered quite a bit of in my “Torah Related” tab. Others have theorized that Jacob was translated to James to satisfy King James I, or at least he did not wish to fix the error; this King James also being the one who authorized the King James Bible. Either way, the mistranslation is acknowledged among top scholars in the Christian Church and Biblical Historians, yet there has been no push for correction, that I am aware of. 

Discovering errors made in translations is always disheartening, for we want to have an infallible source to study Elohim’s Word. Man, however, is fallible and capable of making mistakes or even purposely making changes to push an agenda. From Yeshua, YHWH, and Jacob, what other names have been changed? Many may object and say it does not matter so long as we know who we are talking about, but names mean something in the context of the Bible. 

Names Have Meanings 

“And the man called his wife’s name Ḥawwah (Eve), because she became the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:20)

“And no longer is your name called Aḇram, but your name shall be Aḇraham, because I shall make you a father of many nations.” (Genesis 17:5) 

“And Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob) was left alone. And a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. And when He saw that He did not overcome him, He touched the socket of his hip. And the socket of Ya‛aqoḇ’s (Jacob’s) hip was dislocated as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I am not letting You go until You have blessed me!” So He asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob).” And He said, “Your name is no longer called Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob), but Yisra’ĕl (Israel), because you have striven with Elohim and with men, and have overcome.” (Genesis 32:24-28)

“These are the names of the men whom Mosheh (Moses) sent to spy out the land. And Mosheh called Hoshĕa (Hosea) the son of Nun, Yehoshua (Joshua).” (Numbers 13:16) Joshua means “YHWH is salvation,” and it was Joshua who led the Hebrews into the promised land. 

“And she shall give birth to a Son, and you shall call His Name יהושע for He shall save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21) Yeshua’s name means “salvation”. 

These are but a few examples of names that mean something in scripture, and I encourage everyone to research what every name in the Bible means. A translation is one thing; at least in this manner, the meaning of the name can usually be preserved. However, this is lost when a name is completely changed. Continue to test all things, including this, and may the Ruach Hakodesh lead you into all truth. 

P.S.

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The Importance of Following the Torah Always and Forever

 

When it comes to following Yeshua in Torah obedience, he wants us to give it our all, not 20%, 50%, but 100% of our effort. Likewise, Elohim wants us to keep all of the Torah that applies to us, not just keeping the commands we like or what Christianity or Judaism say we are to keep. In relation to giving Elohim our all and obeying all of the Torah, here are a few verses that instruct us to do so. 

All of the Torah

“Walk in all the ways which יהוה your Elohim has commanded you, so that you live and it be well with you. And you shall prolong your days in the land which you possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:33) 

“Hear, O Yisra’ĕl (Israel): יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one! “And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

“And now, Yisra’ĕl, what is יהוה your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being,” (Deuteronomy 10:12)

“And it shall be, if you diligently obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard to do all His commands which I command you today, that יהוה your Elohim shall set you high above all nations of the earth.” (Deuteronomy 28:1)

“Only, diligently guard to do the command and the Torah which Mosheh the servant of יהוה commanded you, to love יהוה your Elohim, and to walk in all His ways, and to guard His commands, and to cling to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your being.” (Joshua 22:5) 

“Only fear יהוה, and you shall serve Him in truth with all your heart, for consider what marvels He has done for you.” (1 Samuel 12:24) 

“Blessed are the perfect in the way, Who walk in the Torah of יהוה! Blessed are those who observe His witnesses, Who seek Him with all the heart!” (Psalms 119:1-2)

“Then you shall call on Me, and shall come and pray to Me, and I shall listen to you. And you shall seek Me, and shall find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)

“But the wrong, if he turns from all his sins which he has done, and he shall guard all My laws, and shall do right-ruling and righteousness, he shall certainly live, he shall not die.” (Ezekiel 18:21)

“And יהושע answered him, “The first of all the commands is, ‘Hear, O Yisra’ĕl, יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one. ‘And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first command.” (Mark 12:29-30)

There are more verses I could have pulled, but even from this list, it is evident that we are to keep all the Torah (meaning what we can keep) with all our might. Next, we turn our attention to the Bible’s frequent use of always or forever when describing His Torah.

The Torah is Forever

“Oh, that they had such a heart in them, to fear Me and to guard all My commands always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” (Deuteronomy 5:29) 

“And יהוה commanded us to do all these laws, to fear יהוה our Elohim, for our good always, to keep us alive, as it is today.” (Deuteronomy 6:24) 

“He is יהוה our Elohim, His right-rulings are in all the earth. Remember His covenant forever, The Word He commanded for a thousand generations, Which He made with Abraham, And His oath to Yitsḥaq (Isaac), And He established it to Ya‛aqoḇ (Jacob) for a law, To Yisra’ĕl (Israel) as an everlasting covenant,” (1 Chronicles 16:14-17)

“You are near, O יהוה, And all Your commands are truth. Of old I have known Your witnesses, That You have founded them forever.” (Psalms 119:151-152)

In this last verse, I will show details of how, even when the new heavens and new earth are formed, we will still be honoring the new moons and the Sabbath. Further illustrating that the Torah, the instructions of the Most High Elohim, is not simply going to vanish, but is going to be enjoyed for an eternity. 

“For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make stand before Me,” declares יהוה, “so your seed and your name shall stand. “And it shall be that from New Moon to New Moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,” declares יהוה.” (Isaiah 66:22-23) 

I hope the aforementioned scriptures help to show you that Elohim wants us to obey Him fully and He wants us to do so always. If keeping the commandments is a new concept for you, check out my “Torah Related” tab, where you will find numerous posts that may help you on your journey. Continue to test all things, search out matters, and may the Ruach Hakodesh lead you into all truth. 

P.S.

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The Moral Argument for Living a Torah Lifestyle

 

This is a moral argument I created to show the validity of living a Torah lifestyle. I was inspired by the original moral argument that sets the case for the existence of Elohim. Mine was developed from having numerous conversations with Christians who asserted that the Torah was done away with. I hope you find this syllogism enlightening and that it helps you in future discussions and personal discourse. 

1. Objective morals and values must come from Elohim

Objective means factual, true, and not dependent on anyone’s interpretation. For example, it is a fact that we live on Earth, and personal perceptions cannot change that. It is paramount that we establish that objective morality must come from Elohim, since He is the creator, He gets to set the rules, not his creation. By being El Shaddai, it is only by His authority and power that such principles can manifest themselves in a foundational way. The contrast between objective and subjective is that subjective is relative to the individual. For example: which flavor of ice cream is the best, what’s the best color, the coolest looking animal, and so forth. The Bible teaches that Elohim alone is the foundation for morality. Remember, if something is true, then it is objective.

“You are near, O יהוה, and all Your commands are truth.” (Psalms 119:151)

“The sum of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous right-rulings are forever.” (Psalms 119:160)

“Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth.” (John 17:17)

 “And now, O Master יהוה, you are Elohim, and Your words are true, and You have spoken this goodness to Your servant.” (2 Samuel 7:28)

For those who have a belief in Elohim, the first premise is usually accepted without much trouble. The second premise is where most of the conflict will take place.

2. Elohim details what is right and what is wrong in His instructions (Torah)

There are several ways to demonstrate that premise two is correct, one is by defining what sin is.

“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1 John 3:4)

The word "lawlessness" does not refer to man-made laws, but to the Torah given by Elohim. Often, the English translators replace Torah with law, though the word actually means instructions. With what is wrong addressed, we turn our attention to what is right.

“For what great nation is there which has Elohim so near to it, as יהוה our Elohim is to us, whenever we call on Him? And what great nation is there that has such laws and righteous right-rulings like all this Torah which I set before you this day?” (Deuteronomy 4:7-8) 

Deuteronomy likens the Torah to righteous right-rulings, and now, with that in mind, we look at other witnesses to testify to that fact.

“Righteous are You, O יהוה, And Your right-rulings are straight.” (Psalms 119:137)

“So that the Torah truly is set-apart, and the command set-apart, and righteous, and good.” (Romans 7:12)

The Torah teaches followers how to live a life pleasing to the Father, and doing what is right (obeying) and what is wrong (sin/ disobedience) is established in the foundations of the first five books of the Bible. This is made very clear towards the end of the Torah.

“And you shall turn back and obey the voice of יהוה and do all His commands which I command you today. “And יהוה your Elohim shall make you have excess in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, and in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground for good. For יהוה turns back to rejoice over you for good as He rejoiced over your fathers, if you obey the voice of יהוה your Elohim, to guard His commands and His laws which are written in this Book of the Torah, if you turn back to יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being. “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. See, I have set before you today life and good, and death and evil,” in that I am commanding you today to love יהוה your Elohim, to walk in His ways, and to guard His commands, and His laws, and His right-rulings. And you shall live and increase, and יהוה your Elohim shall bless you in the land which you go to possess. “But if your heart turns away, and you do not obey, and shall be drawn away, and shall bow down to other mighty ones and serve them, “I have declared to you today that you shall certainly perish, you shall not prolong your days in the land which you are passing over the Yardĕn (Jordan) to enter and possess.” (Deuteronomy 30:8-18) 

3. Therefore, objective morals and values come from the Torah

With premises one and two shown to be correct, it logically follows that the conclusion must be true as well. Some in religion may think, “Well, do what you think is right.” Or some other version of relativistic morality, but this runs contrary to the scriptures. This is evident with just the little snip bits I’ve shown here. The issue of subjective morality comes into play when humans try to dictate what is right and what is wrong; in a sense, by doing this, they are elevating themselves to the level of Elohim since only the creator can dictate what is righteous and what is unrighteous. In Judaism, they add to the Torah with the Talmud, and they have made flipping on a light switch during the Sabbath a sin when there is no such verse in scripture that could even be used to suggest such a thing. In Christianity, they have taken away from the Torah, making the eating of swine flesh perfectly okay, when the scriptures state that pork is unclean and is not for food. Both religions have sinned by adding and taking away from the Torah. 

“All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.” (Deuteronomy 12:32)

Because Elohim has stated not to add or take away from Torah, making it objectively wrong to do so, we can firmly assess that both religions have broken this command. This is the second objective of the argument, the first being the reasons for following the Torah, that without the Torah, there are no concrete morals or values. It's all dependent on the individual or the particular religion that claims to believe in the Bible. 

Continue to test all things, including this, and search out the matter for yourself. I pray that the Ruach Hakodesh leads you into all truth. 

P.S.

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