Yeshua’s Torah • Messianic Teaching | Founded in Truth Fellowship

Understanding the Deeper Meaning of God’s Law Through Yeshua

At Founded in Truth Fellowship, a community that considers itself a family founded on Yeshua, family, and fellowship, a recent teaching delved into the profound relationship between the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and the teachings of Yeshua, often referred to as Jesus. The speaker, Matthew Vander Els, explored how Yeshua did not come to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them, offering a new and deeper understanding of God’s will for humanity. This teaching emphasizes that true adherence to God’s principles goes beyond mere obedience to a set of rules and requires a transformation of the heart rooted in faith and love.

The teaching began by addressing a recent event in Hawaii concerning legislation that some perceived as infringing upon First Amendment rights under the guise of noise control. This anecdote served as a contemporary example of how external regulations can impact individual liberties and perhaps drew a parallel to the interpretation and application of religious laws.

Matthew Vander Els then transitioned to the core of the teaching, focusing on Yeshua’s Sermon on the Mount. He highlighted that the Beatitudes, part of this sermon, represent the way of the cross, a path of righteousness defined by Yeshua that often appears foolish to the world. This is because the kingdom of Yeshua operates on principles fundamentally different from worldly power structures, emphasizing self-sacrificial love over force, violence, and exploitation. The speaker stressed that while many may admire the idea of Yeshua, truly following him involves embracing difficult aspects such as forgiveness and loving one’s enemies. This call to love even those who hate us is a central tenet of Yeshua’s revolution, inviting individuals to become citizens of a new kind of government on earth. The Sermon on the Mount serves as the manifesto of this kingdom.

The teaching then focused on Matthew 5:17, where Yeshua states, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” The speaker clarified that Yeshua’s intention was not to discard the Torah but to reveal its true meaning and how to live it out authentically. Drawing on the insights of Christian scholar Dr. Craig Keener, it was explained that Yeshua opposed not the law itself, but illegitimate interpretations that prioritized regulations over character. Yeshua, therefore, presents the ultimate ethic of God, towards which the Torah pointed.

The speaker elaborated on the nature of the Torah, noting that even within ancient Judaism, there was a necessity to interpret its often-vague commandments. Examples such as keeping the Sabbath and the commandment regarding tzitzit (fringes) illustrate the need for interpretation and the evolution of understanding over time. Furthermore, the teaching addressed challenging commandments in the Torah, such as the law of the rebellious son in Deuteronomy 21, where even ancient rabbis acknowledged the difficulty of literal adherence and sought deeper understanding. This highlighted the idea that the trajectory of God’s will extends beyond the strict letter of the law.

The teaching further explored Yeshua’s perspective on the Torah by examining his response to the Pharisees’ question about divorce in Matthew 19:7. Yeshua explained that Moses permitted divorce because of the hardness of people’s hearts, but this was not God’s original intention. This illustrates that the Torah, in some instances, accommodated the current state of humanity while pointing towards a higher ethic. The prophets also spoke of a future “re-giving” of the Torah that would be written on people’s hearts, signifying a necessary inner transformation.

The speaker emphasized that Yeshua is the exact representation of God’s being, as stated in Hebrews 1:1-2. Through Yeshua’s teachings, we gain a clear understanding of God’s desires for us. While the Torah was a blessing given to ancient Israel to guide them, Yeshua brought a better revelation, the purest form of God’s kingdom. Paul’s statement in Romans 10:4 that “Christ is the culmination of the law” (telos in Greek, meaning goal or culmination) underscores that the Torah pointed towards Yeshua and the righteousness found in him through faith.

The teaching then shifted to the overarching message of the Torah, suggesting that beyond a list of commandments, it primarily emphasizes faith and trust in God. The narrative structure of the Torah, beginning with stories of creation and focusing on Abraham’s faith in Genesis 15:6, supports this idea. Key moments in the Exodus story and the journey to the promised land also highlight the importance of belief (aman in Hebrew). The failure of the Israelites to enter the promised land was attributed to their lack of faith, even though Moses, who had the law, also did not enter due to a lack of belief. Paul uses Abraham’s example in Romans 4:13 to emphasize that the promise was received through faith, not through adherence to the law.

The speaker noted that the Torah was given progressively in response to Israel’s rebellions, showcasing God’s grace in providing guidance. However, the core of the covenant relationship has always been belief, faith, allegiance, and trust. The prophets’ concerns were not primarily about the meticulous keeping of commandments but about the absence of genuine faith and a loving relationship with God. Yeshua summarized the essence of the Torah and the prophets as loving God and loving your neighbor.

The teaching concluded by highlighting the ending of the Torah in Deuteronomy 34, which speaks of a future prophet greater than Moses. This messianic prophecy points to Yeshua as the ultimate fulfillment of the Torah’s trajectory, establishing a relationship with God based on belief and trust. The Sermon on the Mount is presented as a re-giving of the Torah by this greater Moses, reflecting God’s pure ethic.

The practical application of this teaching for everyday life centers on the idea that God desires our hearts before our obedience. True life, according to the speaker, is found through belief in Yeshua and the Torah of Yeshua.

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Application for Everyday Life

• Prioritize Faith and Trust: Cultivate a deep and abiding faith in God and trust in His promises.
• Embrace Love as the Core Principle: Strive to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.
• Practice Forgiveness: Extend forgiveness to others, even those who may wrong or harm you.
• Seek Deeper Understanding: Go beyond a superficial reading of religious texts and seek a deeper understanding.
• Embody God’s Character: Strive to reflect the character of God in your actions and attitudes.
• Live a Life of Integrity: Ensure that your outward actions and obedience are rooted in genuine belief and love for God.
• Be a Light to the World: Embody the teachings of Yeshua in a way that serves as a beacon of hope and love.
• Carry Each Other’s Burdens: Follow the law of Christ by supporting and helping others in their struggles.
• Recognize Yeshua’s Fulfillment: Understand that Yeshua is the culmination and fulfillment of the Torah.
• Repent and Turn Away from Sin: Identify and release any bitterness, anger, or unforgiveness in your heart.