“MR. TORAH” (John 1:1-14)
Pastor Lynda MacDonald,
In the many months that I have been writing for this on-line magazine, I find myself being challenged to write according to the theme of the month knowing that most likely I will write from a total different direction than the others. A few times, I have been anxious because my views might be in actual opposition to other writers and I would not want to be divisive in any way.
I hope that this December article will cause you to
re-read the scriptures and dig deeply into the truth that is hidden there even
if it –at first- seems to be contrary to what you now believe. Dare to venture
into the mysteries that are written there.
Ephesians 1:9-10 “He has made known to us his secret
plan (a mystery), which by his own will he designed beforehand in connection
with the Messiah and will put into effect when the time is ripe - his plan
to place everything in heaven and on earth under the Messiah's headship.”
Now- the puzzle solved in scripture..
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” Verse 1
Here we see –from scripture- that “The Word” already
existed when the beginning of man occurred.
Secondly, we read that “The Word” was with God. The
Word and God were together.
Another thing that we can truthfully deduct is that
God and “The Word” are the same being.
So- could we fairly say that God “The Word” existed
before the earth and man were formed? I think so! God is “The Word”.
“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of
grace and truth.” Verse 14
Now to further move into the truth of this chapter, we
learn that God who is “The Word” became flesh. God took the form of man and
came to live with us.
Luke chapter 2 gives a vivid detailed account of how
God arrived on earth in the form of a male baby. God temporarily takes on the
body of humanity. We know that this baby was given the name of Yeshua
(salvation) and that he grew up in the household of Miryam and Joseph.
The scripture in verse 14 uses the phrase “and dwelt
among us”. The Hebrew word for dwelling is “succot”. God came to earth at the
time of The Feast of Tabernacles (named Succot) to temporarily live as a man in
order to die to redeem mankind from sin. Are you still with me?
Now- grab your shovels as we are about to go on a
treasure hunt digging to find hidden gold.
All through the Tanuhk (Old Testament), we find
references to the word that we translated in our English Bibles as “Law”. It is
a synonym for Torah. Torah is defined as the first 5 books of scripture but it
is really the whole “Word” of God.
In Psalm 119, the psalmist interchanges many words
that mean the same thing for “Word” –Torah, instruction, paths, ways, precepts,
laws, commandments, statutes, judgments, your words, testimonies, all of which
explains to us that God laid out to mankind a set of ‘helps” or directions to
teach us how to walk in harmony with an awesome God. Would anyone on earth be
smart enough to come up with a set of instructions to guide us as to how to
walk with Him that God would accept? No way!
A common phrase we use is “he is a man of his word”.
Well, in the fullest sense of the phrase “Yeshua was a man who is the Word”.
Jewish concept thinking expresses that since your
words come out from you –your word is you. Scripture also expresses the same
thought.
The upright (honorable, intrinsically good)
man out of the good treasure [stored] in his heart produces what is upright (honorable and
intrinsically good), and the evil man out of the evil storehouse brings forth
that which is depraved (wicked and intrinsically evil); for out of the abundance (overflow) of the heart his mouth speaks (Luke 6:45
Amplified)
God, in the form of His
Son Yeshua, speaks and the words are who he is and what he thinks – we call Him
‘The Word”. He and his words are one (echad in Hebrew).
Now- to challenge your
theology…
Yeshua (Jesus) is the
Word. (John 1:14) In Psalm 119, the Word is also called (among other things)
Torah. In Matthew 5:17, Yeshua tells us that He “did not come to abolish Torah
but to fulfill it”. He is Mr. Torah. He was in heaven and when He came to
earth, He came to be Mr. Torah.
We cannot explain away
the Law (Torah) or throw it out when Yeshua is that same Torah. If we do, we do
away with Yeshua.
I know that we have been
taught that the Jews were ‘saved” by the Torah but every Jewish person would
tell you “no”. It was a fence or a safeguard to help keep away from sin. The
sacrifices in ancient times –the shedding of blood- removed the offence of sin.
Yeshua shed His blood to remove our sins.
The Torah is still alive
today because Yeshua is alive. Two of my favourite verses are in Isaiah 2:3 and
in Micah 4:2 –both are prophesies of the 1000 year reign of Yeshua “For out of
Zion (Jerusalem) shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the LORD from
Jerusalem”. When Yeshua comes back to reign forever, Torah will be taught
throughout the entire world from
I would love to hear from
you if you would like to share your thoughts about this subject with me. My
email address is hearttoheart@ns.sympatico.ca
