Torah vs. God

Does God judge man by the Torah?

   The reality is that he DOES NOT. The Torah was given to man by God for man to judge man thereby. The purpose was to maintain a healthy environment, safe living, free one from oppression and all around to learn of God and exercise correct and circumspect behavior. This would be our righteousness, God said. (Deut 6). Indeed it would. We would shine amongst the nations by walking rightly and justly. But we corrupted the whole idea of that by thinking that this righteousness, this correct living, would merit us the resurrection.

   But God did not judge mankind worthy or unworthy of the resurrection or even earthly recompense therewith. As it is written in Exodus 32: “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin -- ; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.”

   There was no atonement in the law. And God had his book of life forever with him. 

   Although so-called scholars and Rabbis have tried to find more than one mode of inheriting the resurrection (and hence more than one covenant)  based on God’s evolving revelation in Scripture, it is plain from these very scriptures that God never changed his standard despite the giving of precepts and rules. For another example: when the people sinned again, God had Moses place a serpent upon a poll and hold it up, and whosoever had been bitten by the deadly serpents would be healed. There was no atonement in the law.

   Man was to judge men by the law. God, however, was ready to bring mercy and provide an escape. The king is not judged by his law, nor is he limited to it. All mankind knows this, and man cannot be greater than God. Do not even presidents have the power of pardon? Above and beyond all law, even they may forgive. It is not the will of the people or of the law. It is the power of mercy. And God has that power!

   I would never want justice before God. I would want mercy. Why do you think David wrote: “Blessed is the man to whom the LORD will not impute sin.”? David knew well of God’s mercy. When he contrived the death of Uriah the Hittite God sent judgment upon him. At the LORD’s word through Nathan the prophet David repented. The law required David die. What did God do?  “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.” But was there not punishment? There was. God swore that he would not remove the sword from David’s house because David’s behaviour caused the LORD’s enemies to blaspheme him, and the child that was conceived because of David’s lusts would die. The Torah required none of this. But God brought judgment, hard and sure. Therefore pray for mercy and not the law before God.

   God in fact metes out as you have meted out. As you judged, so shall he judge you. He knows we do not know all things as he does. But we can never say “I don’t remember how I treated someone.”

     That is the dreadful thing. Some think they keep 613 laws and they will be fine. They do not know that God doesn’t judge by the Torah. He judges the same as he always did before— he evens the scale. Some think they can transfer their sin to an animal. They do not know that the blood of an animal never forgave a sin . . .despite how the prophets explained how no such animal could atone for one’s behaviour. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not live under a different dispensation or covenant. As he dealt with the patriarchs, so dealt he with mankind thereafter. But Israel had grown into a great nation in Egypt and they were to be delivered to their own land. They needed laws to live by, so that society could flourish. God would give these laws. The purpose was stated, the blessing given:  We would dwell in the land in peace and God would be with us.

     You hear the Gentiles soak people with the statement that “Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness” because that is an illustration they are left with in the New Testament and they can’t seem to go beyond it and realize what lies behind it— that even after the Torah God kept to the same standard. They use it to show how grace and faith have triumphed over the Torah when that is not the case. Grace and faith were always there and never replaced. The Torah had and has its own place. But God never sat a copy down next to his throne in order to pass judgment. Why? Because he sees the heart and he judges according to this, not only by an action alone. You can rig as many laws as you like, you can say you speak for God, you can extrapolate gezeirahs from a word until blue in the face, hell still awaits if you do not believe God and love him more than anything.

   People know right and wrong. God breathed his spirit into Adam. We have no excuse. Even the LORD’s enemies know what is right and wrong, and they knew they could mock David and hence his God, saying ‘look what kind of chosen king this is and what kind of God this must be.’ Do not cause the LORD’s honour to be mocked! Was the LORD’s honour mocked when David and his companions ate of the shewbread which was only for the priests? No. They were in need of food, and God is merciful. They were not punished. But David turned aside his heart from God’s heart when he did what he did with Uriah the Hittite. Then God punished— and it was severe.

   So we see that God brings both judgment and mercy independent of the Torah. The examples are far and wide. It is good to use David for an illustration because God spoke of a covenant with the people typified in how he treated David. He said he would give the sure mercies of David to the people. Isaiah 55:

   Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee. Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.

   Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.While yet the Torah stood, God treated David differently. It was a witness to the people of God’s relationship with one he loved.  It is written that David’s heart was after God’s own heart. When he sinned with Uriah his heart was soft at God’s rebuke. He didn’t harden it at God’s rebuke, but repented. “A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise.” Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

   The appearance of keeping rules and rituals, regulations and requirements doesn’t guarantee the heart. Following the precepts of the Torah and doing good for yourself also doesn’t. It proclaims God’s righteousness. The Torah could never redeem nor can its judges see the heart. But God says forsake the wickedness of your thoughts. Keeping the Torah merited nothing from God except that one would dwell in peace in the land, in a good, decent society. This would be our righteousness to the world, our beacon. That is its purpose.

   How then does one inherit the resurrection? David spoke of his Lord who was to come. Moses sung of his redeemer to come, the Redeemer who was alive yet who would not stand upon the earth until the latter day. The LORD declared in Isaiah that he himself would bring salvation. That a son would be born unto us, whose government would have no end. (Isaiah 9) He would be called the “Mighty God, Everlasting Father . . .” in other words God would walk among us. It says right above: Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. We did not listen. It was written in Psalms: Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:

   Jesus— Saviour— that beautiful tabernacle of God taught no differently. In fact, you see the nature of God completely unobscured. He revealed dark sayings that were once known and made very clear by scripture: “Judge not, lest ye be not judged. With whatsoever ye mete out unto others shall be meted out unto you.” God swore unto David that within that very sun he would give his wives to others to lie with them, as David had done with Uriah’s. Yet God put away David’s sin. He would not impute it to him. David would live and see the resurrection. But there is discipline for one’s behaviour which God can bring and which the Torah cannot.

   The Egyptians mercilessly killed the Hebrew babies. What did God do? He killed every firstborn in Egypt. God truly spoke to Moses that only one “prophet” would truly speak all his ways. In the psalms he would come and open his mouth in parables and utter things long known but perhaps now forgotten. Jesus certainly made it clear. You do not believe what God has declared, you shall perish. With what you judge others by, the same judgment shall be given unto you regardless of how well you keep the rituals of the Torah. God sees the heart behind every behavior.

   The Torah can only judge an action. But God molds the heart. When king Uzziah was arrogant and decided he would burn incense which was the priests’ duties before God, could the law smite him with leprosy? Never. But who did? God. How about Gehazi? One approaches God humbly, and certainly never with the claim they have kept so many laws and therefore God is indebted to give them the resurrection. Do not go to God with the Torah, nor with a hard and expecting heart. Rather, go humbly. He will not judge you by the Torah. Worse, he will judge you by your heart (See Grace vs. Works). Torah cannot also forgive you. God can and will. But if you have not believed him, he will not believe you when you say you love him. If you kept to laws only in hopes for gain from God, you will get nothing. For it is written “Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, soul and strength.”

     What standard has he set? He made it plain to Cain. The very first teaching: “Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen? Hast thou not sinned if thou has brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it?”

     Ah, one can bring to the LORD all the appearance correctly, but in their heart not believe. There was no command to bring sacrifices to God. He never spoke of it. It is a compunction, an instinct in man, an outcropping from the need God placed in man to know he lives and to be grateful and acknowledge him. One can truly do this, like Abel, or one can only bring the appearance, like Cain.

     Though this compunction exists, man can bring nothing to God of value. He can only bring his heart, humble and acknowledging God. God owns all things, the grain, the cattle. What he requires is the heart. In order to perfectly teach man, he has walked among us, raised up like unto one of us, as he swore unto Moses that “that prophet” to come would be raised up. As Isaiah 53 teaches he “gave his soul an offering for sin.” Come and listen to him, and he will make an everlasting covenant with you, “even the sure mercies of David.” No sacrifice and offering. Have a humble heart always. We have seen the perfect example of God’s desire for us. We are to forever believe upon God, that he has done this, and walk likewise.

     The coming of the Messiah is one of the most frustrating events to tie in with the law. In fact, like God’s nature and standard of justice, there is no connection. Every Messianic prophecy basically says “He is coming;” “I will dwell with them;” “Thy King cometh lowly and riding upon a donkey;” “It is too small a thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Israel; I will also give thee for a light unto the Gentiles that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth;” “Messiah shall be cut off.”

   The Gentiles have worked Christ’s coming and crucifixion into some fulfillment of legal principles. But there is none. They shriek “God has delivered me from the law!” So what? God always judged independent of the Torah. They warble “Oh, Jesus, Jesus!” like they just drank a fine wine. Yet they don’t understand. Once again, the Torah was given to judge men by on earth. It is not the means by which God judges man fit for paradise. He knows the thoughts of men. He has seen all their actions whether the Torah can or cannot see these. Remember Gehazi or Uzziah, even David.

     He made it plain he would come and walk among us. Every prophecy basically says he’s coming and that he, like in Isaiah 53, will offer his “soul” a sacrifice for sin;” or “I have given him a covenant for the people.” The prophecy given to Moses was that God himself would speak clearly through that prophet to come. This is why it is amazing that people think Jesus is different. He made the nature of God clear, both in his mercy, love and goodness . . .and in his justice.

   Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants. And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents. But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt. But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

   Has God been any different at any time? Never! The Torah doesn’t instruct God! The law allows one to be indebted to its principles. As in the above parable, the king could sell the man and all that he has. But for compassion the king set aside the law and forgave. If you are hard toward your neighbor and unforgiving, can the law touch you? No. But God will. Do you think the Torah could defend Israel and reek havoc on Israel’s enemies? No. God said “Revenge is mine. I will repay.” You see such things as happened to Gehazi or Uzziah. That was not an eye for an eye. That was worse! God punishes according to the wickedness and hardness of the heart. You understand why it is written: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” But the king can put aside his own law for the sake of mercy or for judgment.

   You seek forgiveness of God humbly, not through acts in the law and through loopholes. You don’t construct laws like the Pharisees and then come up with ways to get around them, like carrying a key on the Sabbath and then constructing an eruv to symbolically create an open space into a “private dwelling.” It doesn’t matter anyway. God judges by the heart. Fooling yourself that you have gotten around a technicality doesn’t mean anything to him. He doesn’t use the Torah, Mishnah or Talmud. He judges as he did from the beginning. He is a soft, tender heart . . .but he sees the defrauded. When the heart of a trespasser remains hard, that is when he crushes, otherwise there is no safety for mankind if the strong and froward should be allowed to regard God’s creation as their own personal trough. He hates oppression. He is the King!

     Jesus, of course, cannot be different. God spoke plainly to Moses: I will raise up to them a prophet of their brethren, like thee; and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him. And whatever man shall not hearken to whatsoever words that prophet shall speak to them, I will take vengeance on him. “And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.”

     He forgave. She loved. As Abraham, she believed all that God declared and knew such a man as this, who did such miracles and preached the perfect grace of God, was no man or just a prophet. God was speaking and God was forgiving— and I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them as I shall command him. Independent of all Toranic requirements or illustrations, God declared he would come and walk among us. He would offer the sacrifice for sin. The prophets declared it all, and you must believe. No law required it. No law can annul it. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

     Jesus behaved no differently than God had always behaved. God spoke for himself. It is to God you must be reconciled, not the Torah. It is before God you will be judged, not the Torah. It is God who will punish ultimately, not the Torah. You can make a slough of laws and keep them perfectly. What does it matter? The Torah is no judge, it’s no advocate. God said he would come! He would walk among us! (See Messianic Prophecies). You do not believe, you have called God a liar. There is no atonement for you because you say God did not do it.

     Because Jews can find no where in the law where it says God had to do this, they cannot understand. It is precisely then that one confronts God. He did not have to do this. The “why” he did this was to reveal himself perfectly. This is how the great King behaves, this is his heart, the one who made all. How can you behave greater than this? Now you know God. Now you know perfect behaviour, love, and peace. This is the covenant: believe. Walk accordingly. If you don’t, you are saying you are greater than God.

   Anybody who rejects this has rejected God. They have not rejected grace. They have rejected God and his entire purpose to reveal himself. They have not forsaken grace for the law, for the law was never God’s ultimate tool. “And anyone who does not hearken unto that prophet I will take vengeance on him.” There is good reason when you realize he intended to be “that prophet.” No, you reject Jesus as Emanuel and you have not run back to the Torah. You have come face to face with the living God who does not judge by the Torah nor pardon by it. You await his vengeance. . .and in this instance it is inconceivable. The Torah won’t give you an idea, but how you treated others will. According to this, God will judge you. That should frighten most anybody. Sacrificing a goat won’t appease God at all.

   One thing is certain: judgment will come from God. No law will stop it because he sees the heart, and to disbelieve is not to commit an act, it is to reject God. The law cannot touch this. Only God can. He said he would walk among us: Behold, behold that I am, and there is no god beside me: I kill, and I will make to live; I will smite, and I will heal; and there is none who shall deliver out of my hands. For I will lift up my hand to heaven, and swear by my right hand, and I will say, I live forever. For I will sharpen my sword like lightning, and my hand shall take hold of judgment; and I will render judgment to mine enemies, and I will recompense them that hate me. I will make my weapons drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the wounded, and from the captivity of the heads of their enemies that rule over them.

     He did lift his hand to heaven and there is no god beside him. He did walk upon the earth at the latter day. He does live forever. Run quickly, for no law can protect you nor can it endear you.  For disbelief one would prefer the Torah as one’s judge, for it cannot see such things. But for the lack of faith you have no other judge but the one who sees the heart. Believe that Jesus is he. He who can never be seen as he is has walked among us and suffered for our sakes. If you can but believe, the law cannot discern nor will the judge who can discern take vengeance on you. Like Abraham, believe all that God said he would do. Like Moses, understand the Torah has no redemptive power:  For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.

   Don’t warble his name and go do your own schtick. You merely blaspheme his honour, and that he WILL NOT tolerate. All the prophets in Jeremiah’s time prophesied by the LORD saying Israel will not be punished. “We have God.” Yet God destroyed them. Eleazer ben Annaniah led all the young priests to commit the abomination of desolation in the Temple in February 66 AD. God destroyed them all. He is just and his honour is great. Jesus spoke it plainly: Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.