Is the Old Testament all about Death & Condemnation?
06/24/17 (03/29) Video Broadcast
We are ready to begin our
study portion for today's
broadcast, and I
have a question.
It's an important question
that reflects a problem
I see in Mainline Christianity and among those of us who have embraced the blessing of the Torah and the blessing of Yahweh's word and his application of his word in our life. And the question is this, Is the so called Old Testament all about death and condemnation, and thereby New Testament is all about life and forgiveness and grace and you know these kind of things? I wanna address this question because I think that there is a very, very wrong idea that people have about the Old Testament and actually a wrong idea that people have about the New Testament as well. And so I wanna go over these scriptures and examine them in proper context and be able to show you actually that Yahweh is way, he's the way he's related to men has changed from the time of Genesis to the time of Revelation. That his belief and his concern about sin has always been the same. He's not this, I don't know some times I think people have his ID sort of Doctor Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. In one minute in the Old Testament, he's angry, revengeful and ready to kill you at the drop of a hat. And in the New Testament, all of a sudden here comes Mr. Nice Guy; he's almost like Grandpa Guard now. He's kind of calm down, he's not up tight and he's kind of relaxed and he's ready to play with his children and just enjoys their fellowship with them, not worry so much about obedience. And I don't mean to be disrespectful either to Yahweh or to those who have that kind of mentality. But I'm gonna say that that is very, very wrong mentality. But I do think that there are some scriptures that have perhaps led people to have that belief about him or not quite that extreme or maybe just a little bit of this thought that now he's sort of relaxed, he's not so uptight about your sin and that Yahushua died for you and you can kinda take it easy, and not really worry about your salvation anymore if you
live in willful sin and everything is kinda calm down and he's not so quick to kill people. So there are some scriptures that people have said that will lead people to believe the Old Testament is all about death and New Testament is all about grace. And one of the biggest is here, we look at the scriptures that talk about transgressions that are punishable by death in the Old Testament and the Torah, sacrificing to Idols, sacrificing your children to Moloch, uttering false prophecies in Yahweh's name, necromancy, witchcraft, blasphemy, Sabbath breaking, that the one a lot of people want to query, adultery, incest, homosexuality, being a false witness to a capital crime, some others smiting a parent, cursing a parent, bestiality, contempt of court, marrying a woman and her daughter, kidnapping, murder. These are all transgression punishable by death and so we see the Scripture in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 3:7 calling Moses ministry a ministry of death saying if the ministry of death, was written and engraved on stones, was glorious so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? And so the idea being presented here is the Old Testament was all about death and the New Testament is all about this ministry of the spirit, you know you are being given life instead of death and so I understand why there would be people who would have this idea about these things that now that Yahushua died for us, we got this ministry of the spirit and we actually it's all about forgiveness now and grace. I understand why people have that perspective; you know there are a lots of sins in the Old Testament that were not punishable by death in a Civil Court. You know coveting was the tenth commandment and says you shall not covet, but there is no punishment at all even mention for the violating that commandment. Stealing did not carry the death penalty; it required the person to restore multiple times what was owed depending on what was stolen. The law actually says in Deuteronomy 6 or Leviticus 19 to love your neighbor as yourself it says not to deal falsely with one another, to not take vengeance and whole hosts of other things for which the judges were not given any sentencing guidelines. And so with all this legislation that gives the death penalty for various crimes one might think the Old Testament was really all about death and distraction but then the New Testament came along and abolished all of that.
I'm going to address this idea; did you know that there was actually grace in the Old Testament? There was, there was forgiveness in the Old Testament. As an example in Numbers chapter 14 verse 19, Moshe asked saying, Pardon, the iniquity of this people I pray according to the greatness of your mercy. According to the greatness of your mercy, Yahweh had mercy, yes he did. Just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now. And so he forgave these people multiple times for the sins that they had committed then Yahweh says, I have pardoned according to your word. But truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh. So there was grace given to these people, the people of Israel. He did forgive them many times for crimes that would normally require capital punishment. And there were times where he actually caused the capital punishment himself. Capital punishment being the death penalty. Why was he so quick to judge Israel? I'll tell you why think about this for a moment especially when they were in the wilderness. These people had experienced amazing amazing miracles. Ten Plagues falling upon the Egyptians and the Israelite were spared. The red sea parted they were being fed every single day except the Sabbath with manna. They didn't have to go out and work single field, he was providing for them everyday food is raining down out of the sky every day except Sabbath.
You cannot deny Yahweh's existence at that moment,
people would do things they know they shouldn't do, they would rebel against Moshe who was the one through him all these miracles were done and the ground would open up and swallow them all.
They had no excuse really he had done so much for them and so yes with a greater amount of miracles
and a greater amount of power being manifested for their benefit, for their blessing there was greater accountability to whom much is given you, Yahushua said to whom much is given much is required. And so there was much required of a nation that had been given much. First hand hearing the law, the Torah of Yahweh. Then, after putting all over text and try to figure out what Moshe meant by this word and that word they were there, they heard the words themselves.
You know what the same was true in the New Testament congregation in the first century Yahushua came down, did unquestionable miracles and the Apostles also. People were passing over Peter's shadow and getting healed and amazing things were taking place no one
could deny the power of the living Elohim. And so we come to Acts chapter 5 A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. He kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also was being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to Elohim. Then Ananias hearing these words fell down, and breathed his last: so great fear came upon all
those who heard these things. And the young men arose, and wrapped him up, and carried him out, and buried him. Death instantly in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Now it was about three hours later, when his wife, came in not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for the so much? She said, "Yes, for so much". And Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit Yahweh? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. Then immediately, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the congregation, and upon all those who heard these things. Think about that just drop dead like that, just dropped dead that fast in the New Testament, I thought the New Testament was all about grace and mercy and the Old Testament you know that's where people drop dead. No Yahweh put Ananias and Sapphira to death himself.
You see the death penalty did not end really in the New Testament so to speak. If you look at even civil societies now. We are a nation that primarily consists of the people who believe in the Bible, at least the majority are Christian. And we have the death penalty for those who commit certain heinous crimes such murdering a child or sometimes even murdering a police officer or murdering period. Someone can be put to death for having committed murder. And so the existence of civil judgment giving a death penalty is here, right here today in the this so called Good Old U.S.A where we have a Christian nation that's all about grace and mercy.
Same thing as the Old Testament, the difference is Yahweh's standard that he gave to these people he expected them to walk out a higher level of morality because he gave them the law himself by his own voice. He thundered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. And so the standard was higher the expectations were higher and so there were more crimes for which one could receive the death penalty compared to a time like now where there is not so much
Yahweh manifesting himself here so visibly as he did at the times when Israel was being established as a nation. And so this idea that this Old Testament is all about death because of the death penalties for various crimes. We got death penalties for crimes here in the United States of America and most Christians support it, they say there should be a death penalty for these things. And so let's retrain our mind here for a minute, that just because Yahweh gives a death penalty for a particular crime does not mean the Old Testament is all about death and distraction and the New Testament is all about grace and mercy, you know this stuff. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 28 talking about partaking of the body and blood of Messiah in an unworthy manner he says let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Master's body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many are dead, many sleep. And so there were many people who were being destroyed by Yahweh himself for partaking of the body and blood in an unworthy manner. Some people were sick and had plagues on them for the same reasons.
And look again Revelations chapter 2 it says the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says the Son of Elohim who has eyes like a flame of fire he speaks like fine brass. These are scary things right, I know your works, love, service, faith and your patience, and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality, eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I (Who? Yahushua) will cast her into a sick bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I (Yahushua says) I will kill her children with death; and all the assemblies, the churches shall know I am He who searches the minds and hearts: and I will give to each one of you according to your works. Then Yahushua, this loving gentle Savior is speaking to you, I will kill your children with death, I will cast her into a sick bed.
Look I didn't write the mail this is the Scriptures, I'm not be condemning I'm just showing what our Savior said he will do to Jezebel. The death penalty is still being used and employed by Yahweh and by Yahushua himself. The body of Messiah unable to exercise capital punishment, the Messiah is quite able to do that, he's quite capable of doing that.
That's little different in the Cream Puff Messiah that we so often hear about today.
The fact is he's coming to judge the earth; he appeared at first as a Lamb he will return as a Lion. Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; Revelation 19:11 and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, on his head were many crowns; he had a name written, that no man knew, except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Elohim. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations: and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron: he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty Elohim. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, MASTER OF MASTERS. So much for this, I don't know how you would put it
but Messiah; he's not a wimp okay. He's not someone who's just a push over.
Isaiah 11:3, says His delight is in the fear of YAHWEH: he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth: he shall strike the earth: with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Again it seems that Yahushua is not so soft on crime after all. I think some of us have been, saw this image of our Savior that's actually quite different than the one we read about in the Scriptures. You see it is an act of love for Yahushua to not be soft on crime. Why would it be hatred to eliminate wickedness from the earth? Wouldn't that be love?
So that less people suffer.
When there are people walking in willful hatred toward others, this is an act of love for him to purge those folks out. Now it's also an act of love for him to wait for them to repent and he was willing to wait, he waited for Jezebel to repent and she would not repent and so then he was ready to judge her. But Yahushua sends people to the lake of fire, it's still an act of love you know that? Really every commandment in the bible is instruction in how to love, for those who refuse to follow the way of love he has to do something about it. I mean who would want to spend eternity with people who want to hate each other? Who refuses to walk in love, who would want to spend eternity with a bunch of hateful people? Who would want to spend eternity with people who hate Yahweh? I mean they have to be removed from his presence, when you are removed from Yahweh's presence you will not live, you will die and that's what he was seeking to do in Ancient Israel he wanted a society that was walking in love. Love for their Creator and love for their fellow men and was seeking to eliminate those who would refuse to walk in love and refuse his leadership in their life. And yes he instituted the death penalty.
You know if you only look at things from this world's perspective, the death penalty, it seems awful, maybe a little harsh, maybe sad but think about things from Yahweh's eternal perspective, from Yahweh's perspective. We might change our minds because let's suppose that we were living in Ancient Israel and they knew, everyone knew they could see Yahweh's presence, I mean there is fire by night, cloud by day. Right there among them, manna raining down every night, every morning it's there is food for you to eat. And suppose somebody gets caught committing a crime in Israel that required a death penalty.
Say the man that was gathering wood on the Sabbath. What do you think they will be doing on the day that they would be put to death? And they are getting ready to be stoned; don't you think they'll be on their knees? Begging Yahweh to forgive them so that they would not suffer and go to eternal damnation in the Lake of fire. Don't you think they would be concerned about their eternal destiny? Being judged by the Elohim of the earth, I think most of them maybe all of them, I mean you even see this today if a man has any remorse toward the creator
and then the faith toward the created today. Even though they are on their way to the lethal injection, or electric chair or whatever method of punishment to put people to death, a lot of those men have given their lives to the Savior and they know that they have a death. And they are ready for it; they are ready to meet their maker. So, in the long term, the big picture...really, I mean if you know the day of your death, to me you are in a whole lot better position that if you don't know and one day you are travelling alone in your car and some guy decides to go in your lane and smash, you're instantly killed. And you are not ready to meet your maker, you are in a whole lot worse position than if you knew you committed a crime and you're getting ready to die for that crime. Do you understand what I'm saying?
The man who was being hung on a tree next to Yahushua, he repented, he knew he was about to die.
Then yet the other man apparently did not.
You know today if a criminal is sent to a jail cell for the rest of his life and dies of natural causes, life in prison you don't know when he's gonna die a lot of times heart attack, whatever. Then you know I know people get religion when they get in jail, you know they get a change in their life but some of the men don't. Then what if they die in prison?
So people find out ways when they go to jail, how to be a better criminal, how to better evade punishments when they get free.
You know, is that really a more merciful system than you know the day you're gonna die? We all gonna die, but you know the day you gonna die and you look at the big picture and you're ready for your death, you're ready to meet your maker and you're on your knees begging for forgiveness, you're receiving the Master Yahushua and you end up being put to death for that sin. And so I would suggest that the court systems in
Israel even though they instituted the death penalty more frequently than our own nation, it's not as bad as you think it is, especially when you look at the way things really are from the eternal perspective and, yes, he did have a death penalty for a lot more things in Ancient Israel. Because they were more cunnable, they were a nation that was established not by some..., like the United States of America, some protests wanna come over here and escape persecution. The nation of Israel was established by Yahweh himself, by Yahweh himself. And so now let me ask you the question, looking at
this Scripture Hebrews chapter 10 verse 28 says Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two to three witnesses. Okay so you die on this earth, then he says Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy, who has trample the Son of Elohim under foot, counted the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? That will be far worse than anything Moses' law ever, ever did to harm anybody, to kill anybody. It's far worse to insult the Spirit of grace and trample on the Son of Elohim under foot.
For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says Yahweh. And again, Yahweh will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.
It's worse to insult the Spirit of grace and trample on Yahweh's Son and just take the grace and take full advantage of it and live in willful sin. You're in worst shape than anyone who ever died as a result of a civil punishment of the death penalty in Israel. You just have to look at the big picture the eternal things.
Now for Yahweh to institute the death penalty for so many different crimes was necessary so that the nation would hear and fear and walk in righteousness. And also so that they would understand the gravity and the significance of what's sin and how serious sin really is. For unless we understand the bad news we are not really gonna understand the need for good news. Unless we grasp how rotten and disgusting we are when we sin, we may not realize the power of the blood to cleanse us of our sin. Unless we understand the utter depravity of men and the carnal and disgusting nature of our flesh, we may not fully appreciate the grace he's offering to us. Unless we realize the wages of sin is death. Unless we take an inventory and look at ourselves we will not bow before the feet of the Messiah. Unless we realize our illness we will not come to him and be healed. Unless we have all of our self-righteous thoughts crushed we will not turn to the Savior.
In Israel, though they did not have the knowledge that we have about Messiah. Unless they realized that Yahweh was serious about sin in the camp, they would never have sinned the significance of it. It may come as a surprise to some of you; did you know the judges of Israel had a choice of allowing the person who had the death penalty imposed on him to be redeemed? Did you know that? Exodus 21 verse 28 if an ox gores a man or a woman, to death: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted. But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in time past and it has been known to his owner, and he has not kept a confidence, so that it has killed a man or a woman, and the ox shall be stoned, and his owner shall also be put to death. If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay for to redeem his life whatsoever is imposed on him.
The owner shall be put to death but it could have been imposed on him a sum of money and he could pay to redeem his life. Numbers 35 verse 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death: but he shall surely be put to death. And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to the city of his refuge that he may return to dwell in the land, before the death of the priest. So you shall not pollute the land where you are: for blood defiles the land: and no atomic can be made for the land for the blood that is shed upon it, except by the blood of him who shed it. And so a man could redeem his life in certain crimes except for these which I mentioned.
So the idea of a ransom actually is also seen in the book of Job 33 says For Elohim may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men while slumbering on their beds. Then he opens the ears of men and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. Man has also chastened with pain on his bed, and with strong pain and many of his bones. So that his life abhorreth bread and his soul sacking with food. His flesh wastes away, from sight; and his bones stick out which once were not seen. Yes, his soul draws near the Pit and his life to the executioners.
If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man his (Yahweh's) uprightness. Then he is gracious to him, and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be young like a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth. Interesting, He shall pray to Elohim, and he will delight in him: he shall see his face with joy: for he restores to man his righteousness, through the one who pays the ransom. Then he looks at men, and says, I have sinned, and perverted that was right, and it did not profit me. He will redeem his soul from going down to the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Behold, Elohim works all these things twice, in fact, three times with a man. To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. And so we have a picture here of a ransom redeemer. A Messiah like figure who shows men the righteousness of Yahweh and restores to men Yahweh's righteousness. Redeeming that soul from going down into the pit he says he has enlightened with the light of life. This is Elihu speaking here who is not among Job's three friends who were rebuked by Yahweh for not speaking Yahweh what is right. Yahweh did not rebuke Elihu at all. Psalms 49 verse 6 says those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to Elohim a ransom for him. For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease for ever. That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the pit. And so riches may actually save a life from judgment but still does not redeem them from the judgment that comes from Yahweh on their final day.
For that, we need a man named Yahushua.
Mark 10:44 whoever desires who desires to be first, shall be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be saved, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. That's what our Savior did for us. 1 Timothy 2:5, but there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the man Messiah Yahushua. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. So when Yahushua was sentenced to death no option was given to ransom his life and so Pilate in an effort to see Yahushua released offered to let him go. Matthew 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release into the multitude one prisoner, whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner, named Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Yahushua who is called Messiah? For he knew they handed him over because of envy. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Yahushua. The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release to you? They said, Barabbas. And Pilate said to them, What then shall I do then with Yahushua which is called Messiah? They all say to him, "Let him be crucified." Then the governor said, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you see to it. And all the people they answered, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then he released Barabbas to them: and when he had scourged Yahushua, he delivered him to be crucified. And so the crowds had the opportunity to redeem Messiah and set him free but instead, they chose to have his blood on them and on their children. In one sense that's a curse because we don't want to be in with those who condemn the innocent man to death. But on the other hand, we need the Messiah's upon us to cleanse us from all of our sins. Now in Acts chapter 3 Yahweh used Peter to heal a lame man and when they send head to the Jewish judges called Peter in, Peter said to them the following men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or righteousness we made this man to walk? The Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Elohim of our fathers, glorified his servant Yahushua; whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And killed the Prince of life, whom Elohim raised from the dead; of which we are witnesses. So here's the judges of Israel and their desire to see Yahushua an innocent man killed actually disobeyed the spirit of what the Torah commanded which said Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death. They disobeyed this commandment when they allowed Barabbas to be set free.
Now does Yahushua, his blood cover the blood of a murderer? Let me tell you about a man named Saul Acts chapter 9 verse 1 Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Master, went to the high priest. And asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any of this way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Obviously, Paul found grace and actually in Yahweh's eyes, almost everyone really has been guilty of murder. 1 John chapter 3 verse 15 says whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. If you've ever hated you are guilty also of murder, think about that. One who kills another man is guilty of murder, one who aborts their own children is guilty of murder but so is one who hates their brother guilty of murder. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, now Yahushua can cleanse us from the sin of murder. We have a redeemer in Yahushua Messiah whose blood was shed for that. As Yahweh commanded in the Genesis when he said "if a man's blood is shed only the shedding of blood of the one who did it will..." you know, and so since Yahushua lives in us it's no longer we who live we have been cleansed. And so if we..., in 1 John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, and so we have a promise
of forgiveness upon confession and if we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Do you know what that means? That means you're every bit as righteous as Yahushua himself because you are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Have you ever done something wrong to someone, you felt horrible and awful about it? And your conscience kept nagging you and nagging you over it and you went to the person and you ask for their forgiveness and they freely forgive you of that. If you ever experienced this, I hope you all have it's like this huge weight is lifted off of you, and it's glorious. Let me tell you, if you've never experienced that, I want to explain to you the difference between the ministry of death and the ministry of life. You see, the law was given to us and its purpose was to show us the way of life however for all of us we found that actually does not bring us life at all. Instead, it brought us death, it's true Romans
7:9 says I was alive once without the law: but when the commandment came, sin revived (sin is a transgression of the commandment), and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. Why? Because the law is bad? No, it says sin which the violation of that law sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. See unless we have the law we don't realize the holy standard that Yahweh has for us and how holy Yahweh truly is and therefore we don't realize how unholy we've been. Next verse, verse 12, therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Problem is we have not been holy, just and good, so the law itself is not so bad. The law itself is not death but it does produce death in us. Not because the law did it but because we rejected it we did not obey it. We have not chosen to be holy as the holy standard of Yahweh is; we chose not to be just and good. It was our action that brought about our death; the law simply revealed what Yahweh's will is for us. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Has then what is good (What? That's the law) become death to me? Is the law death to you? It says certainly not, certainly not now in the Greek this is the translation of the strongest possible objection that can be spoken in Greek, absolutely not the law is not death to me. That which is good is not death to me but sin. That might appear sin was producing death in me. What's sin? Sin is a transgression of the law, by the laws of knowledge of sin. I would not have known sin except by the law. My sin was producing death in me through what is good, through the law. So that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful for we know the law is spiritual.
Believe it or not brothers and sisters, fellow Christians, people of this earth the law is spiritual, it is good, it is holy, it is just, it's not bad. Actually, the law is not bad at all; it is good, holy, just, spiritual. The problem is sin, I in canal, and I am sold under sin because of my carnality. The problem is not the law the problem is us, so
Yahushua did not die to take away the law and therefore making us clean of our sin, No that's not how it works, it's nonsense. He died so he could take away our sin so that even though we have transgressed the law, even though we have been carnal, we have one who will redeem us from the pit of destruction. He bore our iniquities, upon him was laid the
iniquity of us all. So please understand the law is just and holy and
spiritual and good, the problem is we have not been just holy, spiritual and good and we have one who was just, holy, spiritual and good who cleanses us from our unjust, unholy, unspiritual and carnal ways. Now that he has cleansed us from our unjust, unholy, unspiritual and carnal ways, are we now given this license? That get out of hell free card? To go off and purposely, intentionally, willfully live in sin again? Absolutely not unless we wanna return to our former ways and violate those laws again if that's the
direction we wanna go then we are refusing to repent.
And repentance is necessary in order for us to be forgiven. Acts 2:38 Repent every one of you, be baptized in the name of Yahushua Messiah. Romans 2:4 says don't you know the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
But so many people have such a negative view of the law today, it's almost like the child, does not want to really do what their parents say and so they don't like it when their Fathers and Mothers tell them to do something, especially if they don't wanna do it. Go take out the trash, they may not like that law but that's a good law otherwise trash will pile up and the child will never learn responsibility and think everyone is just here on this earth to serve them. And they put because the parents are wrong for having told them to do something as if the parent was the problem. It's only the rebellious child that would think the problem is with their parent's rules.
But you see the problem is not with their heavenly Father's rules, it's with us who haven't followed the rules. Now having said this it's important to realize that
the New Testament also has rules. We're commanded to be baptize? We are commanded to partake the body and blood of Messiah Yahushua. We are told that we are supposed to live like Yahushua did, the New Testament actually has lots of laws in it, it's all over the place, it's everywhere. Read Paul's letters, read any of them, read Yahushua's words they are all instruction and how to live and if we fail to live up to those standards
then we have sinned and we are in need of a Savior to deliver us. So there is law in the New Testament, there is law. It's a reflection it's really an extension or a continuation or a reflection directly of the law that's in Exodus to Deuteronomy.
So most of it is to repeat and so there is plenty of law in the New Testament if we willfully walk away from and if we willfully disobey and we refuse and we reject. We are also under condemnation. I don't care how many times you claim that you are a believer if you reject the instructions whether Yahweh said it 3000 years ago or 2000 years ago.
It's all Yahweh's instruction, the word law comes from the Hebrew word Torah which means teaching and instruction. He continues to teach and instruct us when we read the New Testament books and letters and narratives. We are continuing to be taught the way of righteousness and you can be condemned for a New Testament commandment, just quickly as you can be condemned for something written in the Old Testament. The time in which or the era in which a commandment was given does not change what happens when you rebelliously reject it. If we rebelliously reject his commandments I don't care if it's written in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I don't care if it's written in any place in the New Testament inspired words of Elohim or something that Yahweh wrote in the Torah through Moshe. He gives Torah through Moshe, he gives Torah through Yahushua, he gives Torah through Peter, he gives Torah through John, he gives Torah through Paul. It's all instruction and teaching and righteousness and if we reject his teaching and we disobey
his teaching willfully, knowing that this is his word I don't care who wrote it we are rejecting his Torah. Now, I want to qualify all this by saying if we do not reject it, if we are making sincere efforts to make changes in our life and we are growing in obedience, we are growing in our knowledge of the truth and we are applying more and more of it to our lives every day and we are continuing to... we are on a journey, we are on a path and we are learning more and more of what he expects of us and we are seeking to work that out as disciples of Yahushua. Then we are becoming and we are taught ones who are being taught by the teaching.
The word disciple means one who is taught, one who is being taught. We are being taught by his teaching and we are seeking to apply the commandment, that's why Yahushua says make disciples of all nations, teaching them whatever I command you.
Now it's important we understand grace and one through whom grace is given to us. Let's take a look here at 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Paul says "Do we begin again to commend ourselves"? Or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Clearly, you are an epistle of Messiah ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living Elohim; not in tables of stone, but on tables of flesh that is of the heart. The Corinthians themselves having become believers of Messiah was a clear letter of commendation that means recommendation or commendations will show forth that the ministry that Paul was doing was legitimate, the way they were living demonstrated his ministry was legitimate.
And so, in reality, it was not Paul who founded the assembly really in Acts 18. It was Yahweh using Paul and others to establish the congregation in Corinth. And so he doesn't have some kind of letter from anybody proving his ministry is legitimate. And we have such trust through Messiah toward Elohim. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from Elohim. Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. So Paul recognizes they themselves are not established the Corinthian Assembly in reality Yahushua in them established them. It's Yahweh they are trusting through the Messiah and Paul rightly gives glory to Yahweh here. And then he says they are sufficient as ministers of the new covenant because Yahweh made them sufficient by grace right. And Yahushua is the mediator of this new covenant. He's contrasting two things, he's contrasting the spirit and he's contrasting that with a letter expounds a little more what he means by this in verse 7 saying if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
So talking about a ministry of death as we know the ministry in access to Deuteronomy centered around Yahweh giving his commandments to us. And the law of Yahweh is holy, and just, and true and spiritual, but we have been carnal and we sold ourselves into sin and therefore we need to be purchased back. We need to be redeemed because the law pointed out that we have not lived up to Yahweh's standards and therefore we are deserving of death and therefore because the law was given and we are all guilty of death he's concerned to be a ministry of death not because the law is death but because the law points out our sin and our sin is what brings us to death, the wages of sin is death.
Because we cannot stand before Yahweh on that final day and say look that law justifies me, none of us will be able to say that we can't be saved by our own righteousness. In order for us to say in truth that we are righteous apart from Messiah, we have to have kept Yahweh's law from the time we were created in our Mother's womb until the time we die. And not one of us has done that, well only Yahushua has and so we cannot be by our own righteousness enter into life. But the love of Yahweh has a certain standard and it has a certain glory to it. In fact, the children of Israel were not able to look at the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance. But then there is a greater glory there's a glory that says Yahweh is holy and just and good but you haven't been. That's glorious. it is. But, there is a greater glory and that greater glory is, he's going to give you his spirit through the Messiah Yahushua so that even though you have violated his standards, you will be cleansed of all unrighteousness. And so the law has a certain glory to it but it only lead us to death. It revealed how glorious and awesome Yahweh is and how in glorious and how ugly really we are compared to him and his holiness. But there is a greater ministry a ministry of the
new covenant, a ministry that gives promise of grace of righteousness, of cleansing from our sin.
That is a greater glory, it is, Moshe had to tell
us the right way to live so that we would understand the holiness of Yahweh and his expectations are of us. He had to do that, it was good, it was glorious and so there is a glory in this ministry of law giving but for us, Yahweh's glorious was so powerful we couldn't even see the face of Moshe who was giving the law.
And so there is a greater glory a greater ministry than the ministry of death and that's the ministry of the spirit that gives life to those who otherwise would be worthy of death. The ministry of righteousness to the Messiah Yahushua but this is really the
manifestation of grace, really is not a new idea that's only found in the New Testament. Yahweh pardoned Israel 10 times, he gave them grace, he forgave David who committed murder and adultery and stole a man's wife.
He says know I found grace in the eyes of Yahweh and he forgave Job who repented in dust and ashes and restored to him what he had lost in abundance.
That grace that he gave Job and David and Israel and Noah and every man who sinned against him and repented and turn his ways back to him, that grace was glorious then too. It's just that now we understand the one through whom that grace is given and how it is possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and that's through the blood of Yahushua the Messiah, our Ransomer and our Redeemer. Grace was always available to one who repented. But, now that our Savior has died for us then we understand how we can be made righteous, we understand the mechanics and the inner workings of it, of how we can be made righteous even though we haven't been righteous. We are responsible for putting our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin and therefore being recipients of the promise that's in a new covenant. That promise in a new covenant is the forgiveness of sin.
The law was in the heart of ancient Israel to read it Deuteronomy 30 the law was in the heart too, but they did not have the promise of forgiveness of sin unless they made animal sacrifices and things of that nature to demonstrate faith and some kind of picture of Messiah who had died for them.
But now we know who died for us, we understand Yahushua died for us and by that, we are able to be forgiven. You see not so much has changed it's just now we understand the way through which we are able to be forgiven for our sins.
And so the ministry that Moshe had was a ministry of death because it led us to realize how sinful we are and therefore we need, we thirst for redemption and so the ministry of the spirit which involves cleansing us from all sin is actually more glorious.
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. The law resulted in our condemnation, not because the law was bad but because we were bad. The ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory because even though we were evil and we were bad we are now redeemed by our Ransomer Redeemer Yahushua Ha Mashiach. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of this glory that excels.
For what is passing away was glorious, what remains is glorious is much more. The ministry of condemnation is passing away it's on its way out, no more will we be condemned, no more will man be condemned. But, for now man has to be shown his sin in order for him to turn his life over to Yahushua. If the law was abolished you got nothing to be guilty of, it was no law to condemn you and show you that you need a Savior.
So it's passing away, now the last enemy that will be destroyed is death so there is still things that have to be done. Therefore, since we have such hope we use great boldness in speech. Unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away (condemnation). But their minds were blinded: for until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament; because the veil is taken away in Messiah. This veil is what's taken away not the law, the veil is an inability to look at the glory of the law and not be utterly undone and realizing your own sin and feel condemned.
The same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, talking about those who have not received the Messiah Yahushua. But we can look at the Old Testament and we do not feel condemned, why? Because we have been redeemed by Ransomer Redeemer Yahushua the Messiah.
We can look in the glory of the law and not be overwhelmed by the glory that's in it. Whereas their hearts were hardened continue reading,
for even to this day, when Moshe is read, of veil lies on their heart. He's talking about not believers but unbelievers. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away. Now you can look at the law and not believe you are condemned. You can look at the holy standard whether it was given in the New Testament or the Old Testament, you can read this holy standard and not believe you are condemned because Yahweh is the spirit and where the spirit of Yahweh is there is liberty. We are free; we are not condemned so the veil is taken away not because the law is taken away but because we are given freedom even though we have violated those standards. We can look at the law with an unveiled face and behold as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh, and we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of Yahweh. The ones who have not turned to Messiah, the veil is not taken away. Paul's countryman had not received the Messiah and therefore received the spirit of Yahweh. We have turned to Messiah, we have received the spirit of Yahweh. Therefore, we are set free, we are not in bondage we are given liberty. Now, this liberty that we are given is not an excuse to sin as it says in 1 Peter 2:15, this is the will of Elohim, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice (that means to violate his standards). The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me Yahushua said, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh. This liberty spoken of in the New Testament is not the freedom to sin; it is the freedom from sin.
From the power that sin had on us namely the power to condemn. The freedom, the liberty being spoken of the New Testament is not the liberty to wilfully do what we want. It is the power to do what we ought. And the freedom to learn Yahweh's law and apply it at a pace that we are able to bear without being condemned. As Yahushua says come to me all you are heavy laden, I will give you rest. I am meek and lowly in heart; you will find rest for your souls, Matthew 11:28. And so all of us with an unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh. Why in the mirror? Because we have been given the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory and so we behold the glory of Yahweh as in a mirror. We are reading the standard of Yahweh, his righteous, righteous standard for us. And because Yahushua dwells in us now we don't feel condemned we might feel convicted to live right to change our ways, to not do certain things anymore but we know as the scripture says as in the mirror you see your own imperfections. James said when I look at law of liberty and then says hey you know I've got this mess on my face and he walks away and he doesn't change. You know and we are being transformed into his perfect image through the work of Yahweh's spirit in us giving us the power and freedom that we need. We are being transformed from glory, one glory being this is the Old Testament, the law is teaching you the right way to live. It has certain glory to it but then the greater glory is being cleansed of that sin and now having the power to live as you ought to live. And so we are being transformed from glory to
glory, from a lesser glory you sent and you need to change to a greater glory you are cleansed and now I will give you my spirit and empower you to live out this holy standard and live like Yahushua did.
That's the new covenant we are ministers of, we are ministers of this new covenant and there is nothing in all of this that when any way shape or form abolish the law of Yahweh. In fact, the new covenant not only does it abolish, not only does it not abolish the law of Yahweh it actually writes the law of Yahweh in our hearts and minds it says behold the days are coming Jeremiah 31:31 says Yahweh, what I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers (so it's not a renewed covenant it's not according to the former covenant, it is a new covenant) in the day that I took them by the hand to leave them out of the land of Egypt; my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, said Yahweh. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, says Yahweh, I will put my law, he's talking to Jeremiah here, what law is he talking about? The law given through Moshe that's the only law there was. I'll put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts and I will be their Elohim and they shall be my people.
Beautiful so the law is abolished why is it written on our hearts? It doesn't make any sense. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh: for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh, this is a promise
yet to be fulfilled. It's when the knowledge of Yahweh covers the earth as the sun covers, as the waters cover the earth. So I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. This is new here a promise that all who are part of this new covenant will have their sins, their iniquity is forgiven and their sins no longer remembered. That's the promise of the new covenant and we are ministers of this new covenant, this greater glory. This glory that excels and I have a word for some of you who have embraced the Torah as the right standard for us to live by. Sometimes I think, I see too many of us only proclaiming the former glory, the glory of condemnation, the glory that it's so much focused and so much spoken about the Torah and the law and the standard that Yahweh has for us that you forgot who you are really a minister of. You are ministers of the new covenant scripture says you are a minister of the new covenant.
And we need to be a minister of the new covenant and that new covenant includes a promise of forgiveness of sin and if all you ever talk about is Torah, Torah, law, law, command, command and you don't talk about grace, forgiveness,
mercy the promise that he will forgive our iniquity and our sin will be remembered no more, your ministry is lacking in glory and before the eyes of Yahweh. Because you are only talking about law, you know actually there's law in the New Testament, there's plenty of law in the New Testament there is. The New Testament Acts 15:20 says abstain from idols, from strangled meats, from eating blood, from meat offered to idols. We are told to in Romans 16:17, avoid trouble makers, profane and vein bubbling, unlearned questions and foolish questions that's 1 Timothy 6:22-23 and Titus 3:9. Yahushua says don't be like the hypocrite's in prayer, that's a command don't be like the hidden in prayer that was a command. He says don't be like the hypocrites in fasting they receive their reward that's a command. He says don't be called Rabbi, don't be called Master, don't be afraid of men he says. Don't be of a doubtful mind; don't be deceived we are told. We are told don't be conformed to this world. We are told not to be slothful in business, we are told not to be conceded, we are told not to be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. We are told not to be servants of man in the sense being a slave to man. We are told not to be children in understanding 1 Corinthians 14:20. We are told to not be deceived by evil companions 1 Corinthians 15:33. We are told not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers 2 Corinthians 6:14. And that's just the tip of the iceberg the new testament is full of commandments, it's full of Torah and it's still a lesser glory and the glory that excels.
There's plenty of condemnation in the New Testament, here look 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not deceive neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revellers, nor extortioners, won't inherit the kingdom of Elohim. Where in the Torah does it say you can be a drunkard? I don't know of any place that says you can be a drunkard in the Torah given through Moshe. Yet if you are a drunkard you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. That's the identity you have embraced you decide you are going to be a drunkard you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. Or if you decided you are going to be a covetous person you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. That may not be a death penalty against covetousness in the Old Testament but there is, it is something worthy of condemnation will keep you from the kingdom of Elohim. So listen there is plenty of law and very condemning law in the New Testament scriptures and nearly all
of them are based on the Torah already taught through Moshe.
Now if we turn to focus on and seek to adhere to Yahweh's laws whether they are found in the old testament or the new testament its not evidence that we are bound by commandments and we lack freedom. The evidence that Yahweh's spirits working in us to replace where we are trying to be more, and more like Yahushua every day and have this law written on our hearts every day. And so listen there is lots of law in the Old
Testament and there's lots of law in the New Testament. And the law, whether it's written in the old testament or whether it's written by Paul or repeated by Paul or James or John or whoever that is a lesser glory, I don't care where it's written or who wrote it that's a lesser glory, the greater glory is that we are being offered forgiveness and cleansing from that sin. And we as ministers of the New Testament are gonna try to focus on having a law written in our hearts but also proclaiming the forgiveness of sin through Messiah Yahushua HaMashiach. You know the Old Testament also taught forgiveness of sin, take these animals to the.... and you will have your sins atoned for if you do these things. They were in a physical way putting their faith in Yahushua who was that sacrificial animal through him we would receive forgiveness of sin. They didn't have a full picture, we have more of a full picture than they do and so we are more responsible to put our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness is sin. We can look at the law and we can rejoice that all that we have not kept some of them we have received forgiveness and cleansing through repentance in faith in Messiah. We can rejoice in that. In fact, we have been given a special out pouring of Yahweh's spirit. Something that was not given before, man had the holy spirit of Elohim before. Believe me they did. But we have a unique out pouring as those who put their faith in Yahushua under the new covenant. We have a special outpouring of a spirit to the extent that we say I have been crucified with Messiah, it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of Elohim who loved me and gave himself or me. And since Messiah now lives in me I have the power to do as I ought to do I have the power to keep the precepts and principles of Yahweh's laws, whether they are written in the new testament or the old testament because Yahushua dwells in me. The living word of Elohim we need both the Torah and
the Messiah. We need the law to correct us and we need the Messiah to cleanse us.
And those two themes they all run throughout the entire tear scripture. If you do a word search on mercy and truth you'll see
it over and over again. Those two themes being repeated all the way from Genesis to Revelation mercy and truth, grace and truth. Truth being this is the way you need to live, mercy and grace being let me cleanse you because you have not been living that way. You can be cleansed, you can be forgiven of your sins, you can be given something you don't deserve and kept from something you do deserve.
And new covenant ministry must include both the Torah and Messiah, both forgiveness of sin and direction in the right way we ought to live. And so let's allow Yahweh's spirit to do that work in us seeking to live the way Yahushua did, cleaving to both the Torah and Messiah and when we do
it's a beautiful way of life. Let's pray O, thank you, Yahweh, for your word
which directs us, that shows us the need Father for forgiveness which instructs us in the way of love and also thanks you for our Savior Yahushua
and for the promise of forgiveness through him. I pray Father Yahweh that every single one of us would embrace both ministries as necessary for us to fully understand your holiness.
And also fully understand your amazing grace.
We thank you, Father, even though we have not been holy, just and good. You have made us holy, just and good and you've cleansed us of all unrighteousness as we confess our sins before you.
May your name be glorified because you are just so awesome, I love your ways.
May your name be glorified in all the earth for truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty for ever and ever, in Yahushua's great name we praise you, Amein.
I see in Mainline Christianity and among those of us who have embraced the blessing of the Torah and the blessing of Yahweh's word and his application of his word in our life. And the question is this, Is the so called Old Testament all about death and condemnation, and thereby New Testament is all about life and forgiveness and grace and you know these kind of things? I wanna address this question because I think that there is a very, very wrong idea that people have about the Old Testament and actually a wrong idea that people have about the New Testament as well. And so I wanna go over these scriptures and examine them in proper context and be able to show you actually that Yahweh is way, he's the way he's related to men has changed from the time of Genesis to the time of Revelation. That his belief and his concern about sin has always been the same. He's not this, I don't know some times I think people have his ID sort of Doctor Jeckle and Mr. Hyde. In one minute in the Old Testament, he's angry, revengeful and ready to kill you at the drop of a hat. And in the New Testament, all of a sudden here comes Mr. Nice Guy; he's almost like Grandpa Guard now. He's kind of calm down, he's not up tight and he's kind of relaxed and he's ready to play with his children and just enjoys their fellowship with them, not worry so much about obedience. And I don't mean to be disrespectful either to Yahweh or to those who have that kind of mentality. But I'm gonna say that that is very, very wrong mentality. But I do think that there are some scriptures that have perhaps led people to have that belief about him or not quite that extreme or maybe just a little bit of this thought that now he's sort of relaxed, he's not so uptight about your sin and that Yahushua died for you and you can kinda take it easy, and not really worry about your salvation anymore if you
live in willful sin and everything is kinda calm down and he's not so quick to kill people. So there are some scriptures that people have said that will lead people to believe the Old Testament is all about death and New Testament is all about grace. And one of the biggest is here, we look at the scriptures that talk about transgressions that are punishable by death in the Old Testament and the Torah, sacrificing to Idols, sacrificing your children to Moloch, uttering false prophecies in Yahweh's name, necromancy, witchcraft, blasphemy, Sabbath breaking, that the one a lot of people want to query, adultery, incest, homosexuality, being a false witness to a capital crime, some others smiting a parent, cursing a parent, bestiality, contempt of court, marrying a woman and her daughter, kidnapping, murder. These are all transgression punishable by death and so we see the Scripture in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians 3:7 calling Moses ministry a ministry of death saying if the ministry of death, was written and engraved on stones, was glorious so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious? And so the idea being presented here is the Old Testament was all about death and the New Testament is all about this ministry of the spirit, you know you are being given life instead of death and so I understand why there would be people who would have this idea about these things that now that Yahushua died for us, we got this ministry of the spirit and we actually it's all about forgiveness now and grace. I understand why people have that perspective; you know there are a lots of sins in the Old Testament that were not punishable by death in a Civil Court. You know coveting was the tenth commandment and says you shall not covet, but there is no punishment at all even mention for the violating that commandment. Stealing did not carry the death penalty; it required the person to restore multiple times what was owed depending on what was stolen. The law actually says in Deuteronomy 6 or Leviticus 19 to love your neighbor as yourself it says not to deal falsely with one another, to not take vengeance and whole hosts of other things for which the judges were not given any sentencing guidelines. And so with all this legislation that gives the death penalty for various crimes one might think the Old Testament was really all about death and distraction but then the New Testament came along and abolished all of that.
I'm going to address this idea; did you know that there was actually grace in the Old Testament? There was, there was forgiveness in the Old Testament. As an example in Numbers chapter 14 verse 19, Moshe asked saying, Pardon, the iniquity of this people I pray according to the greatness of your mercy. According to the greatness of your mercy, Yahweh had mercy, yes he did. Just as you have forgiven this people, from Egypt until now. And so he forgave these people multiple times for the sins that they had committed then Yahweh says, I have pardoned according to your word. But truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of Yahweh. So there was grace given to these people, the people of Israel. He did forgive them many times for crimes that would normally require capital punishment. And there were times where he actually caused the capital punishment himself. Capital punishment being the death penalty. Why was he so quick to judge Israel? I'll tell you why think about this for a moment especially when they were in the wilderness. These people had experienced amazing amazing miracles. Ten Plagues falling upon the Egyptians and the Israelite were spared. The red sea parted they were being fed every single day except the Sabbath with manna. They didn't have to go out and work single field, he was providing for them everyday food is raining down out of the sky every day except Sabbath.
You cannot deny Yahweh's existence at that moment,
people would do things they know they shouldn't do, they would rebel against Moshe who was the one through him all these miracles were done and the ground would open up and swallow them all.
They had no excuse really he had done so much for them and so yes with a greater amount of miracles
and a greater amount of power being manifested for their benefit, for their blessing there was greater accountability to whom much is given you, Yahushua said to whom much is given much is required. And so there was much required of a nation that had been given much. First hand hearing the law, the Torah of Yahweh. Then, after putting all over text and try to figure out what Moshe meant by this word and that word they were there, they heard the words themselves.
You know what the same was true in the New Testament congregation in the first century Yahushua came down, did unquestionable miracles and the Apostles also. People were passing over Peter's shadow and getting healed and amazing things were taking place no one
could deny the power of the living Elohim. And so we come to Acts chapter 5 A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. He kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also was being aware of it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to Elohim. Then Ananias hearing these words fell down, and breathed his last: so great fear came upon all
those who heard these things. And the young men arose, and wrapped him up, and carried him out, and buried him. Death instantly in the Old Testament and the New Testament. Now it was about three hours later, when his wife, came in not knowing what had happened. And Peter answered to her, Tell me whether you sold the land for the so much? She said, "Yes, for so much". And Peter said to her, How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit Yahweh? Look, the feet of those who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. Then immediately, she fell down at his feet and breathed her last: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her out, buried her by her husband. So great fear came upon all the congregation, and upon all those who heard these things. Think about that just drop dead like that, just dropped dead that fast in the New Testament, I thought the New Testament was all about grace and mercy and the Old Testament you know that's where people drop dead. No Yahweh put Ananias and Sapphira to death himself.
You see the death penalty did not end really in the New Testament so to speak. If you look at even civil societies now. We are a nation that primarily consists of the people who believe in the Bible, at least the majority are Christian. And we have the death penalty for those who commit certain heinous crimes such murdering a child or sometimes even murdering a police officer or murdering period. Someone can be put to death for having committed murder. And so the existence of civil judgment giving a death penalty is here, right here today in the this so called Good Old U.S.A where we have a Christian nation that's all about grace and mercy.
Same thing as the Old Testament, the difference is Yahweh's standard that he gave to these people he expected them to walk out a higher level of morality because he gave them the law himself by his own voice. He thundered the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. And so the standard was higher the expectations were higher and so there were more crimes for which one could receive the death penalty compared to a time like now where there is not so much
Yahweh manifesting himself here so visibly as he did at the times when Israel was being established as a nation. And so this idea that this Old Testament is all about death because of the death penalties for various crimes. We got death penalties for crimes here in the United States of America and most Christians support it, they say there should be a death penalty for these things. And so let's retrain our mind here for a minute, that just because Yahweh gives a death penalty for a particular crime does not mean the Old Testament is all about death and distraction and the New Testament is all about grace and mercy, you know this stuff. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 11 verse 28 talking about partaking of the body and blood of Messiah in an unworthy manner he says let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread, and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Master's body. For this reason, many are weak and sick among you, and many are dead, many sleep. And so there were many people who were being destroyed by Yahweh himself for partaking of the body and blood in an unworthy manner. Some people were sick and had plagues on them for the same reasons.
And look again Revelations chapter 2 it says the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things says the Son of Elohim who has eyes like a flame of fire he speaks like fine brass. These are scary things right, I know your works, love, service, faith and your patience, and as for your works, the last are more than the first. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit sexual immorality, eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed, I (Who? Yahushua) will cast her into a sick bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds. I (Yahushua says) I will kill her children with death; and all the assemblies, the churches shall know I am He who searches the minds and hearts: and I will give to each one of you according to your works. Then Yahushua, this loving gentle Savior is speaking to you, I will kill your children with death, I will cast her into a sick bed.
Look I didn't write the mail this is the Scriptures, I'm not be condemning I'm just showing what our Savior said he will do to Jezebel. The death penalty is still being used and employed by Yahweh and by Yahushua himself. The body of Messiah unable to exercise capital punishment, the Messiah is quite able to do that, he's quite capable of doing that.
That's little different in the Cream Puff Messiah that we so often hear about today.
The fact is he's coming to judge the earth; he appeared at first as a Lamb he will return as a Lion. Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse; Revelation 19:11 and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, on his head were many crowns; he had a name written, that no man knew, except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of Elohim. And the armies of heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it he should strike the nations: and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron: he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty Elohim. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, MASTER OF MASTERS. So much for this, I don't know how you would put it
but Messiah; he's not a wimp okay. He's not someone who's just a push over.
Isaiah 11:3, says His delight is in the fear of YAHWEH: he shall not judge by the sight of his eyes, nor decide by the hearing of his ears. But with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth: he shall strike the earth: with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. Again it seems that Yahushua is not so soft on crime after all. I think some of us have been, saw this image of our Savior that's actually quite different than the one we read about in the Scriptures. You see it is an act of love for Yahushua to not be soft on crime. Why would it be hatred to eliminate wickedness from the earth? Wouldn't that be love?
So that less people suffer.
When there are people walking in willful hatred toward others, this is an act of love for him to purge those folks out. Now it's also an act of love for him to wait for them to repent and he was willing to wait, he waited for Jezebel to repent and she would not repent and so then he was ready to judge her. But Yahushua sends people to the lake of fire, it's still an act of love you know that? Really every commandment in the bible is instruction in how to love, for those who refuse to follow the way of love he has to do something about it. I mean who would want to spend eternity with people who want to hate each other? Who refuses to walk in love, who would want to spend eternity with a bunch of hateful people? Who would want to spend eternity with people who hate Yahweh? I mean they have to be removed from his presence, when you are removed from Yahweh's presence you will not live, you will die and that's what he was seeking to do in Ancient Israel he wanted a society that was walking in love. Love for their Creator and love for their fellow men and was seeking to eliminate those who would refuse to walk in love and refuse his leadership in their life. And yes he instituted the death penalty.
You know if you only look at things from this world's perspective, the death penalty, it seems awful, maybe a little harsh, maybe sad but think about things from Yahweh's eternal perspective, from Yahweh's perspective. We might change our minds because let's suppose that we were living in Ancient Israel and they knew, everyone knew they could see Yahweh's presence, I mean there is fire by night, cloud by day. Right there among them, manna raining down every night, every morning it's there is food for you to eat. And suppose somebody gets caught committing a crime in Israel that required a death penalty.
Say the man that was gathering wood on the Sabbath. What do you think they will be doing on the day that they would be put to death? And they are getting ready to be stoned; don't you think they'll be on their knees? Begging Yahweh to forgive them so that they would not suffer and go to eternal damnation in the Lake of fire. Don't you think they would be concerned about their eternal destiny? Being judged by the Elohim of the earth, I think most of them maybe all of them, I mean you even see this today if a man has any remorse toward the creator
and then the faith toward the created today. Even though they are on their way to the lethal injection, or electric chair or whatever method of punishment to put people to death, a lot of those men have given their lives to the Savior and they know that they have a death. And they are ready for it; they are ready to meet their maker. So, in the long term, the big picture...really, I mean if you know the day of your death, to me you are in a whole lot better position that if you don't know and one day you are travelling alone in your car and some guy decides to go in your lane and smash, you're instantly killed. And you are not ready to meet your maker, you are in a whole lot worse position than if you knew you committed a crime and you're getting ready to die for that crime. Do you understand what I'm saying?
The man who was being hung on a tree next to Yahushua, he repented, he knew he was about to die.
Then yet the other man apparently did not.
You know today if a criminal is sent to a jail cell for the rest of his life and dies of natural causes, life in prison you don't know when he's gonna die a lot of times heart attack, whatever. Then you know I know people get religion when they get in jail, you know they get a change in their life but some of the men don't. Then what if they die in prison?
So people find out ways when they go to jail, how to be a better criminal, how to better evade punishments when they get free.
You know, is that really a more merciful system than you know the day you're gonna die? We all gonna die, but you know the day you gonna die and you look at the big picture and you're ready for your death, you're ready to meet your maker and you're on your knees begging for forgiveness, you're receiving the Master Yahushua and you end up being put to death for that sin. And so I would suggest that the court systems in
Israel even though they instituted the death penalty more frequently than our own nation, it's not as bad as you think it is, especially when you look at the way things really are from the eternal perspective and, yes, he did have a death penalty for a lot more things in Ancient Israel. Because they were more cunnable, they were a nation that was established not by some..., like the United States of America, some protests wanna come over here and escape persecution. The nation of Israel was established by Yahweh himself, by Yahweh himself. And so now let me ask you the question, looking at
this Scripture Hebrews chapter 10 verse 28 says Anyone who has rejected Moses' law dies without mercy on the testimony of two to three witnesses. Okay so you die on this earth, then he says Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy, who has trample the Son of Elohim under foot, counted the blood of the covenant, by which he was sanctified, a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? That will be far worse than anything Moses' law ever, ever did to harm anybody, to kill anybody. It's far worse to insult the Spirit of grace and trample on the Son of Elohim under foot.
For we know him who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says Yahweh. And again, Yahweh will judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living Elohim.
It's worse to insult the Spirit of grace and trample on Yahweh's Son and just take the grace and take full advantage of it and live in willful sin. You're in worst shape than anyone who ever died as a result of a civil punishment of the death penalty in Israel. You just have to look at the big picture the eternal things.
Now for Yahweh to institute the death penalty for so many different crimes was necessary so that the nation would hear and fear and walk in righteousness. And also so that they would understand the gravity and the significance of what's sin and how serious sin really is. For unless we understand the bad news we are not really gonna understand the need for good news. Unless we grasp how rotten and disgusting we are when we sin, we may not realize the power of the blood to cleanse us of our sin. Unless we understand the utter depravity of men and the carnal and disgusting nature of our flesh, we may not fully appreciate the grace he's offering to us. Unless we realize the wages of sin is death. Unless we take an inventory and look at ourselves we will not bow before the feet of the Messiah. Unless we realize our illness we will not come to him and be healed. Unless we have all of our self-righteous thoughts crushed we will not turn to the Savior.
In Israel, though they did not have the knowledge that we have about Messiah. Unless they realized that Yahweh was serious about sin in the camp, they would never have sinned the significance of it. It may come as a surprise to some of you; did you know the judges of Israel had a choice of allowing the person who had the death penalty imposed on him to be redeemed? Did you know that? Exodus 21 verse 28 if an ox gores a man or a woman, to death: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted. But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in time past and it has been known to his owner, and he has not kept a confidence, so that it has killed a man or a woman, and the ox shall be stoned, and his owner shall also be put to death. If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay for to redeem his life whatsoever is imposed on him.
The owner shall be put to death but it could have been imposed on him a sum of money and he could pay to redeem his life. Numbers 35 verse 31 Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death: but he shall surely be put to death. And you shall take no ransom for him who has fled to the city of his refuge that he may return to dwell in the land, before the death of the priest. So you shall not pollute the land where you are: for blood defiles the land: and no atomic can be made for the land for the blood that is shed upon it, except by the blood of him who shed it. And so a man could redeem his life in certain crimes except for these which I mentioned.
So the idea of a ransom actually is also seen in the book of Job 33 says For Elohim may speak in one way, or in another, yet man does not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls upon men while slumbering on their beds. Then he opens the ears of men and seals their instruction. In order to turn man from his deed, and conceal pride from man. He keeps back his soul from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword. Man has also chastened with pain on his bed, and with strong pain and many of his bones. So that his life abhorreth bread and his soul sacking with food. His flesh wastes away, from sight; and his bones stick out which once were not seen. Yes, his soul draws near the Pit and his life to the executioners.
If there is a messenger for him, a mediator, one among a thousand, to show man his (Yahweh's) uprightness. Then he is gracious to him, and says, Deliver him from going down into the pit: I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be young like a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth. Interesting, He shall pray to Elohim, and he will delight in him: he shall see his face with joy: for he restores to man his righteousness, through the one who pays the ransom. Then he looks at men, and says, I have sinned, and perverted that was right, and it did not profit me. He will redeem his soul from going down to the pit, and his life shall see the light.
Behold, Elohim works all these things twice, in fact, three times with a man. To bring back his soul from the pit, that he may be enlightened with the light of life. And so we have a picture here of a ransom redeemer. A Messiah like figure who shows men the righteousness of Yahweh and restores to men Yahweh's righteousness. Redeeming that soul from going down into the pit he says he has enlightened with the light of life. This is Elihu speaking here who is not among Job's three friends who were rebuked by Yahweh for not speaking Yahweh what is right. Yahweh did not rebuke Elihu at all. Psalms 49 verse 6 says those who trust in their wealth and boast in the multitude of their riches. None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to Elohim a ransom for him. For the redemption of their souls is costly, and it shall cease for ever. That he should continue to live eternally, and not see the pit. And so riches may actually save a life from judgment but still does not redeem them from the judgment that comes from Yahweh on their final day.
For that, we need a man named Yahushua.
Mark 10:44 whoever desires who desires to be first, shall be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be saved, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. That's what our Savior did for us. 1 Timothy 2:5, but there is one Elohim, and one Mediator between Elohim and men, the man Messiah Yahushua. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. So when Yahushua was sentenced to death no option was given to ransom his life and so Pilate in an effort to see Yahushua released offered to let him go. Matthew 27:15 Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to release into the multitude one prisoner, whom they wished. And at that time they had a notorious prisoner, named Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you want me to release to you? Barabbas, or Yahushua who is called Messiah? For he knew they handed him over because of envy. While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent to him, saying, Have nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of him. But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Yahushua. The governor answered and said to them, Which of the two do you want me to release to you? They said, Barabbas. And Pilate said to them, What then shall I do then with Yahushua which is called Messiah? They all say to him, "Let him be crucified." Then the governor said, Why, what evil has he done? But they cried out all the more, saying, Let him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he could prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you see to it. And all the people they answered, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. Then he released Barabbas to them: and when he had scourged Yahushua, he delivered him to be crucified. And so the crowds had the opportunity to redeem Messiah and set him free but instead, they chose to have his blood on them and on their children. In one sense that's a curse because we don't want to be in with those who condemn the innocent man to death. But on the other hand, we need the Messiah's upon us to cleanse us from all of our sins. Now in Acts chapter 3 Yahweh used Peter to heal a lame man and when they send head to the Jewish judges called Peter in, Peter said to them the following men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or righteousness we made this man to walk? The Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Elohim of our fathers, glorified his servant Yahushua; whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let him go. But you denied the Holy One and the Just and asked for a murderer to be granted to you. And killed the Prince of life, whom Elohim raised from the dead; of which we are witnesses. So here's the judges of Israel and their desire to see Yahushua an innocent man killed actually disobeyed the spirit of what the Torah commanded which said Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death. They disobeyed this commandment when they allowed Barabbas to be set free.
Now does Yahushua, his blood cover the blood of a murderer? Let me tell you about a man named Saul Acts chapter 9 verse 1 Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Master, went to the high priest. And asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any of this way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Obviously, Paul found grace and actually in Yahweh's eyes, almost everyone really has been guilty of murder. 1 John chapter 3 verse 15 says whoever hates his brother is a murderer and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. If you've ever hated you are guilty also of murder, think about that. One who kills another man is guilty of murder, one who aborts their own children is guilty of murder but so is one who hates their brother guilty of murder. Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, now Yahushua can cleanse us from the sin of murder. We have a redeemer in Yahushua Messiah whose blood was shed for that. As Yahweh commanded in the Genesis when he said "if a man's blood is shed only the shedding of blood of the one who did it will..." you know, and so since Yahushua lives in us it's no longer we who live we have been cleansed. And so if we..., in 1 John 1:9 says If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we confess our sins, and so we have a promise
of forgiveness upon confession and if we are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Do you know what that means? That means you're every bit as righteous as Yahushua himself because you are cleansed from all unrighteousness. Have you ever done something wrong to someone, you felt horrible and awful about it? And your conscience kept nagging you and nagging you over it and you went to the person and you ask for their forgiveness and they freely forgive you of that. If you ever experienced this, I hope you all have it's like this huge weight is lifted off of you, and it's glorious. Let me tell you, if you've never experienced that, I want to explain to you the difference between the ministry of death and the ministry of life. You see, the law was given to us and its purpose was to show us the way of life however for all of us we found that actually does not bring us life at all. Instead, it brought us death, it's true Romans
7:9 says I was alive once without the law: but when the commandment came, sin revived (sin is a transgression of the commandment), and I died. And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. Why? Because the law is bad? No, it says sin which the violation of that law sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. See unless we have the law we don't realize the holy standard that Yahweh has for us and how holy Yahweh truly is and therefore we don't realize how unholy we've been. Next verse, verse 12, therefore, the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.
Problem is we have not been holy, just and good, so the law itself is not so bad. The law itself is not death but it does produce death in us. Not because the law did it but because we rejected it we did not obey it. We have not chosen to be holy as the holy standard of Yahweh is; we chose not to be just and good. It was our action that brought about our death; the law simply revealed what Yahweh's will is for us. Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. Has then what is good (What? That's the law) become death to me? Is the law death to you? It says certainly not, certainly not now in the Greek this is the translation of the strongest possible objection that can be spoken in Greek, absolutely not the law is not death to me. That which is good is not death to me but sin. That might appear sin was producing death in me. What's sin? Sin is a transgression of the law, by the laws of knowledge of sin. I would not have known sin except by the law. My sin was producing death in me through what is good, through the law. So that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful for we know the law is spiritual.
Believe it or not brothers and sisters, fellow Christians, people of this earth the law is spiritual, it is good, it is holy, it is just, it's not bad. Actually, the law is not bad at all; it is good, holy, just, spiritual. The problem is sin, I in canal, and I am sold under sin because of my carnality. The problem is not the law the problem is us, so
Yahushua did not die to take away the law and therefore making us clean of our sin, No that's not how it works, it's nonsense. He died so he could take away our sin so that even though we have transgressed the law, even though we have been carnal, we have one who will redeem us from the pit of destruction. He bore our iniquities, upon him was laid the
iniquity of us all. So please understand the law is just and holy and
spiritual and good, the problem is we have not been just holy, spiritual and good and we have one who was just, holy, spiritual and good who cleanses us from our unjust, unholy, unspiritual and carnal ways. Now that he has cleansed us from our unjust, unholy, unspiritual and carnal ways, are we now given this license? That get out of hell free card? To go off and purposely, intentionally, willfully live in sin again? Absolutely not unless we wanna return to our former ways and violate those laws again if that's the
direction we wanna go then we are refusing to repent.
And repentance is necessary in order for us to be forgiven. Acts 2:38 Repent every one of you, be baptized in the name of Yahushua Messiah. Romans 2:4 says don't you know the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
But so many people have such a negative view of the law today, it's almost like the child, does not want to really do what their parents say and so they don't like it when their Fathers and Mothers tell them to do something, especially if they don't wanna do it. Go take out the trash, they may not like that law but that's a good law otherwise trash will pile up and the child will never learn responsibility and think everyone is just here on this earth to serve them. And they put because the parents are wrong for having told them to do something as if the parent was the problem. It's only the rebellious child that would think the problem is with their parent's rules.
But you see the problem is not with their heavenly Father's rules, it's with us who haven't followed the rules. Now having said this it's important to realize that
the New Testament also has rules. We're commanded to be baptize? We are commanded to partake the body and blood of Messiah Yahushua. We are told that we are supposed to live like Yahushua did, the New Testament actually has lots of laws in it, it's all over the place, it's everywhere. Read Paul's letters, read any of them, read Yahushua's words they are all instruction and how to live and if we fail to live up to those standards
then we have sinned and we are in need of a Savior to deliver us. So there is law in the New Testament, there is law. It's a reflection it's really an extension or a continuation or a reflection directly of the law that's in Exodus to Deuteronomy.
So most of it is to repeat and so there is plenty of law in the New Testament if we willfully walk away from and if we willfully disobey and we refuse and we reject. We are also under condemnation. I don't care how many times you claim that you are a believer if you reject the instructions whether Yahweh said it 3000 years ago or 2000 years ago.
It's all Yahweh's instruction, the word law comes from the Hebrew word Torah which means teaching and instruction. He continues to teach and instruct us when we read the New Testament books and letters and narratives. We are continuing to be taught the way of righteousness and you can be condemned for a New Testament commandment, just quickly as you can be condemned for something written in the Old Testament. The time in which or the era in which a commandment was given does not change what happens when you rebelliously reject it. If we rebelliously reject his commandments I don't care if it's written in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, I don't care if it's written in any place in the New Testament inspired words of Elohim or something that Yahweh wrote in the Torah through Moshe. He gives Torah through Moshe, he gives Torah through Yahushua, he gives Torah through Peter, he gives Torah through John, he gives Torah through Paul. It's all instruction and teaching and righteousness and if we reject his teaching and we disobey
his teaching willfully, knowing that this is his word I don't care who wrote it we are rejecting his Torah. Now, I want to qualify all this by saying if we do not reject it, if we are making sincere efforts to make changes in our life and we are growing in obedience, we are growing in our knowledge of the truth and we are applying more and more of it to our lives every day and we are continuing to... we are on a journey, we are on a path and we are learning more and more of what he expects of us and we are seeking to work that out as disciples of Yahushua. Then we are becoming and we are taught ones who are being taught by the teaching.
The word disciple means one who is taught, one who is being taught. We are being taught by his teaching and we are seeking to apply the commandment, that's why Yahushua says make disciples of all nations, teaching them whatever I command you.
Now it's important we understand grace and one through whom grace is given to us. Let's take a look here at 2 Corinthians chapter 3. Paul says "Do we begin again to commend ourselves"? Or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Clearly, you are an epistle of Messiah ministered by us, written not with ink, but by the Spirit of the living Elohim; not in tables of stone, but on tables of flesh that is of the heart. The Corinthians themselves having become believers of Messiah was a clear letter of commendation that means recommendation or commendations will show forth that the ministry that Paul was doing was legitimate, the way they were living demonstrated his ministry was legitimate.
And so, in reality, it was not Paul who founded the assembly really in Acts 18. It was Yahweh using Paul and others to establish the congregation in Corinth. And so he doesn't have some kind of letter from anybody proving his ministry is legitimate. And we have such trust through Messiah toward Elohim. Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from Elohim. Who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life. So Paul recognizes they themselves are not established the Corinthian Assembly in reality Yahushua in them established them. It's Yahweh they are trusting through the Messiah and Paul rightly gives glory to Yahweh here. And then he says they are sufficient as ministers of the new covenant because Yahweh made them sufficient by grace right. And Yahushua is the mediator of this new covenant. He's contrasting two things, he's contrasting the spirit and he's contrasting that with a letter expounds a little more what he means by this in verse 7 saying if the ministry of death, written and engraved on stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance; which glory was passing away. How will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
So talking about a ministry of death as we know the ministry in access to Deuteronomy centered around Yahweh giving his commandments to us. And the law of Yahweh is holy, and just, and true and spiritual, but we have been carnal and we sold ourselves into sin and therefore we need to be purchased back. We need to be redeemed because the law pointed out that we have not lived up to Yahweh's standards and therefore we are deserving of death and therefore because the law was given and we are all guilty of death he's concerned to be a ministry of death not because the law is death but because the law points out our sin and our sin is what brings us to death, the wages of sin is death.
Because we cannot stand before Yahweh on that final day and say look that law justifies me, none of us will be able to say that we can't be saved by our own righteousness. In order for us to say in truth that we are righteous apart from Messiah, we have to have kept Yahweh's law from the time we were created in our Mother's womb until the time we die. And not one of us has done that, well only Yahushua has and so we cannot be by our own righteousness enter into life. But the love of Yahweh has a certain standard and it has a certain glory to it. In fact, the children of Israel were not able to look at the face of Moshe because of the glory of his countenance. But then there is a greater glory there's a glory that says Yahweh is holy and just and good but you haven't been. That's glorious. it is. But, there is a greater glory and that greater glory is, he's going to give you his spirit through the Messiah Yahushua so that even though you have violated his standards, you will be cleansed of all unrighteousness. And so the law has a certain glory to it but it only lead us to death. It revealed how glorious and awesome Yahweh is and how in glorious and how ugly really we are compared to him and his holiness. But there is a greater ministry a ministry of the
new covenant, a ministry that gives promise of grace of righteousness, of cleansing from our sin.
That is a greater glory, it is, Moshe had to tell
us the right way to live so that we would understand the holiness of Yahweh and his expectations are of us. He had to do that, it was good, it was glorious and so there is a glory in this ministry of law giving but for us, Yahweh's glorious was so powerful we couldn't even see the face of Moshe who was giving the law.
And so there is a greater glory a greater ministry than the ministry of death and that's the ministry of the spirit that gives life to those who otherwise would be worthy of death. The ministry of righteousness to the Messiah Yahushua but this is really the
manifestation of grace, really is not a new idea that's only found in the New Testament. Yahweh pardoned Israel 10 times, he gave them grace, he forgave David who committed murder and adultery and stole a man's wife.
He says know I found grace in the eyes of Yahweh and he forgave Job who repented in dust and ashes and restored to him what he had lost in abundance.
That grace that he gave Job and David and Israel and Noah and every man who sinned against him and repented and turn his ways back to him, that grace was glorious then too. It's just that now we understand the one through whom that grace is given and how it is possible for us to be forgiven of our sins and that's through the blood of Yahushua the Messiah, our Ransomer and our Redeemer. Grace was always available to one who repented. But, now that our Savior has died for us then we understand how we can be made righteous, we understand the mechanics and the inner workings of it, of how we can be made righteous even though we haven't been righteous. We are responsible for putting our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness of sin and therefore being recipients of the promise that's in a new covenant. That promise in a new covenant is the forgiveness of sin.
The law was in the heart of ancient Israel to read it Deuteronomy 30 the law was in the heart too, but they did not have the promise of forgiveness of sin unless they made animal sacrifices and things of that nature to demonstrate faith and some kind of picture of Messiah who had died for them.
But now we know who died for us, we understand Yahushua died for us and by that, we are able to be forgiven. You see not so much has changed it's just now we understand the way through which we are able to be forgiven for our sins.
And so the ministry that Moshe had was a ministry of death because it led us to realize how sinful we are and therefore we need, we thirst for redemption and so the ministry of the spirit which involves cleansing us from all sin is actually more glorious.
For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory. The law resulted in our condemnation, not because the law was bad but because we were bad. The ministry of righteousness exceeds much more in glory because even though we were evil and we were bad we are now redeemed by our Ransomer Redeemer Yahushua Ha Mashiach. For even what was made glorious had no glory in this respect, because of this glory that excels.
For what is passing away was glorious, what remains is glorious is much more. The ministry of condemnation is passing away it's on its way out, no more will we be condemned, no more will man be condemned. But, for now man has to be shown his sin in order for him to turn his life over to Yahushua. If the law was abolished you got nothing to be guilty of, it was no law to condemn you and show you that you need a Savior.
So it's passing away, now the last enemy that will be destroyed is death so there is still things that have to be done. Therefore, since we have such hope we use great boldness in speech. Unlike Moshe, who put a veil over his face, so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away (condemnation). But their minds were blinded: for until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament; because the veil is taken away in Messiah. This veil is what's taken away not the law, the veil is an inability to look at the glory of the law and not be utterly undone and realizing your own sin and feel condemned.
The same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, talking about those who have not received the Messiah Yahushua. But we can look at the Old Testament and we do not feel condemned, why? Because we have been redeemed by Ransomer Redeemer Yahushua the Messiah.
We can look in the glory of the law and not be overwhelmed by the glory that's in it. Whereas their hearts were hardened continue reading,
for even to this day, when Moshe is read, of veil lies on their heart. He's talking about not believers but unbelievers. Nevertheless, when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away. Now you can look at the law and not believe you are condemned. You can look at the holy standard whether it was given in the New Testament or the Old Testament, you can read this holy standard and not believe you are condemned because Yahweh is the spirit and where the spirit of Yahweh is there is liberty. We are free; we are not condemned so the veil is taken away not because the law is taken away but because we are given freedom even though we have violated those standards. We can look at the law with an unveiled face and behold as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh, and we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the spirit of Yahweh. The ones who have not turned to Messiah, the veil is not taken away. Paul's countryman had not received the Messiah and therefore received the spirit of Yahweh. We have turned to Messiah, we have received the spirit of Yahweh. Therefore, we are set free, we are not in bondage we are given liberty. Now, this liberty that we are given is not an excuse to sin as it says in 1 Peter 2:15, this is the will of Elohim, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. As free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice (that means to violate his standards). The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me Yahushua said, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed to proclaim the acceptable year of Yahweh. This liberty spoken of in the New Testament is not the freedom to sin; it is the freedom from sin.
From the power that sin had on us namely the power to condemn. The freedom, the liberty being spoken of the New Testament is not the liberty to wilfully do what we want. It is the power to do what we ought. And the freedom to learn Yahweh's law and apply it at a pace that we are able to bear without being condemned. As Yahushua says come to me all you are heavy laden, I will give you rest. I am meek and lowly in heart; you will find rest for your souls, Matthew 11:28. And so all of us with an unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of Yahweh. Why in the mirror? Because we have been given the Holy Spirit, we are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory and so we behold the glory of Yahweh as in a mirror. We are reading the standard of Yahweh, his righteous, righteous standard for us. And because Yahushua dwells in us now we don't feel condemned we might feel convicted to live right to change our ways, to not do certain things anymore but we know as the scripture says as in the mirror you see your own imperfections. James said when I look at law of liberty and then says hey you know I've got this mess on my face and he walks away and he doesn't change. You know and we are being transformed into his perfect image through the work of Yahweh's spirit in us giving us the power and freedom that we need. We are being transformed from glory, one glory being this is the Old Testament, the law is teaching you the right way to live. It has certain glory to it but then the greater glory is being cleansed of that sin and now having the power to live as you ought to live. And so we are being transformed from glory to
glory, from a lesser glory you sent and you need to change to a greater glory you are cleansed and now I will give you my spirit and empower you to live out this holy standard and live like Yahushua did.
That's the new covenant we are ministers of, we are ministers of this new covenant and there is nothing in all of this that when any way shape or form abolish the law of Yahweh. In fact, the new covenant not only does it abolish, not only does it not abolish the law of Yahweh it actually writes the law of Yahweh in our hearts and minds it says behold the days are coming Jeremiah 31:31 says Yahweh, what I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah. Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers (so it's not a renewed covenant it's not according to the former covenant, it is a new covenant) in the day that I took them by the hand to leave them out of the land of Egypt; my covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, said Yahweh. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, says Yahweh, I will put my law, he's talking to Jeremiah here, what law is he talking about? The law given through Moshe that's the only law there was. I'll put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts and I will be their Elohim and they shall be my people.
Beautiful so the law is abolished why is it written on our hearts? It doesn't make any sense. No more shall every man teach his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, Know Yahweh: for they all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Yahweh, this is a promise
yet to be fulfilled. It's when the knowledge of Yahweh covers the earth as the sun covers, as the waters cover the earth. So I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more. This is new here a promise that all who are part of this new covenant will have their sins, their iniquity is forgiven and their sins no longer remembered. That's the promise of the new covenant and we are ministers of this new covenant, this greater glory. This glory that excels and I have a word for some of you who have embraced the Torah as the right standard for us to live by. Sometimes I think, I see too many of us only proclaiming the former glory, the glory of condemnation, the glory that it's so much focused and so much spoken about the Torah and the law and the standard that Yahweh has for us that you forgot who you are really a minister of. You are ministers of the new covenant scripture says you are a minister of the new covenant.
And we need to be a minister of the new covenant and that new covenant includes a promise of forgiveness of sin and if all you ever talk about is Torah, Torah, law, law, command, command and you don't talk about grace, forgiveness,
mercy the promise that he will forgive our iniquity and our sin will be remembered no more, your ministry is lacking in glory and before the eyes of Yahweh. Because you are only talking about law, you know actually there's law in the New Testament, there's plenty of law in the New Testament there is. The New Testament Acts 15:20 says abstain from idols, from strangled meats, from eating blood, from meat offered to idols. We are told to in Romans 16:17, avoid trouble makers, profane and vein bubbling, unlearned questions and foolish questions that's 1 Timothy 6:22-23 and Titus 3:9. Yahushua says don't be like the hypocrite's in prayer, that's a command don't be like the hidden in prayer that was a command. He says don't be like the hypocrites in fasting they receive their reward that's a command. He says don't be called Rabbi, don't be called Master, don't be afraid of men he says. Don't be of a doubtful mind; don't be deceived we are told. We are told don't be conformed to this world. We are told not to be slothful in business, we are told not to be conceded, we are told not to be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. We are told not to be servants of man in the sense being a slave to man. We are told not to be children in understanding 1 Corinthians 14:20. We are told to not be deceived by evil companions 1 Corinthians 15:33. We are told not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers 2 Corinthians 6:14. And that's just the tip of the iceberg the new testament is full of commandments, it's full of Torah and it's still a lesser glory and the glory that excels.
There's plenty of condemnation in the New Testament, here look 1 Corinthians 6:9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not deceive neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revellers, nor extortioners, won't inherit the kingdom of Elohim. Where in the Torah does it say you can be a drunkard? I don't know of any place that says you can be a drunkard in the Torah given through Moshe. Yet if you are a drunkard you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. That's the identity you have embraced you decide you are going to be a drunkard you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. Or if you decided you are going to be a covetous person you will not inherit the kingdom of Elohim. That may not be a death penalty against covetousness in the Old Testament but there is, it is something worthy of condemnation will keep you from the kingdom of Elohim. So listen there is plenty of law and very condemning law in the New Testament scriptures and nearly all
of them are based on the Torah already taught through Moshe.
Now if we turn to focus on and seek to adhere to Yahweh's laws whether they are found in the old testament or the new testament its not evidence that we are bound by commandments and we lack freedom. The evidence that Yahweh's spirits working in us to replace where we are trying to be more, and more like Yahushua every day and have this law written on our hearts every day. And so listen there is lots of law in the Old
Testament and there's lots of law in the New Testament. And the law, whether it's written in the old testament or whether it's written by Paul or repeated by Paul or James or John or whoever that is a lesser glory, I don't care where it's written or who wrote it that's a lesser glory, the greater glory is that we are being offered forgiveness and cleansing from that sin. And we as ministers of the New Testament are gonna try to focus on having a law written in our hearts but also proclaiming the forgiveness of sin through Messiah Yahushua HaMashiach. You know the Old Testament also taught forgiveness of sin, take these animals to the.... and you will have your sins atoned for if you do these things. They were in a physical way putting their faith in Yahushua who was that sacrificial animal through him we would receive forgiveness of sin. They didn't have a full picture, we have more of a full picture than they do and so we are more responsible to put our faith in Yahushua for the forgiveness is sin. We can look at the law and we can rejoice that all that we have not kept some of them we have received forgiveness and cleansing through repentance in faith in Messiah. We can rejoice in that. In fact, we have been given a special out pouring of Yahweh's spirit. Something that was not given before, man had the holy spirit of Elohim before. Believe me they did. But we have a unique out pouring as those who put their faith in Yahushua under the new covenant. We have a special outpouring of a spirit to the extent that we say I have been crucified with Messiah, it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me, and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of Elohim who loved me and gave himself or me. And since Messiah now lives in me I have the power to do as I ought to do I have the power to keep the precepts and principles of Yahweh's laws, whether they are written in the new testament or the old testament because Yahushua dwells in me. The living word of Elohim we need both the Torah and
the Messiah. We need the law to correct us and we need the Messiah to cleanse us.
And those two themes they all run throughout the entire tear scripture. If you do a word search on mercy and truth you'll see
it over and over again. Those two themes being repeated all the way from Genesis to Revelation mercy and truth, grace and truth. Truth being this is the way you need to live, mercy and grace being let me cleanse you because you have not been living that way. You can be cleansed, you can be forgiven of your sins, you can be given something you don't deserve and kept from something you do deserve.
And new covenant ministry must include both the Torah and Messiah, both forgiveness of sin and direction in the right way we ought to live. And so let's allow Yahweh's spirit to do that work in us seeking to live the way Yahushua did, cleaving to both the Torah and Messiah and when we do
it's a beautiful way of life. Let's pray O, thank you, Yahweh, for your word
which directs us, that shows us the need Father for forgiveness which instructs us in the way of love and also thanks you for our Savior Yahushua
and for the promise of forgiveness through him. I pray Father Yahweh that every single one of us would embrace both ministries as necessary for us to fully understand your holiness.
And also fully understand your amazing grace.
We thank you, Father, even though we have not been holy, just and good. You have made us holy, just and good and you've cleansed us of all unrighteousness as we confess our sins before you.
May your name be glorified because you are just so awesome, I love your ways.
May your name be glorified in all the earth for truly yours is the kingdom and power and glory and majesty for ever and ever, in Yahushua's great name we praise you, Amein.