Messianic Judaism - The Torah and the Testimony Revealed

This session helps to define more precisely what the Faith of Abraham was, and what it means to have the Faith of Abraham, and touches on the development and progression of the covenant made with Abraham up through the time of Moses, to the time of Yeshua and His emissaries, and on into the present.

This study will help you to understand more precisely what it means to be a descendent of Abraham through Yeshua.

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The Faith of Avraham 9-17-06 Edition

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08/23/2008

THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM 2-20-05 Edition

THE FAITH OF AVRAHAM

Shalom! In the Name of Yeshua. Welcome to TNT, the Torah & the Testimony Revealed.

Today we will begin our study with the faith of Avraham. What exactly is the faith of Avraham? Was Avraham a Torah obedient individual? Or was Avraham a sinful man, full of rebellion and disobedience towards God who somehow found favor with Yahuweh because of his faith apart from works?

Someone who combined his faith in the promises of Yahuweh with evil works, with stealing and fraud, with sexual immorality and drunkenness, with the consumption of unclean creatures like bats, rats, and cock roaches, and through the celebration of pagan holy days?

Or was Avraham a man of faith because he believed the Word of God to be true, and showed his faith through his obedience to Torah?

Let’s search the Scriptures and see what they reveal about the Torah and the Testimony in the life of Avraham.

Let’s begin our study with B'resheet (Genesis) 17:1-12.

17:1 And when Avraham was 99 years old, Yahuweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “ I am Almighty God, walk before me and be blameless,

17:2 and I will make my covenant between Me and you, and will multiply you exceedingly.”

17:3 And Abram fell on his face and God talked with him saying,

17:4 As for Me, behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be a father of many nations.

17:5 No longer shall your name be called Abram, but your name shall be Avraham. I have made you a father of many nations.

17:6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful, and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you.

17:7 And I will establish my covenant between Me and you and your descendants after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant. To be God to you and to your descendants after you.

17:8 Also, I will give to your descendants the land in which you are a stranger. All the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession. And I will be their God.

17:9 And Yahuweh said to Avraham, as for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

17:10 This is my covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you, and your descendants after you. Every make child among you shall be circumcised.

17:11 …

17:12 He who is 8 days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male child in your generations...

We have several things to cover in this chapter. The first is that Yahuweh states that He is going to make this covenant with Avraham, and through this covenant make Avraham a father of many nations, so that the nations (plural) may be blessed through him. And why is this word nation presented in the plural? Because Yahuweh, through this covenant, is not just going to bless Israel only, but all the nations outside of Israel as well.

You see, this isn’t just a covenant with the Jews, it’s not just a covenant with Judah, or Ephraim, or the 12 tribes, or one of the tribes. It is a covenant for all 12 tribes of the nation of Israel, and for the people of the nations outside of Israel who desire to be grafted in to Israel (Romans 11).

Now it makes sense that if you make a covenant designed to prepare the soil to bless the whole earth through, and to bless all the peoples of the earth through, that the foundation of that covenant would include everything within it necessary to bless those nations with.

So what then is contained in the foundation of this covenant that the nations would ultimately be blessed through? It is written in B'resheet (Genesis), 26:1-5.

26:1 ….there was famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Avraham, and Yitz'chak (Isaac) went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines in Gerar;

26:2 and Yahuweh appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt, but dwell in a land which I shall tell you,

26:3 sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will perform the oath which I swore to Avraham, your father.

26:4 And I will cause your descendants to multiply as the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands, and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed,

26:5 because Avraham obeyed My voice, guarded My hedge, My commandments, My appointed times, My Laws (Torah).”

Isn’t that interesting? The theologians have taught for centuries that the commandments, the appointed times, the Laws of Yahuweh, came through Moshe (Moses), who didn’t come onto the scene until 430 years after these promises given to Avraham. But here the Scriptures declare that the Torah was known and practiced by Avraham 430 years prior to Moshe (Moses).

Yes, it says it right here, “…in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because Avraham obeyed my voice, guarded My hedge, My commandments, My appointed times, My Laws (Torah).

Yahuweh’s Laws and commandments were known by His people before it was given to Moshe (Moses). Why is that? It is because the Mt. Sinai experience was a re-introduction of the knowledge of Torah. A re-introduction of that knowledge that had been lost to the culture of Egypt during the time of Israel’s enslavement.

Up to the time of Joseph and his brothers, the Torah was handed down to each generation by word of mouth, and this word of mouth procession was lost when the Israelites became slaves in Egypt. This happened for two reasons.

One, because when the people of a nation become slaves to another nation, they are stripped of their identities, their heritage, their customs and their culture; and are forced to adopt the customs and religious practices of their masters.

Imagine how much the customs of our nation alone have changed in a mere 200 years, or even in the past 50 years. And those changes have occurred in a free nation and with the printed word; so how much greater the changes and traditions lost in light of oppression, forced slavery, and in the absence of the printed word.

The second reason is that when Israel went into Egypt, there were only 70 males. But when our people came out of Egypt with Moshe (Moses), we were a people of over a half million adult males, with another 3 million or so people when adding women and children.

Word of mouth traditions are best preserved in small groups, but the larger a community becomes, the more difficult the traditions become to maintain with any consistent standard.

Add this natural process of deterioration to a couple of generations of oppression upon an enslaved people who have been stripped of their culture and identities, and you end up with a situation where those traditions need to be re-introduced back into the culture before they can be re-perpetuated.

Thus, we have the story of Moshe (Moses) with the re-establishment of the Torah of Avraham at Mt. Sinai to prepare the people of Israel for entry into the promise land. The land promised to us through the covenant made with Avraham.

Now this is a very important note to remember because, as we progress through our studies, you will come to see more clearly how conditions of the covenant made with Avraham are the same ones made with Moshe (Moses) and the children of Israel.

You will see that though they are two covenants, the latter made at Mt. Sinai, and the former made with Jerusalem up above which is free; Galatians 4:21-31, you will find that they contain the same Law, the Torah, and that the only thing that is different, is not the Torah, but how the administration of atonement for the remission of sins is carried out. That is the only change.

The two covenants are like a rental agreement. The rental agreement you sign is a covenant - one covenant. Then, when you move out, someone else moves in to take your place, and in turn, likewise, signs an identical covenant. It is a separate rental agreement - a separate covenant from the one you signed, but yet identical in content, conditions and force.

And so it is with the covenant of Avraham. The original covenant made with Avraham, and the renewal of that same covenant made with the new “tenants” at Mt. Sinai.

But because there were several million tenants now, instead of just 70, a more sophisticated form of priesthood had to be added that could provide atonement for the remission of sins of a whole nation now rather than just one family - thus the tutor mentioned in Galatians that was added 430 years later to the covenant to attend to the issue of sin until Messiah Yeshua could come; Galatians 3:16-19.

Let’s continue. Go to B'resheet (Genesis) 17:10 and you will see that the covenant made with Avraham, the one that “Christians” claim to be a part of, declares a requirement of circumcision.

This is interesting, because when people speak against circumcision, they speak of it as if it was something originating in the Torah given through Moshe (Moses), but there in the covenant made with Avraham, which Yahuweh gave through Avraham to bless all the nations of the earth through, we see this covenant with Avraham being sealed with the sign of circumcision.

In fact, in Galatians 3:29 it is written,

3:29 …if you are in Messiah, then you are a seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.

And in B’resheet (Genesis) 17:7-14 it is written,

17:7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations for an everlasting covenant…

17:8,9 …

17:10 This is My covenant which you shall keep between Me and you and your descendents after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;

17:11,12 …

17:13 …and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

17:14 …

That to me is fascinating that the covenant that Christians claim to be a part of, is the same covenant which says you need to be circumcised; for if someone were to teach circumcision today, many, if not most, Christians would call them a legalist, though they themselves are probably circumcised.

But if circumcision, or any other act of obedience to Torah, constitutes “legalism” then Avraham would have to be declared a legalist.

But the theologians, the Christian “Scribes and Pharisees“, who declare they are of the “Faith” of Avraham, and therefore not under the so called “Law”, fail to realize that Avraham did absolutely everything that a modern theologian would label as legalism.

He circumcised himself and his descendants, he obeyed the Torah - the so call “Law”, he kept the appointed times, and he offered up animal sacrifices.

And in light of his understanding of the gospel - of the resurrection of the dead, and of the giving of the first born for the remission of sins, was even willing to offer up his son Yitz'chak (Isaac) as a human sacrifice - believing that Yitz‘chak (Isaac) was that promised Seed - the Messiah; See also, Hebrews 11:17-19, but yet he is presented by theologians as the man of the “Christian” Faith.

I tell you friends, we need to wake up to the lies that have been passed down through us. Avraham was not a man without works. Even as Ya’aqob (James) 2:14-26 plainly states.

Avraham was a man of the Faith, a man who believed and looked forward to the coming of Messiah; but the Faith that our father Avraham displayed was everything that the theologians speak against today as “legalism.”

I tell you, if obeying Yahuweh’s commandments constitutes legalism, then disobeying Him constitutes what? illegalism?

Let’s put this into contemporary terms. Imagine yourself driving 20 miles over the speed limit when suddenly flashing lights appear in your rearview mirror, and sirens blare in your ears, and you discover yourself being pulled over for speeding.

Then to make matters worse, as the police officer writes out the ticket for your irresponsible behavior you turn to him and state, “Excuse me officer, don’t you think you are being a little legalistic writing out that ticket to me like that? After all, officer, I am under grace, not under the law, right?

Now that would be a very unwise thing to say to a police officer wouldn’t it? But yet, every time we call someone “legalistic” for obeying the commandments of Yahuweh, we are placing ourselves in the position of the lawbreaker who is trying to make the police officer look bad for addressing our irresponsible and/or criminal/sinful behavior.

Avraham was under grace, and looking forward to the coming of Messiah even as we; and as also Moshe (Moses) was. As it says in the book of Hebrews concerning Moshe (Moses) and the Israelites in the wilderness “for indeed the gospel was preached to them as well as to us”; Hebrews 4:2.

The gospel has in fact been here since the time of the beginning - since the time of Adam; B‘resheet (Genesis) 3:15, and so has His grace B‘resheet (Genesis) 3:21.

You see, Avraham heard the gospel and knew the grace of Yahuweh even as we; yet Avraham knew and obeyed the Torah.

And Moshe (Moses) likewise, heard the gospel and knew the grace of Yahuweh; and knew and obeyed the Torah. And these two men are the two greatest men of faith presented in the Tanach (the “Old Testament“) of Scripture.

But the Scriptures are clear that being under the grace of Yahuweh did not mean that Avraham and Moshe (Moses) were free to violate His Torah (His “Law“).

Being under grace, and not under law, does not mean the Law is done away; and to speak such heresy is to speak against Yeshua Himself, who with His own words stated emphatically that not the least stroke of a pen contained in the Torah would pass away until the heavens and the earth themselves pass away.

To be under His grace means we are no longer under the law of sin. That is, we are no longer bound to be servants to the law of sin, but are now free to be servants to the law of righteousness. Tehilli (Psalm) 119:172 states that Yahuweh’s commandments are righteousness.

Now if you have been with us on previous studies, then you will recall the study on “The Faith of Avraham” where I showed the progression of the covenant of Avraham.

Beginning from Avraham, I showed how it passed on to Yitz'chak (Isaac), then on to Moshe (Moses), and all the way up through Zechar’yahu (Zechariah) and Elisheva (Elizabeth), the parents of Yahchanan the Immerser (John the Baptizer), and then on to Yeshua and the Apostles.

And I showed how they were not only all partakers of the covenant and faith of Avraham, but also how they were all Torah obedient individuals in the strictest sense of the word.

But for the sake of those who have not yet heard the previous studies, or who would benefit from a brief review, the components and progression of the covenant are as follow.

Avraham obeyed the Torah. He circumcised Yitz'chak (Isaac) on the 8th day, and like Noah, offered up sacrifices, and distinguished between the clean and unclean, and observed the moral codes and appointed times - as it says in B'resheet (Genesis) 26:1-5, that Yahuweh was passing on the covenant made with Avraham onto Yitz'chak (Isaac), because Avraham obeyed His voice and guarded His hedge, His commandments, His appointed times, His Torah.

It is because Avraham was faithful to do these things that the covenant was passed on to Yitz'chak (Isaac) and Ya'aqob (Jacob) (who was also called Israel) the father of the 12 tribes of Israel, who in turn did the same things.

In Shemoth (Exodus) 2:24 and 6:3-8 it is written that Yahuweh would deliver our people Israel out of Egypt in order to form them into a nation. The nation of Israel - the natural Olive Tree.

And we see the need for the renewal of this covenant with the children of Israel arising when the children of the twelve tribes of Israel are brought into slavery, stripped of their identity, of their religion, and of their culture. Who are then forced to adopt the customs and religion of Egypt, causing the knowledge of Torah to be lost, leaving us only with the remembrance of the promises given to Avraham that Yahuweh would someday make us into a great and mighty nation that all of the nations of the earth would someday be blessed through.

So with this memory of the promises of the covenant in mind, the children of Israel called out to God, and in Shemoth (Exodus) 6:3-8 it says,

6:3 I appeared to Avraham, Yitz'chak (Isaac) and Ya'aqob (Jacob) as El Shaddai, but by my Name Yahuweh was I not known to them? (B’resheet/Genesis 12:7,8)

6:4 I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers.

6:5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage and I have remembered my covenant.

6:6 Therefore, say to the children of Israel….

6:7 …I will take you as my people, and I will be your God…

6:8 and I will bring you into the land which I swore to Avraham, Yitz'chak (Isaac) and Ya'aqob (Jacob).”

Now if you know the story of Moshe (Moses), then you know that once the Israelites were delivered from slavery, they were taught everything that Avraham was taught; and eventually did everything that Avraham did. And ultimately, Yeshua did all the same things as well.

For example, B'resheet (Genesis) 26:4 states that Avraham obeyed the Torah. The children of Israel, as well as the foreigners who attached themselves to Israel, likewise received the Torah at Mt. Sinai, and eventually learned to obey it. And Yeshua? The Scriptures state that Yeshua was without sin, that means Yeshua also obeyed the Torah, and in every point.

Avraham was also a priest over his own family and offered up sacrifices for sin on his family’s behalf. Yahuweh likewise, arranged a priesthood for the nation of Israel, appointing priests to offer sacrifices on behalf of the nation of Israel. And concerning Yeshua? The book of Hebrews 5:5-10 states that Yeshua is our High Priest and that He likewise offered up sacrifice for sin on our behalf - one sacrifice, the sacrifice of His own body; Hebrews 7:26,27.

Avraham and his immediate descendants were circumcised, Moshe (Moses) and the children of Israel were likewise circumcised. And Yeshua? Luke 1:59 states that Yeshua was circumcised. And what day was He circumcised on? On the 8th day even as was required by the covenant given to Avraham. And isn’t it interesting to note that most Protestants in the world today are circumcised?

Here are some more common points. Avraham went on top of a mountain to sacrifice his son Yitz'chak (Isaac). Moshe (Moses) went on top of a mountain to receive instructions of how to build the tabernacle where the national sacrifices would take place at and be administered from (see my presentation of “What was Really Written on the Tablets of Stone?). And Yeshua? Yeshua was sacrificed on top of the same mountain where both Yitz'chak (Isaac) was offered up and where the temple was built.

Likewise, Avraham went from the Promised Land into Egypt, and returned to the Promised Land from Egypt. And the children of Israel went from the Promised Land into Egypt, and returned to the Promised Land from Egypt. And Yeshua? In Mattit'yahu (Matthew) 2:1-23 it states that Yeshua went from Bethlehem (in the Promised Land), to Egypt, and returned to the Promised Land from Egypt, to live in the city of Natzeret (Nazareth).

The list goes on and on. You see, it’s all the exact same covenant, with the exact same components and conditions, and with the exact same promises.

Just like the rental agreement I mentioned earlier in the study. Multiple covenants, but the exact same terms and conditions within each covenant; with each covenant simply providing a renewal of the terms and conditions for the new parties entering into the contract.

And that’s why the term translated as “new” in the phrase “new testament” comes from the Greek word “kainos” which means literally to make fresh, to renew or to make new again. And that’s why we call the so-called “new” testament the “Renewed Covenant” because that’s what it is - the covenant of Avraham “renewed.” The B’rit Chadasha.

But there is one thing that Yeshua did not have to do, that Avraham and Moshe (Moses) did have to do, and that was that Yeshua never had to offer up an animal as a sin offering.

The only offering that Yeshua was obligated to perform is the offering of the Pesach Lamb (the Passover Lamb), because the Lamb offering was not a sin offering, but a covenant offering.

And of course, on the day of Pesach (Passover) when He was crucified, He offered Himself up as the ultimate Pesach (Passover) Lamb in place of the animal.

But concerning all the sacrifices offered up for sin, Yeshua had no obligation to perform them, because He Himself had never committed sin, had never violated Torah. And that is why we are likewise no longer required to offer up sacrifices for sin, because He Himself replaced them with the sacrifice of Himself; at least concerning those of us who will be raised in the first resurrection.

You see, it is this sacrificial system contained within the covenant that was changed - not the Torah. For it was this system of atonement which was temporal, and which changed from time to time, as is evidenced with Avraham who was simply a priest over his own family; and whose priesthood type was exchanged for a national priesthood at Mt. Sinai, complete with a tabernacle, and ultimately a temple.

Then at the time of Yeshua there was another change in the priesthood; this one based on the sacrifice of Yeshua, and on the sanctuary of His Body, which could provide remission of sin to His people anywhere in the earth.

The book of Hebrews explains this in great detail, and is also a key to understanding the letter written to the Galatians showing how remission of sin through atonement (through payment of debt through animal sacrifices) was replaced with Justification (with pardon and acquittal) through the blood of Yeshua; which things I will go into further detail on in our upcoming study of Galatians, and which is why the word “atonement” does not exist in the renewed covenant.

Do you remember my reference earlier to the covenant made with the free woman through Avraham, and the one made with the bondwoman, at Mt. Sinai? You see, though this is all a result of a renewal of the Covenant made with Avraham, there is also a sub-covenant process going on beneath the surface which has indeed been replaced with a new covenant.

This covenant of the “bondwoman” is the covenant made with Israel through the Levitical priesthood, provided for the administration of atonement, for the remission of sin, until the time of the Promised Seed of Messiah could come. The covenant of which was written on the tablets of stone (Again, study my presentation on “What was Really on the Tablets of Stone?”).

This covenant, made specifically in regard to how sacrifices for the remission of sin was to be administered, is what had been changed, and what is now written in its new form on the fleshy Tablets of our hearts; Hebrews 8:8-13.

Now, returning back to the common thread of the covenant with Avraham that I want to bring out, is that common thread of Torah.

As we progress in our study up to the time of Yeshua and the Apostles, we will examine some more parallels between Avraham, Moshe (Moses) and the people of Yeshua’s day, and examine their characters to see what kind of people Yahuweh used to present His promises, and establish His covenant through.

Let’s begin with Zechar’yahu and Elisheva (Elizabeth), the parents of Yahchanan the Immerser. We know that Yahuweh doesn’t pick just anybody to do His work for Him, but that a worker in His kingdom must be one who is honorable in their walk, and above reproach in their conduct.

So what caused Zechar'yahu (Zechariah) and Elisheva (Elizabeth) to be so unique, or to be qualified for such an honorable position in Yahuweh’s plan?

Go to Luke 1:5.6 it says,

1:5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechar'yahu (Zechariah), who was of the division of Abiyah (Abijah), and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisheva (Elizabeth).

1:6 And they were both righteous before Yahuweh, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahuweh blamelessly.

Now this is an interesting word. Blameless. Think about that. They walked in all the commandments and ordinances of Yahuweh blamelessly.

How many times have we heard people say, “Oh, you can’t keep the Law, it’s too difficult. That’s why we’re not under those old laws anymore.” But here is an example of the parents of Yahchanan the Immerser as being blameless.

Now, guess who else was blameless concerning the commandments and ordinances of Yahuweh. Avraham. Remember B'resheet (Genesis) 17:1,2 where Yahuweh said to Avraham, “Walk before me and be blameless, and I will make my covenant with you.”

In B'resheet (Genesis) 22: 18 Yahuweh then says,

22:18 In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.

And in B'resheet (Genesis) 26:4,5

26:4 … and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,

26:5 because Avraham obeyed my voice, guarded my hedge, the commandments, and appointed times of Torah.”

You see, Avraham was given this covenant because he walked blamelessly in Torah.

And now in Luke we see Zechar'yahu (Zechariah) and Elisheva (Elizabeth) being chosen for a special work because they - like Avraham, walked blamelessly in the Torah of Yahuweh’s covenant.

And in the story of Noach (Noah) we see that Noach (Noah) also walked blamelessly, and Yyob (Job), think of Yyob (Job). If you know the story of Yyob (Job), you know that he had horrible tragedies come upon him. And Yyob (Job) had some friends who approached him, and they sat with him, and were convinced that Yyob (Job) must be guilty of sin.

And they tried to convince Yyob (Job) that he was guilty of sin, for they reasoned that tragedies such as the ones that fell upon Yyob (Job) could only fall upon a person if they had committed some willful sin.

And Yyob (Job), stated repeatedly to them that they were incorrect, and defended himself with utmost confidence that he was innocent of transgression before Yahuweh. And that if there was any sin in him, then his friends needed to point it out to him.

But his friends could not think of any sin in Yyob (Job)’s life that they could specifically point out, and so just continued to reason that the tragedies in Yyob (Job)’s life must be the evidence of sin in his life. And Yyob (Job) continued to adamantly say, “No - I am not guilty of sin. And if I am guilty of sin, then let Yahuweh Himself point it out to me.”

Well, by the end of the writing you find out that Yahuweh rebuked Yyob’s (Job)’s friends for implying to Yyob (Job) that he was guilty of sin. And Yahuweh Himself turned around and personally declared Yyob (Job) to be righteous, and restored to Yyob (Job) more than what he had lost.

You see, the Torah is not a difficult thing to do. And if Yyob (Job) knew with absolute confidence, even under severe trauma and firm accusations, that he was not guilty of violating the Torah, then so can anyone else.

In fact, in D'varim (Deuteronomy) 30:11-20, it says this very thing - that the Torah is not too difficult for us to do; and Yahuweh does not lie.

Yahuweh made His covenant with Avraham because Avraham was blameless regarding Yahuweh’s Torah. And now likewise, we see the parents of Yahchanan (John) the Immerser were also blameless.

In I Yahchanan (I John) 5: 3, it is written,

5:3 This is the love of Yahuweh, that we obey His commandments, and His commandments are not difficult to do.

Now, returning to Luke, we continue to read about Elisheva (Elizabeth) giving birth to Yahchanan (John) the Immerser, and on the 8th day after his birth he is circumcised, according to the covenant made with Avraham, B’resheet (Genesis) 17:12 , and renewed through Moshe (Moses), V’yikra (Leviticus) 12:1-3.

And when we go to Luke 2:21 we see Messiah Yeshua also circumcised on the 8th day.

Need more evidence? Go to Luke 1:68-73, which reads as follows:

1:68 Blessed be Yahuweh, God of Israel. For He has visited and redeemed His people.

1:69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the House of His servant David,

1:70 As He spoke by the mouth of His Holy prophets who have been since the world began,

1:71 that we should be delivered from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us,”

Now pay attention, verse 72 and 73,

1:72 “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember His Holy covenant,

1:73 The oath which He swore to our father Avraham…”

To remember His what? To remember His Holy covenant. The covenant which He swore to who? Which He swore to our father Avraham. To remember the Holy covenant which He swore to our father Avraham.

And what did they do within the covenant of Avraham? They obeyed the Torah. All of these things being done in relation to the covenant made with Avraham were being done by people who obeyed the Torah.

Every forefather, every prophet, and every writer of Scripture, including Avraham, Yitz'chak (Isaac) and Ya'aqob (Jacob), were people of the covenant of Avraham who obeyed the erroneously mislabeled “Law of Moshe (Moses)” the Torah of Yahuweh.

I asked you earlier, "what standard made the chosen people of the Scriptures special?".

It was the standard of Torah - The Law that was allegedly done away. How ludicrous to think that the very standard that caused Yahuweh’s people to become great, was somehow nailed to the execution stake.

Yahuweh did not go around just choosing anybody. No. He chose those who obeyed Him, those who obeyed His Torah - who walked blamelessly, to do His work. He didn’t choose Torah violators, prostitutes, murderers, people who had sexual relations with animals or who practiced witchcraft, or people who perverted justice or celebrated pagan festivals.

No, He chose people who chose His way, His Torah, His standard of righteousness, rather that the standards of those around them.

Now that doesn’t mean that they never sinned in life, but it does mean that when they did sin, that they did it in ignorance, or did them far and few in between. And accordingly, did what was required of the Testimony, contained within the Torah, to provide atonement for that sin. Then they would get back up and walk back onto the path of life - the path of Torah.

You see, what the Torah does is define for us the difference between life and death, between light and darkness, between truth and lie, between what is just and unjust, between honesty and dishonesty, between what is healthy and unhealthy, clean and unclean, etc…

So what the Torah does is show us how to walk that straight and narrow path. The Torah defines for us exactly what that path of Life is so that we can find it. Otherwise we would just walk around in darkness and have no clue of where we are going, or of what kind of danger we are in.

Could you imagine being thrown into a fire blind folded and without a nervous system? You would sit there and burn to death and not even see it or feel it.

That is the world without Torah, it is a body in a fire with no nervous system or ability to detect that it is in danger. The Torah is like our eyes which allow us to see danger, and like our nervous system that sends pain to warn us of danger.

So the Torah defines for us the path of life and warns us of the path of death. It is in fact, the instruction of life, and the word Torah, in fact, means instruction.

So what yo

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