Torah in the Brit Chadashah

[Questor]

What is the purpose of the in the lives of Jews today? When Messiah rebuilds the Temple in Holy Jerusalem, what role will the sacrifices play in the Messianic age? These are vitally important questions and they cannot be left in the mud waiting for the Messiah to come and pull them out, clean them off, and present them to us in pretty wrapping paper and tied up in a bow. But especially for the “Gentiles who are called by His Name,” it’s equally important to answer the basic questions, “Who am I?” Where do I belong?” “Does God care about me?” “What is my role in the Kingdom of Heaven?”


Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

-Matthew 25:34-40 (ESV)

If we Christians are searching for our “,” I can think of no other teaching that we need to start out with than those words of the Master. If we are searching for covenant, we have it in Messiah. Having a relationship with God is like being married. While the marriage certificate is important, it isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on unless we actually live out the relationship in love and devotion. As time passes, the “marriage” grows, matures, and finally realizes its own magnificent potential, which was created by God for us through Messiah.

Printed by Permission James M. Pyles mymorningmeditations.com/2013/03/01/the-jesus-covenant-part-11-building-my-model/



Marriage is a key explanation in G-d's covenants with man...they are always described as a relationship, not as a list of rules, yet we fixate on the rules, and ignore the relationship.

How do we do both?

[alon]

Well, that's a little disjointed; he asks about Gentiles role in the olam haba, but never answers the question. Then he talks about Yeshua's discourse on our treating Him as we've treated others. Is he saying we are fixated on and not doing what we are told in the B'rit Chadasha? And what is the connection there between our role as Gentiles?

I guess my answer to JMP would be as a proselyte to Messianic Judaism, I expect my role to be that of a Jew, not a Gentile.

As someone working towards Observance I'd say to him that all, everything, the whole book of the Renewed Covenant is and was always in . All the instructions for living holy lives is there. Everything Yeshua, Shaul, all of it was said 1500 yrs earlier and recorded a whole lot more reliably. And the Jews today are still some of the most caring, generous people in the world. The marriage contract and relationship is pictured in as well. So I'm at a loss as to what his point is here.

Dan C

[alon]

Aug 13, 2014 18:12:23 GMT -8 Questor said:

Marriage is a key explanation in G-d's covenants with man...they are always described as a relationship, not as a list of rules, yet we fixate on the rules, and ignore the relationship.

How do we do both?

So let's ignore JMP's preamble and focus just on your question. The short answer is "balance."

Anyone who's been married long will tell you that there ARE RULES in a marriage- even a pagan marriage. However they'll also tell you it is about relationship. And the relationship is founded on the rules. Don't believe me? Talk to anyone who has ever even given his wife reason to just SUSPECT that he cheated. The relationship is never the same.

Our rules for everything come from , and to obey the rules, you have to understand the rules. That means you must study . However head knowledge without application is just wasted effort. Our relationships with our wives, our friends, family and coworkers is all found in obeying . I can tell you from long, bitter experience that those relationships cannot last outside unless you are willing to completely sell out to the hedonism of our culture and the paganism of its religions. Then however your relationships are based on a hierarchy of fear, intimidation, and status; all in counter-covenant with the enemy.

Can love exist outside our covenant relationship with God and others? Of course it can, for the time being. This only lasts as long as there are Godly men and women enough to shape the culture and beseech God's blessings on it. But we have only to look at the examples of the last century to see what happens when this fails. Communism, Nazism, Islam, wars of tribal dominance- love was a scarce commodity in those systems. So was God, but where they existed they did tend to be strong. Personally though, I'd prefer to strengthen my relationships by studying than to submit to one of these systems and hope my love survives.

Hope that is what you wanted.

Dan C