Q: Why is the Torah called The Law? Does it teach legalism?

A: The Torah is called The Law simply due to a translation from one language to another. The Tanach was written in Hebrew. The translation goes from the Hebrew word Torah (teaching) to the closest word in the Greek Nomos and then to the English Law. In our Western culture, the word law in and of itself promotes the idea of a legal matter or rules. The Torah was actually a covenant that God made with the people of Israel. It was written in the style of the marriage covenants of that day.

The sign of this covenant is the Sabbath. If you have been taught that the Torah is really a legalistic list of do’s and don’ts, does that mean that God is legalistic? I hope you answered no! Consider this: In the wester world we probably have more laws on the books than any other people, yet we enjoy the most freedom. We are free to live our lives within the boundaries of those laws that are set up for the well-being and safety of our citizens. Shouldn’t we should look at God’s laws with even more respect that we look at our own government’s laws. After all – He is God!

Q: The Torah talks about what to eat and what not to eat. Why does that matter? Doesnt that apply only to the Jews?

A: Consider a couple of different things. There were probably between 2 to 3 million people in the young nation of Israel at the time these teachings were given to them in the wilderness. One factor could be as basic as good health. Serious illness could have put huge numbers of lives in jeopardy. Perhaps its as simple as you are what you eat! Many of the things that God told the people to abstain from were such things as pork, shellfish (these are animals that clean up their surroundings) and carnivores – animals that eat other animals or eat things that are already dead. God is of the Kingdom of life. He is separate from the kingdom of death. He has always wanted His people to be the same way. God gave certain animals for food to His children that are cleaner because they eat vegetation. Since God created us, perhaps He knows best how to care for our bodies.

Another thought is that perhaps it just comes down to basic obedience. God tells us to do something – so we do it! The dietary teachings were yet another way that God set His people apart from the nations around them. I have had people insist to me that such dietary teachings are for the Jewish people only. Are we grafted in or not? Is it really logical that those people that God has join to His people Israel should go through the Tanach and choose to apply only the blessings to us and reject the commands? See Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 65:1-4 and 66:16-18 for additional thoughts.

Q: What about Peters vision in Acts 10?

A: Here’s an opportunity to read without a preconceived idea that you know what the text says. Read chapter 10 in its entirety. God is telling Peter to go to the Gentiles – this passage is not about food. Peter himself says: But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. Peter understood this vision to be about Gentiles and not food. Shouldnt we?

The Messiah warns us to be obedient to God and to do His will. Some good questions to ask ourselves are, What is the will of the Father? How do I act when I enter into a relationship with the Father. The Torah contains those answers of how God Himself set up our relationship with Him.