In this enlightening episode, Rabbi Schneider unravels the misconceptions surrounding the laws of Moses and their relevance to New Testament believers. By juxtaposing the law and the grace of Yeshua, Rabbi Schneider illustrates that both were acts of divine grace meant to elevate humanity’s understanding of God’s righteousness. Tune in as he exposes the historical divisions between Judaism and Christianity and sheds light on how a return to the roots of faith is crucial for spiritual growth and alignment with divine intention.
I believe this may be the most important series that I’ve ever been gifted by the Father to bring to the world. The reason I say this is because I’m not aware of anyone else that’s done it. You see, as a young Jewish believer, I began to ask myself, Father, what relationship do I have as a follower of Yeshua, of Jesus, that’s led by your spirit? What relationship do I have to the law that you gave Moses? You see, it’s taught that there are 613 laws in the Torah or Hebrew Bible. We also refer to these laws as the mitzvot or precepts or commandments. And we know that, for example, the Ten Commandments do have application for all Christians. Do not murder, do not commit adultery. All the Ten Commandments have application for our lives today. But what about the rest of the laws in God’s Word in the first five books of our Bible, the Pentateuch? Do they have application for New Testament believers, whether you’re Jewish or Gentile? So what we’re going to be doing in this series, Decoding the Torah, is we’re going to go through these laws. I won’t be able to get to every single one of them, but we’re going to be taking laws that might have seemed obscure to you from the Torah And we’re going to give application for your life and my life today as followers of Yeshua, of Messiah Jesus. Let me be very clear at the onset. I do not consider myself to be someone that’s under the law. Neither do I want to put you under the law. I’m all about grace. We, as those that have been born again and purchased by the Father for the blood of Jesus, we are not under the law. But let’s not confuse. being under the law with receiving the blessing that comes to us through the self-revelation of the Lord that’s in the law. Let me say it another way. We’re not under the law. But God reveals his nature and his personality and his character to us through the law. And when we study the law, we find out more of who God is and can better understand how to walk in His ways. The truth is much of the New Testament church is very foggy about understanding how to walk with God. Many of us heard a message of easy grace and sloppy agape. All we hear is, you know, forgiveness and we sit down and we hear messages about grace, grace, grace. And I want to tell you there’s something wrong We’ve lost something by not knowing the precepts in God’s law. We’ve lost something by backing away from the fear of God. There is an anointing, beloved, that came upon the Jewish people, the Israelites, as they gathered to Mount Sinai 3,500 years ago to meet the Lord, where he gave Moses the law. There’s an anointing that was given there that God wants to place on your life and my life today. Don’t misunderstand. The anointing that we have through Yeshua, through Jesus, is the greatest anointing we can have. But Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law. In fact, let me read for you from the book of Matthew, beginning in chapter 5, verse 17, exactly what Jesus said concerning the law. The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of God, beloved ones, abides forever. Listen very carefully. and let these words I’m about to read you really sink in. Jesus speaking, he says, do not think that I came to abolish the law or the prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. So what many of us have been taught is that Jesus didn’t come to abolish the law, but he fulfilled it when he died on the cross for our sins, and that’s true. But there’s more to it than that, because listen what Jesus says next in the very next verse. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away. Have heaven and earth passed away yet? No. Until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, we’re talking about the 613 laws in the Torah, Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and get this now, and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But get this next word that Jesus himself said this, but whoever keeps and teaches them. What is Jesus talking about here? He’s talking about a teacher that walks in the way of the law and teaches others how to walk in the way of the law. not under legalism, but rather under the illumination of the Holy Spirit that comes to us through the law as we understand what God is saying to us about walking in His ways through His self-revelation in the law. So once again, whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps and teaches them, which is what I’m doing today, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Notice that Yeshua was speaking here about the revelancy of the law still being in place. You see, the apostle Paul taught us the law is good when used lawfully, not to put people under legalism, but to help people understand God’s self-disclosure in the law, and through that self-disclosure in the law, we’re better able to walk in His ways. Paul also said the law is holy, spiritual, righteous, and good. And a lot of people think that the law is bad. It’s not that the law is bad, it’s that humanity is flesh and can’t keep the law. The commandments are holy, spiritual, righteous, and good, Paul taught. The problem wasn’t with the law. The problem was with humanity that couldn’t keep the law. You see, the law promised a blessing for those that could walk in it. But it ended up becoming a curse because no man could walk in it because we’re of the flesh and the law demands something higher than what we are in the natural. This is why Jesus came so that we could be born again. And by being filled with his spirit, we could walk in his ways. In fact, the Hebrew Bible tells us that the time would come when the Lord would take out our heart of stone our hard heart that’s insensitive, right? A stone, it can’t feel anything. The Lord said through the prophet, I’m going to take out your heart of stone, your hard heart that’s insensitive to me, and I’m going to give you instead a heart of flesh. What does a heart of flesh mean? It means that rather than a stone that can’t feel anything, your flesh, if you pinch yourself, you’ll feel it. And the Lord said, I’m going to put my spirit in you and cause you to walk in my ways. So before Yeshua came, the law held out a promise of blessing for those that could walk in it, but it ended up becoming a curse on people because people couldn’t fulfill what the law demanded. But now that Yeshua came and we’re born again, we don’t walk by the letter of the law, but we can walk, beloved, by the spiritual implication of the law. We can walk in the way of the law. In fact, the Lord said when the new covenant came, he said he would write his law within our hearts.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Rabbi will be right back. So please keep listening. Did you know that you can connect with Rabbi right on your phone? The Rabbi Schneider app is packed with resources, videos and a daily devotional that are designed to help jumpstart your day. The Rabbi Schneider app is free, bringing you inspiration and encouragement. 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Simply search for Rabbi Schneider in your phone’s app store and download the app today. Discovering the Jewish Jesus could not accomplish its mission without partners like you. Together, we are preparing men and women for the soon return of Jesus. So please stop by our website to give a one-time donation or to partner with us on a monthly basis. Through your simple act of generosity, you are making an impact go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com or call 800-777-7835. And now with the conclusion of today’s message, here is Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 03 :
Did you know that the first followers of Yeshua in the book of Acts were called followers of the way? Early Christians were called followers of the way. It was the movement known as the way. So as a Jewish believer in Jesus, I like to call myself a follower of the way. And what does the way mean? The way means a follower of Messiah Yeshua who said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. But unfortunately, as time moved on, it wasn’t long before the church got separated from the Jewish or the Hebrew roots of her faith. In fact, by the time that Constantine came along in the early 300s, there was almost a complete divide between Christianity and Judaism. And this is very unfortunate because it’s led to a lot of wrong theology. One of the ways this anti-Jewish theology affected the church was in the translation of the Bible. So for hundreds of years, the Bible that everybody was using was the King James Version of the Bible. Now, I have you know, my friends, I’m not picking on the King James Version of the Bible. The King James Version of the Bible is beautiful, and it’s been used of the Lord to help so many people. And I could go into many different versions, and we could talk about the strengths of that version translation and the weaknesses of that translation. So if you use the King James and love the King James, God bless you. I’m just pointing something out in this particular case. So because Constantine really became hostile towards Judaism, trying to separate Christianity from it, this anti-Jewish theology influenced, eventually, the translators of the King James Version. And this pertains to our topic today. As we consider the King James translation, let me read for you John 1.17 from the King James Version. For the law was given by Moses, now listen to the next word, but, get that word but, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Let me read it again. For the law was given by Moses, but, Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Now, I want you to think about the word but. What does the word but do? When we use the word but, we’re contrasting something. We’re setting up an opposite. It would be like if you go to a restaurant and you say to the waiter, the steak was very good, but… It was cold. See, it was good, but it was cold. Or you say to the manager when you’re leaving the restaurant, the steak was very good, but the service was poor. It took a half hour for a server even to come to the table, but sets up opposites. So knowing that, let’s think again what it sounds like when we read John 1, 17. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. it makes it sound like the grace of God is opposite to the law of God. For the law was given by Moses, there’s the law, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. We get the idea that the law of God is opposite the grace that came to us through Jesus. But you know what? If you have an old King James Version and you read that verse, you’ll notice that the word but is in italics. Why is the word but in italics? Because the translators are telling you that they added it. The word but is not in the ancient manuscripts, but the translators thought that they were doing us a favor. They thought that they were being helpful by adding the word but because they misunderstood what the verse was actually saying. Because the church had developed this anti-Jewish mindset, they got a negative perception about the law. They said the law was given by Moses, but opposite, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. But you know what? The reality is John was trying to teach us the exact opposite. Let’s now read from another version. I like the New American Standard version myself. Let’s read that same verse again, but we’re going to read it this time, beloved friends, reading the verse before as well. So rather than going just to the 17th verse, we’re going to start at the 16th verse that will help you to understand what John was actually trying to communicate here. Here we go. For of his fullness… We have all received and grace upon grace. So we’ve received of the Lord’s fullness. How many graces here? Notice that there’s two graces here. For of his fullness, we have all received and grace upon grace, grace upon grace, two graces. For the law, that was the first grace. For the law was given through Moses. That was the first grace. Then the second grace came. That was Yeshua Himself. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. Both were graces. The law was the first grace. In the giving of the law, God lifted His children, the children of Israel, out of a barbaric world and gave them His just statutes and precepts to walk in His wisdom. The Lord said to Israel, what nation is there that has such great laws and statutes as these that I’m giving you here today? The law God gave Israel created a just society. where there was boundaries, where Israel was commanded to love their neighbor. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, that was actually an elevation the way that they used to deal with things in a barbaric society. Before the law was given, if someone stole one of your cattle, you might go burn that guy’s house down and kill his wife and children. But the Lord said no in the law. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. So the law actually was grace that lifted Israel up. But then when Yeshua came, the fullness of God’s grace was realized because Yeshua himself is the incarnation of grace. But the law beloved and Yeshua are not opposite each other. The law and grace are not opposite each other. The law was just a preliminary grace. It was a building block. It was the first grace. And then in the fullness of time, God forced, sent forth His Son, and baptize us all into his spirit, everyone that received him. And at that point, he wrote his law in our hearts. But just because his law has been written in our hearts, it doesn’t discount the fact that we’re to study the Torah, that we’re to study the law in the Pentateuch. The rabbis teach that there are 613 laws in the Torah, which include 365 negative commandments coinciding with the days of the solar year, as well as 248 positive commandments that coincide with the bones and main organs of the human body. And this, according to rabbinic Judaism, illuminates how these laws are intricately woven into the fabric of our very being and daily lives. See, rabbinic Judaism is very colorful, and you can’t always look at it as something that’s scientifically 100% literally accurate, but it brings out the point. And so another analogy or another illumination that rabbinic Judaism teaches is that the 613 seeds of a pomegranate, which is one of the main celebrated fruits in Israel, coincide to the 613 laws. Now, the fact is that a pomegranate may not have exactly 613 seeds, but it’s made to illuminate something. Interestingly, however, the high priest of ancient Israel was commanded to wear a special robe And at the hem of his robe, he had pomegranates tied onto it, bells and pomegranates, which again, speak to us potentially of God drawing his attention to the beauty of a self-revelation that’s contained in the law. I believe that this series on decoding the Torah, discovering ancient wisdom for a modern world, will be one of the most life-changing series, perhaps, that you’ve ever heard in your days of following Yeshua, other than the elementary truths of being born again, et cetera. It’s going to help fine-tune your walk with your Creator. And as a result, beloved, of learning more of God’s ways and how to walk in them, you’re going to be blessed You’re going to be strengthened and you’re going to be drawn further into the light. I hope you’re enjoying this series on decoding the Torah, ancient wisdom for a modern world. There’s something about studying the Hebrew Bible and making the connection to the New Testament and Jesus’s words that just brings revival and it strengthens us. If you’re being blessed by my teaching, beloved, I want to humbly ask you, would you consider financially supporting us? The truth is it costs money to do what we do. The television, the radio, the prison system, everything that we do costs money. 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Amen. And to support the ongoing work of Discovering the Jewish Jesus today, would you go online to discoveringthejewishjesus.com and give. You can also give over the phone. Our number is 800-777-7835. And if you prefer, you can send your donation in the mail. And our address is Discovering the Jewish Jesus, PO Box 777, Blissfield, Michigan 49228. And you know, your financial partnership It’s what enables us to continue sharing these life-changing insights into the Jewish roots of our faith with listeners all around the world, through television, on the ground outreaches, and even digitally all over the internet. And we are so thankful for the opportunity to do so. And as a token of our appreciation, when you support us, we’ll send you our current newsletter. It features Rabbi’s latest teachings, and you’ll also be able to see the impact that your giving is having. through the testimonies that listeners just like you send in, which are truly something special. And you’ll also receive Rabbi’s monthly exclusive teaching booklet. And it’s full of additional deep dive insights into the scriptures. And I believe it’ll help you grow in your faith. So please give online today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And now make sure to mark your calendar for May the 6th. because Rabbi has a brand new book that’s coming out. It’s called Decoding the Torah, and this book reveals how the Old Testament laws can help us understand God’s character. From that place of understanding, Rabbi invites us to walk in the Father’s ways and deepen our connection with Him. With clarity and great passion, Rabbi will illuminate how the heart behind the ancient commandments remains relevant in our modern world. Decoding the Torah will help you read the Old Testament scriptures and apply their principles to your life today. You can pre-order your copy right now when you go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Now here’s Rabbi Schneider.
SPEAKER 03 :
The Aaronic blessing in the book of Numbers chapter 6 is not a blessing that comes from an impersonal being out there somewhere in the heavens. This special blessing comes from a person, Yahweh God Almighty, our Creator and Maker. So receive God’s blessing into your life right now.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
I’m your host, Dustin Roberts, and this program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. Join us again next time when Rabbi Schneider helps you discover the purpose of your life. That’s Tuesday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
