Learning More About God by reading the Torah
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Galatians 3:25 NASB - 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
TweetyBird
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Which means the Law of Moses can no longer teach us.
Matthew 5:17-20 NASB - 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 "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, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 "For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Romans 15:4 NASB - 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Here are the scriptures that have the words "golden calf".
Exodus 32:4 ESV - And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"
Exodus 32:8 ESV - They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'"
Deuteronomy 9:16 ESV - And I looked, and behold, you had sinned against the LORD your God. You had made yourselves a golden calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you.
Nehemiah 9:18 ESV - Even when they had made for themselves a golden calf and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great blasphemies,
Idolatry is forbidden in Torah.
Leviticus 19:4 ESV - Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 26:1 ESV - "You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.
Leviticus 26:30 ESV - And I will destroy your high places and cut down your incense altars and cast your dead bodies upon the dead bodies of your idols, and my soul will abhor you.
Deuteronomy 29:17 ESV - And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them.
Deuteronomy 32:21 ESV - They have made me jealous with what is no god; they have provoked me to anger with their idols. So I will make them jealous with those who are no people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.
No graven images.
Deuteronomy 4:16 NASB - so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Deuteronomy 4:23 NASB - "So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you.
Exodus 20:1-26 NASB - 1 Then God spoke all these words, saying, 2 "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 "You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 7 "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 8 "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 "Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. 11 "For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 13 "You shall not murder. 14 "You shall not commit adultery. 15 "You shall not steal. 16 "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 17 "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 18 All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die." 20 Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin." 21 So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was. 22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, 'You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. 23 'You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. 24 'You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. 25 'If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. 26 'And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.'
Deuteronomy 5:1-33 NASB - 1 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. 2 "The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 "The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. 4 "The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, 6 'I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 'You shall have no other gods before Me. 8 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 9 'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 11 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 12 'Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. 16 'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you. 17 'You shall not murder. 18 'You shall not commit adultery. 19 'You shall not steal. 20 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.' 22 "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 "And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 "You said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. 25 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die. 26 'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.' 28 "The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. 29 'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! 30 'Go, say to them, "Return to your tents." 31 'But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess.' 32 "So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 "You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.
Deuteronomy 5:1-33 NASB - 1 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them: "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. 2 "The LORD our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 "The LORD did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. 4 "The LORD spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, 5 while I was standing between the LORD and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the LORD; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said, 6 'I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. 7 'You shall have no other gods before Me. 8 'You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 9 'You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 10 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments. 11 'You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. 12 'Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the LORD your God commanded you. 13 'Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 'You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day. 16 'Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the LORD your God gives you. 17 'You shall not murder. 18 'You shall not commit adultery. 19 'You shall not steal. 20 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. 21 'You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.' 22 "These words the LORD spoke to all your assembly at the mountain from the midst of the fire, of the cloud and of the thick gloom, with a great voice, and He added no more. He wrote them on two tablets of stone and gave them to me. 23 "And when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders. 24 "You said, 'Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; we have seen today that God speaks with man, yet he lives. 25 'Now then why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer, then we will die. 26 'For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 27 'Go near and hear all that the LORD our God says; then speak to us all that the LORD our God speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.' 28 "The LORD heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and the LORD said to me, 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken. 29 'Oh that they had such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it may be well with them and with their sons forever! 30 'Go, say to them, "Return to your tents." 31 'But as for you, stand here by Me, that I may speak to you all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which you shall teach them, that they may observe them in the land which I give them to possess.' 32 "So you shall observe to do just as the LORD your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right or to the left. 33 "You shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you will possess.
Israel was fooled by a golden calf. But perhaps you have been fooled into believing that three Gods are one God.
iamaberean
New member
You make a good point!
Without studying the Old Testament I didn't have any more than 25% of the knowledge of God that is available. Just lately God has given me more understanding than at any other time in my walk with Him and I know that this is just the beginning.
TweetyBird
New member
Neither verse refers to a commandment to learn from the Law of Moses and keep it.
TweetyBird
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He is not referring to studying the OT, but studying the Mosaic Law in order to keep it/obey it.
I encourage you to continue studying. Do you know about the Torah, the Nevi'im, and the Kethuvim? This is the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.
Do you see that Jesus refers to the Law and commandments here? What instruction do you see Paul writing about?
You should obey God's commands. What do you mean by the OT and the Mosaic Law?
TweetyBird
New member
That is Talmudic division where none exists in the Old Testament. Moses was a prophet, as was Joshua, David, Job, etc. I don't think it is advantageous to makes such divisions, it actually deters good solid study.
TweetyBird
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God's commandments are not the Mosaic Law. There are new commandments in Christ.
You have said repeatedly, that Torah means the Law of Moses, not the entire OT. You are always quick to elevate it over the entire Scripture. Some people may not be aware of your intentions.
You may know about the Christian Old Testament. The Jewish Scriptures are the TaNaKh. We also have the Apostle's Writings or the Jewish New Testament.
The TaNaKh and the Old Testament are different, but they refer to the same scriptures. They are simply scrolls or books arranged or ordered differently.
I do not know what you are saying about the Talmud and the TaNaKh. The Talmud was written after the New Testament which came after the Old Testament or the TaNaKh.
beloved57
Well-known member
I cant trust people who believe God is a golden calf. Thats Idolatry !
I believe you are wrong, but if you wish to warn others you either will learn of your error or improve someone's understanding.
The Ten Commandments are the covenant God made with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai through the prophet Moses.
What do you mean by God's commandments and the Mosaic Law? What do you mean by new commandments in Christ?
The written Torah is the books Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. There are Hebrew names for these books. The word Torah means Law, Instruction, Direction. The Torah is often attributed to Moses. Some speak of the Five Books of Moses. Moses' death is recorded in Deuteronomy, the fifth book, which is also called Devarim (Words). What do you mean by the Law of Moses? What do you mean when you say Mosaic Law?
Here are scriptures that refer to the Law of Moses.
Torah does not end with the first five books of the TaNaKh. It includes all of scripture. When we refer to the first five books we call them the Torah. These are also called the Written Torah.
I have referred to the first five books of the Bible as the Law of Moses. The first five books are called the Law, the Five Books of Moses, and the Pentateuch. By the Law, we mean God's Instruction, Torah, or the Law of Moses.
There is a covenant God made with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai through the prophet Moses.
Exodus 34:28 NASB - 28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did not eat bread or drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Deuteronomy 4:13 NASB - 13 "So He declared to you His covenant which He commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Deuteronomy 10:4 NASB - 4 "He wrote on the tablets, like the former writing, the Ten Commandments which the LORD had spoken to you on the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them to me.
When this covenant is referred to as the old covenant, is the law associated with it referred to as the old covenant law or old covenant law?
Is the Torah the Old Covenant?
Deuteronomy 31:24-26 NASB - 24 It came about, when Moses finished writing the words of this law in a book until they were complete, 25 that Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying, 26 "Take this book of the law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may remain there as a witness against you.
Here are some scriptures that refer to the Law and the Prophets (and the Psalms).
Matthew 5:17 NASB - 17 "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
Matthew 7:12 NASB - 12 "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 11:13 NASB - 13 "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John.
Matthew 22:40 NASB - 40 "On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets."
Luke 16:16 NASB - 16 "The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John; since that time the gospel of the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.
Luke 24:44 NASB - 44 Now He said to them, "These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled."
John 1:45 NASB - 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
Acts 13:15 NASB - 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."
Acts 24:14 NASB - 14 "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;
Acts 28:23 NASB - 23 When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening.
Romans 3:21 NASB - 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
I accept all of scripture. This includes those writings referred to as New Testament, or the New Testament.
All Scripture here in the New Testament, where Paul wrote to Timothy, refers to the TaNaKh, Jewish Scripture, Sacred Scripture, Holy Scripture, Hebrew Scripture, the Jewish Bible and the Hebrew Bible. Christians often understand this to be the Old Testament.
The words Old Testament are often used in reference to scripture. Sometimes the Old Covenant or Old Testament is used in reference to the first five books or 39 books, even the first 39 books of the Bible. But a covenant in scripture is not the scriptures themselves, though it is the scriptures we are reading or studying that teach us about the covenants, whereby which we learn of them. The old covenant, or the first covenant, spoken of in Jeremiah and Hebrews, was made with the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, Mount Horeb, by God and also being through the Prophet Moses as God used Moses as well as speaking to them Himself.
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