What is the meaning of the Law of God?
Question: What is the meaning of the Law of God?
Answer: When a Christian fellow asks the question, ‘What is the meaning of the Law of God, of these laws, rules, and regulations? Do you have to do all these dos and don’ts? Aren’t they done away with?’, what do we say in return? What is the best Scriptural answer to such questions? We may say something in that nature, ‘We are commanded to do all these laws and fear Him. Because it is righteousness for us when we do all these commands, as He has commanded us’. But as Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai put it, “If you have practiced Torah much, claim not merit to yourself, for to that were you created.”
The problem for the Christian fellow is that he/she would not even suspect, nor would it come to mind that we have quoted the words of the Righteous One in Deu 6:20-25. We should not be surprised, either, if our opponent will be totally ignorant of YHVH’s words, because the Christian fellows do not know any better. Because, they have chosen to believe the words of men, more specifically Ignatius and later the Roman Emperor Constantine, that the Torah of YHVH has been done away with, “the Christ nailed the Law on the cross“, etc., etc., and other extremely misunderstood teaching of Apostle Shaul (Paul).
However, our teacher Mosheh teaches us that “it is righteousness to us, if we observe to do the commands of YHVH” (Deu 6:25), i.e., our righteousness will consist in the observance of the commands of the Torah. This righteousness before YHVH is righteousness that is not founded on the outward works or lip service but on an earnest striving for the fulfilment of the commands, to “love YHVH our Elohim with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our utmost” (Deu 6:5). We should also quote Deu 10:12-13. We should also say that we do His commands not to get saved, but because we are saved, and because we love Him.
And this love is altogether impossible without living faith (read more in the referenced articles). Because, if we are in faith, we are called to “become doers of the Word, and not hearers only, unless we are deceiving ourselves” (Jas 1:22). We should also quote the words of Yeshua and Shaul in Mat 7:24-27, Luk 6:46-49, Luk 8:21, Rom 2:13, and Rev 22:14. The irony, however, is that the people of the NT do not read the NT.
And if it is righteousness to us to do all His laws, what is righteousness, then? Psa 119:172 says, “His commands are righteousness”; Isa 51:7 says that “those who know righteousness, are people in whose heart is His Torah” (see Jer 31:31-33), “people who must not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their reviling”. Rev 12:17 and Rev 14:12 say that those who will be called a remnant and saints are those who observe the commands of YHVH and the faith in Yeshua the Messiah; note and, not or. Read more.
So, what is the meaning of the Law of God? Why has the Creator not created a world free of rules and laws, demands and restrictions, as many see them? This is why. Because the Father knows best what is good for us. And because, a life free of duties and responsibilities to the Creator, a life voided of obedience, is a life devoid of the joy of serving Him. Therefore, do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their revilement. Serve YHVH as He has commanded us. Serving the Eternal is not religion but way of life.
So, do we have to do all these “dos and don’ts”? No, we do not have to; only if we love Him (1Jn 5:2-4, 2Jn 1:6, and Joh 14:15). It is not good enough that man does not sin; he must also do good deeds. This is the entire purpose of Torah. For it is not good enough to learn all the dos and don’ts but not the whys.