'emuwnah
Phonetic: em-oo-naw'
Text: security; moral fidelity: -- faith(-ful, -ly, -ness, [man]), set office, stability, steady, truly, truth, verily. TRUST
The second step is the necessity of ne'eman in the Torah. We teach the importance of ne'eman because millions of xtians assume that the Torah became obsolete at the Messiah's death at Golgotha and that there is no longer any need for it. This is a dangerous error, a deadly delusion. The scriptural quotations in this lesson are given to show how important are the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym. The list is by no means complete, but from the texts given, the honest seeker of Truth will soon see that disobedience is a very dangerous pastime. Several Briyth Chadashah verses are included to show that even at the very close of this age, the true Qahal will be keeping the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym.
Not Under Torah / But Under Grace
Millions of xtians idly boast that they are 'not under the law' but 'under grace.' This state, they incorrectly assume, allows them to ignore certain mitsvowt of 'Elohiym. An increasing number even go so far as to justify homosexuality, pornography, adultery, idolatry, witchcraft -- actions all forbidden in the Torah. They believe that 'grace' has placed them 'above the Torah!' Is this what the Torah teaches? Have these people understood the Torah correctly? Are Believers now allowed to ignore the mitsvowt? Are homosexuals, adulterers, pornographers, idolaters and Shabbat-breakers chata'iym? Do the mitsvowt forbidding these things still stand? Let us find out.
Take Warning!
To begin with, let me list a few verses from the Scriptures which specifically deal with the Torah of the 'Elohiym of 'Avraham, Yitschaq and Yisra'el. I could list many, many more texts, but the sheer number would exhaust the reader. Therefore, carefully consider the few listed below.
The Torah is qadash. To break it is chatta'ah.
What shall we say, then? Is the Torah chatta'ah? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what chatta'ah was except through the Torah. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the Torah had not said, "Do not covet." But chatta'ah, seizing the opportunity afforded by the mitsvah, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from mitsvah, chatta'ah is dead. Once I was alive apart from mitsvah; but when the mitsvah came, chatta'ah sprang to life and I died. I found that the very mitsvah that was intended to bring life actually brought maveth. For chatta'ah, seizing the opportunity afforded by the mitsvah, deceived me, and through the mitsvah put me to death. So then, the Torah is qadash, and the mitsvah is qadash, tsedeq and towb.
Everyone who is chatta' transgresses the Torah; in fact, chatta'ah is the transgression of the Torah.
Ne'eman attracts divine blessing.
Acknowledge and take to heart this day that YHWH is 'Elohiym in Shamayim above and on ha'arets below. There is no other. Keep His choq and mitsvowt, which I am giving you today, so that it may go well with you and your children after you and that you may live long in the land YHWH, your 'Elohiym, gives you for all time.
If a nabiy', or a dreamer of dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that nabiy' or dreamer. YHWH, your 'Elohiym, is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your nepesh. It is YHWH, your 'Elohiym, you must follow, and Him you must revere. Keep His mitsvowt and listen to His Qowl; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
Now, my son, YHWH be with you, and may you have success and build the Bayith of YHWH, your 'Elohiym, as He said you would. May YHWH give you discernment and understanding when He puts you in command over Yisra'el, so that you may keep the Torah of YHWH, your 'Elohiym.
How happy is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the rasha`iym or stand in the way of chata'iym or sit in the seat of mockers. For his delight is in the Torah of YHWH, and on His Torah he meditates day and night.
How happy are they whose ways are of tamiym, those who walk in to the Torah of YHWH.
Disobedience Attracts Divine Punishment
But if you will not listen to Me and carry out all these mitsvowt, and if you reject My chuqowt and abhor My mishpat and fail to carry out all My mitsvowt and so violate My Briyth, then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your nephesh. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set My face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you. `If after all this you will not listen to Me, I will punish you for your chat'owt seven times over.
Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the Torah of YHWH Tsba'owt and spurned the Word of the Qadowsh of Yisra'el.
For every nephesh belongs to Me, the father's as well as the son's--both alike belong to Me. The nephesh who is chatta'ah is the one who will die.
This is what YHWH says: "For three pisha` of Yhuwdah, even for four, I will not turn back My wrath. Because they have rejected the Torah of YHWH and have not kept His choq, because they have been led astray by lies, the lies their ancestors heeded..."
Ignorance of the Torah is no excuse
If a nephesh commits chata' and does what is forbidden in any of the mitsvowt of YHWH, even though he does not know it, he is guilty and will be held responsible.
The Torah is the main tool 'Elohiym uses to bring about repentance
The Torah of YHWH is for tamiym, converting the nephesh. The 'Eduwth of YHWH is Ne'emanah, making wise the simple. The Piqquwd of YHWH is for yashariym from sameach of the heart. The mitsvah of YHWH is radiant, giving light to the eyes.
His Torah is eternal
The works of His hands are 'emeth and mishpat; all His piqquwd are ne'emaniym. They stand firm forever and always, doing 'emeth and yashar.
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Nabiy'im; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the Truth, until Shamayim and ha'arets disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Torah until everything is accomplished.
Anyone who breaks one of the least of the mitsvowt and teaches others to do the same will be called "least" in Mamlahket haShamayim, but whoever practices and teaches the mitsvowt will be called "greatest" in Mamlahket haShamayim. For I tell you that unless your tsdaqah surpasses that of the Pharisees and the rabbis, you will certainly not enter Mamlahket haShamayim.
Shlomoh taught ne'eman
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Revere 'Elohiym and keep His mitsvowt, for this is everything for man.
Yeshuwah taught ne'eman
"Why do you ask Me about what is good?" Yeshuwah replied. "There is only One who is Towb. If you want to enter Chay l'Owlam, obey the mitsvowt."
The shlachiym taught ne'eman
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym is what counts.
The Last Day Qahal will be ne'eman
Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring--those who obey the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym AND hold to the 'Eduwth of Yeshuwah.
This calls for patient endurance on the part of the qadoshiym, who obey the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym and remain ne'emaniym to Yeshuwah.
In view of these sobering texts, and we could bombard the reader with scores more, let all people beware of dismissing the Torah of 'Elohiym as though it were of little account. On the great Day of Judgment there is going to be much weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth: and the main reason will be because millions had treated with impunity the Torah of 'Elohiym! So do not let some well-meaning, but completely mistaken, church leader delude you into thinking that your are above the mitsvowt of 'Elohiym!
Multilevel Mitsvowt
The mitsvowt are multilevel. This means that they are applicable on several levels: the physical, mental and the spiritual. When we examine the mitsvowt we find that at their illustrative (physical) level, many are limited to periods of time we call 'ages.' When an age expires, then the physical, instructional, ceremonial aspect of certain mitsvowt no longer applies. But the moral, high level lessons to which those mitsvowt point, continue for all time. That is why the scriptures teach that:
I will listen attentively to your Torah daily, forever and always.
In other words, the moral kernel of every divine mitsvah is eternal, everlasting! Let me explain this fact with the help of two examples.
The mitsvah concerning Phylacteries
Phylacteries are prayer bands, amulets or small boxes worn on the forehead or arm containing extracts from the Torah. (Shmowt 13:1-10, Dbariym 6:4-9; 11:13-21). At their lower level, the wearing of phylacteries ceased to be obligatory in the Qahal age. The shlachiym didn't wear them. That is why we do not wear phylacteries in this congregation. But at its high level this mitsvah is eternal. It points to a Briyth Chadashah procedure when 'Elohiym writes His mitsvowt in the Believer's mind (forehead) and heart (right arm).
This is the Briyth I will make with the house of Yisra'el after that time, declares YHWH. I will put My Torah in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their 'Elohiym, and they will be My people.
The mitsvowt concerning Animal Sacrifices
At their low level, these mitsvowt called for the sacrifice of certain animals and birds (bulls, rams, lambs, he-goats and pigeons) to gain access to, and pardon from, 'Elohiym. These sacrifices ceased when the Messiah shed his life-blood for us at Golgotha; though animal sacrifices was continued by the Judeans as long as the Bayith stood. At their low level, the sacrificial mitsvowt were instructional shadows and types. Whereas, at their high level, they all point to Yeshuwah haMashiyach, the Lamb of 'Elohiym, who alone is able to cleanse the chatta' from 'avon and make it possible for him/her to gain access to 'Elohiym. In other words, the low level instructional requirements of these mitsvowt (the sacrifice of animals) no longer apply: but the kernel of the mitsvah, the high level spiritual requirement, is still in force. It demands that a chatta' who seeks access to 'Elohiym must approach Him with 'emuwnah in the blood of His Son, the true Lamb of 'Elohiym. This aspect of the sacrificial mitsvowt is in force until the last unbeliever has been saved.
What did Paul mean when he wrote that a Believer is 'Not under the Torah, but under grace?' Did he mean that a Believer was at liberty to be chatta' and ignore the Torah? Obviously not; because elsewhere in his letters Paul advises Believers to heed the Torah. What, then, did Paul mean? The answer is: he meant 'that a chatta' who repents is no longer under the curse and death penalty of the Torah; but is under the grace and racham of 'Elohiym.' In other words, Being 'under checed' means to be a recipient of the racham of 'Elohiym. When a repentant chatta' seeks mercy and pardon from the Qadowsh of Yisra'el, the death penalty for chatta'ah is lifted from that person and he/she is placed under grace, under racham. That person is no longer under the death penalty of the Torah but is now under the grace of 'Elohiym.
In this happy state, the Ruach haQodesh is imparted to the Believer, in order that he/she might live a life of ne'eman and qadosh. In other words, chatta'ah (disobedience) is no longer allowed to have dominion over that Believer, provided, of course, he/she wants to be ne'eman. Paul explains this in the following verses.
For chatta'ah will not be your master, because you are not under Torah, but under grace. What then? Will we remain chatta' because we are not under Torah, but under grace? Not at all!
I repeat: Chatta'ah is disobedience. It is ignoring the Torah. (1Yochanan 3:4) In other words a Believer under grace is not above the Torah! Any lawyer will confirm this fact that: No one is above the law. If anything, a Believer - being under grace - is under greater obligation to obey the Torah of 'Elohiym than the person who knows nothing about chatta'ah and Yeshuwah!
In summary:
Chatta'ah is disobedience of the Torah. Chatta'ah carries the death penalty and since all of us have been chata'iym, we are all are under the death penalty of the Torah. Once we have accepted forgiveness and checed, then we are no longer under the death penalty of the Torah, but are now 'under grace.' But being 'under grace' doesn't mean we are free to remain a chatta'. "Not at all!" says Paul.
Ne'eman attracts blessing. Disobedience attracts punishment and cursing. Ignorance of the Torah is no excuse. Yeshuwah, Shlomoh and all the shlachiym taught ne'eman. The Torah is perfect and an important tool in the conversion of souls. The Last Day Qahal will be ne'eman.
'Elohiym's mitsvowt are multilevel: and though some low level requirements, such as animal sacrifices, no longer apply, at their high level every mitsvah of 'Elohiym is eternal.
Being 'under grace' means to be a recipient of the racham of 'Elohiym. Being under grace is no excuse for continuing in chatta'ah. No one is above the Torah!
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