Fixed in the heavens, the Torah shines secure

Seraphina and I just memorized Psalm 19 together. It was such a life-giving, light-emitting practice to sit down with her every morning, warm mug in hand, and train with our sword. The poet in me worships the beauty of our Warrior-King in giving us His living letters to wield as swords. Isn't that brilliant!? Psalm 19 has now been anchored to mine and my girl's spirit, and every morning we cut down those lofty opinions that lift themselves up against the knowledge of God - as we boldly speak out:

"The Heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands."

Then longing for what's next comes bubbling out of us and we can't stop at verse 1 anymore.

"Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world."

Years ago when the boys were young and homeschooling was a brand new adventure, I read them E.W. Bullinger's Witness of the Stars. In it, we learned of an ancient zodiac long forgotten, which had different names and different stories for each of the constellations in the heavens. All of them told the gospel story. The red dragon/serpent who made himself an enemy of the people of God, the redemption of the world through the slain Lamb, the return of the mighty King, the judgment of the great dragon, new life given and eternity with God, it's all there - in the stars.

Again, isn't that brilliant!? Absolutely everything our Father created is by Divine design. Nothing is arbitrary... not even you.

Psalm 19 goes on to describe the course of the sun, running like a champion across the sky. From there, while some may think David takes a weird left turn, I see the line of thought he's making, and I'm struck to the core.

"The Torah of Adonai is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of Adonai is trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of Adonai are right, bringing joy to the heart; the commandments of Adonai are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The judgments of Adonai are true, being altogether righteous."

I could go on because David goes on. On and on about the perfection, wisdom, rightness, joy, radiance, light, truth, trustworthiness, sweetness, and treasure the Law of YHWH is. Only a Bride speaks this way of her vows to her Husband. Only someone in love with God speaks like this of His Torah. For a long time I didn't get Psalm 19 (or 119). I would read them and just not connect to them at all. What on earth was David going on and on about? Rules? Laws? Bleh. Don't get it. But that was my immaturity speaking. Now I know better.

When Yeshua taught the foundational message of His Kingdom in what is called the 'Sermon on the Mount,' He was expounding on what is written in the Torah. Then He said something we read over with glazed eyes, not getting it:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law of the Prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the law until everything is accomplished."

David connected the heavens God created to the Torah God spoke - and so did Yeshua. I think that's interesting... and important.

Most people interpret the above passage to mean: "I did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but to fulfill them by abolishing them - because they were too hard for you." This interpretation contradicts the whole of Scripture and does not make sense with the very next thing Yeshua said. As far as I can tell (and I'm not trying to be facetious here), heaven and earth have not passed away yet. So why do we think His perfect, trustworthy, radiant, sweet, life-giving instructions for living set-apart did?

Yeshua said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." John 14:15

YHWH said, "These words I am commanding you today are to be upon your hearts. And you shall teach them diligently to your children and speak of them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down, and when you get up... For YHWH your God, who is among you, is a jealous God... " Deuteronomy 6:6-7, 15

And

Behold, the days are coming, declares YHWH, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—a covenant they broke, though I was a husband to them,” declares YHWH. “But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares YHWH. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people." Jeremiah 31:31-33

They were always meant to be written our hearts. Obedience is the language of love.

John the Beloved wrote:

"By this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome, because everyone born of God overcomes the world." 1 John 5:2-4

Paul the Apostle wrote:

"Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Certainly not! Instead, we uphold the law." Romans 3:31

As I look at the stars twinkling in the night sky, I am reminded that God's Word is fixed in the heavens -secure. He will never change and His Word never will either. The earth is still here, groaning for it's redemption, and the heavens still speak, revealing knowledge. The Torah is as valid and precious in a believer's life today as it ever was. David wrote in Psalm 19 that it is more precious than gold!

Our Rabbi Yeshua lived in perfect harmony with His Torah and then invited us to follow in His footsteps. When the Holy Spirit filled the room on the Feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) - Israel was celebrating and commemorating the summer harvest and the day on which Moses was given the 10 Commandments, written by the finger of God Himself! Amazing! On the same day YHWH gave His instructions, He gave His Spirit to enable us to obey His instructions.

We have not been taught a correction interpretation of Paul. If we think Paul was contradicting Yeshua, there is a problem with our interpretation. Paul spent the last half of the book of Acts proving he lived in accordance with Law of God. He taught the Church in Rome that YHWH's Torah (or Law) is righteousness. It is spiritual. It is life.

"So then, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good." Romans 7:12

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin." Romans 7:14

"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous standard of the law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." Romans 8:3-4

"Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. The mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those controlled by the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8

Do you see it!? This whole thing, from top to bottom was set up for our success! God's law is not sin and death but light and life! The sun, moon, and stars have borne witness of the greatness and beauty of God's laws through the generations. Even they obey them! If they didn't, the world would end in chaos and calamity.

The prophet Isaiah saw a future that still has not come to fruition yet, but it will. In the last chapter of Isaiah, the prophet describes the final judgment in which YHWH will "execute judgment on all flesh." In this passage of Isaiah 66, he describes God's judgment coming upon the wicked and those who eat "swine's flesh, vermin, and rats". Yikes. He's referencing the Torah in which God explicitly explains what animals are clean for food and what animals are in fact not food.

Isaiah goes on to describe how God will select priests and Levites from the nations to minister to Him, and all humanity will come to the mountain of God:

"From one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come to worship before Me,” says YHWH." Isaiah 66:23

Amazing. Another reference to a couple of Yah's radiant commandments given in the Torah still applying to the whole world in the future.

As we begin a brand new year on Yah's calendar, let us prepare our hearts for Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits by meditating on the finished work of the cross, salvation, redemption, and the promise of our resurrection to eternal life. I pray you experience the love of God like you never have before. I pray you are transformed by His living letters. That as you gaze up into the night sky, you would be reminded of God's fixed laws and patterns and be molded by them, as you were created to be.

"Teach me, YHWH, the way of Your statues, and I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight." Psalm 119:33-35

Shalom, shalom, Natalie