Blessed are the Doers - Challenging modern interpretations - Revealing the enduring importance of God's law (Matthew 12.50)

#Obedience #Matthew

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Blessed are the Doers: The Promise of Obedience

Challenging modern interpretations, this message reveals the enduring importance of God's law.

Yeshua did not come to abolish the Torah (God's Law and Instructions)[1]. If it were so, He would not have laid such great emphasis on the fact that hearing the word of God and doing the word of God is essential for believers in Messiah.

In this brief message, we will look at a key passage in Matthew and multiple cross-reference passages in both the B'rit Chadashah (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה - New Testament/New Covenant) and the Tanakh.

Main Passage Brit Chadasha (New Testament)

Note

Matt 12.50
For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven, he is my brother, and sister, and mother."

Yeshua is very clear about His relationship with His followers. Those who believe in Him, those who hear God's will (or: instructions) and those who do God's will.

This concept of the God's will is a fascinating one. One that has been widened and made flexible by many denominations to the point where obedience is seen as opposed to Faith in Messiah—even worse so: opposed to the Cross.

God shows us in Scripture through Messiah Yeshua that believers are intended to hear God's word, and do God's word.

In a parallel passage in Luke, we see this profound concept echoed:

Note

Luke 8.21
But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

The passage here is even intensified: hear and do. This might possibly allude to the Hebrew word sh'ma (to hear and do). The Sh'ma is also one of the highest Jewish prayers which Yeshua Messiah cites as the Great Commandment[2].

Comparing these two passages, depending on the translation, we see a connection between the "Will of God" and the "Word of God". Both are put on equal levels, almost used as synonyms.

A little further in Luke, Yeshua repeats the same sentiment yet once again:

Note

Luke 11.28
But he said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God, and keep it."

So far, we have heard:

  • Do God's will
  • Hear God's Word (2x)
  • Do God's word
  • Keep God's word

Four occurrences in which Yeshua not only teaches to hear, do, and keep God's word and will, but also that those who do are blessed. A remarkable promise by the Messiah.

Before we move onto the Tanakh for further references, let us examine 3 more passages in the B'rit Chadashah (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה - New Testament:

Note

Rev 1.3
Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.

Note

Rev 22.7
"Behold, I come quickly. Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book."

James echoes these fundamental points of hearing and obeying God's word in this manner:

Note

James 1.22
But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves.

Both Yeshua and James (and for that matter other writers of the New Testament) emphasise the importance of studying the Word of God, and then applying the Word in our daily walk of life. Or in other words: Walk in obedience to God's word.

Disobedience in Denominations?

In many of today's denominations, there is a clear anti-nomionism prelavent: a stance against God's Law (Torah, i.e. instructions) for the sake of faith in Messiah. Both are not mutually exclusive as many denominations try to convince believers of. Obedience to God's word, i.e. Torah follows faith in Yeshua Messiah and salvation through grace only.

The Holy Spirit enables believers to put on the New Man[3], and walk in God's statutes[4]. This is not an outdated concept, nor is it a new concept, or a concept that was 'nailed to the cross' as many would have to believed[5].

Let us now from here discover what the Tanakh has to say about hearing and doing God's word.

Corresponding Tanakh Passages (Old Testament)

Before we continue, a word of caution: Many believers are of the opinion that everything Left of Matthew is obsolete, outdated, done away with, and was intended for the Jews (or Israelites) only. However, the Old and New Testament give prove that the Tanakh including the Torah, writings and prophets are still binding for believers today. See Jeremiah[6], Ezekiel, Isaiah, and the Letter to the Hebrews (Messianic Jews).

Note

Lev 22.31
"Therefore you shall keep my commandments, and do them. I am Yahweh.

Rabbinic Writings

Sifra, Emor, Chapter 9 3

3) (Vayikra 22:31) ("And you shall heed My mitzvoth and you shall do them; I am the L–rd.") "And you shall heed them" — this refers to Mishnah (i.e., learning); "and you shall do them" — this refers to performance (of the mitzvoth). And all who are not in learning are not in doing. "And you shall heed My mitzvoth and you shall do them": This subsumes heeding and doing in "mitzvoth" (i.e., the learning, aside from its leading to doing is a mitzvah in itself). "I am the L–rd" — trusted to reward (for both the learning and doing).
https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.22.31?lang=bi&aliyot=0&p2=Sifra%2C_Emor%2C_Chapter_9.3&lang2=bi&w2=all&lang3=en

In the Sifra, we see the strong correlation between hearing the word of God and doing the word of God. Both are echoed vividly in the B'rit Chadashah (בְּרִית חֲדָשָׁה - New Testament), as we have already seen.

It says that those who are not learning are not doing. A situation where many well-meaning believers are in today by proclaiming the Torah as abolished.

God examines the mind and heart

Chizkuni, Leviticus 22:31:1

ועשיתם אותם, אני ה, “you will carry them out, I am The Lord.” G-d uses this expression when He wants to impress the reader with the fact that He examines our minds and hearts. Here it is
treated as separate.
https://www.sefaria.org/Chizkuni%2C_Leviticus.22.31.1?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 22:31:1

AND YE SHALL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS. In your hearts.
https://www.sefaria.org/Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 22:31:1

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 22:31:2

AND DO THEM; I AM THE LORD. For I investigate what is in the heart, and I see everything that is done.

Even through the prophet Jeremiah[7], we know that YHWH examines our hearts and gives everyone according to their deeds. Messiah Yeshua also says that He will come again with the angels and give everyone according to their deeds[8].

Deciding on Good Deeds

What are good deeds then? Is it something that comes from us, believers? Can we decide which is a good deed and which not? We simply cannot. God our Father is the ultimate decision maker. He already gave us His instructions for a holy life: His Torah, His Word.

Yeshua taught the Torah during His earthly ministry and intensified its spiritual application. The Torah is not done away with. Nor has Messiah made the gate wider. On the contrary, He made the gate narrow. Sin begins in the heart and the spirit now, not in the flesh or the letter[9].

Yeshua affirmed - Religion abolished?

The question may be asked: "If hearing and doing the word of God was important to Yeshua, why has it lost its importance to religion these days?" On the contrary, it has not only lost its importance, rather it is strongly opposed by many denominations.

Yeshua, the Son of God, told us plainly what is expected from us believers:

  1. Faith in Messiah
  2. Hearing (Studying) God's Word
  3. Doing God's Word (Obedience)
  4. Teaching others to do so

When believers are trapped in a belief that keeping God's Torah is not important anymore then the church has a big problem. Are we not supposed to prepare ourselves for the second coming of our bride groom? Are we not supposed to live in God's righteousness, to live holy, to put on our white linen for the marriage ceremony with our groom?

Obeying God's commandments is not bondage

Keeping God's commandments in our mind and hearts and doing them is not bondage. It is not slavery. On the contrary, we have been freed from slavery: the wages of our sins (death).

Yeshua is warning us. God is warning us. Even the Rabbinic writings are warning us. God sees in our hearts. We can say "Lord, Lord" while believing in the Messiah, but Yeshua himself says that he will send away the doers of lawlessness[10].

Freedom in Messiah and YHWH

The freedom which many led-astray denominations proclaim to be 'free from the Law (Torah)' is incorrect. The freedom believers have in Messiah is to focus fully on the Written Torah (those commandments which are applicable to each believer) not the oral torah. The freedom we have now also includes being free from the wages of our sins. For most transgressions of the Torah it was death. Yeshua took the certificate of debt and nailed it to the cross (not the Torah)[11].

Question

Something to ponder upon: If someone were to offer you to pay all of your traffic violation tickets for the rest of your life, would you rather ignore all traffic rules and go gung-ho, or would you still trying to keep all of them?

The freedom we have in Messiah is

  • the freedom from putting the oral torah over God's Written Torah
  • the freedom from having to pay for our sins
  • the mediator we now have (our High Priest[12]) on our behalf
  • the direct access to the Father
  • the Holy Spirit coming upon believers giving us the will and ability to obey

Cross References

Footnotes

  1. Matt 5.17 "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. | Keep note of verses 18-21 in context ↩︎

  2. Deut 6.4 Hear, Israel: Yahweh is our God. Yahweh is one. ↩︎

  3. Ephes 4.22 that you put away, as concerning your former way of life, the old man that grows corrupt after the lusts of deceit, ↩︎

  4. Ezek 36.27 I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes. You will keep my ordinances and do them. ↩︎

  5. Although we cannot go into depth of this topic in this message, it is evident that the reasoning for such a theology has its origins in the misinterpretation of Paul's writings. ↩︎

  6. Jer 31.31 "Behold, the days come," says Yahweh, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 👉 YHWH tells us through the prophets that He will make a new covenant (not like the old) with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. Therefore, nations (Messianic Gentiles, foreigners who join themselves to YHWH) must somehow become part of these houses, i.e. partakers of God's promise. The B'rit Chadashah explains how (e.g. Romans, Galatians): by being grafted into the True Vine (Messiah) alongside the original branches (Messianic Jews). Therefore, it is conclusive that the validity of the Tanakh endures, as does the Torah. ↩︎

  7. Jer 17.10 "I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings." ↩︎

  8. Matt 16.27 For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds. ↩︎

  9. See examples in Yeshua's Sermon on the Mount, e.g. Matt 5.28 but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ↩︎

  10. Matt 7.23 Then I will tell them, 'I never knew you. Depart from me, you who work iniquity.' ↩︎

  11. Col 2.14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. 👉 a passage of many taken by religion to argue that the Torah was done away with. Clearly a misinterpretation of Scripture. ↩︎

  12. in the order of Melchizedek - Ps 110.4 Yahweh has sworn, and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek." - Heb 6.20 where as a forerunner Jesus entered for us, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. ↩︎