Why the Torah?
Yahweh (God's personal Name not just His title) is perfect in His love for His created world and Humanity is His crowning achievement. We are created in His magnificent image. Genesis 1:26-27. We are in every way His immortal image bearers by design.
The revelation of Adonai Elohim, Yahweh, God of all Creation has been progressive over the course of mankind's time on earth. Torah was given to the Chidren of Israel, whom Yahweh defines as His "own" after 400 years of slavery in Egypt where they were influenced and indoctrinated by the belief system of that pagan nation and their gods.
In the Torah (1st 5 books of the Bible), we learn about Yahweh: His character, and what he requires of His people to be in a right relationship with Him. Contrary to their life in bondage and under threats of harm, Israel had to learn how to live like free people with boundaries and reponsibilities that go with freedom. A social structure of order with freedom needed to be established, thus the culture was formed round the One True God: Yahweh.
We learn that sin (rebellion of His Sovereignty) is so grievous to our Creator that the penalty is the ultimate and final death of the individual who violates Holiness. Death can be defined as the relational separation from life and all that life represents as good. Darkness, or absence of light. Death for an immortal soul would be endless darkness in separation from the Creator of life, not just cessation of the physical body as some might assume. Yahweh is perfect love and also perfect in His justice over His created world and, as our free will design allows for and requires the good or evil inclinations of our heart to be chosen and enacted, a penalty/blessing/consequence follows our free will choices.
Genesis 3, Deuteronomy 6,7, & 8.
We learn that humanity follows the evil inclinations of the heart more often than not. We also learn that Yahweh, in the past established a way through which atonement (satisfaction, reparation for an offense or injury) can be achieved or paid back in order for the God-human relationship to be restored in these days upon the earth and thankfully beyond temporal death unto eternity.
I will say it again: Torah, sometmes called the book of the law, actually means "instruction", and it instructs and enables the reader to grasp the dire consequences that sin (violation of Holiness) brings to the life of everyone ever born. But it also enables the reader to grasp the unconditional love that Yahweh has for people who acknowledge Him; people who seek to be restored in relationship with Him, His way.
Thousands of years of animal sacrifice convey the understanding of mercy and grace applied to human failure to meet the conditions of Holiness for the continuation of life. The life is in the blood of Yahweh's physical creatures and the penaly for sin is the shedding of the blood of the offender. Animal sacrifice brought the understanding of a "substitute" sacrifice to atone (pay the price) for our sin.
The flood of Noah stands as a judgement by Yahweh over the fallen earth and humanity, yet the ark speaks mercy. While the flood brought death to all air breathing creatures, Noah found safety in the ark he was told to build before a drop of the rain fell upon the earth.
The culmination of Yahweh's revelation of Himself was made complete when Yeshua entered the earth realm, lived by the Torah, then offered Himself up as the ultimate atonement (sacrificial substitute) for humanity's sin. His Blood shed on the Cross, fulfilled all the Holy requirements for Yahweh to forgive us. Perfect justice was executed on the cross for the sin of all human flesh.
As we accept the atonement offered by the One we have offended, in and by our free will decision, we are restored in righteousness (Christ's not our own) and reconciled back into perfect union with our Creator, Savior, Father, God and the Torah says it all. Yeshua came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it by paying the ultimate penalty Holy Justice demands for all who violate it.
But there is more to the story. The next and last phase of Yahweh's ultimate eternal plan enacted here on earth, was brought to us on the day in the history of man's days we call Pentecost. Pentecost was not a "new" celebration but the anniversary of the event of 1500 years earlier when Torah was given to the Children of Israel at the foot of Mt Sinai and recorded in Acts 2.
The Holy Spirit of Yeshua was sent to "indwell" Yahweh's imagers and the evidence was the tongues of fire visible to those who participated in that great day. The arrival of and indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit since then, enables humanity to live a Holy acceptable life with Yahweh. Free will is still in operation but the power to live a holy life is now possible like never before. When (not if) we fail, repentance restores us to unity with the Holy One to whom we belong. This is the great mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory.
Now, as spirit-filled humans, Christians (Yeshua/Jesus followers) live in that covenant relationship like unto an earthly marriage: Two unique individuals in a one flesh relationship. We can have the indwelling Holy God within our individual being. This is His plan since the very beginning but required a long history to unfold and allow for humanity to willingly seek and desire relationship with Him.
So what's next? Our flesh bodies are corrupt and designed to decay and return to the dust of the earth from which it was formed. But what's promised is that our immortal Spirit and soul will gain a glorified body like the resurrected one that Jesus modelled after His death and resurrection. A "glorified" body is quite different, beyond the flesh we now have and that qualifies it as a "different life form", supernatural to our current one.
Following the written descriptions of Yeshua, He was flesh and bone not ghostly.
He stood, walked, ate, was subject to gravity but not constrained by it (His ascension). See Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, and John 20-21. He appeared and disappeared at will and was or was not recognized by disciples who knew Him before His resurrection.
The next chapter in our never-ending-story is yet to be revealed and experienced. The Bible gives a few clues like the Millenial (1000 year) reign of Yeshua and our role to rule and reign with Him, but how that will look has not been made clear. We can only imagine, but know it will be beyond anythng we can wrap our human minds around.
Yahweh chose a people group known as Israel, to first reveal Himself to and with the Divine directives He provided in the Torah, to influence the rest of humanity toward faith in His existence, His love and His Sovereignty.
The Torah is the ancient revelation of the One True God and the Divine preparation for His eternal plan that includes all who come to trust in Him. Yeshua/Jesus is the human fulfillment of all the Torah revealed as His was the Walking Word of Yahweh dwelling with His Created when He appeared on earth over 2000 years ago. This same Jesus will one day return to the exact place He left this planet and make His dwelling among His Beloveds a permanent reality.
The Holy Spirit is calling. Can you hear Him?
