“O,
how I love Your Law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through
Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; for they are ever with
me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies
are my meditation.” Psalm 119:97-99 NKJV
Psalm
119 is the longest of the psalms (176 verses), but that is not what is so
remarkable. What is remarkable is that the psalmist puts so much thought
and effort and zeal into praising The Lord for His Word, the “Law”, the
“Torah” (the psalmist is not praising only the Ten Commandments; the “Torah” is
much bigger than that!). But why? Christianity has come close to
suggesting the “Law” (again, the entire “Torah”) no longer has meaning
for the Church in the light of the New Testament, the New Covenant (we do know
we are very selective in which verses we will embrace!). I submit,
however, that the New Covenant has no depth, no real context or meaning apart
from “Torah”, the “Word”; for St. John said it best: “The Word became
flesh and dwelt among us”. Not a “new” word; THE Word.
Incidentally,
“Torah” is the Hebrew word for the first five books of the Bible. I
personally choose “Torah” over “Pentateuch” because it rolls off the tongue
much easier (and is easier to type!).
There
can be no doubt the “Law” is so easily misunderstood as unduly restrictive,
probably because it is so easy to get caught up in “thou shalt not”. By
the time of Jesus the religious leaders had created such an overbearing Law
that it was virtually impossible not to run afoul of that Law. It
has been said the Law became so restrictive after the Exile as a way of
overcompensating – just making sure no unnecessary risks were taken with the
well-being of Israel. Maybe, but even that clearly missed the entire
point of “Torah” which was, incidentally, Jesus’ own “Bible”.
I
have often wondered if that is “the law” (the man-made one) St. Paul so often
refers to in a not-so-uplifting way, rather than “Torah” itself.
Jesus
did not “do away” with THE Law (His own words), but He certainly can be said to
have turned the interpreted Law upside down! By what is written in
the Gospel accounts about Jesus’ constant clashes with the religious leaders,
the interpreted Law was indeed a burdensome list of “thou shalt not’s” -
and “taxes” rather than “tithes”. And that’s what is happening
today in our so-called “culture wars” even within Christ’s own Body, the Church.
And lest we forget, those who are outside of the Covenant cannot be expected to
abide by the terms of that Covenant – until they are earnestly invited into the
Covenant according to its genuine terms, the “Word which has comforted me
in my affliction, and has given me life” (119:50).
The
“Torah” (Law) is not a hammer to be used against those with whom we disagree,
though The Word is “sharper than a double-edged sword” (Hebrews
4:12) – BUT only in the Hand of the Almighty. We have been
given a great and enduring Gift in The Eternal Word. It is long past time
for us to embrace and appreciate it as the true Gift it is rather than a
restrictive burden; for it is The Word which has “given Life” to a dying
world. It is The Word which will restore the Church to its true Self.
Blessings,
Michael
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