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Torah
Joshua 23:6 “And you shall be very strong to guard and to do all that is written in the Book of the Torah of Mosheh, so as not to turn aside from it right or left”
Some bible translations use the word “Law” of Moses. The word Torah is a Hebrew word from H8451 – tôrâ, which means law, direction or instructions. The Torah today mostly refers to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Pentateuch or Law, which is Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. The Torah didn’t exist just from Moses’s time, but began from Creation, therefor since Genesis. In Genesis 26:5 YHWH refers to the Torah with Abraham, “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my Torah H8451″. Today Manuscript Torah scrolls are still scribed and used for ritual purposes (i.e., religious services); this is called a Sefer Torah (“Book [of] Torah”). They are written using a painstakingly careful method by highly qualified scribes. It is believed that every word, or marking, has divine meaning and that not one part may be inadvertently changed lest it lead to error.
The root word for Torah is YARA H3384 – yārâ, which we have already explained twice so far in the posts before (Exodus 35-38 and Joshua 12-15). It is also part of the name Jerusalem, YARA SHALOM. Yara means teach, shoot, sow, instruct, give … So you can say Jerusalem means “Teach Peace”. Shalom also have a wide range of meanings. The Greek word for “Torah” is nomos (G3551 – nomos), used in the new testament. This word, derived from the verb “neem” meaning “to distribute” or “to apportion,” translates to “law,” “norm,” or “standard” in English. The term “nomos” was used by the Alexandrian Jews in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible) to refer to the Torah.
Yeshua said the following in Matthew 23:1 “Then Yeshua spoke to the crowds and to His taught ones, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Mosheh. “Therefore, whatever they say to you to guard, guard and do. But do not do according to their works, for they say, and do not do.” The scribes and Pharisees had this tradition where a seat was appointed, where the one who reads from the Torah would sit or stand, called the “seat of Moses”. While they were reading, they were not allowed to provide their own interpretation or comments, they were only allowed to read the Torah in that seat (“of Moses”). That is why Yeshua said, while the Pharisees are in the seat of Moses, do everything they say.. but do not what they do (when they are not in the “seat of Moses”). So Yeshua explicitly commanded that we should follow the Torah.
The Torah is referenced from Genesis all the way to Malachi, and then off course in Matthew. This prophecy of Yeshua, right before He was born, is in Malachi 2:6 “The law (Torah H8451) of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity.”
Psa 19:7 “The law (Torah H8451) of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”
Psa 119:163 “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law (Torah H8451) do I love.”
Mal 4:4 “Remember ye the law (Torah H8451) of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”
Mat 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, G3551 or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
Names of other gods and Name of YHWH
Joshua 23:7 “And make no mention of the name of their mighty ones, a nor swear by them, nor serve them nor bow down to them.” We also saw the command given in Exodus 23:13. There is an excellent youtube channel called 119ministries.com that explains what is exactly meant, with the hebrew word translation, on not “mentioning” other gods.
The Hebrew word is ZAKAR H2142 – zāḵar, to remember, invoke, or call on. Please see the video link below about “not mentioning other gods”. In Exodus 20:24 we read YHWH also using the word ZAKAR about Himself, “.. in all places where I record H2142 my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.”. And in Numbers 15:39, “And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember H2142 all the commandments of YHWH, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring”
The name of YHWH, sacred to both Jews and Christians, has become hidden by time and tradition. Beginning with Roman persecution forbidding Jews to speak the name through rabbinical adaptations, translation errors and other misunderstandings, the one and only name of YHWH was superseded over time by titles—like “El Shaddai”, “Adonai”, “HaShem”, and in todays’ bibles, “Lord” and “God”. In our posts you would have noticed we use YHWH and Yeshua, instead of Lord or Jesus. Psalm 124:8 “Our help is in the Name of YHWH, Maker of the heavens and earth.” However people have forgotten the name of YHWH. For those who want to remember, are not sure if it is said Yehovah, Yawheh, etc. Our Fathers’ name have been forgotten among most people, and we should try and use it as much as possible to create awareness and have people know what our “God”s name is.. as people only know “God”. YHWH specified His Name and which God (Elohim) He is… the Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the Creator of Heaven and Earth. There are two general Tetragrammaton used to refer to our Elohim, YHWH and YHVH. It stands for the Hebrew letters Yod Hey Vav/Waw Hey. Modern Hebrew today uses the Vav, and the Waw was used in biblical Hebrew.
