In the beginning, there was covenant Pt. 3

As depicted in the exodus of Israel, Torah was only given to Israel after they came into covenant with God.  At Passover, the blood on the doorposts represented Yeshua’s blood which saved them from the judgment for sin – that being death.  Then God delivered them from Egypt (the house of bondage or sin).  So being delivered from the bondage of sin, they were then baptized in the Red Sea.  The water of the Red Sea represented the Word that renewed the Israelites while exacting judgment upon the Egyptians (sinners) who died therein.  Then, coming out on the other side of the sea, they left behind the old man and were symbolically reborn.  It was following this event that God proposes marriage to Israel at the Mount.  When Israel accepted, it was then that God revealed His Torah to teach them how to be a pleasing bride, how to be a holy nation unto Him. 

From this we can see that Torah does not precede salvation, rather, Torah comes after salvation to sanctify us unto God. It is only when we choose by faith to enter into covenant with Him that the process of sanctification begins.  When God rescued Israel from the bondage of sin and set them free in Him, His Torah was then given to maintain their new found liberty by directing them away from the ways of the world (or sin). We see that God affirms this to be true in the first of the ten commandments, which says: “I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.” Exodus 20:2.  Looking at this commandment from a covenant perspective, it’s clear that God is not only affirming Himself as our deliverer from bondage, but also our Husband. 

In the Hebrew Bible “I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage” represents the totality of the first commandment; the second commandment begins with “You are to have no other Gods before me….” What is interesting about this fact is that the first “commandment” does not have a “do” or a “don’t” as the remaining nine commandments.  The first commandment is simply a statement.  You may ask how can a statement be a “commandment” if there is no directive?  Well, if you agree with the premise of the statement, then you are acknowledging, first and foremost, WHO God is to you and WHAT he did for you.  This is an act of faith. When you put your faith in this truth: God is my Husband who saved me from sin, the rest of the commandments fall into place.

So when we think of what a husband is, some descriptions such as: leader, provider, lover, protector, comforter, friend, confidante, and helper, come to mind.  It is interesting to note that God reiterates this phrase “I am the Lord thy God” (i.e I am your Husband) over 30 times throughout the Tanakh (Old Testament).  It’s like God is drilling into our brains that He is our Husband. Why would God see the need to reinforce his role so many times?  Could it be that He wants us to understand that He loves us more than anything and wants the very best for us? If we believe this to be true, then we should never perceive that His teachings (Torah) is the source of any bondage. Remembering that God saved us from the bondage of sin, it would be counter intuitive to believe that he would put us back into any form of bondage after He delivered us from it.

Looking at this from a natural stand point, would a true husband put his spouse in bondage? Absolutely, not! While some may perceive the guidelines within Torah as limiting or constraining, these guidelines are actually designed for our protection, preservation, and prosperity.  I gave an analogy of this concept in my first blog “Faith and Torah” using a parent and child as an example.

Obedience leads to blessing, and Deuteronomy 28 clearly illustrates this concept. When we adhere to what God is teaching us, His blessing follows.  So God made sure to give us an instruction manual to show us the path to optimal health, safety, protection, justice, equality, victory, peace etc. True liberty is not found in exercising one’s own free will, but in subjecting our will to that of our Heavenly Father. And because we have come into union with a Holy God, it naturally requires that we also be holy which is outlined in Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; and 20:7, and later quoted by Kefa (Peter) in chapter 1:16. Accepting the free gift of salvation is only the first step in our journey of covenant with God. From that day forward, we commit to following His teachings wholeheartedly simply because we love for Him.  When we remember who God is to us and what He did for us, obedience to Torah becomes the desire of the heart.

Shalom.