What the Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us, Part 3: Torah Cannot Justify Contempt for Israel
What the Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us, Part 3: Torah Cannot Justify Contempt for Israel
Greetings saints of the Most High.
In this installment of the Messianic Torah Observer, I offer a needed clarification regarding comments I made in the previous teaching concerning Judaism, the Oral Torah, and the traditions that have been elevated above Yah’s written Torah. While my concerns regarding manmade traditions remain, I want to make it plain that it is not our place to condemn our Jewish cousins as a people. Torah does not give us license to walk in arrogance, hostility, or contempt toward anyone—especially toward the very people through whom Yah preserved His covenant promises and His oracles.
In this discussion, I walk through several foundational passages that affirm Yah’s everlasting covenant with Israel, the apostle Paul’s clear teaching that God has not rejected His people, and the reality that Gentile believers in Messiah are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel rather than replacing it. I also address the misuse of passages such as “there is neither Jew nor Greek,” showing that these verses do not erase Israel’s covenant identity or support replacement theology. Rather, they affirm that all who are in Messiah stand on equal footing in salvation while still honoring the distinct role Israel plays in Yah’s redemptive plan.
My prayer is that this teaching helps us pursue covenant humility, truth, and prayerful love rather than criticism, pride, and condemnation. Torah should lead us to obedience and righteousness, not self-exaltation over others. And if we are to be faithful disciples of Yeshua Messiah, then we must learn to speak truth without stepping outside the bounds of Yah’s heart and purpose.
In This Episode
In this teaching, I discuss:
- Why I felt it necessary to clarify statements made in the previous installment
- Why it is not our place to condemn our Jewish cousins
- Yah’s everlasting covenant with Avraham and his physical seed
- Paul’s teaching that God has not rejected Israel
- What it means for Gentile believers to be grafted into the commonwealth of Israel
- Why replacement theology is not supported by Scripture
- How “neither Jew nor Greek” has been misunderstood and misapplied
- The enduring distinction and purpose of the Jewish people in Yah’s plan
- Why Torah cannot be used to justify arrogance, contempt, or condemnation
Key Scriptures Discussed
- Luke 23:34
- Psalm 119:126
- Matthew 15:6
- Genesis 17:7
- Titus 1:2
- Romans 11
- Romans 11:17
- Galatians 3:28–29
- Colossians 3:11
- Romans 3:1–2
- Ezekiel 37:16–19
- Exodus 32:9
- Exodus 33:3, 5
- Exodus 34:9
- Deuteronomy 9:6, 13
- Deuteronomy 10:16
- 2 Chronicles 30:8
- Acts 7:51
Key Takeaways
- Torah does not authorize us to condemn people; it calls us to truth, humility, and righteousness.
- Yah’s covenant with Avraham and his seed is everlasting and has not been transferred to another people.
- Scripture teaches plainly that God has not rejected His people Israel.
- Gentile believers in Messiah are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel; we do not replace Israel.
- Passages like “neither Jew nor Greek” speak to covenant standing in Messiah, not the erasure of Israel’s identity or calling.
- The Jewish people were entrusted with the oracles of Yah, and through them the Torah has been preserved.
- Torah cannot be used as a justification for contempt, superiority, or condemnation toward others.
Episode Summary
This episode serves as both a clarification and a correction of tone. While I remain deeply concerned about the elevation of the Oral Torah and religious traditions above Yah’s written instructions, I make clear in this teaching that my previous words were never intended as a condemnation of the Jewish people themselves. As disciples of Yeshua, we are not called to condemn, but to pray, to discern, and to speak truth in alignment with our Master’s example.
From there, I turn to the Scriptures to establish a crucial foundation: Yah’s covenant with Avraham and his seed is everlasting. That covenant has not been revoked, replaced, or handed off to another people. Paul’s discussion in Romans 11 makes this abundantly plain: God has not rejected His people, and there remains both a remnant and a future bound up in Yah’s redemptive purposes for Israel.
I also address the relationship of Gentile believers to Israel, emphasizing that we who are non-Jewish believers are grafted into the commonwealth of Israel, not made into some separate covenant people. This means our salvation is tied to Yah’s covenant dealings with Israel, not detached from them. Because of that, any form of hatred, rejection, or contempt toward the Jewish people places us in opposition to Yah’s plan and purpose.
What Right Does God Have to Punish Anyone? A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:5-8
Goal: This is a continuation and an expansion of the diatribe the apostle began back in the second half of the second chapter of Romans which I’ve entitled: “What Right Does God Have to Punish Anyone—A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:5-8.” And our goal for this...
Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar–A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:3-4
Goal: This is “Let God Be True and Every Man a Liar—A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:3-4.” It will be a resumption of our examination and discussion of Romans chapter three (3), picking up where we left off from the last installment of our overarching Paul and...
The Oracles of God-The Jewish Advantage-A Messianic Discussion of Romans 3:1-2
The Oracles of God-The Jewish Advantage-A Discussion of Romans 3:1-2 Today’s discussion is entitled: “The Oracles of God—The Jewish Advantage--A Discussion of Romans 3:1-2. This will be a continuation of our long-running Paul and Hebrew Roots Series. Looking...
Paul on Physical Circumcision-A Question of One’s Jewishness Part 4
In today's post we answer the questions: Is physical circumcision still a valid commandment for men of faith to keep and obey? What advantage is there to physical circumcision? Synopsis of the Preceding Installments to the Series Over the course of the last three...
Marriage and Divorce According to Torah Part 2–A Discussion of Parashah 144
Marriage and Divorce According to Torah Part 2—A Discussion of Parashah 144 This is the second post or second half of the overall discussion I have for you regarding this week’s Torah Reading of Deuteronomy 24:1-4. In this post we will cover the teachings of Y’shua...
Marriage and Divorce According to Torah Part 1–A Discussion of Parashah 144
Marriage and Divorce According to Torah Part 1—A Discussion of Parashah 144 Although our Torah Reading for today, Parashah 144, covers Deuteronomy 24:1–25:19, I was led by the content to focus only on the first four-verses of the entire reading. The focus of these...
What Loving One Another Looks Like–The Morality and Love of Torah-Parashah 143
What Loving One Another Looks Like--The Morality and Love of Torah-Parashah 143—Sabbath Thoughts and Reflections Our Torah Reading This Week—Parashah 143—Is Found in Deuteronomy 22:8-23:25 The physical should always be followed when applicable, but also the...
What is the True State of our Worship?–Parashah 139 Discussion and Study
What is the True State of our Worship?--Parashah 139 Discussion and Study In today’s installment we will be discussing Parashah 139—which is contained in Deuteronomy 17:1-20. So grab your bible and maybe a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s get into our study of Yah’s...
A Sit-Down Conversation with Dr. Miles R. Jones on the Survival of the Hebrew Gospels
Greek Primacy vs. Hebrew We have been indoctrinated and taught that the original Gospel texts of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Revelation were all written in ancient Greek. But is this in fact true? For one must rationalize that the writers of these texts were...
Round and Round the Asherah Pole We Go–Parashah 138
This Week’s Torah Reading This week’s Torah Reading, Parashah 138, is contained in Deuteronomy 16:13-22. My ruach eye (that is, my spirit eye) seemed focused primarily on Deuteronomy 16:21-22. These two verses has to do with, yet again, another admonishment to avoid...