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.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread: A Ridiculously Long Week
My Struggle With Time One of the many things I struggle with in this life is the issue of time.Time is an enemy. It is often stressful. There never seems to be enough of it to go around. Time moves by so swiftly. And I often find myself fearful of wasting it; losing...
Our First Passover–An Overview of the First Passover Exodus Chapters 1 through 12
Exodus 1 70 blood relative of Jacob enter Egypt-->Joseph dies as well as the Patriarchs. Israelites grow in number. A pharaoh who did not know Joseph enslaves the Hebrews, yet the Hebrews flourish in number. Pharaoh orders every male infant be cast into the...
Sins Committed by Mistakes are Still Sins–Torah Reading 77
Vayikra 4:1-35; Ezekiel 18:1-18 Revelation 5:6-10 Unintentional Sins Unintentional sin may be better defined as acts of unfaithfulness; sins committed without knowledge; or sins resulting from carelessness (such as manslaughter that may result in the guilty person...
Rosh Hashanah Happy Biblical New Year and Guarding the Month Aviv
The Command to Guard the Month of the Aviv First Day of the Month of the Aviv and the head of the Biblical New Year--Rosh Hashanah; Month of Nisan in Jewish circles. We must first understand what it is we're guarding. Why is it important? What it's composed of. We...
The Coronavirus Pandemic in Relation to God’s People
Fear and uncertainty has gripped the world. Widespread infections (Italy just announced 600+ deaths in one day; politicians and celebrities infected) Civil liberties are at risk of being severely curtailed or eliminated altogether. Personal and business incomes and...
The Brazen Laver–The Anointing Oil–Sacred Perfume–Messianic Reflections on Torah Reading 68
The Brazen Laver The Brazen Laver would sit between the Tabernacle and Brazen Altar. The Levitical Priests would be required to wash their hands and feet prior to entering the Tabernacle or facilitating/tending to the sacrificial offerings on the Brazen Altar...
The Significance of the Half-Shekel Ransom Offering to Messianics Today–Reflections on Torah Reading #68
The commandment given to the Hebrews by YHVH that they give a half-shekel ransom offering at the time of census holds tremendous prophetic and spiritual significance for today’s Messianic.
Living Deceptively in the Service of God Results in Shame and Disgrace All Around–Reflections on Malachi 1:11-2:7
YHVH Outs His Chosen Ones Because the nation had despised the true worship of YHVH, YHVH Tzva'ot informed the Hebrews that their failure to properly worship Him as He had prescribed would not be ignored. Despite the people's outward deceptiveness in worship of YHVH,...
The Golden Altar of Incense–The Ministries of Yeshua Messiah and the Prayers of the Saints–Torah Reading 67
Welcome back my friend to our discussion on this week’s Torah Reading from the Triennial Torah Reading cycle. This week’s reading is found in Shemot (Exodus) 30:1-10. I’ve entitled this study: “The Golden Altar of Incense--The Heavenly Ministry of Yeshua Messiah and...
Plans for Consecrating the Levitical Priesthood and What it Means to Messianics Today
The consecration of the Levitical Priesthood as featured in this week’s Torah Reading foreshadowed the role we–Messianics-are appointed to fulfill as Melchizedekian Priests under the High Priesthood of Yeshua Messiah.