What the Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us, Part 3: Torah Cannot Justify Contempt for Israel

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

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.

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