AI, Spiritual Authority, and the Image of Elohim

by | Jul 2, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Episode Title

AI, Spiritual Authority, and the Image of Elohim: A Messianic Torah Perspective on Artificial Intelligence

Opening Thoughts

Shalom and greetings, beloved of the Most High. In this installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, we step slightly outside our usual teaching lane to address a subject that is rapidly reshaping conversations across the world, across the Body of Messiah, and even among Torah-observant disciples of Yehoshua: Artificial Intelligence, or AI.

This is not a fear-driven, sensationalist look at AI. Nor is it an attempt to hype the technology as some kind of savior for ministry, study, or daily life. Rather, this discussion seeks to bring biblical clarity, covenantal perspective, and Spirit-led discernment to a topic that many believers are trying to understand in real time.

Episode Overview

AI has quickly moved from being a niche technological curiosity to becoming a daily tool used in business, education, communication, research, and even ministry. And with that rapid rise has come a host of questions among people of faith: Is AI too powerful? Is it dangerous? Should believers use it? Can it help in ministry? Can it replace spiritual study, prayer, or teaching? And what does its growing presence say about humanity’s unique identity as image-bearers of Elohim?

In this episode, I share how I personally view AI as a ministry tool, while also drawing clear boundaries around what AI can and cannot do. It may help organize information, surface resources, edit content, locate hard-to-find passages, and assist in creative work. But AI cannot carry spiritual authority. It cannot reveal truth in the way the Ruach Kodesh reveals truth. It cannot discern spirits, walk in covenant, worship, repent, or stand accountable before Yehovah.

So the issue before us is not whether AI exists, nor whether Yah’s people should panic over its existence. The issue is whether we will engage it wisely, biblically, and prayerfully, keeping Scripture and the indwelling Ruach as our primary guides.

Key Questions Addressed in This Teaching

  • Should believers and disciples of Yehoshua use AI in ministry?
  • Where should the boundaries be when using AI for teaching, study, research, or content creation?
  • Can AI carry spiritual authority or reveal Godly truth?
  • Is AI becoming too powerful for humanity to control?
  • Is AI dangerous, or does the danger lie in how human beings design and use it?
  • How should Torah-observant believers respond to AI without fear, hype, or compromise?
  • What does AI reveal about the distinction between intelligence and true life in Elohim?
  • What does it mean for humanity to remain image-bearers of Ahlohim in an age of artificial intelligence?

Major Takeaways

1. AI May Be a Useful Tool, But It Cannot Be a Spiritual Teacher

AI can process information quickly. It can summarize, organize, compare, and assist. For those of us who study Scripture, prepare teachings, work through historical resources, or search for obscure passages, AI can prove to be quite helpful. I can personally testify that it has aided me in organizing reference materials, refining content, researching nuanced faith topics, and finding passages that traditional search tools did not readily surface.

But we must never confuse usefulness with authority. AI may help gather information, but it cannot replace prayer, meditation, rightly dividing the Word of Truth, or the illumination that comes from the Ruach Kodesh. Anything AI produces must be filtered through Scripture, tested like the Bereans tested Shaul’s teachings, and weighed by a Spirit-led heart.

2. AI Is Not Sovereign, and Yah Remains Enthroned

Much of what we hear about AI today is wrapped in fear. Some believe it will take over the world. Others view it as the next great threat to humanity. And while we should not be naive about the ways this technology may be used, we also must not forget who sits upon the throne.

AI may be powerful in human terms, but it is not sovereign. It cannot alter Yah’s prophetic timeline. It cannot dethrone the King of Kings. It cannot overturn the purposes of Yehovah. Psalm 2 reminds us that while nations rage and rulers plot, Yah remains enthroned. Therefore, our response must not be panic, but discernment; not fear, but faithfulness.

3. AI Can Be Dangerous When Used Without Godly Wisdom

Like many tools in human hands, AI can be used for good or for harm. It can assist truth-seekers, but it can also spread falsehood. It can help organize biblical study, but it can also generate error. It can support ministry preparation, but it can also tempt believers to outsource discernment, thinking, and prayer to algorithms.

The prudent, according to Proverbs, see danger and take refuge. That means we must learn how to use AI with wisdom, accountability, and boundaries. We must ensure that Scripture and the Ruach remain master, while AI remains servant. If we reverse that order, we place ourselves in spiritual jeopardy.

4. AI Cannot Bear the Image of Ahlohim

As AI becomes more capable, some are beginning to ask what truly makes human beings unique. If a machine can imitate conversation, generate artwork, solve problems, and simulate reasoning, then what separates us from it?

Genesis gives us the answer. Humanity is made in the image of Ahlohim. AI may imitate intelligence, but it cannot worship. It cannot repent. It cannot love Yehovah. It cannot receive the Ruach. It cannot walk in covenant. It cannot intercede. It cannot discern ruachim. It cannot experience redemption. Intelligence and life are not the same thing, beloved.

The rise of AI is not a crisis for Yah’s people. It is a clarifying moment. It reminds us that our identity is not rooted in productivity, speed, knowledge-processing, or technological capability. Our identity is rooted in covenant relationship with the Most High.

Scripture References Mentioned or Reflected Upon

  • Genesis/Beresheit 1:26-27 — Humanity created in the image of Ahlohim
  • James 3 — Teachers judged with greater strictness
  • Acts 17 — The Bereans testing teachings against Scripture
  • Isaiah 28 — Precept upon precept, line upon line
  • Luke 12:12 — The Ruach teaching Yah’s people what to say
  • John 14:17, 26 — The Spirit of Truth and the Comforter teaching and reminding Yah’s people
  • Psalm 2 — Yah enthroned despite the raging of the nations
  • Daniel 2:21 — Yehovah changes times and seasons
  • Isaiah 43:1-2 — Fear not, for Yah is with His people
  • Matthew 5:10-12 — The blessedness of persecution for righteousness’ sake
  • Proverbs 22:3 — The prudent see danger and take refuge
  • Psalm 119:105 — Yah’s Word as a lamp and light
  • Luke 4:8 — Worshiping and serving Yehovah alone

Practical Application for Yah’s Covenant People

  • Use AI as an assistant, never as a spiritual authority.
  • Test everything AI produces against Scripture.
  • Do not allow AI to replace prayer, study, meditation, or Spirit-led discernment.
  • Be aware that AI can confidently produce inaccurate, biased, or misleading information.
  • Establish clear boundaries for how AI is used in ministry preparation, teaching, writing, research, and personal study.
  • Refuse to be governed by fear, hype, or technological idolatry.
  • Remember that no tool, no system, and no machine can replace your covenant identity in Yehovah.
  • Walk wisely, boldly, and faithfully as an image-bearer of Ahlohim in this rapidly changing world.

Closing Encouragement

Beloved, AI is here. Whether we welcome it, resist it, or remain cautious toward it, its presence in our world is accelerating. But AI is not alive. It is not prophetic. It is not spiritual. It is not sovereign. It cannot replace the voice of Yah, the witness of Scripture, the leading of the Ruach Kodesh, or the covenant calling placed upon Yah’s chosen and elect.

So let us not walk in fear. Let us walk in wisdom. Let us not surrender discernment. Let us sharpen it. Let us not confuse artificial intelligence with spiritual life. Let us continue to image Yehovah in this world with clarity, courage, humility, and covenant faithfulness.

Thank you for listening, for studying, and for walking this narrow path with me. May the peace of Yah guard your hearts and minds as we navigate these ever-changing days in faith and obedience.

Shalom.

TMTO Final Update for 2025

by | Dec 5, 2025 |

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by | Sep 27, 2025 |

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What Torah Cannot Do For Us, Part 5: The Mystery of Torahlessness

by | Jun 10, 2026 | Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Episode Title: What Torah Cannot Do for Us: The Mystery of Lawlessness — Part 5 of the “What Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us” series.

Episode Summary: Beloved, in this concluding installment, we bring this series home by putting Torah in its proper, Yah-given place in the life of the redeemed. Torah is holy, righteous, good, and covenantally necessary, but Torah cannot save us, justify us, or cancel the sin debt that stands against us in the Court of Heaven. Only the shed blood and atoning work of our Master, Yehoshua HaMashiyach, can satisfy that certificate of indebtedness. And when we truly receive that gift by trusting faith, the only proper response is obedience, repentance, teshuvah, and a renewed commitment to walk in Yah’s ancient paths.

Key Teaching Themes

  • Torah cannot save or justify us: Torah reveals Yah’s righteous standard and exposes our transgressions, but it was never designed to pay the deadly sin debt that we rack up against ourselves.
  • Yeshua alone cancels the debt: Colossians 2:13–15 is not about Torah being abolished, beloved. It is about the hostile record of our transgressions being nailed to the execution stake with our Master.
  • Faith is an action word: Hebraically speaking, believing is not merely agreeing with a set of religious facts. True trusting faith produces obedience, covenant loyalty, repentance, and works that line up with the Kingdom.
  • The mystery of Torahlessness was already at work: Shaul warned the Thessalonian assembly that lawlessness was already moving within the Body of Mashiyach, and that same anti-Torah spirit continues to trouble the Body today.
  • Sin is lawlessness: Yochanan tells us plainly that sin is transgression of Yah’s Torah. In other words, sin is missing Yah’s established mark of righteousness.
  • There is a difference between ignorance and rebellion: Torah distinguishes unintentional sin from high-handed sin. Ignorance still requires atonement and correction, but willful rebellion is a far more dangerous place to remain.
  • The ancient paths remain Yah’s pathway home: Jeremiah 6:16 and Matthew 11:28–30 call us back to Yah’s good way through the yoke, halachah, and example of Yeshua Messiah.

Biblical References Cited or Discussed

Passage Why I Brought It Into This Teaching
Colossians 2:13–15 This is our anchor passage for understanding the certificate of indebtedness that stood against us and how Yehoshua triumphed over the rulers and authorities by nailing that debt to the execution stake.
Colossians 1:13–14 This passage reminds us that Yah has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of His dear Son.
Matthew 11:28–30 Master’s invitation to take His yoke upon us shows that discipleship involves learning His halachah and walking in the Father’s ways.
Matthew 7:22–23 This sobering text warns us that religious activity without covenant relationship and obedience may still be lawlessness.
James 2:14–26 Ya’achov reminds us that true faith is never dead, idle, or merely intellectual. Real faith shows up in obedient works.
2 Thessalonians 2:7–9 Shaul alerts the Body that the mystery of lawlessness was already at work in his day.
Jude 3–4, 16, 18 Jude sounds the alarm about false teachers who turn Yah’s grace into licentiousness and undermine the faith once delivered.
John 10:10 Yeshua reveals the enemy’s agenda: to steal, kill, and destroy.
Amos 3:3 This simple prophetic question reminds us that we cannot truly walk with Yah unless we are in agreement with Him.
Luke 13:27 This passage warns of the tragic end awaiting those who work unrighteousness and remain outside true covenant relationship.
Matthew 5:17–20 Yeshua did not come to destroy Torah but to fulfill it and teach us what true righteousness looks like.
Deuteronomy 28 This chapter gives us the covenant framework of blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience.
1 John 3:4 Yochanan defines sin plainly as lawlessness or transgression of Yah’s Torah.
Romans 3:23 Shaul confirms that all of us have sinned and fallen short of Yah’s glory.
Numbers 15:27–31 Torah distinguishes sins of ignorance from high-handed, defiant rebellion.
Hebrews 10:26–29 This text warns us about the danger of continuing in deliberate sin after receiving the knowledge of the truth.
1 John 1:9 Yah remains faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us when we confess our sins.
Isaiah 64:4–6 The prophet reminds us that our own righteousness is as soiled garments before a holy Elohim.
Jeremiah 18:1–10 The potter and clay passage shows Yah’s sovereign response to repentance or rebellion.
Romans 1:28 This passage warns that persistent rejection of Yah can result in being given over to a reprobate mind.
Jeremiah 13:23–27 Jeremiah reveals the shame and judgment that come from entrenched wickedness and refusal to return.
Jeremiah 6:16 Yah calls His people to ask for the ancient paths, walk in the good way, and find rest for their souls.

 

Scholarly and Lexical Research Notes

Colossians 2:14 — cheirographon and the “certificate of indebtedness.” Beloved, the Greek term cheirographon is generally understood as a handwritten bond, note of debt, or legal record that stands against a debtor. That is significant because it supports what we have been saying throughout this teaching: the thing nailed to the execution stake was not Yah’s holy Torah, but the hostile record of our transgressions against Torah. Kyu Seop Kim’s Tyndale Bulletin study helps nuance this discussion by showing that cheirographon could refer to handwritten declarations, receipts, loans, contracts, and oath-related documents in ancient papyri. Even with that nuance, the force of Colossians 2:14 still points to the removal of the hostile document that stood against us, not the removal of Yah’s righteous instructions.

2 Thessalonians 2:7 — the mystery of lawlessness. When Shaul speaks of the “mystery of lawlessness,” he uses the Greek mysterion, which has to do with something once hidden but now being revealed, and anomia, which points to lawlessness or Torahlessness. The apostle was not talking about some harmless doctrinal disagreement. He was warning the Body that rebellion against Yah’s righteous standards was already working beneath the surface in the apostolic era.

James 2:14–26 — faith and works. Ya’achov makes it painfully clear that faith without works is dead. He points us to Avraham and Rahab, both of whom demonstrated their trust through obedience. And yes, the Book of James has had its share of controversy in church history, including Martin Luther’s famous “epistle of straw” remark. But beloved, the plain sense of the passage remains: trusting faith that does not produce obedience is not the living, covenantal faith of Scripture.

1 John 3:4 — sin as anomia. Yochanan does not leave us guessing as to what sin is. He tells us plainly that sin is lawlessness. The Greek anomia speaks to a disregard for law, rebellion against divine authority, and a refusal to walk according to Yah’s revealed standards. In other words, sin is not simply a mistake or personal weakness; it is a deviation from Yah’s established way of righteousness.

Numbers 15:27–31 — unintentional versus high-handed sin. Torah makes a distinction between sins committed unintentionally and sins committed with a high hand. That high-handed posture is one of conscious defiance, contempt, and open rebellion against Yehovah’s authority. This distinction matters greatly because ignorance calls for correction, atonement, and repentance, while willful rebellion places a soul in a very dangerous covenantal position.

Hebrews 10:26–29 — deliberate sin after knowledge of the truth. The writer of Hebrews warns that if we continue sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, we are not dealing with a simple stumble. We are dealing with a settled, dangerous posture of rebellion. That warning lines up with Torah’s treatment of high-handed sin and reminds us that we dare not trample underfoot the Son of God or insult the Spirit of grace.

Replacement theology and supersessionism. Replacement theology, also known as supersessionism, generally teaches that the Church has replaced Israel as Yah’s covenant people. I reject that notion. Yah has not discarded Israel, nor has He abolished His Torah. The Body of Mashiyach is called into covenant faithfulness through Yeshua, not into a manmade religion that claims the promises while rejecting the covenant responsibilities.

Jeremiah 6:16 and Matthew 11:28–30 — ancient paths and Yeshua’s yoke. Jeremiah calls Yah’s people to ask for the ancient paths and walk in the good way so that they may find rest for their souls. Centuries later, our Master calls the weary and heavy laden to take His yoke upon them and find rest for their souls. That connection is not accidental, beloved. Yeshua’s yoke is not Torahlessness. It is the rightly taught, rightly walked, Spirit-empowered way of Torah as modeled by the Son of the Most High.

Recommended Research References for Further Study

  • Kim, Kyu Seop. “The Meaning of Cheirographon in Colossians 2:14 Revisited.” Tyndale Bulletin 68.2.
  • Harris, W. Hall III, ed. The Lexham English Bible. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012.
  • Lake, Michael. Spiritual Warfare and Kingdom Authority course handbook.
  • Zodhiates, Spiros. The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament.
  • Coenen, Lothar; Beyreuther, Erich; and Bietenhard, Hans, eds. New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.
  • Foord, Martin. “The Epistle of Straw: Reflections on Luther and the Epistle of James.” Themelios 45.2.
  • Vlach, Michael J. “Various Forms of Replacement Theology.” The Master’s Seminary Journal.
  • Standard biblical commentary resources on Colossians 2:14, 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 1 John 3:4, Numbers 15:27–31, Hebrews 10:26–29, Jeremiah 6:16, and Matthew 11:28–30.

Listener Reflection Questions

  1. Beloved, am I trusting in my Torah-keeping to save me, or am I trusting in the Person and ministry of Yehoshua HaMashiyach?
  2. Does my trusting faith actually produce obedience, repentance, and Kingdom works?
  3. Have I treated any of Yah’s instructions as optional, outdated, or too burdensome for me to walk in?
  4. Have I confused Yah’s amazing grace with permission to continue in Torahlessness?
  5. Are there sins of ignorance in my life that I need Yah, through His Ruach HaKodesh, to reveal and correct?
  6. Are there high-handed, willful sins in my life that I need to confess, repent of, and teshuvah from post-haste?
  7. What would it look like this week for me to ask for the ancient paths, walk in Yah’s good way, and find rest for my soul?

Suggested Listener Takeaway

Beloved, Torah reveals Yah’s righteous standard, exposes our sin, and shows us the covenant pathway of life. But Torah cannot erase our debt or justify us before the Court of Heaven. Only Yeshua’s atoning sacrifice can cancel the certificate of indebtedness that stood against us. Therefore, our proper response to Yah’s grace is not Torahlessness, but faithful, Spirit-empowered obedience, repentance, teshuvah, and a wholehearted return to Yah’s ancient paths through our Master, Yehoshua HaMashiyach.

TMTO Final Update for 2025

by | Dec 5, 2025

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Kenyan Missionary Trip 2025 Update

by | Sep 27, 2025

Title: Special Update from Kenya: The Messianic Torah Observer Host: Rod Thomas Date: September 27, 2025 Location: Migori, Kenya Summary: In this special installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, Rod Thomas provides an update on his and Hilary Qumran's missionary...

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What Torah Can Do For Us, Part 4: How Torah Reveals God, Points to Yeshua, and Strengthens the Redeemed

by | Jun 4, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

What Torah Can Do For Us, Part 4: How Torah Reveals God, Points to Yeshua, and Strengthens the Redeemed

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

In this fourth installment of What Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us, we examine what Torah does for the redeemed believer. Beloved, Torah does not save us, justify us, or redeem us apart from the finished work of Yeshua Messiah. Redemption belongs to Yeshua alone. But Torah remains indispensable to the life of the disciple because it is Yah’s loving instruction in righteousness for His redeemed people.

This teaching explores how Torah reveals essential aspects of Yehovah’s person and character—His holiness, His righteousness, His order, His ways, and His will. While Torah does not present the full revelation of the Father apart from Messiah, it does show us who He is in ways that are foundational to covenant life. And through Yeshua’s witness that “the one who has seen Me has seen the Father,” we are given a fuller and more intimate view of the heart of Yah. Relevant references cited in this discussion include Hebrews 1:1; John 14:9; Isaiah 55; Jeremiah 29:11; Genesis 6:1–7; Genesis 11:1–9; Deuteronomy 32:7–9; and 1 Enoch 1–36.

We also examine the edifying role of Torah in the life of the believer. Drawing from Shaul’s words to Timothy, this installment emphasizes that the holy Scriptures—Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings—are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Yeshua Messiah. Torah is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, that the man or woman of Elohim may be thoroughly furnished unto every good work. This teaching further highlights the reality that when Shaul wrote these words, the apostolic writings were still being circulated, which means he was affirming the value and ongoing relevance of the Tanach as the foundational Scriptures for the redeemed. Relevant references cited in this discussion include 2 Timothy 3:14–17; 2 Timothy 1:5; 1 Timothy 4:13; Romans 15:4; and Jude 4.

Additionally, this discussion shows how Torah points us to Yeshua Messiah. Torah reveals Yah’s standards, exposes our shortcomings, and demonstrates our desperate need for a once-and-for-all Savior. Torah does not compete with Messiah, nor does Messiah nullify Torah. Rather, Torah leads us to Messiah, and Messiah teaches us how Torah is to be walked out in spirit and in truth through the power of the Ruach HaKodesh. The teaching also underscores that Torah served as our schoolmaster until Messiah came, showing us our deficiencies and revealing our need for redemption. Relevant references cited in this discussion include Romans 10:4; Matthew 6:33; 1 John 3:4; and Galatians 3:24.

Another major focus of this installment is Torah’s role in protection, covenant empowerment, and spiritual warfare. We consider the enemy’s role as accuser and adversary, and how transgression of Yah’s Torah opens the door to covenant consequences that may negatively affect the believer’s physical life and walk. Conversely, when we walk steadfastly in covenant faithfulness, Torah helps establish order, protection, and a Kingdom-centered way of living that frustrates the stratagems of the enemy. The teaching also points to Yeshua’s own example in resisting the adversary through the Word of Yah. Relevant references cited in this discussion include Revelation 12:10; 1 Peter 5:8; Deuteronomy 28; Matthew 4:1–11; Leviticus 26:3–9; and John 10:10.

Finally, this installment underscores that Torah grounds the redeemed in truth, nourishes the inner man, lights the path before us, and brings peace, clarity, and stability to the willing soul. Torah helps us discern truth from error, holiness from compromise, and the commandments of Yah from the traditions of men. In a time marked by confusion, deception, and spiritual instability, Torah remains a vital gift to the redeemed who receive it rightly in Messiah. Relevant references cited in this discussion include Ephesians 6 and Psalm 119:105.

If you have wrestled with the relationship between Torah, grace, obedience, covenant, truth, and salvation, this installment will help frame that discussion in a way that is scriptural, balanced, and firmly centered on Yeshua Messiah.

TMTO Final Update for 2025

by | Dec 5, 2025

In this episode, we explore the recent Kenya Missions Trip with the Qumran Family Foundation (QFF), whose mission is to deliver critical resources and opportunities to Kenyan widows and orphans living in poverty. The episode highlights: Why Kenya? Unlike in the U.S.,...

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Kenyan Missionary Trip 2025 Update

by | Sep 27, 2025

Title: Special Update from Kenya: The Messianic Torah Observer Host: Rod Thomas Date: September 27, 2025 Location: Migori, Kenya Summary: In this special installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, Rod Thomas provides an update on his and Hilary Qumran's missionary...

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

by | May 29, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

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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by | Dec 5, 2025

In this episode, we explore the recent Kenya Missions Trip with the Qumran Family Foundation (QFF), whose mission is to deliver critical resources and opportunities to Kenyan widows and orphans living in poverty. The episode highlights: Why Kenya? Unlike in the U.S.,...

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by | Sep 27, 2025

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Torah as our Constitution and God’s Culture: What the Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us Part 2

by | May 20, 2026 | Blog, Podcasts

by Rod Thomas | The Messianic Torah Observer

Torah as Our Constitution and God’s Culture: What the Torah Can and Cannot Do for Us, Part 2

In this installment of the Messianic Torah Observer, I continue our discussion on what Torah can and cannot do for us. Given that we are approaching Shavuot 2026, I also briefly address the timing of the feast and the calendar disparity that exists between those of us who follow the observational calendar and our Jewish and Messianic Jewish cousins who follow the Rabbinic calendar.
From there, I move into a foundational discussion about Torah as constitution and Torah as culture. I examine how the various Judaisms—both ancient and modern—have historically treated Torah, especially in light of the Written Torah and the so-called Oral Torah. I also address how man-made traditions, whether Jewish or Christian, have too often been elevated above Yah’s Word, and why that is a serious problem for anyone who desires to walk in covenant faithfulness.
The heart of this teaching is this: Torah serves as the written foundation of our covenant relationship with Yah, and it provides the framework by which His people are to live, worship, and remain set apart. At the same time, Torah was never designed to save us. Torah does not replace true, trusting faith in Yeshua Messiah. Rather, Torah teaches us Yah’s ways, reveals His standards, and provides the constitution and culture of Kingdom life for His people.
I also contrast Yeshua-focused Torah living with the culture of organized Christianity and the man-made traditions of rabbinic religion. In both cases, when men elevate tradition, institutional culture, or denominational expectations above the Word of Yah, error, confusion, and division inevitably follow. Yah has called His people to something greater: a set-apart, Kingdom-centric, Hebrew-Nazarene culture that is rooted in His Torah and modeled perfectly by Yeshua.
This teaching is a call to reject syncretism, to refuse the mixing of Yah’s ways with the ways of the surrounding world, and to walk in the culture and constitution of the Kingdom as Yah intended.

In This Teaching

1. Shavuot 2026 and Calendar Considerations

I begin with a brief reminder that Shavuot for those of us following the observational calendar falls on Sunday, May 24, 2026, while our Jewish and Messianic Jewish cousins following the Rabbinic calendar will observe it on Friday, May 22, 2026.
I explain the two primary reasons for that disparity:
  • We are following two different calendars
  • The 50-day count is calculated differently
I also underscore the importance of keeping Yah’s appointed times on the days He actually intends, rather than adopting the mindset that “either day is fine.”

2. The Many Judaisms and Their Relationship to Torah

I provide a broad overview of the various Judaisms of the first century and of today, showing that Judaism has never been monolithic. Instead, the various sects and denominations have often differed according to their halachah, their interpretation of Torah, and the degree to which they elevate tradition.
This leads into a discussion of the defining issue in Judaism’s treatment of Torah: the distinction between the Written Torah and the Oral Torah.

3. Judaism’s Two Torahs: Written and Oral

A key portion of this teaching examines the rabbinic concept of two Torahs:
  • the Written Torah, given to Moshe
  • the Oral Torah, claimed by the rabbis to have been transmitted alongside it
I explain why this matters so much. The Oral Torah, as it developed and was eventually codified in the Talmud, came to function not merely as commentary but as an authority that often superseded Yah’s written instructions. According to this teaching, this was and remains a direct violation of Torah itself, since Yah explicitly forbids adding to or taking away from His Word.
I also point to Yeshua’s own rebukes of the religious leaders for making void the Word of Yah through their traditions.

4. Torah as Our Constitution

One of the central claims of this teaching is that Torah is our constitution.
By that, I mean Torah is the written foundation of our covenant relationship with the God of Avraham, Yitschaq, and Ya’achov. Torah tells us:
  • who we are
  • to whom we belong
  • how Yah is to be worshiped
  • what holiness and righteousness look like
  • how community life among His people is to function
Torah establishes the values, structure, and boundaries of Kingdom life. It defines the life of a covenant people. In that sense, Torah serves as the constitution of Yah’s people.

5. Torah as Our Cultural Framework

I then move from constitution to culture.
Torah does not merely give us commandments in the abstract. It gives us a lived pattern of life—a Kingdom culture. I argue that Yah’s people are not called to Christian culture, Jewish culture, secular culture, political culture, nationalist culture, or ethnic culture as the defining framework of their lives. We are called instead to a Hebrew-Nazarene, Yeshua-focused Torah living culture.
This culture is meant to shape:
  • our values
  • our conduct
  • our worship
  • our community life
  • our understanding of holiness and separation
Where other cultures are mixed into Yah’s prescribed way of life, confusion and division inevitably enter in.

6. The Danger of Syncretism

A major warning in this teaching is against syncretism—the mixing of Yah’s culture with the cultures of the surrounding world.
Drawing from Exodus 23, Leviticus 18, and Deuteronomy 7 and 12, I stress that Yah has always forbidden His people from adopting the ways, customs, and worship patterns of surrounding peoples. His people are not to borrow from the world and then attempt to sanctify what He has not commanded.
This applies not only to ancient pagan cultures, but also to modern religious and ideological systems that compete with Yah’s rule over His people.

7. Yeshua’s Righteousness Exceeds That of the Pharisees

I also revisit Yeshua’s words that unless our righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, we shall not enter the Kingdom.
The point here is not that the Pharisees were too committed to Torah, but that their righteousness was rooted in human tradition, outward religiosity, and man-made systems. Yeshua, by contrast, taught and modeled the true intent of Torah—one that is rooted in faith, obedience, and the transformation of the heart.
Yeshua-focused Torah living is not rabbinic legalism, nor is it church tradition. It is the proper walk of Kingdom citizens.

8. What Torah Can and Cannot Do

This teaching reinforces a crucial distinction:
  • Torah can instruct
  • Torah can define righteousness
  • Torah can reveal Yah’s standards
  • Torah can provide covenant order and culture
But:
  • Torah cannot save
  • Torah cannot grant eternal life
  • Torah cannot, by itself, bring a person into the Kingdom
What saves is trusting faith in Yehovah and in His Mashiyach, Yeshua. Torah must therefore be understood in its proper role: not as a replacement for faith, but as the revelation of Yah’s will for a redeemed people.

9. The Church and Its Man-Made Culture

I then contrast Yah’s Torah-based culture with what I refer to as the culture of the Church Triumphant.
The concern here is that many church organizations claim loyalty to scripture while in practice operating according to their own institutional traditions, regulations, and preferences. I share examples—particularly around the issue of tzitziyot—to show how some church bodies reject clear Torah instruction, not because scripture is unclear, but because obedience would disrupt their culture.
This serves as another example of men placing their own traditions above Yah’s Word.

10. A Call to Come Out and Be Set Apart

The teaching closes with a reminder that Yah still calls His people to holiness, purity, and separation from uncleanness. The standards of Yah have not changed. His people are still called to discern between the holy and the profane, the clean and the unclean.
The call is not to isolation from all people, but to covenant fidelity—to walk in the culture of the Kingdom rather than the systems of religion and the world.

Key Themes

  • Torah as covenant constitution
  • Torah as Kingdom culture
  • Written Torah versus Oral Torah
  • The danger of man-made religious tradition
  • Yeshua-focused Torah living
  • The problem of syncretism
  • Faith and Torah in proper relationship
  • Holiness, separation, and covenant identity
  • Shavuot and calendar faithfulness
  • The contrast between Yah’s culture and institutional religion

Key Scriptures Referenced

  • Deuteronomy 4:2
  • Deuteronomy 12:32
  • Matthew 15:3–9
  • Matthew 23:13–15
  • Exodus 23:24, 32–33
  • Leviticus 18:1–5
  • Deuteronomy 7:3–6
  • Deuteronomy 12:29–32
  • Matthew 5:20
  • Hebrews 11:6
  • Leviticus 11:45–47
  • 2 Corinthians 6:17–18
  • Exodus 19:5–6
  • Leviticus 20:22–26
  • Deuteronomy 4:5–8
  • Deuteronomy 6:4–9
  • Psalm 147:19–20

Takeaway

If we are to walk faithfully before Yah, we must understand both the power and the limits of Torah. Torah is not our savior, but it is our constitution. It is not a substitute for faith, but it is the framework of covenant life. It does not compete with Yeshua; it points us to the life He modeled and taught.
The call before us is to lay aside man-made traditions, reject religious and worldly syncretism, and embrace the set-apart culture of the Kingdom through Yeshua-focused Torah living.
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