It seems in Deuteronomy 31:26 that two
sets of commands were given, one by Yahuah and one by Moses.
When I read the
scripture then it seems that three different sets of commands were given, one
by Yahuah, one by Yahuah through Moses and one by Moses.
Deuteronomy 31:26 “Take this Book of the Torah, and you shall place it beside the ark of
the covenant of Yahuah your Elohim, and it shall be
there as a witness against you. Another translation says to put it in the
side of the ark of the covenant.
What does Torah mean? Strong
H8451; a precept or statute. From H3384 yarah; to point out, to teach, direct,
shoot, instruct.
We can say Torah is
another word for instruction. A general rule to regulate behaviour or thought:
a written law.
We know Moses wrote
this book of the Torah that was placed next to the ark – Deuteronomy 31:24.
Let me discuss what
religious leaders say about the Torah before continuing.
According to the
religious leaders the first five books of scripture (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)
is the Torah. As mentioned above Torah is instructions, therefore the question
is, does these 5 books consist of instructions only?
It would be fair to
say, the five books include history, information and instructions.
According to my
understanding of the instructions given in the first five books is they can be
separated into three different parts. Note these are my understanding based on
scripture – please study for yourself and test my writings.
1)
The
witness or known as the 10 Words or 10 Commands given by Yahuah.
2)
The right-ruling
(rule) (see H4941) or judgments given by Yahuah through Moses.
3)
The
Instructions or Torah given by Moses.
The two tablets of
stone are known as the Witness (testimony) in Exodus 31:18 And when He had ended speaking with him
on Mount Sinai, He gave Mosheh two tablets of the Witness, tablets of stone, written
with the finger of Elohim.
The Words (Witness),
written with the finger of Yahuah on the two stones is found in Exodus 20:3-17. These 10
Words are repeated in Deuteronomy.
Yahuah wrote the
Witness; Exodus 32:16
And the tablets were the work of Elohim, and the writing was the writing of Elohim
engraved on the tablets.
Exodus 24:12 says something different to Exodus 32:16. Exodus
24:12 And Yahuah said to Mosheh, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be
there, while I give you tablets of stone, and the Torah
and the command which I have written, to teach them.” What happened which
will be noted in the next below verses is the Words of Yahuah were written on
the tablets and the Torah and the command given through Moses is written down by
Moses.
Yahuah spoke the 10
Words (Witness) live to the people but then they said that Yahuah must not
speak to them directly but through Moses. Yahuah then gave the rest of the commands
which now is referred to as right-rulings (judgements).
Exodus 20:18-21 And all the people saw the thunders, the lightning flashes, the sound
of the ram’s horn, and the mountain smoking. And the people saw it, and they
trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Mosheh, “You speak with us and we
hear, but let not Elohim speak with us, lest we die.” And Mosheh said to the
people, “Do not fear, for Elohim has come to prove you, and in order that His
fear be before you, so that you do not sin.” So, the people stood at a
distance, but Mosheh drew near the thick darkness where Elohim was.
In Exodus chapter 21, 22 and 23
Yahuah gives further rules through Moses. Please read these chapters to see
what the rules (judgements) are. These rules were written down by Moses – Exodus 24:4.
The Witness or 10
Words (two tablets) shall be placed in the ark. Exodus 25:16 And you shall put the testimony
(Witness) into the ark, which I shall give to you.
Deuteronomy 5:22 Yahuah spoke these Words to all your assembly on the Mount, out of the
midst of the fire of the cloud and out of the thick darkness with a great voice.
And He added no more; and He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and gave them
to me.
10 Commands were given
directly by Yahuah and He added nothing else.
Deuteronomy 10:4-5 And He wrote on the tablets according to the writing, the Ten Words,
which Yahuah had spoken to you in the mountain, out of the midst of the fire in
the day of the assembly. And Yahuah gave them to me, and I turned and came down
from the mountain and put the tablets in the ark which I had made. And they are
there, as Yahuah commanded me.
It is confirmed that
only the 10 Words (Witness) is placed in the ark.
Does this mean that the Torah and the command spoken by Yahuah through Moses
in Exodus chapter 21, 22
and 23 were placed on the side of the ark as mentioned in Deuteronomy 31:26 but in this
case, it shall be there as a witness against you.
The 10 Words is the
covenant Yahuah made with us. Deuteronomy 4:13 And He
declared His covenant to you which He has commanded you to do, the Ten Words;
and He wrote them on two tablets of stone.
Deuteronomy 4:14 And Yahuah commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments,
for you to do them in the land which you shall pass over to possess it. This
verse seems to be referring to Exodus chapter 21, 22 and 23. Is this book also known as the
Book of the covenant as mentioned in Exodus 24:7? (I’m not sure).
What is clear is that
these statutes and judgments are for when they go into the land.
Where shall these
Words be placed once we hear them? IN YOUR HEART.
Deuteronomy 6:6 And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart.
Deuteronomy 11:18
And you shall lay these Words up in your hearts, and in your souls, and shall
bind them for a sign on your hand. And they shall be for frontlets between your
eyes.
What shall you do when
these Words are upon your heart? Teach them to your children.
Deuteronomy 6:7 And you shall diligently teach them to your sons, and shall speak of
them as you sit in your house, and as you walk in the way, and as you are lying
down, and as you are rising up. Deuteronomy 11:19 And you
shall teach them to your sons by speaking of them as you sit in your house, and
as you walk in the way, and as you lie down, and as you rise up.
In Exodus 24: 4-6, 8 Moses
built an altar and performs burnt offerings. I don’t find that Yahuah
instructed Moses to build this altar and do offering. Did Moses do this and
Yahuah accepted it or is this an error by the religious leader’s pen?
The remainder of Exodus 25 to 28 is about the
building of the tabernacle (sanctuary).
Exodus 29 and 30 speaks of offerings and my question is did Yahuah give this instruction
for animal sacrifices? I do not find in these two chapters Yahuah giving the
instruction. Yahuah speaks to Moses in Exodus 30:11, 17, 22 and 34 about something else
and not of animal/blood offerings. In Exodus 31 Yahuah speaks again to Moses.
Moses broke the two
tablets of stone written by Yahuah because of the
golden calf worship and offering – Exodus 32.
Yahuah gave two new
tablets, Exodus 34:1-2
And Yahuah said to Moses, cut out for yourself two tablets of stone, like the
former. And I will write on the tablets the words which were on the former
tablet, which you broke. And be prepared in the morning, and go up in the
morning to Mount Sinai. And place yourself there by Me, on the top of the
mountain.
Moses goes through the
Words of Yahuah in Exodus
35. In the last chapter
40 of Exodus details of the tabernacle procedures are done but nothing
is spoken of animal or blood sacrifices, although burnt offerings is mentioned
in verse 29.
Leviticus
and Numbers describes
the sacrificing procedure and mentions offerings with blood and animals. It
does mention at mostly each chapter of these books that Yahuah gives these
instructions, “Yahuah said to Moses, say this to the children of Israel.”
Did Yahuah give these instructions of animal offerings or
did Moses give these instructions. The reason I’m doubting that Yahuah gave
these instructions is that in many verses throughout the scripture states that
Yahuah never required animal/blood offerings. Please read my previous message
named “Mysteries of Messiah.”
Yahuah wanted to
destroy the people when they worshipped the calf idol but Moses intervened. Exodus 32:10-11 “And now,
let Me alone, that My wrath might burn against them and I consume them and I
make of you a great nation.”But Mosheh pleaded with Yahuah his Elohim…... In Exodus 33 Moses pleads
with Yahuah.
If these animal/blood
offerings are a direct instruction from Yahuah and
fall part of His Torah and the command(Exodus chapter 21, 22 and 23)
and placed next to the ark then the question is do we need to do them. If the
book of Leviticus
and Numbers is part
of the Torah and the command then we need to do the animal sacrifices.
The last verse in Leviticus 27:34 These are
the commands which Yahuah has commanded Moses for the
sons of Israel, on Mount Sinai.
Apart from the animal
offerings, Leviticus also speaks of the food laws, the feasts and many other
laws.
The last verse in Numbers 36:13 These are
the commandments and the judgments which Yahuah commanded by the hand of Moses
to the sons of Israel in the plains of Moab, beside the Jordan, near Jericho.
Again, apart from the
animal offering laws, Numbers speak of many other laws.
Did Moses make-up
extra instructions after the calf incident and implement the tribe of Levites
to take over the tabernacle duties. Did Moses tell Yahuah of this plan and He
blessed Moses to place these extra instructions on the people to teach them to
be ready to enter into the land.
Is the third part
where the Torah of Moses was made to give guidance to the people. It is only in
Deuteronomy that
mentions that Moses gave instructions directly to the people.
Moses gave these
instructions before the people entered the land. He told them that these
instructions are for them to do when entering the land.
Here are chapters in Deuteronomy
that Moses gives instructions: 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 and 27.
This is what Deuteronomy 28:1 says; And
it shall be if carefully you will listen to the voice of Yahuah your Elohim,
taking heed to do all His commandments which I command you this day, Yahuah
your Elohim shall give you to be on high above all nations of the earth.
A bit confusing and
seems there are contradictions.
Summary
The 10 Words or 10
Witness was given directly from Yahuah to the
people. These Words were a covenant (wedding vows) to be His people. The 10
Words do not only apply for when they are in the promised land but for where
ever land they are living in. Deuteronomy 4:10 The day that you stood before Yahuah your
Elohim in Horeb (Sinai), when Yahuah said to me, gather the people to Me, and I
will make them hear My Words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that
they live on the earth; and that they may teach their sons.
The Instruction
(Torah) given by Yahuah through Moses and the Instructions (Torah) from Moses
where both given to people in preparation of entering the promised land.
I must admit after
this study I am still unsure why and when the animal/blood offering
Instructions (Torah) were given for and how are they applicable for today. Did
Moses give these laws to teach the people to come clean and ready to follow
Yahuah (maybe they did sacrifices during their stay in Egypt).
The book of Hebrews does state that
these animal sacrifices have been replaced but who and how where they
replaced.The book of Hebrews
is not the Torah therefore how can the author make this statement.
I don’t have an answer
on the animal/blood offerings. I find it strange that the Almighty would give an
instruction to slaughter animals for sacrifices and are these instructions
(torah) included on the side of the ark.
Yahusha spoke of the
Torah.
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy (annul/dissolve) the Torah or the
Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete (fulfill).
Matthew 22:36-40 Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Torah? And Yahshua said
to him, "You shall love Yahuah your Elohim with all your heart, and with
all your soul, and with all your mind." This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like it "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself."On these two commandments all the Torah and the Prophets hang.
Both Matthew 5:17 and Matthew 22:40 are
speaking of the same thing; Torah and prophets. The only question now was
Yahusha speaking about the 10 Words only or both the 10 Words and the Torah
that was placed next to the ark.
