Did God lose to Himself?
Is a crumb, just a crumb? Not in the Kingdom. #nope
The best part of discovering Torah (for me) has been the mending it has done to the various fractures in my understanding of the core attachment I can legitimately have with the Father. Learning that He has not changed, nor did He give His children “busy work” to struggle with fruitlessly until the “real God” came and corrected all the shame He perpetrated on them/us, has been a journey of restoration in the deepest part of my being.
The simplicity of comprehending that Yeshua did not come to correct a defective covenant, but rather came to take on my penalty for my stumbling within it so I may be restored to it, has reminded me that I can safely attach to the One stable thing that exists in an unflawed state. I can count on He who has no potential to alter His promises, and Who has no former, unsuccessful plan that required amendment or alteration at a later “time.”
Has anyone ever suggested the notion that Torah obedience tramples on grace? Have your been accused of being the "law party" rather than the "grace only" party? If you are a new Torah seeker, be prepared. Those are some buzz words that will become very familiar. Suit up.
I like to remind people that those who teach that Torah is relevent today and applicable to our lives functionally are actually the real “grace only” party. Let me explain.
The Christian perspective that suggests that the law was once the vehicle for salvation until the Messiah removed that imperfect plan, demonstrates a belief that the law could save at one time. That is not “grace only.” That is “grace now, law then." The former perspective (that Torah is relevent today for all followers of Yeshua the Messiah) believes in love, faith, and mercy. The latter perspective (obedience to Torah is no longer The Way) believes in earned salvation through works, while masquerading as the perspective that it is grace through faith that saves. It's inconsistent to its core. This perspective severely perjurers the Word that states that no one comes to the Father but through Him.
On the contrary, proper Messianic Torah teachers are adamant that it wasnever the law that saved, but only grace through faith as provided by the blood of the Messiah for all mankind, and not just those “right of Matthew.” It was never law, it was always only grace. So, if it was always grace, than our relationship to the law as believers has not changed one bit from the moment it was administered by the Father. How could it?
Further, understanding that the Father did not have an “us” and “them” agenda in terms of who Israel is was an enormous game changer for me. While no doubt, humans will quibble for status, Yeshua laid down His life across the board for any and all who will look straight at Him and desire His love, His guidance, and His care. That is what trust looks like…what faith really is. In a sentence it translates to us saying; "Okay, if you say it, it is so. I will trust you."
What is the one thing that He cannot take for Himself? That would be our devotion. That must be given freely by us, and I believe it brings Him great joy. Have you ever thought of it that way? That you have the potential to bring the Creator of the universe JOY?
The story of the Canaanite woman, when examined with faith that He does not change (rather than with creative excuses as to why He did), is a clear illustration for a secure attachment to those not born “Jewish” or of a tribe.
Yeshua demonstrates this at this recorded event. "Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.” Yeshua did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.” The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said. He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”“Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Then Yeshua said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted. And her daughter was healed at that moment." (Matt15: 21-28)
When Yeshua stated that He came only for the “lost sheep of Israel” was He lying? Could He be convinced to change His mind andundo that emphatic statement because He thought better of it after seeing the probing, pitiful eyes of the gentile woman who pleaded for help?
Is this a case of Yeshua learning as He went and subsequently ultimately saying; “Well, good grief. I was dead set on pronouncing only statements that were truth, but now that I see those kitten eyes and your faith, I am going to silently give the impression that I also came for gentiles who remain gentiles, which clearly contradicts what I just said less than ten seconds ago.” NO. He acknowledged that she was eating the crumbs of bread that fell from His table(the Bread of Life IS the Torah), and therefore, by extending His grace and help to her was in fact keeping His statements in truth.
He didn’t change His mind about whom He came for. He acknowledged that her consumption of His bread placed her in the category of those He came for! She, born a Canaanite, was a bread eating person grafted into Israel by her free will. We were all predestined for the Kingdom, but we were not preprogrammed to accept it. This woman chose Yeshua. The crumbs of bread symbolizes that she understood that accepting Yeshua was accepting the Torah. One cannot be separated from the other. She was going to take whatever she could get, even if she had to crawl on her hands and knees to find it. That doesn't sound like the Torah is something to turn our backs on, does it? Here, it is being portrayed as such a blessing that we should be willing to devour it off the floor.
Well, how about that? When you read everything with eyes of trusting His words rather than with eyes seeking a clever way to make excuses for His perceived inconsistencies, you can finally securely attach to Him without any fear or confusion.
I am so thankful that I have found this beautiful path of abundance; this straight way of trustworthy comfort, and of a sound understanding of what truth is. Please explain this to people. Don’t fight with them tooth and nail.Welcome them into the trusting flock rather than pointing out where they are wrong or are outsiders. I promise you this will be a much more effective way to share the TRUE gospel.
His courtship is not a battlefield, or an ultimatum. The battlefield is out there, not in here. This is an invitation to intimacy. Remember, you are the vessels of that courtship. Getting down on one knee is going to be much more recognizable as an act of love than you putting on your boxing gloves clobbering them with knowledge. In this holy investigation of a husband seeking His bride, fear is the enemy. Intimacy is not formed in the presence of fear. True intimacy is created in the union of trust and sacred, kept promises. If we are trusted with this message, we must remember that it is the message that is the message, and not lean into our own personal belt notching tendencies. That's for the amateurs..but we shall be the love experts. Even if that is the only thing we know.
Shalom!
