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Did Yeshua teach different commandments than YHVH? I was shocked recently to discover some people believe that He did, although, on further reflection I realized that that was a pretty common belief. If it wasn’t, more of us might keep Torah.

A while ago I read something that used John 15:10 as a sort of proof text for this belief. The passage says If you keep my commands, you will stay in my love — just as I have kept my Father’s commands and stay in his love. Now, taken just by itself, I suppose that could be equated to saying that there are different commandments given by the Father and the Son. I find that to be untrue for a number of reasons.

To begin with, we would have to ask what Yeshua’s commands were. From this passage we can’t conclude that they were any different than YHVH’s. Based on this passage they could have been the same as the Father’s, different from them or a subset of them. It’s also possible He could have expanded on them or explained them in more detail. The point is, based on this passage alone, we don’t know.

In John 10:30, Yeshua states I and the Father are one. Now, if Father and Son are one, would it not follow that their commands would be the same? Even if they are not the same, they can’t be in conflict with each other. Yeshua could not possibly be asking His followers to do anything contrary to YHVH’s commands.

The notion that Yeshua’s commands were contrary to YHVH’s wouldn’t make sense anyway since Yeshua obeyed YHVH’s commands. If He were asking his followers to disobey or do something contrary to YHVH’s commands, He wouldn’t have been keeping his own commands. That is if He were commanding they not obey a certain law (in Torah), He would have been keeping that law and at the same teaching against it. We know Yeshua could not have been a hypocrite.

Furthermore, if Yeshua and YHVH are one, it would follow that what Yeshua said would be the same as what YHVH would say. The opposite would also be true. That is, what YHVH says would have to be in full agreement with what Yeshua said. Essentially, what the two say must be the same. That is, unless Yeshua was lying, but then He would have sinned, couldn’t be the Messiah and none of this would matter.

Finally, let’s look at what Yeshua said when He was accused of casting out demons in the name of Ba’al Zibbul (the ruler of demons).

But he called them and spoke to them in parables: “How can Satan expel Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom can’t survive; and if a household is divided against itself, that household can’t survive. So if Satan has rebelled against himself and is divided, he can’t survive either; and that’s the end of him. (Mark 3:23-26)

So, since YHVH and Yeshua are one, YHVH’s kingdom is essentially belongs to both of them, and if it divided it won’t survive and neither will their household. If YHVH divides against himself, it will be the end of Him as well. Remember YHVH and Yeshua are one, so if they are not in agreement, they are divided against themselves.

Now, since Yeshua’s commandments cannot differ from YHVH’s, they must be the same as His. This makes sense in light of the fact that we are to imitate Yeshua and He lived a Torah observant life. Additionally, in everything He did, Yeshua always pointed to His Father (YHVH). It would only follow that He would point to His Father’s commands in His own.

About six months ago, a friend and I were having a conversation about “entertainment centre” churches and evangelism without discipleship. We don’t agree on everything (who does?), but in principle we both believe in doing what the Bible says. It came around to the fact that while there are some people who truly love YHVH and want to serve Him, they try to go about it their own way, rather than YHVH’s way.

We should serve and worship YHVH the way He wants to be served and worshiped, which can be found in the Bible. I think that all too often we try to follow YHVH’s way in our own way.

Most christians will agree that we should do the following:

Love YHVH with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Love our neighbour as ourself. (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.)

Live as Yeshua lived.

Keep the 10 commandments. (On this, there is more variance.)

At the same time. They will argue that the Torah has been abolished, which it hasn’t:

But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter in the Torah to become void. – Luke 16:17

“Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. – Matthew 5:17

Does it follow that we abolish Torah by this trusting? Heaven forbid! On the contrary, we confirm Torah. – Romans 3:31

Furthermore, all four things above are rooted in Torah. Yeshua himself said the following regarding the first two on the list:

“Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets. – Matthew 7:12

He told him, “‘You are to love YHVH your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’  This is the greatest and most important mitzvah.  And a second is similar to it, `You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’ All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.” – Matthew 22:37-40

Living like Yeshua lived would require following Torah since He Himself lived according to Torah. In fact, He completed it (lived and interpreted it perfectly), as He said in Matthew 5:17 (above).

As for the 10 commandments, they are a part of Torah, as are the first two commands (Love YHVH & love your neighbour).  In fact, Yeshua says that on these two commands hinge the rest of the Torah and the Prophets. Take, for example the 10 commandments, the first four concern loving YHVH and the last six concern loving your neighbour.

This concept could easily be extended to the rest of Torah. In fact, Rabbi Hillel is attributed to have made a very similar comment to the ones Yeshua made in Matthew 7:12 and Matthew 22:37. He is supposed to have said That which is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary. Go and study it. Obviously that was not a new concept brought by Yeshua, rather one that was probably common knowledge at the time.

As can be seen, Torah tells us how to love YHVH and our neighbour. The problem is that when we remove Torah from the picture, we try to come up with our own ways to do YHVH’s way. This, I think, has led to a lot of division and strife. It has also led to the development of “holidays” such as Christmas and Easter which are not Biblical and are, in fact, pagan. Reality is that Sunday worship and Christmas, amongst other things, were created by the Catholic church to separate the “Christians” from their Jewish roots.

That isn’t to say that the exact solution to absolutely every problem is found explicitly in Torah or that it dictates exactly how we are to live, down to every minor detail, but rather that it was given by YHVH to be our guide. As for me, I choose to serve and worship YHVH his way rather than my own way. What about you?

Psalm 3 is a great reminder of how YHVH is our protector, sustainer, and saviour. It highlights just how much YHVH does for us, how He protects us and how great and powerful He is.

It is written in the form of praise, rather than as a plea (which I suppose it could have been seeing as David wrote it when he was fleeing Avshalom), which emphasize just that much more YHVH’s greatness and the praise that He is due. Emphasis is placed on what YHVH does, not what He “can do”.

1 A psalm of David, when he fled from Avshalom his son:

2 YHVH, how many enemies I have!
How countless are those attacking me;
3 how countless those who say of me,
“There is no salvation for him in God.” (Selah)

Here we see the situation that David is in, which, I think, magnifies even more what follows. That is, how YHVH sutains us, protects us and delivers us.

4 But you, YHVH, are a shield for me;
you are my glory, you lift my head high.
5 With my voice I call out to YHVH,
and he answers me from his holy hill. (Selah)

YHVH is our Shield. He protects us from our enemies, amongst other things. He is our glory and is the One who lifts our head high. When we call out to Him, he answers our prayers.

6 I lie down and sleep, then wake up again,
because YHVH sustains me.
7 I am not afraid of the tens of thousands
set against me on every side.

YHVH is our sustainer. He is the reason we are alive and wake up each morning. It is because of Him that we need not be afraid of those who are against us.

8 Rise up, YHVH!
Save me, my God!
For you slap all my enemies in the face,
you smash the teeth of the wicked.
9 Victory comes from YHVH;
may your blessing rest on your people. (Selah)

YHVH will save us. He will take care of our enemies. Our victory comes from Him. We don’t have to pursue it on our own. How great is YHVH that He will fight our battles for us?