Rabbi’s Reflections – Monday, April 3, 2023
Shalom,
Follow Yeshua And Never Die – Romans, part 57
Romans 5:13 For up until the Torah, sin was in the world; but sin does not count as sin when there is no law.
It’s hard to write about this verse, because in itself, it is only part of a thought. It is near the beginning of a discourse that will take us to the end of Romans chapter 5. The whole thought is found in this last verse of chapter 5…. Romans 5:21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness, to eternal life through Messiah Yeshua our Lord. We’re going to take the rest of this week to unpack this.
Why did Adam die? That’s an easy question, he sinned by transgressing the one law God gave him. Genesis 2:16 Then Adonai Elohim commanded the man saying, “From all the trees of the garden you are most welcome to eat. 17 But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you must not eat. For when you eat from it, you most assuredly will die! But Adam did eat, and immediately he lost intimate relationship with God. Adam suffered spiritual death (separation from God). He no longer radiated light (like Moses did) from being in God’s presence. Suddenly, man knew he was naked and felt ashamed.
That’s simple and straightforward. But why did all of Adam’s offspring (and then their offspring) also die? Because Adam could only reproduce who he was (each after his own kind). Adam sinned based on breaking one rule. After that, he and all those who came after him, could only only reproduce sinners. Each one died in Adam’s sin, not his own.
God gave the Mosaic covenant so that mankind would know God’s standard of righteousness, not to fix Adam’s sin. God had to send His own Son for that. Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Torah or the Prophets! I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.” Yeshua sums up His comments with the last verse of Matthew 5.
Matthew 5:48 “Therefore be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
How do we know what that looks like? Yeshua is our example of obedience to God’s commands. Yeshua told the Apostles, “Follow me.” He is calling each of us in the same way. When we do follow Him, we break the curse of Adam and enter into the eternal life of Yeshua, Who is the way.
Matthew 12:50 “For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
And how do we know the “will” of the Father? We learn it from His “Testament.” There is a day coming when every man shall stand before God for his own sin. But for those who follow Yeshua, that day will never come. Choose wisely and follow Him. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Mon 3 April 2023 12th of Nisan, 5783
Ex 33:17-19 Isa 37 Pr 27 Ac 26 (Rev 20)