Rabbi’s Reflections – Thursday, July 20, 2023
Shalom,
One In Messiah part 20 – Romans, part 131
Romans 10:4 For Messiah is the goal of the Torah as a means to righteousness for everyone who keeps trusting.
Rabbi Trail: When communicating by radio within the police (or Sheriff’s) department, we use what are called “ten codes.” They vary from department to department. The ten code “10-4” means message received and understood. Today we are reading Romans 10:4. Oh that we might have the grace to receive this message and understand it.
Got time for a side note, sort of a Rabbi Trail from the Rabbi Trail? As you probably know, I’ve been a law enforcement chaplain for the Knox County Sheriff’s Department for the last 21 years. Part of my original training was how to properly use the radio while on duty. The instruction was to radio in when arriving on a scene, and radio an exit message when leaving a scene.
The codes are 10-97 when arriving and 10-98 when leaving. Once I got flustered when arriving and radioed “chaplain 8, 10-87” by mistake. There were snickers from the officers as I walked up to the house. My 10-87 meant I was with a crazy person, or if alone, I am a crazy person. Still makes me chuckle. End RT.
The point of our subject verse is that the goal of the Torah is to bring us to righteousness. This cannot be done without Yeshua HaMashiach. Yeshua brings grace to the truth of the Torah. However; without the truth of the Torah, grace has no meaning. Saved from what? Saved from sin! But, how do we know sin (violation of the Torah) except we know the Torah. Without the Torah, we can’t relate properly to Yeshua and without Yeshua we can’t relate properly to the Torah.
So much opportunity to get this all wrong. This isn’t helped by the King James Version, which translates the verse… Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. KJV People read “For Christ is the end law…” and believe the law is done away. That false belief requires the “cutting away” (using what I like to call “exacto knife theology”) of many valuable verses like these….
Yeshua specifically warned us against such heresy. Matthew 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.
John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
What was that last phrase, “grace and truth?” (Emphasis added.) Yes, they go together. The truth is God’s loving commandments. The Torah without Yeshua is like a glove without a hand. I want to change the meaning of an old rabbinic saying. The rabbis have said, “Eretz Yisrael B’li Torah, K’Guf B’li Neshama.” Meaning, “The land of Israel without Torah is like a body without a soul.” I want to change it to say, “Torah B’li Yeshua, K’Guf B’li Neshama!” Meaning, “The Torah without Yeshua, is like a body without a soul.” That’s what our subject verse means to me. Shalom shalom.
Daily Bread, reading plan by Lars Enarson (https://www.thewatchman.org/)
Thu 20 July 2023 2nd of Av, 5783
De 2:2-30 Ez 26 1 Ch 6 Col 2 (Lk 23:1-25)