What is Torah?

You will come across a word in most of my postings that you maybe unfamiliar with. Some of you maybe familiar with it. The word I am speaking of is 'torah'. Torah is the hebrew word for 'law' in the Old Testament. Torah can be simply defined as the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch. The word "torah" has many definitions (click the link for definitions). We find that the word 'torah' can mean 'teaching', 'instruction', 'direction', 'law' and so on. What was 'Torah' given for? It was given for, if we understand the definition, the teaching and instruction of the God's people; you and me. I quoted in a previous post Matthew 5:17. Jesus did not come to abolish or destroy 'torah'/law, He came to fulfill it. If Jesus had broken torah, could He have fulfilled it? NO. Jesus had to live out torah perfectly in order to fulfill it. If I had time, I'd go into greater detail. If Jesus never broke torah but lived it perfectly, could it be he was the goal of the Torah and not the end of the Torah? I'll give you an example. In the book of Deuteronomy chapter eighteen verse eighteen, Moses said to the Israelites, that the Lord will raise up a prophet like him and I will put my words in His mouth and he will tell them everything I command him. Not only that, but in Matthew 10:6, Jesus confirms these words when he says, "I have come for the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

So a prophet like Moses will appear who will speak everything the Lord commands him and he will be from their own people. He will be a descendant of Israel. Who could Moses be speaking of? He is speaking of our Savior. Jesus Christ. He will come and proclaim all the Lord commands him. What will the Lord command him to speak? The New Testament certainly was not in existance during Jesus' lifetime. What is He going to proclaim? He proclaimed 'torah' and the prophets. Why? He is the one the law/torah and prophets spoke of. He was the fulfillment of everything the law and prophets spoke of. Jesus taught the living application of all of the 'torah'. He is the Living Torah. He did not proclaim a different law than His Father did through Moses. If he did away with it, then how will we know when we sin? Paul said that we know sin through torah/law. John 5:45-46 is another scripture worth checking out and pondering over.

I will address the meaning of the word "fulfill" at a later date. I felt it necessary to define the term 'torah' before I posted anything more until I defined this important hebrew term.

Here is a link with a more detailed definition.