Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus: How the Torah Fulfills Its Goal in Yeshua

by True'th, Witch Hazel, Jorun

Overview

This book addresses the questions about the believer's relationship to the Torah (the five Books of Moses, or the Pentateuch) and its commandments (the Law):

• Since Jesus kept the Law, are believers (Jewish and Gentile) also obliged to keep the Law, or at least some portions of it (Sabbath, the food laws, etc.)?
• What about the Oral Law (rabbinic traditions)?
• How does the Torah point to the Messiah?
• How do we apply the Law of Moses today?

Though this book is based on more than a decade of academic research, it is written with the non-academic reader in mind and provides easy-to-understand answers to the questions related to the Torah and does so in a manner thoroughly rooted in a careful reading of the biblical text.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781941337912
Publisher:	Weaver Book Company
Publication date:	02/01/2018
Edition description:	Expanded
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.70(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Seth Postell (Ph.D. in Hebrew Bible) is the academic dean at One For Israel's Bible College, Israel College of the Bible. He is the author of Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as the Introduction to Torah and Tanak.

Eitan Bar (DMin) is One For Israel's director of media and evangelism.

Erez Soref (Ph.D. in psychology) is the president of One For Israel's Bible College.

Seth, Eitan, and Erez are all Jewish Israeli believers in Yeshua (Jesus).

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Our Unique Terminology 11

Acknowledgements 13

Introduction 15

Chapter 1 The Torah Anticipates Lawbreaking 21

Chapter 2 Failure of Faith Leads to Death 30

Chapter 3 The Torah's Remedy: The Messiah 38

Chapter 4 The Creation Mandate 47

Chapter 5 The Adam-Israel Connection 56

Chapter 6 Poem One: God's Response to the Fall 61

Chapter 7 Poem Two: Jacob Blesses His Sons 70

Chapter 8 Poem Three: Balaam's Oracles 76

Chapter 9 Functions of the Law 84

Chapter 10 God's Compromised Ideals 99

Chapter 11 Moses' Law Today? 104

Chapter 12 Messianic Jewish Identity 118

Conclusion and Final Challenge 125

Bibliography 127

Editorial Reviews

At a time when there is much confusion about the believer's relationship to the law of Moses, Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus brings clarity, and it does so with light, not heat. What a helpful book for all followers of Yeshua, but particularly for Messianic Jews. Authors Postell, Bar, and Soref maintain a high and respectful perspective of Torah while demonstrating its continued role of pointing to the One of whom Moses wrote. If you want to understand the significance of the Torah and its relationship to those who are followers of Messiah, read this outstanding book. And while reading, keep your Bible at hand, take notes, become enlightened and be transformed.

Michael Rydelnik

Most Christians believe the apostle Paul’s assertion to Timothy that ‘all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable’ for disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. But how many Christians truly study the Old Testament in their own devotions, or feel that they really understand the differences in—and the relationship between—the Old and New Testaments? Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a tremendous resource for anyone interested in understanding the ‘whole counsel’ of Scripture, the fundamental purpose of the Mosaic law, the power of the Messianic prophecies, and how to engage in effective and fruitful Jewish evangelism and discipleship. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend it to pastors and lay people alike!

Joel C. Rosenberg

We are often told that by traditional Jews that they don’t need Yeshua because they have the Torah. Yet Yeshua told the Jewish leaders of his day that, if they truly believed Moses, they would believe in him. How can this be? The authors of this exciting new book, written with humility and clarity, and based on solid academic research, explain just what Yeshua meant, even demonstrating that the ultimate goal of the Torah is to point to him. Your eyes will be opened as you read.

Michael L. Brown

The one most confusing issue among Messianic Jews (and today, also among many Gentiles believers) is the role of the Torah in the life of the believer. In the movement there are many who claim to be ‘Torah observant’ but fail to read the details of what was commanded by God through Moses, and often as they claim to keep the Torah, they are actually breaking the specific laws involved in keeping the Torah. In the end, while they are preaching Torah, they practice grace. Thus the publication of Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus is a welcome contribution to the discussion that will clearly clarify all the issues from a solid biblical perspective and help many believers reach a biblical balance on the role and purpose of the Torah.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum

The discussion of the law and believers in Messiah has been a topic of discussion ever since Jesus showed up and many Jews and Gentiles proclaimed him as the fulfillment of promise. This is a brilliant little book showing Torah was not just about law but also about the prospect of promise and the need for that Messiah. What Torah promised pointed ultimately of the need for God working from within. That message rings loud and clear in this book with an explanation to match.

Darrell L. Bock

Christians have discussed and debated for centuries the role of the law now that Christ has come. The authors of this delightful and clear book show that the Old Testament itself teaches that the law cannot save. Indeed, a right reading of the Old Testament points to the Messiah as the one who forgives sins, and thus Christians are oriented fundamentally to Jesus instead of the law. Here we have a biblical-theological reading of the Old Testament that is insightful and instructive, and readers will see the wonderful unity of the whole Bible in this work. I warmly welcome this contribution from Jewish believers in Jesus.

Thomas R. Schreiner

Exegetically solid, theologically sound, contemporaneously relevant, eminently readable—all these qualifiers are true and will prove to be vindicated by its intended readership. Especially commendable—and that lends it authenticity—is the fact that its authors are Israeli scholars who embrace messianic faith that names Jesus of Nazareth as Savior and Lord. This is a must!

Eugene H. Merrill