Psalm 19:7 The TORAH of YHVH is perfect, restoring the soul
We are now almost at the end of the final Festival (Moed – appointed time) of the LORD – Succot or the Feast of Tabernacles. Succot ends at sunset of the 7th day which is Sunday evening, however Monday is another special Shabbat or Holy Convocation – Leviticus 23:36. The Bible does not give this 8th day a name, but it has come to be celebrated as Simchat Torah or the Joy of the Torah. Just the name of this festival tells us that the Jewish people who love YHVH have a very different attitude towards the Torah than the majority of Christians have. The Torah is the foundation of the entire Bible, which is the instruction manual of the Kingdom of YHVH. For almost 2000 years non Jewish believers in the Messiah (Yeshua / Jesus) have declared “We are not under the law, but we are under grace !” thus rejecting the ‘Maker’s’ Manual for the best life we can enjoy while alive on Planet Earth.
Greek orientated Christianity calls it ‘the law’, but the Hebrew word is Torah, which more accurately means ‘instructions’ and King David summed it up nicely when he said in Psalm 19:7 The Torah of YHVH is perfect restoring the soul. David continues all through Psalm 119, to express his love for the Torah of YHVH. Every person who claims to love GOD also ought to have David’s attitude towards the Torah which is reflected in the Jewish celebration of Simchat Torah. The reason behind this special day is that the annual reading cycle of the Torah scroll has come to its end and the scroll is rolled back to the beginning, and the reading cycle begins again. Not everyone of course, but many of the religious Jews love the Word of GOD so much, that to start reading again from Genesis is a cause to celebrate and rejoice.
Normally, in every synagogue in Israel and around the world on Simchat Torah, the Torah scroll is taken out and rolled back to the start and is carried around the sanctuary. Many people will reach out to touch the scroll and then kiss their hand that touched the Word of GOD. If this is done only for the sake of tradition, then it just a worthless religious act, but the majority of Jews who do love the LORD, do this because they really are very grateful and appreciative that the Creator of the Universe, the GOD of Israel, had the grace to give us his Torah – instructions to help us live the best life we can while on Earth. I have seen people with tears of joy in their eyes as the Torah scroll is carried around the sanctuary. In Jerusalem at the Western Wall on Simchat Torah you will see Orthodox Jewish men carrying the scrolls around and dancing with great joy and fervor.
My point is this – if Jewish people who don’t have the Holy Spirit living inside of them can have the right attitude to the Torah, then why do most Christians want to have nothing to do with it? Why is it that most non – Jews want to have nothing to do with the Creator’s manual for a perfect life ? Do we really believe that YHVH being a GOD of grace means that He doesn’t care if His sons and daughters choose to ignore His instructions, many times causing sickness and grief in their lives and in the lives of their families ?
If we truly are living in the End Times as many believe, then the Restoration of Israel which must be fufilled before Heaven will release Yeshua to return to Jerusalem, (Acts 3:21), must surely be followed by the Restoration of the ‘Church’ back to the days of signs, wonders and miracles being the ‘norm’ rather than the exception.. In that case, now must surely be the time for the appreciation and love of the Torah to be restored to every Born-again Christian. In fact the Torah is the very essence of the New Covenant – Jeremiah 31:31 behold the days are coming says YHVH, that I will make a New Covenant …….. I will write my Torah in their hearts.
I believe that I am called as a Messianic Levite to be teaching these things to the Nations as an End Time ministry. Isaiah 2:2-3 It shall come to pass in the latter days that the Torah shall go forth from Zion. Josie and I, and a steadily growing number of Believers around the world sense that the LORD desires that the entire Body of Messiah would celebrate all of His Moedim, as well as Simchat Torah, in Spirit and in Truth, and be able to declare along with King David in Psalm 19:7 The TORAH of YHVH is perfect, restoring the soul. We pray that this comment will inspire you to also see the Torah in a new light and that the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and confirm that what I have written is truly from our Father in Heaven.
As I shared in last weeks comment, the Feasts of the LORD portray His plan for world redemption, and the restoration of His Kingdom on the Earth. Even though Simcha Torah is not a Biblical Feast of YHVH, it does have an amazing prophetic relevance for the future. Just as the scrolls are rolled back to the beginning and the reading cycle starts again, at the end of the Millenium, GOD will roll up the present Heavens and Earth, (finish it) and He will start again with a new and incorruptible Heavens and Earth. The Redemption plan of the LORD will be complete – Hallelu YAH.
This article originally appeared on Out of Zion Ministries and is reposted with permission.