Ask this question to many people and receive many opinions. However, no opinion matters unless it is based on God’s Word.
What does matter is the truth.
But what is the truth?
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, And Your law is truth.
(Psalms 119:142 NKJV throughout unless otherwise noted)"Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
(John 17:17)It is pretty plain, God’s Word and His Law are truth. It stands to reason then that if we can find the answer in God’s Word, then it is the truth:
Who is the God of the Old Testament, specifically the One who gave the Law (or Torah) at Mount Sinai?
Who created the earth?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.
(John 1:1-4)In the beginning a divine being called the Word, who was with God and was God (the Word) created all things.
And the Word became 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.
(John 1:14)The Word, who became flesh was Yeshua (Jesus).
in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence.
(Colossians 1:14-18)At this point we have sufficiently proven that our Messiah (Christ), is the One who was the Word, who created all things and became flesh for our redemption and salvation.
Has anyone seen the Father?
And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."
(Genesis 32:30)So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend…
(Exodus 33:11)"The LORD talked with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.
(Deuteronomy 5:4)But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,
(Deuteronomy 34:10)Above are verses proving Jacob and Moses saw the LORD, face to face. The same LORD who gave the Old Covenant Law (Torah).
But listen to the words of our savior Yeshua who said:
"Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word.
(John 8:55)"O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.
(John 17:25)So we see that no one knows the Father. Yet it is said Moses spoke to God face to face as a friend. Exodus 33:11
No one has seen the Father
except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. (John 6:46 NIV emphasis added)No one has seen the Father, except Yeshua! So we have now proven at least that it was not the Father who spoke to Moses face to face or gave the Torah on Sinai.
A=B=C
Anyone familiar with Zoroth’s Law of Thermodynamics understands A=B=C.
Which states: "If object A is in thermal equilibrium with object B and If object A is in thermal equilibrium with object C, then object B must be in thermal equilibrium with object C".
Normally you hear this stated: If A=B and B=C then A=C.
So what does Zoroth’s law have to do with this article? Using this principle we will begin to answer our original question from God’s Word.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
(Psalms 16:10)Who is this speaking about. What event is it describing?
Of course this is referring to Yeshua and His Resurrection.
Point #1 Yeshua is called the Holy One.
For the LORD is our defence; and the Holy One of Israel is our king.
(Psalms 89:18 KJV)Point #2 The Holy One is our King.
Do not be afraid, O worm Jacob, O little Israel, for I myself will help you," declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
(Isaiah 41:14 NIVUS)Point #3 Our Redeemer is the Holy One
At this point The Holy One of Israel is our King and Our Redeemer.
For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
(Isaiah 43:3)Point #4 The Holy One of Israel is our Savior, which is Yeshua.
As for
our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, The Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 47:4)Point #5 Our Redeemer is called the LORD of Hosts, who is also called the Holy one of Israel.
Believe it or not, this is all referring to our Messiah.
How many of the prophecies in the Bible start out by saying: Thus says the LORD of Hosts?
…Because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.
(Isaiah 5:24B)The Hebrew word for Law is Torah (Torah means instruction). Isaiah is talking about the Torah given at Mount Sinai which was rejected. So it was the One who became Yeshua (Jesus) who gave the Law (or Torah) at Sinai.
Other proofs
(For the LORD is our Judge, The LORD is our Lawgiver, The LORD is our King; He will save us);
(Isaiah 33:22)Who saves us, who is our judge? Isaiah says the One who saves us (Yeshua) is also our Judge and our Lawgiver and our King.
There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save
and to destroy. Who are you to judge another? (James 4:12 emphasis added)Who is able to save us? The answer of course is Yeshua. James says He is our one Lawgiver.
In Luke, Satan is tempting Yeshua,
Then he brought Him to Jerusalem, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down from here. "For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you,’ "and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’" And Jesus answered and said to him, "It has been said, ‘You shall not tempt the LORD your God.’"
(Luke 4:9-12)Note: Yeshua said, You shall not tempt the LORD your God.
Who was Satan tempting?
Yeshua is declaring to Satan that He is the LORD God. Yeshua is quoting from Deuteronomy 6:16
"You shall not tempt the LORD your God as you tempted Him in Massah.
(Deuteronomy 6:16)The word for LORD in Hebrew is YHWH or YHVH and is translated as LORD 6510 times. [For a more complete study on the Names of God click here.]
Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea,
(1 Corinthians 10:1)What event is being described? Obviously the crossing of the Red Sea.
all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them…
(1 Corinthians 10:2-4)Who is the spiritual Rock referring to? The rest of the verse answers the question.
…and that Rock was Christ. (1 Corinthians 10:4)Paul is saying that Christ (Messiah) is the One who lead the children of Israel through the Red Sea!
"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
(Exodus 20:2)This is the beginning of the 10 commandments listed in Exodus 20. So the One who brought the Israelites out of Egypt also gave the Law at Sinai.
If you now believe and understand it was Messiah who gave the Torah at Sinai then this probably changes many of your beliefs about the Old Testament. Lets look at what Yeshua said about His commandments in the New Testament.
"If you love Me, keep My commandments.
(John 14:15)In John, Yeshua is saying, If you Love me keep My commandments. What commandments?, All those in the Old and New Testaments which He gave!.
Note again Exodus 20 verse 6 (part of the 10 commandments)
but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
(Exodus 20:6)"who love Me, and keep My commandments" It was Yeshua who gave the 10 commandments!
Yeshua taught from the Old Testament or Tanach which is an acronym for Torah, Prophets, and Writings.
Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
(Luke 24:44)Note the 3 sections of the Tanach listed in this verse. So Yeshua is saying that all things in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must be fulfilled.
How do we know what sin is?
Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. (1 John 3:4)
This is the only definition of sin in the Bible. Sin is not keeping the Law. What Law?
"Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
(Matthew 5:17)The above verse is a Hebrew idiom. It is said, when someone teaches the Torah incorrectly he is destroying the Torah. But when teaching correctly it is said he is fulfilling the Torah.
So Yeshua came to correctly teach the Law, (Torah). Not only did He teach the Torah from the Old Testament, but He magnified it in the New Testament.
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
(Matthew 5:21-22) This is an example of Yeshua magnifying the Law. [See: What Laws are Fulfulled]The Law is still good for us
Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.
(Romans 7:12)For we know that the law is spiritual…
(Romans 7:14)Many people today are waiting for the return of Yeshua. But before that, someone in the spirit of Elijah must come.
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
(Malachi 4:5)Verse 6 shows Elijah’s work, but what is His message? Look at verse 4.
"Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments.
(Malachi 4:4)Conclusion:
If you take the Bible for what it says and not what you think is says, you may find there are many wrong ideas which you were taught. It is our responsibility to check out what we believe. Ignorance is never an excuse.
"But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.
(Matthew 12:36)And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
(Hebrews 4:13)Pray to God and ask Him to show you His truth in His Word. Ask Him to show you where you need to change your life.
Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, Who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden In the day of the LORD’S anger. (Zephaniah 2:3)"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
(Matthew 7:7)In writing this article, I do not want to pretend that there is a difference between our Father and His Son. Yeshua came to do the will of the Father.
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
(John 5:30)God the Father and God the Son are one.
If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.
(John 14:7)Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!
(Deuteronomy 6:4)Yeshua did not come to set up a different plan from the one of the Old Testament. Many today want to separate the Old and New Testaments. The reality of the matter is both are needed and intended from the beginning. There is no separation, just like there is no separation of the Father and Son.