Daily Insights - Jesus in the Weekly Torah Portions
The Torah (which literally means “instruction” or “teaching”) is contained in the first five books of the Bible which were given by God to Moses. The Torah is the foundation on which the rest of the Bible is built; it is the bedrock on which biblical faith is built. It is made up of :
- Commandments
- Judgements
- Precepts (principles)
- Law
- Testimony (examples)
- Statutes (customs)
You see all this set out in Psalm 19. These 6 descriptions of what God told Moses to write down in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy are the basis of our faith. If you read Psalm 119, you will clearly see how every verse of the Psalm sings the praises of these six explanations of what the Torah is.
The early Hebrews divided these five books of Moses into 52 portions (one for each week of the year) to enable God’s people to read through them once a year, and in this way make these teachings so much a part of their lives that they become automatic. In more modern times, as some Christians came to understand that the roots of our Christian faith cannot be separated from the Old Testament and that the depth and beauty of these five books are the rock on which our faith rests, they too began to follow these weekly teachings and to wrestle with their meaning and how they apply to us in the light of Jesus and His sacrifice.
So, we read the portions through the week together with our “elder brothers” – Israel. I trust that you too will be blessed as you grow in His Holy Word.
Linda Joubert and her Father Pastor Peter Grobler have written this book as a simple introduction to a Messianic understanding of the Christian faith and to encourage Believers to delve into the Word and find the precious treasures about Messiah in these last days. “The unfolding of your words gives light…” (Psalm119:130)