This is an excellent book for those who like to dig deeper into the Scriptures and who in particular want to understand better how to read the Torah in the light of Jesus and the New Covenant. Written by three Jewish believers in Jesus who are all part of One For Israel, the book’s subtitle perfectly sums up what it is all about.

Pointing to Messiah

We’re told the book has two aims. One is to provide answers to questions about the believer’s relationship to the Law, especially Jewish believers in Jesus. They recognise this is a contentious issue and acknowledge there are two main (and quite differing) arguments, but they believe “this book offers a unique contribution to the discussion” (p17). The second aim is to show how Yeshua is the Torah’s goal, something which they achieve with skill and thoroughness.

An important point they clarify from the start is the difference between Torah as a whole and the Law, which is only part of the Torah. They assert that many people read the Torah as though it was a law book and believe that to follow Torah is to keep the commandments of the Sinai covenant. “We disagree with this common assumption”, say the authors. ‘Rather, our thesis about the purpose of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) is that it is an historical narrative, whose purpose is to lead Israel through the broken Law and beyond, namely, to the Messiah who, Moses assures his readers, will come in the last days” (pp.17-18).

The purpose of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy) is that it is an historical narrative, whose purpose is to lead Israel through the broken Law and beyond, namely, to the Messiah who, Moses assures his readers, will come in the last days.

This is their main thesis and it occupies all 12 chapters of the book, which comprises a steadily developing and compelling series of studies. The crucial point is that the Law was never intended to be kept as it never could be kept. It had a larger purpose and to this end it had to become a broken Law. Only that way could it point to the real solution to man’s fallen nature, namely the coming of Messiah.

Faith in Torah

The opening chapter focuses on how the Torah begins (Gen 1-11) and ends (Deut 29-34). Here it is stated that “introductions and conclusions in biblical literature typically contain the major themes and purpose of entire books” (p.23). In the case of the Torah, both the beginning and ending depict failure and disobedience; Adam’s failure will be repeated by Israel, indeed Moses predicts this. He does not expect Israel to be able to keep the Law but Genesis 3:15 has already indicated a different solution, namely a person, a human offspring who will deal a death blow to the evil one and all his works.

In chapter two, we are asked to consider the matter of faith in Torah, and that though faith is not mentioned frequently, it is mentioned strategically in terms of the structure of the Torah as a whole. All mentions of faith, most notably that of Abraham (Gen 15:6), occur before the giving of the Law. Equally in the pre-Sinai sections of Exodus we read about Israel’s faith, but once the law is given there is only unbelief, disobedience and death. Clearly, the Law did not produce faith in Israel, and without faith there is no righteousness. Once again we see that the Law is pointing to something it cannot do, something that must ultimately be found elsewhere.

All mentions of faith, most notably that of Abraham (Gen 15:6), occur before the giving of the Law.

Real purpose of the Law

The middle chapters consider the creation mandate in Genesis and the Adam-Israel connection (which is the theme of another book by one of these authors, Seth Postell – watch out for a future review in PT). There is also a detailed scrutiny of three ‘poetic speeches’ in the Torah’s story, namely God’s response to the Fall (Gen 3:14-19), Jacob blessing his sons (Gen 49) and Balaam’s oracles (Num 24).

After this comes a key chapter towards which the whole thesis has been building. Here we find the real purpose of the Law, as the authors examine six of its main functions: tutor, shadow, theology, love, wisdom, prosecuting attorney. Details of these are given from the New Testament writings; for instance Paul talks about the Law being our tutor or guardian leading us to Christ (Gal 3), and Hebrews mentions repeatedly the difference between the original shadows and the substance we now have in Christ.

We should not throw the Law out of the window as obsolete and useless, rather use it to find greater meaning in our relationship with Jesus and what he has done for us.

It is clear that in all these functions we can still gain a lot by meditating on the Law and realise that “The Law, as part of the Torah story as a whole, continues to function as inspired Scripture that teaches, informs, and instructs” (p.97). We should not throw the Law out of the window as obsolete and useless, rather use it to find greater meaning in our relationship with Jesus and what he has done for us.

A compromised ideal

Chapter Ten talks about the Law as God’s compromised ideal, the initial ‘baby steps’ that Israel as a new nation needed on its journey from slavery to being free to live for God among pagan nations. God could not reverse the effect of Adam’s fall and take mankind back to his ideal in one giant leap. The Law as given to Israel was, however, a movement in that direction and in many ways made great progress, but, as always, we see, and feel, the need for more, a Messiah to come.

The final chapters talk of the Messianic Jewish movement today, its identity and relationship to the Law. These round off a superb book, short enough not to be daunting but rich enough to occupy the reader’s thinking for a long time.

‘Reading Moses, Seeing Jesus’ (128pp) is published by One For Israel, and is available from Eden Christian Books for £13.32 (inc p&p).