Torah: Is it liberty or bondage?

Our little Miniature Schnauzer, Dallas, is a really good dog. He doesn’t bark much, he's never chewed up anything, and he has never attempted to run away. He's old now, almost blind and deaf, and we no longer take him for walks because his hind legs are weak. When he needs to go out, we simply let him run loose in his little fenced-in backyard which is just off the back porch, where we can keep an eye on him.

Actually, the little 18-inch tall fence is only comprised of a few strands of wire attached to some posts. It keeps Dallas contained, but in no way deters the wildlife that roams in the woods behind our house (including at least one lynx and a bear!).

Well, while Dallas never attempts to jump over or crawl under, we never thought that he might accidentally fall THROUGH it – which is exactly what he did one day while standing on the porch, furiously barking at the neighbor’s dogs. (Dallas has this habit of bouncing up and down while barking, and he got too close to the edge of the porch, and BAM! – he just fell out.)

Baffled and confused, he rousted himself, walked around a bit, and then began to frantically try to figure out a way to get back in. (Any other dog would have enjoyed his new-found freedom and gone exploring, or simply jumped back over or crawled under the fence. But not our Dallas! No way! Bill had to rescue him by stepping across the fence to physically pick Dallas up and haul him back in….)

Anyway, this situation got me to thinking about how Torah (the first five Books of Moses) is OUR “fence.” As long as we stay inside of YHWH’s Torah rules, we’re safe from “the world” because we have ELOHIM "keeping an eye on us." His Ruach (Holy Spirit), is there to constantly remind us of His Divine Instructions in Righteousness designed keep us from harm, and from the claws of enemy of this world who is forever prowling around seeking to devour.

But all bets are off the moment we venture outside Torah and begin to wander off. (As you know, we have the free will to do whatever we wish - which includes remaining in the world, or doing an “about-face” and returning to YHWH’s Torah. This was exactly what our little Dallas did - which was a good thing, because just yards away were our neighbors' two big dogs, who could have torn him to pieces within seconds! Luckily, their dogs are held at bay by their "invisible fence" - but Dallas had the option to step right over it, and wander into their territory…)

YHWH gave mankind His Torah to keep His people safe from "the world" - a place where, after Adam and Eve had eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, we could know the difference between right and wrong, good and bad. In short, He gave us a Divine blueprint for moral, holy living, which in the simplest of terms, prescribes this:

"I am the Creator who made you; worship me only. Do this … but don't do that, or else you and others will get hurt. Eat this … but don't eat that because it could make you sick or even kill you. Treat your fellow man thusly. Follow my rules and all will go well with you and yours. Do it because I am God and I SAID so! I am ADONAI and I know what's best for you."

Unfortunately, religion and religiosity crept into the world and broke the relationship with YHWH and His people, most of whom insisted on "jumping the fence." Like Adam and Eve, He gave us all the choice to obey Him, or not. They chose not to, as have most of their offspring! But the thing is, if we don't obey YHWH, then we are catering to Satan. There is no in between; no "tolerance" in the Kingdom; something that seems to be today's buzzword....

In modern day America where we have thrown God out of our schools, we have raised several generations who not only don't want God in their lives, but they hate any form of godliness and are embracing the occult, instead! We are not only condoning occultism and pagan "religions" and ideology, but everything else that YHWH calls an abomination - such as homosexuality, idolatry, bigotry, adultery, etc. - and we're doing it all in the name of "tolerance". The world seems to be turned upside down!

In Deuteronomy 6 YHWH said: 4 "Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad [Hear and do], Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one]; 5 and you are to love ADONAI your God with all your heart, all your being and all your resources. 6 These words, which I am ordering you today, are to be on your heart; 7 and you are to teach them carefully to your children. You are to talk about them when you sit at home, when you are traveling on the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them on your hand as a sign, put them at the front of a headband around your forehead, 9and write them on the door-frames of your house and on your gates. (CJB)

Please take a few minutes to read the REST of Deuteronomy 6, and allow yourself to realize that, contrary to popular belief, those words weren’t meant for just “the Jews” because YHWH ordered ALL who chose to follow Him, to do exactly as His people have always done (see Numbers 15:13-16 where He said it FOUR TIMES in a row!). Same God, same rules – as we learned when He was speaking to all 12 Tribes AND the Egyptians (mixed multitude) who had followed Moses out of Egypt!

Which commands still apply to us today? (Remember, many of the Torah commands were for the Levite Priests, while some were meant only for men and others only for women; but some were meant for ALL throughout their generations!) This article on our website explains.

In closing, we have kept our little Dallas safe for almost 14 years now, safe from "the world" and all its dangers, thanks to the watchful eyes of his human parents. ADONAI is doing the same thing for those who are His; so, remain faithful and do your best to stay on HIS Path until that glorious day when you get to "cross over" into the Kingdom of Heaven where no evil exists!

Revelation 21:3 I heard a loud voice from the throne say, "See! God's Sh'khinah is with mankind, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and he himself, God-with-them, will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away." (CJB)

For more on that “Torah fence”, please check out our website’s article of the same title.