Did you know that ALL believers are to be Torah observant?

WE’LL START WITH THE PASSAGE WHERE ADONAI ELOHIM COMMANDED THIS FOUR TIMES IN A ROW:

Numbers 15:13 "'Every citizen is to do these things in this way when presenting an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI. 14 If a foreigner stays with you - or whoever may be with you, through all your generations - and he wants to bring an offering made by fire as a fragrant aroma for ADONAI, he is to do the same as you.

15 For this community there will be the same law for you as for the foreigner living with you; this is a permanent regulation through all your generations; the foreigner is to be treated the same way before ADONAI as yourselves. 16 The same Torah and standard of judgment will apply to both you and the foreigner living with you.'" (CJB)

1 John 2:3 The way we can be sure we know him is if we are obeying his commands. 4 Anyone who says, "I know him," but isn't obeying his commands is a liar – the truth is not in him. 5 But if someone keeps doing what he says, then truly love for God has been brought to its goal in him. This is how we are sure that we are united with him. 6 A person who claims to be continuing in union with him ought to conduct his life the way he did. (CJB)

(And how did Y'shua walk? In Torah!)

1 John 2:7 My beloved, I write no new commandment to you, but the old Commandment which you had from the beginning; and the old Commandment is the Word which you have heard. (AENT)

Proverbs 24:12 If you say, "See, we did not know this," Does He not consider it who weighs the hearts? And does He not know it who keeps your soul? And will He not render to man according to his work? (CJB)

Proverbs 28:9 If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination. (CJB) (See also 1 Peter 3:12, Proverbs 15:29, James 5:16, Isaiah 59:2, James 4:3-8, James 1:6-7, John 15:7, Revelation 21:8, etc.)

Romans 10:12. And in this, it discriminates neither Jews nor Gentiles. For there is one, Master YHWH, over them all, who is abundantly generous towards every one that calls on him. 13. For everyone that will call on the name of Master YHWH, will have life. (AENT)

John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commands; (CJB)

Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was enraged against the woman; and he went to make war upon the remnant of her seed who keep the Commandments of Elohim and have the testimony of Y'shua. (AENT)

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about. 14 For God will bring to judgment everything we do, including every secret, whether good or bad. [Here is the final conclusion, now that you have heard everything: fear God, and keep his mitzvot; this is what being human is all about.] (CJB)

Paul reiterated the above:

Romans 3:19. Now we know, that whatever Torah says, it says to them who are under Torah; that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world be guilty before Elohim.  20. And so it must be that, by the deeds of Torah, no flesh is justified before him: for, by Torah, sin is known.  21. But now, the righteousness of Elohim without Torah, is manifested; and Torah[2] and the prophets testify of it.

22. Even the righteousness of Elohim, which is by faith in Y'shua the Mashiyach for every one and on every one that believes in him: for there is no distinction;  23. For they have all sinned, and failed of the glory of Elohim.  24. And they are granted the status of being righteous by grace and by the redemption which is in Y'shua the Mashiyach  25. Whom Elohim has ordained in advance a propitiation by faith in his blood, because of our previous sins  26. In the space which Elohim in his long suffering gave to us for the manifestation of his righteousness at the present time, that he might be righteous, and might with righteousness make him righteous who is in the faith of our Master Y'shua the Mashiyach.

27. Where then is glorying? It is completely unmade. By what Torah? By that of works? No! But by the Torah of faith.  28. We therefore conclude, that it is by faith a man is being made righteous, and not by the works[3] of Torah.  29. For, is he the Elohim of the Jews only and not of the Gentiles? No, but of the Gentiles also.  Because there is one Elohim who makes righteous the circumcision by faith, and the uncircumcision by  30. the same faith.  31.  Do, we then nullify Torah by faith? May it never be! On the contrary, we establish Torah.  (AENT)

NOTES:

[1]  Torah sets YHWH's boundaries as to what is good or evil behavior; therefore, this cannot and does not make Torah a bad thing, but a very good thing!  Rav Shaul returns to this precise point again in the seventh chapter.

[2]   Y'shua qualified as Mashiyach because he fulfilled all Torah and Prophetic requirements, and he became Torah.  Torah is written upon the heart by the Ruach haKodesh; the Spirit of Mashiyach is Torah which is the Spirit of Mashiyach, or the Manifestation (Word) of YHWH which became flesh and dwelt among us.  Therefore, if we live "in" Y'shua we also become Torah.  It is evil to posture that Rav Shaul brought Torah down, when in fact Y'shua and Paul restored and elevated Torah to be the foundation of a spiritual dialogue with Heaven.

[3]  The terms "works of Torah" and "under Torah" predate Paul by hundreds of years.  These terms were discovered in the Dead Sea Scrolls (A Sectarian Manifesto 4QMMT:4Q394-399); while originally referring to the ultra religious halacha of the Essenes, the same principles apply to the Pharisees' halacha. These two phrases are also mentioned in Romans 6:14, 15; 9:32; 1 Corinthians 9:20; 21; Galatians 2:16; 3:2, 5, 10, 23; 4:4, 5, 21; 5:18. "Under Torah" refers to the orthodox/traditional interpretation and observance of Torah.

Religious halacha is clearly NOT what Y'shua or Paul followed in their observance of Torah. The Renewed Covenant promise in Jeremiah 31:33 is to write the Torah of YHWH upon the hearts of His people, not the "Torah of men."  The idiomatic expression "works of Torah" provides insight to those of a "traditional" Jewish upbringing.  Paul references Jews at the beginning of this chapter; in verse 19 he states "Now we know" referring to those who understand Torah and halacha.

So YES, Torah IS VERY important!  As a matter of fact, the following passage in Psalms sums it all up – and here you can view it in at least 16 different Bible versions!

Proverbs 28:9 If a person will not listen to Torah, even his prayer is an abomination. (CJB)