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Shoftim “Judges”
Torah Does Not Need Restoration
The title should get your undivided attention! You might wonder if I have
been spending too many hours with my cows and goats and have lost it, reverting
to old ways. Not to be concerned. Just keep reading!
For a number of years I have been challenging people to write the Torah.
I have no idea how many have taken on this task. But it seems that everywhere
I go someone will mention they are writing the Torah. One lady recently even
blamed me for her writer's cramps, but then thanked me for them. The verse
we have used for writing Torah is in this week's portion. It is addressed
specifically to the king. My premise has been that Yeshua is our King and
a commandment good enough for Him is also good enough for us.
The commandment to write the Torah of course is a good one, but it is only
half of the equation. The rest of the verse states that the king is also
to read the Torah every single day. This brings me back to the title.
A couple of weeks ago I was visiting a local congregation. The leader made
the following statement, "Torah does not need to be restored, it needs
to be read!" That statement was worth the trip into the big city for
me. I began to think this through and recall how many books there are about
restoration of the Torah. I am not putting these books down, but rather asking
that we take a new look at the basis of what we are being taught by them.
Is it really the Torah that needs to be restored? Is Torah like an old car
that has rusted out through the years, needs new tires, paint and an engine
overhaul? I think not.
Though the Torah has been stolen from the family of Elohim for many years
the problem has never been with Torah, but rather those who are not following
it. Torah does not need to be restored. It is as bright, shiny and perfect
as it was on the day it was given to Moses. What needs to be restored is
not Torah, but rather us. Yes, we are the ones who are rusty, broken down
and in need of repair. It is the Torah in our lives which will bring forth
a restoration like the world has never seen before.
How do we see this restoration? It is really very simple. The first step
is to admit that we are the ones that need to be restored, not Torah and
not our Creator. It is a process mentioned in Acts this week called Teshuvah.
Teshuvah is simply turning from our old ways and mindsets and taking on a
new way, His way. How do we know this new way though? It is through the reading
and observance of His Word. Deuteronomy tells us to read it daily.
It is amazing to me how busy life can be these days. It seems that I no more
than get up in the morning when it is time to go to bed, so I can get up.
It seems that it doesn’t take as long to spend the night somewhere
as in previous days. Do you know what I mean? With this speeding up of time
there are many things that get shorted. The relationship with our spouse,
children and friends can get mixed up in our priority list, not to mention
our relationship with Abba. The downhill slide begins when His Word no longer
is a priority in our day. We forget to read or become too busy to read. One
day becomes two, becomes three, and then a week. Shabbat rolls around and
not only have we not read any Scripture in the past week, we do not even
know where our Bible is. Am I starting to meddle yet? Am I getting close
to home?
We are coming quickly to the end of the Torah cycle this year. We will begin
again in a few short weeks. How about beginning this week a practice of not
reading scripture on a weekly basis, but make it a rule of your life to read
daily. Allow His Word to cleanse you, to direct you and to heal you on a
daily basis. Remember, it is not Torah that needs to be restored, but you
and I. We need our spirits, souls, bodies, relationships, finances and much
more restored. We all need a good overhaul, one that only He is capable of
accomplishing.
If you are writing Torah, keep it up. If you have not begun to write, consider
it. By all means though if you are not reading on a daily basis, realize
the scripture says it is a command, not a good suggestion for our well-being
and restoration.
