Lawless ones? To be without law or lawless ones, means to be without foundation or Torah law…
Shalom Alecheim….
Welcome to the 18th weekly Torah read cycle, of the Israelites you are, where “Mishpatim” has several Hebrew interpretations as “laws”, or “ordinances” or “judgements”. This is a fascinating subject, where today’s contributing writings are assisted by an Asst Rabbi who studies criminal laws, reasonably knows civil laws, and plans pre-law studies to become an attorney. Many Christians were taught the phrases of prophecy writings talking about the “lawless one”, and thought perhaps it was a obscure future “Anti-Christ” of some nebulous mysterious description. The “lawless one”, is actually the person who’s religious beliefs or life, is without following Torah law. Torah, is the laws. Torah can also mean “instruction”. 613 laws in this section. The Christians mistranslations of the KJV does not, ever once say, there is no law anymore, and that Christians do not need to follow the laws, or somehow less so than the Jews. It’s a contradictory bizzare false teaching that is not found at all in the bible, even though this author once was taught that and followed that thinking for awhile before waking up to the clarity of the text. Your takeaway point is, Christians, Jews, same laws, same text, same Yahweh. Pictured above is a serious looking Moses, instructing in Yahweh’s laws.
Mishpatim (“Laws”) goes over a series of Yahweh’s laws that Moses gives to the Israelites (yes, that means you). These include laws about treatment of “slaves”, damages, loans, returning lost property, the Shabbat, the sabbatical year, holidays, and destroying idolatry. The portion then ends as Moses ascends Mount Sinai for 40 days. There is much controversy about was it really “slaves”, or was it referring to what is in effect, workers, and seasonal roaming migrant workers, etc.. Also, realize there is popular American Christian theologies that Yashua somehow changed, or did away with the laws. Not only did Yashua not change any of the laws, no human has the authority to do so, which includes his disciples alleged writings hundreds of years later. Yet, it was lack of clarity and confusions, contradicted by the same author who perhaps attempting to make clear, seemed to leave something unclear. So when in doubt, check it out,…go back to the Torah and regain your clarity.
Torah Exodus 21:1–24:18
Haftarah Jeremiah 34:8–22, 33:25–26
Beshorah Matthew 26:20–30
What happens if people break laws and commandments, even such as “thou shalt honor thy father and mother?”. This author is 60 years old, and that law still applies to me today to honor my parents. Does Yahweh strike lawbreakers dead? We certainly don’t wish that on anyone and hope not, …we would rather see one be humble and do their best to follow Yahwehs laws in the first place, to at least try. Yet, these are Yahwehs laws from Yahwehs, and Yahweh gave humans the abilities to make choices in free-agency.
Ultimately it’s Yawehs call to make what, when or where and how a law must be enforced. Most laws have a “civil” context, but some, also have a “criminal” context. 613 laws are actually an easy yoke. The USA today has hundreds of thousands of laws, and …how many even honor their father and mother both and just that law alone? It’s very heartbreaking. We even have a family member who says he is the “firstborn” from uncited alleged Torah law scheme…as if that was the one and only law from Torah laws he believes in, that is not being applied properly, and began stealing, lying and taking things from both his parents before they died, and from his mother who is alive and well, and stealing and taking things from others alive as well that aren’t the parents. One simply can not refer to a law, without reading it, to then break all the other laws in fact in claims of being a “firstborn”, and ignoring the mother and wife as if she was or is dead! Then retaliate when he is asked how he has developed this legal theory that makes it okay to dishonor the parent’s, and steal, lie and abuse. It is discomforting, stressful and awkward for sure, and you read the Torah…it is filled with this kind of scandals of entitlement thefts, and frauds. It is really easy to lose hope, and think we are not even beings of spiritual quality. We find keeping Yahwehs laws, increases relief, releases stress, and gives us a love and peace unto itself. Lean into the Laws, it is good. Tough love, is at least love, and when your own blood family betrays and burns you in their hearts and flesh…lean on the love in law, Yahweh will not ignore their offenses forever, this world, or the next. Not forever.
Yahews love is eternal, because his laws are eternal. Yahweh knows the breakers and the haters better than you do, even if you think you know Yahwehs laws better, let Yahweh deal with the breakers and haters in his own way and time…
That doesn’t mean secular civil and criminal laws should be ignored, or not pursued, of course those laws are there for reasons too. We have also seen those laws abused, to punish people for righteousness sake, or domestic law enforcement being anti-semitic to frame covenant people with falsified “charges” with often the exact opposite being true, it absolutely goes on in America, very severely in some areas like Colorado. Just that Yahwehs laws, are love, and let him enforce his laws, especially with those you love…because he gave them a heart of flesh….that flesh will obey to love Yahweh, or it will die in some way sooner or later as we all do…and when that flesh dies, the evil dies with it, but perhaps sooner than needed, if the stone heart’s don’t change for his love. Yahweh knows that stony-hearted false Christian better than you do…let Yahweh work on it. Jewish Rabbi Yashua came to teach the laws, it was today’s “Christians” he was trying to teach it to as the ones without law…lawless ones….the eyes of Moses in the picture above, really are looking at YOU.