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TORAH - INSTRUCTION, HITTING THE MARK
- Petra Hadžidaova
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Moses commanded us a law (Torah), even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.
Deuteronomy 33: 4 (KJV)
(1)
INTRODUCTION
The Bible is a life manual. The very Hebrew word Torah literally means direction, instruction. It describes the Tanakh altogether, or more commonly, the first Five Books of Moses. It can mean law, statute, custom, or hitting the mark.
A CUPPA
A pleasantly rich, warm aroma began to rouse Emily from her dream of sailing across the vast oceans with Dubby, her cocker spaniel. The strong scents of roasted nuts, caramelized sugars, and chocolate sealed the deal. Emily opened her eyes and excitedly began her descent to the kitchen. The alluring scent became stronger with each step she took until she finally had her cuppa of already automatically prepared freshly roasted coffee in her hands. As she took her first sip, she praised the Lord for blessing humanity with such amazing technology. Waking up each morning has never been so efficient.
It would mean nothing, though, to Emily that such technology existed, if she had not read the manual and properly set the timer of the coffee machine on. She knows. She made a mistake the day before and had to prepare a fresh cuppa all on her own. It may not seem much, but to Emily, every minute counts.
A MANUAL
The word manual can, among many other things, describe "a book that gives you practical instructions on how to do something or how to use something, such as a machine". Pastor Craig Hill teaches that similarly, the Bible, the Word of God, is also a manual. Perhaps not so shockingly, the Hebrew meaning of the word for the first five books of the Bible - Torah - points to this being truth. (2)
THE MEANINGS OF TORAH
THE FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES AND TANAKH
The Hebrew word Torah describes the Five Books of Moses:
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy. (3)
These five books form a third of the Jewish Bible, the Tanakh. The word can also generally describe all of the Tanakh. (3)
DIRECTION, INSTRUCTION
The literal meaning of the word Torah is direction, instruction. In ancient times, it described any instruction and could refer to something as simple as a parent’s directive to a child. (3)
HITTING THE MARK
The root, yod-resh-hey (ירה), originally likely meant to throw or shoot an arrow, or as John Klein mentions in his book The Book of Revelation Through Hebrew Eyes (Lost in Translation, Vol. 2), it means hitting the mark. (3, 4)
The noun torah is rendered in a causative conjugation, which is just a way of saying that it literally means to cause something (or someone) to move straight and true. Torah is therefore something that directs and provides guidance. (3)
LAW, STATUTE
Torah can also mean law or statute — something one is not just guided to do, but required to do. And it can also refer to a custom, a kind of loose, unwritten law. (3)
YESHUA - THE TORAH
Yeshua is the Word made flesh. He is the very embodiment of Torah and God's instructions and will. His life, teachings, and actions revealed the true, inner meaning of the written laws found in the first five books of the Bible.
CONCLUSION
Every new gadget requires a manual to provide us with the instructions needed to take full advantage of the machine or apparatus. The Bible, too, can be considered a sort of manual. The Hebrew word Torah, which can encompass all of Tanakh, but usually describes the Five Books of Moses, literally means direction, instruction. In ancient times, it meant any instruction, even something as simple as a parent’s directive to a child.
The word can also mean law, statute, and hitting the mark, as in causing something (or someone) to move straight and true.
Yeshua is the Word made flesh. He is the embodiment of Torah and God's instructions and will
Application
Abba, let Your Living Torah guide us to hit the mark every single time.
SOURCES
Image was created via canva.com
Cambridge Dictionary. Manual. Available at https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/manual
My Jewish Learning. What Does ‘Torah’ Mean? Available at https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/what-does-the-word-torah-mean/
John Klein, Adam Spears. The Book of Revelation Through Hebrew Eyes (Lost in Translation, Vol. 2). Available at https://www.amazon.com/Book-Revelation-Through-Hebrew-Translation/dp/1589302370
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