Torah
Covenants
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The Torah (the Pentateuch) represents God’s will for
mankind. It is an ancient historical
record between God and the early patriarchs.
It was written over a period of time, and reflects the inspiration of
God’s spirit, as well as unique human characteristics. The notion of infallibility in historical
terms is a recent phenomenon, not being an accurate description of the
historical realities in the composition of the text. In every way, it is a product of its era,
reflecting the culture, recording standards and religious beliefs of those who
composed the text. It should be
understood as a ‘Tradition’, which is authoritative in this sense, but
impractical to apply in a legalistic mindset.
Its history and laws are, in a basic sense, true and correct. But a fundamentalist approach to the Torah
does a disservice to the grace, kindness and mercy of our God. Yet, an approach of total freedom, not caring
for God’s word, is also impractical in relation to this faith. It should be understood as a ‘guide’ from
God. How each of us approaches the Torah
should ideally be based on a sense of the importance of its history – its
people – our own lives and our own sense of community, as well as the necessary
approach of obedience, strictness, devotion, mercy and kindness. A common sense approach to God’s word is the
most important and sensible method.
The main covenant of the Torah is the covenant of
Noah. Genesis 9:1-17 records mankind’s
(apart from the children of Abraham) own special covenant with Almighty God.
Genesis
9:1-17
“And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. Every
moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even
as the green herb have I given you all things.
And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of
the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth
upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood thereof, shall ye not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I
require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man;
at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring
forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
And God spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying and I,
behold, I establish my covenant with you, and with your seed after you; And with
every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of
every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark, to every
beast of the earth. And I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall
all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any
more be a flood to destroy the earth.
And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make
between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual
generations I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a
covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a
cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will
remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of
all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember
the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh
that is upon the earth., And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the
covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the
earth.”
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