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The Law, the Sabbath and New Covenant Christianity

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This book makes the salient point of the new and better covenant purchased for us by the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus). Not simply an extension of Mosaic Law, this book brings forth discussion and understanding of why it was put into practice in the first place. A tutor yes, but still a shadow of the good things to come which in reality was the Messiah.

Though Anthony has made great inroads into employing Hebrew thought in biblical interpretation and I can personally thank him for this as he greatly helped me at the beginning of my journey, his theology in respect of the Torah, salvation and covenants is still very much mainstream Christian theology.

Covenants are valid as long as both parties are alive, and since neither God nor the Jewish people ceased to exist, their covenant could not be replaced by another. However, they broke their covenant *relationship* with God when they sinned and this covenant relationship had to be *renewed*. Jesus stated that he didn't come to call the righteous, but the lost to repentance. Those Jews that heard the call, returned to God and carefully observed His Torah (instructions for righteous living) renewed their covenant relationship with Him. The Torah is perfect and good, according to apostle Paul, and what is perfect and good cannot be replaced with a "better" one, for nothing can be better than what is already *perfect*. According to Paul "by the Torah is the knowledge of sin", so what do you need to do *not to sin*? Don't you obey God's Torah (instructions for righteous living)? Do you not sin when you live contrary to its requirements?

Jesus and Paul reacted against the legalistic approach of the religious leadership of the day that taught that one became righteous by observing the Torah. This was incorrect and produced only self-righteousness.

A criminal doesn't become a good citizen by observing the laws of the country he lives in. There needs to be a change of heart, else he only obeys so much as to avoid getting caught again.

You don't become a *good citizen* by obeying the law. You obey the law *because* you are a good citizen. You don't abrogate the law because people disobey it. The problem is not with the law, but with the heart. This is what Christians don't seem to understand.