He Will Magnify the Law

The book of the prophet Isaiah is a part of the Bible often referred to in Scripture as “the Prophets.” It contains many prophecies, some for the immediate future of the time he was writing, the 700's B.C.E. There are numerous prophecies of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. Some pertain specifically to His first coming, being born and living life as a human being. Other prophecies are definitely related to His return as King of Kings to set up the Kingdom of God on earth.

Chapter 42 of the book of Isaiah is recognized by most Biblical students and scholars as one of the prophecies relating to Jesus’ first coming. Verse 21 is the particular verse I’d like to take note of in this study. It says, “The LORD is well pleased for his righteousness’ sake; he will magnify the law, and make it honourable.” In order to help us understand this verse we need to take a look at the meanings of various Hebrew words that were used by Isaiah in his writing. What is he referring to when he prophecies that Jesus would “magnify the law?” Let us first understand what is meant by “law.”

The Hebrew word translated into the English word “law” is towrah, or torah, #08451 in Strong’s. Some times this word is used by Jews and others to signify the entire Old Testament, however they usually call the entirety of the Holy Scriptures (law, prophets and writings) the Tanakh. Sometimes torah is used to specify the 10 commandments. But most often it is used to refer to the five books of Moses, the Pentateuch. The BDB Hebrew Lexicon defines it as “law, direction, instruction.” The primary and basic meaning of torah is instruction or teaching. It is further broken down in the lexicon as “instruction, direction.” The overall sense being conveyed by Isaiah is that Messiah would magnify the “teaching, the instruction, the direction” given and contained in the five books of Moses. Torah is much more than “law,” it contains history, prophecy, instruction, warnings, and promises as well as “commandments, statutes and judgements.”

Now, what does he mean “to magnify” the torah? Some appear to think that it means that Jesus came to keep the “law” perfectly in our stead, that by doing so He “fulfilled” it and that it is no longer required that we keep the “law.” That is not what is meant by the word “magnify.” The English word, according to Webster’s dictionary, means “to make (something) appear larger or more important than it is.” Although this isn’t exactly what the Hebrew word gadal, (Strong’s #01431) means it is close. BDB Lexicon defines gadal this way: “to grow, become great or important, promote, make powerful, praise, magnify, do great things.” It doesn’t mean to make something “appear” larger or more important. It means to actually make that thing greater, larger, more important. Cruden’s Concordance gives a couple of definitions. The first one is “to declare and show forth one’s greatness and glory.” The second is “to increase one’s esteem, reputation, and authority.”

Let us look at some of the ways gadal is used throughout the Old Testament. It is used over 300 times but is not always translated “magnify.” Although “magnify” is the translation used the most times we find that it is also rendered “great,” “grow,” “nourish up,” “grow up,” “greater,” and about 25 times in other miscellaneous ways. We will look at a few of those 300+ uses to get a feel for how the word is used and what it should convey to us.

The first time gadal is used in the Scriptures is in Genesis 12:2. As most of you will remember, Genesis 12 records the promise God made to Abram, whose name was later changed to Abraham. God tells Abram that He would “make thy name great (gadal).” God was going to cause Abram’s name to increase in reputation. He would be esteemed both in the eyes of God and men. His name would be known throughout the generations, it would be greatly respected and carry greatness to all ages. His name was to be magnified.

As we know, Moses was not allowed to go into the promised land. God selected Joshua to follow in the steps of Moses, to lead His people. Deuteronomy 34:9 tells us that Joshua was full of the spirit of wisdom. God was blessing him. But, when we come to the book of Joshua let us notice what God says to Joshua. “And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify (gadal) thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” (Joshua 3:7) In the following chapter, chapter 4 and verse 14, we read, “On that day the LORD magnified (gadal) Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.” God caused Joshua’s authority, reputation, esteem to be increased. He worked some mighty miracles through Joshua which made him very powerful and great in the eyes of the people. He had God’s direction and power with him.

As I mentioned, there are over 300 usages of the word gadal. We can’t in this study look at all of them, but we will look at one more. This passage is a prophecy of the Messiah found in Micah 5. Verse two prophecies that He will come forth from Bethlehem. But, it is verse 4 that we want to look at. “And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God; and they shall abide: for now shall he be great (gadal) unto the ends of the earth.” Jesus Christ was to be very great, very important, very powerful, and magnified above all.

Hopefully, we begin to perceive what Isaiah was expressing when he penned the prophecy that Messiah would “magnify” the torah. He would come to promote it, to cause it to be more important, more powerful. The teachings of God, the torah, were to be emphasized to a greater degree. And, as Isaiah 42:21 tells us, by doing so the torah would be made “honourable.” The Hebrew word translated “honourable” is adar (#0142 in Strong’s). BDB Lexicon defines adar “to be great, be majestic, wide, noble (poetic).” The word adar is used only 3 times. Here it is translated “honourable” but in the other two places it is rendered “glorious.” The Messiah, far from relegating the torah, the “law,” to the trash bin, was prophesied to expand it, to make it great and to make it honorable and glorious.

We will turn to the Gospel records of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and look at some of the ways in which our Saviour and Messiah, Jesus Christ, did “magnify” the law, the torah. But, before we do I think it is important that we remind ourselves of some important facts. Jesus Christ, as a man, was born a Jew, a descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) and of the line of Judah. We can read His genealogy in the gospel record. The writer of the book of Hebrews specifically tells us that He “sprang out of Juda.” (Heb. 7:14) Jesus’ parents were “Torah observant.” They had Jesus circumcised on the 8th day, and when the days of His mother’s “purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished” they took Him to Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord. This was done, it says, because of what was written in the “law of the Lord,” “Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord.” And, further, they offered a “sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, A pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” (Luke 2:21-24) The law of the Lord, many times referred to as the law of Moses, is in direct reference to the torah. The specific passages referred to here in Luke 2 are from Exodus and Leviticus.

As we continue reading the second chapter of Luke we read that Jesus’ parents “went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.” (Verse 41) In verse 42 we read of Jesus, when He was 12 years old, also going up to Jerusalem “after the custom of the feast.” It was His and His parent’s “custom” to go up to celebrate the festival as it was commanded in the torah. Thayer’s Greek lexicon says that the Greek word ethos, here translated “custom” means “custom” and “usage prescribed by law, institute, prescription.” What He and His parents were doing was in obedience to the instruction in the torah, it was their way of life, their life style.

We all know it but sometimes don’t focus on it, the only “Scriptures” available to Jesus was what He referred to as the “law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms,...” (Luke 24:44) Psalms, as referred to in this verse is in reference to the “writings” of which Psalms is the largest segment. To this day the Tanakh is still organized into the three sections, The Torah, The Prophets (Nevi’im), and The Writings (Kethuvim). And, it is very obvious in reading the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life that He was very well versed and knowledgeable of the entire Tanakh. We see this in the account in Luke 2 that we have been looking at. As you remember, following the celebration of the Passover festival Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem when His parents started back home. When they finally located Him after three days of travel time and looking for Him, He was in the Temple “sitting in the midst of the doctors.” The Greek word translated here as “doctors” is didaskalov, #1320 in Strong’s, and is defined by the lexicon as “teacher” and “one who teaches concerning the things of God, and the duties of man.” The doctors were the teachers of the Torah, the ones that were educated and taught at the feet of other teachers, in like manner as Paul was taught at the feet of Gamaliel.

It is most interesting to note that it says that Jesus was “both hearing them and asking them questions.” The word “hearing” is akouo in the Greek and means “to attend to, consider what is or has been said.” Also, “to understand; perceive the sense of what is said.” Another definition is “to comprehend, to understand.” What the teachers were saying was not way beyond the 12 year old Jesus. He had been taught the Scriptures, he was able to comprehend and understand. We are told He was also “asking them questions.” The sense of the Greek word eperotao is more than a simple inquiry. It means “to accost one with an inquiry, put a question to, enquiry of, ask, interrogate.” Jesus was asking questions with depth of understanding. Verse 47 tells us “all that heard Him were astonished at His understanding and His answers.” Jesus, even at age 12, knew and understood the Torah, the teachings of God recorded by Moses. By the time He began His public ministry He had a command of the Scriptures, an understanding, that no other human being had ever had. After all, He had been instrumental in performing many of the events recorded and had inspired the writers of the Tanakh.

As we go through many of the events, the actions, the words that were spoken by Jesus and recorded for us in the gospel accounts we will see, if we have eyes to see, how Jesus was constantly teaching from the Torah. He was promoting it, emphasizing its importance, making it greater and more important. Perhaps one of the greatest ways He was magnifying it was in showing that the many traditions and commandments of men that had been added were keeping the Torah from being the glorious and honorable teaching it truly was.

Immediately following His baptism by John, Jesus was “led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” He fasted for 40 days and 40 nights and was extremely hungry. The devil tried to get Him to command the stones to be made into bread. Jesus’ response was a direct quote from the Torah. “Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deut. 8:3) Both Matthew and Luke recorded these words for us. (Matt. 4:4; Luke 4:4) Jesus was not merely quoting Scripture and “sounding religious.” He was in a life and death battle with Satan. What He said, the words He spoke, were from the depth of His being. They were what He believed, what He knew, what He was living. He knew that the physical bread, important as it might be for physical life, was not what His life was centered upon. He knew that it was the spiritual food, the very life giving words of God that His life and the lives of all of mankind, ultimately, were dependant upon.

But, just what was He referring to when He said one must live by “every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD?” Looking at the context of Deuteronomy 8 should help us understand. Moses was explaining how God had humbled the Israelites in order to prove them and know what was in their hearts by allowing them to suffer hunger, and then to feed them with manna. He said this was to make them know that man was not to live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD. As we continue reading we see what “every word” he was referring to is. In verse 6 we read, “Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways and to fear him.” Verse 11 gives us further insight. “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day.” Chapter 8 concludes with verse 20, “As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.” Being obedient unto the voice of God, obeying His commandments and His instructions is living “by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD.” This is what Jesus was stating in His response to Satan, the statement recorded for us to learn from. He is telling us that the words contained in the torah are the very words of life, they are the words we need to be living by.

At first reading you might think Isaiah is talking about two different things, the word of the LORD and the law of our God. What we don’t recognize is that Isaiah is writing in Hebrew and is using a common form of Hebrew poetry called parallelism. The Angus-Green Bible Handbook says that the writings of the prophets are for the most part in poetical form. It is further stated that the leading characteristics of Hebrew poetry “may be described generally as consisting in the ornate and elevated character of the style, in the use of certain words and forms of words, in the sententious manner of expression, and especially in what is entitled parallelism; ...” There are a number of different varieties of parallelism. What we see here in Isaiah 1:10 and 2:3 is where “the second member is an echo of the first, expressing nearly the same sentiment in a varied form.” An example given in the Angus-Green handbook is that of Psalm 19. “The heavens declare the glory of God;” being the first member. The second which echos the first is “And the firmament showeth His handywork.” It is further pointed out that “parallelism often affords important aid in interpretation, by exhibiting the salient points of the passage in their true relation. It is especially useful where the construction is complicated or elliptical, or where uncommon words occur; one member of a sentence which is clear assisting to determine the meaning of another which is ambiguous. Very greatly, too, does this rhythmic arrangement of the thought enhance its force and beauty.”

Jeremiah also makes use of parallelism in his writings and also clearly shows that God’s word and the torah are one and the same. Look at Jeremiah 6:19, “Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law (torah), but rejected it.” He refers to “my words” and “my law” as it. God’s word is just another way of saying God’s torah.

Jesus expresses so much in those few words of response to the Tempter. He makes it very plain that man, all of mankind, is to live by the words of God, the torah. Real life, life in the Spirit, is nourished by the words of torah. Physical food isn’t enough. It will sustain this physical, chemical existence we call life BUT it can’t feed the spirit. That must come from the instruction, the teaching, the commands, the “laws” contained in the torah.

Following Jesus’ response regarding living by the torah the devil took Jesus into the holy city and sat Him on a pinnacle of the temple and by twisting Scripture tried to get Jesus to cast Himself down from there. Jesus’ reply once again was directly from the word of God, the torah. He said, “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.” This can be found in Deuteronomy 6:16. Satan tries once more by offering to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world if He would fall down and worship him. Jesus told Satan to “Get thee hence, Satan:” and then tells him that it is written “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Where is that written? You guessed it! In the torah, Deuteronomy 6:13.

In this life and death struggle with Satan following a fast of 40 days and 40 nights Jesus overcomes the temptations laid before Him by relying on the words of life from the torah. He didn’t just flippantly rattle off some nice sounding Scriptures. He knew and knew that He knew, that the words He gave were the words of life. He knew that only by living them could He overcome the Devil. Jesus, as John tells us, “was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Jesus was the Word of God in the flesh, He was the living Torah. He came teaching it, living it, promoting and magnifying it. He was observant of the teachings of God recorded in the books of Moses. He kept the commandments of God. He demonstrated that real LIFE can come only from living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

On the night Jesus was betrayed and taken He spent a great amount of time in prayer. John records part of His prayer in the 17th chapter of the gospel of John. In praying for His disciples, those the Father had given Him, He mentions that “they have kept thy word.” (Verse 6) He then asks that the Father “Sanctify them through the truth: thy word is truth.” As we have looked at and shown the “word of God” is the “law of God,” the torah. He had told them earlier, chapter 14 and verse 6, that He was “the truth.” There are a number of passages from the Tanakh that clearly show that the torah is truth. David, in Psalm 119, states “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law (torah) is truth.” (Verse 142) A few verses further on he states, “Thou art near O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.” (Verse 151) Daniel equates what is written in the torah with truth. Daniel 9:13, “As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.”

Jesus knew and understood that the torah was truth. He also came to be the living torah. Look at a few more words of Jesus. In John 8:31-32 He states, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” He made it clear a few verses later that He was “the truth.” Verse 36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” He was magnifying the torah, the truth, the word of God, by living it, teaching it, by promoting it and making it glorious and honorable. He emphasized that His disciples (that includes us) were to continue in His word. The disciples that walked with Him, He said, had kept God’s word. (God’s word being the torah.) He was showing that we need both the written torah and the living torah, Jesus Christ.

Very shortly after recording the temptation of Jesus by the Devil, Matthew records what has become perhaps one of the most known and quoted part of the gospels, the “Sermon on the Mount.” Chapters 5, 6 and 7 of Matthew’s gospel account are devoted to the recounting of the teachings Jesus gave. In the first couple of verses of Chapter 5 we find that He began these teachings to His disciples after leaving the multitudes. However, when we come to the end of Chapter 7 it tells us that “the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” Obviously He and His disciples had been joined by many that were desirous of hearing Him.

He began His teaching with what has been labeled “the Beatitudes.” And, then beginning with verse 17 of Chapter 5 He very specifically begins to address the Torah, “the law.” Notice what He tells His audience, and us. “Think not!” A very plain and straightforward instruction. He is about to give instruction and specifically doesn’t want us thinking incorrectly about it. Notice what He tells us not to think. “Think not that I am come to destroy the law (torah), or the prophets;” How clear can He make it? He tells us that it was not His purpose or intention of destroying or disannulling the Scriptures.

In the Greek the word translated “destroy” is kataluo, Strong’s number 2647. It is translated “destroy” 9 times, “throw down” 3 times, “come to nought” once, “overthrow” once and “dissolve” once. The basic lexicon definition is “to dissolve, disunite.” Further it is defined, “metaph. To overthrow, i.e. render vain, deprive of success, bring to naught.” It continues, “to subvert, overthrow, of institutions, forms of government, laws, etc., to deprive of force, annul, abrogate, discard.” Jesus is saying as plainly as it can be said that He had no intention of “destroying, dissolving, annulling” the Scriptures, the torah and the nevi’im.

He continues with His statement recorded in verse 17. “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Some have assumed that He was saying that He was going to keep “the law” perfectly and then we wouldn’t have to keep it at all. Is this what He meant when He said “but to fulfil?” The English word “fulfil” is translated from the Greek word pleroo. It is translated “fulfil” 51 times, “fill” 19 times, “be full” 7 times, “complete” twice and 11 times in other ways. The lexicon gives a number of definitions. The first one is “to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full.” You can check your own lexicon for all of the definitions but let me share a few more. “To cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally.” “To fulfil, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment.” It was Jesus’ intentions to see that ALL that was contained in “the law and the prophets” was to be obeyed and the promises fulfilled. Did He indicate that He would accomplish this all in the 3-1/2 years of His ministry on earth? I think not! Let us read on.

Verse 18, “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law (referring to the torah), till all be fulfilled.” As far as I can ascertain heaven and earth have not passed and ALL that is contained in the “law and the prophets” has not yet received fulfillment. It is also interesting to note that the Greek word translated “fulfilled” here in verse 18 is an entirely different word than the one used in the previous verse. Here the word is ginomai, #1096 in Strong’s. Notice how this word is translated into English: “be” 255 times, “come to pass” 82 times, “be made” 69 times, “be done” 63 times, “come” 52 times, “become” 47 times. Interestingly “be fulfilled” is the translation in only 3 places. The primary definition given by the lexicon is “to become.” And, as indicated by the lexicon, this can mean “to come into existence, begin to be, receive being” and “to come to pass, happen” particularly “of events.” In the context in verse 18 it seems quite clear that Jesus is saying that as long as there is a heaven and an earth nothing will pass from the Scriptures until ALL, everything contained therein, will “come to pass, happen.” That seems to say that ALL the “laws and commandments” as well as ALL prophecies and ALL promises must be “fulfilled” before anything, even the tiniest dot or line, would pass.

Jesus didn’t end His teaching with verse 18. He continues, as recorded by Matthew, in verse 19. Notice, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” When He says, as translated into English in the KJV, “break” it indicates to us the transgressing of “one of these least commandments.” Not that this is a totally wrong translation but when we look at the Greek word used here, luo, number 3089 in Strong’s, we see a better and more accurate rendering. This Greek word is used in the N.T. 43 times and is translated “loose,” “break,” “unloose,” “destroy,” “dissolve,” “put off,” “melt,” “break up,” and “break down.” Depending on usage these can all be accurate renderings. I do believe (and it is backed up by other translators which we will look at in a moment), there is a better way to translate luo in this verse based on the context. Let us look at definition #3 in Thayer’s Greek Lexicon, “3) to loose, undo, dissolve, anything bound, tied, or compacted together 3a) an assembly, i.e. to dismiss, break up 3b) laws, as having a binding force, are likened to bonds 3c) to annul, subvert 3d) to do away with, to deprive of authority, whether by precept or act 3e) to declare unlawful 3f) to loose what is compacted or built together, to break up, demolish, destroy 3g) to dissolve something coherent into parts, to destroy 3h) metaph., to overthrow, to do away with”

Some better renderings in verse 19 for “break” would be “annul,” “to do away with,” or “dissolve.” Numerous translations use these better and more accurate expressions. Darby’s, an older translation, words it this way, “Whosoever then shall do away with one of these commandments,...” Rotherham has it “Whosoever, therefore, shall relax one of these commandments,...” The Amplified Bible expands it a bit as, “Whoever then breaks or does away with or relaxes one of the least [important] of these commandments...” In the New American Standard it is rendered “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments,...”

In context and with these more appropriate translations it becomes very clear that Jesus is saying that if anyone tries to relax, annul, do away with even the most seemingly unimportant commands found within the “law and the prophets” and teaches others so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But, He makes it very clear that he that shall do (carry out, execute, perform [some definitions from the lexicon]) and teach, that individual shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. Far from teaching and indicating that the laws, commandments, teachings, promises, prophecies, etc. contained in the torah were to be rendered null and void upon His death Jesus makes it exceedingly clear that nothing would be removed and if anyone tried to teach otherwise that person would be “called least in the kingdom of heaven.”

Beginning in verse 21 and continuing through the end of chapter 5 of Matthew, Jesus begins to address and teach about several commands. I’ve heard it said that He changed the commands as they were recorded in the torah. Some have indicated that He is putting Spiritual application on commands that were only “the letter of the law,” or had only a physical application previously. But if we really look at what He is saying we will see that neither of these is what He is addressing.

In the temptation of Jesus by the devil that we looked at in chapter 4 we saw a very interesting statement by Jesus on each point. In verse 4 He said “It is written,...” Then in verse 7 He says “It is written again.” In verse 10 His response to Satan was “for it is written.” Even the devil, in verse 6 had used the same phrase, “for it is written.” As we looked at this account earlier we saw that each response was a direct quote from the Torah. When the expression “it is written” was used by Jesus He was speaking specifically of the inspired Words of the Torah.

But, when we come to verse 21 of chapter 5 we find that Jesus uses a totally different phrase in His addressing these commands or teachings. Notice. Verse 21, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,...” Verse 27, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time,...” Verse 31, “It hath been said,...” In verse 33 He says, “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time,...” Verse 38, “Ye have heard that it hath been said,...” And again in verse 43, “Ye have heard that it hath been said,...” Jesus is NOT quoting directly from the Torah. He is specifically addressing things that had been said, things that the people had heard, which might include a portion from the written word but included additional material. That material was the additions, the teachings of the various teachers, their interpretations of the Torah. After each statement Jesus made regarding what they had heard taught from those of old He then tells them the correct interpretation and understanding. His response is, “But I say unto you,...” (Verses 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44)

Within the scope of this study we will not take the time to go through each of the specific teachings that Jesus deals with in this passage. However, we will look at one, the teaching regarding adultery (Matt. 5:27-32). Some, in a casual reading of these verses, have concluded that Jesus was “changing” the “law” regarding adultery, making it more binding. BUT, as we will see, He is not doing that at all, but is very directly hitting at the teachings of the Pharisees and others of that day and time.

Jesus begins by saying, “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:” verse 27, KJV. This appears to be a direct quote from Exodus 20 and other passages in the Torah. However, as we pointed out earlier, He did not say “It is written.” He was not quoting from the precept of God but was specifically addressing what had been “said by them of old time.” He was honing in on what was taught and believed by the Pharisees and the others there in regard to God’s commandment. Numerous Bible commentators understand this. Let us notice a few comments. First from Lightfoot’s commentary on Matthew 5:27. “He citeth not the command or text of Moses, as barely delivered by Moses, but as deformed by those of old time with such a gloss as almost evacuated all the force of the command; for they interpreted it of the act of adultery only, and that with a married woman. So the enumeration of the six hundred and thirteen precepts of the law, and that, Exodus 20:14, ‘Thou shalt not commit adultery,’ hath these words, “This is the thirty-fifth precept of the law, namely, That no man lie with another man’s wife.’” Jamieson, Fausset and Brown has this to say, “Interpreting this seventh, as they did the sixth commandment, the traditional perverters of the law restricted the breach of it to acts of criminal intercourse between, or with, married persons exclusively.” Wesley, in his brief commentary of this verse, says, “And this, as well as the sixth commandment, the scribes and Pharisees interpreted barely of the outward act.” In his commentary, Barnes says, “It is probable that the Pharisees had explained this commandment as they had the sixth, as extending only to the external act;...” Matthew Henry’s Commentary is in agreement, saying, “...but the Pharisees, in their expositions of this command, made it to extend no further than the act of adultery,...”

After stating what was commonly taught, Jesus then gives the correct interpretation. Notice verse 28. Jesus is speaking; “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Keep in mind that Jesus was “The Teacher,” the very one who had given the command, the precept, in the first place. The seventh of the Ten Commandments was much broader than was being taught by the scribes, Pharisees, and other “teachers of the law.” He is clearly stating that to look upon a woman, not just a married woman, and to lust after her was adultery. James, the Lord’s brother, in his epistle explains the process. Verses 14 and 15 of chapter one, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it brings forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth form death.” It wasn’t just looking at or upon a woman that Jesus was addressing but the wrong thoughts of the heart, the illicit desire, the lust for her. And, He clearly states that this is adultery.

Jesus continues in verses 29 and 30 by speaking of the eye or the right hand offending you. Many have had difficulty in trying to understand what He was saying, that one should pluck out the eye or cut off the hand. As we know, the eye of itself or the hand of itself do not commit the sin. It is the thoughts, the mind, the heart, that allows what is seen or what is touched to become sin. If it were just the physical member of the body that produced the sin then it would be simple to pluck it out or cut it off to keep oneself unspotted. Since the problem of lust is a spiritual problem, not just a physical problem of looking or touching with the physical members of the body, the spiritual teaching of Jesus is that we must be plucking out and cutting off the old, carnal, fleshly natural man through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus continues His teaching. He again states what had been said, verse 31, “It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.” We get a little clarification upon this by reading what is recorded for us in Matthew 19. In verse 3 we read of the Pharisees coming to Jesus and they said to him, tempting Him, “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” What had been given by God, an instruction on how to put away a wife for a just cause through a legal document, had been construed into permission for divorce for any cause.

In Matthew 5:32 Jesus gives us the only Biblical reason for divorce. “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” In His response to the Pharisees who were trying to tempt Him in Matthew 19, Jesus gives more instruction and teaching on the subject. Notice what He said, verses 4 through 6. “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” He takes them and us back, not to Sinai, but to when the instruction, the laws of marriage, were given, at creation. However, the Pharisees were quick to come back at Him and ask, “Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?” Their question is twisted if you will. They interpreted Moses’ words to be a “command” to divorce. Jesus’ response follows, verse 8, “Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives:” Notice, the instruction from Moses wasn’t a “command” but was “permission,” a correct understanding of “suffered.” But Jesus didn’t stop with “put away your wives.” He continued, “but from the beginning it was not so.” The law, the command, the precept, was from creation, the beginning of marriage. And, as He did in Matthew 5 Jesus gives the only reason for divorce. Verse 9, “And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whosoever marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.”

In Matthew 7:12 Jesus makes a statement that is known by most, perhaps worded slightly differently. He said, “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them:” This has come to us as “the Golden Rule,” “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.” I believe we all agree with this teaching. But, I stopped quoting Jesus. Let us finish verse 12, “for this is the law and the prophets.” What is He saying? Jesus is telling us that everything contained in the Torah and the prophets, the whole of the Tanakh, can be boiled down into this “Golden Rule.” In short, it is LOVE. That is what all of the teaching, the commandments, the precepts, the promises, contained within the whole of the Torah is about, LOVE. Notice the direct “New Testament theology” found in the Torah, Leviticus 19:18. “But thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself:” Once again we find that Jesus is promoting and magnifying what is given and written in the law, the Torah.

A few verses on in this chapter Jesus makes a profound statement. Verse 21, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” Just what is the will of the Father? It seems pretty important that we know. His will is expressed in His words, His teaching and His instructions to us, to mankind. Those words have been preserved for us in the Torah and all of the Tanakh. Jesus states that it is those that DO that which the Father has shown to be His will that will enter into the kingdom of heaven. Just saying the words Lord, Lord, isn’t sufficient.

Jesus continues His teaching. In verse 24 He states, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:” Did Jesus come bringing His own words, different words than those of the Father’s? NO! In His prayer the evening He was taken, prior to being crucified, Jesus clearly shows that His words were not His own but the words of the Father. John 17:8, “For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me;...” And, in verse 17 of this chapter He states that the Father’s word is truth. Jesus, the living Word, came proclaiming the written and revealed word of the Father, the word recorded for us in the Torah. Those are the words He was magnifying and promoting during His ministry. Those are the words that we are to hear and DO.

Jumping ahead a couple of chapters we read an interesting account of a healing that Jesus performed. Matthew 9:20-21, “And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment: For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment I shall be whole.” Most of us have read this account many times and have not grasped what we are being told. What was the “hem of his garment” and what was the significance of it? This woman seemed to know that if she so much as touched it she would be healed.

Again, we have for the most part not understood because we are not knowledgeable of an instruction given in the Torah. Numbers 15:38 tells us, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of blue:” Deuteronomy 22:12 also records this instruction. “Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.” What is being talked about? The word “fringe” from the Hebrew in Numbers and Deuteronomy is from two different words but the meaning is basically the same; fringe, wreath, tassel, lock. Jameson, Fausset and Brown has this to say in their commentary of Num. 15:38. “38. bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments– These were narrow strips, in a wing-like form, wrapped over the shoulders and on various parts of the attire. “Fringe,” however, is the English rendering of two distinct Hebrew words–the one meaning a narrow lappet or edging, called the “hem” or “border” (Mt. 23:5; Lu 8:44), which, in order to make it more attractive to the eye and consequently more serviceable to the purpose described, was covered with a riband of blue or rather purple color; the other term signifies strings with tassels of the end, fastened to the corners of the garment. Both of these are seen on the Egyptian and Assyrian frocks; and as the Jewish people were commanded by express and repeated ordinances to have them, the fashion was rendered subservient, in their case, to awaken high and religious associations– to keep them in habitual remembrance of the divine commandments.”

Jesus was in obedience to the instruction of the Torah. He was wearing the “fringe,” the “tzitzit” as it is called. The “hem” that the woman touched was the “tzitzit.” Mark records that wherever Jesus went people laid their sick folk in the street so that they might “touch if it were but the border of his garment.” This “border” was the same “fringe,” the same “tzitzit.” But why were they and the woman we read of in Matthew chapter 9 so intent on touching the “fringe,” the “hem” of His garment?

We read the instruction regarding the “fringe” or “tassels” to be upon the four quarters or four corners of the garment. This four- cornered cloak or garment upon which the tassels were attached has come to be called the Talit or among the Jewish people today, the prayer shawl. Jesus wore the cloak with the four quarters or four corners. He was recognized by many, the woman of Matthew 9 included, as Messiah. It was important to her, and all of those that recognized Him as Messiah, to touch His “hem” or “tzitzit” because they were familiar with the prophecy found in Malachi 4. Malachi 4 and verse 2 says, “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise (speaking of the Messiah) with healing in his wings;...” The Hebrew word translated “wings” is kanfot or kanaph. It is rendered “wings,” “skirt,” “borders,” “corners,” and “ends” among others Among the definitions in the lexicon is “skirt, corner (of garment.)”. It is the same word used for the corners of the “Talit.” If we were to paraphrase this verse in Malachi it might be better understood, “The Righteous Morning Star (as Rev. 22:16 calls Him instead of Sun) will cause you who fear My Name to arise through healing found in the corners of His Talit.” Of course the corners held the Tzitzit or the fringe, the “hem” of His garment.

Jesus by following the instruction found in the Torah, was able to fulfil the prophecy of Malachi 4:2. By His obedience and the miraculous healings that followed He was able to make the “law,” the Torah, much more honourable and glorious. In just one more way He magnified and promoted the wonderful instructions and teachings contained in the Torah. While the scribes and Pharisees also wore the tassels Jesus tells us that they did so in a way that was merely to be seen of men. (Matt. 23:5) He said they “enlarge the borders of their garments.” It is interesting to note the word in the Greek translated “enlarge” means to “make great, magnify.” They were making the fringes, the tassels, large and ostentatious to be seen of men. Jesus, by His obedience to the command without any attempt to impress and be seen, allowed God to work through the “tzitit” He wore. There was a true magnification and promotion of God’s teaching, His instruction, on how to live, that truly did glorify and honor the Torah.

Let us move on. We can’t touch on every occasion in which Jesus promoted and magnified the wonderful teachings and instructions of God. But, let us look at an incident that is recorded for us in Matthew 15. Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and began to take Him to task for allowing His disciples to eat without washing their hands as the tradition of the elders prescribed. Notice Jesus’ response. He in turn asks them a question, verse 3, “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?” He didn’t pull any punches with them. He then states a very specific commandment of God, one of “the 10,” verse 4. “For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.” He continues by stating what they were teaching, verse 5, “But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; (vs. 6) And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free.” This King James Version rendering is somewhat difficult to grasp. Other translations make it somewhat clearer. Weymouth, an older translation, has it this way, “That is consecrated, whatever it is, which otherwise you should have received from me, he shall be absolved from honouring his father.” Their teaching was that if they gave their gift to the “work of God” they weren’t obligated to honor their parents and assist them in a financial way. Jesus next words were very direct. “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” Weymouth again is a bit clearer, “And so you have abrogated God’s word for the sake of your tradition.” Jesus calls them hypocrites (vs. 7) and tells them (vs. 8) that they draw near to Him with their mouth and lips BUT, their heart was far from Him. Verse 9, He hits hard the big problem with the religion of His day, and ours. “But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”

We see here another example of Jesus magnifying and promoting the wonderful and pure teachings, instructions, commandments, of God which don’t need the additions or subtractions that men attempt to make with their traditions and commandments. Jesus again and again hits this point and hits it hard. God does not want man’s commandments, teachings, instructions, traditions. The “law” of God, the Torah, was and is, quite sufficient, if lived by, to bring God’s blessings, to bring peace and love among men.

Jesus was often asked questions, sometimes to tempt him, but many times out of a sincere desire to understand what the individual needed to do in their life. Matthew 19 and beginning in verse 16 we read of one individual’s question, a question that each of us could and should be asking. This person asks, “what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?” The emphasis the teachers of the day were making was of all the “things” that one must do to be righteous. Jesus’ response was simple. He told this individual, and us, “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.” In the religious teachings he had received this person had been told of numerous “commandments.” So, he asks Jesus, “Which?” Continuing in verse 18 and 19 we see Jesus’ response, “Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother:” He states five of the ten commandments and then notice what else He says. “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” This is also from the Torah, Leviticus 19:18.

There are several interesting things here. Jesus states only five of the commandments. He doesn’t mention coveting your neighbor’s wife, servants, etc. yet this is also directly related to loving your neighbor. He also didn’t mention the commands to not have other gods, making graven images, taking the Lord’s name in vain and keeping the Sabbath. Was He telling this individual and us that those commands weren’t valid any longer? I think not! In chapter 22 of Matthew we have recorded another account which helps us in our study of this one.

This account begins with verse 34. A lawyer of the Pharisees asked Jesus a question tempting Him, verse 35. He asked Jesus, “Which is the great commandment of the law?” (Vs. 36) As commentators point out this temptation was not so much about His knowledge but His judgement. This question as to which commandment was the greatest was one that was an on-going dispute among the critics in the law. Some would contend that the law of circumcision was the great commandment, others the law of the Sabbath, some the law of sacrifices, etc. The temptation was to, as Matthew Henry says in his commentary, “try what Christ said to this question, hoping to incense the people against him, if he should not answer according to the vulgar opinion; and if he should magnify one commandment, they would reflect on him as vilifying the rest.”

Jesus’ answer is known by most of us. It is recorded in verses 37 through 39, “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” Did you notice that the “second” great commandment Jesus gave is exactly the same thing He told the individual in Matthew 19:19, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself?” And, from Jesus words in Matthew 19 it is clear that this “second” great commandment contained at least five of the Ten Commandments. It would seem quite logical to conclude that the “first and great commandment” would be summed up in the first four of the Ten Commandments, having no other gods before the true God, not making any graven images, not taking God’s name in vain and remembering the Sabbath day to keep it holy. These all, if obeyed from the heart, are showing love to God.

Then Jesus makes a statement that we need to really look at. He says, verse 40, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” These two commandments or precepts sum up all that is contained in the Torah and the Nevi’im. All of the laws, commandments, teachings that are found in the writings of Moses and all of the Prophets expound upon and add detail to these two “great commandments.” Adam Clarke, in his commentary of “on these two-hang all the law and the prophets,” says, “They are like the first and last links of a chain, all the intermediate ones depend on them. True religion begins and ends in love to God and man. These are the two grand links that unite God to man, man to his fellows, and men again to God.”

We have looked at two different, but similar accounts, in which Jesus quite plainly taught obedience to the Torah and the teachings, commandments and instructions therein. Luke records another account that appears to be just slightly different. Let’s notice it in Luke 10 and beginning in verse 25. “And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life.” At this point this seems to be the same incident we looked at in Matthew’s account but let us keep reading. Jesus asked the lawyer a question, verse 26. “He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?” In the other accounts it was the “tempter” asking Jesus the question but here Jesus asks this individual how he reads what is written in the Torah. As we continue we see what this lawyer answers, verse 27. “And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself.” This is the same answer that Jesus gave in Matthew’s account. Let us see what Jesus says, verse 28. “And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” In response the lawyer asks Jesus who his neighbor is and Jesus gives the story of the good Samaritan, which we are quite familiar with. Then Jesus asks the lawyer, after telling this story, verse 36, “Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?” Verse 37 records the lawyer’s response. “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him.” Then in a very brief response Jesus gives a powerful teaching. He tells the individual, and us, “Go, and do thou likewise.” He didn’t say not to obey the teachings of the Torah. Contrariwise He taught that the “law of love” was to be obeyed and followed with the “weightier matters” of the law. We read from Matthew 23:23 what those are; judgement, mercy, and faith. In this account in Luke 10:37 Jesus emphasizes the aspect of mercy. Loving our neighbor, our fellow man, includes not killing him, not stealing from him, not coveting his possessions, etc. BUT it must include showing MERCY.

You, as the reader of this paper, are aware that it is getting quite long. We have not in the least exhausted the teachings and statements and examples of our Savior that “magnify” and promote the Law, the teachings of the Torah. But, we may be exhausting you in this lengthy study. Consequently it is with that in mind that we’ll bring this study to a close with a look at John 13:34. Jesus states that He is giving us a new commandment.

Notice. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” What did He mean? Did He mean, as some have assumed, that the only commandment we need to follow is “love” and the commandments found in the Old Testament are no longer to be kept? What is “new” about this commandment? Jesus talked a great deal about loving God and our neighbor, as we have seen in this study. Is this “commandment” really something “new?” Let’s understand.

An important key to understanding this statement is to grasp what the word “new” means. We think if something is “new” that it has had no past but has just come into existence. We build a “new” house. It didn’t exist before. So, is Jesus giving a “new” commandment that didn’t exist before? The answer is no! The Greek word translated “new” here, and in several other passages, is kainos, #2537 in Strong’s. The lexicon definitions, taken directly from Thayer’s lexicon are as follows:

Jesus was not “annulling” the teachings and instructions contained in the Torah but was giving a “new” application or practice of those teachings. Several of the Bible commentaries are helpful in grasping what Jesus was telling us. Notice just a few comments. From Barnes, “This command or law was, moreover, new in regard to the extent to which this love was to be carried; for he immediately adds, ‘As I have loved you, that ye also love one another.’ His love for them was strong, continued, unremitting, and he was now about to show his love for them in death. Jn 15:13, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ So in 1 Jn 3:16 it is said that ‘we ought also to lay down our lives for the brethren.’ This was a new expression of love; and it showed the strength of attachment which we ought to have as Christians, and how ready we should be to endure hardships, to encounter dangers, and to practice self-denial, to benefit those for whom the Son of God laid down his life.”

The Jamieson, Fausset and Brown Commentary gives this comment. “34. a new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another—This was the new feature of it. Christ’s love to His people in giving His life a ransom for them was altogether new, and consequently as a Model and Standard for theirs to one another. It is not, however, something transcending the great moral law, which is “the old commandment” (1 Jo 2:7, and see on Mr 12:28-33), but that law in a new and peculiar form. Hence it is said to be both new and old (1 Jo 2:7,8).”

The commentary of Adam Clarke is also worth noting. “Verse 34. A new commandment I give unto you] In what sense are we to understand that this was a new commandment? Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, was a positive precept of the law, Le 19:18, and it is the very same that Christ repeats here; how then was it new? Our Lord answers this question, even AS I have loved you. Now Christ more than fulfilled the Mosaic precept, he not only loved his neighbour AS himself, but he loved him MORE than himself, for he laid down his life for men. In this he calls upon the disciples to imitate him; to be ready on all occasions to lay down their lives for each other. This was, strictly, a new commandment: no system of morality ever prescribed any thing so pure and disinterested as this. Our blessed Lord has outdone all the moral systems in the universe in two words: 1. Love your enemies; 2. Lay down your lives for each other.”

David knew the Torah and he tells us he meditated on it day and night. He knew it needed no additions or subtractions but history tells us that the religious leadership thought differently. What came to be regarded as the “oral law” and believed by many to carry the same authority as the Torah recorded by Moses, spelled out numerous additional teachings and commands. And, it was these unnecessary and unneeded and most often incorrect interpretations that Jesus over and over spoke out against. He referred to them as “commandments of men” and “the tradition of men.” Notice a few verses from Mark 7.

The teaching and the instruction given by God and recorded by Moses, the Torah, was perfect and complete needing none of these extra commandments and traditions of men. It was these “extras” that had been placed like coats of ugly paint upon a beautiful art treasure. Jesus came to “magnify” and promote the Torah and as Isaiah says, to make it honorable and glorious. He came to strip away the “ugly paint” as it were, the “commandments of men” and the “traditions of men.” He began to reveal the beauty that was hidden under all of those additions and deletions, the beautiful and perfect Torah of God. God’s teachings and instructions were and are “perfect” and complete. They contain what man needs. If followed and lived by they will bring real life. Jesus stated, quoting from the book of Deuteronomy in the Torah, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Just a few chapters later in the book of Deuteronomy, God gives us a warning. “What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deut. 12:32.)

Sadly, many today continue to teach that Jesus “diminished” the Torah. Many believe that we need not follow those beautiful instructions, that in some manner Jesus “did it all.” And, just as the Rabbis had done, numerous individuals and groups attempt to add their “rules,” “procedures,” “laws,” and “commandments” to the beautiful Torah. Just as a beautiful art treasure needs no further layers of ugly paint or any of the artists own rendering stripped away, the Torah, the law of God, is “perfect” as God has given it.

It is hard to grasp how any can draw the conclusion from the reading and study of the gospels that Jesus taught us to NOT follow the teachings and commandments contained in the Torah. He promoted and magnified what was written therein. He didn’t come to “spiritualize” those teachings away. He didn’t come to “keep the law in our place.” He came to set us an example, to teach the proper way to view and obey the teachings. He continually and very powerfully pointed out that the “commandments of men” and the “traditions” that the religious leaders had taught were not what God intended. I’m afraid that too many Christians today are following the “traditions” and “commandments of men.” They cling to what their “denomination,” their group, their organization, their church, and main stream Christianity teaches rather than what is contained in their Bibles. The laws, commandments, and teachings that God gave us, if followed and obeyed ( tempered with “the weightier matters of the law”) would lead us to the relationship with Jesus and the Father that is necessary. Remember what Jesus said was required to inherit eternal life; “if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.”

HE WILL MAGNIFY THE LAW