Practically, how does the Torah bring us closer to Messiah? How does keeping all the jots and tittles of the Mosaic Law that we can presently keep in our babylonian society aid us in our every day lives?
Herein are the "nuts and bolts" of holy living.
1. Keeping the shabbat from friday sundown to saturday sundown. Has to be done to be understood, but keeping this sabbath day actually extends your weekend. Gives you more time. It is a blessing and causes you to ride on the high places of the earth, but this you must experience in order to understand. Your business and financial means will prosper and grow, on every front, as you keep this simple commandment of Yah. You think it is a coincedance that even the anti-Messiah Jews are so very wealthy? Nope. His principles work, even if heathen use them. Albeit, they do not recieve the fullness of the blessing of shabbat keeping which one does who loves Messiah YahShua.
2. Observing the monthly New Moons -- sundown to sundown following the completely black moon. It is a secret day which the world, most of the time, passes on by. Even most religious jews do not observe it. Your financial success and success in every other area of your life will only grow as you devote the firstfruit of every month to the Holy One of Yisrael. Again, this has to be experienced to be fully understood.
3. Keepings the Hebrew Feast Days and High Shabbats therein: What a GLORIOUS picture of our Messiah do these feasts paint in our minds every year! What grand fellowship with believers and REVIVAL occur during these appointed times!!!! The blessings are so overwhelming during these annual vacations, I cannot begin to list them. Do it and you will be blessed.
4. Wearing a ribband or fringe of blue on the corners or edges of your garments. This will cause people to ask you about your clothing which will give you a chance to testify. It is an outward sign, like baptism, to the unbelieving world of your fidelity to His commands. The fringes draw people to you in testimony and at the very least provide you with a constant visual reminder not to go awhoring after false gods but to keep YHVH's Torah.
5. Following the dietary Torah laws in Leviticus 11 and no blood in foods as confirmed in Acts 15. This will tremendously improve your health and give you a carefulness about what you eat. Scientific journals continue to validate the Torah dietary laws in regards to maintaining our health. This is coupled with turning away from mediSIN and using Yah's natural remedies to treat problems with the body. You will live longer, with more vitality, strength and rigor. You will truly become a physical force to contend with. Shellfish and ham, staples in the USA, are forbidden. Leviticus 11 provides the remaining restrictions of various other unclean foods.
6. Physical circumcision for men: This is an outward sign that predates the giving of the Mosaic covenant and verily is not disannulled by the giving of that First Covenant. Removing the foreskin of your penis reminds you of the inward circumcision your heart should maintain by His Ruach. Your parents should have done this for you on the 8th day of your life, but if they failed in obedience, get it done. Removal of the foreskin was, until recently, common place as medical professionals realized the health benefits of such a procedure. As the medical establishment in the USA becomes more barbaric and frustrated in these new dark ages, they have since turned away from such basic understandings. Circumcision protects the penis from infection and helps maintain cleanliness. Obviously females have no need to keep this commandment -- although Muslims apparently are so stupid they do not understand this first truth of reason.
7. Evangelism -- as the prophets of old did, we are commanded in the Torah and the Prophets to go out and reprove the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. This confrontational method of evangelism brings so many benefits, even the torahless street and campus preachers have tasted of this wonderful and precious fruit. Fear of man must be conquered for this commandment to be properly obeyed.
8. Sexual cleanness laws -- no sex for 7 days following the beginning of a woman's issue of blood. Once the female begins to bleed, you count 7 days starting the following sundown. This is even recommended by doctors today. Studies show married people who follow this monthly week of abstinence have stronger sexual relationships and stronger marriages. It's a good monthly week to devote to prayer and fasting, as Paul urges for married couples.
9. Abstaining from sex for a week after a boy is born and 2 weeks after a girl is born. Some suggest one must also follow the "days of purity" and must not have sex for 40 days after a boy is born and 80 days after a girl is born. However, I have come to the conclusion that the "days of purity" were only required for Temple worship and since no Temple presently exists -- the days of purity abstinences cannot currently be done. Thus, the uncleaness law is only what applies while in Babylonian exile: no sex for 7 days after a boy is born, no sex for 14 days after a girl is born. If the bleeding continues past these set parameters, another 7 or 14 days must be added and so forth until the bleeding stops.
10. Of course keeping the 10 commandments should be obvious. We've already covered the 4th in detail. The others keep us close to YHVH and unspotted from the world.
11. Wearing clothes of unmixed fibers is a constant reminder to stay unspotted from the world, though we are in the world. A book called "The Body Electric" recently proved that those who wear clothes that are only 100% cotton or a 100% of a given material, have stronger immunity systems and are healthier. This is due to unseen currents which travel across our bodies and nervous system, which the unmixed fibers of the clothing aid, whereas mixed fibers hinder this bodily function.
12. Freewill gifts and offerings, such as money given to the poor, orphans and widows bring untold enconomic blessings and profound internal peace. Money given to those called to be Levites -- those called to the full time ministry, is also something essential to Torah keeping.
13. There are many commands regarding personal property, but because I do not own land, I have not bothered to really pay much attention to them. Those of you who do own property, particularly agricultural property, would do well to study and apply them, causing your vats to overflow.
In every respect Torah observance brings blessing, joy and life. Truly it is sweeter than the honey-comb, more precious than gold.
There are many other commandments and instructions in Torah, as well as the Brit Chadasha, but this at least shows you why the Torah of Moshe is truly a shield of priceless gold.
