Earlier this week, we read the psalmist’s answer to the question, “How can a man keep his way pure?” In what became the longest chapter in the whole of Scripture, the psalmist gives a clear, repeated answer: God’s Law! The Law: the first 5 books of the Jewish and Christian Bibles. We are told that keeping God’s Law gives understanding, is sweeter than honey, is more valuable than riches. The psalmist tells us: keep the Law, weep when it’s disobeyed, call on God to act when it’s broken, learn the commandments from your youth, and your way will remain pure.
In spite of this, some in Christianity today consider keeping the Law to be a dangerous idea and practice, one that cancels Christ’s work on the cross. The validity of the Law is perhaps the single-most dividing point between Messianics like myself and our Christian brothers. While Messianics see God’s Law as His perpetual instructions to His people for living a holy life, Christians view the Law as old superfluous rules that passed away with the coming of Christ.
To address this discord, Messianic organization First Fruits of Zion comes to the rescue with a book that is, in truth, a must-have book for Christians: Boundary Stones, authored by Aaron Eby.
Oh, if only every Christian could get his hand on this book! As I finished reading it myself, my only thoughts were, “How can we get this message out? Christians need to read this!”
Boundary Stones is written for Christians:
- It uses Church language to discuss Jesus and why disciples of Jesus would consider the Law, avoiding rabbinical material and Hebrew terms that may be foreign to gentile Christians.
- It’s non-condemning in nature. It doesn’t delegitimize or belittle Christians or Christianity in any way.
- It uses Jesus’ style of teaching through questioning that challenges the Christian reader, reaching out to Christians graciously without condemnation.
- It’s basic and to-the-point. It’s short (~100 pages), uses simple plain language, it’s easy to read. Through this simple manner, Aaron Eby presents to Christians the case for keeping God’s Law.
The title “Boundary Stones”, aptly enough, comes from the Law itself:
Do not move your neighbor's boundary stone set up by your ancestors in the inheritance you receive in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess.
-Deuteronomy 19:14
In the coming weeks, fine blog readers, we’ll take an in-depth look at Boundary Stones as Aaron Eby addresses the modern Christian objections to the Law.
Shalom to you fine blog readers on this shabbat.