The Messianic Torah Observer

In this installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, we turn our attention to Parashat Re'eh, contained in Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17, and to Moshe's opening admonishment to Yah's covenant people: "See." Re'eh is not merely an invitation to notice something with our natural eyes. It is a divine call to perceive, discern, and rightly assess what Yehovah has placed before us: blessing and curse, covenant faithfulness and covenant compromise, life and destruction.
Beloved, this teaching presses into the personal and communal nature of Moshe's instruction. Re'eh begins in the singular, speaking to the individual son and daughter of Yasharal, and then immediately expands into the plural, addressing the covenant community as a whole. In other words, Yah's Torah must be seen personally, embraced intentionally, and walked out faithfully among His people.
We also examine the warning of Deuteronomy 13 concerning false prophets and dreamers of dreams. The issue is not simply whether a sign or prediction comes to pass. The greater question is this: where is that voice leading us? Toward YHVH, His Torah, and covenant obedience? Or away from the simplicity of faithfulness into speculation, sensationalism, fear, and compromise?
In a season where world events, prophetic claims, geopolitical upheaval, and social unrest are moving faster than many can process, the instruction remains the same: Re'eh. See. Hold the headlines in one hand and the Word of Yah in the other. Test all things. Refuse to be misled. Choose the covenant path that leads to shalom, life, truth, and blessing through Yeshua Messiah.

Beloved, this discussion is not about chasing titles, defending camps, or winning theological arguments for the sake of argument. It is about understanding where Hebrew Roots and Messianic Judaism agree, where they part company, and why that distinction matters to every Torah-honoring disciple of Yeshua Messiah. In this episode, Rod Thomas responds to the First Fruits of Zion article, "Hebrew Roots Is Not Messianic Judaism," and carefully works through the questions of identity, Torah obligation, covenant membership, Jewish distinction, Gentile discipleship, and the body of Messiah. Along the way, Rod offers his own take as a Torah-observant, covenant-keeping believer in Yeshua HaMashiyach who seeks to walk in Spirit and Truth without dismissing either side of the conversation.

Saints, Tu B'Av is one of those days on the Jewish traditional calendar that most of us in the Messianic and Hebrew Roots community have simply walked past without ever realizing it was there. And although it is not one of the mandated Feasts or Moedim of Yehovah, this 15th day of the 5th biblical month bears within it a beautiful redemptive pattern that speaks directly to the redeemed of the Most High. Coming just six days after Tisha B'Av, Tu B'Av reminds us that Yah has a way of turning the darkest seasons of judgment, exile, mourning, and loss into seasons of restoration, joy, and Kingdom expectation.
In this teaching, we examine the historical and spiritual significance of Tu B'Av: the lifting of the wilderness death decree, the restoration of the tribe of Benjamin, the removal of barriers that prevented worship in Yerushalayim, and the touching image of the daughters of Jerusalem dancing in borrowed white garments. And beloved, when viewed through Messianic lenses, these elements point us right back to the work of Yehoshua Messiah: condemnation lifted, covenant restoration granted, access to worship restored, and the Bride clothed in righteousness that is not her own.

Beloved, accusations that Torah-honoring believers have embraced a false gospel, fallen from grace, or placed themselves back under the Law are serious and deserve a careful, Word-based response. In this installment of The Messianic Torah Observer, Rod Thomas addresses three common criticisms against the Hebrew Roots and Messianic Torah communities and shows why grace-motivated obedience is not legalism, why Acts 15 does not abolish Torah for Gentile believers, and why Yeshua remains the center and proper interpretive key of the Torah-observant walk.