Many Jews and Christians teach that the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law from Sinai, given by YHVH through Moses for Israel, are God’s righteous standard — that they reflect the full righteous character of God for human beings to live up to. Many churches and Messianic congregations display the 10 Commandments, or have a Torah scroll in a special cabinet, as if to maintain God’s standard before the congregations. (Why shouldn’t believers in Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah/Christ, the Son of God, have the whole Bible in view?!)
I believe that that the New Testament/New Covenant shows us and requires of us a much higher standard of God’s righteousness (which is further testimony that the New Covenant is new, not re-newed).
Here are a just a few examples of this much higher standard of righteousness than that which the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law (Torah) demand — similar to a standard for children or for slaves being raised even higher for more mature sons and daughters, and for real friends:
1. Mt 5:21-22 [Messiah Yeshua says], You have heard that it was
said to those of old, You shall not murder, and whoever
murders will be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you
that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his
brother, ‘Raca!’, shall be in danger of the council. And who-
ever says, ‘You fool!’, shall be in danger of hell fire.
2. Mt 5:27-29 You have heard that it was said to those of
old, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that
whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for
it is more profitable for you that one of your members
perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.
3. Mt 5:31-32 Furthermore, it has been said, Whoever divorces
his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce. But I
say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason
except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and
whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.
4. Mt 5:43-45a You have heard that it was said, You shall love
your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love
your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who
hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and
persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in Heaven. .
5. Mt 6:15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses,
neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses.
6. Mk 7:14-16 When He had called all the multitude to Himself,
He said to them, Hear Me, everyone, and understand: there is
nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him;
but the things which come out of him, those are the things
that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!
7. Jn 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another: as I have loved you, so you also love one
another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if
you have love for one another.
8. Rom 3:21-22 But now the righteousness of God apart from the
Law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ,
to all and upon all who believe. . . .
It is often said that Jesus/Yeshua kept the Torah perfectly, and some want to try to do the same themselves now that they believe in Him and have the Holy Spirit. Yet, there are many requirements in the Law that Yeshua did not have to do: the Law is for sinners; Yeshua was not a sinner, but God Himself in flesh and blood! He lived a higher standard of righteousness than what the Torah recognized, but did point to. For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Rom 8:3-4)
God is love (a noun): He does not merely love (as a verb). YHVH’s thoughts and ways are far above ours. His wisdom is inherent in Himself; we must ask wisdom from above when we are aware we lack it. The Word of God (who is Yeshua) “is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart“. God is perfect; He does not need to be perfected. Our ‘perfection’ will only become realized in the resurrection, and even then, we will forever glory in the wondrous greatness of our Father God and Savior!
Legislated law — however excellent — can never change the heart of persons. We must be born again by the Holy Spirit, through faith in the gospel of the death and resurrection of the Son of God/Son of Man for our sinful natures and our sins, and receive a new heart and a new Spirit. Even so, ‘Come, Lord Jesus, to bring the righteous Kingdom of God to this Earth!’