The Jewish Nation - a direct witness of Truth, outside Scripture?
The Apostle asks a simple question, "What advantage then has the Jew? Or what profit is there of cicumcision?" Rom.3.1
His answer is emphatic, "Much every way". v.2.
His list in Rom.9.4-5 gives 8 distinct advantages:
1. The adoption as the nation of Divine choice,
2. The Shekinah Glory of God's very presence,
3. The covenants of Law and of Grace
4. The giving of the Law, at Sinai
5. The Administration of worship in the Tabernacle and Temple - its furnishing, entrances and exits and plan
6. The Divine Promises
7. The Patriarchs' example, upbringing and admonition
8. They are blessed to be the kinfolk of the Messiah
So this prompts another question, "Apart from the benefits of the revealed Word of God, does the Jewish Nation have authoritative guidance for faith and conduct?"
Writing for rabbinic Jews, Yisroel Blumethal takes the common view amongst rabbinic Jews, that as the nation that directly witnessed God's presence and heard His voice speaking to them and to Moses, yes, they have a national role as authoritative witnesses, over and above written scripture. He cites Deut.4, esp 4.9,10,33-40 to confirm this.
"Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him.
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire."
The Jews were and are still, he would argue, the priestly nation. They mediate Divine Law.
He unapologetically opposes this to Sola Scriptura.
Oldest complete Hebrew Bible to date, the Sassoon Codex,c.1000 AD.
So who is right? The rabbis or the reformers? What does the scripture teach?
Paul's fuller answer to his own question is "Much every way: chiefly because that unto them were committed the oracles of God" Rom.3.2 By the oracles, λόγιον logion, he refers to the inspired scriptures.
This doesn't fully resolve the question by itself. Nor do the rabbis respect the authority of the New Testament, so what does the Tenach say?
When the Law was given, it was directly committed to writing.
The ten commandments were revealed in writing, twice, Deut.4.13,22. Exod.24.12; 31.18. Nothing was omitted. Deut.5.22.
After the tablets were broken, they were carefully inscribed again, in a second edition, Deut.10.1-2,4, Exod.34.1,
with Moses as amanuensis, 34.27-8, then safeguarded in the Ark, Deut.10.5.
But the whole Law was also transcribed, as it was revealed, the whole was recorded, Ex.24.4, Deut.31.9 as well as the narrative of God's dealing with Israel, Num.33.2 and the great Song of redemption and warning, Deut.31.22. The whole copy was entrusted to the priests and the elders, Deut.31.9. It too was safeguarded near the Ark, Deut.31.26.
This was explicitly provided to safeguard and to warn against certain future rebellion and corruptions, Deut.31.27-9.
A comprehensive copy made by the priests and Kohathite Levites, containing all God's commandments and statutes to be made in future for the King to study and reflect on continually, Deut.17.18-19, that he also might be kept humble, v.20.
The ordinary people were commanded to write the Divine Law on their own door posts and gates, Deut.6.9, requiring high literacy rates.
The requirement to keep "ALL these commandments, which I command you to keep them, to do them, to love the LORD your God, to walk in ALL His ways, and to cleave unto Him", Deut.11.22, is coupled with the reiteration of this command to inscribe the written Law on the door posts and gates of every home, Deut.11.20.
Again and again and again, the fullness and completion of the Law are described as being written down for reference, Deut.27.3,8,26; 28.58; 29.21,29; 30:8-10; 31.9-12.
When apostates and false prophets and teachers arise, they will subtract from or add to these written commands, subverting them, Deut.4.2-3; 12.32; 13.1-5; 18.20; 31.29.
The whole Law, not just a portion or the ten commandments, was read publicly in a solemn assembly every seven years, in the year of release (שְׁמִטָּה, shemittah) at the Feast of Tabernacles, Deut.31.10-13. Even the young children, and the proselyte strangers, must be present, so that those who don't yet know will know all God's revealed will and desire, Deut.29.29; 31.12-3.
To safeguard Joshua from error or false tradition, he was commanded to meditate in the written book of the Law, day and night, Josh.1.7-8. "to observe all that is written therein" and to guard him from straying "to the right hand or the left".
This procedure is followed at Israel's first entry into the land, near Shechem, at Mounts Gerizim and Ebal, Jos.8.34. Strangers and children were all present.
"There was not a word of all Moses commanded, which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women, and the little ones, and the strangers that were conversant among them", v.34.
The whole Law, including all the curses of Deut.28, were read from the rediscovered document (sefer) before King Josiah, 2 Chr.34.21,24,27, which greatly humbled him.
In turn, Josiah caused all the words of the Law, to be read before all Judah, small and great, with all the priests, prophets and elders, 2 Ki.23.2.
This is telling, after a period of apostasy and great disobedience, how did Josiah test and check to ensure he had returned to 'the Law and the Testimony'? Did he consult the priests, or the elders of the tribes, or the scribes, or the traditions, or the writings of commentators? No, he only trusted and tunred to one source, "our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book." 2 Chr.34.21.
This was the only safe, acid test.
No other test was lawful, safe or appropriate.
To ensure the people understand fully and properly, Josiah commands a public reading of "all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord." 2 Chr.34.30
He then makes a covenant, a renewal of the old, "to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart,and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book". 2 Chr.34.31
He then requires all the inhabitants of Judah, Benjamin and Jerusalem to stand in this covenant too, 2 Chr.34.32.
When Ezra was determined to restore and to correct the people of Jerusalem and Judah from pagan error, after decades of exile, he read from the written Law, Neh.8.1,2,3,5,8,9. The priests and Levites' task was not to elaborate or add to the commands, but simply and only to explain and to give the distinct sense and proper understanding of what was already written, Neh.8.8.
As the Tenach closes, the last prophet, Malachi, closes his predictive pleas against the forthcoming corruption of the whole priesthood, the Levites, scholars and masters, with a strong reminder of the absolute necessity of the comprehensive foundation of the Law given to Moses, Mal.4.4.
So the only authoritative source of correction and guidance for Israel and for us, is God's own written Word, this is the only hallowed and safe tradition, it must be the only plumbline. Isa.8.20, 28.16-18,9-10; Ps.119.5; 19.12-13,7-10.
If a tradition arises, however hallowed, that begins to transgress these commands, it must be dismissed and abhorred, 2 Ki.18.4; 2 Ki.23.13,8,19-20; Neh.8.27; 2 Chr.14.3.
So Yisroel Blumenthal's position is unlawful, dangerous and opens up the door to disobedience, it is disobedient already, Jer.2.13. It may seem attractive, but it is like the action of Ahaz, in replacing a solid foundation with an attractive but strange one, 2 Ki.16.10-12.
False teachers will arise, speaking smooth things, and Mr Blumenthal has not sufficiently safeguarded against them, Isa.30.10-11. The possession and study of the Law is a great treasure, but it must be observed, Jer.8.8-9.
