Had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Once again we find some valuable dialogue of Yeshua (Jesus) and once again we need to listen.
I will submit that this conversation started off on a hot topic of Sabbath being broken. Yeshua obviously did not break the “written torah” Sabbath or he would not have been sinless. But he did show that their interpretation of what was breaking the Sabbath was incorrect. I will save this discussion for later under a title of what I will call “traditions of the elders”.
Now to get back on topic with our Title and lets read the scripture reference.
Joh 5:39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Joh 5:40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.
Joh 5:41 I receive not honour from men.
Joh 5:42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.
Joh 5:43 I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.
Joh 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?
Joh 5:45 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.
Joh 5:46 For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.
Joh 5:47 But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?
From the above we will find that Yeshua (Jesus) said for them to search the scriptures which testify of him. Keep in mind that at this time there is no New Testament written, only the Old Testament. So I also encourage you to read the Old Testament and learn about him.
I would like to talk about the word believe. I would dare say that most people would say that they believe in Jesus. That is to say that the man existed. But we most of us have been taught that the word believe in scripture is more than just an intellectual thought, but belief also means having faith. I would like to take a side note on the word faith as a particular comparison has had an impact on me from my youth and is worthy of being shared.
There is a man that is going to cross over Niagara Falls on a tight rope with a wheelbarrow. He asks the crowd if they believe he can do it. They all cheer “yes”. Then he asks for a volunteer to get in the wheelbarrow and go with him. No one is willing to go. Showing no faith of course.
This, my Friend, is the difference in belief versus faith in our time. But the word believe in the scriptures incorporates both faith and belief.
With that in mind we see that Yeshua (Jesus) is saying in verse 46 that if you got in the wheelbarrow with Moses; you would also get in the wheelbarrow with Yeshua. But even more glaringly implied in verse 47, that If we do not get in the wheelbarrow with Moses’ writings, we cannot get in the wheelbarrow with Yeshua’s own his words. Wow what a warning!
That being said, Lets address the men being talked to and their failings and perhaps we can learn something here as well. We can see that the problem with the people being addressed is they counted knowing the scriptures or intellect as equal with eternal life. . The same could be said now also, we have no special favor from Elohim (God) just because we learn the scriptures. Yet it is advantageous for us if we learn them and believe him and keep them.
We know that our love and faith in Elohim (God) and his love for us is what brings life, and our keeping his commandments is our response to that love.
We can see that Yeshua makes it appoint to say they have not the love of Elohim (God) in them in verse 5:42. We can see that this is a very real problem in the Scriptures below, as Elohim requires us to love him (and his son) as well as keep his commandments.
Deu 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;
Deu 7:10 And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.
Again we see what is required of us below.
Deu 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
Deu 10:13 To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?
It is too bad that these men did not have the love for God at this time. Bear in mind they may have changed their hearts later on, as we also can. Therefore let us love Elohim (God and his son) with all our hearts and keep his commandments.