Who Are Your People?: The Story of Torah and Our Hebrew Heritage

Whew, we just finished the first 5 books of the holy scripture, known to our Jewish brothers and sisters as the Chumash or Torah in our One Story Bible Reading Plan. Congratulations, as this is a heavy lift for most people. The story of Torah is one of a holy heritage with the holy Yahweh. The weightiness and timeless value of this sacred text cannot be appreciated or understood in an intimate, personal way unless we have a firm comprehension of who we are. So let's begin there.

I grew up in rural North Carolina, about 20 miles from where my mother still lives today. She is number seven in a line of nine children, and all but two of her siblings planted their families in this same area.

When I was a teenager, I recall that she never met a stranger when we were out and about, and in all honesty, she is the same today. Her approach after finding out a person's name is to immediately ask, "who's your people?"

It's remarkable, since 95% of the time she knows their relatives and an instant connection, a common thread, is created. It's a rare, beautiful thing to place value and respect on identity and heritage.

I believe our God, our Abba intended it to be this way. He created us with intimate intentionality and unique purpose that is enhanced and brought into fulfillment with one another through His very DNA. This is true heritage, a common thread linking us to one another and to our Abba.

The book of Genesis lays the predicate for this heritage. We see a deliberate root system planted with each of us in mind, all connected to Elohim.

On the sixth day of God's creation montage, He created man: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness’”(Genesis 1:26 ESV). That's you and me, image bearers of the Most High.

We are reminded of this inextricable connection again by the Apostle John's description of Yeshua (Jesus). "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made" (John 1:1–‬3 ESV).
"But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree" (Romans 11:17 ESV).

Through Yeshua Hamashiach (Messiah Jesus), we are connected to the father of the Faith, Abraham, and the great cloud of witnesses that descended from him. This is our Hebrew heritage, a blessed and covenant-marked people, the very heart of Yahweh.

When you know your people, you know your heritage. When you know your heritage, you are firmly rooted. This allows you to walk boldly, with confidence and purpose, for you know who and whose you are.

A culture that forgets who and whose they are is subject to drift from their foundational heritage, and if left unattended long enough, the heart of man can turn to apostasy.

Sound familiar? Our Abba knew this, and so He was intentional about providing a road map, the Torah/Chumash, to lead us back home to His heart with guide posts along the way pointing to Yashua, our King of Glory.

Torah sojourn from the perspective of our Abba talking to us
Genesis: Ayekah: where are you? I knew before the foundation of the world that you would turn from Me so I baked in redemption. I will establish an everlasting covenant: I will be your God, and you will be my people.
Do not forget me and who you are....share from generation to generation.
I am sending a Promised One. Look for Him.

Exodus: Ayekah: where are you? I miss walking in the cool of the day with you. I will deliver and restore relationships with and through my people.
Do not forget Me and who you are....share from generation to generation.
I am sending a Savior. Look for Him.

Leviticus: Ayekah: where are you? There is so much you must learn about living in a fallen world. You must develop a sin consciousness in order to realize the depth of my holiness and your need for atonement. I will walk with you and teach you.
Do not forget Me and who you are....share from generation to generation.
I am sending a Redeemer. Look for Him.

Numbers: Ayekah: where are you? My heart toward you provides deliverance despite your disobedience. You are being shaped, purified, and a new generation made ready to step into my promise.
Do not forget Me and who you are....share from generation to generation.
I am sending a Way-Maker, a Healer. Look for Him.

Deuteronomy: Ayekah: where are you? My love for you is the same as the day I created you. Look unto Me and choose life through obedience, and my covenant promises will chase after you.
Do not forget Me and who you are....share from generation to generation.
I am sending the Messiah, the Word made flesh, a New Covenant. Look for Him.

Simply put, these books comprising the Torah serve as a reminder of who we are and importantly who Yahweh was and is and is to come. Ayekah (where are you?) is a way of calling us unto Himself....this is Torah.