Evidence of the Oral Torah: The Psalms

In the Book of Numbers (part of the Pentatuch or Torah) the Aaronic Blessing stands foundational. The translation of Bnei (children) is predicated to Israelites. Iterations as ‘blessing and keeping’ are found throughout scripture, however, in Psalm 67 the closest expression shows how the Oral Torah functioned and this is all that really matters! 

In Psalm 87 another subtle clue emerges as the chiastic or parallelism of the text and within the genre known as wisdom literature keeps its symmetry. So do not let it stand alone: for The Lord Loves the Gates of Zions! Yet in Priority!

Psalm 87 texts follows with nations (Babylon, Cush, Tyre et al ) that were blessed and brought into the revlation at Mt. Sinai and the eventual Temple with its Courts for the Gentiles. It is the standard Christianity narrative that missions was geographical in the “Old Testament” and where nations were to come and believe. Yet something deeper and more pervasive continues as the content of Scripture deals with the ‘what and how’ of the Gospel, not necessarily its ‘announcement’ as ‘good news.’ Thus, the end of ungodliness by dicipleship.

Here the Hebrew for ‘Gates’ harkens back to an even more foundational matter; following the ways of the Lord or even the ‘Derekch Haaretz’ (way or law of the land) or perhaps the Noahide foundation for all peoples. Something The Quran and even Augustine of Hippo identified before the Standard Islamic Narrative began and Christianity’s supersessionsim as replacement theology.

Surah 42:13 in the Islamic Quran states: He has ordained for you ‘believers’ (Sabians) the Way (Sharia Gates) which He decreed for Noah, and what We have revealed to you  O Prophet˺ and what We decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, commanding: “Uphold the faith, and make no divisions in it.” 

Such a verse throws important light on Deen (religion as a standard) and its aim, it is necessary that we should study it to understand it well. Lexically, the word sharaa in sharaa lakum (ordained for you) means to make the way. As a term it implies appointing a way, a code and a rule. Accordingly, in Arabic the words tashri and shariat and shari are understood as the synonyms of legislation and law and law giver respectively. Therefore, let us understand ‘Gates’ as etymologically linked to the ‘what and how’ of the Gospel as ‘the end of ungodliness.’