Basics of Biblical Law

What comes to mind when you think of Biblical law? That phrase used to sound foreboding to me. I pictured people getting stoned for any little thing they did wrong. I thought it was insanely nitpicky things that no one could ever do, and a lot of animal sacrifice.

With this attitude, Biblical law scared me. I eagerly accepted that the Messiah came to do away with it so I wouldn't have this terrible threat looming over me! Any time an "Old Testament" concept would come up, I would write it off, thinking it had been done away with. I would hear of things like Sabbath keeping and assume those people were also sacrificing goats or wanted to stone people who did wrong.

But eventually, I read through all of the Old Testament and saw for myself what Biblical law actually consists of. When I started actually reading Scripture I realized it really isn't so bad. It's mostly pretty reasonable, with obvious benefits.

Part of the problem is we mix Biblical law in with the instructions for the Levitical priesthood. I don't want to undermine that the Levitical temple service was legitimate and served a valuable purpose - it did. But Scripture tells us that the Messiah's priesthood is of the order of Melchizedek, not Levi. We do not have to worry about offering up animals when we sin. Praise YHWH!  Because the Messiah's death was once and for all, we are not to take up animal sacrifice or other Levitical customs, but that doesn't negate Biblical law. 

Levitical law and Biblical law are not the same thing. Plenty of Biblical instructions were given before the Levitical priesthood was instated. Men and women starting with Adam and Eve were given commands from the Creator. Noah and his family knew the difference between clean and unclean animals, Abraham and Sarah were instructed in how to serve YHWH, and the ten commandments were given before Levitical law was a thing. It is imperative to recognize the difference between Biblical law and Levitical law.

Biblical law mostly consists of the following categories:

-instructions about worshipping YHWH

-commands for treating others

-instructions for Biblical holidays, including the Sabbath

-animals we are commanded not to eat

-instructions for loans and business conduct

-instructions for sexual conduct

The more I studied about these commandments, the more I realized that most of these are pretty practical, and help us to live in a way that invites peace and contentment, as well as the Holy Spirit into our lives. Here is the Living God, handing out life hacks if you will. Let's examine these categories in a bit more depth.

Basics of Biblical law:

We are commanded to worship YHWH within certain parameters.
-YHWH is to be our only god. (Exodus 20:3)
-We should love YHWH with all of our heart, mind, and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4)
-We should remember the name of YHWH and not bring it to vanity. (Exodus 20:7)
-We are not to test YHWH's promises and warnings. (Deuteronomy 6:16)
-We are not to make images or idols. (Exodus 20:4)
-We are not to practice soothsaying, enchanting, sorcery, or necromancy. (Deuteronomy 18:10-11)

We are given commands for how we treat others.
-Love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18)
-We are to honor our parents. (Exodus 20:12)
-Lost property must be returned to its owner. (Exodus 23:4)
-We are to love converts to the faith. (Deuteronomy 10:19)
-We are not to steal. (Exodus 20:15)
-We are not to covet our neighbor's possessions. (Exodus 20:17)
-We are not to deny charity to the poor. (Deuteronomy 15:7)

We are commanded to observe YHWH's set apart times.
-We are to set apart the Sabbath day and rest and worship YHWH on it. (Exodus 20:8-11)
-We are to observe Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Shavuot, the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and the Feast of Tabernacles. There are a few more instructions for each specific holiday. (Leviticus 23)

We are commanded not to eat certain animals.
-Animals that don't have hooves and chew the cud are forbidden. (Leviticus 11:4)
-Fish must have fins and scales to be permissible. (Leviticus 11:9)
-We are not to eat blood. (Deuteronomy 12:23)

Loans and business conduct.
-We are to lend money to the poor and foreigners without interest. (Exodus 22:24, Deuteronomy 23:21)
-Workers should be paid on time. (Deuteronomy 24:15)
-Accurate weights and measures need to be used. (Leviticus 19:36)
-We are not to demand payment from a debtor known to be unable to pay. (Exodus 22:24)
-We should not fraudulently move property boundaries. (Deuteronomy 19:14)

Instructions regarding sexuality.
-Physical intimacy is to be within a marriage covenant. (Genesis 2:24)
-Adultery is forbidden. (Exodus 20:14)
-Homosexuality is forbidden. (Leviticus 18:22)
-Divorce must be formalized with a written document. (Numbers 5:15-27)

Do these things sound like something the Messiah wanted to do away with? Do we really think YHWH sent his son to liberate us from not having other gods besides him? Was his goal to free us from the obligations to honor our parents and to not commit adultery? Would it be a positive if we started denying charity to the poor, started using dishonest weights and measures in our businesses, made robbery okay, and started practicing necromancy?

If we are going to understand the New Testament we need to know that it never speaks against these things! The Messiah never said anything against Biblical law. You can search the entirety of the New Testament and you will not find him violating these commandments, suggesting others do so, or saying negative things about them. He always followed and upheld these things.

The same goes for the the disciples and authors of the New Testament. No one was speaking or acting against Biblical law. There are many passages of the Bible that seem like this is what's happening, but in those cases they are either talking about the Levitical priesthood ending or saying that believers don't need to abide by Jewish or manmade laws. While the Messiah frequently told his followers to set aside manmade traditions, he never taught anyone to disregard Biblical law.

Please note that this post goes over the basics of Biblical law, and is not intended to be an enumeration of every single law in the Bible.

Related posts:
Comparing the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods
The Three Types of Laws in the Bible
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding the New Testament

The Gift of Salvation from a Torah Observant Perspective

Understanding how salvation works can be very confusing, especially within the Hebrew community, where believers in the Messiah still feel called to be obedient to Scripture's instructions. How does salvation as a free gift of the Messiah fit with the belief that we should still keep Biblical law? Do we believe that you have to do certain things in order to be righteous or saved?

Imagine being gifted with a high-end camera and all the accessories, but not knowing how to use it. DSLR cameras are more complex than point-and-shoot cameras and it's easy to see that their image quality is superior. But if you don't know how to use this camera, you'll be left feeling frustrated.

Unless you refuse to accept this gift, that camera is yours, whether or not you learn how to use it. Good camera equipment is expensive, and it holds its value well. You could keep that camera in a closet and not think about it for years, and it would still belong to you. If you came into a hard time or decided you wanted to use it, it would be there and waiting.

Whether or not you choose to use the camera, it is still yours.

If you learn to use that camera, you would benefit from that. You would be able to capture memories throughout your life, taking pictures of your family as it grows and special moments you experience. It could be a creative outlet for you. You could develop it into a business, and make a living shooting family and wedding photos professionally, giving your clients the gift of lovely pictures. Those pictures in turn could help people see their own beauty and grow in confidence. Those photographs you take could provide comfort and healing to a family grieving from losing a loved one. 

A lot of good can come from this camera! But only if you learn how to use it.

If you just accept the gift and keep it in the box, you'll still have its value at the end of your life. But you will miss out on the joys and benefits it can offer you throughout your life.

I believe salvation works in much the same way. If you ask YHWH for forgiveness, then I believe he is gracious enough to extend that to us, regardless of if we do everything he commands or have perfect theology or whatever else.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of YHWH is everlasting life in the Messiah Yahusha our master." -Romans 6:23

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. This is not your doing; it is the gift of YHWH, not a result of works that one may boast." -Ephesians 2:8-9

I don't think you have to keep the seventh day Sabbath, or eat Biblically clean, or celebrate the set apart times in order to have salvation, but I do believe that doing these things would benefit you! The Bible's instructions aren't just meaningless hoops to jump through to try and win some extra brownie points. If you honor your parents, then you will have a better relationship with them. If you don't commit adultery, there is peace and trust in your family and home. If you set apart the Sabbath day, then you benefit from physical rest and a mental-reset each week.

When the Bible gives us instructions, they are not a threat. Our salvation is from the Messiah's work, and not from my ability to perfectly follow the word. The commandments are not, "Do this or else." YHWH gives us instructions as an opportunity for direction and blessings in our lives. The commandments are, "Do this and be blessed."

Related posts:
Biblical Law: Have To or Get To?
King David's Final Advice
Traffic and Laws: The Benefits of Scripture's Instructions

Biblical Law and the Woman Caught in Adultery

Many of us have been told that when the Messiah let the woman who was caught in adultery go free, instead of being stoned to death, he changed Biblical law. Is that what happened?

This story comes to us from John 8. You're probably familiar with it. Jewish leaders brought a woman who had been caught in adultery before the Messiah. They said that in the Torah, Moses commanded that adulterers be stoned. What did Yahusha say about this?

They were looking for a way to trap him theologically. They wanted him to disagree with Moses. Keep in mind that they were not coming to him for advice or because it was required of them. They were experts in Biblical law and they had the authority to carry it out. This was either a trap or a test. He could have dazzled them with his wisdom, as he had before. But what did he do? He stooped down, and used his finger to write in the dirt like he didn't hear them. (John 8:6)

The Bible doesn't say exactly how long the Messiah wrote in the dirt, or what words he put down. Did he write out the passage they were referring to? Did he reference another part of Scripture? Did he write their names or sins? Did he write Psalms of repentance or about the hope of forgiveness through him? Did he write the truth about this situation?

They kept questioning him, and eventually he stood up and said one of his more famous phrases. "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." (John 8:7)

He stooped back down and went back to his writing. One by one the accusers and crowd went away, from oldest to youngest. After that he spoke to the accused woman. She told him that no one had condemned her. "Neither do I," he said to her. "Go and sin no more." (John 8:11)

Does this prove that the Messiah is altering Biblical law?

Deuteronomy 22:22 does say that adultery is a sin punishable by death:

"When a man is found lying with a woman married to a husband, then both of them shall die, both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman. Thus you shall purge the evil from Israel."

Biblical law says she deserves death. But not so fast. It also says here that both the man and the woman involved are to be put to death. Where is the man? If the religious leaders were so concerned with rightly dealing with sin, why didn't they bring him to the Messiah? There is no way for the woman to be "caught in" adultery, but not the man. It's not like they didn't know who he was. This seems to imply that something fishy is going on...did they lure her into a trap? Did someone come to them and accuse her falsely? Had she committed adultery with one of the accusing religious leaders and now they were hoping to do away with her while avoiding their own punishment?

Biblical law also says that someone can't be put to death on the testimony of only one witness. It would require two or three. While this passage of Scripture makes it sound like a fairly sizable group was present (she was brought by both scribes and Pharisees, both plural), it would seem extremely suspicious if everyone in this group was a firsthand witness to this sin. This indicates that many people present were accusing her on hearsay alone, which would be wrong and unfair. Since Scripture doesn't tell us that she was caught by at least two or three witnesses, we can't be 100% sure that there were enough witnesses to justify stoning. That means we can't be certain that the Bible truly calls for her to be stoned here.

Deuteronomy 17:7 says that the witnesses who caught her would be required to throw the first stones at her. I believe this was intentional by YHWH to prevent deaths unfairly...if you were going to accuse someone of a weighty sin, then you had to be ready to have their blood on your hands. This means it would be a sin to throw the first stones at someone caught in adultery, if you were not one of at least two witnesses to this sin. Scripture does not definitively say that the witnesses were present in John 8. If they weren't, it would have been wrong to stone her.

The man was not present, and it's not clear if there were first-hand witnesses present. This would make it against Biblical law to stone her, even if she truly had been caught in adultery. Would it be just to put someone to death on hearsay when the other alleged perpetrator of the crime is not even charged? It would not be, according to the laws given in the Torah.

Yahusha followed Biblical law by not stoning her. As a result it was a beautiful foreshadow of his taking the punishment that we all deserve for our sins. His death doesn't mean that adultery or breaking other Biblical commandments is now okay, but it means that forgiveness and redemption are possible when we repent of our mistakes.

"Go and sin no more," doesn't mean what she did was permissible. The Messiah calling it sin tells us it was definitely sin. By telling her not to sin, he was telling her not to break Biblical law. Even as this woman receives mercy and redemption, the Savior calls her to uphold the commandments of Scripture.

Related posts:
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding the New Testament
Stoning in the Bible
How the Bible Defines Sin

The Three Types of Laws in Scripture

When I was first learning about keeping Scripture's instructions today, I cannot tell you how confusing it was to read through much of the New Testament. Is the law good? Is the law bad? Was it done away with? Are we free from it? Is it only for certain people?

There are literally statements like, "Trying to keep the law is severing yourself from the Messiah," but also completely contradictory statements like, "Doers of the law will be considered righteous." Both of these things can't be true, but the Bible is inerrant...so which is it? And what does it mean for verses that say the opposite?

There are three kinds of laws that the New Testament talks about, and sadly most translations of Scripture completely fail to distinguish these at all. Each of these is distinct from the others. If we don't pause and pay attention to which type is being talked about, we are going to end up very confused and completely misunderstand significant portions of the Bible.

The three laws of Scripture:

-The commandments. These are laws that have been expressly given to us in Scripture. These include instructions on how to serve YHWH, the ten commandments, loving our neighbor, dietary restrictions, celebrating the Biblical holidays, not practicing idol worship, honoring our parents, keeping the Sabbath, and so forth. These are often referred to simply as, "the Torah." Some would call these instructions the Book of the Covenant. Across the board, the commandments are upheld and spoken highly of in the New Testament. These are often referred to as the instructions, the law, commands, or Biblical law.

-The instructions for the Levitical priesthood. These detail how the Tabernacle should be operated, and gives laws for sacrifices and offerings. Many would call these regulations the Book of the Law. These laws are no longer in effect. It's been nearly 2,000 years since anyone observed these laws after the Temple was destroyed. But much more significantly, believers no longer need to meet these requirements because the Messiah is now our high priest; his priestly order is Melchizedek, and not Levi. Hebrews 7:12 says that since the priesthood was transferred from Levi to Melchizedek this necessitates a change in the law as well. The change is not that the commandments are no longer in effect, the change is that we do not observe the rules for the Levitical priesthood. You can see more on this here.

-Jewish laws. These are manmade rules from the faith of Judaism. They are not commandments that come from YHWH, or anywhere in the Bible. These laws are traditions of men and not something that Scripture teaches. The Messiah spoke against Jewish laws such as the prohibition of healing on the Sabbath, and ritual handwashing before meals. Examples of Jewish laws today are things like lighting candles at the start of the Sabbath or not turning on lightbulbs on the Sabbath. These are not commands from the Bible and believers are not given 'bonus points' for keeping them. Some people call these the "oral law" or Talmudic law.

Again, it is to great misunderstanding that most translations of the Bible do not make distinctions between these. Unfortunately they are typically all just called, "law." Now it's confusing enough to make differentiation between the commandments of YHWH and the laws for the Levitical priesthood...but at least those both came from the Creator! But when we confuse the laws of YHWH with the teachings of men, we have a huge problem. When we mix these up, we not only misunderstand the verse, but can walk away thinking that it says the exact opposite of what it really means!

1 Corinthians 9:20-21 NIV is a prime example of this confusion:

"To those under the law, I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law, but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law."

Is he under the law or isn't he? What on earth is he talking about if "law" is supposed to mean the same thing? He literally says he's not under the law, then says he is under the law!

If we make the distinction between the different types of laws, this passage makes a lot more sense.

"To those under the Jewish law, I became like one under the Jewish law (though I myself am not under Jewish law), so as to win those under Jewish law. To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from YHWH's law, but am under it), so as to win those not having the law of YHWH."

Paul does not consider himself under Jewish law. But he does consider himself to be under the commandments of YHWH. Paul made a distinction between the types of law Scripture talks about. If we learn to recognize that Paul refers to the different types of laws his writings start to make a lot more sense.

Other examples of the importance of distinguishing which law is being talked about:

If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. - Galatians 5:18

Type of law this is referencing: Levitical.

I used to think this meant that you didn't have the Holy Spirit if you were keeping the Sabbath day, etc. But does it make any kind of sense that the Holy Spirit would lead us away from the written word of YHWH? In the context of Galatians, Levitical law is a major theme. If you have the Holy Spirit would you be lead towards animal sacrifice in place of the blood of the Messiah? Absolutely not! If we are led by the Spirit, we are not under the Levitical priesthood. More on why we don't need to sacrifice animals here.

You are aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile. But YHWH has shown me that I should not call anyone unclean. - Acts 10:28

Type of law this is referencing: Jewish.

Scripture does not teach this, so this does not come from the Biblical commandments or the instructions for the Levitical priesthood. The law Peter references is Jewish law. So YHWH is not changing the Biblical law, but rather teaching believers to set aside this Jewish law. More on Peter's vision here.

This is the new covenant I will make: I will put my laws on their minds and write them on their hearts. -Hebrews 8:10

Type of law this is referencing: Biblical commandments.

It wouldn't make a lot of sense for YHWH to write the laws for the Levitical priests on our hearts, now that the Melchizedek priesthood is in effect. And the use of 'my' is a giveaway that he is not talking about the manmade Jewish law. His commandments teach us how to have relationship with him and to live in ways that glorify him. Naturally these would be what he would want us to think about and treasure in our hearts.

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire... -Hebrews 10:5

Type of law this is referencing: Levitical.

While the word 'law' isn't actually used in this passage, I had always incorrectly associated verses like this with the Biblical commandments for how are to live. I would read that he didn't want sacrifice and wrongly assume that he didn't want the rules surrounding the Sabbath day, interacting with our neighbors, the dietary regulations, etc. either. But those instructions help us to have closer relationship with the Creator. What he didn't want was for us to be disobedient to those things and the animal sacrifice system of the Levitical priesthood to be needed. Not to say that it was bad, but it is the lesser of what YHWH offers us.

Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the law and are living like a Gentile, why are you trying to make these Gentiles follow Jewish law? -Galatians 2:14

Type of law this is referencing: Jewish.

Paul is not accusing Peter of having discarded the commandments of YHWH; this is a discussion of Peter reverting to observing Jewish law because he was fearful of certain people. We saw in Acts 10 that Peter was expressly told to eat with Gentile believers even though it was against Jewish law. Paul is reminding him to hold the commandments of Scripture above Jewish tradition.

There is a setting aside of the previous law because it was weak and unprofitable. -Hebrews 7:18

Type of law this is referencing: Levitical.

The author of Hebrews is not insulting the Biblical commandments here. They are not saying that the Living God's instructions are not profitable. They are saying that the system of Levitical law was not YHWH's perfect plan, and it is now being set aside in favor of his best plan (salvation through the Messiah under the Melchizedek priesthood). Since it is referring to the Levitical law, this passage does not say that the Biblical commandments are set aside.

You who are trying to keep the law are severed from Messiah. -Galatians 5:4

Type of law this is referencing: Levitical.

Why would trying to keep the commandments sever us from the Messiah? He kept all these himself and told us he wasn't doing away with the commandments. Scripture tells us we should live as he did! Implementing the Bible's instructions into our lives so that we can live in a way that honors YHWH, never cuts us off from the Messiah. But if in disobedience to Scripture we insist on holding onto the animal sacrificial system because we don't think the Messiah's death covers our sins, that will keep us very far from him indeed.

Those who obey the law will be declared righteous. - Romans 2:13

Type of law this is referencing: Biblical commandments.

If we don't make a distinction between the type of law Scripture is talking about, we will inevitably misunderstand the word of God. This verse tells us that obedience to the law is a righteous thing, but the above verse from Galatians said it cuts us off from the Messiah. Both of these meanings cannot be correct if it's the same law. We know from Scripture that righteousness does not come from adhering to Jewish law and it doesn't come from the animal sacrifice of the Levitical priesthood. But obeying YHWH's commandments? That is a path to righteousness.

Can you see from this handful of examples how we can have drastic misunderstandings of YHWH's word if we don't discern which type of law is being spoken of? Many times in the New Testament one verse says something about the 'law' and a few chapters later it says literally the exact opposite. Scripture is cohesive and makes sense with the rest of itself. If it seems like it contradicts itself it is talking about two different things. We must learn to make these distinctions if we are going to fully understand Scripture, and know how we are expected to live today.

Related posts:
Commandments or Traditions - Understanding the New Testament
Four Distinctions We Need to Make to Understand Scripture
Understanding Galatians
Did the Messiah Break the Law?

A Hebraic Perspective on Galatians

Galatians may well be the most misunderstood book in Scripture. When I was first learning about Torah observance and the Hebrew faith, the idea of keeping the commandments would make sense...and then I would read Galatians and get very confused. It seems to go against so much of Scripture doesn't it? Passages are often pulled out of this book to say that we no longer need to follow YHWH's instructions. But Scripture doesn't contradict itself! Having a better perspective on this book will help us to see how it fits with all of the Word.

This post will help you to learn the meaning of Galatians and better understand its main points. It will also help you study this part of the Bible!

There are a few things to remember when we read Galatians: 

-This is not meant to be read on its own but in conjunction with the rest of the Bible. Meaning, it needs to fit with what the rest of Scripture says.

-Most translations fail to distinguish between the commandments for how we are to live (love your neighbor, honor the Sabbath day, eat what Scripture permits, do not steal or murder, etc.), from the laws regarding the Levitical priesthood and the sacrificial system, confusingly lumping them together as "law" or "Torah." Making a distinction sheds so much light on this book!

-Paul is not writing about all the commandments in Scripture but rather hones in on circumcision and animal sacrifice.

-This was written by Paul and Scripture says that his writings are often hard to understand and end up twisted (2 Peter 3:16). It is unrealistic to think that a quick, cursory reading of an English translation will lead us to the proper meaning of this passage when Scripture warns us that it is difficult to understand. Take time to study and search out the true meaning of this misunderstood book.

Because I come from a Christian background, I have heard so many times that Galatians says that we are set free from the pointless and burdensome instructions of our Creator. These are some of the verses that used to confuse me. Let's take a closer look to see what Scripture really is saying in these passages.

Addressing 'problem verses':

Titus was not compelled to be circumcised. -Galatians 2:3
This verse is talking about circumcision and does not mean that Titus wasn't compelled to follow other commandments in Scripture. Circumcision is a weighty topic and one that we won't fully delve into in this article. Remember that Paul did encourage Timothy to be circumcised later and we have no evidence of either of them or Paul disregarding Scripture's instructions in other areas.

Peter was at fault for separating himself from Gentiles. -Galatians 2:11
Peter was at fault because the Bible doesn't say he should do this. The idea of separating from Gentiles is a man-made Jewish idea, not something found in Torah. Which is why verse 12 expressly mentions that he withdrew from Gentile believers because of fear of others. He was fearing man's traditions and rules (Judaism's laws in this case) in place of YHWH, which is what Paul called him out for.

"Why would you compel a Gentile to live as a Jew?" -Galatians 2:14
It's important to realize that Paul no longer sees his faith as part of Judaism (in 1:13 he says that Judaism was his former way of life). So yeah, why would he expect Gentiles to live as Jews who observe literally thousands of rules not found in Scripture? The context of this alongside his rebuke of Peter keeping Jewish law tells us that Paul does not think believers should follow Jewish law, but he's not saying that all believers shouldn't keep YHWH's commandments.

"Man is not declared right by works of Torah." -Galatians 2:16 
We should look at this verse from the perspective of, "Man is not declared right by animal sacrifices." This fits with Hebrews 10:4 which tells us it is impossible for animal blood to take away our sins. But even if we look at it from the perspective that we aren't saved by keeping the commandments perfectly, there is no contradiction here. Salvation is a free gift given to those who believe, regardless of my ability to serve him perfectly. However, our actions should reflect our faith!

"Through the Torah, I died to Torah." -Galatians 2:19
An easier to understand rendering of this verse would be, "Through Scripture, I died to the Levitical priesthood." It's significant that Paul says through Torah or through Scripture, because he can see that the change from the Levitical priesthood back to the Melchizedek is something that Scripture teaches. He says he is dead to the system of animal sacrifice because it can no longer do anything for him.

"If righteousness is through Torah, then Messiah died for nothing." -Galatians 2:21
This isn't discrediting the Torah but rather speaking a quite obvious truth. If we didn't need the Messiah for salvation, then what was the point in his being killed? If the Levitical sacrificial system was all we needed then that would have been an easy decision for YHWH to continue that rather than subject the Messiah to torture and murder.

"Does the Spirit come by works of Torah or by belief?" -Galatians 3:2
Did the Levitical system lead to an outpouring of the Holy Spirit? It did not, simply because the Levitical system is the not the fullness or best of YHWH's plan for mankind. That is not an insult to the Levitical temple, but an admonishment that our faith shouldn't stop there. 

You need belief to be a son of Abraham. -Galatians 3:7
This fits with what we know about who Hebrews really are. It's not about your bloodline, it's about placing your faith in the Messiah and serving him as Scripture teaches.

"Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all the Torah." -Galatians 3:10
Would Paul have bothered bringing this up if he thought we shouldn't keep any of the commandments and were off the hook of being cursed? I don't think so, and his phrasing is quite telling...he expects believers to have a question about doing 'part' of the Torah instructions because he expected them to follow the commandments given in the Book of the Covenant, without keeping the Levitical Temple system in effect. If it weren't for the Messiah, we would be cursed by not participating in the Levitical system. But now we have the Messiah and he set us free from the curse that comes from stopping Temple sacrifices.

"No one is declared right by the Torah." -Galatians 3:11
You can't sacrifice enough animals to be declared right. The blood of animals does not take away sins (Hebrews 10:4). That's not an insult to the Levitical priesthood, merely an admission that Yahusha's blood is superior. And of course we aren't declared right by our works either, but that doesn't mean YHWH doesn't want us to live a certain way. 

"Torah that came 430 years later does not annul a previous Covenant." -Galatians 3:17
Did you know that most of the commandments for how to live were given before the Levitical priesthood was established? Instructions on the Sabbath, the set apart times, and clean eating were all spoken of well before the Israelites wandered in the desert. Those things aren't annulled or done away with because of the change in the priesthood. This sentence shows us that Scripture makes a distinction of the commandments for how to live and the commandments for the Levitical system. They are not inextricably linked together. This also tells us that the "Two Torahs" are both from Scripture, and Paul is not talking about the oral law (Judaism's man made rules).

This Torah was added because of transgressions... -Galatians 3:19
Added is a key word here. What was the Levitical system and animal sacrifice added to? The instructions YHWH had already given on how to live! Transgressions here is talking about the sin of the golden calf.

"...until the Seed should come to those this promise was made to." -Galatians 3:19
Until the Messiah comes! The Levitical sacrifices were made until the Messiah. This passage is talking about animal sacrifice and circumcision, but Paul is not saying that the rest of the instructions were just until the Messiah. We see the Messiah and his followers (Paul included) keeping the Torah throughout the New Testament.

The Torah is not against the promises of YHWH. -Galatians 3:21
Meaning that his instructions go with his promises. You don't throw out the instructions to get to the promises.

Yahusha was born under Levitical law. -Galatians 4:4
Messiah was born when the Levitical system was still in operation, in order to redeem those who were under this priesthood. This is both a statement of fact (that the Temple was running when he was born), and a reminder that he comes to us where we are.

Becoming enslaved again...observing Gentile ritual days. -Galatians 4:10
Please see that this passage is about turning back to cultural holidays and man-made traditions, not about keeping the Biblical set apart times! Verse 9 talks about turning away from YHWH. Would it make more sense to view celebrating a feast of Scripture as turning away from the Living God, or turning to man-made holidays with roots in paganism as turning away from the Creator?

Two covenants: free woman/slave woman allegory. -Galatians 4:24
Take note that these women are from Abraham's time, including the free woman. The Melchizedek priesthood was in effect during Abraham's time, while the Levitical system didn't come into place until hundreds of years later. YHWH's intention was always for his people to have the free woman covenant, but that covenant was rejected by Israel at the sin of the golden calf. The Messiah's sacrifice restores us to the original free woman covenant, including the many commandments on how we are to live such as celebrating the Biblical holidays, not consuming animals that Scripture doesn't permit, and honoring the Sabbath day.

Messiah has made us free from the yoke of slavery. -Galatians 5:1
True freedom only comes from the Messiah. And going back to the allegory of the free woman and the slave woman, the Levitical priesthood is the slave woman. Yahusha set us free from having to sacrifice animals.

Declaring yourself right by animal sacrifices severs you from the Messiah. -Galatians 5:4
Yes, saying that your sins are covered because of an animal sacrifice is deeply insulting to the Messiah! But that's what severs you from him; note that this verse doesn't say, "Honoring the Sabbath day severs you from Messiah," or "Keeping the commandments cuts you off." 

"Do not use freedom as an occasion for the flesh." -Galatians 5:13
Freedom and forgiveness don't make it wise to live foolishly. The Messiah didn't set us free from sin so that we can do whatever we want without consequence.

"The entire Torah is completed in one word, love your neighbor as yourself." -Galatians 5:14
This is a summary of the instructions we are supposed to be keeping. Think of it as the description on the back of a book - here's what it's about, see inside for more.

"If you are lead by the Spirit, you are not under Torah." -Galatians 5:18
A better rendering of this would be that if we are being lead by the Spirit, we won't return to the Levitical system of animal sacrifice. The Holy Spirit accepts Yahusha's blood offering as superior to the blood of bulls and goats and will not lead you to resume animal sacrifice. This verse is not saying that the Holy Spirit would lead us away from the word of YHWH or his instructions. Paul has just spoken on the Torah telling us to love our neighbor, it would make no sense for him to mean 'Torah' in the same context here...if you are lead by the Spirit you won't love your neighbor? That doesn't fit at all with Scripture.

Galatians doesn't have to be confusing. The Creator wants you to understand this important book and see that it truly does not contradict the rest of Scripture, and it doesn't bad-mouth it either. The Word of YHWH is seamless and by taking the time to study the Hebraic perspective of the writer we can see that this book doesn't tell us to throw away the commandments.

Related posts:
Comparing the Melchizedek and Levitical Priesthoods
Why We Don't Sacrifice Animals