Just a quick diversion here, Andrew, because these terms of reference come up every now and again…

Jews participated on the basis of race and torah observance; Gentiles, non Jews, participate on the basis of faith in Christ.

Jews obviously participated in the Jewish nation on the basis of race. I think it is questionable to conflate race and torah observance together as the basis of participation in the covenant.

Jews participate in the covenant on the basis of faithfulness to the covenant calling, primarily expressed through circumcision, something that a careful reading of the NT (Acts 21.21, 24:13-20 et al) doesn’t appear to change - for Jews, not Gentiles.

It seems that an important NT issue was turning torah observance into a set of religious rules which could be followed without faith, without reliance upon God - for which Paul coined the term "upo nomos" - usually translated "under the law" or referred to as "legalism" - the letter without the Spirit.

Meanwhile, Hebrews 11 confirms that faith has always been the manner in which God was pleased with (mainly Jewish) faithfulness - and thus faith is not a NT invention. The wider framework suggests to me that faith and torah observance could probably be described as being the same thing. It is in correctly understanding what torah is that faithfulness to the calling is worked out.

Hebrews 8.6 according to certain Messianic Jewish commentators suggests the new covenant itself "has been made torah" - the "torah as upheld by the Messiah," (1 Corinthians 9.21 JNT) - that is torah, as understood and taught by the Messiah.

I recognise we may not want to get into responding about the finer details of these things, but if you can comfortably respond to the main point about faith’s relevance to the former covenant, that would be helpful - I note your other correspondent takes issue with you on the same point.

shalom! - john