HE’S AT THE CONTROLS

Proverbs 16:9
A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.

How many times do we plan for thus and thus; we are sure of what’s best but things seem never work out the way we planned them. Things do work out, but differently, and on a different timetable. It can certainly lead to frustration when the best of our laid plans seem to be shelved in favor of another’s: God’s.

We calculate how we will carry out this or that but it seems that our shortsightedness leaves out much in view, which God sees. Our calculations do not always include many contingencies which the Almighty disposes but that we cannot foresee. Also, in God’s world, the shortest way from A to B is not always a straight shot.

The results and issues of any given plan are thus from God. In all our deliberations, we should give ourselves, and without self-confidence and arrogance, to the guidance of the Father. We should do our duty in our preliminary planning, but leave the rest, trust the executing of the purpose, to God with humility and confidence.

Oh, what peace is found once we have surrendered the futile exercise of control and domination. Oh, what joy is obtained when we’ve laid foremanship at the feet of the Chief Laborer.

Oh, what joy is regained once we’ve yielded ourselves in the very Words of the Master and said: Not my will, but thine be done.

THE ‘LITTLE’ FROM THE KING

Proverbs 16:8
Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.

Better be the Church in the wilderness, of low-esteem, poor, not having a place where to lay its head, but gently lead by Messiah, than having a crystal cathedral in the midst of the richest country on earth, and be without the closeness of His Presence.

If sin and disobedience separated us from the Almighty, it goes without saying that obedience brings us back in His Presence. But to find Him, we have to leave rich Egypt behind; we have to leave our comfort zone, the place of our establishment, our ‘father’s’ house He said to Abraham. We have to let Him take us by the hand to an unknown place, giving Him all the controls in total trust and confidence.

The Ark of the Covenant symbols each one of us. It was kept away from the rest of the camp in total seclusion. It sat alone with God in the Holy of Holies. It had to be ready to move and fulfill Its purpose at all times so Its carrying poles were to never be taken out. So our soul should constantly sit secluded in the Presence of the Almighty, always be ready to leave our special place in order to fulfill our mission, but never to settle in the world. We are always to leave behind the world and its glitter and come back to the simple solitude of His Presence.

There with him, He strips us from our outer garments of pride and pretence. He cleans from us this world’s sinful stench. He then dresses us in a robe of simplicity and humility, and brings us to Him.

After we have let go of everything, after we have taken the ‘little’ He offers, we realize that even His ‘little’, is more than this world’s seeming abundance.

PEACE THROUGH HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS

Proverbs 16:7
When a man's ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

When the ways of a man harmonizes with the Spirit of the Creator, the music is heard in the heart of all who surround him. They may not know it; they may not realize it; but a transcendent appeasing force emanates from such a man. It flows as a quiet strength, a silent authority, a commanding reverence. This person doesn’t need to make great references to his spirituality as if to impress people. This person doesn’t need bumper stickers or T-shirts to proclaim his reverence. This person doesn’t need theological formulas, jargon or ‘Name-dropping’ from the throne to prove their status. It flows straight from their being, and everyone knows it. Even their enemies are ‘disarmed at their presence.

It was Yeshua’s destiny to be delivered to the justice of man and to be executed in the lot of common outlaws, but because He was the Righteous and Just Man, neither the Jewish leaders of His day nor Pilate had the ‘guts’ to want to face full responsibility for His execution. They kept ‘passing the buck’ to each other.

Sin, initiated in Eden and accomplished at Calvary, proclaims us enemies of God (Romans 5:10). From Eden, our sin estranged us from the Presence of the almighty. This estrangement and enmity find reversal and the beginning of a healing process 2600 years ago during a banquet between God and the leaders of the newborn nation of Israel on a lonely mountain of Saudi Arabia. Representatives of the world will soon emulate this desert banquet. At the return of Yeshua, God will set a table in the presence of us, His enemies, also brought to peace and reconciliation Psalms 23:5).

As estranged and banished children, we were enemies to God. But the ways of Yeshua the Righteous and Just One pleased the Father so He made peace between Him (Yeshua) and His enemies (us) and brought reconciliation. Come to think of it; should also our righteousness (which is only through Yeshua) bring peace between us and our enemies?

THE PERSON OF TRUTH AND MERCY

Proverbs 16:6
By mercy and truth iniquity is purged:
And by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

The English in this proverb leaves some ambiguity. Can virtues, such as mercy and truth purge iniquity? This ambiguity has led some to draw either one of the two following conclusions: someone’s iniquities can be purged by first facing them with the truth of the Word, and then giving them the benefits of mercy; or like Catholics interpret it, that by being truthful and merciful, one can atone for his own iniquities.

I would like now to turn your eyes towards a Hebrew understanding of a literal translation of this verse: ‘By Mercy and Truth, He shall atone for iniquity’ (capitalization mine).

When Pilate asked Yeshua, ‘What is the truth?’ Yeshua did not reply. Is it because Yeshua was ignorant of the answer? Why would He be? He had already made His speech to His disciples about the nature of Truth when He said, I am the Way, the Truth and the Life’. Truth is not ‘something’; it is ‘Somebody’. The same goes with mercy and other virtues. Writings reveal that the ancient Hebrews did not see the virtues of the Almighty as abstract concepts (as is brought us from Greek civilization), but as living entities such as angelic beings. Texts tell us about the angel of mercy who approached God at the creation of man, and in Proverbs eight, Wisdom speaks as a person.

Also, the Hebrew text of the Proverb does not tell us about iniquities purged by virtues, but of iniquities ‘atoned’ by the Person of Mercy and Truth. We now get a much different image. Instead of telling us about virtuous works purging our iniquity, the King teaches us in this proverb about His King, the Messiah, as the only One who can atone for it. Through their sacrificial system, Jews have always believed that it is the Messiah that purges iniquities, not works.

Yeshua is both Truth and Mercy. Let us not be afraid to go to Him.

He is our Covering Atonement.

PEACE IN HIS WILL

Proverbs 16:5
Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord:
Though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

Who is the proud one but he who measures himself against God?

Who is he that joins hands in a coalition against the Almighty?

After the big flood, God commanded the people of the earth to scatter all over the world. Much of human kind did not want to do it. King Nimrod also did not like God having such control in the world that he could drown it at will. So he gathered the people in one place in Mesopotamia where they joined hands to build a tower that will defy God. Nimrod’s reasoning was to build a tower so high that he could take refuge in it in case God decided to do His ‘water trick’ again.

It is in the nature of mankind to be proud. We want to establish that which is right and true according to our own parameters; we naturally want to be our own god. Whereas we need to stand in the world as a light that shines in darkness, unmovable and unshakable; never caving to the demands of man’s society, when it comes to our relationship with God we are to be as malleable as clay yielding to the gentle pressures of our Maker.

It is true that just yielding to the flow of God in our lives may make us vulnerable. It is also true that such parameters bring a certain level of uncertainty; that probably, life will not go according to our plans. But what certainty is there in our own planning and resisting? All that does not originate from the Almighty will not stand in the big Day of Restoration. It will crumble and remains ruins testifying of the end result of man’s rebellion. When He comes, He needs to see our lives reflect what He had created it for, not our own doings.

May we have enough faith to yield to the plan He has decided for our lives.

May we live it without complaints.

May we work it with joy and assertive certainty.

May we humble ourselves to His Divine will;

never trying to dodge its temporary unpleasant demands.

In the Name of Yeshua haMashiach.

THE PURPOSE OF ALL THINGS

Proverbs 16:4
The Lord hath made all things for himself:
Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

Being invisible to our eyes, The Father created each element of the universe for the purpose of revealing His greatness to our senses. Sounds ring at their destined time and place adding to His magnificent symphony. Colors and shades bring each other’s glory in the ocular feast that is His creation.

As each sound in a symphony, as each color in a painting, none are wasted. Each are calculated to bring the desired effect. In this case, the effect is to bring out God’s glory, to tell us of His Majesty.

We could argue that some of the things God created are ugly and vile; that some of the people who inhabit our planet are repulsive. How could the Mighty One create such people as the ancient Pharaoh of Moses, Hitler, or all the people who are oblivious to the suffering of others as long as they further their own agendas? But as light is glorified by darkness, beauty and virtue are glorified by that which is ugly and vile. Even in life, the measure of our times of happiness and joy only contrasts with our times of descent to the abysses of trials and affliction. The arrow only flies as high as the archer pressurizes it below.

Time is ticking towards the ‘World to Come’. By God’s grace, He will soon establish His kingdom on earth. This will be a time of ultimate joy and happiness that will contrast the horrors unleashed by the preceding Antichrist that is also to come. Even though this may sound like poor consolation, we can glory that this wicked man was created for the day of retribution, only to help us appreciate more the millennial beauty and virtue the ‘World to Come’ has to offer us. May we keep our eyes, mind and spirit on this goal.

WORKING IN HARMONY WITH THE ALMIGHTY

Proverbs 16:3
Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

A beautiful conclusion to the two previous proverbs. As our heart meditates what we deem to be pure thoughts, Elohim weights our response. The conclusion is therefore that it is imperative that our thoughts, being the source of our responses, should be established by God.

Our same author tells us somewhere else, As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. James the apostle adds that a double-minded man cannot receive anything from the Almighty. When our thoughts are not established, we live in constant uncertainty and confusion and separated from the orderly beauty Elohim has for us.

We are told that for our thoughts to be established, our works need to be committed unto God. The Hebrew word for ‘commit’ is also ‘turn’; ‘roll over’. We are to turn our works towards Him. We are to roll over our business, our daily occupation towards Him for our thought to be certain in themselves, which in itself creates faith.

As we think of our coming day, let us commit it to Him. Let us ask: Is what I do a response to His commandments? Yeshua based the commandments of Torah on two statements from the Old Testament: to love Elohim with all of our heart mind and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Our love for Elohim is shown by following His commandments and by representing His love to those made in His image. How do we do that? To most of us adults that means to be responsible faithful parents working hard to supply for our families; to be responsible members of our communities; to study His Words and do our best to obey them and teach them to our children by beiang a good sample of them. For younger folks, that would mean to be obedient and helpful in their homes, thereby showing gratitude for their parents’ efforts; to prepare themselves for their future responsibilities of parenthood by applying themselves to their schooling; and to keep away the garbage that is hurled on them daily by the media.

If we harmonize all our works with His command, our thoughts become aligned, and therefore established with His divine will.

LEAN ON THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE OF ALL THINGS

Proverbs 16:2
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.

Man, being what he is, lies victim to relativism. At any given time, consciously or subconsciously we measure and judge the various elements of our life in a manner solely relating to our own influenced sense of goodness and justice. No matter how hard we try not too, we cannot help but act as the god of our own sphere of influence. We claim to be able to be the judges and juries of life around us.

That is why we need to thank our Heavenly Father for these times when we are faced with issues that are bigger than us. If we truly have our eyes opened and are completely honest with ourselves, we see that most of the time, life demands of us decisions that are bigger than ourselves. Whether they are domestic, political, emotional or spiritual, life’s demands on us dwarf us.

Our natural pride doesn’t like to feel dwarfed, so at such times we may rely on psychological crutches that help us cope and not feel so small. But whatever we do, whether we want to acknowledge it or not, the facts of our smallness still remain.

We may be small; we may only be able to see life solely from our time-bound, earth-bound perspective; but in spite of it, let us remember that we have a big God Who righteous and uninfluenced by man. He is able to weigh all things right, and even to help us see things from His pure undefiled perspective. In our world of uncertainty, may we fully lean on Him and trust. May we make sure to learn to be able to judge with His unlimited eternal perspective which sees-all and knows-all.

HE RULES MAN’S TONGUE

Proverbs 16:1
The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord.

A famous Jewish luminary expressed this proverb in the following words: “Man has ideas, but God gives speech which will either cause him to stumble with his words or speak eloquently”. Rashi.

There was one man in the Bible; his name was Herod. He gave an eloquent speech but did not give glory to God. We are told that because of it, at the end of his speech he gave up the ghost and that he was eaten by worms.

Acts 12:21-23.

When it comes to politicians and leaders, we need to realize that God ultimately remains sovereign over history. He decides who reigns, governs and rules each country. He also decides each country’s sphere of influence in the world at any given times of history. All the eloquent rhetoric in the world will not promote a leader in the eyes of its people, or a nation in the eyes of the world if God wills it not. On the other hand, no one can contain the growing influence of a leader or of a nation if God has a plan for it, be it good or evil.

The most eloquent of speeches can be prepared but in the end, the answer from the tongue comes from God. When a speaker successfully convinces his audience, with good or with bad, ultimately God is responsible for inspiring him or allowed his influence to be spread.

What is true of world leaders and politics is also true on a personal and domestic level. Teachers, counselors, parents and pastors need to prayerfully prepare their notes on what they need to convey to their audiences, but in the end, once they have done their best, they need to acknowledge and realize that the ultimate results belong to God.

In a certain sense, with the knowledge of this principle, we can see the signs of the times. A careful study of current moral and political influences give us and idea of which direction God is allowing the world to take, and therefore a window into the future.

Let us then be smart. Let us rely on the Almighty Spirit of God for the delivery of our own speeches, and may we have discernment about the growing influences around us.

MOLDED BY HARD KNOCKS

Proverbs 15:33
The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility.

The Hebrew word used for instruction is ‘musar’: discipline; thus reading in is Hebrew text: “The fear of the Adonai is the discipline of wisdom”.

Many look for wisdom just like many honor the virtue of humility, but these two each require going through a particular path.

When the natural man studies wisdom but doesn’t own within himself a healthy ‘fear’ and reverence for God, His Instruction (Torah) and His retribution system, wisdom and knowledge will only serve to inflate this man’s ego. It will only be used to promote his personal agenda and will do more damage than good. Ancient Greeks just about worshipped wisdom, but it was the wisdom of man through which they could not even find the knowledge of God. Their kind of wisdom did much damage to mankind and is still the cornerstone philosophy of humanist secularism in the western world today; a philosophy diametrically opposite to the Hebraic Judean culture from whence our faith birthed.

It is the same thing with honor. If a man receives honor before he has been humbled through life’s school of ‘hard knocks’, he becomes proud, arrogant, demanding and dictatorial, wherefrom stems the wise comparison.

Let us therefore not put the cart before the horses. Before we honor someone’s wisdom, let us make sure he has gone through the ‘whole course’. We must ask ourselves, ‘Has that person’s character only been molded by wise rhetoric, or has it gone through the humbling hard knocks that shape the character of a man?