SACRIFICE OR PRIVILEDGE?

Psalms 1:2

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.

It is no sacrifice for the child of God to not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scornful as was stated in the preceding verse (Psalms 1:1). The child of God does it willingly because his delight is of a higher calling. The child of God doesn’t feel that he ‘has’ to dedicate himself to the study of the Word; he rather feels that he ’gets ’ to; for him, it is a blessing and a reward from the Almighty.

Today the world offers us many distractions that compete for our attention. Some seem, good, most are bad and even dangerous. We need to realize though that whatever comes in conflict with our dedication to the treasures of the Kingdom should be considered negative influences in our lives. Sometimes, even the ’good’; the ‘good’ that we settle for, is the worst enemy of the ‘best’!

It takes a total change of mind and spirit--a regeneration of the soul to be able to be sincere in saying, “Yes, my delight is in the Law of Adonai, and I love to meditate on His words day and night, I consider it my highest blessing, reward and privilege!”

“Dear Yeshua, let our appetites and desires be rewired. Let us be able to truly concur with David, ‘My delight is in the Law of the LORD’, and truly estimate meditation on your Word an incomparable treasure, an immeasurable reward, and the greatest of all honors and priviledges.”

FREE THE BOUND

Psalms 1:1

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

In today's world, so much is about conformity; it may not be bad, but does this conformity to accepted attitudes lead us to becoming the creatures God has ordained us to be? Even the concept of individuality has become an alibi that we use when we only claim to exercise the freedom to choose to which bondage we will conform to.

Satan, the enemy of our soul uses the grip of the vice of conformity to the world and its ways to keep our soul prisoner to his ways. He wants us to stand for him, walk in his counsel, and seat in fellowship with his people. He, terrorizes us into submission to his concepts with stories of gloom that cause us to fear lest we escape; lest we become free again, living under the sole dependence of God. What lies does he not concoct to keep us from escaping. His hope is for us to form bounds of affinity with him, so like an abused woman, we get familiar with him and accept the situation as ‘normal’.

But like the wind, the freedom of our soul solely lies in its ability to yield to God in all His ways, without controls, without the obstructions of those who would wish it to conform to their ungodly ways. Our spirit only finds fullness of freedom when we give it permission to follow God, its Creator as He leads. One word of consent on our part towards Yeshua The Redeemer, and we can free ourselves from the terrorizing grip of our abuser, the devil.

May we never be fooled by the enemy’s lies into conforming to the ways of the world. May we never listen to him to the detriment and freedom of our soul. While it is called ‘Today’, let us call on Yeshua The Messiah; let us stand with Him; let us walk in His ways and be blessed with His freedom from bondage as we seat in fellowship with the people of God.

WHAT GOES UP . . ..

Proverbs 18:12 KJV
Before destruction the heart of man is haughty,
And before honour is humility.

This proverb also link with the previous one. It is haughtiness and pride that makes a man trust in his own wealth for refuge. Self-sufficiency provides for and feeds our inner wicked need for control and independence.

Evidence abounds that testifies to the building of man’s character while in time of need. The present recession has caused many to change their lifestyle. People pool resources together, barter, save, learn to repair, humble themselves by asking for help, rearrange priorities and have to be nicer to each other simply because they need each other more. Need has a strange way of bringing out the human being in us.

On the other hand, one who is self-sufficient feels that he can afford to be proud arrogant, haughty, judgmental and independent. Little does he know that like gravity, which ordains that whatever goes up must come down, his attitude has a natural bent for destruction. It is like the old saying about the whale: it is when she ‘blows’ that she harpooned!

We as humans are people of community. We need each other. May we learn to recognize when we have come to a point in our life when we’ve attained such s level of independence and self-sufficiency that we feel we can afford to be proud and arrogant with others.

By the way, these same principles that define godliness as people individually, also apply corporately for nations.

THE COMPASSIONATE INTERCESSOR

Proverbs 18:11 KJV
The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

This proverb works in contrast with the preceding one thus we have the following statement: The Name of Adonai is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe. The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.

When God wanted to destroy Israel His people because of the sin of the golden calf, Moses relied on God’s Name for mercy. God’s Name is defined by His merciful and compassionate nature and character as read in Exodus 34:5-7:

And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

This passage is commonly referred to as the Thirteen Attributes of God. Later, when God is again wroth against his people, Moses reminds God of these attributes and thus again averts catastrophe. As we see, the Name of Adonai is certainly a strong tower of mercy and compassion where the righteous can run into The ‘righteous’ spoken of here is Moses pleading and interceding for his people, and upon whose merits God repented from the evil He wanted to do to Israel. What a marvelous foreshadow picture of the Messiah Himself upon whose merit and Name we obtain mercy.

By contrast, a man who is rich not of God’s Name, but of his own natural doings, sees his personal wealth and abilities as his refuge. He trusts in his own personal merit to protect him from the wrath to come upon the entire world. What a sad sight!

No matter how far we have gone, let us trust in The Righteous, the Son of God Himself Who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Hebrews 7:25.

THE NAME OF ADONAI

Proverbs 18:10 KJV
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.

Much is made about the ‘Name’ of the Lord and again our western Greek philosophical mind lures our understanding to erroneous fields of interpretation. The Greek mind is concerned about things, about definitions, nouns, and descriptions. The Hebrew mind looks for actions, verbs and functions. Some study groups are intent on a Greek literal interpretation of the ‘Name’ referring to a particular ‘sound bite’ to which someone responds. They proclaim that God does not respond if we don’t say it the right way, and that He may even mistake us for calling unto idols if we say it wrong.

The Hebrew word ‘shem’ refers to someone’s personal nature and character. It can even speak of ‘authority’ as when we speak in the name of someone. That is why we pray to the Father in the Name of Yeshua, because Yeshua’s sinless nature and atoning character is the sole authority whereby we may approach the Father. He is the sacrifice that allows us to interact with the Almighty God. The author of the Book of Hebrews defines the nature of Yeshua as being the brightness of His (God’s) glory, and the express image of His (God’s) person; Hebrews 1:3.

Jews have long contemplated about this notion of the ‘Name’ of Adonai as is written in our Proverb, and an ancient writing called the Midrash Tillim refers to the ‘Name of Adonai as the very Messiah Himself. This notion is pervasive throughout talmudic studies.

Let us thereby follow David the psalmist, his injunction and example and proclaim the Name of Adonai by making mention of the works Messiah. And let us not proclaim His Name in words only, but in works and deeds, in the Manner of a Godly lifestyle powered by His Spirit.

TO BE FAITHFUL

Proverbs 18:9 KJV
He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

‘Slothful’ has the connotation of ‘lax’, ‘negligent’.

If our life belongs to Yeshua, He is our master and our work is to do His commandments. The Commandments are spiritual, including charity works, but they also include the mundane such as good stewardship over our families and households. A Mom running after the kids all day long works for God as much as the priest in the temple. A man fighting traffic to get to his work or having his hands in the dirt of his fields works for God as much as the missionary in a far-flung field, or he who volunteers at the local orphanage. All these things being parts of God’s Commandments become God’s work as we, His people, do them.

In this passage, the Hebrew word for ‘work’ is the same as the one used for the word ‘creation’ in the beginning of the Bible. In the same way that God’s creation is His witness to us of His glory and majesty, our ‘works’ in His Name (since we carry His Name in us) are the witness of His greatness to those who don’t know Him. We need to realize though that His ‘work’ through us is reflected in several ways. It is reflected in our diligence to properly manage every aspect our households; to faithfully execute His Commandments to the best of our abilities; and also in our general attitude, especially in times of crisis. People who see the “work” of Yeshua’s people are supposed to see Yeshua. If instead these people see hypocrisy, selfishness, laziness and pride, our witness will be flawed; we will be responsible for their lost soul and become brother to Satan (cursed be his name), the faith-destroyer.

This is a tall order as all of us fail in many ways; that is why we need His atonement. Let us try to take sample though from a man who received a great commendation from the Father: Moses, of whom it was said that he was faithful in all His house.

CRITICISM CONTROL

June 18

Proverbs 18:8
The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

A very sharp warning reiterated in Proverbs 26:22. Also, Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth. Proverbs 26:20.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘talebearer’ has imbedded in itself the idea of whispering, of whispering complaints and slander about someone to third party. As a result, some translations use the word ‘complainer’. This slandering of others usually makes both talebearer and hearer feel better about themselves so some translations also use the word flatterer. The truth is that all these translations are right. We are talking about a person who elevates him or herself in their own eyes by telling negative stories about a third party to others, thus elevating them in their own eyes also, while at the same time hypocritically portraying an image of true concern about the people they are slandering. Ugh!

It is very hard to resist hitting back those who displease us with negative publicity; and to think that this is the principle behind political campaigns.

A sergeant was asked for his opinion about a certain soldier considered for a promotion. The sergeant gave a glowing report to which another soldier replied, ‘Are you aware that the private you just honored with such a positive report constantly criticises your leadership to others?’ To which the sergeant answered, ‘I was not asked his opinion of me as a sergeant, but my opinion of him as a soldier’.

THE FOOL AND HIS MOUTH

Proverbs 18:7 KJV
A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

Proverbs 18:1-7 seem to weave on a similar theme: The Fool and his Mouth.

In verse one, lusting after ungodly concepts, the fool is a meddlesome separatist. In verse two he desperately wants to be acknowledged at his true value. In verse three, his unbridled mouth bring ignominy and reproach wherever he goes, and the whole thing is contrasted with verse four in the difference with the quiet un-meddlesome mouth of the wise. In verse five we are warned not to favor the fool over the wise while verses six and seven, as if to instruct us, reveal the self-destructive nature of the fool’s mouth. Like the old saying, ‘Give the devil enough rope and he’ll hang himself’.

May God grant us not let our mouth be our own destruction.

LETS MIND OUR OWN BUSINESS

Proverbs 18:6 KJV
A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes.

The Bible teaches to be active members of society. It expects us to be involved, to be concerned by the events we witness. The problem is that today, we can become aware of so many situations, both near and far, that we can end up involved in too many things. Somehow, our sense of indispensability makes us feel that we need to oversee every needy situation. The result becomes a very stressful life where we have our hands in so many pies that eventually all burn for lack of proper oversight. The worst, is that while we are busy with the good, we often neglect the best. We save the world somewhere else, while we leave our own household in dysfunction.

It can also happens that as we get involved in battles that are not our own, we become the recipients of hurtful blows. We may console ourselves with the idea that we are victims of our own goodness, martyrs for righteousness sake, but maybe we were just fools entering into other people’s business. Our lips entered a contention and as a result, our mouth called for strokes.

May we learn to actively stay away from fights that are not our own. It could be that by getting involved, we keep God from doing His work in people’s lives. It could be that the reason we witness things is only to get actively involved in prayer, in prayer leaving people in God’s perfect will (as opposed to those prayers that portend to tell God what to do).

Here is a good verse about this:
He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

Proverbs 26:17

THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

Proverbs 18:5 KJV
It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

I hate to be political on these daily devotionals, but this proverb today is loaded with significance.

Many of us today can attest that we live in important times, even possibly the times described by Yeshua in these terms, Many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Matthew 13:17. The expression of this statement belongs to the followers of Yeshua of then as much as to those of today.

Sin, wickedness, righteousness and holiness are not defined by our quantum of virtues; they are solely defined by our level of harmony with God and His will. In all of history, the fate of nations has always been determined by their reaction towards God’s will. It is the same today.

As we watch and assess the culmination of world events, it is important that we react intelligently looking to our prophetic blue prints in order to determine the ‘righteous’, (what is according to God’s will) and the wicked (what is against God’s will).

The Word clearly makes mention of the rebirth of the displaced country of Israel in the endtimes. It tells us of the return of the Jewish people in their homeland, where they will live peacefully. This return is key to our future millennial reality. This prophecy has been fulfilled in troublous times and even now as we speak the issues are culminating. Many, in Israel and out of Israel, have different ideas on how this should be achieved. Some believe in the virtue of sacrificing land for peace, others believe that it is wrong. Time and history will tell (or maybe it has already ‘told’?). One thing is sure though, it is that God seems to always have a way to surprise us on how He fulfills His will.

With our understanding of the ‘righteous’ and of the ‘wicked’, may we remember In all of our dealings and opinionating, that,: It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. In the wise words of Rabbi Gamaliel:… lest haply ye be found even to fight against God. Acts 5:39.

OF SPEAKERS AND TEACHERS

Proverbs 18:4 KJV
The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

There are two kinds of speakers and teachers: the emotional motivator and the one who speaks as the oracles of God. The first is moved by his internal emotional charisma, the second by the external substantial power of God.

The first uses all the psychological tricks in his Carnegie arsenal. He is everywhere on the stage, emotional, agitated and agitating. He is tiring just to look at. He relies on the energy and the emotional factor to touch and move people with his message. They are all excited and moved while he is around, but only very small substantial fruits remain of the event after the speaker/teacher is gone. The people have remained speaker dependant.

The second seems usually quiet and unemotional, but he draws his strength from an external pool connected to his heart. He is quiet on the surface, but his heart is connected to God’s Springs and it bubbles inside of him like there is no tomorrow. As result, this speaker reaches people in the deepest place of their heart. They are not only moved but they are changed; not only in his presence but also after he is gone. The people have become God dependant.

We can only reach people’s heart if we speak from our heart. When we have failed to reach their heart, it is because we do not speak from ours.

Here is true story I found in an anecdote book:
"Some years ago a great actor was asked at a drawing-room function to recite for the pleasure of his fellow-guests. He consented and asked if there was anything they specially wanted to hear. After a minute's pause an old minister of the Gospel asked for Psalm 23. A strange look came over the actor's face; he paused for a moment, then said, 'I will, on one condition--that after I have recited it, you, my friend, will do the same.'
'I!' said the preacher, in surprise, 'I am not an elocutionist, but, if you wish it, I shall do so.'
Impressively the actor began the Psalm. His voice and intonation were perfect. He held his audience spellbound, and, as he finished, a great burst of applause broke from his guests. As it died away, the old man rose and began to declaim the same Psalm. His voice was not remarkable: his tone was not faultless; but, when he finished, there was not a dry eye in the room.
The actor rose and his voice quivered as he said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, I reached your eyes and ears: he has reached your hearts. The difference is just this: I know the Psalm but he knows the Shepherd.'"

EXPOSE THE WICKED

Proverbs 18:3 KJV
When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt, and with ignominy reproach.

Is there contempt? Is there scorn? Their source lie with the ignominy of the wicked. Remove the wicked and his ignominy, contempt and scorn will vanish away.

Who is the wicked? The Hebrew word used by our kingly author here is ‘rashah’, a word meaning ‘evildoer, condemned, guilty, ungodly, that did wrong’.

If we are to find peace and unity with our Father, we must resist, refute and rid ourselves of iniquity and sin in our hearts. The apostolic Scriptures teach us that after we have recognized and accepted our Messiah, we must ‘work our Salvation with fear and trembling’. By the same token, if we are to be and stay united together as congregational units, we cannot accept fellowship with the ungodly, at least not from within our congregations. If we do not know how to resist these within the realm of our own persona and congregations, how will we find the guts to resist that wicked man of sin, the evildoer, the guilty, the condemned and ungodly one who will one day come on the world’s scene to test all mankind, especially the ‘very elect’, those of the House of God.

It is imperative that we recognize these devious works within us. If anyone through inflammatory words or deeds is the source of contempt, reproach, and disunity within the Assembly of the people of God, he must be exposed and shunned. May we learn to recognize such wolves in sheep’s clothing who like Satan, know how to use even the Word of Father in order to bring confusion.

THE ARROGANCE OF THE FOOL

Proverbs 18:2 KJV
A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself.

Our kingly author reveals to us here is another property of the ‘fool’; of the person who, according to the definition of the Master, knowing the Word of Instruction does not obey it.

A more contemporary literal translation of this proverb may say: ‘The heart of the fool is not inclined to understanding; only that the understanding which he thinks he possesses may be revealed. Ralbag, the 14th century Rabbi, talmudist, mathematician and astronomer comments on this verse saying, ‘Only when he is shown up publicly does he wish he were a wise man, but then he reverts to his former way of life.’

‘Empty pots make the most noise’ the old adage says. It is true that while also making noise, full pots resound less; they are more discreet. The person who is wise has the intelligence which consists in the knowledge of one’s own deficiency, and of that which necessary to meet it. This acknowledgment keeps him humble and free from arrogance. The ‘noisy’ arrogance of the fool causes him to also always be full of advice for other people; it makes him feel important and needed. It gives him the appearance of intelligence, but without the wisdom thereof.

Let us learn from watching the ‘fool’. Let us learn to assess ourselves and leave others to God. Let us learn to first realize how little we know, how little we understand. It keeps us more discreet, humble, and easier to live with.

LUST EXPOSED

Proverbs 18:1 KJV
Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

The proverbs continue their exposition of foolish behavior by presenting the position of the separatist. What is inferred in the Hebrew word used here for ‘separatist’ is the idea of one who separates himself from his Torah congregation, the Word study group that provides him accountability in order to pursue his own lusts.

We are all individualists. There is nothing wrong with that as long we are not that way with God and His program in our lives. The apostle Paul puts it in very good words. He says that we not to be conformed to this world, but that we are to be conformed to God’s will. This seemingly generic wording leaves of course a door wide open for each one of us to yield, and eventually become slaves and subjects to our own prideful independence.

We are told here about the person who leaves the safe accountable environment of his Word study group in order to follow his own lust. These ‘lusts can either be carnal, emotional or spiritual. One may want to ‘play’ with the world for awhile; he may have an overcoming desire for independence, or feels that he knows everything better than everyone else. We are taught in this proverb that one yields to such behavior to separate himself seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom. The Hebrew actually says that he, ‘will be exposed’ as in ‘his folly will eventually be exposed to all his congregant friends’.

The idea is not of a person who leaves because their study group because their path takes them to a deeper place and they need to associate themselves with another study group that reflects that deepening of faith in their lives. The idea is of someone who leaves because they have yielded to their lusts. Of course, when we leave, we never say, ‘I am tired of the Word; it convicts and confines my spirit too much. I now want to go do my own thing’. We usually find an excuse through faultfinding or spiritualize issues in order to justify ourselves.

In the end though, like the proverb says, we are exposed.

OUR HEART: THE BANK OF OUR MOUTH.

Proverbs 17:28 KJV
Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise:
And he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

This is the second proverb in row that relates to wisdom incurred through careful use of the mouth. In Hebraism, a word or a repeated sentence denotes of extra emphasis. It seems that this King had much to say about the mouth, as was concurred by his apostolic successors such as Paul and James. Yeshua also gave much advice on right and wrong speech.

In his rendition of the Gospels, Matthew relates the following words from Yeshua as addressed to the religious leaders who opposed Him,

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

Matthew 12:34.

In essence, the treasury of the heart funds the currency that comes out of our mouth.

It is good to properly prepare what we have to say; to assess our choice of words, the tone and spirit in which we are. The heart though, is filled through the conduits of the eyes and the ears, through what we watch and listen to.

So, since the only currency that can come out of the bank of our heart through our mouth is the one that we have put in, it is logical to deduct that f the bank of our heart is filled with a good and godly treasure, through what we watch and listen to, we don’t have to worry so much about the currency that comes out of our mouth.

THE EARMARKS OF KNOWLEDGE

Proverbs 17:27 KJV

He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent spirit.

The idea here is that a man who has knowledge doesn’t feel the need to validate his own self through endless rumblings. He is generous with his knowledge at the right, at the right place, in the right way and with the right people, but he is neither boastful nor arrogant. He actually seems pretty humble about himself, which is a proof of his knowledge acquisition. Someone who knows has realized how little he knows, or even how little man can achieve to know compared to all there is to know.

The Hebrew wording for the second clause is, ‘and the cool of temper is a man of understanding’. What is there to understand that gives a man ‘coolness’ of temper, even in the midst of controversy (as controversy is the time when temper is tested)?

These two clauses may seem unrelated, but here is an idea. Someone of a cool temper spares his words because he has understanding due to his knowledge. In ‘English’, what I mean to express is that: A man who owns a true knowledge of Yeshua Hamashiach His Savior, doesn’t need to talk much to prove himself because his life style, his ‘conversation in this world’ as the apostle called it, is the testimony of the knowledge of his heart. This understanding of the ways of Messiah in return gives him an excellent spirit.

This proverb is very useful in teaching how to recognize knowledge versus pseudo-knowledge. Many people talk about many things these days, but the earmarks of true knowledge are found in a person that is sparing, careful and humble with his words. A true person of knowledge is also ‘excellent’ in spirit, excellency being of course measured by the standards of the One who admonished us with the following words:

‘Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect’.

Matthew 5:48

TO PUNISH THE RIGHTEOUS

Proverbs 17:26 KJV
Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for equity.

The Stone edition version of the Book of Proverbs renders this verse from the Hebrew as: One who is not good will punish even the righteous, and will smite generous people for integrity.

The Apostle Paul teaches in agreement with the pre-Yeshua Scriptures that, all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23 KJV). In essence, we are not good, at least not good enough to enter into the presence of the Almighty. As it was before Yeshua’s manifestation on earth, so it is now: we can only come into the Presence of the Almighty through the mediation of atonement. The Almighty has placed everything about Him in Yeshua, only through Whom He restores His relationship with us. That is only because we are not good and Yeshau has the merit necessary to bring us into the Presence. We are not good, but we enter the Presence by the merits of Yeshua. Yeshua, Who had no sin took our punishment so He can serve as an atonement. We, who are not good, ‘punish’ the Just, the Righteous and Generous Prince as the price of our entering the Presence.

Let’s pay attention here. This ‘punishing’ of the Righteous is not referred to as an act done in ignorance. It is an act done in full consciousness of the fact. I am Jewish and a common derogatory name for Jews throughout history has been: Christ-killers. When accused of the fact I raise my hand and plead guilty. Since the days of Moses, it was the job of a Jewish High-Priest to kill the Passover Lamb. If we, the Jews, through the Jewish priesthood of the day hadn’t had participation in the murder of the Righteous, this man on the cross was not the Messiah but an imposter. Our ‘job description’, and that of everyone who endorses His atoning powers is to: ‘punish’ the Righteous, the Just and the Generous prince.

May we never be flippant about sins. They are the lashes that ‘punish’ the Righteous who stands in our place before God as one of these lambs killed at the altar of sacrifice by the altar.

THE CONSEQUENCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

Proverbs 17:25 KJV
A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him.

Let us now explore the mind of this 10th century B.C.E. king, King Solomon. Let us try to mine for the natural social, theological and eschatological stones that would prompt his recorded statement.

In the mind of the Israelite, contrary to the mind of the Greek, there are no purely ethereal concepts. From the creation of man to the building of the Temple, everything God put on earth is small model and a temporal replica of a greater eternal reality in the Heavenlies.

While this proverb warns a child of the grief his foolishness (foolishness: living in conscious disobedience of the Word of God) would cause to his parents, it also teaches a spiritual reality.

The mind of the Israelite equates ‘Father’ with God, and ‘Mother’ with Israel, Israel not just as a country, but as the body of the people of God. Jewish sages refer to the events as Mt Sinai as a marriage between God and the people of Israel. The son then, is the ‘fruit’ of God’s interactions with Israel.

Here is a biblical example of an Israelite son of Israel typifying this proverb. Commentators speak of Jeroboam as the dandy bad example of a foolish son who caused grief to his ‘Father’: God, and bitterness to his ‘Mother: Israel. Jeroboam is the man from the tribe of Dan who having started as Solomon’s right hand man, later took ten of the tribes and started the Northern Kingdom. Jeroboam is also the man who initiated an idolatrous counterfeit Judaism religion which provoked God’s anger. The ten tribes ended up dispersed until this day.

In Revelations chapter twelve we see another imagery of our proverb. John the disciple of Yeshua, sees a vision of Israel as a woman giving birth to a child who would become brother to many. In the vision, the devil persecutes the woman ‘Israel’, but when he sees that God secured her somewhere, he persecutes the ‘remnants of her seed’. The child is of course Yeshua who was physically born from the nation of Israel, and who would be the firstfruit of many, ‘the remnant of her seed’.

This makes everyone who is grafted unto God through Yeshua, sons (and daughters) of God our Father and of Israel our Mother. Sin is disobedience to Torah; foolishness is to know the Word of Torah while not doing It (Matthew 7:26).

Let us now pause our theological rambling for a moment and reflect. Let us take the time to meditate on the history of the grief and bitterness our conscious and purposed disobedience to Torah caused to our Father (God), and to our Mother (Israel).

NOTE: Biologically, a woman does not have ‘seed’. The text in Revelations 12 is made to make us equate Israel, the woman in the vision, with another woman in the Bible whom God referred to as having seed: Eve. Also Miriam, the biological mother of Yeshua also gave birth having God’s ‘Seed’ implanted in her through the Holy Spirit.

THE WISE AND UNDERSTANDING HEART

Proverbs 17:24 KJV
Wisdom is before him that hath understanding; but the eyes of a fool are in the ends of the earth.

Solomon was an adept student of the Torah. He had a working understanding of Its basic principles. Solomon understood that the Torah is not a difficult thing for him who had acquired understanding. Moses elaborated on that in the following teaching:

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.
(Deuteronomy 30:11-14 KJV),

‘Understanding’ is not necessarily inborn. Even Solomon the king didn’t have it. It is recorded in the historical Book of 1 Kings that Solomon had to pray for it. When God appeared to him in Gibeon and told him, Ask; what shall I give thee, Solomon asked for understanding to discern the good and the bad so that he could do a good job in his responsibility to lead Israel. God answered Solomon and granted him a wise and understanding heart. As a result, as it is said that wisdom is near to him that has understanding, Solomon became the wisest person who ever lived on this earth. The understanding to discern good and bad that God gave Solomon put wisdom before him.

Today, distinctions between good and bad are blurry. Good is called bad and bad is called good. Idolatry is acceptable while Yeshua gets a bad reputation. More than ever today we need to pray Solomon’s prayer for God to grant us a wise and understanding heart.

The Torah is called our Wisdom in front of the nations (Deuteronomy 4:6).

Yeshua is also called Wisdom (Proverbs 8:22,23).

The spirit of Yeshua the Messiah in us is the Wise and Understanding heart that puts the Wisdom of the commandment of Torah near us.

May it soon fill the earth like waters fill the seas.

THE RULES OF BUSINESS

Proverbs 17:23
A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

Bribery has existed since the beginning of times. Our judgment is easily altered by the idea of, “What do I get, or lose out of this’, and that makes us wicked in the sight of God.

Money has a way of making strange bedfellows. It is amazing to see how the world of money is very different from the world of political rhetoric. People who are ideological enemies find ground for friendship around a business deal where everyone gains. We cannot expect better from worldlings, but should we expect more integrity from God’s children? One of my sons one day told his Mom, ‘But Mom, it is so difficult today to be a godly successful businessman. There are sharks out there and if you don’t act like a shark you get eaten.’ And that is so true. Don’t get me wrong: business is not wrong. The Bible tells us of many business transactions, but the Word of God also regulates the spirit in which business is conducted. One of the biggest biblical principles in godly business is: integrity comes before profit.

Bribery does not have to only refer to money. We may alter our judgment to preserve a friendship, a job, or a relationship with a fellowship, a Church or a company.

Since we live in the world, we have to do business with the world. If in our business methodology we stick to the admonitions in God’s Word, people will consider us wise. Here is God’s advice on these things, Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. (Deuteronomy 4:6).

In all our dealings with the world, and especially when we bind ourselves by any contract or ‘ covenant’ with people, we need to remember that we are ourselves bound to God by a more excellent and all-encompassing covenant. About our dealings and transactions with the world, we need to always ask ourselves,

“Is there anything in this new deal that is injurious to my covenant with God?”

THE GREAT HEALER

Proverb 17:22
A rejoicing heart causes good healing,
But a stricken spirit dries the bones.

It is inevitable that accidents and sickness will happen, but our recovery is dependable on the condition of our heart. The heart is the center of our being. Its condition affects our every circumference. A healthy heart is therefore imperative for good healing.

What is a healthy heart? I am speaking of spiritual health because even the physical health of our heart depends of our spiritual condition.

First of all of course, a healthy spiritual heart is full of the presence of Yeshua. This Presence of course contributes to fullness of the Word and of the Spirit of His Shechina. Whether an individual is blessed with this Presence or not is easy to spot: it is seen in the attitude of the individual. A bottle full of perfume cannot emit one single drop of full odor, no matter how hard it shaken, even if it is thrown on the ground and broken. We can therefore prove the Presence in someone by their attitude in trials, tribulations and adversity. We can see how they inter act with their spouses and with their children. How the little aggravations of daily life affect them. Of course, this is to be assessed over a certain period of time, not a single event.

Sicknesses related to an unhealthy heart plague our society. From depression to heart failure going through every psychosomatic disease in the book, they are all related to fear, lack of faith, lack of love, lack of trusting God and living unhealthy lifestyles in our flesh and in our mind. They are all related to sin in our lives. The most pathetic thing of all is that in our present day mind frame, any pill the doctor prescribes is better than going back to the Father in a spirit of repentance. Just like the doctor, the Father may prescribe the bitter pill of a change in lifestyle, eating habits and even thought patterns, but we do not want to do that. We prefer to go to the doctor and take his pill which gives us a form of symptomatic healing while we are able to continue, and even excuse ourselves for our unhealthy physical and spiritual habits.

Only the Father through the healing presence of Yeshua can give us the right heart to heal us from the negative effects of our natural sinfulness. May we not only acknowledge Him in mind, but also may we let Him direct every step in our lives. Our heart is filled by through our eyes and our ears. May we contribute to our healing by letting Him direct every fiber of our being, screening everything we see, hear and yes, even everything we eat by the standard of his Words.

WRATH VS SORROW

Proverbs 17:21
He who brings forth a fool has sorrow for it, and the father of a fool has no joy.

Again, let us be reminded of the biblical definition of a ‘fool’:

One who knowledgeably and consciously refuses to obey the Torah.

The first Hebrew word used for ‘fool’ in this Hebrew text has the connotation of ‘silly; stupid’. The second word used has the sense of ‘vile; wicked’.

Many parents have experienced the frustration of child raising. A child is born into the world and its destiny is in our hands. We take all the good resolutions and put our best forward. We raise the child with great hopes and expectancy of a bright future which we have often prepared and saved for, but something happens around the early teens. The child all of a sudden metamorphoses into this willful independent being, and we don’t know if common sense will ever exist again into these brains of his. Sometimes, children never recovers from that turbulent period of their life. It is often at such times that family dynamics take a nosedive and fragmentation rules until the eventual birth of grandchildren. Sounds familiar?

During this defining period when everyone tries to assert their authority, issues big and small become shouting matches between the teen and the father. The mother on the other hand is often found crying on the kitchen table. Frustration brings out our worst. We feel that nothing will work and that the world is blame for wrecking our lives.

Maybe the solution is to put life in its proper perspective.

We also as adults have a Heavenly Father. Our Father felt the same way at our creation as we parents did about our brand new child. From birth the Father cared for us through His angel having great expectancy about our future which was also planned from the beginning. When we self-righteously react to our frustration with our teens, maybe we should try to have a reality check about our standing with our own Father. We need to remember that to Him, we are creatures of sin. If we carefully listen, we may hear Him cry those tears of frustration as He sees us reaping the results of our disobediences when He tried so hard all along to teach us to live a more Godly life but we wouldn’t listen. We would realize then the patience He has for us in His sorrow is an attitude which should exemplify ours.

So before we are ready to fly off the handle with our children, those in and those out of the nest, let us set our frazzled emotions into perspective by checking ourselves with our own Father. The wrath of man doesn’t accomplish the righteousness of God, the apostle said. Sorrow on the other hand, may work the perfect work of experience and conviction.

THE CAUSE OF THE CURSE.

Proverbs 17:20
He that hath a froward heart findeth no good:
And he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief.

The Hebrew vocabulary in this proverb leads the understanding in Semitic syntactic contrast and parallelism. The Hebrew wording contrasts ‘good’ in the first clause with ‘bad’ (instead of perverse) in the second clause. The ‘froward heart’ is identified in parallels with the ‘perverse tongue’ because of another Proverb, To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things; Proverbs 2:12. The Hebrew word used for ‘perverse’ means to ‘twist and turn’ alluding to the turning back of the froward (contrary to ‘forward’) of heart.

This Proverb teaches us about cause and effect. One who only finds ‘no good’ in his life, who actually falls into mischief, is revealed as one who has turned against God. You may argue with me with the fact that many loyal to the Father finds themselves in bad situations, but the difference is that they do not ‘fall’. The one who is dressed in righteousness, truth, peace and the Gospel is able to stand in spite of all the devil can throw at him. He does not fall.

Another proverb from our same author teaches that ‘the curse causeless shall not come. The cause can be varied but it is always present, and it is always related to sin. Job argued with his ‘comforters’ (who were more like his accusers) saying that his troubles were unjustified while his friends accused him of the sin of presumption. In the end, God rebukes Job’s friends and restores Job to his former state, and more. The case of Job is a teaching foreshadowing the work of Yeshua: He that had no sin was afflicted like a common criminal. In the case of Yeshua, the cause was also sin: our sin.

The story of Job is also a microcosm paralleling the story, and history, of Israel and of the Jewish people. First beloved, abounding in blessings; then in long terrible affliction, while despised and accused by others. The Book of revelations tells us that in the end, Israel’s ‘accusers’ get a ‘rebuke’ from God, while Israel is restored to its former glory, and more, just like Job. In this case, Paul also teaches us that as a cause, the demise and blindness of the Jewish people and of Israel originated from God in order to usher the ‘time of the gentiles’. This theme runs through the whole Bible and goes back to Abraham. Abraham was also tempted to the limits, and the Jewish nation owes its blessings to him. This story has its roots with the Father Whose Son, the Mashiach, was designated from the foundations of the world as the innocent suffering Lamb to redeem us from sinfulness.

Let us remember, there is always a cause to every curse.

THE ELEVATED GATES

Proverbs 17:19
He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

This proverb leads us again to a Hebrew idiom. Hebraism often compares the mouth to ‘gates’. We find this kind of expression in Micah 7:5: keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom: The expression ‘elevate his gates’, or as it is found in other translations: ‘elevate his mouth’, refers to someone who speaks in a proud and arrogant manner.

Some find it a virtue to be strife-driven. Our text is clear though that he who loves strife loves transgression. Debates and discussion are all right, as they are the means by which we learn, but strife is an element of transgression and sin.

Our author/King (and I purposely remind the reader of the elevated status of our author) spent hours judging people listening to case after case. When we are in such a position of having to listen to people’s issues with each other, we start finding patterns. There certainly are cases with legitimate issues and problems, but in many cases, issues are created because of the arrogance of one party, or even of both. Another proverb of our same author mentions that strife disappears once the proud is taken out of the picture.

Sometimes I am reminded of radio talk-show hosts who speak in such a strife-driven way. After you listen to them for five minute you feel all riled up about something that didn’t even cross our mind before, or didn’t even know. Through these, we are not informed, educated, nor even led to positive action and attitude. We are simply and solely exposed to someone’s spirit of frustration and anger. We are made to partake of somebody else’s hot air, confusion and spirit of strife. Issues in the world need to be exposed and addressed, but in a sprit of wisdom, prayer and trust in God’s overall Plan. The Antichrist is the ultimate one who will be known to ‘elevate his gate’ in a very arrogant mouth

Let us not be guilty of such attitude. Let us not exalt our mouth through arrogance and pride provoking strife and destruction. Before uttering any word, especially about things that are sensitive to us, let us always pray: please God, put a guard over my mouth.

LENDING:THE RECIPE FOR SOCIAL CATASTROPHE

Proverbs 17:18
A man void of understanding striketh hands, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

The idea here is that your friend cannot get a loan. Creditors do not trust him or his credit (same thing). Your friend then banks of your friendship, as well as good ‘credit rating’ and reputation to co-sign, a loan with him.

Common sense should tell me that if my friend cannot get a loan, it could be that he is a risky investment. For me to co-sign a loan with him could take me, and my whole family down. Only a person ‘void of understanding’ would agree to such a thing. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Proverbs 6:1-5

The preceding proverb tells us that a friend loves at all times, but this may be a case when the person showing love should be the person in need, by not asking his ‘friend’ to guaranty for him.

The insanity of the lending system is played out in front of our eyes in our generation today. People and banks loan to each other; they ‘strike hands’ in guaranty to each other for ‘toxic loans’. The taxpayers are now bailing these financial institutions out and as unfair as it seems, it brings the payment back to the original people: the loaners.

The Word teaches us to give to him that asks of us; not loan. That is because the borrower is servant to the lender and we do not want this sort of owing relationship between brethren. It is the recipe to social catastrophe.

May Yeshua return quickly to deliver us from the insanity of man and put us back in God’s financial system as described, and prescribed in His Words.

YESHUA THE FRIEND/BROTHER

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

Yeshua, the atoning Messiah ordained by the Father from the foundation of the earth, came to tabernacle with us. As the very image of the Almighty, He looked upon us as His servants.

Shortly before being offered as the ultimate offering of all offerings in order to reestablish our relationship with the Father he said, Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
The knowledge from the Father that Yeshua imparted elevated the disciples from the status of servants to the level of friends. This refers to covenantal friendship, which in early Semitic cultures was as binding as marriage. The steps of this covenant making are found in Genesis 15 when the Father revels His Plan to Abraham as He makes an eternally binding covenant with him. Yeshua also acted the steps in this covenant making with us.

As He becomes our friend, Yeshua also becomes our brother, the Firstfruit among many brethren. A friend may love at all times, but the quality of a brother, or of a sister for that matter, are especially found in times of adversity. This is usually when kinsfolks finally get closer, during a family tragedy.

Soon tragedy will happen in the world of believers, and we can count on our Friend/Brother to be there for us. He was born for that very purpose.

THE MORE I KNOW, THE MORE I KNOW THAT I DON’T KNOW

Proverbs 17:16
Wherefore is there a price in the hand of a fool to get wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to it?

FOOL: Biblical definition: one who knows the Word of Life and does not obey it.

Why is there money in the hand of the fool to purchase wisdom, though he does not have an understanding heart? A fool may have money in hand to hire a teacher, but it will be to no avail if he lacks will and appreciation of the importance of knowledge.

My wife is a grade school teacher. One time she was correcting a child’s wrongly spelled word when to her amazement he replied, 'oh no Ma’m’, this is how I spell it.’ We may find the young child amuzing, but sad to say, we as adult d have a tendency to act this way. This proud attitude may be bad enough in the academic field, but it becomes a tragedy in the realm of religion. It is easy to convince someone they do not as know as much as we do about the details of a particular trade or academic field, but when it comes to hermeneutics, it feels sometimes that everyone wants to be their own rule book. Every one wants to feel free to interpret and define doctrine according to their own limited knowledge and experience.

Mathematics, physics and astronomy for examples have foundation rules that do not, and cannot change. Two and two always make four; what goes up always comes down and the constellations always show the same story. But when it comes to Bible hermeneutics, it seems to be a free for all. Even though the text it self tells us that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, we have myriads of interpretations. Even though the apostle tells us that there is one faith, one baptism and one doctrine, we are plagued by deep differences. The answer can only be that we, instead of thoroughly searching for The Answers, have allowed ourselves to be taught by other men who did not know the answers either but pulled answers out of their magic hat and called it divine inspiration or even worse ‘new revelation’. My personal motto is: let the Book answer the Book within its own cultural and historical context, and that without any stretch of personal interpretation. No man has the right to come between us and the defined interpretation of Scripture. We need to make sure that our understanding is Scripturally inspired and divinely downloaded, not interpreted.

Let us now ask ourselves: are we a generation of fools? Are we a generation who prides itself in the number of teachers we can hire for ourselves? Teachers who become blind guides of the blind? Are we blinded by our arrogant lack of desire and appreciation for true knowledge? The apostle described our generation in these sobering words: Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 2 Timothy 3:7

SOMEBODY PAYS

Proverbs 17:15
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.

I like to chock my students or congregants by exclaiming, “I do not believe in salvation by grace; the Bible does not support such a doctrine”. After all, salvation by grace means that our sins are wiped away. It means that we, the guilty party, guilty of murder, adulteries and idolatries, get to walk free without any punishment for our sins. And we call that justice? What if a judge decided to have ‘mercy’, and as a result freed rapists and child murderers? Would we call that judge ‘good’?

The wicked (us) cannot be made righteous on his own merits. It is an abomination to God to justify the wicked. A price has to be paid for the covering of his sins. The full price of our sin is un-payable by us; that is why Yeshua pays it for us and we are saved (reconciled with the Father) based on the merits of the Father’s favor to wards Him. And even though the Son has the favor of the Father, the Son still has to pay an excruciating price for the covering atonement of our sins. So actually, salvation is not free: Somebody pays.

On the other hand, and this is a theological ‘catch 22’, because the price of the Son’s payment is required for our reconciliation with God, by our sins, we automatically condemn the Just. The Just One who had not sin has become sin so He could pay the price/ransom of our regeneration. This knowledge should make us careful and less flippant about our daily behavior. Sometimes we can get familiar and live like, ‘Oh, my sins are forgiven; He understand that I am just human and make mistakes.’ Our sins are forgiven, yes, but not for free. Somebody pays for them. Yeshua pays for them.

A Mom wanted to teach a lesson of obedience to her son. She decided to change technique. Instead of swatting her child’s behind when he misbehaved, she decided that every time the child would disobey, he would have to slap his Mom’s hand. She child, not wanting hurt his Mom anymore quickly changed his behavior.

We cannot be perfect and our sin is with us from birth. Can we try our best to not be flippant about it and try to change our general behavior so we stop slapping, spitting on, lashing, pricking, mocking, humiliating, hurting crucifying and killing the Son of Man? Remember: it is an abomination to condemn the Just.

DRAMA FREE ZONE

Proverbs 17:14
The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

The idea is of a man who makes a little hole in the bank of a river. Cutting a small passage he lets water in an adjoining field. The force of the water itself widens the passage flowing in great abundance to the overflow and prejudice of the filed. Lo and behold: It cannot be stopped. So a single word spoken in anger in a way of contradiction is the beginning if a great strife and contention.

What is the wise thing to do? Before the conversation amplifies to such an uncontrollable degree, leave off the subject; let things cool off. This is good advice for partners, colleagues and spouses. Do we want to win the fight or the argument at the cost of the relationship? No. It only yields an empty victory where we really are the loosers.

WERE WE WORTH SAVING?

Proverbs 17:13
Whoso rewardeth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

Nabal is the Biblical example of what happens to someone who rewards evil for good. David acted with favor with Nabal. When David could have let his men help themselves of Nabal’s sheep, David made sure that nothing was missing of Nabal’s properties. In return, when David’s army needed sustenance, Nabal refused to help and was even mean and arrogant about it. Nabal ended up with the spite of his wife. He died suddenly during the night, after the which Abigail went to join and marry David. All of Nabal’s goods ended up in David’s hand. 1 Samuel 25.

It is easy though to use goodness as a means to an end. It is common for people today use ‘good works’ in order to win political or social favor, or even with the intent of claiming a favor in return. This was not what David was doing. He was anointed King of Israel, and he was doing his job as King which was to protect the people and act with the dignity of King of Israel. He must have felt indignant to see his virtue wasted on such a piggish person as Nabal.

Bringing this notion home, let us look at ourselves. Yeshua the Son of David also guards over us. It is said that He that keeps Israel never slumbers nor sleeps (Ps 121) The question is: are we worth the protection of the Son of David? Are we worth His efforts? Probably not, but do we try our best, or do we act like Nabal?

A man saw a young boy struggling with the current in a river. Right away the man jumped and rescued the drowning boy. ‘Thank you for saving me’ said the boy. ‘Make sure you were worth saving’ replied the man.

Will Yeshua receive positive returns for His investment in us? Were we worth saving?

THE LESSER OF TWO EVILS

Proverbs 17:12
Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly.

Of the nature of beasts there is none more fierce than a she bear, when she has lost her whelps, or wants food. And yet, as terrible and as dangerous as it is, it is safer and more eligible to meet an enraged bear in those circumstances than a fool in his folly. The fool knows the injunctions of the Word but he has consciously rationalized that they are not applicable to him so he does not obey the. Doing so, he builds his house upon the sand the Master teaches us. A fool then, having rejected the Torah is left in unrestrained subjection to human passions, to the heat of their lust. He pursues them and there is no stopping him, or turning him from them. His heat and anger exceeds that of a bear, and is not so easily avoided.

There are many references to enraged bears in the bible. The Assyrian Empire who cruelly conquered and deported the ten tribes is compared to a bear having lost its young. Rome who brutally subjected the world to its rule has the feet of a bear. A she-bear appears and kills 42 young people who were mocking a prophet because he was bald. On the other hand, as a youth, David kills a bear who was after his father’s flocks. The bear often appears in the Bible as a symbol of punishment and/or attacks on God’s children from the North. At the end of this age, there will be a final attack on Israel from the ‘bearish’ North. At that time, Yeshua, the Son of David will appear and deliver His father’s flocks from this angry bear and thereby bring His people to full repentance.

Understanding the meaning of the Biblical imagery of the bear gives us a more complete vision of the comparative imagery of this proverb. It is more dangerous to our lives to meet with a fool, one who has consciously rejected the Word, than to meet with such a creature as the she-bear deprived of her young.

Maybe something is to be said about our circle of friends, media and cyber encounters.

BETTER TO BE ON GOD’S SIDE

Proverbs 17:11
An evil man seeketh only rebellion: therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

Rebellion is defined is respects to the Words of instruction given us by the Almighty Father. An evil man is therefore one who seeks that which is opposite to the Word. We have a promise that such person, may he be preacher politician or everyday citizen will receive its just retribution. God is the Rewarder of the obedient and the Retributor of the rebellious.

This principle is at work within and without the realm of God’s Children. We have seen how the Great Almighty destroyed the Egyptian realm from under its rebellious ruler. We have seen how a cruel messenger was sent to indiscriminately destroy the first-borns of that country. God may give His only begotten One to rescue His first-born (Israel), but a cruel messenger is also sent against Egypt’s first-born. God may have watched as the Egyptians gleefully threw Israel’s newborn males into the sea, but He had the last laugh as Egypt’s boy-soldiers drowned into the Red Sea. God had the last laugh also when in 1980 He took the fistborn of Madalyn Murray O’Hair (the founder of the American Atheists Foundation and the person who is responsible for to removal of prayer out of school) to be baptized and later to become a preacher. A cruel messenger was also sent against his Mom and she died of the most cruel death.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madalyn_Murray_O'Hair

God is not mocked. History is a testament to His dealing against those who oppose His plans. Today’s politicians and policy-makers would do well to take a warning from it. Even in our own life we need to review our own loyalties and ask ourselves, ‘Whose side is God on?’ Loyalty is not a question of what we feel is right and just, but a question of obedience His Word whether we agree with it or not, whether it fits our plans or not.

If we put ourselves on His side, we avoid the cruel messenger.

OF THE FOOL AND THE WISE

Proverbs 17:10
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

A Jewish sage paraphrased this proverb saying, ‘With the wise, a sign does as much as with the fool a stick does.’

Wisdom and foolishness have nothing to do with knowledge, learning abilities or opportunities. The Hebraic meaning of wisdom and foolishness are solely related to our attitude towards the Torah: the Almighty’s Instructions for life. Both the foolish and the wise know about these Instructions; the wise decides to live by them, while the fool consciously chooses to ignore them.

When people consciously choose to live by their own theology rather than the Instructions given to us by our Maker, they are destined for trouble. It is absolutely useless to attempt straightening up their lives until they have made the decision to abide by the commandments of the Master. This is why even a hundred stripes on their back is useless.

On the other hand, the wise is one who has chosen to carefully heed the advice of the Almighty. He cherishes every Word of advice like desperately needed gold and light. Because of his meek condition and inclination, a simple reproof, sign or nudge sets him back up on the straight and narrow when he makes a mistake.

Which are we?

OF THE FOOL AND THE WISE

Proverbs 17:10
A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool.

A Jewish sage paraphrased this proverb saying, ‘With the wise, a sign does as much as with the fool a stick does.’

Wisdom and foolishness have nothing to do with knowledge, learning abilities or opportunities. The Hebraic meaning of wisdom and foolishness are solely related to our attitude towards the Torah: the Almighty’s Instructions for life. Both the foolish and the wise know about these Instructions; the wise decides to live by them, while the fool consciously chooses to ignore them.

When people consciously choose to live by their own theology rather than the Instructions given to us by our Maker, they are destined for trouble. It is absolutely useless to attempt straightening up their lives until they have made the decision to abide by the commandments of the Master. This is why even a hundred stripes on their back is useless.

On the other hand, the wise is one who has chosen to carefully heed the advice of the Almighty. He cherishes every Word of advice like desperately needed gold and light. Because of his meek condition and inclination, a simple reproof, sign or nudge sets him back up on the straight and narrow when he makes a mistake.

Which are we?

TRUE COMFORT

Proverbs 17:9
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.

Oh, how we hate it when we have been unjustly wounded; how we desire and even feel like the need for vindication. The best way we get this vindication is by loudly (so everyone hears) blowing a ‘foul’ whistle. It is only right after all; who would not; others have to know how unjustly we have been treated (sarcasm intended).

What kind of fruit does this blowing of the whistle produces? Is it a fruit that emanates from the Spirit of the Almighty? Does it promote unity, judgment and justice? Does it help promote love, joy, peace, longsuffering and all the rest of them? Does it even change the situation or correct the offender? Or does it just provide us for a way to lick our wounds; a reason to get some sympathy and attention in a world where we feel so often unnoticed? We certainly wouldn’t dream of being ignored at such times (sarcasm again intended). The problem is that when we do so, not only we don’t solve the problem, but we replicate it.

It takes a lot of godliness in character to let offenses pass and not retaliate by talking to others. When we do, the Almighty He becomes our Judge and Confidant. He becomes the embodiment of the heavenly Psychologist Who applies on our ruffled heart the Gilead balm that truly heals our souls from the hurt and that, without the cost of creating more offenses.

We often pray this phrase Yeshua brought us from an ancient traditional Jewish prayer, Thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven. May we take the good advice in our proverb today; it will help us bring a little more of his Kingdom on earth right now.

GOD IS HIS OWN ‘GIFT’.

Proverbs 17:8
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

This proverb expresses a fact of experience. The Hebrew word translated as ‘gift’ is the same as in Proverbs 17:23 and refers to ‘bribe’. Thus we are taught that possessing the price of a bribe is like possessing precious stones. We can use it our advantage to earn grace, favor, and even to pervert judgment.

In a certain sense, whether it be our body, our money or our strength, we all use what we have as a bribe. It is not necessarily a bad thing. Solomon says in another place, ‘A man’s gift makes room for him’. By this Solomon teaches that a gifted person with a gift belonging to either the physical, the spiritual or even the emotional realm, will more likely find employment or a place to live, because of the value of his gift. It’s a fact of life, but the whole difference between the ‘gift’ and the ‘bribe’ is in the way it is used. Is it used to take or to give?

God is His own ‘Gift’. The abilities God has given us belong to Him in the first place. We may have worked hard for it but they still belong to Him because He created them as well the ability for our body to exercise them. It is like a company giving you a laptop. The purpose of the laptop is for you to use for the company. If you use it to trade stocks on-line, shop or email, you are guilty of theft. The same goes for doing personal business on company paid time, cause the pay is the ‘gift’. The minute we use our God-given gift that He gave us for His returns for our own gain or self-promotion, we are guilty of theft.

The most beautiful gift we have been given is life. The problem is that it does not belong to us; it has been ransomed with a heavy price. The devil used God’s own rules and put a bribe on our head. He doesn’t care for our lives; he only cares for the bribe because Satan (cursed be his name) is a mercenary. Like Abraham with Eliezer of Damascus, Yeshua bought our lives from the slave-trader and set us free. Because of His Gift, our lives now belong to Him. Yeshua wills not that service to Him be forced, but it goes without saying that our lives belong to whoever saves it from death. Yeshua wills that our service to Him be solely motivated by gratitude. We breathe and able to operate by the sole miracle of His Spirit. Our redeemed lives belong to Him: let us not be guilty of theft by stealing ‘company time’.

MEN OF HONORABLE REBIRTH

Proverbs 17:7
Excellent speech becometh not a fool:
Much less do lying lips a prince.

Here is your typical Hebrew proverb drawing a concept by pitting opposites. Indeed how repulsive it is when a man of vulgar mind and of rude conduct, instead of keeping himself to himself, makes himself of importance, and weighty in a shameless, impudent manner. And even more, how shameful it is when a man in whom we are justified in expecting nobility of mind degrades himself by uttering deceitful words.

That a fool would use words to want to put on a coat of excellency in the eyes of others can almost be understood, but what is the point in the prince of honorable birth to degrade himself by speaking lies like the common thief? Lies are the result of fear, and fear is the result of sin.

Even so we, the children of the King of the Kingdom of Heaven are predestined to rule and reign with the King. We may not be of honorable birth, but we certainly are of honorable rebirth.

Let us then carry the Name the Almighty has set within us with pride and glory. Let us not sully It by indulging in the deceiving practices of fools, even when it seems for a good reason.

AN INHERITED COVENANT

Proverbs 17:6
Children's children are the crown of old men; and the glory of children are their fathers.

There is an ancient promise,

And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

Malachie: 4:6.

As the post-Exodus second generation of the Children of Israel stood before Moses, he taught them all that God had done for their fathers. As he did, he brought them into covenant with God, just as he did their fathers. Bringing the reality of the Exodus into their generation, Moses said to them, Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; But with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day:

Deuteronomy 29:14-15.

The covenants signed in the desert were made with the contemporary generation as well as with the future generation of believers. The covenant made with the first generation of the Children of Israel who actually witnessed God’s works against the Egyptians was incumbent upon their children who did not see these miracles. In the very manner, this covenant is incumbent upon us today. The fathers rejoiced at the multitude of their children who would enter the covenant that was signed with them in the desert. We today are their reward; they see us as the fulfillment of the promises made unto them.

Sad to say though, we today as their children do not look at our Israelite ‘parents’ with the awe and wonder that we should. We are an ungrateful generation who wants to forget the beautiful commandments given to them by the Mt. We think they are old fashioned; non-applicable, obsolete. We have replaced them with the golden calf of a new theology that frees us from their rigid demands. It is very sad indeed.

In the meantime though, the truth is that the very covenant that was made with them is incumbent upon us today. We are the crown of our fathers; they are our glory whether we like it or not. May we, as the fathers turn their hearts towards us, also turn our hearts towards them.

WHEN IT IS WRONG TO REJOICE

Proverbs 17:5
Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker:
And he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.

The first clause is a variation of Proverbs 14:31. The second clause adds to it with a prophetic advice. It is absolutely against the instructions of Torah to rejoice over someone’s demise, even (and especially if) they are enemies. Yeshua reinforced Moses’ words when He advised to pray for enemies.

Each year, Passover is celebrated around a festive meal organized around 4 glasses of wine. This is called the Seder. Wine is supposed to represent joy. The second glass of wine of the Seder represents the promise of deliverance from Egypt. Because this deliverance of the Hebrews came at the expensive cost of many of their enemies’ lives, ten times, during the recitation of the plagues, we dip our finger into our wine glass and shake a few drops of wine on the plate. This has the purpose of lessening our joy (by lessening our wine) in remembrance of the costly price of our deliverance. This practice also reminds us not to joy over our enemy’s demise.

One great reminder of this principle is the prophet Obadiah. He wrote of the destruction of Edom because it helped Jerusalem’s Babylonians enemy and later plundered the city, gloating over Judah’s demise. Edom was a great successful civilization. All we have left of it, as a silent memorial to Obadiah’s words is the rock city of Petra.

Ezekiel speaks of a day when all nations will stand against Israel. Will they reap the same fate as Edom? Read it.

LEAVEN IN LISTENING

Proverbs 17:4
A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips; and a liar giveth ear to a naughty tongue.

The old adage ‘ a man is known by the company he keeps’ could define this proverb. Whereas ‘we are what we eat’, we seem to also be what we listen to.

The pure can only listen to pure speech; the impure doesn’t mind reveling in lies and corruption. This may apply to our listening habits of all sorts. Like children, we are all guilty of selective hearing; we hear certain things better than others. Our mental taste buds have also been affected by this ‘selectivism’; we actually enjoy to listen to certain things better than others.

Are we as quick t hear and believe the positive about people as we are the negative? Do we tune in quicker to the sirens of Babylon than to good healthy listening? Do we enjoy nice juicy gossips? Can this proverb be the touchstone of our media intake diet? What is the general composition of our daily reading, TV watching, music intake, movie types, magazine rack, discussion with friends or even types of friends? And what about our inner speech? Sometimes we can be our own bad company.

After this Passover, we can make all the resolutions we can about changing from an ungodly Egyptian culture to a Godly one, but if we do not put feet to this resolution by reviewing what we do on a daily basis, we are fooling ourselves. Unless we improve our environment and habits, Egypt stays with us. Sad to say it is easier to take the man out of Egypt, than to take Egypt out of the man.

Let us rid ourselves of Egypt by ‘cleaning our ears’, physical, inner and spiritual. After this week of unleavened, we have all now been baptized in the Red Sea crossing, so, Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
1 Corinthians 5:7

THE GREAT REFINER

Proverbs 17:3
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

The word for ‘fining pot’ is ‘mats’raf’: meaning ‘to change’, ‘to melt’, to refine’. The word for ‘furnace is ‘koor’: ‘to round’, ‘to destroy’. These are the words our author uses to define the Lord’s role in our hearts. What the pot is to the silver and what the furnace is to the gold, Adonai is to our hearts.

If we claim then to have given our hearts over to the Lord, our hearts will surely be seen to experience change, melting, refining, even rounding or destruction. It will not stay the same. By logical deduction then, if our hearts does not experience these things, if we study the Word and fellowship with believers but do not experience these changing elements in our lives, somehow we either are boasting of a condition which does not exist, or we are resisting its demands. Let us not do so.

Let us be soft metal in the hands of our Maker, in the hands of the great Refiner of our souls. May we allow His loving hands to crush, scour, purge, separate, mold and form our hearts to His Image. May we not resist the catalysts of change He brings to our lives. May we be found to be soft clay.

THE GREAT REFINER

Proverbs 17:3
The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold: but the Lord trieth the hearts.

The word for ‘fining pot’ is ‘mats’raf’: meaning ‘to change’, ‘to melt’, to refine’. The word for ‘furnace is ‘koor’: ‘to round’, ‘to destroy’. These are the words our author uses to define the Lord’s role in our hearts. What the pot is to the silver and what the furnace is to the gold, Adonai is to our hearts.

If we claim then to have given our hearts over to the Lord, our hearts will surely be seen to experience change, melting, refining, even rounding or destruction. It will not stay the same. By logical deduction then, if our hearts does not experience these things, if we study the Word and fellowship with believers but do not experience these changing elements in our lives, somehow we either are boasting of a condition which does not exist, or we are resisting its demands. Let us not do so.

Let us be soft metal in the hands of our Maker, in the hands of the great Refiner of our souls. May we allow His loving hands to crush, scour, purge, separate, mold and form our hearts to His Image. May we not resist the catalysts of change He brings to our lives. May we be found to be soft clay.

THAT HE MAY HAVE MERCY UPON ALL

Proverbs 17:2
A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

Who is the son that causeth shame? Here our author answers the question: Proverbs 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame. Whoever they are though, God is the Rewarder of those who do well our same author proclaims. He says, The king's favour is toward a wise servant: but his wrath is against him that causeth shame. Proverbs 14:35

Rabbi Salomon Jarchi comments on this proverb saying: "a proselyte of righteousness is better than a wicked native; and in time to come he shall divide the spoil and the inheritance in the midst of the children of Israel.” As proof text he quotes Ezekiel 47:23 And it shall come to pass, that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord God.
Paul concurs the idea by saying: That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Ephesians 3:6

These all represent beautiful promises telling us that the gentiles are included in the covenantal promises God made to Abraham but as it is with all divine promises, they are conditional. The apostle Paul brings the idea in a beautiful analogy as he tries to explain the concept to the mixed congregation of Rome. He says:

Romans 11:17-32 And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; (18) Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee. (19) Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. (20) Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (21) For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. (22) Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (23) And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. (24) For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

Paul qualifies his analogy in the following manner:

(25) For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. (26) And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: (27) For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (28) As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes. (29) For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. (30) For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: (31) Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. (32) For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.

THE TRUE PEACE OFFERING.

Proverbs 17:1
Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.

This proverb, which has an obvious literal surface meaning, is loaded with cultural and theological concepts. The keys to its contrast values are found in the words ‘dry’ and ‘sacrifice’.

To understand, we must be familiar with the ethical and cultural habits that evolved through Israel’s sacrificial system. Meal offerings were always offered with oil, so that a dry morsel represents the piece of bread that someone eats quietly at home by himself. The house full of sacrifices tells us of the leftovers of peace offering sumptuous feasts someone would take home with them.

Peace offerings were extravagant feasts. They were not for the sake of guilt or sin, but were the culmination of all the other sacrifices. Peace offerings represented final fellowship with God. Yeshua has been coined to be our ‘peace-offering’. The peace offering is the only offering were everyone partakes of the food brought to the Temple. God gets a share, the priests get a share and the ‘offerer’ gets a share. They all sit and eat together in a sumptuous party atmosphere in the Temple court. It is supposed to represent fellowship with God.

Peace offerings sometimes became lewd parties with merriment and excitement that bordered intoxication. It ended sometimes in quarrel and strife. Solomon uses the degenerating religious practices adopted by some in these celebrations in Proverbs 7 as he talks of a woman with the attire of harlot who goes out to the streets in ‘search’ for the ‘simple’ to lure him into sin. She says I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.

This proverb reeks of comparative theology. It leaves us with the idea that the man who worships God in his own home and in a simple manner is better in the sight of God than one, who in spite of all the pretences and wealth found in his religiosity, lives a life that denotes of spiritual conceited gluttony, disobedience, and selfishness. This ‘dry morsel’ eaten quietly at home in a quiet spirit looked to God more like a true peace offering than all the sumptuous feast offered at the Temple.

May we learn from it.

DOES GOD PLAY DICE WITH HUMANITY?

Proverbs 16:33
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.

The use of lots to determine difficult decisions is permitted in the Bible. The Hebrew word for ‘lot’ is ‘goral’, referring to small rough colored stones used for lot purposes (the original dice?).

The Bible tells us of very anointed rulings made by lots, such as the story of Achan’s wedge. Lots were never to be used lightly or for personal purposes. They were for the purpose of determining the will of God in ambiguous matters or to settle a dispute. Lots were used for the distribution of the Land unto the tribes. A form of lot with the Ummim and Thummim was used to determine God’s will via the High Priest as well as another form was used to determine if a woman was guilty of adultery.

This proverb tells us that God is sovereign even in the use of lots. Some people wonder if God plays dice with humanity. How does He, even in a society that wants to play God in the matters of life and death, decides who lives or dies? We can immediately be reminded of the story of Moses that we have recently read in our Passover festivities. How does He decide who is sick or healthy? We can also turn to the story of the man who was blind from birth so that the Messiah could one day come and heal him. How does God decide between the pauper and the well to do? Does He choose who should win the elections? Elections or the choosing of a king is kind of done by lots also. We establish a system by which to make that decision and we take what comes.

A careful study of history confirms that God has been behind this cosmic ‘lot-ery’ called history. It is actually not as random as it looks. It is only random when we look at it from our human perspective. As we turn our eyes and look at it from the His perspective, we suddenly see the beautiful planning of the picture. It is like looking at and embroidered work from the wrong side.

Let us then look at our lives from the right side, and know that tough it seems sometimes that God plays dice to determine our destiny, His dice are ‘weighed’ to fall towards our greater good, as well as that of all humanity.

THE REAL ENNEMY

Proverbs 16:32
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty
And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

What a difference a little patience brings. What alternative destinies could restrained words offer.

Many whose biography is crowned with conquests have omitted to overcome the strongest enemy of all; bringing kings and nations to their knees, they remain puny servants to the master of all men: self.

I used to have a control problem. I was not happy when things didn’t go my way. I desperately tried to control my environment to fit my wishes, desires and likings and very quickly found myself at war against a 7.000.000.000 people world, and loosing. So, more out of logical reasoning than out of true yieldedness, I capitulated.

When we can get our way, our last resort is anger. It’s a form of manipulative intimidation of others. It is also a sign of weakness. Once someone has succeeded to make us angry, they won. It is a very poor sample of leadership and parenthood. Even Moses, who was said to be the humblest of all men, didn’t get away with it.

This war against our passion is a difficult one. It seems that even the apostle Paul fought it all his life. Self is an opponent that can look as big as Goliath, and as David proved, can only be overcome with help of God. The Master Himself was the prime example of restraint under extreme injustice.

He that wins the war against himself conquers more than an empire. He that is able to bring his passion under control has discovered the secret of true virtue.

THE HONOR OF OLD AGE

Proverbs 16:31
The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

Leviticus 19:32 also commands us: Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.
In the Name of God, we are to honor righteous (Word obedient) older folks. We are to honor them and acknowledge their presence by rising from our seats when they walk in a room just like we would do for dignitaries.

Old age found in righteousness has no shame in it. It does not feel the need to change its qualification to ‘senior’ or other attributes to avoid saying ‘old’. I study the Word everyday; I therefore grow spiritually everyday. It stands to reason that the more days I have to study the Word, the wiser I will get. This is why older folks are so revered: their advanced age brings with it assumed advanced knowledge of the things of God. It is strange how today young people assume they know more than their elders.

Today there is a sentiment of shame in acknowledging old age. This is so sad. In a perfect world, old age is immediately seen as the result of the blessing of God, and even in this world, old age while living a righteous life is certainly still a sign of the Almighty’s blessing. Why is it that our world has so corrupted everything (I think I know the answer to that question)?

In Asian societies, older folks are revered as ancients and elders of their communities. It is common concluding staple of Indian movies that after a series of complicated personal problems, a person would go up to the upstairs bedroom of the house to confide in the lone meditative grand-father or grandmother who would then give them an experienced word of advice. It is strange though that as a result, these societies who do not have a negative attitude towards old age do not experience mid-life crisis.

May our old age bring with it the wisdom of ages. May it bring with it the respect and honor given to kings. May we be worthy of that honor.

EXPOSED

Proverbs 16:29-30
A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good. He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

These are the last two verses relating to evil works executed by one who is: ungodly, froward and violent.

We have identified the executor of these actions as satan (cursed be his name), the antagonist who opposes our soul, and here he is again at work. The point of this proverb is not necessarily the action of enticing. The idea is that the violent man, who is also the ungodly and froward person, leads his neighbor to a place where to execute evil on him. These four last proverbs represent a warning; a warning not to follow ungodly, froward and violent people, as it will bring evil upon us.

Now if we could see the devil coming to us fully dressed in red pajamas, equipped with horns, serpent tail and pitchfork in hand, we would certainly identify him and be aware. The problem is that he doesn’t come to us in that way. He comes to us imitating the Messiah. He presents himself to us emulating the peaceful godly nature and character of our Master so he can deceive even the very elects.

We have to therefore use wisdom in our endorsements. We need to ask ourselves: who are the people that we endorse as people who will lead us in a way that is good? Who are those from our own entourage, the political scene or media personalities whom we believe will not bring evil to pass on us personally or corporately? The way to know is to look at their records and mirror their lives with the Word.

THE CHIEF BACKSLIDER

Proverbs 16:28
A froward man soweth strife:
And a whisperer separateth chief friends.

We have here a cause and effect proverb. The froward man, being the opposite of the forward man, is a man who goes backward. He goes backward from where or more precisely from whom? Backward from the Father; and how do we go backward from the Father? By disobeying His Word and not keeping His commandment.

The Father hates seeing the back o His Children. In the old days, a soldier leaving the field of battle because of fear or any other reason was to be executed on the spot so other soldiers would not follow him. One who goes backwards from the Father knows in his heart that he is wrong, so he works himself away from the conviction that eats him by trying to get others to come with him; the more the better. To accomplish that, he ‘whispers’ divisive words of doubt, murmur and complaint in the ears of his companions.

The first to act in such a manner, to follow up his backsliding by trying to convince others to follow him was Satan (cursed be his name!). He came to Eve the Mother of all Living, in a subtle way and sowed seeds of doubt in her heart asking, Hath God really said . . .? This sort of question should always send a red flag to our spirit.

This backslider who is the devil, the father of all lies and backsliders, still uses the same tricks. From the early times when the apostolic Scriptures were lived and written, he has divided the people of God dropping the same question in their mind, Hath God really said . . . to keep the Sabbath; the Passover; the dietary and financial instructions given us in His Words? Are these to be kept by the Children of the Almighty in all their generations? Or are we living under a new ‘dispensation’? Is the Father solely concerned about the good intentions of our hearts, or does He also look at the physical application of our faith? Are words of repentance enough, or are we supposed to also produce ‘fruit’ meet for repentance?

Throughout history the battle of believer’s application of faith has raged hot, and it continues in our days. It sometimes separate families and friends; Yeshua warned us of it. The sad thing here is that over the centuries, the casualty has been obedience; it has been renamed as: legalism. The question is, should obedience be sacrificed as a scapegoat for the one who is really to blame for all this: the devil?

THE MAN OF BELIAL WITHIN

Proverbs 16:27
An ungodly man diggeth up evil:
And in his lips there is as a burning fire.

The Hebrew says, The man of ‘Belial’ diggeth up evil.This refers to a man who lives outside of the parameters of Torah.

From his own heart the man of Belial digs up evil for others. He digs up a pit for others, but like Haman of old, he himself will fall in it. The man of Belial always digs a pit in view of the fall of the righteous, and his ‘digging’ tool of choice is the tongue.

Such is the man of Belial, one who lives without God’s Instructions: from his heart, evil regurgitates to his mouth and his lips become like burning bile. The righteous needs to watch out for such person coming from without, but even more from within himself.

Sometimes we can be so aware of the ungodly ‘Egyptian’ without, or of the ‘Babylonian’, or the ‘Roman’, that we forget the man of Belial that lies within us; the ‘old man’ who tries to take us back into the pit of our former ways. Can that happen?

Forsaking the Almighty’s Instructions of Torah and falling in the pit dug by disobedience has happened to the worst of people, and to the best. Again, the favorite tool of our digging is the tongue. As the apostle James so beautifully taught in his epistle, our tongue is like the rudder of a ship: it determines the direction of our walk.

Let us therefore diligently watch for the ‘man of Belial’ within us. Let us also be aware of him within our inner conversations. Let us constantly put our soul through the Torah mirror test and ask ourselves: are my thoughts and my words a reflection of Torah? Am I really reflecting the Master?