GOD WAS SERIOUS WHEN HE SAID IT

Proverbs 13:13
Whoso despiseth the word shall be destroyed:
But he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

No one can keep all the commandments; at least not in a sense of obedience to all of them. Only Yahoshua has succeeded to do so. That is why the Hebrew Old Testament never uses the expression to ‘keep the commandments’ in that sense. The word it uses is ‘shomer’ meaning to ‘guard’ the commandments. We can certainly guard the Word in our heart. We can certainly fear It and give It due respect even if sometimes we fail in our obedience to it.

We may not like traffic rules. We may even feel that some of the speed or seat belt restrictions are stupid. But respecting and obeying them insures us a better chance to safely enjoy the benefit of driving. It also avoids us getting tickets. We may not always like exercising and eating healthy, but using our bodies properly ensures us a better chance to a healthier happy life. If we despise health principles, we surely bring destruction upon ourselves.

God is serious about obedience to His Word. The wood gathering Sabbath breaker had to be stoned (there is no way he could have crossed the whole camp and not be reminded of the Sabbath as he saw others around him), and Pinchas, the man who slew the two idolatrous revelers, was recompensed for his zeal by being elevated to the position of high-Priest. To say that God doesn’t mind whether we explicitly obey His Word or not is like saying that the teacher doesn’t mean if the children don’t follow instruction or that the IRS was not serious about filing and paying our taxes, nor about the way to do it.

Surely the word of our text comes to pass. Everywhere around us we see people’s lives emotionally, physically and spiritually destroyed just because of a lack of obedience to the Word of God. I seriously believe that all, and I mean all, of our social problems could be solved without spending a single penny if we gave heed and obedience to the Ten Commandments. It is a simple solution, but somehow, one that very few people are willing to adopt. The big question of the day is: why?

SUCK AT THE BREASTS OF GOD

Proverbs 13:12
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick:
But when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

LINGUISTIC NOTE: In Hebrew, the literal translation of the word ‘El Shaddai’ would be: ‘The Great and Mighty Breasted One’. The Torah has always been seen by Jews as the breasts of God. That is the origin of Paul’s expression ‘desire ye the sincere milk of the Word’. Psalms also uses the expression: ‘nursing fathers’ as a picture of a father teaching Torah to his child.

Fear not ye daughter of Zion. For you have put your hope in the everlasting God, in the Adonai of the Heaven and earth. Hath He said and shall He not do it?

It is easy when hope is deferred to start relying on fables and lies. We so much want it to come that in fear and lack of faith we start inventing the fulfillment of our hope. What was then meant to be God’s edenic gift becomes the doing of our own hands which eventually makes us sick.

Let it not be so my friend. Let us not be found like a child playing with Lego blocks, fabricating the fulfillment of God’s promises in our lives. Let us not like an imaginative writer redefine theology to fit our conscience. Let us not as an impatient people carve ourselves a definition of Him who is indefinable. Horeb and Calvary stand today as two undeniable witnesses of the unchangeable definition of the Almighty. The blood sprinkled on these two mountains sealed forever the promises of their Maker.

When the Jewish people lost their Temple in 70 C.E., their leaders thought of a way to preserve their spiritual and cultural heritage. Since they couldn’t continue the Temple rituals, they decided that reading the commandments of the rituals on their particular days would accomplish their commandment by default. Today, let us learn from the wisdom of the ancients. By default of Eden, let us live It by reading It.

We have been promised to sit on His throne with Him. So when the world gets us down; when it seems impossible to hope on, when we feel that the great final Millennial Sabbath will never come, here is what we should do. Like a lover who satisfies himself at the breast of his beloved, let us sit with Him on His throne and satisfy our hopes at the breasts of His Words. Let us nestle in His bosom by opening our books to learn everything about His promises to us. In the same faith of a child, let us put our full weight on Him of whom we know the Word of promise never to fail.

TRUE WEALTH OR VANISHING DREAM?

Proverbs 13:11
Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished:
But he that gathereth by labour shall increase.

From the Fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden, God has decreed that we should work for our substance. The Torah requires a man to work for his support. Even the Levites and the priests who benefited from people’s tithes and offerings worked at the service of the Temple and of the people. One who went bankrupt was to be helped by being given employment, even to be used as a servant if need be. Paul reiterated the principle by saying that he who doesn’t work should not eat.

Man’s markets dance at the rhythm of the whims of man. Only in a couple of years, the worth of a house has diminished to almost halt its inflated price. Shares rising at an inflationary rate fall the next day leaving its doomed investors in the dust. Like drugs, the roller coaster of man’s fluctuous market offer the make-believe high of illusionary temporary wealth, only to take it away the next day when man’s cloud of vanity disappears and gives way to the reality of true substance.

A bird in the hand is worth more than two in the bush. The only wealth we own is that which we hold in our hand in the present tense; that for which we honestly worked for. It is that true substantial wealth which is not the result of debt repayment nor dependant on fickle relative appraising. It is that wealth which is born from honest hard work earned on a daily basis.

The man in rural India who own his ox, his small rice paddy and his mud hut, is richer than he in American suburbia who lives in a house, drives a car and spends his holidays in an RV that belong to a bank who only lends him these things as long as he can keep a job that is in itself dependant on the fluctuating whims of worldwide markets.

One day, Yahoshua will return. In that day there will be a great restoration. Elements will be appraised at their true worth. On that day, mountains shall be made low and the low places shall be exalted. When all is said and done, we will discover the true value of all things. We will learn to judge and appraise according to His eternal unchanging standards.

A WORD TO THE WISE

Proverbs 13:10
Only by pride cometh contention:
But with the well advised is wisdom.

The humble man doesn’t think he has all the answers. He takes the time to counsel with others. He is well advised and balanced in his opinion. He has taken the time to do his homework. He does not go on a tangent unadvised or on someone else’s thought process. He also makes sure that he is led of Yahoshua and that he is in the right spirit. Because of all this, he is not uncomfortable with opposition and with opinions different to his own.

Let’s take a look at the prophets of old. They were simple messengers. They knew where their authority came from, so they didn’t feel like they had to push their point. They came, they delivered their message, and they left, if they could. So is the humble man. To be right does not give us license to be disagreeable. The humble man does not feel like he has to contend and make everyone agree with him in order to feel validated. He just comes, humbly and softly expresses his view and lets Yahoshua do the rest. It is the responsibility of an audience to be sensitive to what is being spoken; it is not the responsibility of the speaker to push it.

Solomon speaks of the world ‘fitly’ spoken, which is the right word, at the right time, in the right place, in the right way and by the right person. Sometimes also the right word at the right time is to say nothing at all and allow our Master to do the job.

KEEP THE CANDLES OF THE LIGHT

Proverbs 13:9
The light of the righteous rejoiceth:
But the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

The key to the imagery of this proverb is given to us somewhere else.

In another teaching our author says, 'the commandment is a lamp (candle); and the law (Torah) is light'. Jewish sages looked at it as the full light of Torah being composed of many candles; that the brightest the light was, the more it ‘rejoiced’. Also, the Hebrew text of this proverb is written in the future tense. Literally translated it would therefore read, ‘The Light (Torah) of the righteous will rejoice; but the lamp (commandment) of the wicked shall be put out. It seems therefore that this verse teaches us about our future fate according to our personal integrity towards the Word. It seems to tell us that in the end of days, when all is said and done, the righteous who has applied God’s commandments to his life will live in great light in that city where there is no sun, but where the Light of God encompasses all. But on the other hand, the wicked, who followed his own commandment will live in darkness.

The Bible is, and has always been a counter-culture book. The lifestyle it promotes is at odds with man’s depraved culture generation after generation. In this day and age, religious teachers have allegorized it so much that according to them, hardly any of its old time injunctions are valid for us. This attitude towards it started with the writings of the Church fathers of the second and third century C.E. Sad to say then, but negating the commandments (the candles) of the Light (Torah) only leads us to a living in the confusion of darkness.

In another passage, our author teaches us that the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. In other words, as we learn to follow and obey God’s Commandments in what Yahoshua coined as this ‘perverse and adulterated generation’, our lives becomes brighter and brighter, especially in the contrast of their darkness.

May our lives always be so.

THE RANSOM

Proverbs 13:8
The ransom of a man's life are his riches:
But the poor heareth not rebuke.

Linguistic note: literal Hebrew says: …the poor heareth no threatening.

The idea here is that in times of wars, civil commotion, or political upheavals, riches endangers the life of their possessors. In fortunate cases, as kings need money, they spare the rich in exchange for their support.

The poor man on the other hand has nothing to offer, so he is not even addressed; he does not hear the threatening of the powers that be. He is just transferred to slavery to his new owner.

Every principle in the physical realm has its counterpart in the spiritual realm. I am now reminded of the Words of the Master, every one which hath shall be given. In a certain way, as the wicked king spares the life of the rich to obtain his physical wealth, our spiritual wealth, which is Messiah, stays the hand of the executioner against our sins. The Master continues His statement with: and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him. Also, the sinner who has not heard the threatening warnings to receive Messiah’s atonement has nothing to ransom his life. He either dies or stays in slavery at the service of sin.

As we read the words of this old book, let us continue understanding the marvelous principles of our salvation in Yahoshua.

TRUTH VS PRETENCE

Proverbs 13:7
There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing:
There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

We judge so much by outward appearance. If a man can show the glitters, lights and colors associated with wealth we automatically assume that he is rich. We totally forget that a close look at his financial situation reveals that he owes more than he owns. We omit to realize that the repayment of his debt is dependant on the many uncertain factors that affect our economy.

The Bible teaches that when a man borrows he becomes slave to the lender. When we borrow to buy housing or a means of transportation, we work to repay the person who lent to us. In most cases it is the bank. This is why in ancient Israel, people followed the Bible’s mandate to bail family members in financial distress by employing them until they got back on their feet. Today, we enslave ourselves to the bank. Worst of all, we enslave ourselves to our greed. On the other hand, the little guy in Africa who owns his mud hut his ox and his cart owing to anyone is a free man. It is a social anomaly when a man cannot own his housing and transportation without having to first enslave himself. God did not ordain things so.

Worst than financial slavery by pretending to be rich, there is spiritual pride. It is easy for an unscrupulous person to utter all the right spiritual jargon and therewith intimidate people into false teaching and doctrines really based on ignorance. Whereas this man/woman pretends to be rich in knowledge, he/she is actually faking. And because no one likes to appear stupid, like in the famous story of the “Emperor’s New Clothes”, nobody dares to tell the ‘king’ he is actually naked.

Yahoshua, our master taught us the way to be in these matters. Actually, He didn’t teach us, He showed us. He was the One who, though He owned the cattle on a thousand hills, being the owner of all creation came down to earth and made Himself poor in order to bring us back with him. Let us not be guilty of false wealth nor of spiritual pride but follow His example. May we know how to condescend to poverty in order to bring others to the wealth of salvation.

RIGHTEOUS GIVING

Proverbs 13:6
Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way:
But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

The Hebrew word for ‘righteousness’ in this passage is ‘tsedaka’. This word definitely means righteousness as in the sense of rectitude, but is also used as a synonym to ‘charity’ and ‘piety’. This is the way it is translated in Hebrew Bibles; I will therefore base my expose on it.

Righteousness in its religious sense can be seen as self-motivated, it can almost reek of selfishness; we practice all the right things in order to build our final reward. Sometimes our own righteous lifestyle even causes us to allow damage in our relationships with family and friends.

But charity, true charity that is, is not self-directed. It is the engine that motivates us to do something positive towards others whether we like it, or them, or not. Even if we do it with selfish motive, somebody actually gets something from it. God allowed there to be poors in the world (those who are rich in faith), but He also made sure that a big part of the righteousness of the rich was to give to the poor. He that said, Thou shalt not kill has also, within His moral code, imbedded a system of protection and provision for the poor.

The word ‘charity’ and ‘righteousness’ being synonymous reveals a principle to us. It is not enough just to give; we must also give God’s way. The ancient Hebrew way of tithing required support of the priests and Levites, of those who cared for the temple and handled the teaching of the Word. The Torah also directed the people to give directly to the poor, and required financial support of elderly parents, from whom you inherited your farm anyways. This is what the commandment to ‘honor your mother and father that you may live long in the land’ means. Yehoshua took issues against those who gave to the Temple as a cloak to not support their elderly parents. He also taught that charity and justice were the weightier matters of the Torah, as opposed to the dietary and distinction laws for example.

It even seems that in the Torah, charitable giving to others, especially caring for poor relatives even supercedes giving to the temple. In Isaiah 58 we read that a fast was to give to the poor and not turn our eyes from our own flesh. If we look at it, just the sacrificial system (the sacrifices offered because of sin) and firstfruit tithes seemed to be more than enough to feed the priests.

Giving to the poor certainly cannot buy us a place in Heaven, but with the same measure that we judge now, we shall be judged then. Sometimes the ‘boomerang’ of our actions even returns to us in this life.

LOVE AND HATE

Proverbs 13:5
A righteous man hateth lying:
But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.

Linguistic note: The literal translation of the fist clause reads: The righteous person hates the false word…(the word ‘word’ is ‘davar’ as in : In the beginning was the Word).

With so much doctrinal differences between churches, congregations and even people, it is easy to want to desire settling for some sort of belief about things. This allows us to be able to start moving in some direction in peace and consistency. This also gives us a niche; some sort of ‘home base’ to work from. It is not bad in itself as we need to stake somewhere in order to start building our lives. Eventually, though, once the dust settles, our love for the Truth, and mostly our hatred of lies we should give us the hunger to reassess ourselves; to redefine and check if we are on the right track about things.

This is not a question of self-righteousness. It is not a proud ambitious desire to be better than everybody and having an edge on others. This attitude should be born of an undying irresistible love for the Truth of God, as well as of a violent negative allergic reaction against lies.

It is not enough for a gardener to love flowers; he must also hate weeds. The weeds of falsities in our lives make us loathsome to God and if we do not rid them from the garden of our heart, when Yehoshua comes back to gather His Bride in the end, we will come to shame.

Let not therefore be spiritually lazy. Let us be willing to constantly reevaluate our doctrine, belief and standards on certain things. Let us be always willing like Abraham, to leave the old behind and look forward into the new with no regrets for the past. Let us be new creatures daily, born again each day into the new truths He shows us from His throne. Let us daily, as we come to His Temple, be willing to lay on His altar the temporal knowledge we think we know and allow His eternal truth to birth in our hearts.

TO BE READY

Proverbs 13:4
The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing:
But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

The Creator gave us this temporal corruptible physical world as a shadow of the eternal incorruptible spiritual one. Therefore the truths imbedded in the principles of our daily lives represent teachings of spiritual realities.

The soul of the indolent desires the good things of the world but never can attain them because they are obtained through diligent work. Forever he wishes his soul to indulge in the fatness of the land, but he can only sit and play victim for his poor lot. He blames everything from his traumatic childhood to the government just to excuse his laziness.

But whereas he excuses himself from being all he should or could be, will Yahweh excuse him?

The same works with spiritual realities, or so Yehoshua teaches us. In His discourse on millennial preparations, Yeshua compares those attending his final wedding feast to ten virgins. Those are like the ten friends of the bride found in traditional Jewish weddings. . The bridegroom always arrived at an unexpected moment in the night on a white horse to ‘rapture’ his beloved. These ‘bridesmaids’ therefore were to keep themselves alert and ready to attend the party at any time the bridegroom arrived. They were to keep their oil lamps full and trimmed so as not give black smoke. They were also there to be support, help and friends to the bride. Oh, how they wanted to be there with a part of the wedding feast. But some became indolent. They did not keep alert, awake and waiting. And worst of all, they had not gathered enough oil to last the long wait through the night. When the bridegroom arrived, he was disgusted at their lack of diligence towards such an important event, so he kept them out of the wedding party.

Even so today, the Bride, the bridesmaids, and all those to be guests at that great party are to prepare and get ready. We are to don the white robe of righteousness given to all those invited. We are to keep our wicks trimmed so our doctrine remains pure and does not emanate the black smoke of man’s erroneous teachings. Our lamps must be full of oil due to diligent faithful daily in depth study of His Words. Manna was given freely to the children of Israel, but they still had to go fetch and prepare it. Desiring without the ‘go-getting’ is vain.

May we be not found as the sluggard who desires so much, but receives nothing because of his lack of diligence.

THE WISDOM OF SILENCE

Proverbs 13:3
He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life:
But he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.

Wisdom demands ponderance of thoughts and quietness of spirit.

Like the Ark in the Holy of Holies, it abides alone in the golden dark silence of the chambers of man’s heart, its silence only broken by the once yearly visit of the High priest. At that moment, this lonely furniture doesn’t even say a words; its very countenance says it all. It does not need a mighty orator to shout its precepts. It does not need a flashy show to impress mankind. It only speaks from the objects imbedded in Its heart. May we take instruction from one of the symbols given to us by the Eternal Father.

May we sit at its feet as Mary did with the Master and learn from Its silence.

But sad to say, we live in a world of noise and sounds. The loudest, most erudite fastest and smartest speaker gets the audience. He opens wide his lips and lets out corruption (the Hebrew word used for ‘openeth’ has the sense of opening the legs for fornication). They forget that their own words, the lies and corruptions that come out of their mouths is the very canker that eats their body to the grave.

They drown the world with words to their own sinking.

Let us then emulate the former. Let us learn from the lonely silent Ark who influenced and led a whole nation towards God solely by the presence of the very elements embedded It’s heart. Let us keep our lives by keeping a silence only broken when spoken through.

WORKS FROM WORDS

Proverbs 13:2
A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth:
But the soul of the transgressors shall eat violence.

This verse invites us to discover a much wider concept than is revealed in the mere straight text. Jesus touched on it when He said, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me and to finish His work. Jesus associated ‘eating’ with the work at hand for him.

Could it be then that the work that is set for us to do in life is the result of the words that come out of our mouth? Could it be that good and godly words lead us to good and godly works, and that words that transgress God’s laws lead us to violence? I would certainly think so. James mentioned it in his epistle. He said, Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!

It is not about being right; it is about being wise. A self-righteous proud mouth will create conflict no matter how right it is; soft words turn away wrath.

Let us now review these parameters from the wise king and apostle and inspect our lives. Let us with sincerity and honesty examine our relationship with others. Are we ‘eating’ good or violence from the words of our mouth?

THE WISE SON

Proverbs 13:1
A wise son heareth his father's instruction:
But a scorner heareth not rebuke.

I will again bore you with a linguistic note. Every time a word is italicized in the KJV Bibles, it is meant to inform the reader that this word was added to the text in order to make it more understandable and/or smoother to the reader. As you can see, the word ‘heareth’ was added. Also, Hebrew does not use the present tense of the verb ‘to be’ (only God allowed Himself that honor in His personal introduction to Moses), it is only inferred; the first clause of this sentence therefore reads ‘A wise son is his father’s instruction’.

What a beautiful continuation to the last verse of Proverbs 12.

The father’s instruction has been given; it is now up to the son to live it. His wisdom is to live his father’s instruction. The scorning son does not heed his father reproofs, his advice towards restraint nor his doctrine; he does not hear it; he does not obey it. May we be faithful sons and act, live, and in essence be, the Instruction that God gave us in His Words.

Let us not be hearers of the Torah only, but doers.

This concept also brings out a beautiful element involving the life of the only begotten sun of the Father: Yehoshua. Ancient Hebrews knew that their Messiah was defined in their writings as the Son of God. Believing therefore that a wise son was the instruction of his father, they expected the Messiah to be the incarnation of the principles of their Torah, given by the Father At Mount Horeb.

Today, people who are ignorant of Torah principles say that Yehoshua broke Old Testaments behavior. Nothing could be further from the truth. All He challenged was the rabbinic over-zealous additions which were never prescribed anywhere in the Torah.

He said that by their traditions, they negated God’s Torah, teaching for commandments doctrines of men.

He tried to clean the Torah from the negative effects of man’s interpretive traditions.

His mission was to get His people back to God’s word.

He actually came to teach us the proper application of obedience to the commandments.

He did so because He is wise, and

‘A wise Son is His Father’s Instruction.'

LIFE OR DEATH

Proverbs 12:28
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

Paul the apostle tells us of those who through fear of death are their lifetime subject to bondage.

It is amazing how we are willing to spend billions of dollars in research and rehabilitation programs in order to counteract the effects of our death/sin lifestyles. It is truly astounding to realize the length to which mankind goes in order to defy the natural physical, spiritual, moral and emotional deathly outcomes that comes from living an ungodly lifestyle. Really, the solution to all our problems is very simple and given to us: if we walk in the way of righteousness, we will not reap the effects of death.

This human attitude to want to defy God no matter what so well expressed in the Poem, Invictus: ‘My head is bloody, but unbowed’, reminds me of our youth today. Many would rather leave home; suffer uncertainty, poverty and even sickness just to obtain independence from being under the roof of Mom and Dad, and having to submit to a wiser authority.

God often uses children to exemplify the attitude of parents. As a parent, I have had to learn that parental attitudes, mostly negative ones, are often magnified in our kids. Could it be that our very attitude with God is also embodied in our contemporary problems with youth?

It is true that our children have free choice and that we are not always responsible for their final choices, but if we took the time to honestly compare the way they obey us and our wishes, to the way we obey God and His wishes as expressed in His word, how would we fare? We like to absolve ourselves from the idea that we disobey God by donning Him with this man-made robe of eternal unconditional grace and forgiveness, but is it how His Word represents Him? And does the overly ‘grace’ attitude we dress God with works when it comes to parenting?

Let us use the results of the questions in this little experiment to if we are walking in obedience or disobedience, in life or in death.

EATING WITH GOD

Proverbs 12:27
The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting:
But the substance of a diligent man is precious.

Let us again delve in the cultural literary translation of the proverb; bring to light this precious nugget.

This proverb seems to work in conjunction the preceding one. In the former statement, we are told that the ways of the righteous are superior to that of the wicked. The Hebrew text of Proverbs 12:26 refers to the ‘successful ways of the wicked’, which by the contrast nature of this book implies to the poverty of the righteous. In today’s text, we see that the righteous will eat of his prey, whereas the wicked will not even roast his wealth obtained.

This proverb is millennial. Our rewards for faithful service to Yahweh will come in this life, when Yahweh reigns through Yahoshua in Jerusalem during the millennium. At that time, those who served Yahweh according to his parameters and requests have the assurance to receive of the fruit of their labor. Because they were diligent in their obedience and love towards God, they will eat of their prey. Those on the other hand who served Him in their won way because they found it too hard to obey Him in this life will not even roast that which they got; they already have their rewards

We also need to have a paradigm shift in our concept of rewards. The idea is that God’s blessings are not necessarily counted in dollars and cents in this life. If this is what we hope to get from God, we are going to the wrong person. Whereas God owns the cattle on a thousands hills, He has also given this world to be governed by the devil (Luke 4); and just like Yahweh blesses His children, the devil also blesses his.

The only reward we need to look forward to, is the same King David looked for,

I will dwell in the house of Yahweh for ever.

Anything else is a bi-product.

JUDGES OF TOMORROW

Proverbs 12:26
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour:
But the way of the wicked seduceth them.

When a man has found the way of truth, he stands as a shining light in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. He not only is a guide to His immediate family to lead them into all verity, but he also is recognized by others around him as a guide, as someone who has the ability to understand right or wrong. He is valued as one able to separate word of commandment form assumptive theology, and to use the word of truth with wisdom in a constructive and edifying way.

This man understands that he has been blessed with a gift from God, and he knows that all men are not endowed with the same gift. This knowledge brings him the virtue of the patient teacher who gently leads; it anoints him with the heavenly gentleness of Yahweh when He looks at us on earth.

Being a man prey to all temptations himself, like the prophet Jeremiah he compassionately prays, oh that my head were a fountain of tears. He knows the miserable plight of him who has been seduced and trapped by the enemy’s look alike theology; so he is patient with the lost, tender with the young and with those with child, and he shares the mercy and understanding that he himself has been recipient of from the Almighty El-Shaddai.

In our righteousness, let us be holy and godly guides. Eventually, in millennial times, the righteous will certainly judge the world with Yehoshua. In that day, we will learn to judge like He does ‘righteous judgments’ , not with the seeing of the eye nor with the hearing of the ear. But this time has not come yet. At present, we are all ourselves under the mighty eyes of Him who judges the earth, us included, by the words we speak and especially by how we treat others and look at them in our hearts.

By the same parameters we judge others we shall also be judged ourselves.

WHY WORRY?

Proverbs 12:25
Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop:
But a good word maketh it glad.

The literal Hebrew word used for ‘heaviness of the heart’ is, ‘worry’, which defines a bit more what we are talking about.

Not only worry will not change anything about the future, but it will ruin a very beautiful present. The late Dr. Peter Marshall, Chaplain of the United States Senate prayed this prayer at the opening of the Senate: ‘Help us to do our very best this day & be content with today's troubles, so that we shall not borrow the troubles of tomorrow. Save us from the sin of worrying, lest stomach ulcers be the badge of our lack of faith. Amen.’
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Worry is not something related to our environment, it is rather linked to a state of mind, a condition of the heart resulting from not looking to Yahweh for our protection and provision. An Indian fable says that a mouse was in constant distress because of its fear of the cat. A magician took pity on it & turned it into a cat. Immediately it became afraid of the dog. So the magician turned it into a dog. Immediately it began to fear the tiger. So the magician turned it into a tiger. Immediately it began to fear the hunter. Then the magician said, ‘Be a mouse again, you have only the heart of a mouse & I cannot help you.’ On the other hand, a French soldier in WW1 carried with him this little recipe against worry: ‘Of two things, one is certain. Either you are at the front, or you are behind the lines. If you are at the front, of two things one is certain. Either you are exposed to danger, or you are in a safe place. If you are exposed to danger, of two things one is certain. Either you are wounded, or you are not wounded. If you are wounded, of two things one is certain. Either you recover, or you die. If you recover, there is no need to worry. If you die, you can't worry.

So why worry?’

Let us now take sample from man’s best friend: the dog. A Chicago physician reports that he had to abandon the use of dogs in an ulcer research program. The dogs refused to get tense & worry, & worry & tension are prominently listed as suspected causes of ulcers. If you inflict an ulcer upon a dog by artificial methods, says the Chicago doctor, he will sit down & placidly cure himself by refusing to be bothered about anything. Let us do the same and actively refuse to worry, and cure ourselves by placidly sitting at the Master’s feet through listening to His Words.

Let us not be like the incorrigible worrier who said, ‘See how worry pays? Most things I worry about never happen’

HERE AND NOW FOR THERE AND THEN

Proverbs 12:24
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule:
But the slothful shall be under tribute.

Again, the semantic contrast of a more literal translation of the text unveils its wisdom. The Hebrew word used for ‘diligent’, is a word meaning ‘ faithful service’. This word comes in contrast not only with ‘slothful’, but also with ‘under tribute’. In other words, this proverb could say, ‘He that serves well and honestly, will become the master; but he that is of a fraudulent lazy hand, will become the servant.’

This wisdom is taken straight from the testimony of very famous Old Testament heroes. Eliazar, Abraham’s servant, obtained a very high position, even as that of potential heir, just because he served well under just Abraham. Jacob was restored to his spiritual and physical inheritance after he served well under wicked Laban. Joseph, the son of Jacob, learned from his fathers and served well under just and wicked leadership, which brought him to become Pharaoh’s right-hand man. The same could be said of many other Jewish leaders such as Daniel and Esther, who through their integrity in service were instrumental in preserving and even saving their people. These all lead to the final example of all, the example of the Suffering Servant Himself, Yehoshuah who faithfully served His Father in all things good and bad, and thus was given command of His whole creation.

And what does this teach us? Oh tell it to our youth today. Teach it to the children that a good leader is first and foremost a good follower; that a good director/manager must primarily be an example of service; that he who would lead as a foreman, learns to do so by first living the life of a faithful servant.

Haven’t we been promised at Mt Sinai that we will become kings and priests for the whole world? Hasn’t Peter reiterated this promise in his letter to thedisciples? We therefore have hope that in serving well in the capacity in which God put us in this world, we learn the skills necessary to fulfill our future roles in the next.

THE FOOL AND THE WISE

Proverbs 12:23
A prudent man concealeth knowledge:
But the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

There is he with no knowledge, who proclaims folly through many words.
He is honest.
There is he with no knowledge, but pretends to have it through many words.
He is a fool.
There is he who has the truth, knows it and proclaims it through many words.
He is a boaster.
There is he who has the truth, knows it, and conceals till afterwards.
He is wise.

Many words do not reveal knowledge; they often just reveal a person uncomfortable with themselves and so hides behind a smokescreen of words. Our author knew about the hidden chamber where where counsel is hidden; he said in another proverb, Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a man of understanding will draw it out.

He who has the Truth needs not to prove himself. He who has the Truth needs not to justify himself. He who has the Truth can afford to be prudent with his words. He who has the Truth hides it, and like our Master with Pilate, lets himself be found.

LACK OF FAITH AND LYING

Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are abomination to the LORD:
But they that deal truly are his delight.

The literal Hebrew text reads in the second phrase, but they who act in faith are His delight.’ Contrasts are a Hebraic way of teaching doctrinal principles. With the help of this literal translation, the contrasts of this proverb are revealed unto us to teach us its wisdom. We now have the contrast of God’s abomination with His delight, as well as the contrast of lying lips with acting in faith.

It seems that God hates most of all when after He redeems us with a great and mighty hand from our devilish oppressor; we still have a lack of faith in His ability to save. He seems to disdain it the most because this lack of faith causes us to go a-whoring after other means of help and support. I guess any husband would feel the same. If his wife doesn’t demonstrate her faith in his ability to lead and care for his family spiritually and physically, she will try to do it herself through her parents and own efforts, which of course will be discouraging to the poor husband. It is a fact that the sad dysfunctional world of today presents us with many situations where a man doesn’t take the care of his family seriously enough, but I am using the ‘ideal situation’ as means of parameters. Whereas a man may not have earned the right of respect from his wife, God certainly has shown His mighty hand to His people. Our lack of faith is so abhorrent to Him that He contrasts it with ‘lying lips’. In other words, not having the faith in God that we should have is a form of lying, which ultimately is to bear ‘false witness’ of our wonderful Yahweh, a breaking of the ‘Ten Commandments’.

The apostle Paul, who was an expert at Hebrew Scriptures, concurs this same message when he tells the Hebrew believers of the fists century C.E., without faith it is impossible to please God. How wonderful it is to reflect on the harmony of thought and doctrine between what are the called the two Testaments of the Bible. Are they really two books when they tell the same story, speak of the same God, as well as define the same parameters of the same Covenant?