Qodesh Corner
June 2021: Walking Through Proverbs
Walking Through Proverbs 3-NLT
His Wisdom Extends Life, Not Ours
June 1, 2021
1 My child, never forget the things I have taught you.
Store my commands in your heart.
2 If you do this, you will live many years,
and your life will be satisfying.
3 Never let loyalty and kindness (mercy and truth -KJV) leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
4 Then you will find favor with both Elohiym and people,
and you will earn a good reputation.
5 Trust in Yahuah with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear Yahuah and turn away from evil.
8 Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.
9 Honor Yahuah with your wealth
and with the best part of everything you produce.
10 Then he will fill your barns with grain,
and your vats will overflow with good wine.
Yahuah tells us that when we store or guard His word in our heart, it will add time to our lives- and health-and wealth. Hopefully, we are living righteous lives, so we can enjoy these blessings. He also tells us to remember to be merciful and truthful, so that we will have favor with Him and man. Doing this requires us to trust Yahuah's word and His process. How do we do this? First, we have to remember how dangerous unbelief is. Without faith, it's impossible to please Yahuah. He wants us to remember what He has done for us in the past as a reference to help us believe Him in our present. We have not always been faithful to Him and it's time to get this right. Yahuah has an excellent track record of sustaining and protecting His people.
A second area where we fall short in a very big way is taking our lives and destinies into our own hands. We simply do not trust Him or somewhere along life's path we were disappointed with Yahuah about something or someone. As a result, we now take matters into our own hands because we trust in what we can do for ourselves. This is a grave error. Yahuah calls this 'do it my way' thinking evil and for us to depart from it. Why does it have to be evil?
Family, look at our current situation and how our communities suffer greatly in the areas of mental health, physical health, sustainable wealth, and education. Some have "made it", but most of us just get by from day to day and paycheck to paycheck. If our own intellect was sufficient, wouldn't we have figured out a way to bring our people out of generational despair? Yet, we continue to go our own way dismissing the Torah for worldly wisdom and as a nation we are still divided and oppressed.
Yahuah will give us over to our own way if we continue to reject Him and the way He designed for us to live. Rejecting Torah and Yahuah's order is exactly why we have been in and out of captivity-now in. We are Not like other nations. We are a covenant people and it's an unbreakable bond. We can individually break from it, but the curses will be right there to remind us that we have been bought with a price- and we are not our own.
It is understandable if you say, "I did not ask to be in this forever covenant". True, but none of us did and yet here we are. We are trying to keep the flames of the curses from consuming us in the midst of an evil time. Instead of focusing on "the curses" try reading "the blessings" in Deuteronomy 28 to see how wonderfully our Yahuah wants to provide and care for us. Let it encourage you to remember why we press hard toward the mark for the prize for the high-calling of Yahuah in Yahusha Ha Mashiach. Enduring hardness as a good soldier in this walk is part of the process and journey back to our Elohiym and covenant. It is all worth it. In turning back to Torah, we finally have His attention and we never want to lose it again.
Walking Through Proverbs 3-NLT
His Wisdom Extends Life, Not Ours
June 3, 2021
11 My child, don’t reject Yahuah’s discipline,
and don’t be upset when He corrects you.
12 For Yahuah corrects those he loves,
just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
14 For wisdom is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with her.
16 She offers you long life in her right hand,
and riches and honor in her left.
17 She will guide you down delightful paths;
all her ways are satisfying.
18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
happy are those who hold her tightly.
19 By wisdom Yahuah founded the earth; by understanding he created the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,
and the dew settles beneath the night sky.
Yahuah is our Elohiym. While we may serve other people, He is the only one we chose to serve and worship. He is also our Heavenly Father. He does exactly what a responsible father does when a child is going astray. He corrects His child. What is the purpose of Yahuah's commandments, laws, and statutes? We know they are for our good-specifically for our learning, instruction, protection, and correction. If He did not love us, He would not correct us. He would let us go on in error on a path to destruction and many of us know and have seen this growing up.
Did you ever have a childhood acqaintance or friend who was "allowed" to stay out past the street light (time to come in) warning? Or they had money to buy as much junk food or pot as they wanted with no flack from their parents? You secretly envied them and wondered why they did not have all the restrictions you did. Whatever was going on with those parents, you knew they weren't as worried about what happened to their child as your parent were about you. There could be many valid reasons for this, but the point is you knew something was off about that. Parents generally monitor how long their children stay out after dark and they certainly don't give them carte blanche on candy and sweets. This is how Yahuah feels about us, but on an even greater scale.
Wisdom seeks to prolong and add quality and strength to our lives. It is more profitable than silver, gold. rubbies, and anything we might desire in the world. How? by giving us a download from Yahuah through His set apart spirit or Ruach Ha Qodesh.
Imagine, you have just discovered your home has toxic waste seeping into it. You have the situation evaluated and it's decided you and your neighbors need to move out in 3 days. You find a temporary place to stay, but you can only bring your family and no more than two bags per family member. You don't know if you can come back to your old house, but once you are out, you can't come back in. What's important? What's necessary? Gold coins might buy you some storage space, but wisdom will guide you as to what you should do: what you should pack, what to leave behind without any sorrow because you know Yahuah will provide for every need when you are following Him.
If Yahuah used wisdom to establish the foundations of the earth, how do we conceive that we can live on planet earth with people and constructs that don't serve Him without wisdom? That is like being dropped in the mountains with no map. Wisdom is the map and only Yahuah has it.
Sabbath Rest
Taking Care of You
June 5, 2021
The book of Proverbs in chapter 11 teaches us that we need balance in our lives. So, in the spirit of Yahuah's desire for balance in our lives, please remember to care properly for your natural man in righteousness. Shabbat Shalom and Siemi!
Family please be patient as adjustments are made to try to improve the blog site. Thank you.
Walking Through Proverbs 3-NLT
June 6, 2021
21 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment. Hang on to them,
22 for they will refresh your soul.
They are like jewels on a necklace.
23 They keep you safe on your way,
and your feet will not stumble.
24 You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly.
25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
26 for Yahuah is your security.
He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap.
27 Do not withhold good from those who deserve it
when it’s in your power to help them.
28 If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say,
“Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you.”
29 Don’t plot harm against your neighbor,
for those who live nearby trust you.
30 Don’t pick a fight without reason,
when no one has done you harm.
31 Don’t envy violent people or copy their ways.
32 Such wicked people are detestable to Yahuah,
but he offers his friendship to the godly.
33 Yahuah curses the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the upright.
34 Yahuah mocks the mockers, but is gracious to the humble.
35 The wise inherit honor, but fools are put to shame!
In this passage, Yahuah talks to us about using common sense. Because we have been living for so long as a nation without Yahuah's guidance in the Torah, we don't always know what to do. We do not always know what the wisest or best decision is, but we are learning.
Relationships With Neighbors
Our homes are where we live, rest, work, and serve Yahuah. It is a place of blessing if we are living uprightly. Many of us have neighbors and Yahuah commands us to do good and to live peaceably with all men as we are able. We are not to devise evil schemes against our neighbors and those who live by us. When we do this, we secure ourselves to Yahuah's protection and He secures us to Himself.
However, Yahuah does not call us to be ignorant. He knows that even when we try to live peaceably in relationship near others, it does not prevent them from devising evil against us-unprovoked. We should continue to live righteously wherever we are no matter how others around us are living. This is the only reason Lot and his family survived the destruction on Sodom and Gomorah.
Yahuah sees and knows how everyone lives and what everyone does. There are rewards for each of us. Whether is is a righteous reward or a wicked reward depends on the inner workings of our heart and home. He blesses the habitation of the just and curses the habitation of those who do evil. Let us press on to inherit honor while those who are foolish inherit judgment and shame.
Walking Through Proverbs 4-NLT
June 8, 2021
1 My children, listen when your father corrects you.
Pay attention and learn good judgment,
2 for I am giving you good guidance.
Don’t turn away from my instructions.
3 For I, too, was once my father’s son,
tenderly loved as my mother’s only child.
4 My father taught me,
“Take my words to heart.
Follow my commands, and you will live.
5 Get wisdom; develop good judgment.
Don’t forget my words or turn away from them.
6 Don’t turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you.
Love her, and she will guard you.
7 Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do!
And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.
8 If you prize wisdom, she will make you great.
Embrace her, and she will honor you.
9 She will place a lovely wreath on your head;
she will present you with a beautiful crown.
It is good and wise to pass on or pass down wisdom to our children. It is a blessing that our children be blessed by us through how we live and serve Yahuah. When we follow His instructions for our lives, we become wiser. We understand things in ways that we did not before. Making one wise decision can lead to us learning to make wiser decisions in our futures.
In addition to Solomon encouraging his children to get wisdom, he also tells them to get understanding. In some cases, you actually need both in order for a wise decision to yield fruit. For example, if we want to learn how to grow our own food, so that in the case of food shortages, we have something growing to sustain us and our family. But, in order to grow food, we need to learn a little something about doing it successfully. We also need to understand how to cultivate land and how to plant seeds and nuture them until complete fruition.
In the case of wisdom, Solomon stresses how principle it is for his children to love and embrace the ability to think and act wisely, so that wisdom can provide guidance, honor, and protection. Keep in mind that although we are reading the writings of our ancestors, the information is just as relevant today-even more so that it was then. And, it is our heavenly father Yahuah who divinely inspired our ancestors to put His wisdom in books for future generations. If we display a love for the wisdom in the Torah's books, our children will also learn to love to read them.
Let's be sure we are deliberately passing on life-sustaining and soul-sustaining wisdom to our children-something they cannot always get from a library book. If not from a book, certainly from our lifestyle and periodic conversations with them about what we have lived, learned, and experienced. Don't be afraid of mentioning failures. Instead use them (because we all have them) as a teaching opportunity.
Walking Through Proverbs 4-NLT
June 10, 2021
10 My child, listen to me and do as I say,
and you will have a long, good life.
11 I will teach you wisdom’s ways
and lead you in straight paths.
12 When you walk, you won’t be held back;
when you run, you won’t stumble.
13 Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go.
Guard them, for they are the key to life.
14 Don’t do as the wicked do,
and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
Turn away and keep moving.
16 For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day. They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
17 They eat the food of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence!
18 The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
They have no idea what they are stumbling over.
There is a seduction and temptation to being wicked. It (Wickedness) does not always present itself to be evil or deceptive. It does not jump out of the bushes and say, "Give me your soul"! Why would it? If the goal of the seduction is to get the righteous to fall down and stay down, then the strategy to achieve that has to entice the righteous to first accept a thought that does not seem wrong at face value. Once you accept that thought, the rest of the crafty plan is put into place. Satan and those under his comand simply woo you with things you desire until they have fully ensnared you.
Keep in mind-People who allow themselves to become agents of this kind of darkness do not necessarily know that their souls are also on the chopping block. They may have been led to believe they are secretly doing a favor of revenge. They may have been deceived with lies about something or someone. Or they may simply be wicked from the womb, Psalms 58:3 and find pleasure in hurting others. This is probably not a popular scripture, but then again, Yahuah is only popular amongst the upright in heart.
We do not debate Him about His word or wisdom since He knows the thoughts of man from his conception. Only Yahuah could. He also says, He has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. The wicked can repent and turn from a lifestyle of sin and the righteous can turn from following Torah and lose his righteousness. It depends on whether your heart has a inclination to be tempted by that which Yahauh calls sin.
This is what the wicked and demonic spirits exist for. They give so much time and careful thought to who they want to lure away from the path of righteousness. WE are all susceptible. What keeps us is a stronger desire for righteousness and Yahuah's Torah to keep and be a shield of defense for us in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. Ask yourself where your heart's desires are and if they are not completely aligned with the will of Yahuah, repent and pray and ask Yahuah to lead you in His way that is everlasting.
Psalm 103
Yahuah Is Merciful
June 12, 2021
8 Yahuah is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly accuse us,
nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for all our sins;
he does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For his unfailing love toward those who fear him
is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth.
12 He has removed our sins as far from us
as the east is from the west.
13 Yahuah is like a father to his children,
tender and compassionate to those who fear him.
14 For he knows how weak we are;
he remembers we are only dust.
15 Our days on earth are like grass;
like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are gone—
as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of Yahuah remains forever
with those who fear him.
His salvation extends to the children’s children
18 Of those who are faithful to his covenant,
of those who obey his commandments!
Many of us do not fully perceive how merciful Yahuha is and has been. The psalm above is only one area that describes how patient and long-suffering He is. Have you ever thought about why Yahuah is described this way? Have you ever wondered why He has so many names and one of them is Merciful. Have we considered why Yahuah would even have a name like that?
It is because of His unfailing love for a people who constantly break His heart when He has been nothing, but faithful, protective, and loving. It is why we, as the righteous pursue Him hard in these evil days. We realize that Yahuah could have left us asleep. He could have given us a steady stream of strong delusions, so He could cut us off. Remember it is Yahuah that hardened Pharoh's heart, so that he would not let Yahuah's people go-at first. It is Yahuah who had our forefather prophets completely put to death whole wicked families. We do not drop dead today as they did in biblical times just for lying to the Holy Spirit or Ruach Ha Qodesh.
Do we not understand the utter heartbreak of betrayal? Yes, we do. We know the pain in our hearts and minds as we mull over where did "we" go wrong. How long has it been going on? How could he or she or they do that to me or us? Consider Yahuah's faithfulness to our forefathers Abraham, Issac, and Jacob and the covenant He made to bring us back to our own land. He will never abandon us for all our adulteries.....
He is the covenant keeping Elohiym-Merciful is who He is Family. Let us take heed and make good use of His mercy because there is an appointed day of reckoning.
Shabbat Shalom!
Walking Through Proverbs-4
June 12, 2021
20 My child, pay attention to what I say.
Listen carefully to my words.
21 Don’t lose sight of them.
Let them penetrate deep into your heart,
22 for they bring life to those who find them,
and healing to their whole body.
23 Guard your heart above all else,
for it determines the course of your life.
24 Avoid all perverse talk;
stay away from corrupt speech.
25 Look straight ahead,
and fix your eyes on what lies before you.
26 Mark out a straight path for your feet;
stay on the safe path.
27 Don’t get sidetracked;
keep your feet from following evil.
Distraction, especially for the righteous is the order of the day from the wicked. Our senses are constantly bombarded by images and sounds whose intent is to take our feet off of the righteous narrow path. We will see this continous admonishmment to guard ourselves throughout Proverbs because the temptation to commit sin and transgress the law is continuous.
Pay attention, Listen carefully, Don't lose sight, Guard your heart, Avoid perverse talk, Look straight ahead, Mark out a straight path, Don't get sidetracked. As we continue to wear our spiritual armor Family, we can use these proactive commandments and admonishments to keep ourselves on Yahuah's righteous narrow path and unspotted from the world.
Walking Through Proverbs-5
MORE ON THE IMMORAL WOMAN
June 14, 2021
1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom;
listen carefully to my wise counsel.
2 Then you will show discernment,
and your lips will express what you’ve learned.
3 For the lips of an immoral woman are as sweet as honey,
and her mouth is smoother than oil.
4 But in the end she is as bitter as poison,
as dangerous as a double-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.
6 For she cares nothing about the path to life.
She staggers down a crooked trail and doesn’t realize it.
7 So now, my sons, listen to me.
Never stray from what I am about to say:
8 Stay away from her!
Don’t go near the door of her house!
9 If you do, you will lose your honor
and will lose to merciless people all you have achieved.
10 Strangers will consume your wealth,
and someone else will enjoy the fruit of your labor.
11 In the end you will groan in anguish
when disease consumes your body.
12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
If only I had not ignored all the warnings!
13 Oh, why didn’t I listen to my teachers?
Why didn’t I pay attention to my instructors?
14I have come to the brink of utter ruin,
and now I must face public disgrace.”
We can never hear too much or over hear on this subject of The Immoral (fill in the ______). What fills in this blank depends on what sits on the throne of our hearts competing with Torah.
This particular passage is now including the plural "sons" regarding sexual sins. We do need to warn our sons and our daughters about how attractive this sin is and the cost it demands from our bodies and souls. We do need to warn our children about the high price we will pay socially and spiritually when our personal honor is questioned because of immoral behavior.
Our standards for qodesh or holy living is based on Torah, not wordly standards, but even the world will shun us if it perceives hipocracy. Scandals are not uncommon in the world and neither are they uncommon in Yisrael, but that is changing as we turn back to righteous living. We understand in a crystal clear way that all the living we do is lived before the eyes of Yahuah.
Have that "real talk" with your children and young adults. Tell them how their bodies and minds can be affected and infected with sexual immorality. They do not need every detail of our mess-ups, but they do need to know it can happen to them when we give ourselves to people and things outside the commandments, laws, and statutes- the boundaries Yahuah set for our health, safety, and well-being. If they have been affected and infected. Be sure to close the conversation, with the physical, spiritual, and emotional restoration and healing Yahuah brings with true repentance.
Walking Through Proverbs-5
MORE ON THE IMMORAL WOMAN
June 16, 2021
15 Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.
16 Why spill the water of your springs in the streets,
having sex with just anyone?
17 You should reserve it for yourselves.
Never share it with strangers.
18 Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.
Rejoice in the wife of your youth.
19 She is a loving deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts satisfy you always.
May you always be captivated by her love.
20 Why be captivated, my son, by an immoral woman,
or fondle the breasts of a promiscuous woman?
21 For Yahuah sees clearly what a man does,
examining every path he takes.
22 An evil man is held captive by his own sins;
they are ropes that catch and hold him.
23 He will die for lack of self-control;
he will be lost because of his great foolishness.
For Yahuah sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. Sin is a reproach to any people, but righteousness delivers from death. How we live matters.
Sometimes the interpretation of scripture is so clear, we just need to Selah.
Walking Through Proverbs-6
Relationships with Children-
Teaching Discernment To Our Children
June 18, 2021
1 My child, if you have put up security for a friend’s debt
or agreed to guarantee the debt of a stranger—
2 if you have trapped yourself by your agreement
and are caught by what you said—
3 follow my advice and save yourself,
for you have placed yourself at your friend’s mercy.
Now swallow your pride;
go and beg to have your name erased.
4 Don’t put it off; do it now!
Don’t rest until you do.
5 Save yourself like a gazelle escaping from a hunter,
like a bird fleeing from a net.
6 Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones.
Learn from their ways and become wise!
7 Though they have no prince
or governor or ruler to make them work,
8 they labor hard all summer,
gathering food for the winter.
9 But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep?
When will you wake up?
10 A little extra sleep, a little more slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest—
11 then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit;
scarcity will attack you like an armed robber.
12 What are worthless and wicked people like?
They are constant liars,
13 signaling their deceit with a wink of the eye,
a nudge of the foot, or the wiggle of fingers.
14 Their perverted hearts plot evil,
and they constantly stir up trouble.
15 But they will be destroyed suddenly,
broken in an instant beyond all hope of healing.
Experience can be a good teacher, but if we can teach our children the value of making a wise decisions, we can expect them to have more positive experiences and less regretful ones.
Concerning matters of money and friends, it is not so easy to teach because young people don't often understand the nuances of loaning money (if they have it). When you add their friends and acquaintances to the mix, it can be even more challenging to explain making a prudent choice about how they use money over an emotional one. They will need parental guidance or that of an experienced adult.
Having your children watch you sit down and prepare to pay bills or write a check or decide how to pay down a debt is WISE. They need to see how it is done successfully and how sometimes we do not know how everything is going to be paid, but we pay what we can and try to negotiate with our debtors for what we cannot pay off immediately.
This is also a great way to teach them about responsibility and how to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's- all the while explaining that above what we cannot do, we trust Yahuah to provide for us and help us when we need it. Ofcourse, what Yisrael can no longer do is put up a front for our children and not let them see how we handle the pressures of life, relationships, and finances. We cannot buy them $200 shoes and phones and then not pay our mortgage and rent. That is a curse that definitely must be broken!
This passage also brings out the connection between a poverty of wisdom about money management and making wise decisions in this area leads to a temptation to wickedness. The door to evil persuasion is opened and one opens himself or herself to become wicked and a liar and possibly a thief. This is also a curse and we must be the generation that raises the standard to one of righteousness for our children and our children's children.
Walking Through Proverbs-6
Relationships with Children-
Teaching Discernment To Our Children
June 20, 2021
16 There are six things Yahuah hates—
no, seven things he detests:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent,
18 a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong,
19 a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
20 My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.
21 Keep their words always in your heart.
Tie them around your neck.
22 When you walk, their counsel will lead you.
When you sleep, they will protect you.
When you wake up, they will advise you.
23 For their command is a lamp and their instruction a light;
their corrective discipline is the way to life.
24 It will keep you from the immoral woman,
from the smooth tongue of a promiscuous woman.
25 Don’t lust for her beauty.
Don’t let her coy glances seduce you.
26 For a prostitute will bring you to poverty,
but sleeping with another man’s wife will cost you your life.
27 Can a man scoop a flame into his lap and not have his clothes catch on fire?
28 Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet?
29 So it is with the man who sleeps with another man’s wife.
He who embraces her will not go unpunished.
30 Excuses might be found for a thief
who steals because he is starving.
31 But if he is caught, he must pay back seven times what he stole, even if he has to sell everything in his house.
32 But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool,
for he destroys himself.
33 He will be wounded and disgraced.
His shame will never be erased.
34 For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious,
and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge.
35 He will accept no compensation,
nor be satisfied with a payoff of any size.
When we allow our body members: eyes, ears, heart, hands, and feet to carry out wicked deeds against others, we cause Yahuah to hate who we've become because our actions are unrighteous and do not reflect who He is as our heavenly Father. May Yahuah enlighten our understanding as we read and apply His word. Selah.
Walking Through Proverbs-7
Relationships with Children-
Teaching Discernment To Our Children
June 22, 2021
1 Follow my advice, my son; always treasure my commands.
2 Obey my commands and live. Guard my instructions as you guard your own eyes.
3 Tie them on your fingers as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart.
4 Love wisdom like a sister; make insight a beloved member of your family.
5 Let them protect you from an affair with an immoral woman, from listening to the flattery of a promiscuous woman.
6 While I was at the window of my house, looking through the curtain,
7 I saw some naive young men,
and one in particular who lacked common sense.
8 He was crossing the street near the house of an immoral woman, strolling down the path by her house.
9 It was at twilight, in the evening, as deep darkness fell.
10 The woman approached him, *seductively dressed and sly of heart.
11 She was the brash, rebellious type,
never content to stay at home.
12 She is often in the streets and markets,
soliciting at every corner.
13 She threw her arms around him and kissed him,
and with a brazen look she said,
14 “I’ve just made my peace offerings and fulfilled my vows.
15 You’re the one I was looking for!
I came out to find you, and here you are!
16 My bed is spread with beautiful blankets,with colored sheets of Egyptian linen.
17 I’ve perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink our fill of love until morning.
Let’s enjoy each other’s caresses,
19 for my husband is not home. He’s away on a long trip.
20 He has taken a wallet full of money with him
and won’t return until later this month.
21 So she seduced him with her pretty speech
and enticed him with her flattery.
22 He followed her at once, like an ox going to the slaughter.
He was like a stag caught in a trap,
23 awaiting the arrow that would pierce its heart.
He was like a bird flying into a snare little knowing it would cost him his life.
24 So listen to me, my sons, and pay attention to my words.
25 Don’t let your hearts stray away toward her. Don’t wander down her wayward path.
26 For she has been the ruin of many; many men have been her victims.
27 Her house is the road to the grave. Her bedroom is the den of death.
In the proverbs we've covered so far, the writings are specifically addressing sons. However, we should understand that the teaching also applies to daughters who face the same temptations of immoral and naive behavior. If we do not teach our children about these pitfalls, they will walk right into them because our enemies hate our children as much as the wicked hate us.
Pornography today lurks at every corner, tv show, movie, commercial ad, app, and video game. Pornograpy is big business as is sex trafficking. These devils hang our where our children are and if they are left alone to often without your watchful eye, they will continue to lure our children away from the knowledge of the Holy and kill their desire for righteousness and Yahuah. Even in the privacy of their rooms and dreams, our children can come under attack from evil seducing spirits. Predators and hunters are what they are. We cannot give our children to be their prey anymore.
The wicked hope we will be too busy as parents and too caught up with our own lives to see all the ways they seduce our children with imagery. They are hoping to keep them consumed with electronics, games, and videos that do not honor that which is holy, but that which is subtly profane. Do sit and watch what your children are looking at-what games and videos they play. Ask them about what they are doing and learning. Watch a movie and critique it with the word with your child or teen. Ask them what things honor our scriptures and what things dishonor scripture.
Teach them how to recognize the Inner Witness of the Holy Spirit or Ruach Ha Qodesh sothey know if they can safely walk away from potential trouble or if they should actually run. Yahuah tells us to flee fornication, not to play around with it. It is the sin that the wicked could always count on to derail Yisrael. If you love your children and children in general, warn them while there is still time. Teach them how to seek Yahuah for a righteous husband or wife with wisdom. Teach them how to choose the good and shun the evil that their souls might live forever before Yahuah.
Note: *seductively dressed and sly of heart
Family, this phrase refers to anything we can be seduced with such as buying something we know we do not need or a plate or BBQ pork ribs. These temptations are always seductively dressed and sly or deceptive in heart.
Walking Through Proverbs-8:32-36
Wisdom Comes Yahuah
June 24, 2021
32 “And so, my children, listen to me,
for all who follow my ways are joyful.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise.
Don’t ignore it.
34 Joyful are those who listen to me,
watching for me daily at my gates,
waiting for me outside my home!
35 For whoever finds me finds life
and receives favor from Yahuah.
36 But those who miss me injure themselves.
All who hate me love death.”
Shalom Family,
Going forward, I will choose a passage from the remaining books in proverbs that best summarizes the chapter to save time and space.
Proverbs 8 happens to be featured on this website under the tab "Wisdom Calls".
For this passage, consider how Wisdom (personified as a woman) points out to her children (us/Yisrael) that we should listen to her and by listening, we become wise, as well as joyful. Daily we should be waiting for her outside her house for guidance and instruction.
Who is wisdom and where does she live?
Wisdom is one of many characteristics of our Heavenly Father Yahuah. She (Wisdom) dwells in the heavens with Yahuah and also with men who embrace her. Wisdom is found in Torah and Torah is Wisdom. Why does Yahuah refer to His own wisdom as a woman? Because out of the body and function of "Man" was "woman" created. She is not the head of man, but equal in function. In the image of Elohiym created He (Yahuah)them (male and female). Women were created with Yahuah's special insight. Women are not competitors of men, but helpmeets or helpmates. Righteous women have insight regarding matters pertaining to life and death. Truly understood and utilized, they are invaluable gifts to their husbands and families from Yahuah.
Read the entire passage to see how Wisdom was present when Yahuah created everything and how she delighted in man created in Yahuah's image. Unforntunately, man because of "the fall" always had a propensity toward sin. Notice also that those who despise Wisdom, hurt themselves. The KJV says those who hate Wisdom love death.
Some questions to ponder? Do we really understand that Wisdom is not a secondary or subservient characteristic?
Do we understand that while wisdom is clothed in female personification, Wisdom is actually the pathway in which Yahuah establishes His order? Do we understand that Torah is Wisdom and Wisdom is Yahuah and Yahuah's Torah is all the wisdom we need?
Walking Through Proverbs-9:6-12
Foolishness and Folly, Leave It Alone
June 26, 2021
6 Leave your simple ways behind, and begin to live;
learn to use good judgment.”
7 Anyone who rebukes a mocker will get an insult in return.
Anyone who corrects the wicked will get hurt.
8 So don’t bother correcting mockers; they will only hate you. But correct the wise, and they will love you.
9 Instruct the wise, and they will be even wiser. Teach the righteous, and they will learn even more.
10 Fear of Yahuah is the foundation of wisdom.
Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.
11 Wisdom will multiply your days and add years to your life.
12 If you become wise, you will be the one to benefit.
If you scorn wisdom, you will be the one to suffer.
We have been in a dispensation or time period of Yahuah's grace and mercy. He has had His eye and hand upon His for our entire captivity. Is is a grievious error to ever think He has not been involved in the affairs of our lives in this captivity. Our Hebrew history shows that Yahuah has always raised up a righteous deliverance for His people in captivity when someone cries out against wickedness and oppression for the righteousness of our nation. Think about the first Exodus, but many others followed.
There is a time coming when Yahuah will lift one hand and bring down a gavel of judgment with the other. We are in that time. The evil days we are in is like a laboring woman. Our birth as a nation is in the labor process before the entire world. It is no coincidence there are erupting conflicts in nature and amongst nations all over the world. Yahusha, in Luke 12 said,
54Then Yahusha said to the crowds, “As soon as you see a cloud rising in the west, you say, ‘A shower is coming,’ and that is what happens. 55And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It will be hot,’ and it is. 56You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and sky. Why don’t you know how to interpret the present time?
For the upright in heart and is whose spirit/ruach there is no guile, work out your own salvation with reverance for Yahuah. In righteous reverance for our Elohiym, we do possess our souls. Yahuah will bring our ultimate deliverance. Stop wasting the pearls of your wisdom on people bent to wickedness and the love of Babylon. Don't allow your soul to be ensnared with those who think they will live forever in their wicked lifestyles and behavior. Surely there is an end and it's just beginning.
Let the righteous be righteous still!
Walking Through Proverbs-10:29-32
Words of the Wise vs. Words of the Wicked
June 28, 2021
29 The way of Yahuah is a stronghold to those with integrity,
but it destroys the wicked.
30 The godly will never be disturbed,
but the wicked will be removed from the land.
31 The mouth of the godly person gives wise advice,
but the tongue that deceives will be cut off.
32 The lips of the godly speak helpful words,
but the mouth of the wicked speaks perverse words.
Our Elohiym Yahuah is our staying power when we are in the midst of a storm or surrounded by our enemies. We know we have no true strength of our own and it is only when we put our faith in our heavenly Abba (Father) Yah do we experience true confidence in Him to take care of us.
The world is Yahuah's vineyard. He will plant the righteous in well cultivated land where we can grow and flourish while the wicked will be plucked up and rooted out of the promised land.
When we speak, it should be what is right and true-never false, deceiving, or misleading because that is the opposite of what Yahuah stands for-Truth. Let our words be properly seasoned with the salt of the word. Let our words be of the fruitful works of our Elohiym in our lives as we walk uprightly before Him.
Although we may at times be tossed around or moved with the strong winds of adversity, we shall not be greatly moved. Yahuah is our strong tower and the anchor for our souls. HalleluYah!
Walking Through Proverbs-11:1-14 KJV
Balanced and Righteous Living
June 30, 2021
1 A false balance is abomination to Yahuah: but a just weight is his delight.
2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
4 Riches profit not in the day of wrath: but righteousness delivereth from death.
5 The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.
6 The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
7 When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish: and the hope of unjust men perisheth.
8 The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.
9 An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
10 When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.
11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
12 He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
13 A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.
14 Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
In everything we seek to do for Yahuah, His kingdom, and His people, we need to seek Him, so He can guide us and give us wisdom on how to proceed.
There is no disappointment like having a good idea or even a great idea and then discovering Yahuah has not called you to do anything with that idea because He has something else planned for you. I learned this at one point in time when what I thought was a demonic hindrance was actually Yahuah rerouting me from a wordly path to the path that actually led me into the 'Hebrew Awakening'. At that time, had I been rebellious pursing a career in my own wickedness, I do not believe I would have 'woken up'. Praise Yahuah. He is Merciful.
As we continue on with our journey in Yah occupying in the lands of our captivity, it should become easier to spot and discern what and who is righteous from what and who is wicked. But then there comes a time when you may be presented with two or three or more great ideas. It could be Yahuah's will that you carry out His will with three or more various ideas and plans or it could be His will that you just carry out one. How do you know which one to choose?
We really have to seek Yahuah and His Kingdom will in these situations because it can be hard to know the exact path He wants us to take if they all look good. Pray about this asking Yahuah for His Holy Spirit/Ruach Ha Qodesh to guide you and He will do it. Ask Him for a discerning heart about what people to work with and what endeavors to pursue. We are His hands and feet in the earth and we can only be guided by His Spirit and will-not our own. In all things seek Yahuah for a balanced perspective and balanced-not blind pursuits.