Translate

Saturday, December 20, 2014

Mich'tam: the 10 Words, Part 2 - the Basics of Life



Mich’tam
…10 Words - Part Two…
…Basics of Life…

(Authors’ Note:  As stated in the Part One, I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge that portions of this teaching are based in part of the Teachings of Dr. Frank Seekins, whose work can be found at www.Livingwordpictures.com. While I take all endeavors to present new and fresh teachings, I am indebted to those who have taught me, and humbled that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh allows me to be a part of this awakening of the ekklesia of God with the truth of His Word. When I use another’s, I credit him, for his efforts should be recognized.  Some truths are too important to re-package in an attempt to lay claim to them, which I seek not to do. Therefore, Dr. Seekins’ work will be acknowledged and incorporated in with the gleanings of my own, to present to you a balanced and well thought-out study on this subject. May the name of Yeshua be magnified in all that is done, Amein…)

What is reality? Have you ever tried to mich’tam [contemplate] what reality is? The vast majority of all human beings consider this time we spend from cradle to the grave as reality, but is it? Now before you think that I’m descending into some sort of philosophical quagmire, this is the point I’m trying to make. If you are reading this, then you already have a mind that is open [at least somewhat I hope] to the fact that there is a greater reality out there than just this in which we currently live. This life is temporal, only temporary. The greater reality is eternal.

In the grand scheme of things, man has existed but for a pencil point; that is the conventional wisdom, steeped in its embrace of Darwinism and evolution. Call them what you will, Creationists see things a bit different, that mankind has been here almost since the beginning (minus about six days…). One either believes God at His word or one does not, one either believes in the literal seven days of Creation or one does not. Mental gymnastics aside, what a person holds to in this arena defines their worldview; atheistic, mono-theistic, evolutionist, creationist, believer or non-believer; the Word of God separates and defines the reality that one chooses to live in.  What religion one adheres to is also dependant upon on how one approaches the God of the Hebrew Scriptures; thus the basics of all life flow from the Hebrew Scriptures, independent of the world view one holds. The choice is stark, black versus white: either the Hebrew Scriptures are right, or they are wrong.  Where does one stand? Truth is eternal or it is the ranting and ravings of crazy men in the deserts of the Middle East, full of legend and falsehoods. So where do you, dear reader, stand? It is an easy choice for me; I’m all in for this God of the Scriptures.  I’ll admit my bias upfront. The honest truth is, you have to suspend a critical mind, you have to shut down an intellectual pursuit of “Is it real or is it false?” and replace it with a blind, from-the-gut faith. One has to believe without sight, without absolute proof that God exists in order for God to become real to one’s self; He only shows up to those who abandon their disbelief and their “inquiring minds” for the existential reality of the Super-natural; take it on faith or go home.

So what do we draw from this? Well, from the last couple of paragraphs, one thing is certain. It all seems to revolve around a collection of books called the Hebrew Scriptures; thus by conclusion one can say this: the basic of life is in the Hebrew. There is no other conclusion one can come to. All things, good or evil rotate around not only the Hebrew language, but also the Hebrew people.  You can draw lines around the ancient civilizations, the Egyptians, the Chinese, or pick one of your own; all of them have disappeared or all have evolved, yet only one civilization has stood despite every effort by countless others to wipe it out: the Jewish people. Their books of Scriptures, the rolls of parchment they call TORAH, their way of life, their identities, all of these have faced persecution and trials that no other civilization that came under similar circumstances survived; yet the Jews endure. Their books endure. The TORAH endures. They endure. There is a reality here that we causally overlook. There is more to this story than meets the eye; the eternal dominates their history, and it bears a closer look from those of us outside of it, for it might just figure into our own survival as well. 

From its first inception the Hebrew language would have an influence on the things to come.


Figure 1. Development of Ancient Cannite/Hebrew Language[1]

In fact, the ancient Hebrew was a language that was written/perceived in three different ways:

1)      By sounds;
2)      By pictures;
3)      By relationship [relational].

 Here is an example of the ancient script used :

                              Figure 2. Ancient Hebrew AlephBet Chart By Jeff A. Benner



















Now each of these ancient letters not only had sound, but each told a story in what they represented.

 
The ancient Hebraic language has to be read relational – or the message of the word is missed. This even applies today in the modern script of most Hebrew Scriptures. Some examples:

                                                                                            “God”
Transliterated: ‘el’
Word Pictures:

                                                                

                                                                                              


                                                 Lamed (control, shepherd)     Aleph (ox, strong, leader, first)
Meaning: “the first or strong controller”

"Father"
Transliterated: 'ab'

                          Bet (house)            Aleph (ox, strong, leader) 
                           Meaning: “strong leader of the house”
                                Or “the strength or the leader of the house”      
                                            
 "Brother"
Transliterated: 'ach' 


  Chet(fence)     Aleph (ox, strong, leader)
      Meaning: “a strong fence”
         or “protector”
                                                                                     
If we are brothers, do we protect one another?

What does all this mean? “Ab” or “Abba”:

Gal 4:6
Because you are sons, aGod has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “bAbba! Father!” [5]

The ancient word picture gives you a better understanding of the role of a father, the leader, the strong one of the house. In the Hebrew culture, we have three types of fathers: the first is our natural father, the one who raises us. The second is likened unto the man whose feet we sit and learn from, one who teaches us how to succeed. These first two, for all they can do, cannot provide us with all the strength and direction we require in life. This can only come from the third Father, our heavenly Father.[6]

Just like the father, the mother is also revealed in the Hebrew word pictures. She is revealed as a source of life, like water in the desert, a lifegiver.[7]

Faithful is the Father’s love, likened unto that of a mother’s. Isaiah 49:15 says:

15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but aI will not forget you. [8]

These concepts are found throughout the bible by using the ancient picture language. That is why the basics of life are found in the Hebrew, why relationships are literally “spelled” out in the concepts found in the meanings of the letters. Another word formed is 
o (remember all these words read right to left). The o represents the letter ‘ayin’ which stands for “eye” or “to see”. Thed represents the letter ‘dalet’, meaning door. The word transliterated is “ehd”, or in English, “witness”. It literally means “to see the door”. Think of Yeshua’s words, “…I am the door…”; for salvation to be a realty to us must not we first see the way, or experience the way into the House of God? This is the Hebrew language, a living language that allows us to know things, to experience more than words; we experience the Hebrew, we live it.  There are many other examples I could give, but think of the word ‘shalom’ which means peace. In the picture language the true meaning of ‘peace’ comes through; literally it means “to destroy the authority that causes chaos”. Is it not the chaos in our lives that leads to no rest, no comfort, no peace? Is it not the whirlwinds, the storms, the rumblings of distant troubles that bring fear and distress into our existence? God has a way to deal with all that by being the only One who can destroy that which causes chaos in our life. Do you begin to see the power of the word pictures in the Hebrew, how they can lead us to a greater understanding of God’s holy word?

                This has been a fairly long explanation, and one which might have caused you dear reader to roll your eyes in the back of your head wondering what all this has to do with anything… Well, all of this is a lead-in to a concept that we have to learn in order to understand the Ten Words. You probably are wondering what they are also, but first our concept…

It is summed up in one word:

           

Honor. A subject, a concept that is not taught or even spoke of much today. To a certain degree military personnel know of this word; those who have fought and bled on the battlefields know this word. But this percentage of people is small compared to the myriad of those that have lived and live on this small planet of ours. It is safe to say that our culture has no clue about honor; in fact, the body of Christ as a whole has no inkling or idea what honor is. It is paid lip service to, but the heart remains closed to its true meaning. “Kavod” or honor is the single greatest Hebrew concept, and the single one that is the least understood and practiced.


What is honor? In our world today it is as if nothing is sacred anymore; it seems that there is nothing that cannot  be bought, that even what the world holds to as “honor” comes with a price tag attached. Yet at the heart of the word “kavod” the true definition of what honor really is comes through: it is the attaching of weight to a person, place or thing – in other words, substance and meaning. Honor brings forth kvod Shamayim or the glory of Heaven. 

Debbie Greenblatt describes it thus:

“…In a society in which nothing is sacrosanct and honor can be bought for a price, it is no wonder that we have some confusion over the definition of kavod (honor). Even our Torah sources need to be illuminated if we are to grasp the role of kavod in our lives and relationships. We learn that if you chase kavod, it runs away from you. Conversely, if you run away from kavod, it will chase you. Should we be running towards or running away? Do we want to be caught or not? We learn in Pirkei Avos (4:28) that jealousy, physical desire, and honor remove a person from the world. That makes honor seem like something we would want to stay away from. At the same time, the Navi (Yeshayahu 43:7) tells us that everything that the One Above created was created for His kavod. That certainly sounds positive. Let’s try to understand the concept of kvod Shamayim, honor of Heaven, as a key to clarifying the above-mentioned sources. Our Creator created a world in which His presence is hidden. Through our actions, we attempt to demonstrate that He is always here, that what is hidden not only exists, but also constitutes the true reality. Kavod, then, reveals what is hidden beneath the surface, and allows us to respond to the inner, truer dimension of existence. Finding that inner dimension in each aspect of Creation, and in every interaction with another person, is the way we indicate kvod Shamayim…” [9]

How is honor defined? In the Webster’s 1828 dictionary it is defined as:

…”HON'OR, v.t on'or. [L. honoro.]
1. To revere; to respect; to treat with deference and submission, and perform relative duties to.
  • Honor thy father and thy mother. Exo 20.
2. To reverence; to manifest the highest veneration for, in words and actions; to entertain the most exalted thoughts of; to worship; to adore.
  • That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. John 5.
3. To dignify; to raise to distinction or notice; to elevate in rank or station; to exalt. Men are sometimes honored with titles and offices, which they do not merit.
  • Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delighteth to honor. Est 6.
4. To glorify; to render illustrious.
  • I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host. Exo 14.
5. To treat with due civility and respect in the ordinary intercourse of life. The troops honored the governor with a salute.
6. In commerce, to accept and pay when due; as, to honor a bill of exchange…”[10]

The first definition is the one in which we will focus our attention, but first we must lay the ground work.
Sometimes, men of God must come out from their comfort zone and be willing to speak out on the topics of the day. This leaves one vulnerable to the mob rule mentality that exists today, but the truth is, if the man of God won’t speak up against the madness, who will?  There are many voices out there, some from soap boxes on the streets, some from pulpits, some from the anchor desks of the so-called “news” and none of them speak the truth.  The vicious “tweeters” surely don’t, no matter what side of tragedy they fall on; the talk show hosts, the talking heads on the cable shows and even those in government speak only what they think will gain them an advantage, none dare speak the truth.  And what is the truth? When a tragedy happens  whether you want to admit it or not, lives are usually lost. People, I’m saying take a step back and hold your head in shame if you feel anything other than pity, for pity is the only emotion that is appropriate in these situations.  Take the tsunami in the Philippine’s: I have pity on all those involved, on the lives lost.  For the ones who are no longer with us, their destines  are already set, may God have mercy on their souls.  It is time to address the truth; it is time to discuss why tragedies such as this happen with a clear, steady voice, and not with shrill hatred (“Oh they are mostly Muslim…”) and the naked rancor that is out there.  This isn’t about race or injustice, or oppression or God’s wrath.  This is simply about what happens when you break a reality; this and other tragedies occur because of the fallen state of man and of a sick and dying world that has ignored the realities of life.  I do not mean what happens on the street, or a broken home, or failed opportunities or the fury of nature or whatever other excuse you want to put on it.  These things happened because of mankind ignoring the 10 realities of life, resulting in the destruction that has occurred because man would not obey his Creator.

In this world there are absolutes; shades of grey are just that, grey, but realities are very simple. Black is black, white is white, up is up, down is down. It is easier if we define terms, such as “concrete” and “abstract” because in dealing with the reality of absolutes there will always be those who confuse these terms. We now know what is concrete and that which is the abstract.  If it can be perceived by our senses, it is concrete.  If it is to be understood by our mind and heart, it is abstract.  Hence absolutes. They can be understood by our senses for they are rooted in reality. Fear, the “race-baiting” and hatred of some and the manipulation of justice from others all appear to appeal to the whims of the masses – therefore these are abstract things. I do not choose sides in this matter but I’m dealing with the reality: lawlessness (re: sin) abounds in the world today. Children grow up without the benefit of a mom and dad; morality is down played everywhere you turn. God is mocked and reviled by every aspect of our society from the top on down.  There is no more moral compass and no sure pointer to tell us what is right that is taught anymore, either in the home, schools, or sad to say, most religious institutions.  We are living in a world of abstracts, a world run on emotion and on conflicting religious beliefs, of and by “leaders” that spend all their time hiding behind a guise of “intellect” that tries to pass itself off as reality, but can something so subjective give us any guidance at all?

Proverbs 5:21-23 (KJV)
21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. 22 His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sinsd. 23 He shall die without instruction; and in the greatness of his folly he shall go astray.

Proverbs 12:15 (KJV)
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

Proverbs 14:12 (KJV)
12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 16:25 (KJV)
25 There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

Proverbs 18:17 (KJV)
17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

Proverbs 20:11 (KJV)
11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Proverbs 21:2 (KJV)
2 Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts. [11]

The counsel and teachings of man are at fault here.  Lawlessness, which is simply sin and the lack of the knowledge of the instructions of God, is what is destroying lives and societies at break-neck speed, and it is not limited to any particular culture or region; this rampant lawlessness is what is destroying not only the social structure of America but the whole world today. There are absolutes. They are grounded in the Ten Realities we commonly call the “Ten Commandments”.  To show you what I mean we first we have to discuss what reality is.

I asked the question question: what is reality? What do you mich’tam [contemplate] reality to be? As I stated before, the vast majority of all human beings consider this time we spend from cradle to the grave as reality, but if it really isn’t then what is? Is the greater reality the eternal, the realm of the spiritual?

And this begs the next question to ponder: who or what defines for us the eternal? Which “holy book” do you adhere to? The Quran? The New Testament? The Tanakah? The Hindu Bhagavad-Gita, Ramayana and Veda?  The forty volume Buddist Tripitaka? The phone book? Sears and Roebuck® catalog?  Is your God the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob or does your god fit into some other theological box of your own making?

I’ll repeat: what a person holds to in this arena defines their worldview be it atheistic, monotheistic, evolutionist, agnostic, creationist, believer or non-believer, follower of space aliens etc. It is how we approach the Word of God as written in the Scriptures of the Jews (and I do include the Messianic Writings in with the Tanach, whether you agree or not) which separates and defines the reality that one chooses to live in.  Your religion dictates whether or not you  are apt to come near the God of the Hebrew Scriptures;  my question therefore for you is simply in your world view does He exist or not; is He the only true God to you or just another in the long list of deities that are thrown out there? No matter how you answer the question, the basis of all life flows from and around these ancient Hebrew Scriptures independent of the world view one holds. It is black verses white: only one path is right, and whatever path you are on, you better be sure it’s right. Now before you say that is not really true, think carefully.

Despite what you believe or do not believe, you have made a choice concerning the Scriptures of the Jews. Are you Hindu? You’ve chosen the pantheon of 4.5 million gods to choose from. Buddhist? You’ve elected the spiritual journey of “supreme enlightenment”. Muslim?

 “…Muslims believe that the verses of the Qur'an were revealed to Muhammad by God through the archangel Gabriel (Jibrīl) on many occasions between 610 CE until his death on June 8, 632 CE.[12] While Muhammad was alive, all of these revelations were written down by his companions (sahabah), although the prime method of transmission was orally through memorization[13]…”[14] (now throw in some Hebrew Scriptures and stir rapidly…)[15]

If you are atheist, agnostic, Urantian, Unitarian, Christian or Jewish or whatever – no matter what you profess, you’ve made a decision, a choice. Your world view hinges on the decision you have made concerning the Hebrew Scriptures.

So what conclusion is reached? The choice is stark, black versus white: either the Hebrew Scriptures are right, or they are wrong.  Where does one stand?

Doesn’t one find it odd that all the ills of the world, the wars, the moral decays, the poverty, the greed, the ambitions, the decline of nations and civilizations all flow from whether or not a collection of writings penned by men some 3500 to 4000 (or longer) years ago are actually the inspired Word of God or not? That from these words sprang a nation that continues to this day to be the lightning rod of not only world opinion, but also undying love or unquenchable hate. A relatively small group of people, who identify themselves as Jews are on one hand the focus of a world gone mad, one that sees “Jews” under every rock, behind every ill, in control of all things, as an “evil” force that has to be annihilated. On the other hand, it just may be that they are the epicenter and the reason for the climatic and dramatic end of all things when their God [and according to my bias – The ONLY God] will return and recompense all their enemies for the evil that they have wrought upon them over the centuries, through the medium of a mighty, supernatural army led by God’s own Son, the Jewish Messiah, who was “slain before the foundation of the world” in order that He might save Israel and its people. Folks, you can’t make these things up. This is either Truth or it is not. Your take on this or your answer to this is the reality that you have chosen to live in, but unless it lines up with the Hebrew God, it is not reality. And how well do I know that there are many who will absolutely disagree with me and that’s okay… Not my job to convince you, I just am a road sign pointing the way; you have to make the choice to follow the sign or not. Roll the dice if you want, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord…

This then, I feel, is the beginning point of understanding reality, the true reality. This is the reality that the heavens shout out in the splendor and the majesty of creation.  This is the reality that only intelligent design can explain. This is the reality that is a paradox; that all of history, the pole and rope that all of mankind’s dirty laundry hangs on, all his achievements and accomplishments revolve around a decision by individuals to decide if the Ten D’varim, ten words spoken to an ancient group of people from the twelve tribes of Israel and the multitude of others who left Egypt with them, are really the eternal words of Truth.  The cure for a sick, wounded world is found in these words, and in them, are the only reality that matters. 

They point to an answer, so we need to examine them, one by one…
Aseret ha-Dibrot:
 The words d'varim and dibrot come from the Hebrew root Dalet-Beit-Reish, meaning word, speak or thing; thus, the phrase is accurately translated as the Ten Sayings, the Ten Statements, the Ten Declarations, the Ten Words[16]

…Reality Number One…

Exo 20:1-2 [The Hebrew letter “alef” א [
1     Then God spoke all these words, saying,
2     “aI am the Lord your God, bwho brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of 1slavery. [17]

At the beginning of the scripture is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, the alef (or aleph) א, what could be called the West’s letter “A”.  In ancient times it looked like this: Aso you can see where we got our “A” from.  Hebrew is a concept language, meaning that each letter can be one of three things: a letter, a number, or a pictograph.  Written 2,500 to 3,500 years ago it was in this “pictographic” language that Moshe (Moses) would have composed the first five books of the Tanach -  what we call the Torah today. Most modern day Hebrew can be transliterated with the Paleo-Hebraic text and the definition of the word can then be ascertained according to the pictograph represented. It is here we begin our look at the Ten Realities:

“…The original pictograph for this letter is a picture of an ox head - arepresenting strength and power from the work performed by the animal. This pictograph also represents a chief or other leader…”[18]

What we in the West call the “Ten Commandments” are actually the “Ten Words”; they represent the categories that the 613 commandments found in the Tanach fall under.  The first category is found here in Exodus 20:2 : “…I am Adonai your God…”  Now, before we look any farther, you might ask, “Commandments” or “Words” – what’s the difference?  The difference is in the concept, in the construction of what these words mean.  Take the word “commandment”: what does that mean to you? Probably a command, a rule, a law. Now ask yourself this:  when was the last time you broke a command, a rule or a law?  How about driving today?  Did you stay within the posted speed limits?  If not, why not? That rule, that law is there for a reason, didn’t you “feel” compelled by the command of the sign to obey it?  You would if you see a police car wouldn’t you?  It is the threat of consequence that keeps you from going 100 miles an hour in a 60 mile an hour zone isn’t it?  As long as there is no danger or consequence to getting caught, we break laws and rules every day. We forget that the Father put rules into place for our own good; we forget or we just do not want to acknowledge that our actions are watched and weighed every moment by a Holy God – and one day there will be a reckoning, a  recompense for all that we say and do.  There is danger in ignoring the warning signs of God’s word. 

                One aspect of this can best be seen in the concept of a “low bridge” sign.[19]
The sign says maximum height for vehicles going under it is ten feet… What happens when a truck that is twelve feet tall attempts to go under the bridge?   Reality happens. You see, when you break a law, or a rule, eventually consequences catch up with you.  You may go eighty miles-an-hour in a sixty mile-an-hour zone every day for a year, but one day, it will be your turn to get a ticket. You may break the law, but as this driver found out, a reality will break you. [20] 

                You can forget that there is a God in heaven, ignore His calls and His warnings, you can even think you can go on your living your life any way you want. Beware though, be prepared to be broken.  Mothers, fathers, if you do not or will not raise your children in fear and admonition of the Lord, do not be surprised when they are broken.  Fathers, abandon your children to the welfare state? They will be broken.  The list can go on till I am out of ink…. But the result will never change. If we do not admit and acknowledge that HE IS GOD, and then live our lives as if it is a reality – there will be brokenness. Ask any who question why bad things happen.  Do they acknowledge Adonai as God? Can the acknowledgement of a sovereign God change your perspective on tragedies?  God has to first, the head, the authority in all our lives. Only in understanding the First can we move to the second…

…Reality Number Two…
Exodus 20:3-6
Exo 20:3[The Hebrew letter “beyt” ב  ]
"You are to have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4  You are not to make for yourselves a carved image or any kind of representation of anything in heaven above, on the earth beneath or in the water below the shoreline.
Exo 20:5  You are not to bow down to them or serve them; for I, Adonai your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sins of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
Exo 20:6  but displaying grace to the thousandth generation of those who love me and obey my mitzvoth [commandments].[21]

                Words have meaning.  The holy words of God have even more. They are davar, they are substance.  These words I write – do they mean anything to you? If they are just human words, it is no more than my opinion on paper.  If God has inspired me to write these words, if by using Godly men He has shown me the truth of His Words – then these words become prophetic: an absolute statement of reality.[22] Now I must make a statement here: some things bear repeating, and this statement from Dr. Seekins is one: God’s word is an absolute statement of reality.  They are concrete. Remember our definition of abstract and concrete? Let me repeat it:

If it can be perceived by our senses, it is concrete.  If it is to be understood by our mind and heart, it is abstract.

“…Concrete thought is the expression of concepts and ideas in ways that can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted or heard. All five of the senses are used when speaking, hearing, writing and reading the Hebrew language. An example of this can be found in Psalms 1:3; “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season, and whose leaf does not wither”. In this passage the author expresses his thoughts in concrete terms such as; tree, streams of water, fruit and leaf.

Abstract thought is the expression of concepts and ideas in ways that cannot be seen, touched, smelled, tasted or heard. Examples of Abstract thought can be found in Psalms 103:8; “The LORD is compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger, abounding in love”. The words compassion, grace, anger and love are all abstract words, ideas that cannot be experienced by the senses. Why do we find these abstract words in a passage of concrete thinking Hebrews? Actually, these are abstract English words used to translate the original Hebrew concrete words…” [23]

“…You shall have no other gods before me…”   According to Jeff Benner the ב B or “beyt” pictographs are representative of a house or tent, or of what is inside.[24] And what is inside your house, your tent?  Your family.  So it is in God’s house.  The Scriptures say:

1 Corinthians 3:16-17 (NASB95)
16
     aDo you not know that byou are a 1temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
17     If any man destroys the 1temple of God, God will destroy him, for the 1temple of God is holy, and 2that is what you are.[25]

Also:
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14     aDo not be 1bound together with bunbelievers; for what cpartnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?
15     Or what aharmony has Christ with 1Belial, or 2what has a bbeliever in common with an cunbeliever?
16     Or awhat agreement has the temple of God with idols?
For we are bthe temple of cthe living God; just as God said,
“dI will edwell in them and fwalk among them;
And I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
17     “aTherefore, bcome out from their midst and be separate,” says the Lord.
And do not touch what is unclean;
And I will welcome you.
18     “aAnd I will be a father to you,
And you shall be bsons and daughters to Me,”
Says the Lord Almighty. [26]

God wants a holy house; there can and will be nothing else before Him. The meaning of the letter “beyt” agrees with the second dāḇār(word);      “…You are to have no other gods before me…”.  When we consider the alef and the beyt (ba) in the ancient picture language, what do we see [remember Hebrew reads right to left]? What we see is the Hebrew word for “father [in modern Hebrew it looks like this: ba]”, the word “ab” or “av”.  The heart of the house is the Father.  In our homes, in our hearts, there should be no room for another; no other God, no false idols.  Our identity should be in Him. But what do we see in America? God is not in our homes. He is not in our schools. He is not in the public institutions that our founding fathers said He belonged in.  And what is the result of this “Fatherless” nation? In an article titled “Fathers disappear from households across America”   by Luke Rosiak of the Washington Times  and posted on the 25th of December 2012, he painted a disheartening picture:

“…Nicole Hawkins‘ three daughters have matching glittery boots, but none has the same father. Each has uniquely colored ties in her hair, but none has a dad present in her life.

As another single mother on Sumner Road decked her row-house stoop with Christmas lights and a plastic Santa, Ms. Hawkins recalled that her middle child’s father has never spent a holiday or birthday with her. In her neighborhood in Southeast Washington, 1 in 10 children live with both parents, and 84 percent live with only their mother.

In every state, the portion of families where children have two parents, rather than one, has dropped significantly over the past decade. Even as the country added 160,000 families with children, the number of two-parent households decreased by 1.2 million. Fifteen million U.S. children, or 1 in 3, live without a father, and nearly 5 million live without a mother. In 1960, just 11 percent of American children lived in homes without fathers.

America is awash in poverty, crime, drugs and other problems, but more than perhaps anything else, it all comes down to this, said Vincent DiCaro, vice president of the National Fatherhood Initiative: Deal with absent fathers, and the rest follows…”[27]

Fathers are disappearing in the inner cities. The hole that is left their absences rips at the very heart and fabric of a society awash in drugs, violence and poverty.  Young men with no positive role models gravitate toward the cultural vacuum and fill it with the violent roles they see modeled by the entertainment industry; gangsters, thugs, thieves of all colors, shapes and sizes.  Rosiak continued:

“…Though income is the primary predictor, the lack of live-in fathers also is overwhelmingly a black problem, regardless of poverty status, census data show. Among blacks, nearly 5 million children, or 54 percent, live with only their mother. Twelve percent of black families below the poverty line have two parents present, compared with 41 percent of impoverished Hispanic families and 32 percent of poor white families.

The schism is most apparent in the District, which has a higher portion of two-parent families among whites, at 85 percent, and a lower share among blacks, at 25 percent, than any state.
In all but 11 states, most black children do not live with both parents. In every state, 7 in 10 white children do. In all states but Rhode Island and Massachusetts, most Hispanic children do. In Wisconsin, 77 percent of white children and 61 percent of Hispanics live with both parents, compared with more than 25 percent of black children…” [28]


While these statistics are sharp, nothing says that they cannot be reversed. But where to start? Bring God back. Bring Him back in our homes, our jobs, our government institutions.  Bring God back into the lives of men, place in their hearts the admonishment of Scripture: 

1st Timothy 5:8
“…But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own houseb, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel…” [29]

This problem goes beyond any color line; it goes straight into the heart of man. God must be pre-eminent in our lives and culture once more. We must not turn toward any other god, be it money, power, fame, for a “Father-less  society is a lawless society.”  Small wonder tragedies occur.  We have allowed them, and have set our children up to fail by neglecting the only thing that can make them succeed. 

If we have the first two though, we can move into the third reality of life.

…Reality Number Three…
Exo 20:7[the Hebrew letter “gam or gimel”  ג]
"You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God, because Adonai will not leave unpunished someone who uses his name lightly.

In the Paleo-Hebraic language the “gam or gimel” was represented in this manner:  mc ""The c is the foot representing “walk” and the m is “water”… Combined these mean “walk (go) to the water”…” [30]  The word later changed in the Semitic Middle language to what we call the “gimel” c, which is representative of the camel.  The gimel symbolizes a “lifted up head, or exaltation”.  Water is a symbol for chaos…  Benner describes it as:

“…Mah…

The Early Semitic pictograph for this letter is m a picture of waves of water. This pictograph has the meanings of liquid, water and sea, mighty and massive from the size of the sea and chaos from the storms of the sea. To the Hebrews the sea was a feared and unknown place, for this reason this letter is used as a question word, who, what, when, where, why and how, in the sense of searching for an unknown…” [31]

So one way of looking at the “gam or gimel” is to rise above the chaos. Isn’t that what calling upon the Name of the Lord is to do in our lives?
Psalms 66:13-20

13 I shall acome into Your house with burnt offerings; I shall bpay You my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered And my mouth spoke when I was ain distress.
15 I shall aoffer to You burnt offerings of fat beasts, With the smoke of brams;
I shall make an offering of 1bulls with male goats.    Selah.
16 aCome and hear, all who 1fear God,And I will btell of what He has done for my soul.

17 I cried to Him with my mouth, And 1He was aextolled with my tongue.
18 If I 1aregard wickedness in my heart, The bLord 2will not 3hear;

19 But certainly aGod has heard;  He has given heed to the voice of my prayer.
20 aBlessed be God, Who bhas not turned away my prayer
Nor His lovingkindness from me. [32]

Yet how many of us cry unto God today with the thankfulness of heart? How many of us make demands upon Him with no regard for the wickedness of our hearts? When we take His name in vain, surely it only means misusing it right? O no my brethren; it is the act of us treating God’s name as if it carries no weight in this world.  It is the act of us showing Him contempt, of treating His Holy and Righteous Name as if it was a common thing. We Call Him God, we call Him Lord, yet these are titles; we use the Name of His only Begotten Son as a pejorative, we use it almost as a swear word, derogatory and depreciative to the point of blasphemy.  To His title that designates Him as the Supreme   Monarch of the Universe we tack on the “D” word and string His name with many other invectives.  We denigrate this Most High God in our words and deeds – and wonder why only trouble comes our way.
Psalm 37:7-15 (NKJV)
7     Rest in the Lord, gand wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who hprospers in his way,  Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.  8 iCease from anger, and forsake wrath;  jDo not fret—it only causes harm. 9 For evildoers shall be 2cut off;  But those who wait on the Lord,      They shall kinherit the earth.
10     For lyet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, myou will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more.
11     nBut the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12     The wicked plots against the just, oAnd gnashes at him with his teeth.

13     pThe Lord laughs at him, For He sees that qhis day is coming.

14     The wicked have drawn the sword And have bent their bow, To cast down the poor and needy, To slay those who are of upright conduct.
15     Their sword shall enter their own heart, And their bows shall be broken. [33]

O how we have despised this King of ours, yet we want Him to rescue us, to rescue our children, we want Him to bow and scrape before us as if we were the rulers over all things instead of Him…

Our weeping for the dead and dying never ends because we have esteemed Him lightly,
Allowing the chaos  to reign, instead of it being reigned in.

If only we had been taught and then taught our children also, the first three realities…
We could move onto the fourth if we know the first three.

…Reality Number Four…

Exo 20:8 [the Hebrew letter dalet  ד ]
 "Remember the day, Shabbat, to set it apart for God.
Exo 20:9  You have six days to labor and do all your work,
Exo 20:10  but the seventh day is a Shabbat for Adonai your God. On it, you are not to do any kind of work — not you, your son or your daughter, not your male or female slave, not your livestock, and not the foreigner staying with you inside the gates to your property.
Exo 20:11  For in six days, Adonai made heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them; but on the seventh day he rested. This is why Adonai blessed the day, Shabbat, and separated it for himself. “ [34]

Shabbat, or as we commonly see it today “Sabbath” is the Hebrew word (H7676) שׁבּת   . Moshe would have written it as: T B S ; right to left it is the letters shin, beyt, taw (or tav).  The shin pictures teeth; the beyt we know as house; and the taw, is a mark, a sign or signature. The letters shin and beyt form the word return; the taw represents covenant; therefore the word Shabbat in the Hebrew picture language means to “return to the covenant”. The letter D or dalet is a letter so old that it represents a hide stretched across an opening, a door.  Shabbat is our door, the way we return to covenant with the God of Heaven.  The door is a path to life; Shabbat is our path.  But what have we done with the Seventh day?  Instead of revering the most Holy day of the week, the time from sundown Friday night to sundown Saturday night, as the time to meet and gather in our homes, in a place of worship and give thanks to The All-Mighty, we have turned it into a night of drunkenness and debauchery.  God is the furthest thing from our minds, except as an epithet of “TGIF!”  We let our sons go out, hell bent for trouble, our daughters are dressed in clothes that would make a madam blush and we wonder why they are in trouble.  We look the other way as drugs and drink and sex and filth invade our neighbor hoods, either because we are scared or we-just-plain-don’t-give-a-#&@% cause we are too busy enjoying the “fruits” of our labor ourselves.  What “fruit” are we enjoying?  Forbidden fruit, the fruit of the poisoned tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  We let our boys sell drugs on the corner, killing our neighbors and strangers all for the god of money.  We let our daughters pop out babies at the age of twelve, thirteen so on and so on, and reap all for the dollars from the public coffers that the child brings in, or we send them into the modern day Auschwitz and Dachau we call “Planned Parenthood” to sacrifice their unborn at the altar of Moloch. [35] 

                We have turned the sacred into the profane and wonder why tragedies continue to plague us and our world. When injustice happens we all too often think that riots in the streets are the answer, but truthfully, we should be on our face before God begging for mercy and forgiveness.  Instead of listening to the race-baiters and the haters we should be crying for deliverance from our sins and the sins of our nation.  Instead of false posturing for the sake of advantage we should realize just at what disadvantage our youth is in, when we turn away from the ancient path of God, from the way of life He set before us through the blood of Messiah Yeshua [Jesus] and His Holy commandments.  The word Shabbat should be the key in our lives; the shin beyt tells us to “destroy our house”, the one our hands have built and return to the covenant with God!  Instead of burning down our neighborhoods and running lawless in the streets, burn down the hate! Burn down our own prejudices, go through the door of life and start to live!  O how many have condemned themselves before God for their hate-filled words and threats of violence?  O how many will ruin their own lives if they act out on these threats?  How many innocents will suffer?  Why can’t anyone ask these questions without fear of retaliation?  Brethren I ask them because they need to be screamed from the highest places in the land, yet our elected officials never want to see a “good tragedy” go to waste!  How dare they!  How dare we…. 

I’ll tell you the truth. Jesus wept.
Why can’t we?

Anger is not the answer; tears of remorse for what we have become are; tears of remorse in ALL communities, in ALL municipalities, in ALL branches of government.  Those so-called leaders who only promote hate and revenge must be shut down, shouted down for we do not want to hear their blasphemous cries anymore.  No man of God promotes anger or hatred just to get their names on the front page or an invite to the talk shows.  No politician who promotes unrest should be allowed to keep their job, and no mob should rule in this, the greatest nation on the earth.  What has to happen, what needs to happen, what I pray happens is a return to the roots of our faith, away from religion that is killing us; a return to the God of our fathers, of Abraham,  Isaac and Jacob, and away from the sin that is bewitching us; we need to turn back, o turn back America, to weep between the porch and the altar…. 

We have six more realities to go through. O my brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors and strangers, look inside yourselves, for this is a lot to digest; look not at what those who profit off of misery want you to see.  These men and women of all colors and creeds that pander the lawlessness of society into a means of gain for themselves, they are the real killers in all of this, because they have taught us all to hate, and not to repent and find peace. Remember awhile back the sad story of Trayvon and George? These two young men clashed with tragic results, yet what was screamed at us from the headlines  was not the problem; their tragic meeting became just one more symptom of the rot and disease that the so-called “professionals” are shoving down our throats.  These hate-mongers care not if any of you perish in a riot or civil disturbance; if they can cause unrest it will only feed their lust for your blood and your money.  Turn away, turn away, turn away my people…

We will finish our journey now by going through the other six realities.

…Reality Number Five…
Exo 20:12 [The Hebrew Letter”hey” ה ]
"Honor your father and mother, so that you may live long in the land which Adonai your God is giving you.

                    The Hebrew letter “hey” opens us up for the Fifth Reality. The original pictograph was e, symbolizing a man standing with his arms raised out.   In later periods e would come to represent the “hey”, or symbolize an open window.  It can also mean “breath” or “sigh” as if one has seen something spectacular. Either way its meaning was clear: it meant “to behold” or “what is revealed”.  “This letter is commonly used as a prefix to words to mean “the” as in “ha’arets” meaning “the land”. The use of this prefix is to reveal something of importance within the sentence.” [36]

                    Here in Exodus 20:12 we see the first commandment given by Yahvey that carries with it a promise. This verse carries such an important promise it is repeated throughout Scripture many times:

“Lev 19:3 |    ‘Every one of you shall reverence his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am the LORD your God. 
Mt 15:4 |    “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ 
Mk 7:10 |    “For Moses said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER’; and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER, IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH’; 
Lk 18:20 |    “You know the commandments, ‘DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.’ ” 
Eph 6:2 |    HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise), 
Lev 19:3; Dt 5:16, 33, 6:2, 11:8, 9, 27:16; Je 35:18, 19; Mt 15:4, 19:19; Mk 7:10, 10:19; Lk 18:20, Eph 6:2,3” [37]

Let’s recap briefly what we learned from Reality Number Three, “…You are not to use lightly the name of Adonai your God…” :

“…When we take His name in vain, surely it only means misusing it right? O no my brethren; it is the act of us treating God’s name as if it carries no weight in this world.  It is the act of us showing Him contempt, of treating His Holy and Righteous Name as if it was a common thing. We Call Him God, we call Him Lord, yet these are titles; we use the Name of His only Begotten Son as a pejorative, we use it almost as a swear word, derogatory and depreciative to the point of blasphemy.  To His title that designates Him as the Supreme   Monarch of the Universe we tack on the “D” word and string His name with many other invectives.  We denigrate this Most High God in our words and deeds – and wonder why only trouble comes our way…” [38]

Notice the highlighted portion. Using God’s name in vain is treating it as it carries no weight.  Let us examine that weight now – it can be found in one word: כָּבֵד (kā·ḇēḏ): honor. 

Honor is seldom taught or understood in our culture today. Ironically, it is the very solution to some of our greatest hurts and needs.  God has said that if children learn to give honor to their parents, their life will be good (the same root word is used when God created and said or saw it was "good").  In Hebrew this is a powerful concept.
The root of this word as stated in the TWOT [39] :

“…with its derivatives occurs 376 times in the Hebrew Bible. It is especially prominent in Ps (sixty-four occurrences) and Isa (sixty-three), as well as Ex (thirty-three), Ezk (twenty-five) and prov (twenty-four). Of the total number of occurrences, 114 are verbal. The root is a common Semitic one, occurring in all except Aramaic where yāqār seems to take its place. The basic meaning is “to be heavy, weighty,” a meaning which is only rarely used literally, the figurative (e.g. “heavy with sin”) being more common. From this figurative usage it is an easy step to the concept of a “weighty” person in society, someone who is honorable, impressive, worthy of respect…[40]

The Hebrew word for honor " kā·ḇēḏ ", literally means heavy. To the modern reader this might not make sense, until we realize that in the ancient times, the Jews bought and sold by weight. Even their money, the shekel, was based on weight. How does this apply to us today?  We live in a world where relationships are often based on feelings. When we say that we love someone, we are usually talking about a feeling. But the Biblical concept of love is based on the value of the object of our love.  The feeling may follow the value but honor is much more than a feeling.
Value changes your actions.
How does value change our actions? Great value changes everything.  This is a basic precept of God's Kingdom. The Bible says in Matthew 13:44 - 46 that...

Matthew 13:44-46 (NASB95)
44
     aThe kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and bsells all that he has and buys that field.
45     “Again, athe kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls,
46     and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it. [41]

Honor changes you. Honor transforms lives and relationships, not to mention cultures and communities. This concept of honor that can transform lives can be seen in the word pictographs of the Ancient Hebrew.  In modern Hebrew honor is written as כָבֵד; in the Paleo-Hebrew it is written as: D B K (from right to left the kaf or kaph, beyt, dalet).

Each letter represents something:
  • The kaf (or kaph): The Ancient form of this letter is K the open palm of a hand. The meanings of this letter are bend and curve from the shape of the palm as well as to tame or subdue as one who has been bent to another's will. [42]
  • The beyt (or bet): The pictograph b is chosen as it best represents the nomadic tents of the Hebrews… The meanings of this letter are house, tent, family as well as in, with, inside or within as the family resides within the house or tent.[43]
·         The dalet: The basic meaning of the letter d is “door” but has several other meanings associated with it. It can mean “a back and forth movement” as one goes back and forth through the tent through the door. It can mean “dangle” as the tent door dangled down from a roof pole of the tent. It can also mean weak or poor as one who dangles the head down.[44]

What we see in the interpretation is this: the picture for honor is:
K the hand opens B the inside D door

The inside door is the door of our heart. Honor is concrete and abstract at the same time. Concrete because of the actions we can perceive and measure that show value is being attached to ourselves. Abstract because it takes our mind and heart to process this worth that is being assigned. If you have ever been treated with honor, then you have experienced the weight, the heaviness of that honor, even if it but for a fleeting moment.  The Hebrew word picture for honor agrees with the Scriptures about the impact this value brings to our life. When we are valued, we open our heart and our soul. 

                How could this have prevented the tragedy of Trayvon and George and how can it prevent others that we read of every day, the senseless murders, the sexual abuse of children, the shootings, the robberies, O it goes on and on…. Think about these other tragedies; Columbine, Sandy Hook, the Denver movie theater; what about other countless acts of mindless rage, bullying, wars, famines, and to a lesser degree, the useless posturing by our elected officials that have hurled our nation on a downward spiral?  Could the simple concept of honor have changed all these horrible situations? What if we all held to the words of the Israelite Shema, the declaration of dependence upon God:

Deut 6:4
“aHear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the bLord is one!
5     “aYou shall love the Lord your God bwith all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.
6     “aThese words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart.
7     “aYou shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.
8     “aYou shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as 1frontals 2on your forehead.
9     “aYou shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
10     “Then it shall come about when the Lord your God brings you into the land which He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you, agreat and splendid cities which you did not build,
11     and houses full of all good things which you did not fill, and hewn cisterns which you did not dig, vineyards and olive trees which you did not plant, and ayou eat and are satisfied,
12     then watch yourself, that ayou do not forget the Lord who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of 1slavery.
13     “aYou shall 1fear only the Lord your God; and you shall 2worship Him and bswear by His name.
14     “aYou shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you,
15     for the Lord your God in the midst of you is a ajealous God; otherwise the anger of the Lord your God will be kindled against you, and He will 1wipe you off the face of the earth.
16     “aYou shall not put the Lord your God to the test, bas you tested Him at Massah.
17     “aYou should diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, and His testimonies and His statutes which He has commanded you.
18     “You shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that ait may be well with you and that you may go in and possess the good land which the Lord swore to give your fathers,
19     by driving out all your enemies from before you, as the Lord has spoken.[45]

O if only we taught our children diligently. To love God and to honor one another; we could have had the Promised Land; instead we live in a land where everyone promises but never intend to deliver. We wander like the Israelites in the wilderness; like the Israelites leaving Egypt, if we come to believe, we are no longer slaves to sin. We have been freed; we can worship God and build a new life. But, for many of us something is still missing in our lives, families and marriages.  It is as if we are following God through the desert, seeing His presence, maybe even His miracles, but we never enter the Promised Land.

But God has promised that those who learn to honor, will live long in the land that He has given, "the Promised Land." Honor has to be taught though; respect has to be earned by word, action and deeds. How can a child learn honor if his parents have not chosen to honor one another?  The father for good or bad, teaches every child how to value their mother. The mother for good or bad teaches every child how to honor their father. Honor when learned at home will cause the boy or girl to view people differently, but what happens to the person never trained in honor?

If honor was not the foundation of the home he or she grew up in- if the father and mother did not honor, but instead discounted the value of each other and their children- then the result is a person who does not know the power or reality of honor in life. 

When we learn the first four realities, we learn the value of honor, of the weight of the love for Yahvey Elohim, and His love of us. Honor opens the door of our hearts to all relationships, family, friends, but especially toward  the Father and Son. But if there is no honor we will lose the very foundation of our lives.

Our Western culture lives in opposition to Yahvey’s ways, as it focuses on the individual; the Kingdom of God instead is a kingdom of relationship and value. The concept of the Fifth Mitzvot [Commandments] gives us the understanding of value, of honor.

                This concept of honoring fathers and mothers is a Kingdom concept. Regardless of our situation, whether or not we come from a good home or a broken home, if we can leave behind the wreckage and embrace the Kingdom concept, the promise of the blessings of God begin here…
“…that you may live long in the land…”

The how and why of learning honor is only found if we embrace the first four realities. There is no other way. We can talk of duty and honor, but it involves giving value and weight to what we see, to whom we deal with, to one another. Can we honor our soldiers if we don’t value them? Can we honor our nation if all we do is tear it down and try to radically change it? Is marriage honorable when we take it out of its Biblical mandate and just turn it into an institution that has lost all meaning, when we redefine the family into a travesty that excludes the natural roles of mother and father ? Can a family be complete without a mom and dad loving and holding each other up in honor?  Can the madness around us be stopped if we do not honor? 

Only the embrace of the ultimate reality, “I AM YAHVEY ELOHIM YOUR GOD” can lead us into Realities Two, Three and Four; then we will know what honor is and can move into number five.

IF… I know God as my Reality then I will be able to move away from that which is false and unprofitable.  If God is my reality then I will seek truth and love justice, I will value His Name, I will attach worth and weight to it.  When I can value this Name above all names, I can rest in His peace and be assured of comfort – things might not be easy, but I can take comfort knowing that all things work together for good for all who believe.  Rest will bring me to the place of honor and from here all things change.

                I understand life’s realities. Some of us have mothers and/or fathers that we feel we just cannot honor. Maybe they have addictions; maybe they were or are abusive. There are lots of situations that I cannot address, and maybe these words seem hollow.  Can you hold onto God?  Can you honor your spiritual Father and Mother? In spite of your pain, can you value Him? 

It is ever more the norm today for men and women to claim that they are atheists, to decry religion, to mock and curse the very mention of God or Yeshua, Jesus our Messiah. Richard Wurmbrand in his book “Tortured for Christ” had this to say:

“…The cruelty of atheism is hard to believe.  When a man has no faith in the reward of good or the punishment of evil, there is no reason to be human.  There is no restraint from the depths of evil that is in man. The Communist torturers often said, “There is no God, no hereafter, no punishment for evil. We can do what we wish.” I heard one torturer say, “ I thank God, in whom I don’t believe, that I have lived to this hour when I can express all the evil in my heart.” He expressed it in unbelievable brutality and torture inflicted on prisoners…” [46]

“…there is no reason to be human…” Chilling words. Put these words into the context of today. Mass murder, school yard shootings, rape, robbery, homelessness, drug addiction, alcoholism, the list is endless, all because there is no God, no moral absolutes, no restraint on the evil in a man’s heart. No honor.

…If I honor…

…Reality Number Six…
Exo 20:13[the Hebrew Letter Vaw  ו  ]
"Do not murder.”

The original pictograph used in the Early Semitic script is F, a picture of a tent peg. The meaning of this letter is to add or secure.[47] If there is honor, then a person feels secure, connected. Would a fight have broken out, and a life been lost that night a while ago if Trayvon and George had had honor?  If you know God, it is harder to hate, harder to stereotype, harder to not be human. How can you attack someone if you have honor? How could you put yourself in a situation where deadly force might have to be used if you have honor? How can someone murder another if you honor people and life, if life is sacred?

It is easier and easier nowadays to kill another, when we won’t even prevent the slaughter of the unborn. Where is the honor in that?  Think about it. In the Hebraic mindset Reality Six is connected to the first…
“I am the Lord your God”

…Reality Number Seven…
Exo 20:14 (20:13) [48][The Hebrew letter zan (zayin)  ז  ]
"Do not commit adultery.”[49]
The ancient pictograph for this letter is z; it is thought to represent a farming tool, but it also has the meaning of “cut” or “weapon” .  Whie a weapon can be used to protect, it can also destroy. Yeshua said in Matthew 5:27-28:

27 aYou have heard that it was said, ‘bYou shall not commit adultery;
28 but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman awith lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. [50]

Can it not be said that the destruction of the family is in large part due to the lust in a man’s heart? Dads abandoning their children, mothers having children with different fathers; the break-up of the home is prevalent across all colors, across all ethnic backgrounds and economic status; perversions and abhorrent behavior abounds. The church suffers from a high divorce rate, with scandal after scandal occurring in the pulpits; we have clergy right now embroiled in the horrendous worldwide child sex trade that was just broken up by Canadian and U.S. Postal Inspectors. The enemy of our soul is using this weapon to undermine our society, with the full blessings of the courts and heads of government as they endorse this behavior that mocks God at every turn. Without honor, there is no home. When a man puts another before his spouse, he has brought a weapon to bear. There is no difference here than in the Second reality; we break covenant with our loved ones, we have broken covenant with God. 

What a difference honor makes in the home.

…Reality Number Eight…
Exo 20:15[The Hebrew Letter Hhet or Chet  (20:13) ח ]
"Do not steal.”[51]

The ancient pictograph h is a picture of a tent wall.[52] It also symbolizes a fence or “to protect”.  Walls are built all the time, as are fences. We build fences to keep things out, we build then to keep things in. Fences and walls tend to separate us, to isolate us from one another. That’s why people live in gated communities; the truth is though people living behind walls and fences have no real security, just the illusion of such. 

The Bible views a fence as protection; the Hebrew word picture for a brother says he is “a strong fence”. If a man has honor, if he has learned it at home, in the value he places on God and family, will he not look upon other men as brothers?  Truly, do we not need that now more than ever?  We divide ourselves up into groups, into colors, into ethnicities, and there is no sense of protection, only walls and fences.  Some see a young man and call him “punk”; others see another and call him “cracker”. Without God it is easy to see how easy it is not to be human and view others as less than. 

This commandment is about more than just stealing another’s property – it is about not stealing each man and woman’s humanity.  If we are just busy building walls and making laws to keep each other out, all we are left with is broken dreams, broken hearts and an isolated society that is living behind the rubble of false protection. If I am not my brother’s keeper – his guard, his protector, then quite possibly the only thing I am is his destroyer.  Am I willing to be a protector, or do others need protection from me? Honor says I won’t steal your humanity, I’ll guard it instead.

…Reality Number Nine…
Exo 20:16 (20:13)[The Hebrew letter “Thet or tet”  ט ]
"Do not give false evidence against your neighbor.”[53]

                The original pictograph for this letter is u, a container made of wicker or clay.[54] It can mean to surround or in later use, it also meant “snake”.  Since we have two very opposite meanings, it is up to us to choose to use it wisely. If we have honor, we will see the truth in this commandment, and seek to “surround” those around us, not with malice or evil intent, but with meaning, purpose and protection. Honor allows us to apply value to them, to make them weigh something in our life.  We must always remember that hate directed is hate directed at ourselves.

My mother, God rest her soul, always said “Hate destroys the vessel it is contained in more than the vessel it is aimed at.” Surround yourself with the heart of the snake, with lies and deceptions, with accusations and malevolence – there will be destruction.  Again, this reality breaks the one it is contained in more than the one it is aimed at. A person can survive slander; it is the slanderer that heaps the coals of fire upon themselves. 

Jeremiah 13:22-23 (NASB95)

22     “If you asay in your heart, ‘bWhy have these things happened to me?’  Because of the cmagnitude of your iniquity dYour skirts have been removed And your heels have 1been exposed.
23     “aCan the Ethiopian change his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you also can bdo good Who are accustomed to doing evil. [55]

Those that do evil, will not change; only God can change a lawless heart. Lawless men will continue to do lawless things, and I do not mean the breaking of the law of man. If you are lawless in the things of God, you are lawless indeed.  We need to choose to surround ourselves with love, mercy, truth and joy; then we will be a protector, and will have honor.
…Reality Number Ten…
Exo 20:17  (20:14)[ The Hebrew letter “ Yad or Yood” י  ]
"Do not covet your neighbor's house; do not covet your neighbor's wife, his male or female slave, his ox, his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor." [56]

The Early Semitic pictograph of this letter is i, an arm and hand. The meaning of this letter is work, make and throw, the functions of the hand. The Modern Hebrew name “yud” is a derivative of the two letter word “yad” meaning "hand", the original name for the letter.[57]

Proverbs 30:7-9
7 Two things have I required of thee; denyc me them not before I die: 8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and denye thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain. [58]

1 Chronicles 4:9-10
9 And Jabezc was more honourable than his brethren: and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, Because I bare him with sorrow. 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested. [59]

The last commandment brings us back to the first again and also the fifth. The point is that if we know God, if we are worshipping Him, trusting him, what need we of our neighbors goods? I will honor what is my neighbor’s, as I honor what is mine as a gift to me from God.  We work with our own hands, we do as the writer of Proverbs and Jabez we trust God for the increase in our lives, not on what we can acquire ourselves. 

It is a shame to us as a nation that we have allowed our fellow citizens to become so dependent on a government handout that they shame God and break his laws  by coveting what is not theirs.  A Jewish proverb speaks that a father who doesn’t teach his son a skill trains him to be a thief.  We have allowed our brothers and sisters to become thieves, we have not honored them by helping them learn a skill in which they can provide for themselves and their children.

Where is the honor in a handout, and not a hand up?

Brethren, we have lost honor. We have forgotten the face of our God and brought ourselves to shame.  Our lack of understanding these Ten Realities is destroying our nation and disrupting lives everywhere.  Join me and let us make God’s way honorable again by bowing our heads and humbling ourselves before Him ask His forgiveness.  We need to t’shuvah, we need to return before another tragedy takes place.

Ponder on these things if you will… The path has been laid out before you; all I can do is point it out. You have to be the one to restore honor in your heart first, and then your home. One home at a time, we can take back the night, and walk in the light of day, but we have to start now.

I pray this has been a help, and may God have mercy on us all…

“Honor Him”; this is what our President said to do, to honor Trayvon – but it is too late for that. By the omission of God in his life and in that of George’s, he lost his chance.  May we, in our efforts, learn how to honor the only One worthy enough to be honored, THEN we can diligently teach our children and have honor be restored once again. As it was said of Jabez “he was more honorable than his brethren” – may it be said of us….

Amein




[1] From Hebrew Word Pictures: How Does the Hebrew Alphabet Reveal Prophetic Truths? By Dr. Frank T. Seekins, Living Word Pictures Inc., ©1994, 2003 Frank T. Seekins
[4]All examples gleaned from Hebrew Word Pictures By Dr. Frank T. Seekins, Living Word Pictures Inc., ©1994, 2003 Frank T. Seekins
a  Acts 16:7; Rom 5:5; 8:9, 16; 2 Cor 3:17
b  Mark 14:36; Rom 8:15
[5]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6] Hebrew Word Pictures By Dr. Frank T. Seekins, Living Word Pictures Inc., ©1994, 2003 Frank T. Seekins,
[7] ..Ibid..
a  Is 44:21
[8]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.

[9] From the article “Honor Sets the Stage” by Debbie Greenblatt, Sept 14, 2011, in Mishpacha- Jewish Family Weekly, http://www.mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/1426/Honor-Sets-the-Stage
[10] Webster’s Dictionary, 1828 Edition, (electronic edition) e-Sword®, v. 9.9.1 Copyright ©2000-2011 by Rick Myers
d  sins: Heb. sin
[11]  The Holy Bible : King James Version. electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version. Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995.
[12] Esposito, John L. (2000-04-06). The Oxford History of Islam. Oxford University Press. pp. 76–77.
[13] Al Faruqi; Lois Ibsen (1987). "The Cantillation of the Qur'an".Asian Music (Autumn – Winter 1987): 3–4.
[15] This is not to denigrate the Qur'an; even their scholars will admit that their holy book uses “…Adam, Noah, Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Lot, David, Solomon, Elias, Elisha, Hood, Thul-Kifi, Enoch, Jonah, Job Shu’aib, Saalih, Ezra, Zachariyyah, John, Jesus..” as sources…
a Lev 26:1; Deut 5:6; Ps 81:10
b Ex 13:3; 15:13, 16; Deut 7:8
1 Lit slaves
[17]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, Ex 20:1-2 (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[18] Jeff A. Benner, http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/3_al.html @ Copyright © 1999-2013 Ancient Hebrew Research Center
[19] Concept adapted from Dr. Frank Seekins, website: www.livingwordpictures.com.
[20] Ibid…
[21] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.
[22] Dr. Frank Seekins, The Ten Realities, copyright ©2011
[23] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[24] Jeff A. Benner, http://www.ancient-hebrew.org/3_bet.html
a  Rom 6:16
b  Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:21f
1  Or sanctuary
1  Or sanctuary
2  Lit who you are
[25]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
a Deut 22:10; 1 Cor 5:9f
1 Lit unequally yoked
b 1 Cor 6:6
c Eph 5:7, 11; 1 John 1:6
a 1 Cor 10:21
1 Gr Beliar
2 Lit what part has a believer with an unbeliever
b Acts 5:14; 1 Pet 1:21
c 1 Cor 6:6
a 1 Cor 10:21
b 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19
c Matt 16:16
d Ex 29:45; Lev 26:12; Jer 31:1; Ezek 37:27
e Ex 25:8; John 14:23
f Rev 2:1
a Is 52:11
b Rev 18:4
a 2 Sam 7:14; 1 Chr 17:13; Is 43:6; Hos 1:10
b Rom 8:14
[26]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, 2 Co 6:14-18 (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
b house: or, kindred
[29]The Holy Bible : King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., 1 Ti 5:8 (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995).
[30] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[31]Ibid…
a Ps 96:8; Jer 17:26
b Ps 22:25; 116:14; Eccl 5:4
a Ps 18:6
a Ps 51:19
b Num 6:14
1 Or cattle
a Ps 34:11
1 Or revere
b Ps 71:15, 24
1 Or praise was under my tongue
a Ps 30:1
1 Or had regarded
a Job 36:21; John 9:31
b Job 27:9; Ps 18:41; Prov 1:28; 28:9; Is 1:15; James 4:3
2 Or would
3 Or have heard
a Ps 18:6; 116:1, 2
a Ps 68:35
b Ps 22:24
[32] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Ps 66:13–20). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
g  Ps. 40:1; 62:5; [Lam. 3:26]
h  [Ps. 73:3–12]
i  [Eph. 4:26]
j  Ps. 73:3
2  destroyed
k  Ps. 25:13; Prov. 2:21; [Is. 57:13; 60:21; Matt. 5:5]
l  [Heb. 10:37]
m  Job 7:10; Ps. 37:35, 36
n  [Matt. 5:5]
o  Ps. 35:16
p  Ps. 2:4; 59:8
q  1 Sam. 26:10; Job 18:20
[33]  The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.
[34] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Testament Publications, Inc. www.messianicjewish.net/jntp. Distributed by Messianic Jewish Resources Int'l. www.messianicjewish.net. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.
[35] From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch: Moloch (representing Semitic מלך m-l-k, a Semitic root meaning "king") – also rendered as Molech, Molekh, Molok, Molek, Molock, Moloc, Melech, Milcom or Molcom – is the name of an ancient Ammonite god. Moloch worship was practiced by the Canaanites, Phoenician and related cultures in North Africa and the Levant. As a god worshipped by the Phoenicians and Canaanites, Moloch had associations with a particular kind of propitiatory child sacrifice by parents. Moloch figures in the Book of Deuteronomyand in the Book of Leviticus as a form of idolatry (Leviticus 18:21: "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Moloch"). In the Old Testament, Gehenna was a valley by Jerusalem, where apostate Israelites and followers of various Baalim and Caananite gods, including Moloch, sacrificed their children by fire (2 Chr. 28:3, 33:6; Jer. 7:31, 19:2–6).

[36] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[37] From Passage Guide, Ex 20:12, Logos Bible Software 5.1 SR-1 (51.0.0950) Copyright ©2000-2012 Logos Bible Software
[38] From the epistle “…Trayvon, George and the Ten Realities… Part One…” by David Robinson. See at : http://davidseedofabraham.blogspot.com/2013/07/trayvon-george-and-ten-realities-part.html
[39] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
[40] Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament R. Laird Harris, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., Bruce K. Waltke; MOODY PUBLISHERS CHICAGO © 1980 by The Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. Electronic Module by Costas Stergiou (root@theword.gr) for the Word Software. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
a  Matt 13:24
b  Matt 13:46
a  Matt 13:24
[41]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[42]  Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[43] Ibid…
[44] Ibid…
a Matt 22:37; Mark 12:29, 30; Luke 10:27
b Deut 4:35, 39; John 10:30; 1 Cor 8:4; Eph 4:6
a Matt 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27
b Deut 4:29; 10:12
a Deut 11:18
a Deut 4:9; 11:19; Eph 6:4
a Ex 12:14; 13:9, 16; Deut 11:18; Prov 3:3; 6:21; 7:3
1 Or frontlet bands
2 Lit between your eyes
a Deut 11:20
a Deut 9:1; 19:1; Josh 24:13; Ps 105:44
a Deut 8:10; 11:15; 14:29
a Deut 4:9
1 Lit slaves
a Deut 13:4; Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8
1 Or reverence
2 Or serve
b Deut 5:11; 10:20; Ps 63:11; Matt 5:33
a Jer 25:6
a Deut 4:24; 5:9
1 Lit destroy
a Matt 4:7; Luke 4:12
b Ex 17:7
a Deut 11:22; Ps 119:4
a Deut 4:40
[45]New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update, Dt 6:4-19 (LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
[46] Tortured for Christ by Richard Wurmbrand, Living Sacrifice Book Company ©1967,1998 by the Voice of the Martyrs, Inc. All rights reserved. Kindle® edition, location 637 of 2827.
[47] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[48] Verses 14, 15 and 16 are included in verse 13 in the Hebrew Scriptures.
[49] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.

a Matt 5:21, 33, 38, 43
b Ex 20:14; Deut 5:18
a 2 Sam 11:2–5; Job 31:1; Matt 15:19; James 1:14, 15
[50] New American Standard Bible: 1995 update. (1995). (Mt 5:27–28). LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[51] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.
[52] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
[53] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.
[54] ibid…
a  Deut 7:17
b  Jer 5:19; 16:10
c  Jer 2:17–19; 9:2–9
d  Is 47:2; Ezek 16:37; Nah 3:5
1  Or suffered violence
a  Prov 27:22; Is 1:5
b  Jer 4:22; 9:5
[55]  New American Standard Bible : 1995 Update. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995.
[56] Scripture quotations are taken from the Complete Jewish Bible, copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc Electronic edition, e-Sword 10.1.0, copyright ©200-2012 Rick Meyers; all rights reserved worldwide.
[57] Jeff A Benner, Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible, Hebrew Letters, Words and Roots Defined Within Their Ancient Cultural Context, ©2005 Jeff A. Benner, electronic edition, theWord, © 2003-2012 - Costas Stergiou Version 4.0.0.1342
c deny...: Heb. withhold not from me
e deny...: Heb. belie thee
[58]The Holy Bible : King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., Pr 30:7-9 (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995).
c Jabez: that is, Sorrowful
[59]The Holy Bible : King James Version., electronic ed. of the 1769 edition of the 1611 Authorized Version., 1 Ch 4:9-10 (Bellingham WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995).

No comments:

Post a Comment