Shalom all,

Amos 8:11-12 “See, days are coming,” declares the Master יהוה, “that I shall send a hunger in the land, not a hunger for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the Words of יהוה. 12 “And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from north to east – they shall diligently search, seeking the Word of יהוה, but they shall not find it.”

These words from the book of Amos are very striking indeed, especially as we consider the terrible consequences for there being a famine for the hearing of the Words of יהוה! As we consider how the majority in the world today are not hearing the True Words of יהוה it becomes clear that these prophetic words that were given through this prophet are certainly in effect. While many are diligently searching and seeking the Word of יהוה they are not finding it, simply because they do not have ears to hear what the Spirit says! By that I mean that while many may be diligently seeking and searching the Word of יהוה, the clear proof that they are not hearing the Words of יהוה is seen in their continued disobedience and the holding fast to the false traditions and dogmas of man, while the commands of Elohim are being forsaken! In a message called, ‘A FAMINE FOR THE WORD THAT IS ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE!’ I would like us to carefully consider the need to be a people who have ears to HEAR, in order that we can properly GUARD and DO the clear instructions and commands of Elohim and not be found to be a people that are ‘diligently searching and seeking yet never finding’, due to a turning their ears away from hearing the Torah!

We are told in Chapter 1 of the Book of Amos that Amos was a ‘herdsman from Teqowa’. Teqowa was a small town in the hill country of Yehuḏah. The name עָמוֹס Amos – Strong’s H5986 means ‘burden’ or ‘burden bearer’, as his name comes from the root עָמַס amas – Strong’s H6006 which means, ‘to load, carry a load, lift up and take a burden’; and at its root can carry the understanding of encouragement, as one would lift or carry the load of another!

This word עָמַס amas – Strong’s H6006 is used in:

Tehillah/Psalm 68:19 “Blessed be יהוה, day by day He bears our burden, the Ěl of our deliverance! Selah.”

We are also told to bear one another’s burdens in:

Galatiyim/Galatians 6:2 “Bear one another’s burdens, and so complete the Torah of Messiah.”

The word in Greek for ‘bear’ is βαστάζω  bastazō – Strong’s G941 – ‘take up, carry, bear, endure’.

From this we see the critical need for us to be a people who are lifted up and enlisted to serve Messiah must ‘lift each other up’ so that – WE COMPLETE THE TORAH OF MESSIAH!

The Hebrew word used for ‘herdsman’ is נֹקֵד noqeḏ – Strong’s H5349 which means, ‘sheep raiser, sheep dealer, sheep tender’, and literally speaks of one who manages the flock. תְּקוֹעַ Teqowa – Strong’s H8620 means, ‘a stockade’, and gives us a picture of ‘a sheepfold’, and comes from the root word תָּקַע taqa – Strong’s H8628 which means, ‘to thrust, clap, blow, give a blast, trumpeter’. I find this very interesting, as we are able to see that יהוה took a shepherd who knew how to count and look after sheep, from a place that can, at its root, mean “trumpet”, in order to loudly proclaim His Word to a people who were headed for destruction. This is a call we also see being given to Yeshayahu, in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, do not spare. Lift up your voice like a ram’s horn. Declare to My people their transgression, and the house of Yaʽaqoḇ their sins.”

This is exactly what Amos was called for! And in many ways, this is what we are all called for, as we are to be loud in our proclamation of the truth, bearing the burden of encouraging one another daily, as we look out for each other, warn each other and together raise the shout of our Coming King!

Amos was called by יהוה to announce His coming judgement upon Yisra’ĕl, and was given the clear job of calling them to repentance and turn from their sin and idolatry. Amos prophesied while both kingdoms of Yisra’ĕl were physically prospering and were expanding their territories, having taken hold of many important trade routes. As prosperous as they had become they were, at the same time, becoming more corrupt in their government and were exploiting the poor and needy; and worst of all, they had forgotten that they were a set-apart people unto יהוה.

Although they were seemingly very ‘religious’, it was all superficial. The prophetic ministry of Amos took place during the time that Yaroḇ’am, son of Yo’ash, was sovereign over the House of Yisra’ĕl. (Yaroḇ’am, son of Yo’ash, was the 13^th king of the House of Yisra’ĕl).

In the book of Amos we see the how Chapters 3, 4 & 5 all begin with the words: “Hear this word…”

In Chapter 3 & 5 this phrase is written in the Hebrew text as follows – שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר – shim’u eth–hadaḇar

In Chapter 4 of Amos the phrase, ‘Hear this Word’, is written in the Hebrew text as follows – שִׁמְעוּ הַדָּבָר – shim’u hadaḇar.

This phrase שִׁמְעוּ אֶת־הַדָּבָר – shim’u eth–hadaḇar is also written in one other passage of Scripture:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 10:1 “Hear the word which יהוה speaks to you, O house of Yisra’ĕl.”

The words of this chapter in Yirmeyahu are very clear and are words that the body of Messiah must still hear today!

Do not learn the ways of the nations and do not do what they do!!!

What we need to recognise is that the same message is, or ought to be, as loud and clear today – “Hear this word!!!” – Sadly we find that most are not hearing! And having said that we therefore need to be reminded of the repeated phrase we see being given by our Master, in calling His Bride out from among the nations:  He who has ears let him hear…!

These were not ‘nice ear tickling words’ that Amos and Yirmeyahu had to deliver to a stubborn and hard of hearing people – these were heart cutting, bone cutting messages that they gave – words that need to be spoken today, in order to get a lost and deceived people to return to יהוה.

The word that is translated as ‘hear’ is שִׁמְעוּ – ‘shim’u’ – which comes from the root verb שָׁמַע  shama – Strong’s H8085 which does not just mean ‘hear’, but rather it means,  ‘to listen with attention, comprehend and discern, give heed to what is being spoken’. Here it is written in the active voice which is a very clear command to ‘listen up’.

The rebellious and defiled do not have ears to hear, and are therefore giving no attention to what has been written in the Word and taking no heed to what is being spoken by the voice of יהוה! If they did listen attentively, as they should, they would not be so stupid and foolish, for anyone who is truly listening to what the Spirit is saying in the Word of Elohim will be very careful to guard uprightness and pursue set-apartness, in order to find themselves being hidden in יהוה on the day of His coming wrath!

The Hebrew word אֵת eth – Strong’s H853 is a word that is seen as an ‘untranslated participle’, and is used as a direct object marker for which we have no equivalent in English, therefore this is used as a sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative, which is the grammatical case that marks the direct object of a verb or the object of any or several prepositions. It is the Words of יהוה that Yisra’ĕl are called to listen attentively to!

The Hebrew word used here for ‘this word’ is הַדָּבָר– hadaḇar which comes from the noun דָּבָר daḇar – Strong’s H1697 meaning, ‘speech, word, commandment, chronicles, message’ which in its primitive root verb form – דָּבַר daḇar – Strong’s H1696 means, ‘to speak, command, counsel, declare, proclaimed, converse, warn, threaten, promise’.

The 5^th book of the Torah (Deuteronomy), which is called “DEḆARIM” – דְּבָרִים –, is the plural of the word דָּבָר daḇar – Strong’s H1697. The Word of Elohim (which includes the collection of all His instructions contained throughout the Scriptures) is that which washes us, teaches us, and trains us in righteousness and causes us to be a people who have ears to hear the very Word that has been made abundantly available to us by the Blood of Messiah!!!

As we consider this word – דְּבָרִים Deḇarim– plural of the word דָּבָר daḇar – Strong’s H1697, in the ancient pictographic script, we are able to recognise the importance of the Word of Elohim, and how it is His Word that prepares us as His ready Bride!

In the ancient script the word דְּבָרִים Deḇarim, looks like this:

Dalet – דְּ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as a ‘tent door’. It can also have the meaning of a back and forth movement, as one goes back and forth through a tent door; and so speaks of an access point. It can also carry the meaning of ‘dangle’ or hanging, as the tent door would hang from the roof pole of the tent. It speaks a great deal of understanding the door of the tent of appointment as the only means of access, showing us the importance of the Appointed Times/Feasts of יהוה. Therefore our need to gather as we are commanded to, is the starting point for us to embrace, learn and understand what His Word teaches and instructs us to do.

Beyt – בָ:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself. We also recognise that the House/Dwelling Place of Elohim is the body of Elohim that is built up as living stones in our Master, יהושע Messiah. A house/tent speaks of your family and to whom you belong and under whom you submit and adhere to, as the House of Elohim has clear instructions for those in the House! The Light (that is His Word) is for those in the House!

Resh – רִ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘the head of a man’ and has the meaning of the head of a man as well as ‘chief, top, begging or first’. It means ‘top’, as in the top or head of a body, and ‘chief’, as in a head of a tribe or people; as well as the one who rules the people. Every House has a head of the home, and all in the House submit to the instructions of the One who is head of the home, listening to and obeying the words that the Head speaks!

Yod – י:

The ancient script has this letter as  which is ‘an arm and hand’, and carries the meaning of ‘work, make, throw’, from the primary functions of the arm and hand, and it also represents worship or giving thanks in the extending of hands as a gesture of this. The work of one’s hands is the basic meaning of this letter! And this letter also pictures for us the outstretched Arm and working Hand of Elohim that is not too short to save!

Mem – ם:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. Water is also a very clear picture for us of that which washes or cleanses us, as we understand from the picture of the bronze laver in the Tabernacle that was used to clean the priests, and was made from the bronze mirrors that was used by the women who worshipped at the Door of the Tabernacle. As we look into the mirror of the Word of Elohim, we are to allow it to cleanse us and cause us to remember how we are to look, speak and act, in complete adherence to His clear words of instructions contained therein!

As we consider the very powerful word – דְּבָרִים Deḇarim – in the ancient pictographic text, we are able to grasp a fuller understanding of the importance of the Words of Elohim, and we are able to see from the collection of these letters the following:

AS WE COME TO THE DOOR (MESSIAH), AND GUARD HIS APPOINTED TIMES/FEASTS THAT ARE COMMANDED FOR THE HOUSE/DWELLING PLACE OF ELOHIM, WE SUBMIT UNDER THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE/BODY, FOR IT IS BY HIS OUTSTRETCHED ARM AND HAND THAT WE ARE DELIVERED OUT OF THE NATIONS AND CLEANSED TO BE A SET-APART BRIDE, THAT SUBMITS TO THE COMPLETE AUTHORITY OF THE WORDS OF OUR MASTER AND KING!

The reason for me highlighting this word in the ancient pictographic lettering is to highlight how important it is for us to have ears to hear the Word of Elohim!

יהוה had certainly given Yisra’ĕl a great physical blessing, but more than all the blessing that they had received physically – He gave them His Word through Mosheh and the Prophets. His Word was available to all His people and they were called to bear the fruit of that. It is no different today – His Word is available to all! Yet in Amos 8:10 He tells Amos that He would turn their festivals into mourning – why? Because they did not eat of His Word!

Today we too have the abundant fruit of His Word that is readily available to us and if we do not eat of it – we will not bear any good fruit that ought to last. We are to eat daily of His Word and we cannot rely on past meals for today, so to speak, and expect to survive!  For many, the only word they are ‘seemingly eating’ is that which they may hear on Shabbat – if their ears are actually open and they are not being distracted by the world and the deceit of riches and the pressures of life that they face! If you do not eat of His Word it is an offense to Him and you will not be able to live fruitfully! יהושע said in Yoḥanan:

Yoḥanan/John 6: 53-58 “I am the living bread which came down out of the heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever. And indeed, the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Yehuḏim, therefore, were striving with one another, saying, “How is this One able to give us His flesh to eat?” 53 יהושע therefore said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Aḏam and drink His blood, you possess no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood possesses everlasting life, and I shall raise him up in the last day. 55 “For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood stays in Me, and I in him. 57 “As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me shall live because of Me. 58 “This is the bread which came down out of the heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread shall live forever.”

He also said, quoting from Deḇarim/Deuteronomy while being tempted, in:

Luqas/Luke 4:4 “But יהושע answered him, saying, “It has been written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of Elohim.’” (Deḇarim/Dueteronomy 8:3)

We live by EVERY WORD of Elohim – it is really sad to see how so many have been so misled into believing that the Tanak is not needed any longer! We are to live be EVERY WORD of ELOHIM for without it we shall not live and without it we shall not be able to bear the fruit of righteousness that ought to be borne in abundance!

If you neglect His word the He sends a famine for the hearing of His Word! Yisra’ĕl had ‘heard’ but it did not change them, or rather they refused to change, and so would find themselves in a famine for hearing!

What is said in Yeshayahu is true even still today: Hearing but not hearing!

In Amos8:11 the famine that would be sent because of the lack of pure fruit was not a hunger for bread or a thirst for water but for a hearing of the Word. We know that ‘bread’ represents the community or the body of Messiah and ‘water’ often speaks of the teaching of the Torah, as we are washed in the Word and cleansed. Yisra’ĕl had the Hěḵal (Temple) and they had the Torah teachings, yet they did not HEAR – GUARD and DO! This same problem still exists today!

There is still today plenty of ‘Bread’ and ‘Water’, so to speak, as there are many assemblies to choose from and there is plenty of Torah instruction available – yet what is lacking in a great way is true obedience to His commands!!!

The Word of Elohim is abundantly available yet many are diligently seeking and not finding, which highlights the clear effects of a famine for the Word that has been sent by Elohim as a clear form of discipline, calling for those who have ears to hear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the assemblies!!!

Amos8:12 goes on and tells us that they would wander from sea to sea! In other words, we are able to take note how this can be clearly seen by many who are ‘knowledge hunters’, so to speak, as they seek the latest teaching and will go a great distance for it too; or they will fall into the trap of rabbinical insights thinking or Christian catechisms and dogmas, thinking that by seeking them that it will enhance their learning, while others may even try to decode the Scriptures. The Word is not far off or hidden – it is simple and plain for those who simply choose to have ears to hear.

We are continually amazed at how the Father grows His called out ones who have ears to hear, as we see that if we are simply obedient to hear, guard and do the Word, then the plainer the Word becomes for us.

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 30: 11-14 “For this command which I am commanding you today, it is not too hard for you, nor is it far off. 12 “It is not in the heavens, to say, ‘Who shall ascend into the heavens for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ 13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, to say, ‘Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it to us, and cause us to hear it, so that we do it?’ 14 “For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it.”

Sadly too many do not want to obey – that is to HEAR – GUARD – DO!

A famine is often an opportunity to teach us to seek יהוה and live, depending upon where our eyes are fixed!

The word used for famine is רָעָב ra’aḇ – Strong’s H7458 meaning, ‘famine, hunger, famished’. What is interesting to take note of is that in Hebrew the word for ‘abundance’ is רַב raḇ – Strong’s H7227 which means, ‘many, abundance, much, great, abounding, plentiful’.  As you will notice is that the difference between these two words is one letter – the letter ‘ayin’ – עָ – which in the ancient Hebrew text is pictured as an ‘eye’ with the meaning, ‘to see’; and so here we can learn the clear difference between being in a place of famine or a place of abundance is determined by where are eyes are focused upon – if we take our eyes off of the Truth the danger of famine can become very real in our lives as we look to the flesh and circumstances above the Word and His promises that are sure in Messiah as we walk in obedience!

The famine for the Word that יהוה sends is not because His Word is not available but because those who ought to hear have turned their ear away from hearing His Word and as a result suffer the damaging effects of a famine, as a famine brings destruction, pestilence and even death!

The Hebrew root word רַב raḇ – Strong’s H7227, meaning ‘abundance, great’ is used in:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have those loving Your Torah, and for them there is no stumbling-block.”

The reason for me mentioning this verse is to highlight something extremely important! Those who love the Torah of Elohim have ‘great’ – רַב raḇ – Strong’s H7227 – peace and have no stumbling blocks!!! With this clear statement we can therefore see that those who do not love the Torah of Elohim will not have great peace but will have many stumbling blocks and be in distress due to a famine for the hearing of the Word!

What becomes clear to us is that a famine for the Word that is sent by Elohim is not a result of there being no Word but as a result of there being no love for the Word and therefore being handed over to the delusion of lies and hypocrisy as taught by vain and false traditions and dogmas of man!

Great emphasis is being placed here in Tehillah/Psalm 119:165 on how much peace that those loving the Torah have!

In Hebrew the word that is translated here as ‘peace’ is the word שָׁלוֹם shalom – Strong’s H7965 which means, ‘wholeness, completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, health, prosperity, well-being, safety, protection’, which comes from the primitive root verb שָׁלֵם shalem – Strong’s H7999 which means, ‘to be complete or sound, rewarded, make full restitution’.

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 26:3 “The one steadfast of mind You guard in perfect peace, for he trusts in You.”

The Hebrew text is written as follows:

יֵצֶר סָמוּךְ תִּצֹּר שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם כִּי בְךָ בָּטוּחַ  –  ‘yetser samuḥ titsor shalom shalom ki ḇeḵa batuaḥ’ and can be literally translated as: ‘he whose mind is steadfast you keep in perfect peace, because in you he trusts’

The term ‘perfect peace’ is translated from the repetition of the word ‘shalom’. Yeshayahu was picturing himself standing in the redeemed land with the remnant, listening to the people express their thanks to and confidence in יהוה our Saviour! And the true thanks of the reality of the deliverance being made complete for those who are steadfast in mind is expressed in the complete shalom that is experienced by those who trust in יהוה. Those loving the Torah have perfect peace and are not shaken by threatening circumstances but stand firm on the Rock of their deliverance!

The root meaning of shalom is to be whole or sound, and this leads to various translations that speak of completeness, wholeness, well-being, welfare and peace. Shalom also includes the idea of vigour and vitality in all dimensions of life.

Shalom carries a wealth of meaning that is almost impossible to summarise in a few sittings, yet the concept of shalom entails a completeness and wholeness in our Master and elohim, who has redeemed us from enslavement to the chaos of sin!

In the ancient text the word שָׁלוֹם shalom looks like this:

Shin – שֵׁ:

This is the letter ‘shin’ which in the ancient script is pictured as , which is ‘two front teeth’ and carries the meaning of ‘sharp or press, chew or devour’; which is what the teeth do, and also speaks of the sharpened word that comes forth from the mouth as the teeth ‘chew’ or ‘meditate’  on the Truth, making what comes forth pure and sharp! It also carries the understanding of consuming or destroying – as teeth do to food.

Lamed – לֵ:

The ancient script has this letter as , and is pictured as a ‘shepherd’s staff’, can give the meaning of ‘to or toward’ and can represent that which pushes or pulls a flock in a direction, and can speak of authority or a yoke that is used to lead and guide, as well as the ability to bring back by Authority.

Waw/Vav – וּ:

This is the Hebrew letter ‘waw’ or ‘vav’ which in the ancient script is pictured as  , which is a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’ as well as ‘bind’.

Mem – מ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘water’, and also carries the meaning of ‘chaos’ (from the storms of the sea) and can also picture that which is mighty or massive as well as the unknown. We are also able to understand this letter as representing the nations, for the nations are often likened to the seas in Scripture. Knowing this letter represents ‘water’, we are also able to see how this can render for us the meaning of ‘washing’ or ‘cleansing’.

Now when looking at this word in the ancient pictographic script, we are able to recognise what the true Shalom of Elohim brings and does for us, for its ancient meaning could be rendered, among others, as follows:

THAT WHICH DESTROYS OR BREAKS THE FALSE AUTHORITY THAT BOUND US TO THE CHAOS OF THE NATIONS!

And further renders the meaning:

THE WORD OF THE GOOD SHEPHERD THAT SECURES FOR US A COMPLETE CLEANSING!

This word speaks of a complete restoration of what was lost and broken and ensures the provision for what is needed to make one whole and complete, lacking nought! For we have been given all we need for life and reverence, having been grafted into the Covenant of Peace by the Blood of Messiah!

The Hebrew word for ‘stumbling block’ is מִכְשׁוֹל miḵshol – Strong’s H4383 which means, ‘a stumbling, a means or occasion of stumbling, obstacle’, and comes from the root verb כָּשַׁל kashal – Strong’s H3782 meaning, ‘stumble, totter, stagger, bring down, failing, weakening’, and is used to describe the ‘weak knees’ in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 35:3 “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the weak knees.”

In the parable of the sower we take note of the seed that falls on rocky places:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 13:20-21 “And that sown on rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived, and when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

The Greek word that is translated here as ‘stumbles’ is σκανδαλίζω  skandalizō – Strong’s G4624 which means, ‘to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way upon which another may trip and fall’, and metaphorically can mean, ‘to offend’. It also carries the meaning, ‘fall away, led into sin, stumble, to cause another or be caused to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey’.

Some people stumble under pressure due to hands that are weakened by deceit when persecution comes and then quickly compromise. Rocky hearts that have no ability to let the Word take root in their lives and quickly stumble when pressure and persecution, BECAUSE OF THE WORD, arises.

This Greek word σκανδαλίζω  skandalizō – Strong’s G4624 comes from the root word σκάνδαλον skandalon – Strong’s G4625 which means, ‘a snare, stumbling block, offense’, and it is this word that is used in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of the Tanak – O.T.) for ‘stumbling block’ in Tehillah/Psalm 119:165.

What we can therefore see from these words in Tehillah/Psalm 119 is that those loving the Torah of Elohim can be likened to those who are represented by the good soil, as they hear the Word, understand it by doing it and bear much fruit of obedience, along with the assurance of a complete shalom!

In the opening verse of Tehillah/Psalm 78 we see the following:

Tehillah/Psalm 78:1 “My people, give ear to my Torah, incline your ears to the words of my mouth.”

These words echo the continued call throughout Scripture, which calls people to turn their ear to the hearing of the Torah!

Shemoth/Exodus 19:5-6 “And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples – for all the earth is Mine – 6 ‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ĕl.”
These verses make it very clear – for us to truly be a treasured possession of the Most High, we are to make sure that we obey His voice and guard His Covenant.

In the above verse the root word שָׁמַע ‘shama’ is used twice in a row, which means to ‘hear, listen and obey’. The structure is as follows:

אִם־שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמְעוּ  – ‘im-shamoa tishmau’ which literally translates as: “If hearing, you shall hear” and this reminds me of how often we see the term being used in Ḥazon/Revelation to the assemblies: “He who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says.”

The call here is to hear the depths of what is being spoken – hear the spirit that lies behind the letter! Now if people are not even listening to the letter, how are they ever going to hear what the Spirit says!!!

Turning our ears properly to the correct hearing of the Word will cause us to be a people that HEAR, GUARD and Do the Word and walk in the perfect shalom of our Master, no matter what we face! As we hear attentively, as we should, and obey the Word then our understanding of the Word increases tremendously, causing us to be continually nourished and fed by daily meditating upon the Torah of Elohim, equipped to be prosperous in all we do!

Despite the abundant supply of the Word of Elohim being made freely available to all who respond to the call of the Master, many have turned their ear away from hearing the Torah and in doing so will find themselves in a famine, where their words will not be heard!

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 28:9 “He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.”

This parable is one that many have turned their ears from hearing, literally! So many today claim that the Torah is no longer valid and simply view the Torah and the prophets simply as good stories while they do not recognise the need to hear, guard and do what is instructed therein!

This parable is a severe warning against turning one’s ear from hearing the Torah! The concept of turning one’s ear from hearing the Torah implies one who does not hear and do what the Torah says. There are many who may hear the words of the Torah and even read the ‘stories’ of what they call the ‘Old Testament’, yet by their refusal to guard to do what is commanded therein is also understood as turning one’s ear from hearing the Torah!

The Hebrew root verb for ‘turns away’ סוּר sur – Strong’s H5493 meaning, ‘turn, turn aside, depart from a way, avoid, be removed from, put away’, and is used in Scripture in reference to ‘putting away’ that which we should not be associated with, which highlights the truth that many who claim that the Torah has been ‘done away with’ and is no longer necessary to keep are turning away from hearing the Torah!

The Hebrew word used here for ‘ear’ is the word אֹזֶן ozen – Strong’s H241 which means, ‘an ear, hear, attentive, closely, recite, reveal’ and comes from the root verb אָזַן azan – Strong’s H238 which means, ‘to give, ear, listen, pay attention, perceived by ear’, and while this also carries the meaning to listen and listen attentively, it literally means to ‘cup the ear’ – in other words give your complete attention and be obedient to take it all in.

To turn one’s ear away from hearing the Torah is to turn one’s ear away from hearing the clear and vital instructions of Elohim. Those who do this seek out false teachers who will tickle their ears with things they want to hear and reject the clear Truth of the Torah of Elohim that is to be heard and obeyed!

Timotiyos Bět/2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For there shall be a time when they shall not bear sound teaching, but according to their own desires, they shall heap up for themselves teachers tickling the ear 4 and they shall indeed turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to myths.”

Refusing to hear the Torah of Elohim and guard to do what His Torah instructs will result in one’s prayers not being heard, as we also take note of the clear rebuke given to s stubborn people who refused to listen to the Torah:

Zeḵaryah/Zechariah 7:11-13 “But they refused to listen, and they shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears from hearing. 12 “And they made their hearts like flint against hearing the Torah, and the words, which יהוה of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. Therefore great wrath came from יהוה of hosts. 13 “And it came to be: as He called and they did not hear, so let them call, but I shall not hear,” said יהוה of hosts.”

Those who turn away from the hearing of the Torah, which implies a hearing and a guarding to do what is heard from the Torah, are being vain in their attempted prayers, for their prayers are an abomination to יהוה!

Those who hear, guard and do the commands of Elohim are heard by Elohim:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:22 “And whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we guard His commands and do what is pleasing in His sight.”

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 15:29 “יהוה is far from the wrong ones, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.”

He hears the prayers of the righteous! The righteous are those who walk in and guard righteousness, and we are clearly told what righteousness is for us, in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:25 “And it is righteousness for us when we guard to do all this command before יהוה our Elohim, as He has commanded us.”

Why is it then, if His Word is abundantly available, that He has sent a famine for His Word? The answer is very simple – people do not love Elohim and have not received a love for the truth, as they have been blinded by the delusion of lawlessness which promotes the turning away from pure obedience to the Torah by the evil, misguided and corrupt teachings of lawlessness as promoted through vain dogmas and traditions of man!

Tas’loniqim Bět/2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved. 11 And for this reason Elohim sends them a working of delusion, for them to believe the falsehood,  12 in order that all should be judged who did not believe the truth, but have delighted in the unrighteousness.”  

A famine is sent due to a lack of proper love for Elohim, despite the vain lip service that is rendered by many who diligently seek and search for the Word of יהוה in man-made systems of religious worship, which they will not find!

His pure Living Word will only be found through proper obedience and the attentive hearing of the Word caused by a love for Elohim! And this is love for Elohim…:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:2-3 “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard His commands. 3 For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy”

As we carefully consider the words of Elohim that we see being given to us through Amos and recognise how there is certainly a famine for the Word of Elohim we are able to identify that there are many who may claim to know and love Elohim, yet due to a lack of hearing as they should, have been handed over to the famine sent by Elohim. This in itself should cause an awakening of sorts within the ears of many and at the same time issue a severe warning against the turning away of one’s ear from hearing the Torah of Elohim!

In the days of Amos we take note how materialism, moral and religious corruption had caused Yisra’ĕl to turn their ears from hearing the Torah and as a result a famine for the hearing of the Word was decreed and this we are able to see happening in our generation today… as we see…

A FAMINE FOR THE WORD THAT IS ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE!

As we all take careful consideration in regards to the words of Elohim as spoken through Amos, the herdsman from Teqowa, may we make sure that we have ears to hear attentively to the Word of Elohim, after all He has made it freely available for all and in Him He has given us life abundantly… keep your ears open to our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah, and keep them turned away from falsehood as you HEAR, GUARD and DO ALL our Mighty Elohim commands!!!

It is time to guard righteousness and seek Elohim and His Kingdom with all we have, for then we shall never lack or be in famine but be well nourished and established as His own!

Tehillah/Psalm 34:10 “Young lions have lacked and been hungry; but those who seek יהוה lack not any good matter.”

Mattithyahu/Matthew 5:6 “Young lions have lacked and been hungry; But those who seek יהוה lack not any good matter.”

A FAMINE FOR THE WORD THAT IS ABUNDANTLY AVAILABLE!

How hungry are you? Let not a famine be upon you but rather a shalom that is complete in our Master, as you have ears to hear and obey!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show you favour; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you Shalom!

Shalom all,

Tehillah/Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is the man to whom יהוה imputes no crookedness, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.”

These words form part of a Psalm that has the title: לְדָוִד מַשְׂכִּיל – le Dawiḏ maskiyl – ‘of Dawiḏ, maskiyl’ and some translations have the title as: ‘a Psalm of Dawiḏ, maskiyl’ or, ‘A maskiyl of Dawiḏ’.

I just want to remind you that the name of דָּוִד Dawiḏ – Strong’s H1732 means, ‘beloved, beloved one’ and the Hebrew term – מַשְׂכִּיל maskiyl – Strong’s H4905 means, ‘a song or poem of contemplation’. This Tehillah/Psalm can therefore be rendered as a poem or song of contemplation of the beloved. We can all identify with this Psalm, especially as we understand that this psalm or poem of contemplation is usually classified as a thanksgiving prayer, offered by a man who has had his sins forgiven, as shown by the fact that יהוה had healed him. The Merriam Webster’s collegiate dictionary defines the word ‘contemplation’ as, ‘the concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion’ as well as, ‘the act of considering with attention, the act of regarding steadily, study’.

The reason I am mentioning this is to simply highlight how we are all able to contemplate what our Master has done for us, especially as we consider the blessing that is being declared in the opening two verses of this contemplative poem, as the first verse states:

Tehillah/Psalm 32:2 “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.”

How often do you contemplate on the redemptive work of our Master, Elohim and Saviour, יהושע Messiah?

Part of our contemplation should cause us to study the Word and seek to please our Master in every way, so that we can do our utmost at doing His desire, which is our set-apartness!

Tas’loniqim Aleph/1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 “For this is the desire of Elohim: your set-apartness! – that you should abstain from whoring,  4 that each one of you should know how to possess his own vessel in set-apartness and respect, 5 not in passion of lust, like the gentiles who do not know Elohim”

We must pursue set-apartness and not be like those who do not know Elohim! How do we know that we know Elohim? The answer is clearly given to us in:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 2:4-5 “The one who says, “I know Him,” and does not guard His commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever guards His Word, truly the love of Elohim has been perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.”

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:2-4 “By this we know that we love the children of Elohim, when we love Elohim and guard His commands. 3 For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy, 4 because everyone having been born of Elohim overcomes the world. And this is the overcoming that has overcome the world: our belief.”

These words we find in Yoḥanan Aleph/ 1 John are very clear and actually easy to understand, yet so many fail to recognise how simple it is! To know Elohim is to guard His commands, for love for Elohim is to guard His commands. We also know that the Master tells us that those who ‘work lawlessness’ will be told to depart from Him, for He never knew them, despite them thinking that they knew/know Him!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. 22 “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ 23 “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’”

Once again, these words may certainly sound very familiar to most of you and may be wondering why I am even mentioning these verses. The simple reason is that while many may claim to know our Master and consider themselves cleansed from sin, they still continue to sin and compromise as they struggle to let go of the things of the flesh and end up doing what the world does, despite their confession of belief!

As Yoḥanan teaches us, it is through the proper guarding of the commands that true believers overcome, for true believers and taught ones of Messiah show their belief through the proper works of obedience in righteousness and do not render a vain lip service that bears no fruit of repentance from dead works!

There are many today who will claim that they have a strong belief in Elohim yet their ‘works’ deny the Master as they do not ‘work righteousness’! This is why Ya’aqoḇ made it clear in his letter that he would show his belief by what he does:

Ya’aqoḇ/James 2:18 “But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works.”

He goes on to say that even the demons believe that Elohim is One and they shudder… yet it is only fools who ‘believe’ that they are ‘saved by grace’ and then refuse to submit to the Torah and guard the commands, revealing that they have no true fear of Elohim!

Our ‘works of belief’ matter, despite what the false and twisted theologies of man claim under a falsified presentation of what ‘grace/favour’ actually entails. What we do does count, especially as we daily ‘count the cost’ of staying in Elohim and walking in the Truth! Having said that, we must therefore recognise how importance our set-apartness and the pursuit thereof actually is for us! It is therefore necessary to make sure that we put off the false and be dressed in righteousness and no longer conform to the pattern or the world but be transformed by the renewing our minds!

Coming back to the contemplative poem of Tehillah/Psalm 32 we often need to take time to truly consider the blessing of having our transgression forgiven and our sin covered and how blessed is the man in whom יהוה imputes no crookedness and in whose spirit is no deceit! What struck me, while contemplating on this poem of Dawiḏ, was the blessing of having no deceit in one’s spirit and so, with a reasonably long introduction out of the way, what I would like to do is take a closer look at this, in a message called: ‘NO DECEIT!’

Before taking a look at the term ‘deceit’, I just want to highlight some of the words that we see being used in Tehillah/Psalm 32:1-2:

TRANSGRESSION:

The Hebrew word used here for ‘transgression’ is פֶּשַׁע pesha – Strong’s H6588 which means, ‘rebellion, breach of trust’, and speaks of one’s outright breach of trust and rebellion to walking in the Truth!

While most of us, in fact all of us, were in complete breach of trust as we walked in rebellion by not guarding the Torah of Elohim, we are able to see that by His great love for us, our Master and Saviour has given us the ability to walk upright in Him and be covered in His Blood that cleanses us, as we walk in Him and stay in Him, which is to love Him as we guard His commands!!!

Blessed in the man whose rebellion and breach of trust has been forgiven! The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘forgiven’ is נְשׂוּי – nesui which comes from the root verb נָשָׂא nasa – Strong’s H5375 which means ‘lift up, carry, take up, exalt, and accept’.

SIN:

The Hebrew word used here for ‘sin’ is חֲטָאָה ḥataah – which comes from the root word חָטָא ḥata – Strong’s H2398 which means, ‘to miss the mark, do wrong, incur guilt, fail to reach’, and when understanding that the root meaning of ‘Torah’ means to aim or point in the right direction and move in that direction, one can clearly see that to sin is to walk against, or walk contrary to, the Torah, for:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:4 “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

When shooting an arrow or other object to a target, the distance that one misses is measured with a cord. The wrong actions of one are also measured against the correct action! The Torah is, in a manner of speaking, the ‘chord’ or ‘plumb-line’ that we are ‘measured against’; for we would not know what we have missed if there were no measuring line to guide and instruct us! Sinners are those who walk contrary to the Torah and ‘miss the mark’, so to speak, of the called for set-apartness and obedience to the Torah.  

The root word that is used here for ‘covered’ is כָּסָה kasa – Strong’s H3680 which means, ‘to cover, conceal, clothe, hide, forgive’.

CROOKEDNESS:

The Hebrew word used here in Tehillah/Psalm 32:2 for ‘crookedness’ is עָוֹן avon – Strong’s H5771 meaning, ‘iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity, blame, perversity, depravity’, which comes from the root verb עָוָה avah – Strong’s H5753 which means, ‘to twist, bend, distort, make crooked, pervert’.

Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 18:30 “Therefore I judge you, O house of Yisra’ĕl, every one according to his ways,” declares the Master יהוה. “Repent, and turn back from all your transgressions, and let not crookedness be a stumbling-block to you.”

This was a call to repent and not let crookedness be a stumbling block, showing us that the clear call was to guard loving-commitment and truth in order that their crookedness could be pardoned!

It is a blessing when crookedness no longer becomes a stumbling block in one’s path! By that I mean that it is truly a blessing to walk in the Truth and not have the stumbling blocks of twisted and perverse teachings of man that seek only to nullify the commands of Elohim!

In another Tehillah we see the psalmist declaring the following:

Tehillah/Psalm 130:3-4 “O Yah, if You should watch crookednesses, O יהוה, who would stand? 4 But with You there is forgiveness, that You might be feared.”

It is a blessing to receive the forgiveness for our perverted crooked ways and therefore must recognise how important it is to guard righteousness and have no crookedness imputed/reckoned to us!

Sha’ul understood this blessing being declared here in this contemplative poem:

Romiyim/Romans 4:7-8 “Blessed are those whose lawlessnesses are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, 8 blessed is the man to whom יהוה shall by no means reckon sin.”

Lawlessnesses forgiven, sins covered and no sin reckoned – what a blessing!!! Our Master redeemed us from lawlessness, as Sha’ul writes, in:

Titos/Titus 2:11-14 “For the saving Gift of Elohim has appeared to all men, 12 instructing us to renounce wickedness and worldly lusts, and to live sensibly, righteously, and reverently in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed expectation and esteemed appearance of the great Elohim and our Saviour יהושע Messiah, 14 who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a people, His own possession, ardent for good works.”

We have been redeemed from ALL lawlessness and have been cleansed so that we are now equipped and enabled to walk in the Torah, not continue in lawlessness!!!

And this brings me to the word that I want us to take a closer look at – DECEIT!

While we contemplate on the clear blessing of having no crookedness imputed to us, transgressions and sins forgiven and covered, we are reminded that there is now no condemnation for those who are in Messiah! Those who are ‘in’ Messiah יהושע do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit and in doing so they guard the clear commands of Elohim and no longer walk as the nation’s walk! To do this we need to make sure that there is no deceit in our spirit!

The Hebrew word for ‘deceit’ is רְמִיָּה remiyyah – Strong’s H7423 which means, ‘deceit, treachery, slothful, slack, idle’, which comes from the root verb רָמָה ramah – Strong’s H7411 which means, ‘to beguile, betray, deal treacherously with’.

This noun – רְמִיָּה remiyyah – Strong’s H7423 – can also mean, ‘deceit or treachery, as in the state or condition of causing something that is false to be believed as true (in both word and action) and so mislead many’.

Tehillah/Psalm 101:7 “He who practises deceit does not dwell in my house; He who speaks lies does not stand in my presence.”

Practising deceit and speaking lies and falsehood will keep you out of the House of Elohim!!!

Deceit is clearly associated with lies and hypocrisy – the very things that Elohim hates!

Qolasim/Colossians 3:9 “Do not lie to each other, since you have put off the old man with his practices”

At this time of year deceit is increasingly highlighted as we see many who are misled through the promotion of falsehood and lies of vain traditions of man that are taught and presented as truth!

We are to make sure that we do not have deceit on our lips or in our actions. Iyoḇ said the following, in:

Iyoḇ/Job 27:3-4 “as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of Eloah in my nostrils, 4 my lips do not speak unrighteousness, nor my tongue utter deceit.”

The clear promise of a clean lip being restored to the remnant is given in:

Tsephanyah/Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant of Yisra’ĕl shall do no unrighteousness and speak no falsehood, nor is a tongue of deceit found in their mouth. For they shall feed their flocks and lie down, with none to frighten them.”

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘deceit’ here is תַּרְמִית tarmiyth – Strong’s H8649 which means, ‘deceitfulness, deception, delusion’ and is also derived from the root verb רָמָה ramah – Strong’s H7411

This word תַּרְמִית tarmiyth – Strong’s H8649 is used 6 times in Scripture and I will highlight the other 5 verses where we see it being used:

Shophetim/Judges 9:31 “And he sent messengers to Aḇimeleḵ by deceit, saying, “See, Gaʽal son of Eḇeḏ and his brothers have come to Sheḵem. And see, they are besieging the city against you.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 8:5-8 “Why then has this people, Yerushalayim, turned away in a continual backsliding? They cling to deceit, they refuse to turn back. 6 “I have listened and heard – they do not speak right. No man has repented of his evil, saying, ‘What have I done?’ They all turned to their own course, like a horse rushing into battle. 7 “Even a stork in the heavens knows her appointed times. And a turtledove, and a swallow, and a thrush observe the time of their coming. But My people do not know the right-ruling of יהוה . 8 “How do you say, ‘We are wise, and the Torah of יהוה is with us’? But look, the false pen of the scribe has worked falsehood.”

Here we are able to get a very vivid picture of what we see happening today, as many are also clinging to deceit and refuse to turn back to walking in obedience to the Torah of Elohim as the false pens of many scribes and translators have worked falsehood, deceiving many with a ‘lawless grace’! The deceit that most are clinging to has caused them to not know the right-rulings of Elohim and in deceit they make the vain excuse, ‘but it has been done away with’!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 14:14 “Then יהוה said to me, “The prophets prophesy falsehood in My Name. I have not sent them, nor commanded them, nor spoken to them. They are prophesying to you a false vision, worthless divination, and the deceit of their own heart.”

Not only had the false pens of the scribes worked falsehood, the prophets were prophesying falsehood in the Name of יהוה, which He had not sent, spoken to or given command to. They just simply prophesied false visions from the deceit of their own hearts! This is happening today as we see so many false prophesies and visions being given when יהוה has not spoken! Many will use the Word of Elohim deceitfully in order to push their false visions of an assumed peace and their false messages do not line up with the clear pattern of Scripture! Sadly many are deceived as they simply follow what they are told and are unable to rightly divide the truth and discern against deceit, for they know not the right-rulings of Elohim because the false prophets and false teachers and false shepherds have muddied the waters and taught deceit, treachery and falsehood!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 23:26-27 “Till when shall it be in the heart of the prophets? – the prophets of falsehood and prophets of the deceit of their own heart, 27 who try to make My people forget My Name by their dreams which everyone relates to his neighbour, as their fathers forgot My Name for Baʽal.”

The deceit that is coming forth from the hearts of false prophets and false teachers continue to cause people to forget the Name of יהוה – for Ba’al!!!

The Hebrew word בַּעַל ba’al – Strong’s H1167 means, ‘owner, lord, master, land owner’, and at its root form it means, ‘to marry, rule over, husband’. We also take note that the name בַּעַל Ba’al – Strong’s H1168, as it is used in this verse from Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 23:27, was the name of a Phoenician deity and as a name it can be rendered from the Hebrew into English as ‘The Lord’!!!

Melaḵim Aleph/1 Kings 18:21 “And Ěliyahu came to all the people, and said, “How long would you keep hopping between two opinions? If יהוה is Elohim, follow Him; and if Baʽal, follow him.” But the people answered him not a word.”

If we translate the Hebrew of the highlighted text correctly into English we would better have the following:

If יהוה is Elohim, follow Him; and if The Lord, follow him.

For many this may seem offensive, yet to the true hearer and doer of the Truth this is a sobering reality of what the false and deceitful traditions of man has done in causing many to not know Elohim and in doing so they have forgotten the Name of יהוה, which highlights how the deceived have forgotten who it is who causes them to be!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:118 “You have made light of all those who stray from Your laws, for falsehood is their deceit.”

In a Psalm that gives resounding praise for the Torah of Elohim we are able to clearly see from this verse that falsehood is the deceit of those who stray from יהוה’s laws!!!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘falsehood’ comes from the root word שֶׁקֶר sheqer – Strong’s H8267 which means, ‘deception, disappointment, falsehood, lies’, and this comes from the root verb שָׁקַר shaqar – Strong’s H8266 which means, ‘to do or deal falsely, lie’.  

Ěḵah/Lamentations 2:14 “Your prophets have seen falsehood and folly for you, and have not shown you your crookedness, to turn back your captivity. But their visions for you are false and misleading messages.”

Through the many false and misleading messages of deceit we are able to see how so many have actually begun to teach themselves to speak falsehood; a falsehood that has been so ingrained in them, as we are able to see through the mirror of the example given to us in all of these verses that I have highlighted in regards to deceit!

As mentioned, we are to make sure that we are doing the desire of Elohim, which is our set-apartness and in doing so we are to be on guard against the deceit of lawlessness, which is presented with a lot of power, signs and wonders of falsehood!

Tas’loniqim Bět/2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power and signs and wonders of falsehood, 10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, in order for them to be saved.”

Lawlessness is promoted by the deceit of unrighteousness! What I mean by that is that many are falling prey to the deceit of unrighteousness that promotes that observance of the Torah and commands of Elohim is no longer valid. We know that Scripture clearly defines for us what righteousness is:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:25 “And it is righteousness for us when we guard to do all this command before יהוה our Elohim, as He has commanded us.”

With righteousness being clearly defined for us as the guarding of the commands we are then able to clearly understand that unrighteousness involves defiance toward the guarding of the commands and therefore promotes lawlessness and is sin!

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:17-19 “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death. 18 We know that everyone having been born of Elohim does not sin, but the one having been born of Elohim guards himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are of Elohim, and all the world lies in the wicked one.”

When we guard righteousness we are guarded against the deception of the lawless one!

The Greek word that is translated as ‘unrighteousness’ is ἀδικία adikia – Strong’s G93 which means, ‘unrighteousness, iniquity, wrong, deed violating law and justice’ and the reason that I am highlighting this here is to point out that ‘unrighteousness’ is ‘sin’, which is the Greek word is  ἁμαρτία hamartia – Strong’s G266 which means, ‘sin, failure, miss the mark, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong’, and also carries the meaning of, ‘wandering from the law of Elohim, violate the law of Elohim’. I am sure some of you know where I am going with this!

Ok… unrighteousness is sin – ἀδικία adikia is ἁμαρτία hamartia – that is pretty clear!

All unrighteousness is sin!!! But what else does Yoḥanan tell us?

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:4 “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

Sin is lawlessness!!! The Greek word for ‘lawlessness is ἀνομία  anomia – Strong’s G458 meaning, ‘lawlessness or lawless deeds, unrighteousness’ and comes from the word ἄνομος anomos – Strong’s G459 meaning, ‘lawless or without law, transgressors’.

This verse spells it out very plainly for those who seem to miss the fact that to not walk in the Torah is sin! It is as though Yoḥanan was spelling out this fact very bluntly and straightforward for those who struggle with a Greek mind-set and see no need to walk in the Torah – well right here in the Greek it is clear – If you are lawless (that is to walk contrary to the Torah) then you are indeed sinning!

Sin is lawlessness: ἁμαρτία hamartia is ἀνομία  anomia!

With this in mind we are able to clearly see that with ‘unrighteousness’ being ‘sin’, that unrighteousness is lawlessness: – ἀδικία adikia is ἀνομία  anomia!!!

Sha’ul warns us in his letter to the believers in Thessalonica about the deceit of unrighteousness, as already quoted from Tas’loniqim Bět/2 Thessalonians 2:10! In this verse the Greek word that is translated as ‘deceit’ comes from the root word ἀπάτη apatē – Strong’s G539 which means, ‘deceit, delusion, deception’ and is used 7 times in the Renewed Writings (N.T.). Let us take a look at the other 6 verses:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 13:22 “And that sown among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the worry of this age and the deceit of riches choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.”

These words form part of the parable of the sower and the seed and warn us against the deceit of riches that choke out the life of the Word. We are also told in:

Luqas/Luke 8:15 “And that which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with worries, and riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to perfection.”

Bringing fruit to perfection can only happen when we do not allow the worries, riches and pleasure of life to get in the way of our set-apartness in the Master. The worries, riches and pleasures of life can cause many to shrink back, as the Truth is choked out; and this can only happen when the soil of our heats are not being continually tilled and kept free from these deceitful wicked thorns and weeds of doubt that render one fruitless.

Marqos/Mark 4:18-19 “And others are those sown among thorns, these are they who hear the word, 19 and the worries of this age, and the deceit of riches, and the desires for other matters, entering in, choke the word, and it becomes fruitless.”

The Greek word translated as ‘riches’ is πλοῦτος ploutos – Strong’s G4149 which means, ‘to flow or abound in wealth and riches’, and comes from the root word πλέω pleō – Strong’s G4126 which means, ‘to sail, sailing, passenger’! I find this an interesting picture here, for if your dreams and hopes are set on ‘sailing off into the sunset’ with all your worries taken care of, think again. This mind-set of being so wealthy that you can live the dream life and have no cares or worries is a lie and a fantasy that is not a Scriptural concept for the true set-apart believer, and having this mind-set can be very dangerous in choking out the very Truth that ought to sustain you. The world today is riddled with the luring attraction of finding wealth and happiness; and movies and media play a big role in shaping many minds into thinking what their dream fantasy must look like – this is dangerous and choking, to say the least. With this word also meaning ‘passenger’ we need to take heed that we are not ‘passengers’ here but rather ‘sojourners’. The difference between a passenger and a sojourner is that the passenger thinks that they are the ones to be served and simply seeking to be on a cruise of success, whereas a sojourner realises that he is a foreigner and stranger, and his need to guard the commands of the reign to which he belongs is vital, as his need to serve as an ambassador of that coming kingdom will cost him everything!

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 4:22 “that you put off – with regard to your former way of life – the old man, being corrupted according to the desires of the deceit”

Put off the former way of life! Put of the desires of the deceit! These words of Sha’ul emphasise for me the clear power that deceit has, especially as we consider the deceit of riches and the desires that many have in chasing riches that cannot satisfy!

The Greek word that is tranlstaed as ‘desires’ comes from the root word ἐπιθυμία epithumia – Strong’s G1939 which means, ‘desire, passionate longing, lust, coveting, desires’ and this comes from the word ἐπιθυμέω epithumeō – Strong’s G1937 which means, ‘desire, covet, lust, seek that which is forbidden’ and is translated as ‘lusts’ in

Galatiyim/Galatians 5:17 “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh. And these are opposed to each other, so that you do not do what you desire to do.”

How many of you have found yourself looking at or seeking things that you know you should not! This can cause sin, and bring a breach in the wall which can affect the entire assembly!!!

No matter how pretty the worldly ways of worship may appear – be on guard against being drawn into desiring what is not fitting for the House of Elohim! Do not get captivated by what the ‘evil woman’ (whore) does.

Qolasim/Colossians 2:8 “See to it that no one makes a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary matters of the world, and not according to Messiah.”

Here Sha’ul clearly warns us against being led astray by empty deceit, which is according to the tradition of men that so easily and quickly cast the Torah of Elohim behind their backs! When traditions of men run contrary to the Word of Messiah then be on guard and be sober in making sure that you are not made a prey of such empty deceit!

So many vainly claim that they know Messiah yet are walking contrary to His ways as they do not walk, even as He walked and they do not guard the Sabbaths and commands of Elohim, the very things He came to teach and lead us in!

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 3:13 “but encourage one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened by the deceivableness of sin.”

Once again we are able to recognise just how deceitful sin and lawlessness, which is unrighteousness, can be and here in this letter to the Hebrews we are reminded of how important it is for us to encourage one another daily in the Truth, so as to keep each other’s hearts from becoming hardened by the deceit of sin, which is often presented as something attractive! So many reveal that their hearts are hardened by deceit as they stubbornly refuse to hear the voice of elohim, repent of their lawlessness and sin and refuse to turn from unrighteousness as they lives according to the deceitful lusts of the flesh!

Kěpha Bet/2 Peter 2:12-13 “But these, like natural unreasoning beasts, having been born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheme that which they do not know, shall be destroyed in their destruction, 13 being about to receive the wages of unrighteousness, deeming indulgence in the day of pleasure, spots and blemishes, revelling in their own deceptions while they feast with you”

In speaking of eth clear fate of the wicked Kěpha highlights how the unrighteous revel in their own deceptions, even while they feast with you! This is a sobering thought indeed, as we take note that there are many who are ‘feasting with the righteous’ yet they themselves are revelling in deceit. This goes to show how assemblies can be greatly affected by the deceit of many who may be able to put on a ‘religious show’ before others yet their deceptive revelling in compromise will not go unrewarded as they will receive their wages for unrighteousness! This is a very sober warning that must cause us to make sure that there is NO DECEIT found in us!!!

So many are revelling in the deception of lawlessness and have no concept or idea of the severe punishment that is coming upon the unrighteous.

Deceit is falsehood disguised as truth and very threatening to those who have no knowledge of Elohim, due to their adherence to teachings of lawlessness and what we are to make sure, as set-apart treasured ones of the Most High, is that we put off the false and put on the Truth and be dressed in righteousness with the full armour of Elohim being the only true dress code that guards against deceit. Above all we must make sure that no deceit is found on our lips as we are to make sure that we meditate on the Torah day and night in order for us to be firmly planted in our Rock, Messiah, who is the Truth!!!

As we contemplate on the blessing of the deliverance that our Master has worked for us and consider the blessing of the forgiveness and cleansing He brings through His Word that does not change nor fail, let us make that there is no deceit in us, as we continue to pursue apartness before the face of our Mighty Master and Elohim, Husband and King, יהושע Messiah!!!

NO DECEIT!

 יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to you and give you shalom!

Shalom all,

Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live,’ declares the Master יהוה, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wrong, but that the wrong turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Yisra’ĕl?’”

Yeḥezqěl prophesied from the 5^th year of the exile of the second last king of Yehuḏah and he was exiled along with the choicest people of the land and while much of his prophesies were given while the Temple still stood his target audience was the House of Yisra’ĕl who had been exiled 130 years earlier. The book of Yeḥezqěl speaks of יהוה’s plan to restore His chosen people despite their horrific rebellion and backsliding and clearly calls them to turn back from their wickedness and evil ways and do right and righteousness so that they may live! The call to return to obedience is a recurring theme or rather message that is given throughout Scripture and is sadly one that is not being taken serious enough as many are stubbornly continuing in their evil ways, backsliding from steadfastness and set-apartness as opposed to the need to come out the wicked ways of unrighteousness and be separate. This call to turn back from evil ways is still being called for today, yet who has ears to hear?

In a message called ‘RETURN, O BACKLSIDING YISRA’ĔL!’ I want us to take a look at the Word of Elohim that given through another prophet who had to endure much ridicule and persecution for his steadfast ability at calling the backsliding back to righteousness. Please turn with me to Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3 (Read).

The prophesies of Yirmeyahu began almost a 100 years or so after the fall of the northern kingdom of Yisra’ĕl, just after the widespread reforms that Yoshiyahu, the 15^th king of the House of Yehuḏah, had made and lasted through to the exile of the House of Yehuḏah and therefore prophesised for over 50 years, calling people to turn from their wicked and backsliding ways and return to יהוה!

In this Chapter 3 of Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah we are clearly able to see the very loud call for the backsliding children of Yisra’ĕl to return to יהוה and focuses on a divorced bride being called to return and be cleaned up by Her Husband who will heal and restore her! As we go through this chapter we will certainly be able to pick up how ‘alive’ this same call to return is today, yet as I have mentioned, most are not hearing as they have easily turned away their ears from hearing the Torah of Elohim and are being tickled in their hearing with myths as they are falling away from the belief and paying attention to misleading spirits and teachings of demons and speaking lies in hypocrisy! This call to return is one that must be heard and correctly responded to!

In verse 1 we see יהוה setting forth a very clear question that relates to the instructions given in the Torah, as we see in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 24:4 “then her former husband who sent her away is not allowed to take her back to be his wife after she has been defiled, for that would be an abomination before יהוה. And do not bring sin on the land which יהוה your Elohim is giving you as an inheritance.”

When a woman had been divorced and sent away and she became another man’s wife and was also given a written certificate of divorce and sent away she was not permitted to come back to the first husband, for that would bring defilement upon the land. In this chapter we are given the clear picture of how the House of Yisra’ĕl had been given a certificate of divorce for committing adultery, yet the House of Yehuḏah had acted more treacherously and went and committed whoring too!

The call given to a backsliding Yisra’ĕl is certainly within the legal parameters of the Torah as she had not been joined in marriage to another; and while she had certainly whored, she was not ‘divorced again’ and ‘sent away’ by another husband, which would have made her unable to return to her first Husband, but could in actual fact be taken up again by Her first Husband. In the book of Hoshěa/Hosea we see how Hoshěa was told to go and take himself a woman of whoring! This highlights for us that there is a difference between whoring with other men and committing to them in marriage. Yisra’ĕl had never married another but had certainly flirted and whored with many and kept moving swiftly from one to another, worshipping anything and everything. The House of Yisra’ĕl had not been issued with a ‘second certificate of divorce’ and therefore Elohim is well within His own commands to take back His divorced bride who had gone whoring after others. In Hoshěa/Hosea 1:10 we are able to see this promise given to a numerous people who were once not the people of Elohim, as they had been born out of whoring, that they would now be called the sons of the living Elohim, highlighting how He will once again take up the House of Yisra’ĕl as His wife again!

He also made this possible through His life, death and resurrection, which brought about the establishment of His covenant with us being instituted with his own blood and not that of bulls and goats!

The clear question that is asked in verse 1 is whether a whoring people would return to יהוה.

The children of Yisra’ĕl are likened to grains of sand and the image we get here is that if any of us is defiled then יהוה cannot draw near to His Dwelling Place in us, however the call to return and be cleansed from defilement is given!

We are called to draw near to Elohim and cleanse our ways, which has been made possible through the life, death and resurrection of יהושע Messiah!

Ya’aqoḇ/James 4:7-8 “So then subject yourselves to Elohim. Resist the devil and he shall flee from you. 8 Draw near to Elohim and He shall draw near to you. Cleanse hands, sinners. And cleanse the hearts, you double-minded!”

Eph’siyim/Ephesians 2:11-13 “Therefore remember that you, once gentiles in the flesh, who are called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called ‘the circumcision’ made in the flesh by hands, 12 that at that time you were without Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Yisra’ĕl and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no expectation and without Elohim in the world. 13 But now in Messiah יהושע you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah.”

In verse 2 of Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3 the message of יהוה to a whoring people is that they must open up their eyes and see the junk that they are doing! This call has not changed! If only most would open up their eyes and see what nonsense they are getting up to and recognise that what they are doing is a polluted defilement of the Truth and not the Truth itself, despite their vain reasoning for thinking it is so! Many have been blinded by traditions that have caused them to not see the depravity of their false worship and here in this call it is clear – open your eyes and see what nonsense you have been getting up to!!! How frustrating it is when most do not want to do this as they can never admit that they were wrong and stubbornly keep their ears closed to hearing the Torah of Elohim and so continue on their corrupted worship practices that are an abomination to יהוה.

יהוה says to lift up their eyes and see and then asks: ‘where have you not lain with men?’ This highlights that there is not a place where they have actually been found to be true but rather that all that they have done is whored and defiled themselves and the land in every way!

The Hebrew word that is translated in verse 1 as ‘committed whoring’ is זָנִית – zaniyth which comes from the root word זָנָה zanah – Strong’s H2181 which means, ‘be a harlot, commit fornication, adulterous, prostitute, unfaithful’.

We must take note that many of the uses of this word זָנָה zanah – Strong’s H2181 are figurative and describe Yisra’ĕl’s unfaithfulness to יהוה and her “whoring” with pagan nations and this root word is translated as ‘whore’ in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 23:27 “For a whore is a deep pit, and a strange woman is a narrow well.”

Shelomoh is warning against the luring of what the world has to offer, and no matter how pretty it seems do not desire it. The world may have a lot to offer as its pit is very deep, yet what it has to offer is not good as it leads to death and we are called to walk in wisdom and not keep company with those who whore, as we see Shelomoh telling us in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 29:3 “He who loves wisdom gladdens his father, but a companion of whores destroys wealth.”

A companion of whores destroys wealth!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘companion’ comes from the root רָעָה ra’ah – Strong’s H7462 which means, ‘to associate with, cultivate, companion’. This implies making friendship with that which is not of Elohim as we take note that the word for ‘whores’ in Hebrew comes from the root word זָנָה zanah – Strong’s H2181. Associating with those who are unfaithful will cause you to destroy the wealth of wisdom that you may have had when properly seeking Elohim by guarding righteousness and therefore we must recognise the clear danger that Shelomoh is highlighting for us here by warning us against making friendship with the world!

Ya’aqoḇ/James 4:4 “Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with Elohim? Whoever therefore intends to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of Elohim.”

In verse 2 יהוה makes it clear that by their whorings they had made the land unclean and the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘unclean’ comes from the root verb חָנֵף ḥaneph – Strong’s H2610 which means, ‘to be polluted or profane, turn to lawlessness’! Turning to lawlessness defiles!!! This root word חָנֵף ḥaneph – Strong’s H2610 is translated as ‘defiled’ in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 24:5 “For the earth has been defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the Torot, changed the law, broken the everlasting covenant.”

Those who have ‘changed the law’ and transgressed against the Torah of Elohim cause defilement! This verse is a very clear statement against the lawlessness of the world and its effect! This verse stresses the fact that the earth lies defiled because of its inhabitants that have transgressed against the Torah of Elohim and have changed the Torah and broken the everlasting covenant! the word translated as ‘broken’ is פָּרַר parar – Strong’s H6565 which means, ‘to break, frustrate, annul, nullify, make ineffectual, split, divide’. I hope this makes the picture clear as to why the earth is already in such a defiled state and not functioning according to the Creator’s design – it is because man has turned to lawlessness and made the Torah of Elohim ineffectual as a means to govern His creation – and this is why it lies defiled! When the Torah is disregarded and thrown out as the primary instructions for living then the result is only one of a devastating defilement that is decaying; and this principle that is being pictured here for the earth, applies to our individual lives too – for when we break the Torah and change His Torah by substituting it with tradition, we defile ourselves, and render our garments of unrighteousness as garments of decay.

Verse 3 highlights for us the clear effects of lawlessness and whoring! Ample warning was clearly given in the Torah, as we see in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 11:16-17 “Guard yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other mighty ones and bow down to them. 17 ‘Then the displeasure of יהוה shall burn against you, and He shall shut up the heavens, and there be no rain, and the land not give its increase. And you shall perish quickly from the good land which יהוה is giving you.”

Here we can see in the Torah of Mosheh the clear warning for disobedience! Just a couple of verses before these we see the blessing for obedience:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 11:13-14 “And it shall be that if you diligently obey My commands which I command you today, to love יהוה your Elohim and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your being, 14 then I shall give you the rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the latter rain, and you shall gather in your grain, and your new wine, and your oil.”

The result of whoring being spoken of here in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:3 is clear – there will be no abundant showers of rain and no latter rain! The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘latter rain’ is מַלְקוֹשׁ malqosh – Strong’s H4456 which means, ‘latter rain, spring rain’ and is understood as being the rains that come in late Spring in order to strengthen and mature the crops. This word comes from the root verb לָקַשׁ laqash – Strong’s H3953 which means, ‘to take the second crop, to take everything, to glean the harvest’ and a promise of provision and blessing that is given for obedience!

If His commands were guarded then יהוה would send both the EARLY rain and the LATTER rain!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘early rain’ is the word יוֹרֶה yoreh – Strong’s H3138 which is the active participle of the word יָרָה yarah – Strong’s H3384 which means, ‘to throw or shoot, direct, instruct, teach, teacher’. The Hebrew word יוֹרֶה yoreh – Strong’s H3138 is translated as ‘watering’ in Hoshěa/Hosea 6:3. The early and latter rains are a frequent theme we see be repeated throughout Scripture and teaches us that without the early and latter rains there can be no harvest! What we recognise from the early and latter rain is that with the first coming of Messiah we can recognise that He came to ‘teach and instruct’ us and with His second coming, ‘as the latter rain’, He is coming to take up a harvest of souls – He is coming to reap, and He is coming on the clouds!!!

Yo’ĕl/Joel 2:23 “And you children of Tsiyon, be glad and rejoice in יהוה your Elohim, for He shall give you the Teacher of Righteousness, and cause the rain to come down for you, the former rain and the latter rain, as before.”

The word used for both ‘teacher’ and ‘former rain’ is the word מוֹרֶה moreh – Strong’s H4175 which means both, ‘teacher’  and ‘rain’ and comes from the word יָרָה  yarah – Strong’s H3384 from which we get the term ‘early rain’.

Ok, so I have highlighted the clear picture of rain and the early and later rains which are both essential for a strong and mature harvest. It is with this is mind that I want to us to consider the need for us to understand how important יהוה’s rain is for us, and when I say that I mean, His teaching and instruction; for without it we are not able to be made strong and mature in יהושע Messiah, who is both our Teacher of righteousness and the ‘gatherer of the after crop’!

Those who whore have no teacher that will comes and nourish them as the Good teacher will clearly rebuke the rebellious who have whored and reject them by declaring that He does not know them, despite their vain attempts at declaring that they did much in His Name, when what they did was mere acts of lawlessness as they disregarded His Torah!

Mattithyahu/Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Master, Master,’ shall enter into the reign of the heavens, but he who is doing the desire of My Father in the heavens. 22 “Many shall say to Me in that day, ‘Master, Master, have we not prophesied in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and done many mighty works in Your Name?’ 23 “And then I shall declare to them, ‘I never knew you, depart from Me, you who work lawlessness!’”

In verse 3 we are told that those who whored refused to be ashamed and are therefore a clear picture of people who walk in stubborn pride! So many today refuse to acknowledge that they have inherited lies and futile traditions that have nullified the commands of Elohim for vain traditions of man that are falsely taught as teachings!

Many are called but few are chosen! While the call has gone out to all, so many refuse the call, and we see Shelomoh telling us, in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 1:24 “Because I called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one inclined”

The Hebrew word used here for ‘refused’ is מָאֵן maen – Strong’s H3985 which means, ‘to refuse, absolutely refuse’, and represents an intentional action as opposed to one of ignorance. So many today willingly refuse to hear the Truth that we as ambassadors of the Coming Reign are proclaiming together with His Spirit, calling people to come out and be separate! Pharaoh refused to let Yisra’ĕl go; Eḏom refused to give Yisra’ĕl passage through its borders; Yisra’ĕl refused to listen to the voice of Shemuʼěl the prophet when they demanded to have a king!

Yisra’ĕl refused to repent and refused to receive instruction, and so what we can clearly see from the use of this word is that those who ‘refuse’ the call of Elohim to come out and be separate simply reveal a hardness of heart and that they are stiff-necked and unwilling to submit to the Master and King of all creation, showing that they are not worthy of the call!

Iḇ’rim/Hebrews 12:25-26 “Take heed not to refuse the One speaking. For if those did not escape who refused the warning on earth, much less we who turn away from Him from heaven, 26 whose voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.”

The Greek word used here in Iḇ’rim/Hebrews for ‘refuse’ is παραιτέομαι paraiteomai – Strong’s G3868 which means, ‘to have nothing to do with, excuse, refuse, reject’, and this word is used in this Parable recorded of in Luqas/Luke, which speaks of a certain man who gave a supper and invited many and sent his servant to those who had been invited to come for the supper was now ready, and we see some of the responses to the invite, this word παραιτέομαι paraiteomai – Strong’s G3868 being used 3 times in:

Luqas/Luke 14:18-19 “But one by one they all began making excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. I ask you to have me excused.’”

Excuses to be excused!!! I find this a very powerful and sobering lesson being given here in terms of what excuses actually represent – and that is that they represent an intentional refusal to submit to the call of Elohim. So many today make a wide range of excuses as to why they cannot do what is required in the Word, and will even justify these excuses in their own minds as being a valid reason, when in fact it is nothing more than a deliberate refusal to obey!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘ashamed’ comes from the root verb כָּלַם kalam – Strong’s H3637 which means, ‘to be humiliated, ashamed, brought to dishonour, disgraced, rebuked, embarrassed, insulted’.

Today there are so many who are refusing to be ashamed of their lawlessness and resist being rebuked and brought to dishonour for their abominable acts of false worship as they hold so tightly to their vain traditions and reuse to change their ways! יהוה resists the proud but gives favour to the humble!!!

Despite the depravity of the whorings of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah we see the heart of a compassionate father making a clear appeal for the backsliding children to return, along with a stern warning for not responding to the call to return!

In verse 6 יהוה asks Yirmeyahu if he has seen what backsliding Yisra’ĕl has done!

The Hebrew word used for ‘backsliding’ is מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah – Strong’s H4878 which means, ‘turning back, apostasy, faithless, faithlessness, waywardness, backsliding’, and comes from the root word שׁוּב shuḇ – Strong’s H7725 which means, ‘to turn back, return, repent, recover’. And so we see that while שׁוּב shuḇ speaks of a repentance and a turning back to Elohim, we see the opposite in the word מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah which expresses a turning away from Elohim.

מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah can also be understood as, ‘the state of rebellion against authority’, and as a result of this rebellion against authority there is a break in a previous relationship bond, which is a figurative extension of turning aside off of a correct path!

We clearly see this in Yisra’ĕl’s backsliding that caused יהוה to issue a certificate of divorce, as we read in:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:8 “And I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Yisra’ĕl had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Yehuḏah did not fear, but went and committed whoring too.”

The House of Yisra’ĕl, also referred to in Scripture metaphorically as Ephrayim, had turned aside from the correct path of complete obedience and set-apartness, by adulterating herself with the nations – and this brought about a break in the marriage bond with יהוה.

This word מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah is used 12 times in Scripture. Twice it is used in Hoshěa/Hosea, 9 times in the book of Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah, and once in Mishlĕ/Proverbs:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 1:32 “For the turning away of the simple kills them, and the complacency of fools destroys them.”

Here the word מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah is translated as ‘turning away’. The LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of the Tanak) uses the word ἀδικέω adikeō – Strong’s G91 which means, ‘do wrong, be an offender, to act unjustly or wickedly, to sin, to have violated the laws in some way, to hurt, damage or harm’. We see this word being used in:

Ḥazon/Revelation 22:11-12 “He who does wrong, let him do more wrong; he who is filthy, let him be more filthy; he who is righteous, let him be more righteous; he who is set-apart, let him be more set-apart. 12 “And see, I am coming speedily, and My reward is with Me, to give to each according to his work.”

In Sha’ul’s letter to the believers in Colossae, he told them to bear with one another, and to put on love and to let the Word dwell in them richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing with pleasure in their hearts to the Master in psalms and songs of praise and spiritual songs, and whatever they do in word or deed, to do all in the Name of the Master יהושע. He then clearly instructed that proper submission and obedience should be observed by all – wives to their husbands, children to their parents and servants to their masters, and then writes in:

Qolasim/Colossians 3:23-25 “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Master and not to men, 24 knowing that from the Master you shall receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Master, Messiah, you serve. 25 But he who does wrong shall be repaid for the wrong which he has done, and there is no partiality.”

Why I am mentioning these verses is simply to highlight the need for us to walk in love, as we guard to obey all the commands of Elohim and not turn away from doing what He has commanded us to. Those who hear, guard and do will be rewarded by the Master, while the wrong will be repaid and there is no partiality with Elohim! Justification for compromise will not get the wrong to escape the just reward for compromise and complacency! Rejecting any authority of Elohim is a form of backsliding, and to refuse to submit to walking as a body together in unity, by each one doing whatever seems right in their own eyes is also a form of backsliding! יהושע Messiah is our King, and His Kingdom has rules (His Torah) and His Kingdom has order, by which He has appointed some to teach and equip the body unto maturity, and any refusal to submit to the teaching and the admonishing of each other through the wisdom of Elohim will simply reveal one as being ‘simple’!

The Hebrew word for ‘simple’ in Mishlĕ/Proverbs 1:32 is פֶּתִי pethi – Strong’s H6612 which means, ‘open minded, foolish, simple, naïve’, which comes from the root verb פָּתָה pathah – Strong’s H6601 and means ‘easily deceived, enticed, to be simple or to be in a state of holding a wrong view about a situation’. The message here is clear – do not be deceived or enticed into holding a wrong view about any situation. In Hoshěa/Hosea 7 Ephrayim is referred to having become a simple dove:

Hoshěa/Hosea 7:11 “And Ephrayim has become a simple dove without heart, they have called on Mitsrayim, they have gone to Ashshur.”

Here Ephrayim is symbolically used in referencing the House of Yisra’ĕl’ that had gone astray and been enticed by the nations! Ephrayim was easily deceived and enticed into a mode of pagan influenced worship. It also means to be naïve – and boy, how many today are so naïve about the corrupted practice of Christianity as an assumed means of pure worship, when it is nothing more than a man-made twisted blend of truth and pagan influence; which according to Torah is clearly an abomination in the eyes of יהוה.

In Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:7 יהוה says that after all the whoring that Yisra’ĕl had done He called her to return to Him but she would not and her treacherous sister Yehuḏah saw it! In verse 8, which I highlighted already, we are told that יהוה issued the House of Yisra’ĕl a divorce certificate and put her away, yet even after seeing this Yehuḏah did not learn to fear יהוה and went and committed whoring too! They did not learn from the clear punishment that Yisra’ĕl had received! Isn’t that the mind-set of so many today? They refuse to learn from the accounts we are given in Scripture as warnings for us and do not think that what has happened in the past can happen to them and so are living under a false grace banner that claims lawlessness and whoring is an acceptable practice and that יהוה will never reject them!

In fact the picture we have here in this chapter is how more depraved and treacherous Yehuḏah had become after Yisra’ĕl was divorced! Yehuḏah had not turned to יהוה with all their heart, but turned to him falsely!

This is the picture of many lukewarm believers today as they are turning falsely to Elohim

The Hebrew root word translated as ‘falsely’ in verse 10 comes from the root word שֶׁקֶר sheqer – Strong’s H8267 which means, ‘deception, disappointment, falsehood, lies’, and this comes from the root verb שָׁקַר shaqar – Strong’s H8266 which means, ‘to do or deal falsely, lie’.  

Ěḵah/Lamentations 2:14 “Your prophets have seen falsehood and folly for you, and have not shown you your crookedness, to turn back your captivity. But their visions for you are false and misleading messages.”

Through the false and misleading messages we see how so many have actually begun to teach themselves to speak falsehood; a falsehood that has been so ingrained in them as we are able to see through the mirror of the example given to us in Yirmeyahu being a clear reflection of the state of falsehood that prevails on the earth today!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 9:3-6 “And they bend their tongue like a bow. Falsehood, and not truth, prevails on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they have not known Me,” declares יהוה. 4 “Let everyone beware of his neighbour and not trust any brother. For every brother catches by the heel, and every neighbour walks with slanderers. 5 “And everyone deceives his neighbour, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak falsehood, and have wearied themselves to crook. 6 “You live in the midst of deceit; through deceit they have refused to know Me,” declares יהוה.”

Falsehood prevails on the earth! This could be a clear description of the wicked and deceitful generation that we live in the midst of today! Just as Yirmeyahu lived in the midst of deceit so we recognise how similar the days are that we are living in now.

So many people today find themselves unable to truly love the Torah as they do not hate and utterly detest falsehood!

Yehuḏah had acted so falsely that her treacherous behaviour made the backsliding Yisra’ĕl look righteous!

The Hebrew word translated as ‘treacherous’ is בָּגַד bagaḏ – Strong’s H898 which means, ‘to act or deal treacherously, act deceitfully, faithless, transgressor’ and this verb is used to denote unfaithfulness in several different relationships; and it is used in connection with unfaithfulness in marriage – and more specifically how Yisra’ĕl had acted treacherously toward Elohim:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:20 “But indeed as a wife betrays her husband, so have you betrayed Me, O house of Yisra’ĕl,” declares יהוה.”

 This word בָּגַד bagaḏ also carries the literal meaning of ‘to cover (with a garment)’, bringing about the figurative meaning of ‘acting covertly’. And today this is how we see so many that have transgressed the Covenant, acting covertly – and that is through the cover up of lies and the dogmas and traditions of man, that so many hold fast to while forsaking true obedience to the commands of Elohim.

The whore and strange woman catches many in her deep pit and narrow well and makes more and more people become treacherous as they end up betraying the One True Husband by not keeping their eyes fixed on the Truth but rather fall for the trap of the whore’s deep pit that leads to death!

In verse 12 Yirmeyahu is instructed to go and proclaim to a backsliding Yisra’ĕl that they should return to יהוה, the lovingly-committed Elohim who does not bear a grudge forever! This is a clear picture of His compassion and mercy!

Verse 13 makes it clear what the conditions of their return are: They were to acknowledge their crookedness!

The Hebrew word used here in Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:13 for ‘crookedness’ is עָוֹן avon – Strong’s H5771 meaning, ‘iniquity, guilt, punishment for iniquity, blame, perversity, depravity’, which comes from the root verb עָוָה avah – Strong’s H5753 which means, ‘to twist, bend, distort, make crooked, pervert’.

In Yeshayahu/Isaiah 1 we are told that Yisra’ĕl was loaded with crookedness, and were a sinning nation who had acted corruptly and did not understand! They had ears that did not hear due to a hard and rebellious heart!

The Greek word used in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of the Tanak – O.T.) for ‘crookedness’ in Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 18:30 is the noun ἀδικία adikia – Strong’s G93 which means, ‘unrighteousness, iniquity, wrong, deed violating law and justice’ and as an adjective speaks of one who is wicked and unjust. This Greek word is used in:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:17 “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not unto death.”

Here it is translated as ‘unrighteousness’, and why I am highlighting this here is to point out that ‘unrighteousness’ is ‘sin’, which is the Greek word is  ἁμαρτία hamartia – Strong’s G266 which means, ‘sin, failure, miss the mark, to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong’, and also carries the meaning of, ‘wandering from the law of Elohim, violate the law of Elohim’. I am sure some of you know where I am going with this!

Ok… unrighteousness is sin – ἀδικία adikia is ἁμαρτία hamartia – that is pretty clear! Yet we also know from:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 3:4 “Everyone doing sin also does lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

 Sin is lawlessness!!! The Greek word for ‘lawlessness is ἀνομία  anomia – Strong’s G458 meaning, ‘lawlessness or lawless deeds, unrighteousness’ and comes from the word ἄνομος anomos – Strong’s G459 meaning, ‘lawless or without law, transgressors’.

This verse spells it out very plainly for those who seem to miss the fact that to not walk in the Torah is sin! It is as though Yoḥanan was spelling out this fact very bluntly and straightforward for those who struggle with a Greek mind-set and see no need to walk in the Torah – well right here in the Greek it is clear – If you are lawless (that is to walk contrary to the Torah) then you are indeed sinning!

Sin is lawlessness – ἁμαρτία hamartia is ἀνομία  anomia! With this in mind we see clearly that with ‘unrighteousness’ being ‘sin’, that ‘unrighteousness’ is ‘lawlessness’ – ἀδικία adikia is ἀνομία  anomia!!!

When one turns from righteousness – that is to walk in the commands of Elohim – and walks in unrighteousness – that is to walk lawless and be without obedience to the Torah and commands of Elohim – he is sinning and shall die, for the being that sins dies!!! This is exactly what Yeḥezqěl/Ezekiel 18 warns us about!

Again the call to return is given to the backsliding children in verse 14 with the clear promise that those who return will have Elohim rule over them and appoint shepherds to look after His flock!

In Eph’siyim/Ephesians 4 we are clearly told that our Master and Elohim has appointed some to teach and equip His body unto maturity and so we see that the responsibility of the backsliding who acknowledge their crookedness and return to Elohim, must submit to those whom He has appointed to teach and instruct in righteousness! In returning from backsliding it is clear that everyone can no longer do what is right in their own eyes but must submit to the rule and authority of Elohim and His Word and submit to being taught knowledge and understanding by those He appoints!

This text given here in Yirmeyahu also picture the fulfilment of our Master and Elohim taking His returned Bride to Tsiyon and establishing His reign! We then see in verse 16 that it will no longer be said, ‘The Ark of the covenant of יהוה’ and that it would not even come to heart nor would it be made again! What is being said here? Well, we know that the Ark of the Covenant of יהוה represented the very presence of Elohim who dwells between the Keruḇim and with it not being mentioned nor built again highlights for us the fact that יהוה Himself will be in the midst of His people and therefore no ark would be sought after for His very presence will be visible to all who are with Him!

This is a great verse to highlight the clear fact that the Ark of Elohim will not be built again, despite the many claims that it will! Verse 18 is also a great verse that should silence any false teachings that claim that all believers must return to Yehuḏah, especially as we see many organisations today that are trying to bridge the gap for Christians to return to Yehuḏah, yet here we see that the House of Yehuḏah shall go the House of Yisra’ĕl and both will come together out of captivity!

In verse 19 we are told that יהוה said, ‘call Me, ‘My Father’ and do not turn away from Me’

It is by the Spirit of Elohim that we are able to cry out, My Father!

Romiyim/Romans 8:14-15 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of Elohim, these are sons of Elohim. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”

Here we are able to see a very important key in Scripture as we acknowledge who our Father is! Is it not of יהושע that the prophet said that He would be known as “the everlasting Father” or “Father of continuity”?

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 9:6 “For a Child shall be born unto us, a Son shall be given unto us, and the rule is on His shoulder. And His Name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity, Prince of Peace.”

This ‘Son’ that was given to us is called both Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity. This Son – will be called ‘Elohim’. He will also be called ‘Father of continuity/Everlasting Father’ which in Hebrew is the term אֲבִי עַד – ‘Aḇi aḏ’ and is from the two words: אָב Aḇ – Strong’s H1 which means ‘Father’, and aḇi means, ‘my father’. The other word עַד aḏ – Strong’s H5703 means, ‘perpetuity, everlasting, continually ,eternal’.

This is clear – The Child born to us has the Name ‘Everlasting Father’, which is literally rendered as ‘My Father forever’ There is also the thought that this word for אֲבִי (aḇi) here is a shortened form of אֲבִיָּה Aḇiyah – Strong’s H29 which means, ‘Yah is my father’, as it is possible in the structure of these two nouns coming together in the construct state for the letter ‘hey’ – ה – to fall away, and this being the case it would render the clear reference to Messiah being called ‘Yah the Everlasting Father’!

When one looks at this term in the ancient pictographic lettering we see a powerful picture that reveals to us how THE FATHER has revealed Himself to us!

The term אֲבִי עַד – ‘aḇi aḏ’, which proclaims, “My Eternal Father” or “My Father Everlasting” looks like this in the ancient pictographic script:

The two words individually look like this:

MY Father – אֲבִי aḇi:

Aleph – אֲ:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as ‘the head of an ox’, and represents ‘strength’, meaning ‘muscle’ as the ox is the strongest of the livestock animals. This also carries the meaning of ‘yoke’, as an ox is placed in a yoke in order to plough or pull a heavy load in the right direction. This can also picture for us the ‘red heifer’ sacrifice that יהושע Messiah fulfilled!

Beyt – בִ:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

Yod –  יִ:

The ancient script has this letter as  which is ‘an arm and hand’ and carries the meaning of ‘work, make, throw’, from the primary functions of the arm and hand, and it also represents worship or giving thanks in the extending of hands as a gesture of this. The work of one’s hands is the basic meaning of this letter!

In its root form the ancient script represents this word as meaning the strength of the House, which can represent that which upholds the house such as tent poles, or the father who upholds the family, and is the strength of the family. The addition of the ‘yod’ makes this word become personal as it renders the father as being ‘my’ father, and emphasises how it is the Father who works my deliverance by His own outstretched arm and hand.

Eternal – עַד aḏ:

Ayin – עַ:

The original pictograph for this letter is  and represents the idea of ‘seeing and watching’, as well as ‘knowledge’. as the eye is the ‘window of knowledge’.

Dalet – ד:

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as a ‘tent door’. It can also have the meaning of ‘a back and forth movement’, as one goes back and forth through a tent door, and so speaks of an access point. It can also carry the meaning of ‘dangle’ or hanging as the tent door would hang from the roof pole of the tent. It speaks a great deal in terms of understanding the door of the tent of appointment as the only means of access.

Combined these two letters mean, ‘see the door’.

When we understand this wording in terms of who the DOOR is, we are able to see that this wording is making it clear to us that our:

ETERNAL FATHER HAS STRETCHED OUT HIS ARM AND HAND, and WE SEE HIM AS THE DOOR, WHICH IS MESSIAH!

We take note that when Kěpha made the bold statement of who Messiah is, when he said that He is the Son of the Living Elohim, that Messiah said that Kěpha did not say this by himself but by the Spirit! Sha’ul tells us in Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 12:3 that no one can say that יהושע is Master except by the Set-Apart Spirit! The confession that יהושע is the Son of Elohim is not a confession that there are two, but that this Master and Saviour is The One from above who came in the form of the flesh and is the first born of the exact image and full representation of Elohim. The role of the Son is vital in restoring the image and likeness of Elohim that was corrupted in man and what we take note of is that after the Millennial Reign we are given another clear statement that shows that the Son is the Father!

The role of the Son is vital in restoring the image and likeness of Elohim that was corrupted in man and what we take note of is that after the Millennial Reign we are given another clear statement that shows that the Son is the Father! We have already mentioned the verse from Yeshayahu/Isaiah 9 that states a Son will be born unto us and shall be called Everlasting Father (The Son will be called the Father)! Now take a look at the following verse:

Ḥazon/Revelation 21:6-7 “And He said to me, “It is done! I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the Beginning and the End. To the one who thirsts I shall give of the fountain of the water of life without payment. 7 “The one who overcomes shall inherit all this, and I shall be his Elohim and he shall be My son.”

Why I have quoted both verse 6 and 7 here is to highlight for us who it is who is speaking! Bear in mind that this last book of Scripture in called Ḥazon/Revelation as it is the clear revelation of Messiah – it is a book that reveals to us the clear identity of who our Master, Elohim and Saviour is!

Ḥazon/Revelation 1:8 “I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, Beginning and End,” says יהוה “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Ḥazon/Revelation 1:10-11 “I came to be in the Spirit on the Day of יהוה, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the ‘Aleph’ and the ‘Taw’, the First and the Last,” and, “Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven assemblies of Asia – to Ephesos, and to Smurna, and to Pergamos, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodikeia.”

Ḥazon/Revelation 1:17-18 “And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead, and He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid, I am the First and the Last, 18 and the living One. And I became dead, and see, I am living forever and ever. Aměn. And I possess the keys of the grave and of death.”

The reason for me quoting the above verses from Ḥazon/Revelation 1 is to simply establish who is speaking in Ḥazon/Revelation 21:6-7! We are able to clearly see that the Aleph and Taw is the First and the Last, the Beginning and End. The First and Last is the Living One who became dead and lives forever! The First and Last is יהוה, as He makes this clear in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 44:6 “Thus said יהוה, Sovereign of Yisra’ĕl, and his Redeemer, יהוה of hosts, ‘I am the First and I am the Last, besides Me there is no Elohim.”

The First and Last who ‘became dead’ and lives forever is יהושע Messiah, and it is יהושע Messiah who is speaking to Yoḥanan in Ḥazon/Revelation 21:6-7! For further proof that this is יהושע speaking, we take note that He is the One who gives of the fountain of living water:

Yoḥanan/John 4:10 “יהושע answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of Elohim, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me to drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Yoḥanan/John 4:13-14 “יהושע answered and said to her, “Everyone drinking of this water shall thirst again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water I give him shall certainly never thirst. And the water that I give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Yoḥanan/John 7:37 “And on the last day, the great day of the festival, יהושע stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me, and let him who believes in Me drink.”

I do hope that you are able to recognise the clear evidence that it is our Master יהושע Messiah, The Son of Elohim that is speaking in Ḥazon/Revelation 21:6-7! With the ‘Son’ speaking, please take note again of what He says in verse 7:

“The one who overcomes shall inherit all this, and I shall be his Elohim and he shall be My son.”

He will be Elohim and Father to the one who overcomes!!! The Son will be the Father!

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 6:17-18 “Therefore, “Come out from among them and be separate, says יהוה, and do not touch what is unclean, and I shall receive you. 18 “And I shall be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me, says יהוה the Almighty.”

יהוה the Almighty says that He will be a Father to us and we will be sons and daughters to Him!

Please take note that when יהושע Messiah is speaking in Ḥazon/Revelation 21 He is speaking from the throne that is in the renewed Yerushalayim that comes down out of the heaven and the former heaven and earth had passed away!

The role of the Son is no longer needed in the Renewed Heaven and earth, as the perfect image and likeness of Elohim has been restored, and the Son who was born unto us in the perfect image and exact representation of Elohim is called ‘Everlasting Father’.

A returning remnant empowered by the spirit of Elohim confesses and acknowledges their crookedness and is able to call upon and serve the Father in Spirit and in Truth. So many are still blinded by traditions that have put a veil over the revealed identity of our Master, Elohim and Saviour and many have been led astray by a strong spirit of delusion.

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 4:1-6 “Beloved ones, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of Elohim, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of Elohim: Every spirit that confesses that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is of Elohim, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that יהושע Messiah has come in the flesh is not of Elohim. And this is the spirit of the anti-messiah which you heard is coming, and now is already in the world. 4 You are of Elohim, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 5 They are of the world, therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6 We are of Elohim – the one knowing Elohim hears us. He who is not of Elohim does not hear us. By this we know the Spirit of the Truth and the spirit of the delusion.”

The Greek word that is translated as ‘delusion’ comes from the word πλάνη plane – Strong’s G4106 meaning, ‘wandering, deception, error, deluding, deceitful’ and is simply understood in the Greek as ‘wandering out of the right way’ which is figuratively used to describe being in error!

In Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:23 we are told that delusion comes from the high hills and the noisy throng of the mountains!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘delusion’ is a word we have already discussed and is translated as ‘falsely’ in verse 10, which is the word שֶׁקֶר sheqer – Strong’s H8267 which means, ‘deception, disappointment, falsehood, lies’.

The high hills are the places were the false mighty ones of the nations were worshipped and is the places where Yisra’ĕl whored after other false mighty ones and so we can see here the picture of falsehood that carries a spirit of delusion. Especially when a big noise is being made on the hills so to speak! In today’s terms this can picture the big show that many are putting on in order to attract their victims and herein lays the warning against falsehood and the string delusion of lawlessness that is being widely accepted by a backsliding and stubborn people who refuse to submit and obey the Torah of Elohim!

Once again in verse 22 we see the call to RETURN being given to the backsliding children!

The Hebrew word that is used here for ‘return’ comes from the root word שׁוּב shuḇ – Strong’s H7725 which means, ‘to turn back, return, repent, recover’, which we already discussed as being the root from which we get the word for ‘backsliding’ which is מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah – Strong’s H4878.

Let me just run through a few verses that contain the Hebrew word for ‘backsliding’ – מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 2:19 “Your own evil instructs you, and your backslidings reprove you. Know therefore and see that it is evil and bitter that you have forsaken יהוה your Elohim, and that My fear is not in you,” declares the Master יהוה of hosts.”

Next are 4 verses from the chapter that we have read:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:6 “And יהוה said to me in the days of Yoshiyahu the sovereign, “Have you seen what backsliding Yisra’ĕl has done? She has gone up on every high mountain and under every green tree, and there committed whoring.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:11 “And יהוה said to me, “Backsliding Yisra’ĕl has shown herself more righteous than treacherous Yehuḏah.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:12 “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, ‘Return, O backsliding Yisra’ĕl,’ declares יהוה, ‘I shall not look on you in displeasure, for I am kind,’ declares יהוה, ‘and I do not bear a grudge forever.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 3:22 “Return, O backsliding children, I shall make your backslidings cease.” “See, we have come to You, for You are יהוה our Elohim.”

A few more examples:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 5:6 “Therefore a lion from the forest shall smite them, a wolf of the deserts ravage them. A leopard is watching over their cities, whoever comes out of them is torn in pieces. For their transgressions have been many, their backslidings have been numerous.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 8:5 “Why then has this people, Yerushalayim, turned away in a continual backsliding? They cling to deceit, they refuse to turn back.”

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 14:7 “O יהוה, though our crookednesses witness against us, act, for Your Name’s sake. For our backslidings have been many, we have sinned against You.”

Hoshěa/Hosea 14:4 “I shall heal their backsliding, I shall love them spontaneously, for My displeasure has turned away from him.”

As we read these verses together, in establishing the clear pattern of warning against backsliding, we are able to see the promise of healing from any such backsliding, and that is given to those who return to יהוה. The Hebrew word for ‘return’ is the root word

שׁוּב shuḇ – Strong’s H7725 which means, ‘to turn back, return, repent, recover’, which we have already mentioned as being the root from which מְשׁוּבָה meshuḇah comes from.

In the ancient pictographic letters שׁוּב shuḇ – Strong’s H7725 looks like this:

Shin – שׁ:

This is the letter ‘shin’ which in the ancient script is pictured as , which is ‘two front teeth’ and carries the meaning of ‘sharp or press, chew or devour’; which is what the teeth do, and also speaks of the sharpened word that comes forth from the mouth, as the teeth ‘chew’ or ‘meditate’ on the Truth, making what comes forth pure and sharp! It also carries the understanding of consuming or destroying – as teeth do to food.

Waw/Vav – וּ:

This is the Hebrew letter ‘waw’ or ‘vav’ which in the ancient script is pictured as , which is a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying down of the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

Beyt – ב:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

When we understand the combination of these pictures as rendering a returning or recalling to mind, we are able to recognise that the teeth, which speaks of a ‘pressing’, and the picture of the peg that secures, and the house which speaks of dwelling, we are able to understand this representing the following:

‘THE SECURE DWELLING PLACE THAT IS TO BE RETURNED TO’.

This word in the ancient form represents for us a:

‘RETURNING TO THE SECURE HOUSE WHERE WE ARE FED, AS WE MEDITATE ON THE WORD OF THE HOUSE’.

In a clear and wise call to return being given to a people who had backslidden and strayed from following יהוה, Shelomoh says in:

Diḇre haYamim Bět/2 Chronicles 30:9 “For if you turn back to יהוה, your brothers and your children shall be shown compassion by their captors, even to return to this land. For יהוה your Elohim shows favour and compassion, and does not turn His face from you if you turn back to Him.”

As we carefully consider the words that we have read from Hoshěa/Hosea, Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah and Mishlĕ/Proverbs, in regards to the very real and present dangers of what backsliding and complacency does, let us be on guard to ensure that we are like 5 wise maidens/virgins who have not only trimmed their lamps (which all 10 had done) but also have our lamps filled with oil and are walking in the Spirit as we hear, guard and do His Torah, keeping our garments of righteousness clean in living completely set-apart lives unto the Master, as we cling to Him and His Word.

In the call for a backsliding people to return we must also recognise the responsibility of those who have truly returned; and that is that repentance and forgiveness is what we, as children of the Most High, are to be proclaiming in the Name of יהושע Messiah, as we can see from the words of our Master that He spoke to His taught ones when He appeared to them after His resurrection, in:

Luqas/Luke 24:45-47 “Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it has been written, and so it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and to rise again from the dead the third day, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His Name to all nations, beginning at Yerushalayim.”

This Chapter 3 of Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah has a twofold message… firstly it is a call for a backsliding Yisra’ĕl to return and secondly it is a reminder that we who are clinging to the Truth and have returned from our backsliding ways are to call other backsliders to return!

RETURN, O BACKLSIDING YISRA’ĔL!

יהוה bless you and guard you; יהוה make His face shine upon you and show favour to you; יהוה lift up His face to and give you shalom!

Shalom all,

In this message I simply want to highlight what a blessing it is for us to walk in the Torah of יהוה and take a look at the use of this word that has often been cast aside by many as something that is restrictive and harmful; yet as we begin to understand the blessing that the Torah of יהוה is to those who walk in it, we are equipped to see the true benefit of guarding the Torah and doing so with much joy that results in a fervent love, praise and dedication to the Torah of יהוה.

The Hebrew word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 means, ‘utterance’, ‘teaching’, ‘instruction’ or ‘revelation’ from Elohim’. Other definitions include: ‘information that is imparted to a student; direction; body of prophetic teaching; instruction on Messianic Age; body of priestly direction’, and comes from the primitive root verb יָרָה  yarah – Strong’s H3384 meaning, ‘to shoot, throw, instruct, direct, teach’, which therefore can give us the understanding of ‘Torah’ to mean the following:

TO AIM OR POINT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION and MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION

The Torah gives us our ‘direction’ and bearings as we sojourn here, looking forward to the sure and promised hope of the return of our King and Teacher of Righteousness! This word occurs 219 times in 213 verses in the Tanak (O.T.)

For the purposes of this message I will not go through all 219 occurrences; butt will take a deeper look at how this word is used in a psalm that declares a jubilant praise and love for the Torah of Elohim.

In Tehillah/Psalm 119 we see the root word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 being used 25 times, which is written in 6 different forms:

1 – בְּתוֹרַת – betorath – ‘in the Torah of’

2 – מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ – mittorateḵa – ‘from Your Torah’

3 – וְתוֹרָתְךָ – vetorateḵa – ‘with Your Torah/ and Your Torah/ but Your Torah’

4 – תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa – ‘Your Torah’

5 – תוֹרַת – torath – ‘Torah’ (construct state – explained below)

6 – כְתוֹרָתֶךָ – ketorateḵa – ‘according to Your Torah’

Tehillah/Psalm 119 is a beautifully constructed masterpiece that truly expresses the psalmists love for the Torah of יהוה. It is divided into twenty-two parts or stanzas, denoted by the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

Each stanza contains eight verses, and the first letter of each verse is that which gives name to the stanza.

It is also worth noting that in every one of the 176 verses of this Tehillah, Elohim is either addressed or referred to.

Let us look at each of these 6 forms of the root word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 as used in the relevant verses from Tehillah/Psalm 119 so that we can get a greater understanding of the great love the Psalmist had for the Torah of יהוה.

1 – בְּתוֹרַת יהוה – betorath יהוה – ‘in the Torah of יהוה’

This construct form of the root word תּוֹרָה torah is used in the very first verse:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:1 “Blessed are the perfect in the way, who walk in the Torah of יהוה!”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי־דָרֶךְ הַהֹלְכִים בְּתוֹרַת יהוה

Asherey temimey-dareḵ haholeḵiym betorath YAHWEH

The construct of ‘in the Torah of יהוה’ is written with two nouns – בְּתוֹרַת יהוה – ‘betorath יהוה’. When a noun precedes another noun, the first noun is in the construct state, meaning it is connected to the second noun—two words together forming one concept. The noun תּוֹרָה torah has the letter ‘בְּ’ (bet) at the beginning of this form, as a preposition, which means, ‘in’. A preposition is a word whose function is to indicate the relation of a noun or pronoun to another noun, pronoun, verb, or adjective within a clause. Some English prepositions are “for,” “from,” “in,” “to,” and “with.”

Here in this construct it carries the meaning of ‘in’. The root word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 is a feminine noun and when a feminine noun, ending with the letter ה (hey), such as torah (תּוֹרָה), is used in the construct state, the ה is converted to a ת (taw), which in this case causes it to become ‘torath’ (תוֹרַת). What is very clear here is that the reference to the Torah in this first verse of Tehillah/Psalm 119 is that of יהוה’s Torah!

This first verse expresses the clear fact that those who walk in the Torah of יהוה are blessed! As I mentioned, there are many who, through a complete lack of knowledge or understanding of the Word of Elohim, have cast aside the Torah and consider it to be a curse rather than a blessing. Sadly those who think as such are missing out on walking in a truly blessed life in our Master and Elohim, יהושע Messiah.

The Hebrew word that is used here in Tehillah/Psalm 119:1 for ‘blessed’ is אַשְׁרֵי – asherey which comes from the root word אֶשֶׁר esher – Strong’s H835 which means, ‘happiness, blessedness, bliss’, and comes from the root verb אָשַׁר ashar – Strong’s H833 which means, ‘blessed, lead, guide, to go straight, make progress to be advanced, to be led forth’.

A ‘blessed’ – אֶשֶׁר esher – Strong’s H835 – man, is one who fears יהוה, takes refuge in יהוה, trusts in יהוה, and walks in the Torah of יהוה, by guarding to do all that is commanded therein:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 29:18 “Where there is no vision, the people are let loose, but blessed is he who guards the Torah.”

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘perfect’ is תָּמִים  tamiym – Strong’s H8549 meaning, ‘complete, whole, sound, perfect, without blemish, blameless’, and the Hebrew word for ‘way’ is דֶּרֶךְ  dereḵ – Strong’s H1870 which means, ‘way, road, distance, journey’ and is from the word דָּרַךְ  daraḵ – Strong’s H1869  which means, ‘to tread or march’; and so speaks of our walk, and every step that we take – and our ‘ways’ we are to commit to יהוה, which we do by walking in His Torah:

Tehillah/Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to יהוה, and trust in Him, and He does it.”

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘walk’ comes from the root verb הָלַךְ halaḵ – Strong’s H1980 which carries the meaning, ‘to walk, to live, manner of life, cause to live’, and literally speaks of how one lives. It is used as a verb indicating that it is an active expression of one’s life and also carries the meaning, ‘to go, to walk, come, proceed, depart, move, go away, to die, live, manner of life (figuratively)’.

 From this opening verse of this psalm of praise for יהוה and His Torah we are clearly able to see that a blessed life cannot be properly lived or walked out without the Torah of יהוה being that which leads our every step!

2 – מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ – mittorateḵa – ‘from Your Torah’

This construct form of the root word תּוֹרָה torah is used in the following 3 verses: 18, 51, and 150.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes, that I might see Wonders from Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

גַּל־עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ

Gal-eynay veabbitah niphlaoth mittorateḵa

The noun תּוֹרָה torah has the letter ‘מִ’ (mem) at the beginning of this form, which is used from the word מִן min – Strong’s H4481 which is a preposition that can render the meaning, ‘from, out of, by, by reason of, as a result of, according to’. The rest of the word – תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa – means, ‘Your Torah’ – which we will look at a little later in the verses where we see it simply written as such.

Here in this verse the psalmist asks יהוה to open his eyes that he may see wonders from His Torah! This highlights a very important lesson for us as we recognise that unless we turn to the Master and seek Him we will not be able to see the wonders that are contained in His Torah. So many are blinded to the Truth as they refuse to seek יהוה as they reject His Torah and turn away from it! Those who turn to the Master have their eyes opened to His Truth and are enabled to clearly see the wonders contained in His Torah, which clearly reveals who He is!

Qorintiyim Bět/2 Corinthians 3:14-16 “But their minds were hardened, for to this day, when the old covenant is being read, that same veil remains, not lifted, because in Messiah it is taken away. 15 But to this day, when Mosheh is being read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 And when one turns to the Master, the veil is taken away.”

Sha’ul made it very clear here that when one turns to the Master the veil is taken away and eyes are opened to seeing the wonders of the Master in His Torah! What is taken away in Messiah is NOT His Torah, but the veil that lies over people’s eyes! Those who deny the Master are unable to see the wonders contained in the Torah of יהוה!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘open’ comes from the primitive root verb גָּלָה galah – Strong’s H1540 which means, ‘uncover, remove, to be uncovered, disclosed, exposed’ and the Hebrew word that is translated as ‘that I might see’ is וְאַבִּיטָה – veabbiytah which comes from the primitive root verb נָבַט naḇat – Strong’s H5027 which means, ‘to look, behold, gaze, observe, pay attention’ and it is written here in the ‘hifil’ verb tense which is the ‘causative’ tense and highlights for us the clear cry of the psalmist here as he earnestly seeks יהוה to open his eyes so that he may be caused to see the wonders that are contained in the Torah of יהוה.

יהוה is the One who ‘causes us to be’ and it is He who ‘causes us to see’ wonders from His Torah when we turn to Him and seek Him with our all by turning away from all that displeases Him!

Those who have turned away from His Torah and have turned away from hearing His Torah will never be able to see the wonders contained therein and never be able to walk in the blessing of obedience!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘wonders’ is נִפְלָאוֹת – niphlaoth which comes from the primitive root verb פָּלָא pala – Strong’s H6381 which means, ‘to be surpassing or extraordinary, fulfil a special (vow), to do extraordinary or hard things, to show oneself wonderful or marvellous’. It is written in the ‘niphal’ verb tense which can render the meaning as, ‘to be beyond one’s power, to be difficult to do or understand, extraordinary’.

The psalmist is asking יהוה to open his eyes to see that which is beyond his own ability to see and asks to see the surpassing and extraordinary and marvellous matters contained in His Torah!

What is clearly being expressed here is that the psalmist knew that there are matters that are beyond our power to understand and not only is it beyond our power but it is also spectacular and marvellous, beyond comprehension – and it is this that he wants his eyes to be opened to! When we grasp the intensity of this earnest plea it does not make any sense why anyone would want to turn away from the Torah!

Now let us look at a couple of verses where we find the denominative root verb פָּלָא pala – Strong’s H6381, which clearly speak of the wondrous works of our Wonderful Creator and Redeemer:

Shemoth/Exodus 3:20 “And I shall stretch out My hand and smite Mitsrayim with all My wonders which I shall do in its midst. And after that he shall let you go.”

Shemoth/Exodus 34:10 “And He said, “See, I am making a covenant. Before all your people I am going to do wonders such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people among whom you are shall see the work of יהוה. For what I am doing with you is awesome.”

Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1Chronicles 16:9 “Sing to Him, sing praise to Him, Speak of all His wonders!”

Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 16:12 “Remember His wonders which He has done, His signs and the right-rulings of His mouth”

Diḇre haYamim Aleph/1 Chronicles 16:24 “Declare His esteem among the nations, His wonders among all peoples.”

We are to proclaim and declare His wonders, which we cannot do if we do not know who the wonder is!!!

Let’s take a look at some more wonderful words that reveal our Wonderful Creator!

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 9:6 “For a Child shall be born unto us, a Son shall be given unto us, and the rule is on His shoulder. And His Name is called Wonder, Counsellor, Strong Ěl, Father of Continuity, Prince of Peace.”

In prophesying of the coming of Messiah this verse in Yeshayahu makes a clear proclamation of who the Messiah is, and what His Name is called – one of them of course being ‘Father of Continuity/Everlasting Father’, which we are not going to look at in-depth in this message; however I do want to highlight the first Name that mentioned here – and that is ‘WONDER’, which is the Hebrew noun פֶּלֶא pele – Strong’s H6382 which comes from the root verb פָּלָא pala – Strong’s H6381.

This is very exciting for us to recognise here, in that The Child that was born unto us – יהושע Messiah – is called by the Name ‘WONDER’ – and we also know that the Messenger of יהוה that appeared to Manowaḥ told him that His Name was ‘Wondrous’. The very Messenger who appeared to Manowaḥ and was taken up in esteem before their eyes was none other than יהושע Messiah!!!

Shophetim/Judges 13:17-19 “Then Manowaḥ said to the Messenger of יהוה, “What is Your name? When Your words come true, then we shall esteem You.” 18 And the Messenger of יהוה said to him, “Why do you ask My name, since it is wondrous?” 19 And Manowaḥ took the young goat with the grain offering, and offered it upon the rock to יהוה. And He did wondrously while Manowaḥ and his wife looked on.”

The Hebrew word translated as ‘wondrous’ is the root verb we have been looking at – פָּלָא pala – Strong’s H6381, while the Hebrew word translated as ‘wondrously’ is the primitive root פָּלָה palah – Strong’s H6395 which means, ‘to be separated or distinct, distinguished, wondrously’.

The Psalmist understood that the Torah of יהוה contained much wondrous detail of the Master and he asked for his eyes to be opened to see the wonders in His Torah! As we fix our eyes on the Prince and Perfector of our belief we need to look intently into the mirror of the Word and guard the Torah, for then we will certainly see the wonders contained therein. For many of us we are able to testify of the wonders that the Master has revealed to us through His Torah as we diligently guard to do His Torah and walk in His Word! Those who turn away from the Torah of Elohim are blinded and unable to see the Truth.

Let us take a look at the next two verses that contain the construct of מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ – mittorateḵa – ‘from Your Torah’:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:51 “The proud have utterly scorned me, I did not turn aside from Your Torah.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:150 “Those who pursue mischief have drawn near; they have been far from Your Torah.”

In these two verses we are able to see the psalmist’s commitment to walking in and staying in the Torah of יהוה while the wrong have been far from the Torah!

In contrast with the psalmist’s enemies, who are far from the Law, יהוה is near the psalmist, to protect and help him as described in verse 151:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:151 “You are near, O יהוה, and all Your commands are truth.”

Those who pursue wickedness and get up to mischief are far from the Torah of Elohim and have no protection or covering, whereas those who guard the Torah and do not turn aside from it have the assurance of the presence and protection of יהוה

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘the proud’ in Tehillah/Psalm 119:51 is זֵדִים – zeḏiym which is the plural of the noun זֵד zeḏ – Strong’s H2086 which means, ‘insolent, presumptuous, arrogant’, and comes from the root verb זוּד zuḏ – Strong’s H2102 which means, ‘to boil up, seethe, act proudly or rebelliously, be rebelliously proud’. So many ‘boil up’ so to speak when they are simply told what the Torah teaches and instructs, especially when they do not want to ‘change their ways’ and do what is required! Those who resist the Truth and reject those who are appointed over them to teach and give proper right-ruling will find themselves at risk of being put to death when the Master comes. Another noun that comes from this verb and is used to describe the proud is the word זָדוֹן zaḏon – Strong’s H2087 which means, ‘insolence, presumptuousness, arrogance, pride’, which is also used here in this parable and translated as ‘pride’, and is also translated as ‘arrogantly’ in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 17:12 “And the man who acts arrogantly, so as not to listen to the priest who stands to serve there before יהוה your Elohim, or to the judge, that man shall die. So you shall purge the evil from Yisra’ĕl.”

This is a clear warning against the pride of refusing to listen to the Truth!

The Hebrew word for ‘mischief’ in Tehillah/Psalm 119:150 is זִמָּה zimmah – Strong’s H2154 which means, ‘a plan, device, wickedness, acts of lewdness, evil intent’, which comes from the primitive root זָמַם zamam – Strong’s H2161 meaning, ‘scheme, devise, plot’. What is worth taking note of is that the people who were as tall as the Anaqim that יהוה destroyed were called the Zamzummim by the Ammonites and were also known as the Repha’ites. (Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 2:20-21)

Zamzummim – זַמְזֻמִּים – Strong’s H2157 means, ‘plotters, schemers’.

Tehillah/Psalm 37:12 “The wrong plots against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him.”

The word ‘plots’ here is the word זָמַם  zamam, and we recognise how the wrong are always ‘plotting, scheming, or devising’ plans against the righteous and they ‘gnash’ their teeth in speaking out lies and hatred toward the Truth and against full compliance to the Torah.

Those who did not like the words of Stephanos, as he presented the Truth of the fact that they have not guarded the Torah, ‘gnashed their teeth’ at him:

Ma’asei/Acts 7:54 “And hearing this they were cut to the hearts and gnashed the teeth at him.”

The ‘plotters’ of today are always doing their utmost to devise new schemes of retaining the masses in following their twisted worship practices and will speak out against the Truth as they are confronted with the True Sword that cuts to the heart!

The Hebrew root word used here for ‘far’ in Tehillah/Psalm 119:150 is רָחַק raḥaq – Strong’s H7368 which means, ‘to be or become far or distant, go some distance, put it far away, remove, shun’ and this verb appears over 50 times in Scripture and occurs in various contexts that depict being far from something or someone else. In many passages it expresses the idea of being too far from a place or someone, as if the place or person was unreachable. It is also given as ethical and religious connotations in such passages as Shemoth/Exodus 23:7 where Yisra’ĕl was commanded to stay far from wickedness and falsehood:

Shemoth/Exodus 23:7 “Keep yourself far from a false matter, and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, for I do not declare the wrong right.”

This root is also used to describe how far Yisra’ĕl had gone from יהוה through their whoring with the nations and turning to worthlessness:

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah2:5 “Thus said יהוה, “What unrighteousness have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me, and went after worthlessness, and became worthless?”

What becomes clear in Scripture is that to be far from the Torah is not a good thing, whereas those who do not turn away from the Torah but continue in it experience the blessing thereof!

Let us now take a look at the 3^rd constructed word of תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 contained in Tehillah/Psalm 119:

3 – וְתוֹרָתְךָ – vetorateḵa – ‘with Your Torah/ and Your Torah/ but Your Torah’

This construct form of the root word תּוֹרָה torah is used in the following 5 verses: 29, 109, 113, 142 and 174.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:29 “Remove from me the way of falsehood, and favour me with Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     דֶּרֶךְ־שֶׁקֶר הָסֵר מִמֶּנִּי וְתוֹרָתְךָ חָנֵּנִי

dereḵ-sheqer haseyr mimmenniy vetorateḵa hanneyniy

The noun תּוֹרָה torah has the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) at the beginning of this form and is used as a conjunction that can have the meaning of, ‘with, and, or, but’. The rest of the word – תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa – means, ‘Your Torah’ – which we will look at a little later in the verses where we see it simply written as such.

Here the psalmist makes the urgent appeal to be removed from all falsehood and be favoured with the Torah of Elohim.

What becomes very clear as we look at these words is that it is the Torah of יהוה that is able to keep us from straying into falsehood, as long as we walk in it!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘show me favour’ is written as חָנֵּנִי – ḥanneyniy – which is constructed from the two root words: 1) the primitive root חָנַן ḥanan – Strong’s H2603 meaning, ‘show favour, be gracious to, dealt graciously with, given to them voluntarily, shown favour’ and 2) אֲנִי aniy – Strong’s H589 which means, ‘me, I, alone, myself’ and is written in the first person singular, usually for emphasis.

The noun חֵן ḥen – Strong’s H2580 meaning, ‘grace, adornment, favour, gracious’ comes from the primitive root חָנַן ḥanan – Strong’s H2603 and the reason for me making mention of this is to highlight that these two words, חֵן ḥen and חָנַן ḥanan, are collectively used 141 times in the Tanak (O.T.) and what we are able to clearly recognise in Scripture is that the favour of Elohim is only extended on the basis of His loving-commitment to His covenants of Promise and highlights the reality that the favour of Elohim is only extended to those who are in Covenant with Him and therefore highlights the reality that those who reject the Torah of Elohim and forsake the need to walk according to the Covenants of Promise, are unable to find His favour in time of need! Many today will loosely use the term ‘I am under grace’ while their lives are riddled with compromise and lawlessness, as they totally disregard the need to be walking in and guarding the Torah and commands of Elohim. The psalmist could cry out for the favour of Elohim, based on the loving-commitment of Elohim to His Covenants of promise and he understood the need to guard the commands of Elohim and therefore could confidently seek favour in his time of need, knowing that יהוה would hear his cry! Those who forsake the Torah are not heard by Elohim!

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 28:9 “He who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah, even his prayer is an abomination.”

One who turns away his ear from hearing the Torah is a clear reference to one who refuses to ‘hear, guard and do’ what the Torah instructs and here we are able to see that the prayers of those who turn a deaf ear to hearing and doing what the Torah teaches and commands are an abomination!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:109 “My life is in my hand continually, and Your Torah I have not forgotten.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד וְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי

Napshiy beḵappiy tamiyḏ vetorateḵa lo shaḵaḥttiy 

In this verse the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) is translated as ‘and’. Here the psalmist makes the clear that in his walk he has not forgotten the Torah of Elohim. The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘forgotten’ comes from the root word שָׁכַח shaḵaḥ – Strong’s H7911 and means, ‘forget, cease to care, ignore’

We are clearly reminded in:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 8:11-14 “Be on guard, lest you forget יהוה your Elohim by not guarding His commands, and His right-rulings, and His laws which I command you today, 12 lest you eat and shall be satisfied, and build lovely houses and shall dwell in them, 13 and your herds and your flocks increase, and your silver and your gold are increased, and all that you have is increased, 14 that your heart then becomes lifted up, and you forget יהוה your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage”

The sad reality is that so often when things seem to be going well with people, they ‘forget to not forget’, so to speak – which we are constantly to be on guard against!

We see in Hoshěa a clear use of this word שָׁכַח shaḵaḥ – meaning, ‘to forget’, being used as an antonym for יָדַע yaḏa – meaning, ‘to know’, in:

Hoshěa/Hosea 13:4-6 “But I am יהוה your Elohim since the land of Mitsrayim, and an Elohim besides Me you shall not know, for there is no Saviour besides Me. 5 “I knew you in the wilderness, in the land of drought. 6 “When they were fed they were satisfied. They were satisfied and their heart was exalted, therefore they forgot Me.”

To ‘forget’ יהוה and His Torah is simply another way of saying that one does not know Him! To forget יהוה is to reject walking in His Torah – and for this people will die!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:113 “I have hated doubting thoughts, but I have loved Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     סֵעֲפִים שָׂנֵאתִי וְתוֹרָתְךָ אָהָבְתִּי

Seaphiym saneathiy vetorateḵa ahaḇttiy

In this verse the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) is translated as ‘but’ and the ending of this verse could be literally translated as, ‘but Your Torah I have loved’.

As we consider these words we are able to recognise the clear understanding that the psalmist had in terms of the reason for loving the Torah, for it ensured that he did not have any doubts or a double mind. In this verse we see the clear contrast between hate and love as hate is expressed toward doubting thoughts while love is expressed for the Torah, showing us that without the Torah one is in danger of having doubting thoughts!

One who has doubting thoughts is a person who has a divided mind and is destitute of firm faith and persuasion as to the knowledge of Elohim, causing them to be driven this way and that by every wind of doctrine.

Ya’aqoḇ/James 1:5-8 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of Elohim, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it shall be given to him. 6 But he should ask in belief, not doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that man should not think that he shall receive whatever from the Master – 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.”

The Hebrew word for ‘hate’ is שָׂנֵא sane – Strong’s H8130 which means, ‘to hate, detest, turn against’.

The Hebrew word translated as ‘loved’ comes the root verb אָהֵב aheḇ – Strong’s H157 meaning, ‘to love, dearly loved, friend, friends, lover’, and is an expression of choice in action rather than just an emotional feeling!

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 8:17 “I love those who love me, and those who earnestly seek me do find me.”

He loves those who love Him – and a major part of loving Him is ‘seeking’ Him; because to love Him is to do what he has instructed us to, so how will we know how to love Him if we do not seek out what His instructions are???

An interesting side note is that the numerical value for this word for love is ‘8’ – which speaks of fullness, complete and everlasting! The letter ‘אָ’ (aleph) has the numerical value of ‘1’, while the letter ‘הֵ’ (hey) is ‘5’ and the letter ‘ב’ (beyt) is ‘2’, equalling a total numerical value of 8!

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 41:8 “But you, Yisra’ĕl, are My servant, Yaʽaqoḇ, whom I have chosen, the descendants of Aḇraham My friend”

Yoḥanan/John 15:13-14 “No one has greater love than this: that one should lay down his life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.”

Here in Yeshayahu/Isaiah 41:8 we see that יהוה refers to Aḇraham as being one who ‘loved’ Him and this root word for ‘loved’ in the Hebrew is אָהֵב  aheḇ – Strong’s H157 meaning, ‘to love, dearly loved, friend, friends, lover’.

Here this word is written in the “qal, active, pure noun participle”, which can also therefore render the intense love between two friends and so we can see why so many translations actually translate this as ‘…Aḇraham my friend…’ and Messiah tells us that the greatest love anyone can have is to lay down his life for his friend! This makes so much sense in that יהוה expresses the greatest love any could by laying down His life, not only for His friend who loved Him – Aḇraham, but also for Aḇraham’s descendants, the chosen and called out children of Yisra’ĕl!

יהוה Himself took on the nature of flesh by bearing His Right, Outstretched Arm and proved His love for us by redeeming us through His Blood – He is our Redeemer and the Set-Apart One of Yisra’ĕl – He is our refuge whom shall we dread? We are His friends if we love Him… for Yoḥanan makes it clear for us what love for Elohim is:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:3 “For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:142 “Your righteousness is righteousness forever, and Your Torah is truth.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

צִדְקָתְךָ צֶדֶק לְעוֹלָם וְתוֹרָתְךָ אֱמֶת

Tsiḏeqatheḵa tseḏeq le’olam vetorateḵa emeth

In this verse the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) is translated as ‘and’. The Righteousness of Elohim is forever and His Torah is Truth!

In Hebrew the word for ‘truth’ is אֱמֶת emeth – Strong’s H571 which means, ‘truth, firmness, faithfulness’, and this word carries an underlying sense of certainty and dependability – and we know that The Word of יהוה is truth:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:151 “You are near, O יהוה, and all Your commands are truth.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:160 “The sum of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous right-rulings are forever.”

Anyone who claims to serve יהוה without walking in and giving heed to follow His Torah, commands and instructions are not serving in Truth, and those who claim that the Torah/Law of Elohim has been done away with are sadly riddled with the leaven of the hypocrisy of man’s theologies and dogmas that seeks only to serve self rather than the Giver of Life, while claiming the opposite!

When Messiah prayed to the Father he said the following:

Yoḥanan/John 17:17 “Set them apart in Your truth – Your Word is truth.”

The Greek word that is used here for ‘truth’ is the word ἀλήθεια alētheia – Strong’s G225 which means, ‘truth, truly, according to truth’.

The Master יהושע Messiah tells us clearly in Yoḥanan/John 14:6 that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life – and to walk in the Truth is to walk in Him: in Him in whom there is not spot or blemish or any deceit of falsehood! To walk in Him is to walk according to the Truth and in purity of the Truth, as we hear, guard and do His commands

The Hebrew word used here for ‘righteousness’ is צְדָקָה tseḏaqah – Strong’s H6666 meaning, ‘righteousness, righteous acts, merits, righteous deeds’ and is the feminine form of צֶדֶק tseḏeq – Strong’s H6664.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:174 “I have longed for Your deliverance, O יהוה, and Your Torah is my delight.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     תָּאַבְתִּי לִישׁוּעָתְךָ יהוה וְתוֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי

Taaḇttiy liyshuatheḵa YAHWEH vetorateḵa shaashuay

In this verse the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) is translated as ‘and’. What is clearly being expressed here is the delight that the psalmist has in the Torah of Elohim. With the expression of how he has longed for the deliverance of יהוה we are able to see how we are to delight ourselves in the Torah of Elohim as we work out our deliverance with fear and trembling!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘delight’ comes from the root verb שַׁעֲשֻׁעִים sha’ashuiym – Strong’s H8191 which means, ‘delight, pleasant, object of delight’, which is an intensive noun that is written in the plural. When being written as ‘my delight’ it is written as שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי – sha’ashuai. This noun is used 9 times in the Tanak, 5 of which are used in Tehillah/Psalm 119 in the construct of שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי – sha’ashuai meaning, ‘MY DELIGHT’.

Let us take a look at these 5 verses and see what the object of Dawiḏ’s delight was:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:24 “Your witnesses also are my delight, my counsellors.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:77 “Let Your compassions come to me, that I might live, for Your Torah is my delight.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:92 “If Your Torah had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:143 “Distress and anguish have found me; Your commands are my delight.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:174 “I have longed for Your deliverance, O יהוה, and Your Torah is my delight.”

As we can clearly see from these verses the object of the psalmist’s delight was the witnesses, Torah and commands of יהוה! As we stop and ponder on this and see exactly what the psalmist took great pleasure in, we have to question the motives of some who claim to follow the Creator yet delight not in His witnesses, Torah and commands.

What is ‘delight’? This English word is defined in various ways by many different dictionaries and carries the basic meaning of, ‘having a strong feeling of joy’ or, ‘something that gives you great pleasure and satisfaction’. ‘A’ delight is a source of joy; and ‘to’ delight’ is to take pleasure in something! To give delight to is to affect with great pleasure or please highly. As a noun it is used to express a high degree of satisfaction or something that gives one great pleasure. As a verb it expresses the concept of taking great pleasure in something and the giving of keen enjoyment. In other words what one delights in can be clearly seen in the pleasure and enjoyment that one shows!

What do you take pleasure in? What is your delight?

When the Torah is a person’s delight then doing what the Word commands is a pleasure to follow.

Romiyim/Romans 7:22 “For I delight in the Torah of Elohim according to the inward man”

Our ability to truly delight in the Torah according to the inward man equips us to walk according to the Spirit and take great joy and satisfaction in guarding to do all that our Master has commanded us. When we delight in His Torah then doing His Torah is a delight and not a heavy burden or something that is too hard, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light!

The Torah is only hard to those who do not delight in it. Those who find no satisfaction in studying, meditating and learning the Word in order to joyfully do it, find it hard and boring, and in doing so render themselves as being fools who lack the necessary oil in their jars and will be shut out from entering into the Reign of our King!

4 – תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa – ‘Your Torah’

This construct form of the root word תּוֹרָה torah is used 14 times in Tehillah/Psalm 119, which can be seen in the following verses: 34, 44, 53, 55, 61, 70, 77, 92, 97, 126, 136, 153, 163, and 165

Tehillah/Psalm 119:34 “Make me understand, that I might observe Your Torah, and guard it with all my heart.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

הֲבִינֵנִי וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל־לֵב

Haḇiyneyniy ve’etstserah torateḵa ve’eshmerennah beḵal-leḇ

תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa is the most frequent form that we see the root word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 being written in, here in this Tehillah/Psalm 119 and it simply means ‘Your Torah’; with the strict and clear reference to it being יהוה’s Torah.

This verse is from the stanza of 8 verses that begin with the letter ‘הֲ’ (hey) – verses 33-40 – and the main theme of this grouping of 8 verses is the earnest desire to understand the Torah of Elohim, with the appeal to understand the Torah and the commitment to keep the Torah of Elohim at all times.

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘understand’ comes from the primitive root verb בִּין bin – Strong’s H995 which means, ‘to discern, act wisely, clever, diligently consider’ and is written here in the ‘hifil’ verb tense, which is the ‘causative’ form which can render the meaning of, ‘give understanding, cause to understand, teach’; and what we can clearly see here is the psalmist’s appeal for יהוה to cause him to understand the Torah so that he might properly observe and guard it with all his heart! Herein lies a very powerful lesson for us as we take note that there are many who fail to guard and observe the Torah of Elohim with all their heart due to a lack of understanding! It is often understood that proper understanding comes in the doing of what one has been taught and the psalmist is seeking for Elohim to teach him His Torah and cause him to do it and in the process of doing it, get the proper understanding through the proper application of the Torah so that he can faithfully observe it and guard it as he should!

The Hebrew word translated here in Tehillah/Psalm 119:34 as ‘observe’ comes from the root verb נָצַר natsar – Strong’s H5341 meaning, ‘to keep watch, guard, preserve’; and what is worth taking note of is that a derivative of this word is the word נֵצֶר netser – Strong’s H5342 which means, ‘Branch, a sprout, descendant’ and is used as a reference to Messiah:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 11:1 “And a Rod shall come forth from the stump of Yishai, and a Sprout from his roots shall bear fruit.”

As ‘branches’ of THE VINE, we are ‘watched over’ by יהוה, and equipped to bear much fruit:

Yoḥanan/John 15:4 “Stay in Me, and I stay in you. As the branch is unable to bear fruit of itself, unless it stays in the vine, so neither you, unless you stay in Me.”

Being ‘watched over’ must cause us to ‘watch over/observe’ that which we have been entrusted with, and that is His Torah that He has written upon our hearts! The way we are able to faithfully observe/keep watch over the Torah is through a proper understanding of the Torah, which comes in the faithful doing of the Word so that understanding may increase!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘guard’ comes from the root word שָׁמַר shamar – Strong’s H8104 and carries the meaning, ‘keep watch, observe, perform, protect, pay attention’, and the basic idea of the root of this word is ‘to exercise great care over’.

Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 3:17-18 “You, then, beloved ones, being forewarned, watch, lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the delusion of the lawless, 18 but grow in the favour and knowledge of our Master and Saviour יהושע Messiah. To Him be the esteem both now and to a day that abides. Aměn.”

These were the words that ended the second letter of Kěpha and are words that expressed the urgency of the need to be a watchful people, having been forewarned about the clear fact that just as there came to be false prophets in the past so too shall there be false teachers who shall secretly bring in destructive heresies, and deny the Master who bought them, as seen in the previous chapter of his letter.

The Greek word used in Kěpha Bět/2 Peter 3:17 for ‘watch’ is φυλάσσω  phulassō – Strong’s G5442 which means, ‘to guard, watch, keep, observe, obey and keep orders’, which we also see being translated as ‘watching over’, in:

Luqas/Luke 11:28 “But He said, “Blessed rather are those hearing the Word of Elohim and watching over it!”

This word φυλάσσω phulassō – Strong’s G5442 is used in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek text of the Tanak – O.T.) in:

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 7:1 “My son, guard my words, and treasure up my commands with you.”

Here it is used for the word that is translated as ‘guard’, which in the Hebrew text is the word שָׁמַר shamar – Strong’s H8104

As we guard His Torah and exercise great care over our need to walk upright, we will be protected against the delusion of the lawless! Why I am highlighting this is to make it very clear that in order to properly watch and be on guard against being led astray we need to be properly guarding the Word of Elohim by paying attention to it, as we hear, guard and do what the Word commands!

To watch as we should we need to know the Word, which takes proper study and daily meditation of the Word and those who are not interested in knowing the Word set themselves up to be an easy target for being led astray by the delusion of the lawless. How one watches is important as we also take note of the warning that Kěpha is giving here, saying that if one does not watch properly then the danger of falling away from one’s own steadfastness in very real indeed and sadly we see that there are so many who are not taking this warning seriously enough.

The psalmist understood the urgency of guarding the Torah with all his heart and cries out for understanding!

His commitment to guard the Torah with all his heart is a clear expression of his commitment to love יהוה as we know that ‘love for Elohim’ is to guard His commands and can be reminded of the verse I have already mentioned earlier in this article:

Yoḥanan Aleph/1 John 5:3 “For this is the love for Elohim, that we guard His commands, and His commands are not heavy”

We can also be reminded, as we consider the words of the psalmist, that guarding the Torah with all his heart is in obedient response to loving as he should, for we are called to love יהוה with all our heart:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 6:4-6 “Hear, O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our Elohim, יהוה is one! 5 “And you shall love יהוה your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. 6 “And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart”

It is a heart thing – and obedience flows from the heart, and in a Psalm that is all about the praise of the Torah and commands of Elohim we see the psalmist saying in:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:111-112 “Your witnesses are my inheritance forever, for they are the joy of my heart. 112 I have inclined my heart to do Your laws Forever, to the end.”

Sha’ul writes in:

Romiyim/Romans 6:17 “But thanks to Elohim that you were servants of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were entrusted.”

The Greek word for ‘heart’ is καρδία kardia – Strong’s G2588 and this word denotes the centre of all physical and spiritual life, and is understood as the centre and seat of the soul and mind; as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavours. It refers to the innermost part of a man – that which drives and directs a man’s steps, thoughts and purpose! The Hebrew word for ‘heart’ is לֵב leḇ – Strong’s H3820 which means, ‘inner man, mind, will thought’, or is often also written as לֵבָב leḇaḇ – Strong’s H3824 which means, ‘inner man, heart, mind, understanding’; and what is interesting to take note of here is that these two letters for ‘heart’ in the ancient Hebrew pictographic Script make it clear that the rule and authority of Elohim is to be upon our hearts!

In the ancient Script the Hebrew word לֵב leḇ – Strong’s H3820 looks like this:

Lamed – לֵ:

The ancient script has this letter as , and is pictured as a ‘shepherd’s staff’, can give the meaning of ‘to or toward’ and can represent that which pushes or pulls a flock in a direction, and can speak of authority or a yoke that is used to lead and guide, as well as the ability to bring back by Authority.

Bet – ב:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

In terms of these two pictures representing the ‘heart’ or the inner man and the will and thoughts of man, we are able to see that a pure heart is one that submits to the authority of the Good Shepherd, having been grafted into His Body, that is the Tabernacle of Elohim, which in Messiah we now are. And in recognising this we see that we, as legitimate sons and daughter of the Most High that have been grafted in by the Blood of Messiah, have upon our hearts His Torah, under which we submit to walking in – for His Torah are the rules of His House! Even with the word for heart being expressed as לֵבָב  leḇaḇ, we are able to see in the ancient text a second ‘bet’ – ב – , showing us the clear picture of the True authority for both Houses of Yisra’ĕl and Yehuḏah, that collectively make up the entire body of Messiah, or Tabernacle of Elohim, which we now are!

To love Elohim with all your heart implies that His commands are written upon your heart, for true love for Elohim is to guard His commands; and if one does not think upon or meditate upon His Torah in order to walk in it, then it shall be very clear that the Truth is not in them!

יהוה knows what is in our hearts, while we may not; and He tests our hearts in order to see if we will obey Him or not:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 8:2 “And you shall remember that יהוה your Elohim led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, prove you, to know what is in your heart, whether you guard His commands or not.”

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 10:12-13 “And now, Yisra’ĕl, what is יהוה your Elohim asking of you, but to fear יהוה your Elohim, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve יהוה your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, 13 to guard the commands of יהוה and His laws which I command you today for your good?”

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 11:18 “And you shall lay up these Words of Mine in your heart and in your being, and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.”

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 30:14 “For the Word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart – to do it.”

The reason I am quoting all these verses is to show that ‘it is a heart thing’ and the Word must be in our hearts and mouths, and not just a vain rendering of a corrupted lips service that has no heart or follow through with obedience and submission to doing the commands with joy!

Guarding the good treasure and deposit of the Truth in our hearts will keep us from sinning and being lawless, and will keep us from being and adulterer and thief!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:11 “I have treasured up Your word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.”

Let us now go through the other 13 verses where we see the word תוֹרָתֶךָ – torateḵa being used here in Tehillah/Psalm 119 and look at some key words contained in each verse in order to learn some lessons on the valuable blessing that the Torah of Elohim is for His Bride that makes herself ready for His soon return:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:44 “That I might guard Your Torah continually, forever and ever”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

וְאֶשְׁמְרָה תוֹרָתְךָ תָמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

Ve’eshmerah torateḵa tamiyḏ leolam vaeḏ

This verse is part of the 8 verses that begins with the letter ‘וְ’ (waw/vav) – verses 41-48, which often functions as a conjunction that means, ‘and’. Here in this stanza we see the psalmist praying for the loving-commitment and deliverance of Elohim to be extended to him and makes an earnest appeal to Elohim that His Word not be taken from his mouth, so that he may answer his reprove, according to the Word of Elohim that he has continually trusted in and therefore be equipped to guard the Torah of יהוה forever. The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘guard’ is the word שָׁמַר shamar – Strong’s H8104 which we have already looked at in the previous section.

What is important to highlight here is the psalmists desire to guard the Torah of Elohim continually, forever and ever. There is never a thought in his mind that it shall be done away with or become extinct but rather he acknowledges that the Torah of Elohim is forever and is something that is to be guarded continually!

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘continually’ is the word תָּמִיד tamiyḏ – Strong’s H8548 which means, ‘continuity, all times, always, constantly, regularly, continually’, and what is worth taking note of in the instructions regarding the Tabernacle is that the lamp was to burn continually:

Shemoth/Exodus 27:20 “And you, you are to command the children of Yisra’ĕl to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to burn continually.”

The Word of Elohim – is both a lamp to our feet and a light for our path

Tehillah/Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The word used here for ‘lamp’ is נֵר ner – Strong’s H5216 meaning, ‘lamp, candle, light’. Now a lamp in ancient times would primarily be a vessel with a wick for burning a liquid such as oil in order to produce light; and as one would walk the lamp would typically be carried in one’s hand!

This word for lamp – נֵר ner – is also used in:

Shemuʼěl Bět/2 Samuel 22:29 “For You are my lamp, O יהוה, And יהוה makes my darkness light.”

Shemoth/Exodus 25:37 “And you shall make seven lamps for it, and they shall mount its lamps so that they give light in front of it.”

This was part of the instructions given for the construction of the Tabernacle and the lampstand with its seven lamps that were to be in the Set-Part Place giving light over the table of showbread, and this is also a clear pointing to the seven lampstands as seen in Ḥazon/Revelation 2 & 3, and how יהושע walks in the midst of these!

How we keep our lamps ‘burning continually’ is to be a people who are guarding His pure and clear Torah, day and night!

It was the responsibility of the priest to ensure that the fire would not burn out and so one of the most critical roles in the duty of the priests was to make sure that the fire was maintained!

Kěpha Aleph/ 1Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a set-apart nation, a people for a possession, that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light”

We as a chosen and set-apart royal priesthood have a responsibility. And that is to keep alive and burning the flame of His presence within us at all times! We are to guard the flame, be keepers of the flame and maintain the flame – and this takes diligence and discipline in keeping a watchful eye on what we do in our daily lives!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:53 “Rage has seized me because of the wrong who forsake Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

זַלְעָפָה אֲחָזַתְנִי מֵרְשָׁעִים עֹזְבֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ

Zalapha aḥazathniy mereshaiym ozebey torateḵa

This verse is one of the 8 verses that begin with the letter ‘זַ’ (zayin) – verses 49-56.

One of the main themes that run through this collection of 8 verses is the persecution that the psalmist faces on a daily basis from his enemies, which were people who did not obey the Torah of יהוה and he expresses the confidence he has in the proper guarding of the Torah of יהוה that would save him from his enemies.

He also expresses the anger and rage that gripped him because of those who forsake the Torah of יהוה. When one diligently guards the Torah of Elohim, and walks in the true love for Elohim that is called for, then rage may grip the obedient servant of Elohim by what he sees the wrong doing.

While the proud and arrogant lawless ones continued to mock the obedient psalmist he remained steadfast to his complete trust in Elohim and His Torah and here he expresses his anger at seeing the lawless actions of those who forsake the Torah of Elohim.

The Hebrew root word used here for ‘the wrong’ is רָשָׁע rasha – Strong’s H7563 which means, ‘wicked, criminal, evil, offender’. רָשָׁע rasha is frequently  placed in Scripture, especially in Mishlĕ/Proverbs, as being in direct and unequivocal opposition to  צַדִּיק  tsaddiq –Strong’s H6662 which means, ‘just, righteous, blameless, lawful’, which is used here for ‘the righteous’.

It is from this contrast that we are able to get the clearest profile of the רָשָׁע rasha – Strong’s H7563 (wicked) kind of people! The book of Mishlĕ/Proverbs contains a great deal of antithetical parallelism, which contrasts the רָשָׁע rasha and the צַדִּיק tsaddiq in black and white terms. The focus is on both the quality of lifestyle and the results of these two ways of living. Whereas the wicked forsake יהוה, the righteous cling to him. Though the wicked are oppressive and dishonest, the righteous are upright and lovers of truth, etc. Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 28 clearly deals with the blessings for the righteous (verses 2-14) and the curses for the wrong (verses 15-68)!

The Hebrew word that is translated here in Tehillah/Psalm 119:53 as ‘forsake’ comes from the root verb עָזַב azaḇ – Strong’s H5800 which means, ‘to leave, forsake, loose, loosen, abandon, leave behind, neglect’.

Mishlĕ/Proverbs 3:3 “Let not loving-commitment and truth forsake you – bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart”

Anyone who claims to serve יהוה without walking in and giving heed to follow His Torah, commands and instructions are not serving in Truth and have, by default of their lawlessness, forsaken Him. And those who claim that the Torah/Law of Elohim has been done away with are sadly riddled with the leaven of the hypocrisy of man’s theologies and dogmas that seeks only to serve self rather than the Giver of Life, while claiming the opposite!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:55 “I have remembered Your Name in the night, O יהוה, and I guard Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

זָכַרְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה שִׁמְךָ יהוה וָאֶשְׁמְרָה תּוֹרָתֶךָ

Zaḵarttiy ballaylah shimḵa YAHWEH vaeshmerah torateḵa

Still in the same section of 8 verses that begin with the letter ‘זַ’ (zayin) – verses 49-56 – we see the complete commitment that the psalmist expresses in his diligent guarding of the Torah of יהוה and declares how he remembered the Name of יהוה in the night.

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘remembered’ comes from the root verb ָכַר ‘zaḵar’ – Strong’s H2142 which means ‘to remember, or be mindful, or bring to remembrance’.

The Hebrew word used here for ‘night’ is לַיְלָה layelah – Strong’s H3915 which means, ‘night (as opposed to day)’, and is a period of time from the setting of the sun to its rising; and so carries the focus of lacking light. Darkness often has the connotation of a period of uncertainly and a time when fear grips one the most, which metaphorically can be understood, especially when there is no light being shed on a situation that has become an intense time of insecurity and fear; yet we take note that both light and darkness are from Elohim, as both darkness and light are His!

Tehillah/Psalm 74:16 “The day is Yours, the night is Yours too, You have established the light and the sun.”

We also take note that the one who dwells in the secret place of the Most High and abides under the shadow of the Almighty is not afraid of the night or day!

Tehillah/Psalm 91:5-6 “You are not afraid of the dread by night, of the arrow that flies by day, 6 of the pestilence that walks in darkness, of destruction that ravages at midday.”

Why I am mentioning this is to highlight the character of a capable Bride of Messiah, as she is not afraid of the night and can therefore confidently get up and make proper preparations for the day ahead, with complete confidence and no fear of darkness! We need not fear the dark, so to speak, as we know that even darkness is as light to our Husband and King:

Tehillah/Psalm 139:11-12 “If I say, “Darkness shall cover me,” then night would be light to me; 12 even darkness is not dark for You, but night shines as the day – as is darkness, so is light.”

In this Tehillah/Psalm 119:53 the psalmist states that rage had seized him because of the wrong that forsake the Torah of יהוה, and he was possibly being gripped by this rage during the dark hours, so to speak; and then he says in verse 55 that he remembers the Name of יהוה and guards His Torah. In the midst of darkness he remembers who it is who causes him to be and therefore guards the Torah! This teaches us a vital lesson too, as many seem to discard the need to guard the Torah when things get tough and darkness overtakes them! It is during the ‘dark times’, so to speak, that we are to be on greater guard against the schemes of the enemy and his dark ways, as we remember that it is our Master and Elohim that has made both darkness and light and to Him darkness is as light, giving us the full assurance that, as a capable wife of the Most High, we can rise up in the darkness and be about our Master’s business!

When I ponder on this I am reminded of the call we see in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 60:1-2 “Arise, shine, for your light has come! And the esteem of יהוהhas risen upon you. 2 “For look, darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. But יהוהarises over you, and His esteem is seen upon you.”

I am also reminded of the words of Sha’ul in his letter to the believers in Rome:

Romiyim/Romans 13:11-14 “And do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for us to wake up from sleep, for now our deliverance is nearer than when we did believe. 12 The night is far advanced, the day has come near. So let us put off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk becomingly, as in the day, not in wild parties and drunkenness, not in living together and indecencies, not in fighting and envy, 14 but put on the Master יהושע Messiah, and make no provision for the lusts of the flesh.”

Dawiḏ made it clear that while some trust in the world’s ways he declares that the righteous remembered the Name of יהוה:

Tehillah/Psalm 20:7 “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we remember the Name of יהוה our Elohim.”

Remembering the Name of יהוה is to remember, acknowledge and know who it is that causes us to be!

The Name of יהוה is derived from the root word הָיָה hayah – Strong’s H1961 which means, ‘to be, to become, to be in existence’, and when Elohim spoke to Mosheh He said, “I AM that which I AM”, and told Him to tell the Yisra’ĕlites that the I AM had sent him. (Shemoth/Exodus 3:14)

I AM THAT WHICH I AM – in Hebrew is – אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה – eyeh asher eyeh – The word ‘eyeh’ comes from the root word הָיָה hayah – Strong’s H1961; and the word אֲשֶׁר asher – Strong’s H834 is a primitive pronoun that means, ‘who, which, that, that which’ and is a marker of a relative reference to an entity, event, or state. The first ‘eyeh’ is written as a proper noun, singular, masculine, while the second ‘eyeh’ is written in the qal active verb tense and in essence we see Elohim making it clear here to Mosheh that “The One who exists is the One who causes to exist, or gives existence” or “The All existing One is the One who gives existence”

Literally speaking it can render, “I AM the One who causes to be”, or “I AM the One who brings into being”, as well as “I AM the life-giver, the giver of all existence”, and “I AM the ever living self-consistent and unchangeable One”.

This however is not The Name of Elohim, but was rather an explanation that would lead up to the revelation of His Name, which is clearly declared as: יהוה – Strong’s H3068 which is derived from the root word הָיָה hayah – Strong’s H1961.

When we say the Name of יהוה we are proclaiming that it is the ‘I AM’ who gives existence and that He is the One who causes me to be! יהוה is our Creator and He has formed us! 

The Name of יהוה – Strong’s H3068 is pictured in the ancient script as follows:

Yod – י

In the Ancient Script this is the letter ‘yad or yod’ which is pictured as –   – which is the picture of an arm and hand and carries the meaning of ‘work, make, throw’ from the primary functions of the arm and hand and also represents worship or giving thanks in the extending of hands as a gesture of this. This also reveals to us a stretched out arm and hand.

Hey – ה

The ancient script has this letter as  and is pictured as a man standing with his arms raised up and out as if pointing to something, and in essence carries the meaning of ‘behold’ as in when looking at something very great. It can also have the meaning to ‘breathe’ or ‘sigh’ as when looking at a great sight and having your breath taken away so to speak! It also has the meaning of revelation or to reveal something by pointing it out.

Waw – ו

The ancient pictographic form of this letter is , which is a peg or ‘tent peg’ or nail, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

In the pictographic representation of the Name of Elohim we are able to clearly see how He, the All Existing One, revealed Himself to His Creation through His Outstretched Arm and Hand. The two pictures of the man and the peg in between them also gives us insight as to how He would come and reveal Himself in the form of a man and secure the Covenants of promise, and in this we are able to see the two comings of Messiah.

Behold the Outstretched Arm of the All Existing One shall come and secure His Covenant and Redeem us in order to establish His House for which He is coming again!

The correct grammatical way to pronounce the Name of יהוה is ‘YAHWEH’. For more on this please see the article I wrote called, “Grammatical study from Scripture on confirming the pronunciation of the Name of יהוה” which can be found under the articles menu on our site (https://atfotc.com) or by simply clicking on the following link:

https://atfotc.com/index.php/2012-04-19-08-30-28/view/678-grammatical-study-from-scripture-on-confirming-the-pronunciation-of-the-name-of

Tehillah/Psalm 119:61 “The cords of the wrong have surrounded me, Your Torah I have not forgotten.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

חֶבְלֵי רְשָׁעִים עִוְּדֻנִי תּוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי

ḥeḇley reshaiym ivveḏuniy torateḵa lo shaḵaḥttiy

This verse is from the section of 8 verses that begin with the letter ‘חֶ’ (ḥet) – verses 57-64 and in this stanza he continues to declare his deep devotion and love for the Torah of Elohim and in verse 57 he basically says that יהוה is all he wants as he says that יהוה is his portion and here in verse 61 he makes it clear that even while the chords or boundary lines of the wrong are all around him, he has not forgotten the Torah of Elohim!

This carries a great lesson for us in recognising that despite us being in the world and being surrounded by the wrong and their wicked ways of lawlessness, we are never to forget the Torah of Elohim! Often when people are going through difficulties or trying times they tend to forget, neglect or pay no attentions to the Torah of Elohim and in doing so make one of the biggest mistakes that they can. Here the psalmist proclaims total devotion to the Torah of Elohim in the face of his enemies and those who were trying to catch or ensnare him!

We know that the devil is likened in Scripture to a roaring lion that seeks someone to devour and we, as the righteous set-apart ones of Elohim, are to be sober and alert by guarding the Torah and not forgetting or neglecting to do what it commands!

Kěpha Aleph/1 Peter 5:8-9 “Be sober, watch, because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the belief, knowing that the same hardships are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”

DO NOT FORGET THE TORAH OF יהוה!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:70 “Their heart has become like fat, without feeling; I have delighted in Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

טָפַשׁ כַּחֵלֶב לִבָּם אֲנִי תּוֹרָתְךָ שִׁעֲשָׁעְתִּי

taphash kaḥeyleḇ libbam aniy torateḵa shiashaettiy

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘טָ’ (tet) – verses 65-72.

Despite the enemies attempts at trying to entrap or destroy this psalmist he continually strengthens his call of dedication and commitment to the Torah of יהוה and even states in verse 71 that it was good that he was afflicted for then he could learn the laws of Elohim! Here in this verse he presents a clear contrast between the wicked that have no care for the Torah of Elohim and the delight that he has in the Torah!

The Hebrew root verb used here for ‘delighted’ is שָׁעַע sha’a – Strong’s H8173 which means, ‘take joy in, delight in, have a feeling or attitude of taking pleasure in, having fondness for an object’.

This verb is also used in:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:16 “I delight myself in Your laws; I do not forget Your word.”

As this psalmist meditated on the orders and ways of Elohim he expresses how he delights himself in the laws of Elohim and takes great pleasure in them, having a proper attitude toward them!

While the wrong have fattened hearts of deceit without feeling, this psalmist declares that he takes great pleasure in the Torah of Elohim! How about you? Does the Torah give you great pleasure and do you have great fondness and delight for it? Or has your heart become calloused by the worries of this age and the deceit of wealth that chokes out the Word and renders one fruitless?

What is interesting to take note of is that this root verb שָׁעַע sha’a – Strong’s H8173 can also carry the meaning of, ‘to be smeared over or blinded, to smear the eyes shut’, and is translated as ‘shut’, in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 6:10 “Make the heart of this people fat, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and shall turn and be healed.”

What in essence is being said here is that those who have not delighted in יהוה and His Torah, and have shut their eyes to the Truth are given over to their own evil that they have delighted in. This is a negative use of this word that highlights the danger of not delighting in יהוה and being given over to the delights of a fattened and calloused heart!

Understanding our need to be delighting ourselves in יהוה, His Torah and the comforting breath of His Word, we recognise that this verb teaches us that our delight in Him must express an intensive and intentional action of seeking Him and continually doing so, lest our eyes become smeared shut by deceit!

To delight in יהוה is a continual action of a committed obedience that is required to be done out of a pure pleasure and joy as opposed to it being a heavy burden that is too hard to bear! What one delights in will not be too hard to do, even if it takes hard work and costs you!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:77 “Let Your compassions come to me, that I might live, for Your Torah is my delight.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

יְבֹאוּנִי רַחֲמֶיךָ וְאֶחְיֶה כִּי־תוֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי

Yeḇouniy raḥameyḵa ve’eḥyeh ki- torateḵa sha’ashu’ai

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘יְ’ (yod) – verses 73-80.

Here the psalmist appeals to יהוה to extend His compassion toward him in response to his ardent delight in the Torah.

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘compassion’ comes from the root word רַחַם raḥam – Strong’s H7356 which means, ‘compassion, tender love, deep mercy’, and at its root it refers to a deep love (usually of a superior for an inferior) which is rooted in a natural bond.

In a psalm of Dawiḏ we are reminded of the dealing of Elohim that we are not to forget, as he crowns us with His compassion:

Tehillah/Psalm 103:4 “Who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving-commitment and compassion”

We see this word רַחַם raḥam – Strong’s H7356 being used here in this Psalm, in describing the deep love Elohim has on those who fear Him, being likened to the love of a father for his children as seen in verse 13:

Tehillah/Psalm 103:13 “As a father has compassion for his children, so יהוה has compassion for those who fear Him.”

יהוה does not just put a crown on our head – He literally surrounds us with His kindness and tender love. I wonder how many times we have forgotten this.

The psalmist here expresses his urgent desire for the compassions of Yah to be brought to him so that he may live!

The Hebrew word translated as ‘live’ comes from the primitive root verb חָיָה ḥayah – Strong’s H2421 which means, ‘to live, came to life, restored to life, revived’. Our ability to be revived and kept alive is by our guarding of the commands of Elohim, and the noun that comes from this root verb and means ‘life’ is חַי ḥay – Strong’s H2416 and means, ‘life, alive, living, flowing, fresh, running’:

Deḇarim/Deuteronomy 32:45-47 “And when Mosheh ended speaking all these words to all Yisra’ĕl, 46 he said to them, “Set your heart on all the words with which I warn you today, so that you command your children to guard to do all the Words of this Torah. 47 “For it is not a worthless Word for you, because it is your life, and by this Word you prolong your days on the soil which you pass over the Yardĕn to possess.”

What we must guard against is the looking to the ‘letter of the Torah’ only; as we must recognise that the Torah without Messiah contains no life – but it is only in Messiah that true life of the Torah becomes something that can and does sustain us.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:92 “If Your Torah had not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

לוּלֵי תוֹרָתְךָ שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי אָז אָבַדְתִּי בְעָנְיִי

Luley torateḵa sha’ashu’ai az aḇaḏtiy ḇe’aneyiy

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘ל’ (lamed) – verses 89-96.

As we continue to see a repetitive theme of the delight that the psalmist has for the Torah of Elohim we take note in this verse that he makes it very clear that if the Torah of Elohim had not been his delight he would have perished!

Without a true delight in the Torah one will certainly perish in their afflictions!

The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘perished’ comes from the root verb אָבַד aḇaḏ – Strong’s H6 which means, ‘to perish, destroy, lose, put to death, blot out, do away with, to give up as lost, vanish, be lost or strayed’.

Qorintiyim Aleph/1 Corinthians 15:33 “Do not be led astray, “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

Keeping company with those that do not delight themselves in the Torah of Elohim will corrupt one’s delight in the Torah and in the process cause one to perish in their affliction!

The root word for ‘affliction’ here is עֳנִי oniy – Strong’s H6040 which means, ‘affliction, great pains, misery’, which comes from the root עָנָה anah – Strong’s H6031, as mentioned already above.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:50 “This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.”

In the great praise for the Torah, the psalmist certainly expresses that without the Torah we would have no proper direction and would be on a path to destruction. And when being surrounded by, or dwelling in, a place of affliction we have comfort in recognising the fruit of meditating on the Torah day and night, and that in the working out of our deliverance with fear and trembling, through obedience to the Torah, we are able to set our expectation perfectly upon the favour that is to be brought to us at the revelation of יהושע Messiah.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:97 “O how I love Your Torah! It is my study all day long.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

מָה־אָהַבְתִּי תוֹרָתֶךָ כָּל־הַיּוֹם הִיא שִׂיחָתִי

Mah-ahaḇtiy torateḵa kal-hay’yom hi siyḥathiy

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘מָ’ (mem) – verses 97-104.

In this section the psalmist expresses his deep love for the Torah of יהוה and how it has blessed him. One’s love for the Torah of Elohim can be clearly seen in their dedication to studying the Torah. Here we see the emphasize being placed on the continual learning and meditation that takes place and we know that we are told that it is a blessing for a man to meditate on the torah day and night and that it is what we, as servants of the Master, ought to do:

Yehoshua/Joshua 1:8 “Do not let this Book of the Torah depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you guard to do according to all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and act wisely.”

Tehillah/Psalm 1:1-3 “ Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the counsel of the wrong, and shall not stand in the path of sinners, and shall not sit in the seat of scoffers, 2 but his delight is in the Torah of יהוה, and he meditates in His Torah day and night. 3 For he shall be as a tree planted by the rivers of water, that yields its fruit in its season, and whose leaf does not wither, and whatever he does prospers.”

The Hebrew word that is translated as ‘study’ comes from the word שִׂיחָה siḥah – Strong’s H7881 which means, ‘study. Meditation, musing, reflection, prayer, devotion’ and is also used in:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:99 “I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your witnesses are my study.”

This word expresses the the action of giving considerable thought about a person or subject, with a focus of responding properly to the information and here the psalmist makes it very clear that the Torah and witnesses of Elohim are his study. One of the biggest things we see missing today by so many believers is their love for studying the Torah and witnesses of Elohim and this needs to be rectified, if the Bride truly wants to make herself ready for our Master’s soon return.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:126 “It is time for יהוה to act! For they have broken Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיהוה הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ

Eth la’asoth laYAHWEH hepheru torateḵa

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘עֵ’ (ayin) – verses 121-128.

In this section we see an urgent cry from the psalmist unto יהוה for help as he asks to be rescued from his enemies and affirms his love for the Torah and states that he has done right-ruling and righteousness and further seeks to be continually taught by Elohim in order to grow in his understanding of the witnesses of Elohim and in this verse he calls for יהוה to rise up and act against the wrong who have broken His Torah!

The Hebrew root word translated as ‘broken’ comes from the root word פָּרַר parar – Strong’s H6565 which means, ‘to break, frustrate, annul, nullify, make ineffectual, split, divide, make void’. Many have broken the Torah by not diligently seeking the proper counsel of the Word, and any who try to make ineffectual the Torah of Elohim will never have their plans succeed, for יהוה is coming to destroy the wicked who have broken His Torah!

Those who claim that the Torah has been done away with and nullified have simply broken the Torah and will be severely punished, lest they repent and return to walking in obedience the Torah of Elohim!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:136 “Streams of water have run down from my eyes, because they did not guard Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם יָרְדוּ עֵינָי עַל לֹא־שָׁמְרוּ תוֹרָתֶךָ

Palgei-mayim yareḏu ei’nai al lo-shameru torateḵa

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘פַּ’ (pey) – verses 129-136.

In this section the psalmist praises יהוה for His law and prays for יהוה’s mercy to save him from his enemies and expresses his heartache and sadness that he has due to those who have not guarded the Torah! This verse is a very emotional expression of grief that he has for those who do not guard the Torah and he may have even been thinking about his fellow Yisra’ĕlites who are not as faithful as he is in obeying all the commands of the Torah of Elohim. Many of us may be able to identify with this kind of grief as it certainly is a heartbreaking thing to see those who may be seen to be fellow believers and are not guarding the Torah as they should! For those who do not know Elohim it can be expected that they will not guard His Torah but for those who ought to and do not – that is something that causes much grief and pain for the true trustworthy servant of the Most High! What we see here is how the psalmist wept for those who did not guard the Torah. When our Master came riding on the donkey into the city and the crowd of taught ones began to praise Elohim, rejoicing with a loud voice for all the miracles they had seen, saying, ‘Blessed is the Sovereign who is coming in the Name of יהוה!’ Peace in heaven and esteem in the highest!’, the Pharisees told Him to rebuke His taught ones and get them to be quiet. He made it clear that if they do not cry out the stones would cry out and with much grief for the proud and arrogant city that had not guarded the Torah of Elohim we see that He wept over it:

Luqas/Luke 19:41 “And as He came near, He saw the city and wept over it”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:153 “See my affliction and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your Torah.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

רְאֵה־עָנְיִי וְחַלְּצֵנִי כִּי־תוֹרָתְךָ לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי

Re’eh-aneyiy veḥalletseniy kiy- torateḵa lo shaḵaḥttiy

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘רְ’ (resh) – verses 153-160.

Once again we are able to see the earnest cry of the heart of this psalmist amidst much trouble and affliction as he makes it abundantly clear that no matter the circumstances he had not forgotten the Torah of Elohim. In this Tehillah/Psalm 119 we take note how the psalmist makes this repeated statement that he has not forgotten the Torah, orders and commands of Elohim.

Tehillah/Psalm 119:61 “The cords of the wrong have surrounded me, Your Torah I have not forgotten.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:83 “For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, Your laws I have not forgotten.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:109 “My life is in my hand continually, and Your Torah I have not forgotten.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:141 “I am small and despised; I have not forgotten Your orders.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:153 “See my affliction and deliver me, for I have not forgotten Your Torah.”

Tehillah/Psalm 119:176 “I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I have not forgotten Your commands.”

In all of these verses we take note that the confession or declaration that he had not forgotten the Torah and commands of Elohim is done from a place of weakness and danger, yet his dependence upon the Torah of Elohim is greatly highlighted and is certainly a very important lesson for us to learn as we must make sure that we never forget the Torah of Elohim by neglecting to do what is commanded therein!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:163 “I have hated falsehood and loathe it, Your Torah I have loved.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי וַאֲתַעֵבָה תּוֹרָתְךָ אָהָבְתִּי

Sheqer sane’thiy va’atha’eḇah torateḵa ahaḇetiy

This verse is one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘שֶׁ’ (shin) – verses 161-168.

Here he makes it clear what he loves and what he hates. We have already discussed the Hebrew word for ‘hate’, which is שָׂנֵא sane – Strong’s H8130 which means, ‘to hate, detest, turn against’. Hate expresses an emotional attitude toward persons and things which are opposed, detested, despised and with which one wishes to have no contact or relationship. It is therefore the opposite of love.

The word used here in verse 163 for ‘loathe’ is תָּעַב ta’aḇ – Strong’s H8581 which means, ‘to abhor, despise, reject, utterly hate, loathe’.

The Hebrew root word translated as ‘falsehood’ is שֶׁקֶר sheqer – Strong’s H8267 which means, ‘deception, disappointment, falsehood, lies’, and comes from the root verb שָׁקַר shaqar – Strong’s H8266 which means, ‘to do or deal falsely, lie’.  

Ěḵah/Lamentations 2:14 “Your prophets have seen falsehood and folly for you, and have not shown you your crookedness, to turn back your captivity. But their visions for you are false and misleading messages.”

Through the false and misleading messages we see how so many have actually begun to teach themselves to speak falsehood; a falsehood that has been so ingrained in them as we are able to see through the mirror of the example given to us in Yirmeyahu being a clear reflection of the state of falsehood that prevails on the earth today!

Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 9:3-6 “And they bend their tongue like a bow. Falsehood, and not truth, prevails on the earth. For they proceed from evil to evil, and they have not known Me,” declares יהוה. 4 “Let everyone beware of his neighbour and not trust any brother. For every brother catches by the heel, and every neighbour walks with slanderers. 5 “And everyone deceives his neighbour, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak falsehood, and have wearied themselves to crook. 6 “You live in the midst of deceit; through deceit they have refused to know Me,” declares יהוה.”

Falsehood prevails on the earth! This could be a clear description of the wicked and deceitful generation that we live in the midst of today! Just as Yirmeyahu lived in the midst of deceit so we recognise how similar the days are that we are living in now.

So many people today find themselves unable to truly love the Torah as they do not hate and utterly detest falsehood!

What becomes very clear from the words that are in this Tehillah/Psalm 119 is that in order to properly love the Torah one has to detest and loath that which is false and what we see happening today by so many is the tolerance of evil and falsehood, which sadly corrupts any attempts at loving and delighting in the Torah!

Tehillah/Psalm 119:165 “Great peace have those loving Your Torah, and for them there is no stumbling-block.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

שָׁלוֹם רָב לְאֹהֲבֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ וְאֵין־לָמוֹ מִכְשׁוֹל

Shalom raḇ leohaḇey torateḵa ve’ein-lamo miḵshol

This verse is also one of 8 that begin with the letter ‘שֶׁ’ (shin) – verses 161-168 and in following on from the thought of the last verse we looked at we are able to see from this verse that those loving the Torah have great peace and have a secure path before them with no stumbling blocks on their way. Those who tolerate and refuse to hate and loathe falsehood will find their paths riddled with many stumbling blocks and in turn have no peace but are gripped with worries and anxieties and stress.

The Hebrew word for ‘great’ is רַב raḇ – Strong’s H7227 which means, ‘many, abundance, much, great, abounding, plentiful’. Great emphasis is being placed on how much peace that those loving the Torah have!

In Hebrew the word that is translated here as ‘peace’ is the word שָׁלוֹם shalom – Strong’s H7965 which means, ‘wholeness, completeness, soundness, welfare, peace, health, prosperity, well-being, safety, protection’, which comes from the primitive root verb שָׁלֵם shalem – Strong’s H7999 which means, ‘to be complete or sound, rewarded, make full restitution’.

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 26:3 “The one steadfast of mind You guard in perfect peace, for he trusts in You.”

The Hebrew text is written as follows:

 יֵצֶר סָמוּךְ תִּצֹּר שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם כִּי בְךָ בָּטוּחַ  –  ‘yetser samuḥ titsor shalom shalom ki ḇeḵa batuaḥ’ and can be literally translated as: ‘he whose mind is steadfast you keep in perfect peace, because in you he trusts’

The term ‘perfect peace’ is translated from the repetition of the word ‘shalom’. Yeshayahu was picturing himself standing in the redeemed land with the remnant, listening to the people express their thanks to and confidence in יהוה our Saviour! And the true thanks of the reality of the deliverance being made complete for those who are steadfast in mind is expressed in the complete shalom that is experienced by those who trust in יהוה.

Those loving the Torah have perfect peace and are not shaken by threatening circumstances but stand firm on the Rock of their deliverance!

The Hebrew word for ‘stumbling block’ is מִכְשׁוֹל miḵshol – Strong’s H4383 which means, ‘a stumbling, a means or occasion of stumbling, obstacle’, and comes from the root verb כָּשַׁל kashal – Strong’s H3782 meaning, ‘stumble, totter, stagger, bring down, failing, weakening’, and is used to describe the ‘weak knees’ in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 35:3 “Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the weak knees.”

In the parable of the sower we take note of the seed that falls on rocky places:

Mattithyahu/Matthew 13:20-21 “And that sown on rocky places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but is short-lived, and when pressure or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles.”

The Greek word that is translated here as ‘stumbles’ is σκανδαλίζω  skandalizō – Strong’s G4624 which means, ‘to put a stumbling block or impediment in the way upon which another may trip and fall’, and metaphorically can mean, ‘to offend’. It also carries the meaning, ‘fall away, led into sin, stumble, to cause another or be caused to begin to distrust and desert one whom he ought to trust and obey’.

Some people stumble under pressure due to hands that are weakened by deceit when persecution comes and then quickly compromise. Rocky hearts that have no ability to let the Word take root in their lives and quickly stumble when pressure and persecution, BECAUSE OF THE WORD, arises.

This Greek word σκανδαλίζω  skandalizō – Strong’s G4624 comes from the root word σκάνδαλον skandalon – Strong’s G4625 which means, ‘a snare, stumbling block, offense’, and it is this word that is used in the LXX (Septuagint – Greek translation of the Tanak – O.T.) for ‘stumbling block’ in Tehillah/Psalm 119:165.

What we can therefore see from these words in Tehillah/Psalm 119 is that those loving the Torah of Elohim can be likened to those who are represented by the good soil, as they hear the Word, understand it by doing it and bear much fruit of obedience, along with the assurance of a complete shalom!

5 – תוֹרַת – torath – ‘Torah’

This construct form of the root word תּוֹרָה torah is written here in the construct state in:

Tehillah/Psalm 119:72 “The Torah of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.”

In the Hebrew text this verse is written as follows:

     טוֹב־לִי תוֹרַת־פִּיךָ מֵאַלְפֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף

Toḇ-li torath-piyḵa me’alephey zahaḇ vaḵaseph

The root word תּוֹרָה torah – Strong’s H8451 is a feminine noun and when a feminine noun, ending with the letter ה (hey), such as torah (תּוֹרָה), is used in the construct state, the ה is converted to a ת (taw), which in this case causes it to become ‘torath’ (תוֹרַת). When a noun precedes another noun, the first noun is in the construct state, meaning it is connected to the second noun—two words together forming one concept and here in this verse we see the Torah being connected to the root word פֶּה peh – Strong’s H6310 which means, ‘mouth, commandment, edge, word’. This word is used to reference the Word or commandments that come from the mouth of יהוה, as it is used approximately 50 times in the Tanak in reference to the mouth of Elohim. The word פִּיךָ – piyḵa means, ‘Your mouth’ and is a clear reference to the mouth of יהוה, hence the term תוֹרַת־פִּיךָ – torath-piyḵa is a clearly understood here as the Torah of the mouth of יהוה.

Here the psalmist expresses the value of the Torah of the mouth of יהוה, making it very clear that it is worth far more than any amount of gold or silver!

The Hebrew word that is translated here as ‘better’ is טוֹב toḇ – Strong’s H2896 and carries the meaning, ‘pleasant, good, agreeable, beautiful, to be pleasing, done well’, and comes from the primary verb טוֹב toḇ – Strong’s H2895 and carries the meaning, ‘pleasant, good, agreeable, beautiful, to be pleasing, done well’.  

In the true understanding of this word   טוֹב toḇ we can see that it may best be translated in most cases as ‘functional’, for when יהוה said in Berěshith/Genesis 1:31 that when He saw all that He had made, that He said it was very good. What He saw was His creation functioning properly and working the way it should and this is why it was ‘good’.

Sounds all good – yet as we study further into the Hebraic mind-set in regards to this word we get a fuller understanding of what טוֹב toḇ means.  To do that it does help to look at the ancient script and get a wider perspective of the true meaning of this word.

In the ancient script – טוֹב toḇ – is pictured as:

Tet – ט:

The original pictograph for this letter is , a container made of wicker or clay. Containers were a very important item among the nomadic Hebrews. They were used for storing grains and other items. Wicker baskets were used as nets for catching fish. The meanings of this letter are basket, contain, store and clay.

Waw – וֹ:

The ancient pictographic form of this letter is , a peg or ‘tent peg’, which was used for securing or tying the tent or other items. The possibility of it having a Y-shape is to show that it prevents the rope from slipping off. The root meaning of this letter is ‘to add, secure or hook’.

Beyt – ב:

The ancient script has this letter as , which pictures a tent floor plan and means, ‘house’ or ‘tent’. It represents family and the importance of those who are inside the tent as opposed to the tent structure itself.

טוֹב  toḇ –  –  from this picture we are able to learn and see that: we as clay vessels are made secure through the Blood of Messiah that holds for us a secure covenant promise of being made complete in Him and becoming the Dwelling Place of the Most High – where He that is Good  – The Potter – may dwell with those He has created and called by name!

As we look at these letters we find a great revelation in terms of the Good News (Besorah) or rather ‘טוֹב toḇ News’!

The way we, as ‘clay vessels’, are secured into the House of Elohim is by being secured by the peg! Listen to what it says in:

Yeshayahu/Isaiah 22:22-24 “And I shall place the key of the house of Dawiḏ on his shoulder. And he shall open, and no one shuts; and shall shut, and no one opens. 23 ‘And I shall fasten him like a peg in a steadfast place, and he shall become a throne of esteem to his father’s house. 24 ‘And they shall hang on him all the weight of his father’s house, the offspring and the offshoots, all vessels of small quantity, from the cups to all the jars.”

We know that this is a great picture of how through יהושע Messiah we are fastened in a steadfast place!

Ezra 9:8 “But now, for a short while, favour has been shown from יהוה  our Elohim, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a peg in His set-apart place, that our Elohim might enlighten our eyes and give us a little reviving in our bondage.”

This again is a wonderful promise given amidst a time of bondage due – that a peg is given in His set-apart place – a great picture of the loving-commitment and compassion יהוה has for His called out nation, that while the ‘House of Elohim’ had been neglected and broken down He would bring the necessary means to ‘secure’ His covenanted people to His House that he builds by His design! It is through the work of Messiah, who has become the very ‘peg’ that secures us and adds us, the clay vessels, to His House!

The Word of Elohim made flesh – The Living Torah, יהושע Messiah came down and secured for us the ability to be made into the House that He Elohim shall dwell in forever!

His House/Dwelling Place is built by His design and His plan and so when we see how that we are the ‘Dwelling Place’ of the Most High, then we are able to get a clearer understanding that we are built up according to His plans as instructed in His Torah that was given through Mosheh and revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Messiah.

Just as the Tabernacle in the Wilderness had to be built exactly according to the pattern shown to Mosheh on the mountain of the true heavenly Tabernacle, so too do we need to recognise that the only way we can be built up into being the True Dwelling Place of Elohim is through carefully following His instructions as we walk in and stay in Messiah – The Living Torah.

When something is working properly we might say today something like, ‘working like a well-oiled machine’, when speaking of that which is functioning the way it should and the way it was designed to. So טוֹב toḇ in the true sense of the word, expresses the idea that something is ‘good’ when it is fulfilling the action for which a person or thing is specifically fitted or used, or for which something exists. In other words it refers to something that functions within its intended purpose!