Category Archives: Life

How Torah Improves One’s Life & an Understanding of the Bible

Posted on by
Reply
Boy reading from a gevil parchment scroll. This one is written on goat skin.

A New Way of Life

Coming to an understanding of YHVH Elohim’s Torah-laws and then adopting a Torah-compliant lifestyle coupled with viewing the Bible through a Hebraic perspective and context has numerous positive benefits in one’s life. A pro-Torah approach to one’s life is more than just…

  • Changing which day you go to church on.
  • Changing your eating habits.
  • Celebrating different holidays.
  • And, if you’re really into it, growing a beard and wearing blue fringes or tassels. 

Pursuing a Torah-centric lifestyle will not only change some aspects of your lifestyle, but will also change how you view the Bible, how you view Yeshua or Jesus, Elohim or God, yourself, the Jews, the land of Israel as well as your thinking about a lot of other things, and how you view yourself and your fellow Christians. It will also vastly deepen and broaden your understanding of the Bible in ways you could never imagine. Let’s briefly explore a few of these areas.

The Main Lifestyle Changes Include

  • Observing the seventh day Sabbath
  • Celebrating the biblical feasts
  • Adopting a biblically kosher diet

But as we are about to learn, this is only the beginning.

A New Perspective on the Bible

A pro-Torah and Hebraic view of the Bible opens up multiple new vistas in one’s understanding of the Bible. Here a few of them:

  • A more traditional  Greco-Roman, Western, caricaturized view of Jesus gives way to a more accurate Hebraic or Jewish and Middle Eastern view of the real and authentic Yeshua.
  • One learns that Yeshua in his pre-incarnate state was the God of the Old Testament and the one who interacted with the patriarchs, Moses, the children of Israel and the prophets. As such, he is the One, as the Word of Elohim who would eventually became flesh, who gave the ancient Hebrews his Torah-law.
  • One learns that the thesis-antithesis paradigm of the Old Testament Torah-law or law of Moses model versus the New Testament grace model is a false and church-invented construct, and that the concepts of law and grace are not antithetical as the mainstream church teaches but are complimentary and indivisible issues, and are, in reality, two sides of the same coin.
  • One gains a deeper understanding of who and what the church is. The church was neither birthed nor spontaneously combusted on the day of Pentecost. Rather the church is a long term continuation of YHVH’s relationship with his people going back for thousands of years and continues to this day and involves all of the saints.
  • A new and greater holistic view of the Bible emerges versus only seeing the Scriptures in a seemingly disparate, disjointed and unrelated parts and pieces. The pieces of this vast puzzle finally begin to fall into place and a much more glorious and expansive picture than ever imagined emerges.
  • A Hebraic or Eastern view of the Bible replaces a limited and somewhat cartoon Greco-Roman and Western Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant view.
  •  One begins to understand the Bible through Hebraic block logic rather than Greek step or syllogistic logic. 
  • One gains a deeper understanding of the rules of biblical interpretation including understanding Scripture in its whole Bible, linguistic, historical and cultural context. One also learns about the four levels of understanding the Bible known as the PaRDeS method (i.e., the simple, hinted at, allegorical and mystical levels). One also gains an understanding of and an appreciation for the concept of exegesis over eisegesis when correctly interpreting or rightly dividing the Word of Elohim.
  • A better understanding of biblical history and future events including the Hebraic understanding of cycles emerges.
  • One gains a new understanding of Paul and the real issues facing the New Testament church. The controversial issue that Paul was dealing  with was not the law versus grace and whether or not YHVH’s Torah-law was relevant to Christians. Rather, the issue was about a works-based salvation versus salvation by grace through faith. In Paul’s writings, the validity of the Torah-law was never the issue contrary to what mainstream Christianity has falsely taught over the millennia.
  • One gains a whole new perspective and understanding of Old Testament Bible prophecies as one learns who the ancient players were and who their modern descendants are and how that relates to end times Bible prophecy.
  • One learns who the two houses of Israel were and who their modern descendants are and how that relates to each of us regarding our future destiny as it relates to the establishment YHVH’s kingdom on earth.

A New Perspective About Yourself

As one embraces the Torah and the Hebrew roots of one’s faith…

  • A new and fuller perspective on the biblical definition of sin emerges. One learns that YHVH’s Torah-law defines sin, not church traditions and the rules of men. This is both liberating and sets one’s life on a more solid spiritual foundation based on the Truth of the Bible as opposed to the unbiblical traditions of men.
  • One gains a new and fuller perspective and understanding on who you are as a grafted-in Israelite. You are no longer a Gentile who is without God and without hope, but are part of the commonwealth, nation, citizenship and covenants of Israel. You are a redeemed Israelite and the literal offspring of Abraham and you are part of YHVH’s chosen people along with our Jewish brothers. This is an enormously empowering concept!
  • One obtains a new and fuller understanding of what holiness is and how to become holy. The Bible defines what people, things, practices or times are holy, not men.
  • Your physical diet improves. This is because one becomes a label reader and discovers that one has not only been eating biblical non-kosher foods, but a lot of unhealthy junk and chemical ingredients as well. By eliminating these toxic substances from one’s diet, one’s health will improve because one stops eating physical junk food.
  • One’s spiritual diet will improve. One becomes a spiritual label reader and begins to compare what the mainstream church is teaching or not teaching compared to what the Bible really says. As a result, one stops feeding from the toxic mixture of truth and lies that are emanating from the pulpit, which is the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and one starts feeding from the whole Truth of the Bible, which is the tree of life. Thus, one’s spiritual health improves as one stops eating spiritual junk food.
  • One gains a deeper understanding of what it is to be the temple of the Holy Spirit and what it means to live a sanctified and holy life.

A New Perspective on Some Other Things

One gains…

  • A new love for the land of Israel.
  • A new love for the Jewish people.
  • A new love for YHVH’s lost and scattered sheep of the house of Israel. 
  • An expanded and deeper understanding of the gospel message including Yeshua’s remarriage to his Israelite bride and why he had to die on the cross to pay the sin price for his adulterous wife.
  • A fuller understanding on what it is to be the bride of Yeshua and how to prepare for and qualify to be his glorious and immortalized bride.
  • An understanding of the heavenly and temporal rewards that one will receive as a result Torah obedience versus not obeying YHVH’s Torah.
 

The Book of Job—A New Perspective on Life!

Posted on by
Reply

Written on January 12, 2024 in Wilhelmina Bay, Antarctica

What are the main themes and takeaway lessons from the seldom read book Book of Job? There are several. But recently while cruising in the waters of the Antarctic Peninsula with my Bible open to the end of this interesting book about a man who lost everything and was trying to figure it all out, I experienced a eureka moment in my understanding as to the deeper meaning of this somewhat enigmatic book.  

 While viewing the unspeakably beautiful and endless whiteness of that spectacularly majestic continent just a few feet outside my stateroom balcony door, my heart and mind were transported to another place not only physically but also spiritually. From that vantage point in time and space against that backdrop of this seemingly infinite and mysterious landmass, I suddenly viewed Job in a new light. He was a man searching for answers to the perennial conundrums of life that have perplexed humans from day one. How did the Antarctic trigger this spiritual connection? As a finite being myself briefly travelling through the Antarctic, while trying to take in sights I had never seen before and comprehend the infinite whiteness unfolding before me, it came to me that I was in a similar place as that of Job and his three friends thousands of years trying to comprehend things that were beyond their ability to do so. Who are we in this vast cosmos on a spaceship called earth, and where to we fit in to the big scheme of things?

It is clear from reading this book that Job is trying to understand the ways of Elohim and answer the unanswerable questions that have perplexed and plagued men’s hearts and minds from the beginning. These perennial conundrums that most thinking humans attempt to answer are:  What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Where am I going? What is the significance of good versus evil and where does man figure into this paradigm? Why do bad things happen to ostensibly good people? If there is a good God, then why is there suffering and evil in the world? With man’s intellect, Job and his “friends” attempt but fail to answer these enigmatic questions. The answer comes from two unexpected sources.

After Job and his three friends have exhausted themselves arguing back and forth trying to answer these perplexing questions, Elihu, a young man who may be short on years but is long in wisdom and understanding, enters the scene. He takes the discussion in a different direction and to a higher level and leaves the others behind to wallow in the dust of the futility of their supposed intellect and self righteousness. He asserts the righteousness and superior intellect and wisdom of the Creator. Elihu’s input sets the stage for what happens next.

Suddenly and without warning or man’s permission, the Sovereign Creator of the universe and all that is therein unexpectedly manifests himself in the physical realm in a whirlwind. This whirling windstorm can either be interpreted literally, or it can be viewed as a poetic metaphor symbolizing the whirlwind of human emotions and mental circumambulations. Perhaps both interpretations are correct. Certainly the Creator could have used a literal tornado to punctuate the situation and to demonstrate his power. He used a similar but opposite demonstration later on with Elijah in the cave on Mount Sinai. Whatever the case, what message was YHVH Elohim in this most demonstrative manner attempting to convey to Job and his friends?

One things is evident from YHVH Elohim’s uninvited intervention into the affairs of men. After capturing and then demanding man’s attention, he asks a series of questions. Through this, he is signaling to man an important message. He is telling his human clay creations that “I need neither man’s invitation nor his permission to do anything anywhere to anyone whenever it pleases me or suites my sovereign and mysterious purposes to do so.” Then for four chapters Yehovah Elohim commences to give his earthlings an instructive lesson that is intended to squelch all human reasonings and debates proffered thus far in the Book of Job pertaining to the ways, whys and wherefores of the Creator. 

During the Almighty’s monologue, interestingly YHVH totally ignores Job’s three foolish friends as if to say your comments are not even worthy of my time. “The reasonings and theological philosophies of men are foolishness to me, so off with you!” Then in Job chapter 42, YHVH gives these three men a quick nod by demanding that they repent of their sin of misrepresenting the Creator through their pretend wise, yet foolish words. 

As far has YHVH’s response to Job is concerned, to our Western logic-based mindset where four must irrevocably follow the question, “What is two plus two?” it seems aloof and appears to miss the mark of man’s inquiry as to the meaning of life and the perennially nagging and unanswered questions that have plagued men forever. So what is the deciphered  meaning of YHVH’s non-answer answer to righteous Job who is the undisputed apple of his eye above all other humans on earth? Simply this: Your finite mind is incapable of understanding the Infinite, so stop attempting to do so with your foolish, pea brains. Moreover, in an indirect way that often befuddles our Western syllogistically based logic, YHVH is telling Job that if you cannot even answer the most basic questions about the animals of my creation, how do you expect to answer the complex questions pertaining to the higher life forms called humans. And if you cannot answer these questions, then how can you even begin to comprehend the Infinite Creator of it all? Therefor, put your hand over your mouth (translated: “Shut up!”), stop trying to quantify the unquantifiable and label that which can neither be described nor put into neat labeled boxes by humans. If humans can put Elohim into a box, it simply means that they can then label that box, package it with a colorful and attractive wrapping and then market it to other humans for their own profit and glory. The Creator says, “Away with this nonsense!”, for he refuses to play these silly sandbox mind games invented by his puny and ridiculous children, who are trying to play god to other humans for their own selfish ends! 

This, I humbly submit, is one the greater messages of the Book of Job which I ascertained while observing the endless, seeming infinite, and majestic white expanses of the Antarctic contrasted with my own finiteness, limitations and lack of understanding of much about this continent and life in general. Viewing such extraterrestrial and surreal scenes while studying the Bible tends to transports one to a different place spiritually as it opens up new perspectives and vistas. One quickly sees how small man is and how great the creation of this earth is and, by extension, how great the Creator is. Can I understand the mysteries of the Antarctic such as how the ice that is sometimes miles thick was formed, how old the ice is whether thousands or millions of years old, the movement of glaciers, the death-defying coldness of that region, or how the sea life survives in such an inhospitable environment? No. So like Job, since I cannot even answer some of the most basic question about how life works on this earth, much less the ways of YHVH Elohim, I humbly put my hand over my mouth and just trust that my Father in heaven has it all figured out and that things will work out for me for my ultimate good and betterment, as they did for Job. I have faith that YHVH loves me and that he is all powerful. What more is needed?   

 

What the Bible Teaches Us About Emergency Preparedness (or Prepping)

Posted on by
2
Nathan’s Eagle Scout medal. Notice the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.

Spiritual preparedness should be the first order of business in our lives. When we are prepared spiritually, then everything else will fall into place after that including mental and emotional preparedness, and finally physical preparedness. The main focus of the Hoshana Rabbah for more than 20 years has been on spiritual preparedness. That end we have written and published thousands of articles and made nearly 600 videos. Today, however, we want to focus briefly on physical preparedness. What can we learn from the Bible about “prepping”?

The foundation of preparing for lean times goes back to the beginning of the human experience. Hunter-gatherer civilization spent much of their time preparing for the coming winter season when food was scarce. Those who grew up on farms, like me, know all about gathering in the harvest and preserving it and then storing it up for the coming winter months and into the next year while waiting for the new harvest of fruits and vegetables to come in. Even the Boy Scouts, which has been around for more than a hundred years and has been preparing boys to become self-sufficient and capable men, has as its motto: Be Prepared. More recently, in America, the U.S. Homeland Security Department, the American Red Cross, many local state and city governments along with local utility companies have been urging people to be prepared and to have at least 36 hours or even 72 hours of food, water and other supplies in case of an emergency. This is old news. However, what happens if the whole economy collapses, or the power grid goes down, or law and order breaks down, or there is a war? Then what will people do?

As we are about to learn, the concept of preparing for the coming season or for hard times is a principle that is found throughout the Bible, with numerous passages dedicated to preparedness planning and survival. 

Noah

Noah was prepper for hard times—by Elohim’s command. He did not wait for the rains to start before building the ark. Needless to say, Noah did not run to the grocery store at the last minute to buy food nor did he run to the local boat dealer to buy an ark as the rain was starting  to fall. He prepared for 120 years! Those who people around Noah who were unprepared physically and spiritually were wiped out.

Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. (Gen 6:14, 21–22 cp. 6:3)

Continue reading →
 

Psalms 82–88: From Heaven to Hell and in Between

Posted on by
4

Psalm 82

Psalm 82:1, Elohim stands…the gods/Congregation of the mighty. Dr. Michael Heiser in his two books, Reversing Hermon and The Unseen Realm puts forth a convincing argument that the elohim mentioned in this verse are what Scripture refers to in many places as “the hosts of heaven” and refer to Elohim’s divine heavenly council. This same council is also referred to in Deut 33:2; 1 Kgs 22:19; 2 Chron 18:18; Job 15:8; Jer 23:18; Dan 7:9–10 and Heb 2:1; Acts 7:53. 

“The congregation of the mighty” seems to be a reference to Elohim acting as the Supreme Judge among his divine, heavenly council that carries out his orders. This is more than the traditional “Godhead” (i.e., the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and also includes angelic and spirit beings, and even Satan himself. 

From time to time, Elohim gathers his council together as we see in Job (Job 1:6; 2:1). Even lying spirits are subject to and do the bidding of Elohim who presides over this council also referred to as the host of heaven (1 Kgs 22:19–23). Moreover, some of the “Us” passages in the Scriptures, which have typically been attributed to the “Godhead,” according to Heiser, likely refer to this divine counsel (e.g., Gen 11:7; Ezek 44:6). This has been the view of ancient Jewish sages as well.

Modern biblical theologians have traditionally taken a non-supernaturalistic view of Psalm 82:1 by saying that the gods here refer to human rulers. While elohim may by definition and biblical usage refer to human rulers, this passage cannot be limited to this definition alone, since verse seven refers to these gods or elohim as “dying like men” as a result of Elohim’s divine judgment on them because of their wickedness. This threat makes little or no sense if it is referring only to human rulers. 

For the record, Yeshua quotes verse six in reference to human rulers (John 10:34; 14:30; 16:11), so this passage should not be taken to refer only to Elohim’s divine counsel or just to human rulers, but probably to both. This is because behind human rulers are evil spirits or principalities that govern the nations (Dan 10:20; Eph 6:12; Rev 13:2) and all of these are under the aegis of Satan, who has his own kingdom (Matt 12:26) and is presently the ruler of this world (John 12:31); however, even Satan’s kingdom is under the ultimate authority of YHVH Elohim.

The idea that there were and are unseen evil spirits and demi-gods that rule the nations of the world behind the scenes is revealed in the book of First Enoch and is also found in traditional ancient Mesopotamian historical accounts and forms the basis for the ancient Greek mythos, as Heiser proves. 

Additionally, we learn from Genesis chapter ten (in the Table of the Nations) that, at that time, there were seventy nations of the world that rebelled against YHVH at the Tower of Babel (Gen 11). Interestingly, and a little later, Jacob had 70 descendants who went down to Egypt (Exod 1:5) and who become the children of Israel. From them, Moses chose 70 elders to rule over Israel (Exod 24:1), which would eventually became the Great Sanhedrin that ruled the Jewish people. YHVH then commissioned Israel to evangelize the apostate nations by being a spiritual light to them (Deut 4:5–8)—a task they utterly failed to perform. Picking up where ancient Israel failed in its mission, Yeshua chose 70 disciples not only to replace the Jewish Sanhedrin in spiritual authority over the people of Elohim, but to go forth and to preach the gospel to the 70 nations (Luke 10:1–12, 17; Acts 1:8 cp. Matt 28:18–20) that had been lost to the kingdom of Satan at the Tower of Babel, thereby to reclaim the world for the kingdom of Elohim at the devil’s expense.

Eventually, and hopefully in the not too distant future, the resurrected and glorified saints, who will become the sons of Elohim and will be adopted into his divine family as small E elohim (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1; Gal 3:26; Rom 8:14; Eph 1:5), will rule and reign with Elohim (capital E Elohim, Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6) over the new heavens and new earth. This will all be to Satan and his kingdom’s detriment and to that of the small E elohim human rulers of his present-day earthly kingdom, all of whom will be cast into the lake of fire at the end of the age (Rev 20:10).

Psalm 82:6, You are gods…children of the Most High.This statement likely has a dual meaning or double entendré. It can refer to the righteous saints as Yeshua alludes to in John 10:34, or possibly to the demon-nephilim of Genesis 6:4–6 who were the spawn of the heavenly angelic hosts who became the fallen angels and who cohabited with women in the pre-flood world as the context of this psalm seems to suggest.

Psalm 83

Psalm 83:6–8, Edom. This is a ten-nation confederacy of Muslim nations led by Edom, Israel’s archenemy, who have conspired against Israel. This seems to be prophetic, since this event has yet to occur. The territories of these ancient peoples include the modern nations of Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Turkey. The territory of the ancient Edomites is in the modern nations of Jordan, Ishmael are in northern Saudi Arabia, Moab and Ammon are in Jordan, Hagrites are in Jordan in the ancient area of Gilead, Gebal is in Jordan, Amalek (grandson of Esau) were found in the Negev Desert and Sinai Peninsula, Philistia are modern day Palestinians in the Gaza Strip area, and Assyria was centered on the upper Tigris River, in northern Mesopotamia (modern northern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey). At the pinnacle of its power, the Assyrian empire stretched from the island of Cyprus to Persia (Iran), and from the Caucasus Mountains (Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan) to the Arabian Peninsula and Egypt. 

Continue reading →
 

Ecclesiastes 11 and 12—The Bottom Line

Posted on by
1

Ecclesiastes 11

Ecclesiastes 11:1–2, 6, Cast your bread. Go through life being a giver, for it will come back to you. Some people call it karma (a Hindu expression reflecting the pagan idea of reincarnation). In the Bible, on the other hand, it can be referred to as the law of reaping and sowing or the law of reciprocity: you reap what you sow. 

Ecclesiastes 11:3, If…there it shall be. Many things that happen in life are what they are, and you cannot change them, so accept them and just deal with it.

Ecclesiastes 11:4, He who observes the wind. If one spends one’s life waiting around for ideal conditions before doing anything, then one will never accomplish anything.

Ecclesiastes 11:5, You do not know. If it is impossible for us to wrap our brains around aspects of Elohim’s physical creation and how he interacts with humans on a spiritual level, then how can we understand his ways and methods? (Why even try to understand things that are above our limited capacity to do so? It is futile. Just praise, worship and obey YHVH Elohim!) For example, modern science has discovered much about the world around us, but wherever scientists’ searches take them, they eventually hit up against a wall of impenetrable mystery beyond which lays the unexplainable and ultimately the spiritual realm or dimension and the divine. Why not be a wise person and skip the middle man and go there directly by seeking, praising, worshipping and obeying YHVH Elohim?

Ecclesiastes 11:7–10, O young man. This is a final call to young people, upon whose shoulders the future rests, to wake up from the often foolish youthful ways and to face reality and the light of truth while they are still young and before it is too late. The old and wise Preacher instructs the youth to enjoy life, but that while doing so, not forget that a day of reckoning is coming. Even though ultimately everything in life is vanity or empty, meaningless nothingness, there is nevertheless something else beyond it all that is there for those who are wise and will open their eyes to the reality of this truth.

Ecclesiastes 12

Ecclesiastes 12:1, Creator[s]. Heb. boreka, plural. (For more examples of the plurality of the Creator, see also Job 35:10; Isa 54:5; Ps 149:2 according to Bible commentators Keil and Delitzsch, Adam Clarke, Matthew Henry, Jamison Faucett and Brown, and John Gill.)

Ecclesiastes 12:1, Remember. Remember means “do not forget.” With youth comes the zest for life, idealism, much energy, many distractions and the notion that one will live forever, that is, that old age is so far down the road that who needs to think about end of life issues? The wise Preacher says, “No! Stop now while you are young and remember your Creator.” Remember is the Hebrew word zakar meaning “to think about, meditate upon, pay attention, recollect, commemorate, invoke and confess.” This word indicates deep thoughtfulness and critical thinking. How many young people (and even older folks) stop even for a moment from the busyness of life to deeply ponder the long term consequences of their actions before the difficult days of old age come? When one is young is the time to make the necessary adjustments in one’s life, so that one will end up in a good place at the end of life when it is too late to do so. And the missing ingredient to insuring this, according to the Preacher, is to “remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” This is such a simple instruction, yet so hard for most young people to implement. Very few heed this advice, and if so, only marginally. Sadly, most young people end up only giving their Creator the left over crumbs of their time, energy and attention.

Ecclesiastes 12:2–8, The rigors of old age. In this section, the Preacher describes in the most graphic and poetic terms the perils and difficulties of old age. He especially focuses on health issues and the deterioration of the body along with life’s desires and passions. All begins to die until there is little left to live for and mere existence becomes a painful and burdensome task.

Ecclesiastes 12:6, Remember your Creator. Even though this phrase is not in the original Hebrew text, it is implied, which is why the translators inserted it here. So once again, the wise Preacher, after describing the perils and plight of old age, challenges the youth to factor their Creator into the equation of life while they are young before it is too late—before death stops the time clock of life and the judges’s gavel falls and the final judgment on one’s life is rendered. As Scripture reveals elsewhere, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…” (Heb 9:27), and “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad” (2 Cor 5:10).

Ecclesiastes 12:7, The spirit will return to Elohim. Previously, the Preacher almost provokes if not taunts the reader into thinking about end of life issues by asking the question, “Who knows the spirit of the sons of men, which goes upward, and the spirit of the animal, which goes down to the earth?” (Eccl 3:21). Now at the end of his dissertation, he affirmatively declares that the spirit of man returns to Elohim who gave it. This is an important fact to consider in that there is a part of each of us that returns to Elohim at the time of death. Even though each man possesses as an aspect of his makeup a immortal substance called spirit (along with his soul and body; see 1 Thess 5:23; see also Heb 4:12; Luke 23:46; Ps 90:10), this in no way implies that the spirit of man is conscious after the body’s death. Scripture is silent on this subject. Yet one thing is clear. Physical death is not the end of the human. There is more, yet the Preacher fails to elucidate on this point. 

Ecclesiastes 12:8, Vanity of vanities. As we have noted before, this phrase is found only twice in Ecclesiastes: once at the beginning of the book (Eccl 1:2) and here again at the end. Also, as discussed previously vanity is the Hebrew word hebel meaning “vapor, breath, wind” or figuratively, as the author of this book often uses it, “worthless, senseless, empty, futile or vacuous.” The root of the word hebel is the verb “to act emptily.” Thus, as we have seen after examining Ecclesiastes, the vast majority of human activities can be summed up as nothing more than being emptiness, meaningless and senseless. As the Preacher starts the book, so he ends the book with this terse and seemingly hopeless summation of life…yet he does not actually leave the reader in this hopeless place.

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14, Hear the conclusion. “Look heavenward!” the Preacher seems to declare. Through the gloomy mist and fog of life’s conundrums, the author continually encourages his readers to look up toward the heavens for the answers to the nagging questions about the meaning and purpose of life. He then concludes by saying,

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear Elohim and keep His [Torah] commandments, for this is man’s all. For Elohim will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Eccl 12:13–14)

Couple these verses with the revelation that the human spirit returns to Elohim when we die (v. 7), and that each of us will be judged for what we have done while in our bodes and rewarded accordingly (2 Cor 5:10), and if a person heeds the advice of the Preacher, it will end up well for him eternally.

Therefore, the overall message Ecclesiastes may seem gloomy and hopeless, there is a silver lining, so to speak, in this dark cloud called life for those who remember their Creator and look up and fear him by obeying his Word.

 

Ecclesiastes chapter 10

Posted on by
2

Ecclesiastes 10

Ecclesiastes 10:1–20, More wise counsel. In this chapter, the Preacher gives his student more wise counsel on how to derive the most fulfillment out of an otherwise seemingly meaningless and pointless existence as a human being trapped in a spaceship called planet Earth.

Ecclesiastes 10:1, Dead flies. Even the smallest error, sin or folly (the opposite of wisdom) can lead to disastrous consequences and ruination, thus, a wise person will correct the small defects in his character, so that they do not ultimately ruin him. Regular self-examination leading to correcting one’s errant ways is to choose the path of wisdom. So deal with your sins and faux pas while they are still small and before they get out of hand.

Ecclesiastes 10:2, Right…left. A wise man follows the right hand path, while a fool goes in the left direction. In Hebraic thought, the right hand represents strength while the left hand symbolizes weakness. This is because most people are right handed and, therefore, they use their right hand more than the left hand making the right arm and hand stronger muscularly. Even in our modern vernacular we have the expression “the right way,” or “doing the right thing” as meaning to make the preferable choice between right and wrong, good and evil. Wisdom is strength while foolishness is weakness. 

Ecclesiastes 10:3, Even when a fool. Sadly, a fool cannot help himself because he has become accustomed to his condition and willingly chosen to be blind. Those around him can see that he is foolish in the choices he makes, but since his eyes are shut, he continues blithely on his foolish path.

Ecclesiastes 10:4, Conciliation. When wrongs are committed whether real or imagined, especially in relationship to those in authority over you, be quick to make peace, for it will go much better for you in the long run. Moreover, stay small and keep a low profile when it comes to interaction with civil authorities, for such a position draws less attention to your actions and less chances of conflict and even persecution.

Ecclesiastes 10:5–7, There is an evil. Just because a person has attained a high position of authority does not mean that they are wise. Similarly, just because one has a low social status does not mean that they are a fool. This truth considered in the context of verse four teaches us something: Sometimes those in authority over you are fools who are incapable of make wise and equitable decisions, especially in the area of resolving controversies. This is all the more reason to make peace with these leaders be they foolish or wise when a matter of disagreement is small before it goes too far and gets blown out of proportion causing all sorts of mischief and grief for all involved.

Ecclesiastes 10:8–9, He who digs a pit. What goes around comes around. How we treat others, whether well or badly, will come back to us.

Ecclesiastes 10:10, If the ax is dull. A wise person learns to work smarter, not harder.

Ecclesiastes 10:11–14, The babbler. Beware of the words of a foolish blabber mouth, that is, one who talks incessantly and says little or nothing of meaning. Mischief and poison issue forth from such a person, for they are untrustworthy and their words means nothing. In our vernacular we refer to such a person as “a talker” as opposed to being “a doer.”

Ecclesiastes 10:11–15, The labor of fools. A fool is so lazy and lost in his foolishness that after working he is so enervated that he cannot even find his way back home. Foolishness not only robs a person of the energy to work hard, but also causes one to lose one’s direction in life.

Ecclesiastes 10:16–18, Woe to you, O land. A country suffers grievously when young and foolish people who want to play and party all of the time are its leaders. Blessed s the country whose leaders have a heritage of hard work and responsibility and not of slothfulness and partying. Decay and ruination are the result of sloth and laziness.

Ecclesiastes 10:19, Money answers everything. Partying and drinking may be fun, for it is full of boasting and bravado, but this accomplishes nothing. Unless one puts one’s money where their mouth is, nothing gets done. “Put up or shut up,” and “Show me don’t tell me,” as the sayings go. 

Ecclesiastes 10:19, Do not curse the king…a bird. Bad thoughts lead to bad words which lead to bad actions that eventually come back to bite a person.

Moreover, this verse instructs us: “Do not curse the king, even in your thought; do not curse the rich, even in your bedroom; for a bird [Heb. owf] of the air may carry your voice, and a bird [Heb. baal] in flight may tell the matter.” 

This verse is very revealing regarding what goes on in the unseen spiritual realm where Satan is the prince of the power of the air (Eph 2:2) and the ruler of this world (John 16:11). 

The phrase in this verse is a parallelism—a form of Hebrew poetry where two phrases are juxtaposed and appear to be saying the same thing, but, in this case, a subtle spiritual truth is being revealed in the second phrase. In the first phrase, the word for bird is a generic Hebrew word meaning “a bird, a winged creature or a winged insect.” The second phrase reveals the subtle truth. It is telling us to be careful what you say or even think—even in private, for a god (or demon) might reveal it to its lord or king. In other words, a false god or demon spirit might convey what you’ve thought or said to its demon master, or even to Satan, who is the god of this age (2 Cor 4:4). And who knows where it will go from there.

With regard to prayer, we must remember this: “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Eph 6:1). In light of this reality and concerning prayer, it is vital that we remember this: When making intercession for situations or people or praying against the enemies of Elohim or engaging in spiritual warfare against Satan and his plans, ask YHVH to cover your prayers under the blood of Yeshua (Rev 12:11), to bind the (demonic) strong man (Matt 12:29; Mark 3:26–27 cp. Rev 20:2), to send his angels to protect you against the enemy’s plans to thwart your prayers (Ps 91:11–12; Heb 1:14), and to send confusion to our spiritual enemies (Ps 35:4, 26; 40:14; Jer 20:11). 

It is essential that we employ this strategy against our spiritual adversary, so that he will not be able to hear our prayers and thus be able to prepare a defensive plan or a punishing backlash against us to prevent our prayers from being effective. When he succeeds in this, the result is often unanswered prayers causing the saint to become discouraged, so that he prays less often rather than more—a victory for the evil one. 

Perhaps this is why some of our prayers go unanswered or seem ineffective; it is because we are inadvertently revealing our plans to the enemy thus allowing him to thwart them.

 

Ecclesiastes 9—Natan’s Commentary Notes

Posted on by
1

Ecclesiastes 9:1, The hand of Elohim. As the Preacher comes to the end of his treatise on the meaning (or lack thereof) of life, he begins to narrow his focus on the missing link, the key ingredient that gives an otherwise pointless life any meaning whatsoever, and that missing piece of the puzzle is the God principle. 

Solomon begins by stating that those who are righteous and wise along with all that they do are in the hands of Elohim. In other words, Elohim is with those who seek him and he guides their activities. This is huge! Up to this point, the Preacher has demonstrated that all of life’s activities are basically meaningless and pointless, although one can squeeze some bits of joy out of life here and there, but even then, all humans end up in the same place—dead. Everyone is a condemned prisoner, who is a victim to the never-ending cycles of the time space continuum called life on this earth. So what is the point of it all? Minus some outside entity or force from without reaching down to man and lifting him out of his trapped condition, there is no hope of escape. However, the Preacher tosses the God principle into the mix and offers his reader a glimmer of hope. Somehow, if one will follow the path of wisdom and righteousness, the Creator will actually take notice of this poor, hapless human creature and will an alternative to those who will begin to look up. This is the beginning point of faith…

So who are righteous and wise? Righteousness and wisdom are not terms that are open to capricious and subjective human interpretations, but are specifically defined in Scripture.

Righteous is the Hebrew word saddiq meaning “just, lawful or righteous” and derives from the root verb sadeq meaning “to be just or righteous.” The root verb basically connotes conformity to a moral or ethical standard, according to The TWOT. So in a biblical context, what is the moral and ethical standard by which a righteous person is defined? It is the laws or commandments of YHVH Elohim, who is ultimately the Source of the Truth found in the Bible. So biblically, a righteous person is one who obeys the commandments and instructions of YHVH including his Torah-laws.

My tongue shall speak of Your word, for all Your commandments are righteousness. (Ps 119:172)

Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful. (Ps 119:138)

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your Torah-law is truth. (Ps 119:142)

Wisdom is the Hebrew word chockma and derives from the Hebrew root verb chokam meaning “to be wise or act wisely.” According to The TWOT, the essential idea of chokam represents a manner of thinking and attitude concerning life’s experiences. This includes matters of general interest and morality. These concerns relate to prudence in secular affairs, skills in the arts and moral sensitivity, and experience in the ways of YHVH. Scripture reveals that the beginning of wisdom is the fear and reverential awe of YHVH Elohim. Moreover, wisdom, fearing Elohim and walking in his ways are all synonymous concepts.

The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever. (Ps 111:10)

The fear of YHVH is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. (Prov 9:10)

Love or hatred. Love, perhaps, is the number one thing that people are seeking their entire lives. We are creatures who want, no need, to be accepted, to be appreciated, to be loved. We are social beings; we were not made to be alone. Not only that, to one degree or another, each of us is dependent upon other people. 

As evidence of the importance of love and acceptance, the marriage and family unit remains the bedrock basis of the society, and this is where it all starts. After that come the extended family including clans and tribes, villages, towns, cities, counties, states or provinces and, finally, nations. These are all social constructs where humans interact with each other in a somewhat orderly manner based on their need for and dependence on other humans. 

Love for one’s fellow man, in fact, is the glue that holds society together. Hatred is what tears it apart resulting in conflicts. 

People talk about love, but do they really know what it means? For example, a large percentage of our popular music concerns the subject of “love.” Many if not most movies either have “love” and romance as a main theme or at least as a subtheme woven into the main plot. Dogs are the most popular pet of humans in part because they transmit so much unconditional love. The sad things, though, is that according to the wise Preacher, what the popular culture considers to be love is not love at all. What is even sadder is that as vital to human existence as love is, few have discovered its true definition. This is because the true definition of love cannot even be discovered by looking to the popular culture.

Ecclesiastes 9:2, One events happens. Even though the Preacher has just stated that one the righteous and wise are in the hand of Elohim, death still happens to everyone whether they are righteous or wicked, religious or non-religious, a good person or a sinner and whether one fears Elohim or not.

Ecclesiastes 9:3, This is an evil. In this physical existence, the Preacher views death as the ultimate evil to befall every human. What person can disagree with the fact that death is the ultimate enemy?

Ecclesiastes 9:4, There is hope. As long as one is alive, there is hope. But what is that hope that the Preacher seems to be dangling in front of his reader, but still remains just out of reach?

Ecclesiastes 9:5–10, Enjoy life to the fullest. Even though death comes to all people, and after that, “the dead know nothing” and “the memory of them is forgotten” (v. 5), the Preacher encourages each of us to go and live one’s life to the fullest. “Eat your bread with joy,” “drink your wine with a merry heart,” (v. 7), wear nice clothes and keep yourself looking good (v. 8), enjoy your marriage and family (v. 9), and enjoy your work, for when the grave comes, there is nothing (v. 10).

Ecclesiastes 9:11–12, Time and chance. Life is full of countless unexpected twists and turns. Things that seem that they should be a certain way often are not. No one knows what evil will suddenly befall him or when he will die. So in the face of such stress-causing uncertainties, what is one to do? How does one cope with this?

Ecclesiastes 9:13–18, Wisdom. Wisdom is better than folly, yet even those who are wise and are able to avert many of the evils of life through the employment of wisdom still die and are forgotten. So now where does this live the reader?