Chapter 0

Dabar

Word

Do You Know My Name?...

Yahuweh has chosen to initiate this conversation with us using a mashal, the Hebrew word for "parable," or more accurately: "a word picture depicting something important." The wisdom and guidance we are going to analyze is from "Proverbs," a transliteration of the Latin proverbium.

The 30^th chapter of this collection reveals an essential message. It asks: "Do you yada Yahweh?" In the words which follow, God introduces Himself, He presents the source of wisdom, He reveals the way to life, He meticulously details the things He will not, under any circumstances, tolerate, and He prophetically presents the consequence of us ignoring His advice.

In that God created mankind for the express purpose of developing personal one-on-one relationships, He used individuals with whom He had a relationship to make Himself known to the rest of us. His prophets and wise men serve as guides, illuminating the way to our Heavenly Father. One such man was ‘Aguwr; he along with Solomon and Hezekiah, were inspired to write the Mashal.

‘Aguwr’s name tells us that he was one "who gathered," in this case, the wisdom of Yahuweh. We know this because he was the son, or representative, of Yaqeh, "the blameless one who burns brightly and cleanses." These names indicate ‘Aguwr gathered and shared Yahuweh’s enlightenment. His disciple, ‘Ukal, devoured these insights; serving as an example for us.

They begin: "The word (ha dabar — account and testimony) of ‘Aguwr (the one who gathers), the son (ben) of Yaqeh (the blameless who burns brightly and cleanses) and ‘Ukal (the one who consumes): ‘Yhay’el (a name which means: God (‘el) Existing As (hayah) Man (‘ysh)) bears burdens, lifts up, and carries souls away (massa’ — unburdening and uplifting them). The Mighty and Upright (geber/gabar — the strong and able One who confirms, strengthens, and prevails as) ‘Yhay’el (God Existing As Man) declares divine revelation (na’um — speaks prophetically as God, delivering an authoritative message)." (Proverbs 30:1-2)

The one who "massa’ — bears our burdens and uplifts our souls" is the Messiyah–the Implement of Yah. His name is Yahushua, and He is ‘Yhay’el–God existing in the form of a man. He is "ha dabar — the Word" made flesh.

‘Yhay’el is one of the most telling names in Scripture. Like "Messiah," which is only presented twice in the form or a title, ‘Yhay’el is used sparingly. It’s first of three occurrences appears immediately after Scripture’s preferred vocalization of "Messiah," which is actually Ma’seyah, meaning "the work and implement of Yahweh." Turning to Nehemiah’s list of those who agreed to observe the Torah, we find seven names (including Yahweh’s) which are all interrelated, telling the story of our salvation: "Yow’ed (Yahuweh ya’ad — Yahuweh’s designated assembly meetings), Padyah (padah Yahuweh — Yahuweh’s redeeming ransom), Qowlyah (qowl Yahuweh — Yahuweh’s voice), Ma’seyah (ma’aseh Yahuweh — Yahuweh’s work, business, and implement), ‘Yhay’el (‘Ysh hayah ‘el — God exists as and with man), and Yasha’yah (Yasha’ Yahuweh — Yahuweh Saves)." (Nachemyah / Nehemiah 11:7)

"Yahuweh’s" "Assembly Meetings" serve to "redeem and ransom" those who listen to "Yahuweh’s Voice." The "Ma’seyah performs Yahuweh’s Business." "God Existing as Man" is how "Yahuweh Saves." Yahshua is the voice of God, our Redeemer, the Ma’seyah, ‘Yhay’el.

There is also the possibility (based upon the Great Isaiah Scroll which is examined in the "’Yshayah’el" chapter) that Yahuweh used ‘Yhay’el to describe the "Son who is given to us" in the ninth chapter of Isaiah–the passage we examined earlier in amplified form. While this name is not found in the Masoretic Text, the 1,300 year older Qumran manuscript appears to depict Yasha’yahu (Isaiah) affirming that ‘Yhay’el is Almighty God in human form. Listen to it again from the Qumran perspective: "For unto us a child is born. On our behalf a Son is given. And supreme authority shall always exist on His shoulder. His name is called out, summoned, and read aloud: ‘Wonderful Counselor, God Almighty, Eternal Father, the Leader of Reconciliation.’ Concerning the exceeding and increasing greatness and magnitude of His supreme authority and of His reconciliation and salvation, nothing will ever diminish or end throughout all of space-time. Upon the throne of Dawid / of Impassioned Love and concerning His kingdom, He will fashion, form, and establish its foundation and upright pillar and He will renew, restore, refresh, and uphold it with verdicts which are just, and with loyalty and honesty from this time forth and until forevermore. The passion of Yahuweh, of the assembled servants, will accomplish, produce, and perform this as ‘Yhayah’el." (Yasha’yahu/Isaiah 9:6-7 from the DSS)

If you are checking, you won’t find "’Yhay’el" written in any English translation, but a similitude of it appears in the margins on the 2,300-year-old Great Isaiah Scroll unearthed from a cave above the Dead Sea. In the chapter dedicated to this passage, "’Yshayah’el," I’ve provided you with a link to an online photograph of this section of the scroll to demonstrate this intriguing possibility–the merit of which will become ever more evident as we unwrap this divine mashal, or parable.

Before we leave Yasha’yahu, however, on a topic related to ‘Yhay’el, there is a specific reason the verse begins "unto us a child is born, on our behalf a Son is given" and yet not one in a million Christians or Jews comprehends the significance. The key to understanding the verse is provided in the account of the fourth day of creation. Yahweh predicted that in mankind’s fourth millennium after the departure from Eden, the "greater light (the Messiyah)" would become "visible to us as a sign and symbol." That’s what happened. Yah’s son, His representative, the one who came in His Father’s name and was about the Father’s business, became visible to humankind. As the human manifestation of God, the Messiyah Yahushua was not, however, "born." God has always been and will always be. As a result, it is senseless, even demeaning, to celebrate "Christ’s birthday." Simply and brilliantly stated:  a child was born, a son was given.

Returning to the opening of Proverbs 30, it’s worth noting that the King James renders "massa’ — lifts up and carries a burden," as "even the prophecy," even though that isn’t what the word means.  The NIV, or New International Version, unable to separate itself from the KJV legacy, conveys "an oracle," but provides a footnote, saying that it could also be saying: "Jakeh of Massa." The NASB also demonstrates that it is a slave to familiarity by writing that Aguwr’s father, Jakeh, was "the oracle." Strong’s, the oldest Hebrew-English dictionary, acknowledges that massa’ is a cognate of nasa’ and means "to bear a burden and to uplift a soul," but since it is keyed to the King James, its author routinely adds the KJV rendering at the end of his definitions, no matter how awkward or unjustified it may be.

Yet, all one has to do to verify that massa’ means "to bear a burden" and "to uplift a soul," is to look at any of the other 65 times the word is used in Scripture. In each case, the "lifting a burden" definition fits and "prophetic oracle" misrepresentation doesn’t. The reason, however, that the translators elected to render massa’ incorrectly here is because they didn’t consider the meaning of ‘Yhay’el–which makes the passage prophetic. No ordinary man could do the things being attributed to ‘Yhay’el in this Proverb. So this is one of a thousand examples where inaccurate translations transformed a profoundly important message into meaningless drivel.

‘Aguwr recognized the perspective we must establish if we want to understand our Creator. This message is for those who want to live forever with Him. "Surely (kiy — because and indeed; and by way of contrast) separated (min — removed from the source) I don’t exist (ba’ar — I am senseless and destroyed), a man (‘ysh) without the understanding (lo’ biynah — devoid of the discernment, lacking the insight and wisdom) of ‘Adam (‘adam — humankind)–neither (lo’) taught (lamad) wisdom (chokmah) nor one who knows and experiences (yada’ — recognizes and is acquainted with, understands and acknowledges) the Set-Apart One (qadowsh — from qadash, the One who is separated, pure, majestic, and honored; the One who sets apart, cleanses, and purifies)." (Proverbs 30:3)

Separated from God we cease to exist upon the termination of our mortal lives. Estranged from His Word we are ignorant. Apart from the Set-Apart One there is no salvation.

Yahweh’s human manifestation is "the Set-Apart One." This is one of many Messianic titles. For example, just a moment ago, we were told that ‘Yhay’el is "the Upright One" and "the Mighty One," our Redeemer and the "Divine Revealer." Now we discover that He is also the source of our existence and wisdom. ‘Aguwr states emphatically that it is through recognizing and knowing Him that we live. Separated from Him we die. Further, by using yada’, meaning "to know and recognize in a relational sense," the Set-Apart One is being presented as a personal and living entity, an individual who can be known and experienced.

Introductions made, and testimony revealed, we are now confronted with some extraordinarily important questions: "Who (miy) descends from (yarad) and ascends to (‘alah) heaven (shamayin)? Who gathers and receives (‘acaph — harvests into His company and collects into His association) the Spirit (ruwach) into the palms of His hands (chophen)? Who wraps up (tsarar — encloses and restores) the waters (mayim — the source of life and cleansing) in a garment (simlah — a feminine noun meaning apparel which covers and adorns)? Who comes onto the scene, stands upright, enabling others to stand, establishing (quwm) all the (kol — the whole) earth (‘erets ­— land and realm) without ceasing (‘ephec)? What (mah) is His personal and proper name (shem — renown and identification)? What is His Son’s (ben) personal and proper name (shem)? Surely (kiy) you know (yada’ — recognize and understand, are acquainted with and acknowledge it)." (Proverbs 30:4)

Once upon a time, in the land of revelation, these names were known and they were shouted from the rooftops. But that time and place isn’t here and now. Of the nearly seven billion souls who currently occupy our planet, less than one in a million people know both names.

Yet there is only one who comes and goes to and from heaven, who gathers and receives souls with His Spirit, who provides life, cleanses, and adorns, who stood up for us so that we could stand and be established forever with Him. He is Yahuweh. And His Son, His representative, the One who came from Him bearing His name, doing His business, is Yahushua. There is no other God, nor any other manifestation of God-Existing-As-Man. There is but one Mighty One, one Set-Apart One, one Upright One, one Son of the Almighty, and one Redeemer. None but Yahushua even make the claim.

Yahuweh manifest Himself in human form to save us, which is what Yahushua means. Set-apart from God; He came onto the scene; He stood upright for us, and enabled us to stand with Him, established forever. Consider this a synopsis of the Word.

Yahuweh personally provided the answer to this proverbial question in the introduction to His Commandments. "God (‘elohiym) spoke (dabar — declared) all (kol) these (‘ehel) Words (dabar), saying (‘amar — avowing, claiming, commanding, and promising): I am Yahuweh (YHWH) your God (‘elohiym) who relationally (‘asher) came forth to bring (yatsa’) you out of (min — to set you apart from) the house (bayith — the dwelling and abode) of bondage (‘ebed — slavery, servitude, and submission; of work and worship) in the land (‘erets — territory and realm) of Misraym (the crucible of Egypt). You shall not (lo’) establish or institute (hayah — bring into existence or exist with) other (‘acher — different) gods (‘elohiym) beside (‘al — in addition to) My personal presence (paniym — My face to face appearance before you)." (Exodus 20:1-3)

The Creator and Savior introduced Himself by name. He said: "I am Yahuweh your God." The next word tells us why. ‘Asher is all about relationship. Yahuweh wants to establish a personal relationship with us on a first-name basis.

The Commandment suggests what the Proverb confirms. God is active and personally engaged in the lives of His people. He makes personal appearances to rescue and establish them. Moreover, He is about freedom, not bondage. He is interested in us standing up, not bowing down in submission. He is committed to relationships, not religion.

Further, the Commandment confirms what the Proverb suggests. There are two "houses or abodes," not one. The Proverb depicts God-Existing-As-Man descending from and ascending to heaven (His home) to gather and receive those who possess His Spirit, enabling them to stand and endure forever with Him. The Commandment speaks of Yahuweh personally rescuing His people from the man’s house, the realm of submission and slavery, the place of work and worship, and thus of religion. This is symbolic of the crucible known as the Abyss; it is the abode of the Adversary. And while these realms represent the only eternal destinations, we will soon discover that the overwhelming preponderance of souls will simply die and know neither liberation nor incarceration.

Since it is natural for most to lose sight of the big picture in the midst of the detailed strokes which comprise it, please understand that while Yahweh freed His people from servitude in Egypt, this act serves as a metaphor for something much more universal and profound. By including a reference to the exodus among the only words He wrote with His own hand, Yahweh is saying that His merciful rescue of His people from human bondage is central to His plan of salvation for the rest of us. And imbedded in that plan is the plan–the way to salvation immortalized in Yahweh’s seven Called-Out Assemblies.

The name Yahweh selected for Egypt, "Misraym," means: "crucible." As such, it is a place where impurities are separated and burned away, leaving only the pure, tested, and desired material. Egypt, as a crucible, was a place of anguish, death, and destruction, from which God freed His people to live with Him in the Promised Land. The deeper message being delivered here is that our mortal existence on Earth is also a crucible, one wrought with oppression and enslavement in human schemes. But fortunately, Yahweh has provided a way out.

Putting it all together we see God telling us that He wants to free us all from bondage, removing all those who ask Him from our temporal crucible, pure, without the stain of sin, so that we might live in His presence.

However, those who elect not to rely on Yahweh, and who are left as an impurity in the crucible, will find themselves judged at the end of their mortal lives. And the victims who submit to religious indoctrination will find their souls separated as dross, ultimately ceasing to matter, returning to the ground from which they were made. In the crucible metaphor, souls who don’t accept God’s way out are "burned off" into nothingness, while their oppressors are left confined for all time. And yet those who rely upon Yahweh, walk with Him away from judgment and to the Promised Land.

There is no better place to position this message than in the introduction to His Commandments. This tells us that the Exodus is more than one nation’s escape from oppression; it is the process we must all follow, a pathway to salvation which begins with Passover, Unleavened Bread, and FirstFruits, and ends with Reconciliations and Shelters–a time of camping out with God in His home. It means that the seven Miqra’ey aren’t thoughtless religious celebrations, but instead the way to God–the path for all people and all generations. It also means that Lent, Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, along with Halloween and Christmas play no role in mankind’s exodus from the crucible.

The final salvo in the introduction to the Commandments conveys a message incompatible with the sensibilities of modern man, of man steeped in the religion of secular humanism. Mankind’s replacement moral code of political correctness, of multiculturalism, debilitating entitlements, wealth reallocation, responsibility avoidance, sexual alternatives, deceptive rationalizations, unfounded opinions, and hypocritical diatribes on tolerance, are at odds with God’s position. Yahuweh has drawn a line in the sand and said that you are either with Me or against Me, free or enslaved. According to our Creator, there is only one God, and He will not tolerate those who institute, establish, or exist with any other god or with a spirit by any other name. It’s relationship or religion. You can’t have both.

I am often asked, "Can someone be saved without knowing Yahuweh’s and Yahushua’s name, and without knowing the Word?" The answer is "Maybe, but I wouldn’t bet my soul on it." The fact is, God couldn’t and didn’t tell us how corrupt our understanding could be before we are more wrong than right.

He could and did, however, tell us what was wrong and what is right. Therefore, I am certain that all who understand the Word, who know Yahuweh, and who rely upon Yahushua become sons and daughters of God, inheriting all that is His. They will live forever in His home–guaranteed.

I am also certain that those who corrupt the Word, whitewashing it, leading people away from the way, the truth, and the life, will be judged. They will all be convicted and then punished by way of eternal incarceration, receiving the penalty of the perpetual anguish.

As for those caught in the middle, those who are neither ambassadors of truth nor of deceit, the victims of religion, their fate depends upon how unfamiliar they are with God and the path to Him, and/or how corrupt and errant their beliefs have become. If their understanding of God and His plan differ materially from Yahweh’s revelation, then they will be unknown to and separated from the source of life. As such, death will be the end of their consciousness.

So I ask those seeking to know the fate of loved ones victimized by religious, political, societal, and academic deceptions: "Upon whom did they rely?" Was it the spirit of Christmas and Easter or the Spirit of Tabernacles and Passover: Satan or Yahweh? Was it the Lord of Sunday Worship or the Set-Apart One of the Sabbath rest: the Counterfeiter or the Creator? Was it the fearsome god of religion or the Upright One who establishes revered relationships: the Adversary or our Heavenly Father? Did they trust the edicts of men like Paul, or the Word of God? Did they seek forgiveness by confessing to a priest and rely upon the Church for salvation? Did they pray to Mary and solicit the aid of Saints? Was the Babylonian practice of Communion and Mass important to them? Was their god’s name "Lord" and their savior’s name "Jesus?" Did they end their prayers saying "In god’s name we pray, Amen," and thereby attribute divine status to the Egyptian sun god, Amen Ra? Did they think they would earn a pass to heaven by being good or by doing good?

It all boils down to this: how misleading can a path be before it heads in the wrong direction? How errant can one’s beliefs be before they are delusional? How much poison can someone ingest without dying? How corrupted do you suppose the object of a person’s faith must become before their trust is placed in that which is not true? If the god a person knows is a spirit created by men, then chances are, they do not know the Spirit who created men.

Yahushua said: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life." He did not say that He was a way, a variation of truth, or one of many sources of life. Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation (expressly excluding Paul’s epistles), teaches that those who rely on Yahuweh and His Word will live and those who rely on themselves or man’s words will die.

 That said, my job isn’t to determine which individual souls will be rewarded with life or succumb to death. I have been called to illuminate and recommend the Way to Life and to expose and condemn the path that leads to death. Those who have passed away can no longer be helped. Their fate is sealed. It profits no one to agonize over them. But for those who live, what you and your loved ones choose to do with the truths made manifest by the Word will ultimately determine your destiny.

Based upon Scripture, I know for certain that no matter how religious the Muslim, none will be saved. Their path, revelation, and god are the antithesis of Yahuweh and His Word. No matter how observant the Hindu or devout the Buddhist, so long as they don’t deceive others, their souls will be annihilated. The same fate awaits the passive socialist and secular humanist. Because in the end, it matters not if they relied upon a false god or no god at all.

But that isn’t the end of the bad news. Revelation’s open letters tell us that even within Christendom, most will die. Catholicism is called "the seat of Satan." The religion is proclaimed "dead" for having married the Whore of Babylon, Lord Ba’al. Protestants, living in Western democracies, are referred to as vomit for being neither completely right nor completely wrong. Speaking of these souls, Yahushua said that He was outside looking in, and thus most are not saved. This alone is sufficient to answer the question of how misguided and therefore unfamiliar Christians as a whole are with God–and He with them. It also suggests how intolerant God will be of popular religious teachings when it comes to salvation. It is why He said:

"For then this is the Torah and the Prophets: enter, starting with the first step in the path by the way of the narrow and specific doorway, because the way is wide, it is crafted to be broad, expansive, and unreliable, and the route is broad which leads away, which deceives and influences someone to go astray to the point of destruction and perishing, needlessly destroying themselves and squandering their lives. And the vast preponderance of people, are those experiencing this path. The doorway is narrow, exacting and specific, and the path goes against the crowd, which leads to life, and few discover, and experience it. You must be alert, carefully examine, and turn away (prosechete — you should pay close attention, watch out for and beware of, guarding yourself) from false prophets who come to you from within dressed in sheep’s clothing, yet they actually are wolves who are exceptionally self-promoting and self-serving (harpax — vicious thieves who secretly and deliberately rob, extort, and snatch away; from harpazo: violently, forcibly, and eagerly claim and seize for oneself and pluck away)." (Mattityahu / Matthew 7:7-15)

If following the Torah didn’t provide the lone path to life, Yahshua wouldn’t have said that it did. If popular religious paths led to salvation, Yahshua wouldn’t have equated them with needlessly squandering one’s life. If God was accepting of variants to His plan of salvation, He wouldn’t have said that the way to Him was narrow and restrictive. If it didn’t matter what a person believed, if God accepted most everyone who "led a good life," then Yahshua’s statement would have been a lie. And if Christianity was valid, Yahshua would not have warned us about Paul, the false prophet who was the wolf in sheep’s clothing.   

If ignorance of God’s Way was acceptable, Yahweh would not have written: "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priests for Me; because you have forgotten the Towrah of your God, I also will forget your children." (Hosea 4:6)

Religious deception is not God’s fault; it is our own. We have corrupted His Word and made our own way. Yahuweh’s revelation is clear, uncompromising, and consistent. It is so magnificent in its detail and majestic in its scope, so brilliant in its insights and profound in its style, so timeless in its truths and accurate in its predictions, so merciful in its message and loving in its purpose, it could be from none other than God, the Creator and Redeemer–Yahuweh. His Word serves as His invitation to life.

Saying as much in His open letter to the Ephesians, Yahshua wrote: "I know that you cannot possibly accept, tolerate, or endure (ou dynamai bastazo — haven’t the will, ability, or state of mind to take up with, walk along side of) those who think errantly, those who are wrong, injurious, or destructive (kakos — are incorrect, evil, harmful, noisome, morally corrupt, diseased, culpable, mischievous, demonic, or hurtful). And you have observed and objectively tested (peirazo — scrutinized, examined through enquiry) those who claim and maintain (phasko — say, affirm, profess, declare, promise, or preach) of themselves that they are Apostles (apostolos — someone who is prepared and sent forth) but are not. And you have found them (heurisko — examined, scrutinized, come to understand them, and discovered through closely observing them that they are) false, deceitful liars (pseudes — are pretending to be something they are not, they are erroneous deceivers)." (Revelation 2:2)

This same uncompromising message is emphatically conveyed in the next two verses of the 30^th Proverb. The first says that the Word of God can be trusted to shield and save us. The second tells us to beware of those who augment and rephrase it.

"Every (kol — the entire) Word (‘imrah — saying, communication, utterance, instruction, command, and promise) of God (‘elowah) is pure, tested, and true (tsaraph — refined, precious, flawless, and worthy), a shield for (magen — an enclosure which surrounds, defends, and saves) those who put their trust in (chacah — those who take refuge in, who seek safety, salvation, protection, and rest through reliance upon) Him." (Proverbs 30:5) And lest you miss it, Yahweh has once again underscored His crucible metaphor.

Also, should you not have known the answer to the question God posed in the previous verse, Yahuweh tells you where to look for it. God’s Word confirms that Yahuweh as Father, and Yahushua as Son, uniquely meet the delineated criteria. The instruction of where to look for answers, for understanding, for truth, and for salvation is the same throughout Scripture. Yahushua and the apostles consistently told us that there is but one place to turn to know these things: "the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms."

Yahweh was not coy about sharing His name with us either. Search the Word and you will find Yahuweh written exactly 7,000 times. Seven is the Creator’s favorite number. Everything important is based upon the principle of six (the number of man) in addition to God (who is one) equals the desired result: seven (perfection).Yahushua’s name is engraved in 77 Messianic prophecies. Between them, they appear an average of seven times a page. Prior to man’s meddling, this frequency was more than sufficient for everyone to know the answer to both proverbial questions. But after clerical copyedits, fewer than one in 7,000 souls can answer this question: "What is His personal and proper name and what is His Son’s personal and proper name?"

If you believe that God is forgiving of such things, that God will surely save the religious, believers, and do-gooders, or that God was surprised by man’s dubious dogmas and deceptions, think again. Three thousand years ago He revealed this poignant warning: "Do not add to (yasaph — augment, rephrase, or recreate) His Words (dabar — sayings and message, communication and account, record and revelation), lest beware (pen), He will judge and convict you (yakach — adjudicate and rebuke you, punishing you) and you shall be proven a liar (kazab — you shall be disappointed and will fail in your vanity, either ceasing to exist or arriving at an unsatisfactory condition and conclusion)." (Proverbs 30:6)

All who change God’s Word, adding their own ideas as Paul and his Church have done, will be judged. They will be found guilty and will be convicted. God’s standard is the Torah, and God will not tolerate those who rephrase it, augment it, or recreate it to their liking. This is the message of the Third Commandment, where Yahweh says that He will not forgive those who promote deceptive and deadly dogmas in His name.

Proverbs 30:6 devastates the notion that the Church has the right to establish doctrine, to replace the Sabbath with Sunday, Passover with Easter, Tabernacles with Christmas, Trumpets with Rosh Hashanah, Yahuweh with "the Lord" or "Ha Shem (the Name)," the Messiyah Yahushua with "Jesus Christ," our Spiritual Mother with "Mary, Mother of God and Queen of Heaven," or Scripture’s redemptive relationship with religious ritual. When men claim the authority to augment the teachings of God with their own edicts, they are liars. This verse confirms that every pope shall be found guilty and will be punished by Yahuweh. It tells us that Paul will be proven a liar and will be judged and convicted.

Bereft of the Hebrew nomenclature, and without the distraction of my commentary, here is a review of what Yahweh has told us thus far: "The word of ‘Aguwr (the one who gathers), the son of Yaqeh (the blameless who burns brightly and cleanses) and ‘Ukal (the one who consumes): (30:1) ‘Yhay’el (God Existing As Man) bears burdens, lifts up, and carries souls away. The Mighty and Upright ‘Yhay’el declares divine revelation. (30:2) Surely separated I don’t exist, I am senseless and destroyed, a man without the understanding of ‘Adam and humankind–neither taught wisdom nor one who knows and experiences, recognizes or is acquainted with, understands or acknowledges, the Set-Apart One." (30:3)

"Who descends from and ascends to heaven? Who gathers and receives the Ruwach Spirit into the palms of His hands? Who wraps up the waters in a garment? Who comes onto the scene, stands upright, enabling others to stand, establishing all the earth without ceasing? What is His personal and proper name? What is His Son’s personal and proper name? Surely you yada’ know and understand." (30:4)

"Every Word of God is pure, tested, and true, a shield which surrounds, defends, and saves those who put their trust in and rely upon Him. (30:5) Do not add to, augment, rephrase, or recreate, His Words, lest beware, He will judge and convict you and you shall be proven a liar." (30:6)

Preaching and promoting desolation and deception, shav’ in Hebrew, is the unforgivable sin manifest in the Third Commandment. That decree is amplified in this Proverb, as it explains that desolation comes by way of deceptive words. Speaking to Yahuweh, ‘Aguwr writes: "Two things I ask (sha’al — request) of You. Don’t withhold them (mana’ — deny them) before (terem — between now and the point in time) I die (muwth). You keep me far away from (rachaq min ‘any — You help me avoid and be removed from) deceitful, desolate, destructive (show’ / shav’ — lifeless and empty, worthless, devastating, and damning, vain, futile, errant) deceptive and false (kazab — untrue lies and deluded) words (dabar — statements)." (Proverbs 30:7-8)

Since this passage sheds light on one of the least understood and most poorly translated Commandments, consider the actual words Yahuweh etched in stone. "You shall not lift up or deceitfully advance (nasa’ — errantly accept or promote, falsely carry, support, bear, or sustain, forgive or endure) lifelessness (shav’ — that which is desolate, deceitful, deadly, destructive, or damning) in the name (shem — character or renown) of Yahuweh your God (‘elohiym), for I will not consider innocent, forgive, pardon, release, or fail to punish (naqah — free from guilt, exempt, or cleanse) one who by association (‘asher — who takes part in) promotes, sustains, or accepts (nasa’ — lifts up, carries forth, advances, supports, bears, tolerates, or forgives) that which is desolate, deceitful, deadly, destructive, or damning (shav’ — lifeless) in My name." (Exodus 20:7)

Properly translated, the message communicated in what we refer to as the "Third Commandment," evolves from man’s trivial and irrational rendering to something that merits our undivided attention. Man’s version is senseless. One cannot "take" a name. Yahuweh’s name isn’t "the Lord." And "vain," not only isn’t included in the text, that word means "egotistical or failed," depending upon the context. So rather than God telling us not to use His name, or not to swear, He was telling us not to deceive in His name and not to lead people away from Him and thus from life. He is saying that promoting religion is unforgivable. This truth is further manifest by the realization that nasa’ also conveys the idea of "promoting false teaching and being engaged in deceit and deception," something completely consistent with the Proverb. 

The reason false religious teachings upset Yahuweh is because they lead souls away from Him, depriving God of the thing He covets most–loving familial relationships. Those engaged in this kind of deceit, of this kind of corruption and counterfeiting, along with anyone who associates with them, accepts, tolerates, and promotes their teachings, contribute to the annihilation of the souls of those who listen to them, who trust them. These victimized souls are worth considering when someone you know asserts that a person’s good intent can somehow bridge the distance between God and the place where their religion and church have led them.

In the next verse we are reminded that self-reliance is an express ticket to death or damnation (to separation) because the only way to obtain eternal life in the presence of God is to rely on Him. Specifically, we must receive the bread which was prescribed and then broken for us. This is the promise, now fulfilled, of the Miqra’ey (Called-Out Assemblies) of Passover and Unleavened Bread. "Permit me (natan — grant to and bestow upon me) neither (‘al) poverty (reysh — the state where I lack what is needed to sustain life) nor wealth (‘osher — riches in abundance). Break bread (tarap lehem) for me as clearly communicated and prescribed (choq — as shared and allotted, stated and ordained) lest I be self-sufficient (saba’ — satisfied and surfeited, be self-reliant, considering my needs met to the point of indulgence) and be deemed insufficient by You (kachash — be found disappointing and deceived, be disowned for having only deceptively feigned a relationship with You and having faked my reliance on You, causing me to cower in fear, prostration, and submission as the result of a failed and deceitful dogma)." (Proverbs 30:8)

The boastful and arrogant attitude that comes from abundance is viewed unfavorably by God. In fact, it would be fair to say, that second only to the advancement of shav’/lifeless deception, it is the trait most disliked by our Maker. It is one of many reasons Yahshua is so harsh in His judgment of today’s Protestant Assemblies in His prophetic letter to the Laodiceans in Revelation.

As we journey together through the Word, there will be many surprises. One of them is encapsulated in the comparison between saba’/sufficient and kachash/insufficient. While it is not developed here, the consistent message of Scripture, and one manifest in the Fifth Commandment, is that when we collectively or individually elevate our view of ourselves and diminish our perception of God, God reciprocates. If you see Him as worthy, He will deem your soul worthy of living forever with Him.

But for this to be true, for it to be relevant and meaningful, the reciprocal also needs to be true. Therefore, those who consider Yahweh of little value will be seen by Him as having no value. God invests as much in a relationship as is properly solicited by the other party. Diminish the role Yahweh plays in your life and God won’t go to heroic efforts to extend it upon your death. From God’s perspective, a person who through ignorance, indoctrination, apathy, or informed choice, elects not to rely on Him and form a relationship with Him, will be like a stillborn child. They don’t know Yahuweh and Yahuweh doesn’t know them.

That is the quid pro quo inherent in the following passage. "Don’t let me say (‘amar — think, boast, or avow, ask, answer, or declare): ‘Who (miy) is Yahuweh (YaHuWeH)?’ lest I be disinherited (yarash — impoverished and dispossessed, be destitute and destroyed), caught in the act, arrested, and incarcerated for (taphas) removing without permission and carrying away by stealth (ganab — for secretly stealing and clandestinely removing) the personal and proper name (shem) of my God (‘elohiym)." (Proverbs 30:9)

There are two outcomes delineated here. Both are bad, but one is infinitely worse than the other. To be disinherited by Yahuweh is to be destitute of life. Such souls will be dissipated and cease to exist. But those who purposely deceive, those who remove Yahuweh’s and Yahushua’s personal and proper name from the Word and from their sermons, will be incarcerated. And that’s not good because it means that Yahuweh has deemed such people to be in league with the Adversary. For this crime they will spend their eternity kept away from God. 

Yahweh realized that the translators of the KJV, NKJV, IV, NIV, ASB, NASB, NLT, and the JPS Tanach would all do this very thing–and that they would do so regardless of His warning. Even in this Proverb devoted to the importance of knowing Yahuweh, religious clerics replaced God’s personal and proper name "Yahuweh" with: "Who is the Lord?" And that’s not good, because the Hebrew title Ba’al, means Lord. Ba’al is Satan, as lording over God and man depicts the Adversary’s prime ambition.

This chicanery isn’t a victimless crime. Clandestinely removing Yahuweh’s name by stealth leads to souls being disinherited. God considers it shav’–an act of deceitful desolation leading to damnation. According to the Word of God, those who do such things will be caught; they will be arrested and incarcerated. In subsequent chapters we will discover that all those who are incarcerated will endure the perpetual anguish of eternal separation. Their fate will be to spend all eternity in the Abyss with the Adversary. And since this crime is perpetrated by the overwhelming preponderance of pastors and priests, religious scholars and theologians, politicians and media spokespersons, Hell will be a very religious and political place.

As for their victims, this verse affirms that they will be disinherited, and thus become destitute of life. Such souls cease to exist at the end of their mortal life. While that theme isn’t developed here, Yahuweh will cover this topic on many occasions, each time adding to the body of knowledge needed to be properly informed. But rest assured for now: God is serious about His name and His family, even if mankind is not.

When confronted with the reality that religious men have copyedited God and have purposely altered His revelation, many dismiss the evidence by saying "I can’t believe God would allow such a thing." But God has no alternative but to permit men to choose poorly, and to allow the repercussions of their errors reverberate. The moment Yahweh interferes with freewill, the act of choosing to rely on God becomes irrelevant, love becomes impossible, and our very existence becomes contrived.

One last thought before we move on. Yahuweh has used ‘elohiym in this passage which is the plural of god. He isn’t saying that there is more than one God, only that He embodies the full measure of the familial relationship He wishes to establish with us. Yahuweh is our Heavenly Father, our Spiritual Mother, and the Son. He is one God who manifests Himself in two different and diminished ways to commune with us and to serve our needs.

The prophet who introduced us to the notion that our Creator is also the Son, the Wonderful Counselor, the Redeemer, the Eternal Father, and God Almighty, also communicated the concept of the Suffering Servant, predicting Yahushua’s sacrifice as the Lamb of God. Therefore, in the context of what has just been said, I think that the "servant" referenced in the next verse is God. This conclusion is partially derived from the use of qalal, which means: "to view as insignificant." "Do not allow me to insult, slander, or falsely accuse (lashan — stick out your tongue at) the Servant to His Master (‘adown) lest (pen) You consider me of little account (qalal — slight you, trifle with you, view you as lightly esteemed and insignificant, recede from you and diminish you) or You declare me guilty, so that I become desolate or punished (‘asham — held liable, suffering the consequences)." (Proverbs 30:10)

It isn’t likely that a slave owner would trifle with a person who slandered one of his servants. So, since the plain reading of the text doesn’t warrant a Divine Proverb, considering the context, it would be reasonable to conclude that God is saying that if someone falsely accuses Yahushua, claiming for example that He as the Suffering Servant was neither God, Messiyah, nor Savior, the consequence of that act might well lead to incarceration. More damning than any of these things however, would be disassociating Yahushua from Yahuweh, the Suffering Servant from the Word of God, as this would render His sacrifice completely irrelevant. And that is precisely what Christianity has done as a direct result of Paul’s epistles. This Proverb is begging us to reject such delusions.

There is a profound message in this verse that most people miss as a result of theological indoctrination. The religious god of Christianity and Islam tortures everyone who slanders Him in Hell, but not the God of the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms. While He will incarcerate those who promote lifeless and deceitful doctrines in public places, His primary response to those who stick their tongues out at Him in an insulting manner is to consider them of little value. That which God does not value dies and is dissipated into nothingness.

One of the most interesting illustrations of trifling is found in Genesis, where Yahweh puts mankind on notice. Comparing how a person or nation treats Yisra’el (Israel) and Yahuwdym (Jews), to how He will reciprocate, God reveals: "I will kneel down and adore, blessing (barak — I will love, favorably and eternally endure with, and empower) those who bless and adore you, and I will slight, trifle with, and abate (qalal — view as worthless and insignificant; nullify, omit, reduce, recede from, decrease, and terminate) him who curses you (‘arar — invokes harm or injures you; threatens, entraps, binds, punishes, or oppresses you by way of a spell)." (Genesis 12:3)

Qalal is that which "reduces and decreases." It speaks of diminishing someone’s soul or consciousness to nothingness if they are viewed as being insignificant." It is a lesson which is completely lost in the sloppy English translations which render the verse: "I will curse those who curse you." Proper disclosure reveals one of the least understood concepts in Scripture. The consequence of choosing to reject Yahuweh or harm Yahuwdym is having one’s soul dissipated as a result of being seen as worthless. Such a person’s consciousness is terminated at the end of their mortal existence. This isn’t an act of God, but instead the result of the person’s actions. To endure beyond this mortal life requires God’s intervention, but to die is the result of God doing nothing.

Yahweh did not say that He was going to "curse" those who don’t love Him or His people. He didn’t say that He was going to roast all who don’t adore Him and His chosen in hell. He simply said that if you don’t value Him and those He values, He won’t value you. The souls of those who die without accepting and relying upon Yahuweh’s "source of blessings, His gift, the One who kneels down in adoration and brings reconciliation" will be qalal, meaning, they will be "nullified and reduced to nothingness." It will be as if they were never born. It isn’t that God despises them; it’s that He doesn’t know them. And those He doesn’t know, don’t live.

This is one of hundreds of examples which demonstrate that there are three distinct alternatives and three ultimate destinations for souls presented in Scripture. The souls of those who adore God and who accept Yahushua’s gift will live forever in Yahuweh’s home as members of His family. Those who make no choice, those who have little regard for God, those who reject His gift, those who mock the association between Yahweh and Yahshua, between the Torah and the Messiyah, those who never leave their fallen state as a result of religious beliefs, will simply cease to exist. When they die, their souls are diminished, dissipated into nothingness.

That is not to say that there is no place of perpetual anguish. There is. And one earns this fate by leading souls away from Yahuweh and His gift of life. Entrance to the Abyss is earned by removing Yahuweh’s name from God’s Word, and by adding human traditions to God’s revelation. Those who lift up and carry forth the doctrines of lifelessness and desolation (religion and politics) will suffer the same fate as the demonic spirit so many of them unwittingly serve.

While the teaching embedded in this verse is profound, there hasn’t been any overt prophecy thus far, so you may be wondering why Yahweh wanted to commence His dialog with us with this Proverb. Fact is, I was wondering that myself until..."A generation (dowr — people living in a time or age) will slight, trifle with, and consider of little account (qalal — view as worthless and insignificant; lightly esteem, nullify, and recede from) their Father (‘ab — God as head of the eternal household) and will not adore (lo barak — will not love, will not favorably and eternally endure with, will not be empowered by, will not speak words which evoke divine favor to, nor praise, extol, or thank) their Mother (‘em — source of life, protector, and caregiver)." (Proverbs 30:11) While there has been plenty of competition, our generation has trifled more with God than most any other.

The notion of considering our Father of little account, and of not loving our Mother clarifies the spiritual message contained in the Fifth Commandment. It begins with kabad, the antithesis of qalal. "View as significant and consider as worthy (kabad — favorably value, distinguish, revere, and glorify, honor) your Father (‘ab — God as head of the eternal household, thus Heavenly Father) and your Mother (‘em — source of life, protector, and caregiver, thus Spiritual Mother) and your days (yowm — time) will be prolonged (‘arak — become continuous, maintained throughout time) in the Land (‘adamah) which by way of relationship (‘asher) Yahuweh your God (‘elohiym) has prepared and given to you as a gift (natan — granted, devoted, and ascribed as a present)." (Exodus 20:12) Salvation is the "gift" of prolonged life in the Promised Land Yahuweh has prepared for us.

Since Yahuweh routinely criticizes Yisra’el’s fathers and mothers for their infidelity and deceit, it isn’t reasonable that He would want us to "kabad — glorify" our earthly parents. Moreover, doing so wouldn’t add so much as a minute to our time in the place Yahuweh has prepared for us. Therefore, the object of great value, the sole source of prolonged life, and the one who bestows the gift, is our Heavenly Father and Spiritual Mother. And that is why ruwach, the Hebrew word for Spirit, is feminine, as are all of Her attributes.

Yah’s message is consistent: value our Heavenly Father and He will value you. Love our Spiritual Mother, and She will endure with you, renewing you. Do these things and God will favor you with the gift of extended and continuous life.

Arguably, the prophetic portrayal contained in verse 11 could apply to other generations. But Yahuweh isn’t finished. With each additional complaint, only one people, place, and time qualify.

What follows is the result of considering our Heavenly Father of little account and of not evoking the favor of our Spiritual Mother: "A generation (dowr — people living in a time or age) will be pure and clean (tahowr — ethically upstanding and flawless) in their own eyes (‘ayin) and yet not washed of (rachats — not cleansed of) their filth and excrement (tsow’ah — feces and dung). A generation (dowr — people living in a time or age) lofty and exalted (ruwm — self-aggrandized, arrogant, and haughty) in their own eyes: how and why (mah) are their eyelids raised (nasa’ — lifted up, expecting to be carried away, to be forgiven, and to endure)?" (Proverbs 30:12-13)

This concept of spiritual misjudgment and of self-reliance is echoed in Yahushua’s seventh and final prophetic open letter–the one written to the Laodiceans (meaning the people rule) in Revelation.  It is one of many reasons I see it speaking to our generation.

Forgiveness is for those who recognize they need to be forgiven. Redemption is for those who know that they need to be ransomed from the consequence of their sin. And herein lies the problem of revisionist morality, that of political correctness. The modern secular humanist mantra (at least superficially) is that everything is acceptable except that which is intolerant and judgmental. So we live in a generation which has been conditioned to believe that their depravity is ethically acceptable. This generation considers itself flawless, and yet God sees it rolling around in its own feces and filth. So Yahweh says, don’t look to Me for help. You can keep your *&%$ to yourself.

God will confirm many times that the benefit of embracing our Spiritual Mother is that She envelops us in a Garment of Light. Since light obliterates darkness, once we are reborn Spiritually, Yahweh only sees the good in us and not the bad. We become like our Maker, perfect, at least in His eyes.

Continuing to assail our generation, God reminds us that deceitful and delusional words, and especially desolate and damning dogmas, are the most destructive and deadly of all weapons. Wielded by the politically and religiously empowered, they devour hope and life. Here we find sharp, cutting words slaying, oppressing, and destroying both willing and reluctant victims. "A generation (dowr — people living in a time or age) whose teeth are swords (chereb — are cutting) and jaws are knives, devour (‘akal — slay, oppress, and destroy) part of (min) the Earth (‘erets — land) in order to (la) impoverish and afflict (‘aniy — inflict misery and hardship on the humbled, poor, and weak by way of imposing a lower societal status on) the willingly abused and oppressed (‘eboyown — those who consent to and accept being controlled politically, those who acquiesce to religious submission) by way of (min) mankind (‘adam — humankind, thus read "secular humanism")." (Proverbs 30:14)

In this regard, Islam is the Arabic word for "submission." Muslim means "one who submits." In the Qur’an, Allah says that he has chosen the religion of submission for man. As a result, those imperiled by Muhammad’s poisonous words not only willingly consent to live in the most oppressive and abusive nations on earth, they are intent on imposing their dreadful condition on everyone else.

Likewise, Hinduism’s caste system is all about oppressing the weak. Countless Indians live in abject poverty as a direct result of a destructive religion.

Roman Catholicism was better at imposing poverty on those who would not consent to the Church’s dictatorial authority, than any institution in human history. And even those who did submit to their false, self-serving religion, were treated as serfs in oppressive feudal domains. They have abused more than their share of willing stooges, inflicting untold misery on many for better part of two-thousand years.

Socialist secular humanists see themselves as enlightened masters ruling over the profane masses. To them, following Machiavelli’s advice, the end justifies the means. They will deploy all manner of despicable lies and ruthless violence to ensure that everyone under their control is impoverished and oppressed. It is the way of man.

And while socialist secular humanist nations are the biggest polluters, literally raping the land, the wonton behavior of today’s industrialists, merchants, and financiers is hard to miss in this passage. For them, more than enough, is never enough. Business becomes a game where the score is kept by the accumulation of power and wealth.

Collectively, this portion of Yahweh’s message to our generation reads: "Two things I ask of You. Don’t withhold them before I die. (30:7) You keep me far away from deceitful, desolate, destructive, deceptive, and false words. Permit me neither poverty nor wealth. Break bread for me as clearly communicated and prescribed lest I be self-sufficient and be deemed insufficient by You, causing me to be disowned for having only deceptively feigned a relationship with You." (30:8)

"Don’t let me say: ‘Who is Yahuweh?’ lest I be disinherited, caught in the act, arrested, and incarcerated for removing without permission and carrying away by stealth the personal and proper name of my God. (30:9) Do not allow me to insult, slander, or falsely accuse the Servant to His Master lest You consider me of little account or You declare me guilty, so that I become desolate or punished." (30:10)

"A generation will slight, trifle with, and consider of little account their Father and will not adore their Mother. (30:11) A generation will be pure and clean, ethically upstanding and flawless, in their own eyes, and yet not be cleansed of their filth and excrement. (30:12) A generation lofty and exalted in their own eyes: how and why are their eyelids raised? (30:13) A generation whose teeth are swords and jaws are knives, devour, slay, oppress, and destroy, part of the Earth in order to impoverish and afflict the willingly abused and oppressed by way of mankind." (30:14)

The verses which follow foreshadow our time as well. We are warned about "leeches, who cry, ‘give me more,’ but they are never satisfied; it is never enough." (Proverbs 30:15) Seventy percent of America’s federal budget is now allocated to wealth redistribution, but apparently it isn’t enough. America’s citizens become the entitlement generation–self-absorbed and self-serving. Through Social Security and Medicare, Americans are even willing to tax their children to pay for their indulgences. But the entitlement generation is in for a rude awakening. America is on the precipice of bankruptcy.

As a generation, those living in the West are so far removed from Yahuweh’s presence that the "grave (she’owl — the abode of the dead) and the womb are both barren prisons (‘otser — coercive, oppressive, and lifeless places of incarceration), satisfied to be without living and cleansing waters." (Proverbs 30:16) Our culture, schools, churches, and entertainment mediums have become so polluted with errant and perverse notions, our children are stillborn spiritually.

Our books and movies "mock (la’ag — deride, disparage, and ridicule) our Father and see our Mother as despicable (buwz — contemptible and insignificant), refusing Her guidance, authority, and cleansing (yiqqahah -  purging and purification)." (Proverbs 30:17) This continues to be eerily similar to Yahushua’s criticism of the Laodicean Assembly (Protestant Christians living today in the Western democracies).

We are told that this is: "The way of an eagle (nesher — bird of prey and vulture) in the sky, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a navy in the midst of the sea, and the way of a fighting man with a virgin." (Proverbs 30:19)

Because this is all prophetically indicative of the powers at play during the last days, I believe that these examples point to the Socialist Secular Humanists of the New World Order and their clandestine conspiracy, to the religion of Christianity, especially as it is manifest in Roman Catholicism, to Islam, currently man’s most vicious dogma, and to the Antichrist.  In that light, the eagle, vulture, and bird of prey may be symbolic of the American financiers and industrialists who are the power brokers of the New World Order. Scripture refers to them as the merchants of Babylon. Peter’s second epistle is dedicated to their conniving conspiracy. Like the vulture, they feed on decaying flesh; and in their case, of those they have impoverished and oppressed.

The serpent upon a rock is a dead ringer for Roman Catholicism. In His Revelation letter, Yahushua calls Catholics "the seat of Satan." And Peter, in the view of Roman Catholics, is the "rock" upon which their "Church" was built and upon which it claims it’s authority to rule over men.

It’s hard not to see the jihadist promise of virgins in paradise stamped all over the final example. As confirmation that it is indicative of Islam, recognize that the Magog War is an all Islamic attack on Israel which will play out during man’s waning days. We are told that one quarter of the planet’s population will perish in its wake.

And finally, during the last days, the Antichrist, who is said to align with the spirit of war, will control much of the world’s military arsenal. He will no doubt project his influence over a consortium of nations by way of naval prowess. It appears that he will deploy their nuclear capability during this time. We are told that a third of the earth’s surface will be scorched beyond repair, and that during his extended war, another third of those remaining will die in what appears to be an atomic holocaust.

The unifying ingredient in all of this is the Whore of Babylon. She is the one with unclean lips–the one whose lies lead people away from Yahweh and to their willing or unwilling submission to evil’s consortium. She represents Satan and the counterfeit religious and political scheme born and bred in Babylon. As we move through time and the Word, we will learn a great deal more about this whorish beast.

"In like manner, such is the way of the adulterous woman, she devours (‘akal — consumes, destroys, and slays), and then she wipes (machah — blots out and abrogates, abolishes and obliterates by way of) her mouth (peh — words and speech) and says, I have done (pa’al — committed and ordained, plotted, devised, fashioned, and forged) nothing deceitful or corrupting (‘aven — nothing out of arrogance designed to damage one’s relationship with God, nothing evil, morally corrupt, or false which leads to idolatry, calamity, misfortune, or punishment)." (Proverbs 30:18) The common thread in politics and religion is death and destruction through disingenuousness. Hypocrisy is the devil’s strong suit.

This thought is echoed in the Proverb’s closing words. "If (‘im — when) you have been foolish (nabal — ignorant and contemptible, senseless) in (ba) self exaltation (nasa’ — promotion and lifting up), and if (‘im) you have devised a plan (zaman — decided upon, plotted, and intended a course of action, and conceived a scheme) put a hand (yad) on (la) your mouth (peh)." (Proverbs 30:32) If only Paul had heeded these words. There would have been one less foolish religious scheme.

It is interesting to note that the nbl root has two potential meanings depending upon how the three Hebrew consonants are vocalized. While nabal conveys the idea of "lacking appropriate respect and values," nabel means "to wither, shrivel, die, and decay." It is the quid pro quo of Scripture. Those who foolishly elevate themselves above God will be diminished. Those who contemptuously thirst for religious, political, or economic power will find themselves "fallen, on their knees, cowering in fear" come judgment day.

Most every English translation renders zaman "thought evil" or "planned evil" following the lead of the King James. However, zaman conveys the concepts of "thinking, devising, planning, proposing, muttering an idea, meditating, plotting, scheming, deciding, intending, and resolving to do something." While the scheme may be evil, the intended thought was that any human scheme designed to exalt man is not only foolish, it will have the inverse result of what was intended. Secular humanism has degraded society and mankind. Communism has diminished the masses to the lowest common denominator. Political correctness has produced fallen, dying, decaying, and valueless nations. Our entire perspective is wrong.

Recognizing the power and influence of words, Yahweh recommends shutting our mouths. When it comes to self-exalting human schemes, it is better to be quiet and appear foolish, than it is to open your mouth and remove all doubt. When it comes to judgment, the penalty for promoting a religious or political agenda is eternal incarceration, while being the victim of such a plan is simply to be diminished to nothingness. This is an overt warning to those who propose to elevate themselves through oratory–pastors, priests, and politicians.

Just as the previous verse has been practical, the word picture painted by the last verse of the Proverb is designed to be graphic. "Indeed (kiy — because) stirring up and agitating (miys — pressing and squeezing, angrily churning) milk (halab) brings forth (yasa’ — disseminates and produces) butter (hem’ah),  stirring and agitating (miys) angry snorting (‘ap — aggressive, quick-tempered, and wrathful breath) brings forth (yasa’ — produces and disseminates, leads to and yields) bloodletting and death (dam — killing, both murder and manslaughter), because angry (‘ap) agitation (miys) leads to (yasa’) contention, strife, quarrelsome opposition, and hostility (riyb — taunting insults, mocking ridicule, conflict, and fighting)." (Proverbs 30:33) Paul’s, Akiba’s, Constantine’s, Muhammad’s, Hitler’s, Stalin’s, and Mao’s words were spoken in anger and were specifically designed to agitate their audience, prompting them to abuse others on behalf of their self-promoting scheme. Paul and Muhammad weren’t the first, and Stalin and Mao won’t be the last to use words in ways which debase humankind.    

If you want to be spared from the dreadful days lurking on our not-so-distant and dark horizon, if you don’t want to be victimized by evil’s trinity, or die at the hand of man’s self-exalting schemes, Yahweh has told you where to look and upon whom to rely. He has even told you where not to look and whom not to trust. But should you not yet be convinced that Yahuweh is God, that His Word is trustworthy and true, and that He has provided a way for you to live together with Him for all eternity, rest assured He will make His case. We have just begun...