Hello Everyone,
We are currently diving into Proverbs and in just a short period of time we have gleaned a lot of wisdom that can transform your life and marriage. If you haven’t listened to the other episodes or read the blogs, we encourage you to do so. The more you get into the Word and apply it to your lives, the more you will grow into the fullness God has for you and the more your marriage will become a relationship that is fulfilling not only to you but one that also impacts others around you.
The Principle or Pairs and Patterns
Before we dive into the main subject, we want to take a moment and share a principle we have recently learned about the Bible. We are going to use it here to pull some wisdom that will help your marriage, but we hope you take this principle and apply it to your time in the Word as well. Because once you discover this the stories from the Bible that you have known your whole life, are suddenly renewed and you can gain so much more insight.
Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter and the glory of kings to search it out.”
The Bible is definitely a bottomless treasure chest, and with this new principle we hope you can dig even deeper into the Word.
Psalm 62:12 says, “Once God has spoken, twice I have heard this:”
(This is the Tree of Life version, if you are in any other version it will be Psalm 62:11, because in the TLV they count the description of each Psalm as verse 1)
So, we know that the Bible is God’s Word, spoken by God, written by the hands of man. But it appears that when God speaks it comes out in pairs. This principle is even demonstrated by how we are created. We have one mouth and two ears. Once spoken, twice heard.
What scholars have realized by studying this verse and the Bible as a whole is that God speaks in pairs. There are so many stories in the Bible that are pairs. Stories that mirror each other and if you read them together you can get deeper insight into whatever spiritual truth the Lord is trying to teach.
They are written in a menorah pattern or a chiastic- a literary technique where ideas, phrases, or elements are arranged in a mirrored, symmetrical way. Two stories pointing toward a central theme or truth. Sometimes the menorah pattern happens in one story, when you find the central point, you can then work your way out on both sides. Let’s look at a few examples of this.
Examples of Pairs
- God uses two languages: Greek and Hebrew
- God’s Word came in Word and Flesh
- Yeshua is described as the Lion and the Lamb
- 10 Commandments 2 tablets
- Blood and Water came from Yeshua’s side
Examples of Stories that pair up
- In Genesis, Noah’s ark and Moses’ Ark
- Jonah in the boat, Yeshua in the boat
- There are two times Yeshua takes off His garment, they both involve cleansing
- Yeshua fed a huge crowd twice
- Yeshua healed two females, the dying girl and the woman with the issue of blood
God’s Word is so awesome, because you can read the stories alone (we have for the last 30 plus years) and gain so much. But when you read them together it’s like digging deeper into that treasure chest. Because now you can start asking new questions like…
- What do these stories have in common?
- What are the differences?
- What could be the central theme?
- What spiritual truth is God trying to teach here that I can apply to my life now?
And new questions open up new insight. New wisdom, and new ways to apply it to our lives.
Pairs in Proverbs
Now let’s go to Proverbs. There are several pairs that we can find in Proverbs, but we are going to focus on one.
In the Bible you find two paths that you can take as we walk through this life. The path of righteousness and the path of wickedness. Different verbiage may be used throughout the Word, and especially with different translations but the description is the same.
The Path of Righteousness involves obedience and allegiance to God, with actions that show this loyalty. This path leads to life and blessings.
The Path of Wickedness involves a life of sin, self-indulgence, and allegiance to the prince of the world, Satan. This path leads to destruction and curses. The Word tells us of both paths and then warns us which one not to take.
Let’s look at some verses where these paths are mentioned.
Path of Righteousness
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in Adonai with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Psalms 23:1-3 Adonai is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake.
Paths of Wickedness
Proverbs 4:14-19 Do not enter the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil people. Avoid it—do not travel on it— turn away from it and pass by. For they cannot sleep until they do evil. They are robbed of sleep until they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until the full day. The way of the wicked is like darkness. They do not know what makes them stumble.
Proverbs 5:5-6 Her feet go down to death, her steps lead straight to Sheol. She does not keep straight to the path of life, her paths are crooked —but she does not know it.
We are given free will to choose which path we will take. The Lord has told us which path would be better; He has also told us where each path leads. These two paths are mentioned all in the Bible, and if God mentions something multiple times it’s important, and we should pay attention to it. But ultimately, we get the choice, but we also have to live with the consequences of the path we take.
Now you may be thinking, I have asked Yeshua into my heart, I’m saved, and I go to church. Obviously, I am on the path of righteousness. That may not necessarily be the case.
Proverbs 4:26-27 Clear a level path for your feet, so all your ways will be firm. Do not turn to the right or to the left. Divert your foot from evil.
Staying on the path of Righteousness takes intentionality, check-ins along the way, and honesty throughout your life to maintain that you are continuing in the right direction. Accepting Yeshua takes a moment, continuing on the path of righteousness is a journey, and we have an enemy that would love to see us get off track.
If you are married and have a family you need to realize that the path you choose does not just affect you, but it affects your spouse and your children as well. Are you bringing curses or blessings on your home? In our last episode, we talked about the home that God can bless. If you are walking the wrong path, blessings can not come.
God isn’t a liar. He can’t contradict Himself by not being true to His Word. Although this is important for everyone, married or not. We pose the question here to our couples, and with a special focus on the husbands as the heads of the household.
What path are you walking and which direction are you taking your family?
One of the “not so subtle” tactics of the enemy is to manipulate the roles of the family. Ephesians 5 tells us the husband is the head of the home and the wife is to submit to him in all things. Marriage is a beautiful picture of mutual submission with a very specific order in place. It is an alignment where we see the man submitting to God, the wife submitting to her husband, and the children submitting to their parents. All walking together on God’s path, not always perfectly but there is where true grace comes in.
The enemy has led many to believe that this order is oppressive and wrong.
We see women being domineering and men being passive. We see children running the home with no discipline at all, and marriages falling apart.
The enemy made a subtle shift but years of following it will get your way of course.
What Can I Do to Make Sure I am Walking the Right Path?
Read and Study Your Bible
First and foremost, we HAVE to get into the Word. There is no way to know what the Word says without reading it FOR OURSELVES. Do not put your spiritual growth on someone else. Pastors and mentors are great but QUESTION what you are taught. Search the Scripture for yourself to confirm what you are hearing.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-21 says, “Rejoice always, pray constantly, in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Messiah Yeshua. Do not quench the Spirit, do not despise prophetic messages, but test all things, hold fast to what is good”
I think there is an unspoken message in the Christian community that says questions are bad. People start to worry when too many questions are asked. They automatically fear someone is “losing their faith” if they question things. We have found in the last three years that our faith has actually grown since we started questioning things.
So, get into the Word for yourselves, get into the Word as a couple, you will learn so much together, and get into the Word as a family. Be a part of the spiritual development of your children.
Be Obedient to What It Says
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching, for reproof, for restoration, and for training in righteousness, so that the person belonging to God may be capable, fully equipped for every good deed.”
When Paul wrote this what “scriptures” were he referring to? It would have been the Torah, Psalms, and the Prophets, what we now call the Old Testament. Most Christian have been taught that when Yeshua was crucified and rose again, He abolished the Old Testament. This is not accurate AT ALL. It says Yeshua came to fulfill the Torah, which means to make it complete.
The Torah gave us the picture of righteousness. Yeshua gave us the power of righteousness. The Ruach is how we walk out this life in obedience to God’s Word.
John 1 tells us that Yeshua is the Word made flesh. He cannot contradict Himself. Through His crucifixion He became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. So we don’t have to sacrifice animals like they had to in the Torah. But that does not mean we don’t follow it as a whole.
The Torah, specifically Leviticus and Numbers, is God’s actual words as written by Moses.
Think of it like the red letters in the New Testament, which tells us which Words Yeshua actually spoke. Most of Leviticus and Numbers is God speaking. There is so much in there that we can still apply to our lives today. And we can tell you from the shift we have made in the last three years, it’s not oppressive at all; in fact, it’s the exact opposite, it brings so much joy.
Get in the Word, learn what it says, then adjust your life according to what it tells you to do. We have made a lot of changes in three years, and because of that we feel more connected to God and each other. It has brought so much unity to our marriage, because we did it together. That’s why we encouraged you to do this as a couple and family.
Apply the Wisdom and Insight the Bible holds in a practical way, in other words be like Yeshua
According to Proverbs 3, walking the straight path involves trusting in God, submitting to His will, and acknowledging Him in all aspects of life.
Hebrews 12 tells us to run with endurance the race set before us, focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfector of faith. It also tells us in verse 13 and 14 of this chapter to make straight paths for our feet, pursue peace, and holiness.
Yeshua was the Word made flesh. He was a living, breathing embodiment of the Torah. There are also a lot of benefits and blessings that come from living our lives in accordance with the Word.
Walk the Path One Step at a Time.
Don’t try to change every aspect of your life in one day. Find one part of the Scripture that speaks to you, apply it to your life, and make the changes necessary. There will probably be some trial and error as you shift your life according to God’s Word. That is the beautiful thing about God and His grace. You will not walk this out perfectly, (or at least we didn’t) but God is so gracious when you are trying to be obedient to Him. I think of a baby learning to walk. They fall down ALOT, but the parent doesn’t get angry or frustrated. They help them up and cheer them on until they succeed and that is how God is when we start this journey.
Matthew 7:13-14 says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
Being obedient to God and His Word is not the popular thing. You may find some people do not understand or agree with the changes you make, possibly even other Christians. At the end of the day, you have to make the decision that is best for you, your marriage, and family based on the knowledge you have. Ask yourself, is what I am doing backed by Scripture? Am I being obedient to God’s Word? If the answer is yes, keep walking the path.
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 says, “So now, O Israel, what does Adonai your God require of you, but to fear Adonai your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul, 13 to keep the mitzvot of Adonai and His statutes that I am commanding you today, for your own good?”
This verse tells us why we should be obedient to God’s Word, FOR OUR OWN GOOD! God is a good Father. His Word is not oppressive but brings abundance. Psalm 1 tells us this.
“Happy is the one who has not walked in the advice of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of scoffers. But his delight is in the Torah of Adonai, and on His Torah, he meditates day and night. He will be like a planted tree over streams of water, producing its fruit during its season. Its leaf never droops— but in all he does, he succeeds. The wicked are not so. For they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore, the wicked will not stand during the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For Adonai knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.” Psalms 1
Let God’s Word lead and guide you! As long as you are actively obeying it, you will always be on the Path of Righteousness.