What does Yah Want

 
efei - hwhy- יהוה - YHWH - YaHoWaH

All God Wants is for us to be His Children in His Family
And
to come to Know Him
to come to Love Him
to come to Trust Him
As
Children do with their Mother and Father
That is All God Wants

6 Plus 1 - Six equals man, ONE equals GOD

1. man who was created on the sixth day, in addition to God who is one = 7

2. In the Torah Yahowah’s name is written 7000-seven thousand times

3. seven specific instructions Yahowah personally scribed on two tablets of stone

4. Yahowah's Feast the seven Invitations to Meet God (Mow’ed Miqra’ey)

5. seven specific subjects; His Word, Name, Teaching, Covenant, Terms, Invitations, Way.

6. His Name is used an average of seven times per page

7. Yahowah's Sabbath Day of rest the Seventh Day, dusk to dusk

YaHoWaH Saves - Yahowsha said

Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to complete.

Mat 5:18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.

Audio's about this subject  

Source: An Introduction to God

This segment is an exerpt form Chapter Two

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Dabar – His Word

efei

As we approach our study of the ancient Hebrew language and its alphabet, we must go back in time and dig well beneath the surface. Understanding Hebrew requires us to examine the roots of the letters themselves. Each alphabetic character was originally drawn as a picture—one which conveyed the symbol’s primary connotation. And it was by combining these forms that each letter supplied additional meaning to the words they were forming.

A 3,500-year-old cup was recently unearthed in Yisra’el depicting in alphabetic order all twenty-two Hebrew letters. As the oldest proof of a phonetic conveyance, it serves to support the idea that Ancient Hebrew is the word’s oldest alphabet. Archeologists have also discovered that each character not only featured a name which conveyed something important, but more critically, by design they each represented a specific phonetic sound.

For your edification, the following chart has been designed to present the evolution of each of the twenty-two letters which comprise the Hebrew alphabet. It reveals how they were first drawn circa 2,000 BCE in Ancient Hebrew. Their progression to a Paleo-Hebrew script is presented next, followed by the images most commonly seen on the Dead Sea Scrolls. The presentation of Hebrew nomenclature then concludes with the Modern Hebrew form. Each letter’s English equivalent and phonetic, or transliterated, sound is depicted in addition to the character’s current name. The last column describes the image revealed by the original letter.

Ancient    Paleo        DSS          Modern            English     English                 Modern          Image

Script        Script        Script        Script                Letter       Sound                  Name             Description

a          a           a           a                 A           a  e                 Aleph        ram

b           b           b           b                 B           b  bh               Beyth        tent

c            g            g          g                  G           g                     Gimal        foot

d           d           d            d                  D           d                     Dalet         door

e           h            h          h                  H           ah  eh             Hey           man

f            w            w            w                   W          o  u  w            Wah           tent peg

z          z           z             z                   Z           z                     Zayin         plow

h           x           x           j                  C           hh ch              Chet          wall

u           j           j           f                 T           t  th                 Theth         basket

i           y          y            y                   Y           y  i                  Yowd        hand

k           k           k            k ]              K           k                     Kaph         palm

l           l           l            l                  L           l                      Lamed       staff

m          m           m           m \              M          m                    Mem          water

n            n           n            n }                N           n                     Nun           seed

x            s           s           s                  S           s                     Samech      thorn

o          [           [           u                  E           e  a                 Ayin          eye

p          p            p           p [              P           p  ph               Peh            mouth

y          c          c           x {              T           ts                    Tsade         resting

q          q           q           q                  Q           q                     Qoph         horizon

r           r            r           r                  R           r                     Rosh          head

s           f          f          c                 S           sh                   Shin           teeth

t            t           t           t                 T           t                      Taw           signature

The first two letter variations, Ancient and Paleo Hebrew, predate the earliest Babylonian script by more than one-thousand years. This substantially different lettering style first emerged circa 500 BCE during the Babylonian captivity. A variation of it is found on the Great Isaiah Scroll found in the hills above Qumran. The best we can tell, the Ancient Script, also called “Early Semitic” and “Proto-Sinaitic,” dates to around 2000 BCE. It is in all likelihood the alphabet used to scribe the initial autograph of the Towrah. And I suspect that Yahowah used Ancient Hebrew to engrave the two tablets of stone.

However, it is also possible that both were written using Paleo Hebrew, in that it first appeared around 1500 BCE. This form is often called “Proto-Phoenician,” which isn’t surprising since these people lived adjacent to the Hebrews. Some scholars refer to Paleo Hebrew as “Moabite Stone.”

This Late Semitic script is perhaps a millennia older than its Babylonian replacement, and the pictographic form precedes it by as much as five centuries. And then in the progression of things, it wasn’t until one-thousand-five-hundred years later, around 500 CE, that diacritical signs associated with the Masoretes were first used to depict vowel sounds—ignoring the fact that there were five vowels among the original twenty-two characters. These dots initially appeared in manuscripts of the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms scribed and edited by rabbis circa 1000 CE. Modern Hebrew publications use yet another system, one known as “full spelling.”

While there is some redundancy, the next chart is designed to present the meaning behind each Hebrew character as it was originally scribed nearly 4,000 years ago. In addition to reinforcing the imagery associated with the Ancient pictographic form, you will find the letter’s original name juxtaposed against its current name. I’ve repeated the most common transliteration, or phonetic sound, for each symbol. This is followed by a description of what the Ancient Hebrew character was designed to depict. In this chart I’ve added each letter’s numerical value, as well as the meaning behind the original drawing – which is the primary purpose of the second presentation. You will also find a transliteration and translation of the character.

As you might expect, countless changes have been made along the way, many of which serve to corrupt the original pronunciations and meanings of many of the most important Scriptural names, titles, and words. So in our quest to understand the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, we will have to be observant, circumspect, and discerning—especially as we seek to understand what God actually revealed. So here for your consideration is the linguistic pallet Yahowah deployed.

Orig.  Original   Babylon           Letter          Ancient-Hebrew Pictograph           Ancient-Hebrew Pictograph                                               Hebrew Name & Meaning

Form  Name       Name                Sound        Description / Number Value          Primary Image  Meaning                                                   

a  al       Aleph       a  e      ox / ram’s head  1      strength, power, might, authority       ‘al – Almighty God

b   bet     Beyt         b          tent shelter home  2   ba – in a family, home, shelter          beyth – family home

c    gam   Gimal       g          foot walking  3           to walk, carry, gather together            gam – add emphasize

d  dal     Dalet        d          doorway  4                entranceway, doorway                       dalet – door

e   hey     Hey          ah eh   man reaching up  5    ha – reveal, observe, man, notice      hey – behold greatness

f    waw   Wah         ow  u    secure tent peg  6       wa – to secure, increase, add             wa – and to add

z  zan     Zayin       z           plow  7                      food, nourishment, harvest, cut         zan – to sort by kind

h  hets    Chet         ch        tent wall  8                 to separate, protect                             chets – wall

u   thet    Theth       t th       basket  container  9    to surround, enclose, store                equivalent to taw

i   yad    Yowd       y i        arm and hand  10       authority, ability, power, work           yad – hand

k   kaph  Kaph        k          open palm  20            to open, welcome, allow                    kaph – palm of hand

l   lam    Lamed     l           shepherd staff  30      la – to lead, direct, teach, protect       la – to move toward

m  mah   Mem        m         waves of water  40     water, life, cleansing                          mah – water (mayim)

n nun    Nun         n          sprouting seed  50     son, heir, continuance, generation      nuwn – to continue

x    sin     Samech    s           thorn  60                    pierce, sharp, grab, shield                  same as Sin of Shin

o ayn    Ayin        e  a      eye  70                       to observe, see, know, perceive         ayn – eye and sight

p  pey     Peh          p ph     mouth  80                  to speak, communicate, language       peh – mouth and blow

y  tsad    Tsade       ts          man lying down  90   to wait, rest, be revived, renewed       tsad – side

q  quph Qoph       q          sun on horizon  100  time and light                                     qowah – wait and hope

r   resh    Rosh        r           head of a man            top, first, beginning, best                   re’sh – first, head, top

s  shin    Shin         sh         teeth                           language, nourishment                       shin – tooth

t    taw     Taw         t           pole and beam           doorway, sign, mark, signature          tow – signature, mark

(For additional information see: http://www.scribd.com/doc/33329144/20/The-Samech-Shin-and-Sin)

Should you be interested, there are five English letters without an equivalent in Ancient, Paleo, or Babylonian Hebrew. Therefore, there were no Scriptural Hebrew words containing the sounds made by the English characters: c (apart from ch), f (apart from ph), j, v, or x. And while an f can be approximated by the ph pronunciation of Peh, every English variant of Hebrew names, like “Jehovah,” containing the letters j, v, or both, is irrefutably inaccurate.

As I have mentioned, originally there were twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet, just as there are today. But in both Ancient and Paleo Hebrew we find greater similarity in the presentation of the Theth u and Taw t than we do today, with them appearing as ט and ת. Both letters convey the same “t” and “th” sounds. So there is every indication that they were once a single letter. Further, while there has always been a Samech (x) and Shin (s), with the former pronounced as an “s” and the later conveying the “sh” sound, the modern Sin (שׂ) has no discernable antiquity, thereby eliminating the need to have a pointed variation of the current Shin שׁ. These facts are important because when searching for accurate word meanings, the whole truth can only be discerned when the Samech and Sin, as well as the Theth and Taw, are considered as if they were once one and the same.

While it is less important, there is also some evidence that in Ancient Hebrew, in addition to the letter Gam/Gimal, there was also a more guttural Ghah. It was depicted by way of a small head over an oval body with two short legs (appearing somewhat like the numeral 8 with an upside down u beneath it (g)). While the letter has been mostly lost to time, evidence for it is retained in Gomorrah and Gaza, whose pronunciation was retained in the Greek Septuagint, whereby the Ayin, seen today in the Masoretic Text, was transliterated using the Greek Gamma. When we compare the meanings of the parent roots of words which were originally spelled with the letter Ghah, we notice a similarity in meaning with most of these words related to darkness, storms, clouds, blindness, wickedness, goats, and that which is bad or crafty. In that the letter’s shape bears some similarity to the interwoven fibers of a rope, it also conveyed twisted, confused, and convoluted.

To clarify an earlier statement, in the Modern Hebrew alphabet, the letter Shin ש represents two different sounds: “sh” and an “s.” To differentiate between these, a dot is placed above the Shin שׁ on the right side to depict the “sh” sound, and on the left when depicting the “s” sound conveyed by Sin שׂ (thereby changing the Shin to Sin). In most cases, however, words currently spelled with the newly crafted Sin are more closely related in meaning with words which were originally written using the Samech x s s ס. Moreover, Hebrew words currently spelled with the letter Sin are still written with a variation of the Hebrew Samech in other Semitic languages.

Now all of this is vital to our understanding because to ascertain the original meaning of the words Yahowah used to convey His Towrah – Instructions, we must remove the remnants of Masoretic and Rabbinic tampering. As I have mentioned, and will soon prove, there is overwhelming and damning evidence that these power-hungry religious clerics deliberately altered the Scriptural text, changing many words and their meanings by their diacritical marks, letter substitutions, and unorthodox vocalizations.

The greatest harm was perpetrated by the vocalization process, because it not only gave the false impression that the original alphabet lacked vowels and wasn’t pronounceable, it gave the Masoretes the ability to alter the meaning of most every word. For example, “‘edown – the upright pillar and foundation of the tabernacle,” and “‘adown – lord, master, and owner,” appear identically in the revealed text, but as a result of the Masoretic vocalization process they are as different as light is from darkness. So to reverse this damage, we will have to consider the definitions of every word written using the same characters, thereby peeling back the vocalization process.

Associated connotations were lost with the separation of the letter Sin from Samech, and with its unification with Shin. Similarly, we lose access to related word meanings with the division of the Taw into two letters, creating the Theth. An example of this is Towrah, whereby some of the reasons Yahowah added “tow” to “yarah – teaching” only become clear when words beginning with Theth and Taw are both considered.

There is yet another legacy of Rabbinical tampering which has left a stain on Scripture. Unlike Ancient and Paleo Hebrew, where all twenty-two characters were clearly differentiated from one another, in Babylonian and Modern Hebrew, the differences between the Hey ה, Chet ח, and Taw ת, are minimal. Written by hand with unrefined implements, using imperfect dyes, on uneven parchment and papyrus surfaces, the distinction between them was routinely lost as scrolls were furled and unfurled over time. One such example is the appearance of mashyach in the Masoretic variation of Daniel. Since neither of the two passages in which the adjective appears are extant among the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Rabbinic corruption of this potential title has replaced the one Yahowah not only chose, but also reinforced a score of times throughout His Towrah, Prophets, and Psalms. The Savior’s actual title, “ha Ma’aseyah – the Work of Yah,” not only associates Him with Yahowah, but also defines His nature and purpose, the Set-Apart Servant Doing the Work of Yah, while the Rabbinic variation disassociates Him from God and from His work. And should you be seeking proof, in the next section we will examine the evidence demonstrating Yahowah’s preference for ha Ma’aseyah over Mashyach, and its popular derivative the Messiah.

While it is not germane to the etymology of the words themselves, while we are on the subject of the Ancient Hebrew characters which originally comprised the Hebrew alphabet, I’d like to dispel a common myth. What we refer to as “Arabic Numerals” are actually Hebrew in origin. In their Late Semitic script, the Hebrew Aleph is written almost identically the numeral 1, especially as it is depicted in Europe with the small diagonal line at the top left. The depiction of the Hebrew Beyt is indistinguishable from the numeral 2 in the Late Semitic evolution of paleo-Hebrew. The same is true regarding the Late Semitic version of the Hebrew Gimal and our symbol for the number 3, as well as the Hebrew Dalet and the number 4. Similarly, the Late Semitic depiction of the Hebrew Hey is remarkably similar to the numeral 5.

While the Waw represents the number six in Hebrew, its Late Semitic form is the basis for the number 9. The reason for this slide is that the “ow” sound was adopted by the Greeks and Romans using a letter shaped similarly to the English “F” (our sixth letter), but this character was subsequently dropped from their alphabets.

The Late Semitic, pre-Babylonian form, of the Hebrew Zayin was written exactly as the letter Z is now depicted in English, and thus serves as the basis for the number 7. The Ancient Hebrew horizontal pictograph of the dividing wall representing the letter Hets or Chet was rotated vertically to form a straight-lined depiction of the numeral 8 in its Late Semitic form. And finally, also in its Late Semitic form, the Hebrew Theth was drawn in such a way that it was indistinguishable from our current number 6.

And please be aware, this pre-Babylonian adaptation of Hebrew preceded the formation of written Arabic by just over one thousand years. This reality thereby destroys the myth that our current representation of numbers is “Arabic Numerals.”

One last thought before we leave this discussion on the Ancient and Paleo Hebrew letterforms and their subsequent meaning. As we move through our evaluation of Yahowah’s Word, we will endeavor to deduce the meanings of God’s favorite names, titles, and words using the characters which originally comprised them.

So, in this light, let’s consider “dabar – word. The first letter, known as a Dalet (ד), was drawn as an entrance or doorway d. Affirming this, even today, dalet means “door” in Hebrew.

The second letter of dabar is Beyt (ב), which was depicted to reveal the floor plan of a tent shelter or home: b. As a result beyth still means “family and home.” It serves as the basis for Yahowah’s “beryth – Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship”—arguably the single most important word in the whole of God’s word.

The third and final letter of the Hebrew word for “word” is Rosh (ר). It was drawn in the shape of a human head r, and conveyed the ideas of top, first, and best, in addition to firstborn, leadership, and establishing a priority. So we should not be surprised that even today, re’sh conveys all of these concepts. Further, a derivative of re’sh, namely re’shyth, is the first word in the Torah.

So collectively, by examining the pictures drawn by the characters which comprise dabar, we learn that God’s “word” serves as the “doorway” to His “home,” and to participation in His covenant “family.” Those who place Yah’s Word “above” all else, making it their “top priority,” become our Heavenly Father’s “firstborn” children.

Using this same formula, let’s see what we can learn about Yahowah’s title: ‘elohym. It is the plural of ‘el, which is the contracted form of ‘elowah. Written right to left in the Hebrew form it looks like this: efla. Therefore, ‘elowah begins with Aleph: a (א), the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In its pictographic form it represented a ram’s head which symbolized strength, power, might, and authority.

The second letter, Lamed l (ל), was drawn in the shape of a shepherd’s staff. As a result, it conveys leadership, direction, guidance, nurturing, and protection. Used commonly as a prefix, the Lamed serves as a preposition in Hebrew, communicating movement toward a goal.

The Wah f (ו), which designates the “o” sound in ‘elowah, resembles a tent peg, which is important Scripturally because they were used to enlarge and secure the temporary residences of those who first heard Yahowah’s title. These study stakes also secured the Tabernacle which represented God’s permanent home among His people. Today, as then, the Wah is used as a conjunction, and conveys the ideas of increasing, connecting, adding, and enlarging.

The final letter, Hey e (ה), like Wah, is also found in Yahowah’s name in addition to His title. The Hey was among the most distinctive letters, in that it was drawn in the form of a person pointing and reaching up to the heavens. It screams, pay attention, be observant, and take notice of what God has done and said. Today, hey means “behold.”

Bringing this all together, the characters which comprise ‘elowah, meaning “Almighty God,” paint a picture of God as being supremely powerful, of being a shepherd who cares for His flock, leading, nurturing, and protecting them. He is focused upon enlarging His family and protecting those who not only seek Him, but also observe His revelation and reach up to Him for assistance.

There are times in which the visual images provided by the Ancient Hebrew characters convey insights we’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere. Such is the case with ‘iseh / ‘isah, which was used as an example of a particularly challenging word to translate. If you recall, ‘iseh (אִשֶּׁה) is the feminine noun for fire, and ‘isah (אִשָּׁה) means “female individual, woman, mother, and wife.” And adding to the confusion, prior to the application of the Masoretic niquwd system of diacritical signs, these words were indistinguishable in the text.

By doing some Scriptural research, we came to realize that ‘iseh / ‘isah spoke of our Spiritual Mother, the Set-Apart Spirit. But now that we are equipped with another tool, let’s see if the characters which comprise this word agree. The first letter is an Aleph a (א), which as we now know depicted a ram’s head, which symbolized strength, power, might, and authority.

The second letter in ‘iseh / ‘isah is Shin s (ש), which was drawn in the shape of teeth, which were symbolic of language and words, of communication and understanding, of guidance and instruction, as well as nourishment and the breath of life.

The third and final letter is Hey e (ה), which, as we have discussed, symbolized humankind with our arms reaching up and pointing to heaven, so as to say “look up, behold, observe, reach out to, and rely upon God.”

Therefore, the picture painted by ‘iseh / ‘isah, this time written in the English format of left to right, ase, is of the power and authority of God’s word working to nourish humankind, imbuing those who are observant and who reach out to God, with understanding and the breath of life. So the image is the same whether we use our etymological tools, do Scriptural research, or defer to the original alphabetic pictographics: we are looking at our Spiritual Mother, and the role she plays in the lives of God’s children.

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In our search for the truth regarding the Word of God, it was essential that we investigated the nature of the textual evidence we will be considering—as it is the vessel upon which we will be sailing and relying. Becoming aware of the sordid history of bible translations, and the propensity of publishers to corrupt God’s message, helps clear our decks of clutter before we embark on this voyage of discovery. And an appreciation for the process of translation, especially recognizing some of these challenges, is the proper preparation for this mission.

But there is something lacking. In the process of preparing to engage, we have only considered a handful of Scriptural passages. So, I’d like to remedy this omission and review some of the more interesting references to the “dabar – word.”

As we will do again when we commence our discussion of the Covenant, we will begin where Yahowah began, by transforming Himself into the living embodiment of His “dabar – word” before Abram. But since we are just embarking on this journey, I am going to initiate the process by encouraging you to consider the passage bereft of serious amplification. “After (‘achar) these (‘el-leh) conversations (dabarym), the Word (dabar) of Yahowah (efei - hwhy- יהוה), He came to exist as God with (hayah ‘el) ‘Abram (‘Abram) in the form of (ba) a personal, visual, and illuminating manifestation which could be seen and experienced (machazeh) to say (‘amar): ‘Do not be awed, and be at rest while God renews you (yare’ ‘al) ‘Abram. I am (‘anoky) a defender and shield, a protective covering (magen) for you (la), your exceedingly (ma’od) great (rabah) reward, your payment for passage, your transit fee paid by a servant, shepherd, and generous father (sakar).’” (Bare’syth 15:1)

This modestly amplified version of this passage was presented for the express purpose of making these two rather long sentences easier to read and comprehend, and to facilitate your developing a proper perspective of the broad strokes encapsulated in this profound predictive promise. Within this framework, you’re now in a better position to appreciate the fine details hidden in etymology as we systematically dissect each message phrase by phrase. Also, if I can encourage you to consider the bold portions of each passage first, and then go back and evaluate the additional insights provided by the Hebrew words, you will find the Scriptural portions of this Introduction to God much easier to read.

This Scriptural introduction to the Word of God does a marvelous job of explaining the nature and purpose of the “dabar – word,” surrounded as it is with terms like machazeh, ‘amar, yare’, magen, ma’od, rabah, and sakar. But to more fully appreciate the insights they provide, let’s dive deeper into this revelation, deploying the full benefits of Scriptural amplification…

“After (‘achar – following and pertaining to) these (‘el-leh) conversations (dabarym – communications), the Word (dabar) of Yahowah (efei), He came to exist with (hayah ‘el – He was, is, and will always be with) ‘Abram (‘abram – father who uplifts) in the form of (ba) a personal, visual, and illuminating manifestation which could be seen and experienced (machazeh – as a personal revelation of enlightening communication which can be beheld and visualized; as a window or aperture constructed for the purpose of flooding an area with light) to say (‘amar – promising and answering, claiming and avowing): ‘Do not be awed (yare’ ‘al – do not be frightened or intimidated, rest and be at peace while I renew you) ‘Abram. I am (‘anoky) a defender and shield, a protective covering (magen – I am surrounding you, shielding and delivering you from harm; from ganan, to defend and protect by surrounding and covering) for you (la – on your behalf), your exceedingly (ma’od – your ultimately empowering, energizing, facilitating, abundant, and) great (rabah – increasing and uplifting, making you more than you currently are, multiplicitous) reward (sakar – payment for passage, transit fee paid by a servant or shepherd, by a generous father and reliable doorkeeper).’” (Bare’syth / In the Beginning / Genesis 15:1)

God’s Word is machazeh: “personal, visual, and illuminating.” It is something which “can be seen and experienced,” especially as we read Yahowah’s Towrah. It serves as “a revelation, as enlightening communication which can be beheld and visualized.” God’s Word is “a window constructed for the purpose of flooding our lives with light”—God’s light.

As is the case throughout this Introduction to God and Yada Yah as well, the commentary surrounding the text will be extensive, because each word God chooses serves to color the overall portrait He is painting. Such is the case with “yare’ – respect and revere.” God’s Word encourages us to yare’ our Heavenly Father, and it teaches us to “lo yare’ – not fear” Him.

The “dabar – Word” of “Yahowah” serves as our “magen – defender and shield,” as our “protective covering.” It is our “ma’od rabah sakar – exceedingly great reward”—providing our “payment for passage,” our “transit fee,” which is “remunerated by” God “serving us as a shepherd,” as “a generous father,” who opens the “doorway” to heaven.

But there is even more we can learn. Of the 2,500 times dabar is found in the Covenant Scriptures, it is used as a noun (usually rendered: “word”) 1,400 times, and as a verb (describing someone “communicating through the spoken word”) 1,100 times. More amazing than this frequency, is the diversity. There are more than 120 different English words required to convey the full meaning of dabar. Some are synonyms, many are not. The only common denominator is that they all convey a sense of “communication,” because talking with and listening to God is the essence of His Covenant.

The “dabar – Word of Yahowah” is first and foremost “ha Towrah – the Source of Instruction and Teaching and the Place from which Guidance and Direction Flow: from tow – the signed, written, and enduring, towrah – way of treating people, tuwr – giving us the means to explore, to seek, to find, and to choose, yarah – the source from which instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction flow, that tuwb – provides answers that facilitate our restoration and return, even our response and reply to that which is towb – good, pleasing, joyful, beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, and that which causes us to be loved, to become acceptable, and to endure, tahowr / tohorah – purifying and cleansing us, towr – so as to provide an opportunity for us to change our thinking, attitude, and direction.” The Towrah is the book responsible for introducing and describing the Covenant. The Covenant ceases to exist and becomes utterly unknown without it.

But the “dabar – Word” of Yahowah also includes the Prophets. For example, the book known as “Ezekiel,” is comprised of “the Word (dabar) of Yahowah to Yachezq’el.”

To this, we must add the testimony of the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’, because Yahowah, in Yashayah / Isaiah 40:5, not only promised that He would put His dabar in His mouth, but also that Yahowsha’ would be the living manifestation of His “dabar – Word.” And that is why Yahowsha’ cited, affirmed, amplified, extrapolated upon, explained, enabled, and fulfilled the Covenant Scriptures with every word He spoke and every act He accomplished.

In the section devoted to Yahowah’s Instructions, we will discover that He introduces them with dabar. “And (wa) God (‘elohym) conveyed (dabar) all of (kol) these words (dabar), providing perspective (‘eleh) in our presence (‘eth), saying (‘amar): ‘I am (‘anky) Yahowah (efei – Yahowah) your God (‘elohym) who relationally (‘asher) brought you out and delivered you (yasa’) from the realm (min ‘erets) of the crucible of Egypt (mitsraym), out of the house (min beyth) of slavery (‘ebed). You shall not exist with (lo’ hayah la) other (‘aher) gods (‘elohym) in relation to (‘al) My presence (paneh).’” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:1-3)

More fully amplified, this same introduction reads: “And (wa) God (‘elohym – the Almighty) conveyed (dabar – communicated, spoke, and wrote, provided instruction and direction with) all of (kol) these words (dabar – conversations, statements, warnings, and promises), providing perspective (‘eleh – from a relatively close vantage point) in our presence (‘eth – in association with us and in proximity to us), saying (‘amar – explaining, claiming, answering, counseling, warning, and promising): ‘I am (‘anky) Yahowah (efei – Yahowah) your God (‘elohym – the Mighty One (suffixed in the second person singular)) who relationally (‘asher) brought you out and delivered you (yasa’ – descended to serve, extending Myself to guide, lead, and carry you away) from the realm (min ‘erets – out of the land and region) of the crucible of Egypt (mitsraym – the smelting furnace where metals are refined and tested (a metaphor for judgment and oppression)), out of the house (min beyth – from the home, household, family and place) of slavery (‘ebed – servitude, bondage, and worship, even work). You shall not exist with (lo’ hayah la – you shall not have) other (‘aher – someone else’s, different, extra, or additional) gods (‘elohym) in relation to (‘al – near, before, or in proximity to, in addition to, or on account of) My presence (paneh).’” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 20:1-3)

In this treatise on His Word, God began by introducing Himself, spelling out His name so that we might know it, etching “efei” in stone. He said that His Word would provide us with the perspective we would need to exist in His presence. He positioned Himself serving us, working as our savior and guide, personally leading us away from judgment and human oppression—from works-based salvation schemes. And all He asked in return—at least of those who wish to live in His presence—was to recognize that He alone is God.

Regarding this message, Moseh, the first to receive these words, wrote: “These are the words (dabar) Yahowah (efei) communicated, speaking (dabar) to (‘el) everyone (kol) assembled (qahal – gathered together) beside (ba) the mountain (har), from (min) in the midst (tawek) of the fire (‘esh – radiant energy and light) and the water-laden (‘araphel) cloud (‘anan) with a great and powerful (gadowl – substantial and magnificent, important and distinguished, and glorious) voice (qowl). He did not add anything more (lo’ yasap). He wrote them, engraving them (y-katab-m – He inscribed them using letters and words) on (‘al) two (samaym) tablets (luwach) of stone (‘eben) and gave them (natan – prepared and bestowed them as a gift) to me.” (Dabar / Words / Deuteronomy 5:22)

Speaking of participating in Passover, Yahowah said…“You shall observe (shamar – you all shall closely examine and carefully consider, keeping your eyes focused upon) this word and its message (dabar – this statement and communication) as a clearly communicated prescription of what you should do (choq – as an inscribed thought and engraved recommendation) and (wa) as a witness (‘ed) to your children (beny) forever (‘owlam).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 12:24) Yahowah’s witness and testimony, His teaching, instruction, direction, and guidance, the very Word of God, has a name: Towrah. It is filled with “choq – clearly communicated prescriptions of what we should do,” and most especially, what we as parents should share with our children, now and forever. And these choq are engraved in stone and inscribed in the written scroll of the Torah.

God’s Word and His Towrah were unified in the following declaration: “And Yahowah (efei) spoke (‘amar) as God to (‘el) Moseh, ‘Look at Me (hineh – pay attention to Me and behold), I will send down (matar – I will provide and rain down) to you bread (lehem – food) from the heavens (shamaym). And the family members (‘am – kin and related people) shall go out (yasa’ – extend themselves) and gather it (laqat – glean it as in a harvest). This message (dabar – this word and the very essence of it) exists so that day in and day out I may determine (nasah – I can conduct a test to distinguish) if (‘im – whether) they walk (halak) in My Towrah (Towrah – My Instruction and Teaching, Guidance and Direction) or not (lo’).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 16:4)

This next conversation regarding Yahowah’s “dabar – word” will be dissected in the Towrah section. But because it is also enlightening relative to God’s Word, here is a sneak preview: “And Moseh’s father-in-law said to him, ‘It is not good (lo’ towb – beneficial) to share the Word (dabar – to communicate the message) as you are now doing. You will completely wither away and totally shrivel (nabel nabel – you will wear out and die). Not only you, but also these family members (‘am – related people) who are with you. Indeed this is because from you (min – by means of you being used as an implement), the Word (dabar – the Message) is very significant and valuable (kabed – worthy and massive, distinguished and honorable, glorified and rewarding), and you are not able (yakol – you are not capable of continuing) to accomplish this (‘asah – engage and prevail in this) goal by yourself (bad – alone).” (Shemowth / Names / Exodus 18:17-18)

“So now then, listen to and receive this (shama’ – hear and understand this) in  my voice. I am proposing a plan (ya’as – I am suggesting a course of action) whereby God will choose to continue to be with you (‘im – in a continued association with, near, and alongside you). You represent (hayah – come to exist and be for) the people (‘am – family) before the Almighty and you come back, returning (bow’ – arriving) with God, the Almighty’s words (ha dabarym – the statements, messages, sayings, and communications).” (18:19) “And you can warn and be a shining light (zahar – you can teach and admonish, being a beacon) among them with the clearly communicated prescriptions of what someone should do and with regard to the Towrah teachings and instructions (Towrah). And then you will make known (yada’ – you will reveal and provide information which leads to understanding and awareness) to them the Way (ha derek – the Path (singular and absolute)) in which they should walk (halak – they should follow, travel, and go about their lives), and the work (ha ma’aseh – the preparation, pursuits, and actions) which relationally they should pursue (‘asah – they should do, endeavor to undertake, act upon, actively engage in, celebrate, and profit from).” (Shemowth/ Names / Exodus 18:20)

And therein lays the value and purpose of God’s Word. It reveals the Way.

The following excerpt is also from the Towrah section. But, like the previous discussion, it is equally at home in the midst of our review of the “dabar – word.” Here we discover that the Word and the Torah are synonymous. “And it came to exist (hayah) just when (ka) Moseh completely finished (kalah) writing (katab) the words (dabar) of the Towrah (ha Towrah) upon this, the Almighty’s (ha ze’th ‘al) written scroll (sepher), successfully completing (tamam) the Eternal Witness (‘ad/‘ed), Moseh directed (sawah) the Lewy (ha lewy) lifting up and carrying (nasa’) Yahowah’s (YaHoWaH’s) Ark (‘arown) of the Covenant (beryth), saying (‘amar), ‘Accept and grasp hold of (laqah) the written scroll (sepher) of the Towrah (ha Towrah) and place (sym) this alongside (‘eth min sad) Yahowah’s (YaHoWaH’s) Ark (‘arown) of the Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth). Your God (‘elohym), He will always exist (hayah) there for you in the Eternal Witness and Enduring Testimony (‘ed/‘ad).” (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 31:24-26)

For those who would protest that the veracity of Scripture cannot be completely tested because the copy of the Towrah dictated to Moseh was lost to the ravages of time; this is good news. The original autograph of the Towrah resides to this day beside Yahowah’s Ark of the Covenant, which itself sits in the shadow of Golgotha upon Mount Mowryah in Yaruwshalaym. And rest assured, it will not only be revealed upon Yahowsha’s return, Yahowah, Himself, will write its every word upon our hearts.

This same passage, more fully amplified, reads: “And (wa) it came to exist (hayah) just when (ka) Moseh completely finished (kalah – concluded) writing (katab – inscribing using a written alphabet to communicate) the words (dabar) of the Towrah (ha Towrah – the Torah Instruction and Teaching, Guidance and Direction) upon this, the Almighty’s (ha ze’th ‘al) written scroll (sepher – engraved letter and inscribed document designed to recount, relate, rehearse, and declare), successfully completing (tamam – totally and perfectly finishing) the Eternal Witness (‘ad / ‘ed – Enduring Testimony), Moseh directed (sawah – instructed) the Lowy (ha lowy – those who join and unite; transliterated: Levites) lifting up and carrying (nasa’ – raising and bearing) Yahowah’s (efei - hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah) Ark (‘arown – source of light, enlightenment, and choice) of the Covenant (beryth – Family-Oriented Relationship), saying (‘amar), ‘Accept and grasp hold of (laqah – obtain and receive) the written scroll (sepher – the written letter and inscribed document designed to recount, relate, rehearse, and declare) of the Towrah (ha Towrah) and place (sym – put) this (zeh) alongside (‘eth min sad – near, and beside) Yahowah’s (efei) Ark (‘arown – source of light, enlightenment, and choice) of the Covenant (beryth – Family-Oriented Relationship). Your God (‘elohym), He will always exist (hayah – He was, is, and will always be) there (sham) for you (la) in (ba) the Eternal Witness and Enduring Testimony (‘ed / ‘ad).” (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 31:24-26)

Using the Strong’s reference numbers as a guide, here is the definition of Towrah based upon the words which comprise this title: “Towrah (8451) – from tow (8420) – signed, written, and enduring, towrah (8452) – way of treating people, tuwr (8446) – giving us the means to explore, to seek, to find, and to choose, yarah (3384) – the source from which instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction flow, which tuwb (8421) – provides answers which facilitate our restoration and return, even our response and reply to that which is towb (2895) – good, pleasing, joyful, beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, and that which causes us to be loved, to become acceptable, and to endure, tahowr (2892) and tohorah (2893) – purifying and cleansing us, towr (8447) – so as to provide an opportunity to change our thinking, attitude, and direction.”

God will always exist for us in His Word, in His Towrah, in His Witness. His Enduring Testimony is in writing, and His words explain how we may go about choosing to participate in His Covenant. The words of the Towrah teach us how to become reconciled unto God through the process of receiving His purifying and protective covering. But most of all, if we look to the Towrah, we will find God.

The addition of a “New Testament” or “Oral Law” would be a violation of this instruction, as would be the “Qur’an” and the “Book of Mormon.” “You should not ever add to (lo’ yasap ‘al) the Word (ha dabar) which relationally and as a blessing (‘asher) I (‘anky) am instructing you all with (tsawah ‘eth), and you should never subtract (wa lo’ gara’) from it (min) to properly observe (la shamar) the terms of the covenant (mitswah) of Yahowah (efei), your God (‘elohym), which as a favor (‘asher) I am (‘anky) directing you all with (tsawah ‘eth).” (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 4:2)

God told us all we need to know. His Word is sufficient to instruct and direct us. We are advised to observe it.

More revealing still, “sawah – guidance, instruction, teaching, and direction,” was scribed twice in this passage to proclaim what may well be the single most important lesson provided in this Introduction to God. The Almighty’s Word, His Torah, is God’s “teaching, instruction, guidance, and direction.” It is not His “law.” We are compelled to comply with laws. We are invited to consider instruction. A judge enforces laws, while a father offers guidance. One observes laws by keeping them. One observes teaching by evaluating it. If you learn nothing more from this book than that, it will have been worth the investment of your time. This reveals the proper perspective on how to approach the Torah, and indeed, Yahowah, Himself.

But Yahowah was not finished guiding us. He would go on to teach us to be concerned about our “nepesh – soul,” as opposed to our body or spirit. As we shall discover, our soul is all that matters to Yahowah, and therefore should be of great consequence to us. “Only (raq – exclusively without exception) be observant (shamar – pay attention, closely examine and carefully consider everything) as your goal. And pay very close attention to (ma’od shamar – very carefully consider and be especially aware of, caring about) your soul (nepesh – your individual consciousness) lest you forget (sakah – you overlook, ignore, or are no longer mindful, and cease to care about) the words (dabarym – written statements and testimony) which you have seen with your eyes. And lest they are removed from your heart. All of the days of your life, you shall make them known (yada’ – you shall acknowledge, respect, and reveal them) to your children and to your children’s children.” (Dabarym 4:9)

Just as the single most important thing our Heavenly Father could do for us was to reveal His Word, the most important thing we can do for our children is to share it with them. “The day which you were present, standing (‘amad – you were upright on your feet) before (paneh – and facing) Yahowah, your God, in Horeb, in which Yahowah said to me for me to summon and assemble (qahal – for me to gather and call together) the family (‘am – people who are related) so that I can have them hear (shama’ – so that I may have them listen to) the words (dabar) which relationally will cause them to learn (lamad – will teach and instruct them) to revere, respect (yare’ – admire, value) and accompany Me all of the days which as a result of the relationship they shall live (chay – shall exist) on the earth (‘adamah – ground and soil, speaking of the material realm), and so that they might teach (lamad – share this information with and educate) their children.” (Dabarym 4:10) Had this been adhered to, the world would be like the Garden of Eden.

Our Heavenly Father revealed His Word to us because He wants us to learn about Him. He realizes that when we come to know Him as He really is, we will come to “yare’ – respect and revere” Him. Doing this, and encouraging our children to do the same, is the entire purpose of the days we spend in this material realm we call the earth.

Moseh would remind us: “And Yahowah (efei) spoke the word (dabar – communicated) as God to you (‘el) from the midst of the fire (‘esh – radiant energy and light), words (dabarym) the sound of which (qowl – audible nature and sound waves) you heard (shama’ – you received and listened to). But a visual form (tamuwnah – image, likeness, representation, or material manifestation), you did not see—but only (zuwlah – exclusively) heard the sound.” (Dabarym 4:12) The Towrah is therefore the Word of God—literally: the very breath of God.

The first thing God spoke about was His Covenant. Nothing is more important to our Heavenly Father. It is the reason we exist. “And He told you all about (nagad la – He informed and reported to all of you regarding) His Family-Oriented Covenant Relationship (beryth – mutual agreement based upon building a beyth – family and home) with you. Which, as a result of the relationship, He instructed and directed (sawah – He guided) you accordingly to act upon and actively engage in (‘asah la – to do and follow, to celebrate, observe, and profit from) the Ten Statements (dabar – Words). And He wrote them (katab – He inscribed and engraved them in writing) on two tablets of stone.” (Dabarym 4:13)

According to Yahowah, His Covenant is explained in the Ten Words which were written on the two tablets of stone. By observing the words He wrote, we learn all about the relationship He is proposing.

Especially relevant, a relationship requires both parties to participate. Therefore, God has encouraged us to “‘asah – act upon” His Covenant, and to “‘asah – actively engage in it.” With regard to the Torah, this is the single most important thing we can “‘asah – do.”

This conversation concluded with these words: “And Yahowah (efei) instructed and guided (sawah – directed) me accordingly at this time (‘eth – in this context, and place) that She (hy’ – speaking of the Set-Apart Spirit, our Spiritual Mother and Counselor) would teach (lamad – provide the required information to instruct and guide) you regarding the clearly communicated prescriptions (choq – engraved thoughts and inscribed recommendations) and the means used to achieve justice and resolve disputes (mishpat – the basis upon which judgment will be exercised and sound decisions are made) so that you might celebrate, observe, and profit from them.” (Dabarym 4:14)

The “dabar – word” of God is always important, but never more so than…“During the time of adversity and emotional distress (tsar – turmoil, anguish, oppression, and tribulation imposed by the Adversary and enemies), when all of these words (ha dabar – the things included in this message) find you, especially those in the last (‘acharyth – the final and end) of days, then you will return and you will be restored (suwb – you will turn around, change, come back, recover and are reconciled) forever and eternally to Yahowah, your God.” (Dabarym 4:30)

The following is equally at home in a discussion of the Word and the Towrah. “From the heavens (ha shamaym – the spiritual abode of God) He has individually and deliberately prepared you to hear (shama’ – He has purposefully created you to use your sense of hearing to receive and process this message, this news; He actually conceived you to understand by listening to) His voice (qowl – His call, summons, and invitation) for the explicit purpose of instructing you (la yacar – with the goal of teaching, admonishing, correcting, and disciplining you). And upon the Almighty’s earth, He enabled you to see (ra’ah – He made it possible for you to witness) His magnificent light (gadowl ‘esh – His great fire, radiant energy, and warmth) and His words (dabar – His testimony and message) which you heard (shama’ – you listen to and received) from the midst of the fire (‘esh – light and expression of radiant energy and warmth).” (Dabarym 4:36)

Yahowah’s Word is personal, it is important; it underlies everything God has done for us. “And truthfully, underlying this is His love (‘ahab – His close, friendly, and affectionate relationship) for your fathers. And He has chosen to favor (bahar – He has selected and preferred) their descendants after them. And He has descended to serve, leading you (yasa’ – He has diminished and extended Himself to bring you) into His presence, into and with His magnificent, intense, and enormous power (gadowl – His great, important, extensive, and distinguished authority and strength, ability and might), away from (min – out of) the Crucible of Egypt (Mitsraym – serving as a metaphor for human religious, political, economic, and military oppression and judgment).” (Dabarym 4:37)

The best advice in the world is to “yada’ – know” what God revealed to us in His Word. “And you should acknowledge and respect (yada’ – you should be familiar with, be aware of, care about, and understand) this day, and you should return your heart to God, because indeed (ky – truthfully and reliably) Yahowah (YaHoWaH), He is the Almighty God (huw’ ha ‘elohym) in the heavens (ha shamaym – the spiritual realm) above, and the earth (ha ‘erets – the material realm) below. There is no other.” (Dabarym 4:39)

Yahowah recognizes that our hearts must follow our minds, or else we risk falling for false deities and unreliable religious schemes. Few spiritual lessons are as important as this one: “And you should observe (shamar – you should closely examine and carefully consider, you should open your eyes, be diligently observant, and thoughtful, revering, respecting, and clinging to) His clearly communicated prescriptions of what we should do (choq – His engraved thoughts and inscribed recommendation), and the terms and conditions of His binding contract (mitswah – His authorized directions and written instructions), which relationally I have instructed and directed you (sawah – guided you) this day. Because, as a result of the relationship, He is good to you and beneficial for you (yatab la – He is cheerful and will make you beautiful, pleasing, better, and joyful), and also for your children after you, for the express purpose of elongating your days.” (Dabarym 4:40) God’s Word affirms that God is good for us. His goal is to make us happy and extend our lives.

“This is (ze’th) the Towrah (ha Towrah – the Instruction and Teaching, Guidance and Direction) which as a result of the relationship He placed before Moseh (Moseh – the one who draws us away from oppression and judgment) and the Children of Yisra’el (ben Yisra’el – the children who want to live and endure, strive and persist with God).” (Dabarym 4:44)

Speaking again of the Word of God, we read: “This is the Witness and Testimony, the clearly communicated prescriptions, the means used to achieve justice and resolve disputes, which God spoke to (dabar – communicated using words to) Moseh and the Children of Yisra’el (ben Yisra’el – to the children who want to endure and persist with God) when He led them (yasa’ – He descended and extended Himself to serve by bringing them) away from oppression and judgment (mitsraym – the crucible of Egypt).” (Dabarym 4:45)

The words we are reading comprise Yahowah’s Witness, His Testimony, His clearly communicated prescriptions. These words provide the means God will use to decide our fate. And most important of all, these words enable us to escape oppression and judgment.

Deep within our discussion of the Towrah, we will delve into the following dissertation on the Word of God. But now I’d like you to consider this excerpt from “Dabarym – Words” in summary form, because these words are not only unequivocal, they represent the very essence of Yahowah’s written instructions.

“These are the terms and the conditions of the binding contract, the clearly communicated prescriptions, and the means used to achieve justice and resolve disputes, which as a result of the relationship, Yahowah your God, instructed you to learn and teach what should be done in the land into which you all are going to pass over into as an inheritance (6:1) for the intent and purpose that you really come to revere and respect Yahowah your God by observing all of His clearly communicated prescriptions, and terms and conditions, which I have guided you individually, your children, and your children’s children all of the days of your lives, for the purpose of elongating your days. (6:2)

And so that you listen and hear Yisra’el – those who strive and persist with God—and so that you are observant, closely scrutinizing and examining, carefully exploring and considering, thereby engaging in that which relationally is good and beneficial for you, and which will cause you to substantially increase, grow, and become exceedingly great, consistent with that which Yahowah, your God, promised and affirmed in words (dabar) to your fathers on your behalf. (6:3) Yisra’el – those who persist and endure with God—listen to and hear Yahowah, our God. Yahowah is one, certain, and unique. (6:4) You should truly and totally love Yahowah, your God, with all your heart and emotions, with all your soul, and with all your capability, to the greatest extent of your cognitive aptitude. (6:5)

And these words (dabar) which I am guiding and directing you with this day, they shall come to exist, and they should always be, on your heart, guiding your feelings. (6:6) And your goal should be to teach them by rote by reciting them to prepare and equip your children. You should consistently speak about them during your life, inside your home, and with your family, and as you walk along the Path, and when you lie down and rest, pausing to reflect, and when you stand up and are restored. (6:7) You shall closely associate yourself with them by affixing them as a sign, as proof, and as a reminder upon your hand to influence your actions, and they should come to exist between your eyes to provide perspective and enhance your thinking. (6:8) And you should write them upon the doorframes of your home, and upon the gates to your community.” (6:9)

While the words we have just read are found toward the beginning of “Dabarym – Words,” and serve as an introduction, the words we are about to read are found toward the end of the book and serve as a summation.

 “The covered and concealed (satar – the sheltered and hidden [speaking of God’s children whose sins can no longer be seen because they are adorned in the Set-Apart Spirit’s Garment of Light]) belong to Yahowah (la Yahowah), our God (‘elohym), and those things which are revealed and made known (galah – things which are uncovered and exposed [speaking of God’s Word]) belong to us (la), and are for (la) our children (ben) eternally and forever (‘ad ‘olam – throughout all time), to conduct ourselves in accordance with (‘asah ‘eth – to engage in, to act upon, to benefit from, and to celebrate) all (kol) the words (dabar) of this (z’eth), the Towrah (ha Towrah: from tow – the signed, written, and enduring, towrah – way of treating people, tuwr – giving us the means to explore, to seek, to find, and to choose, yarah – the source from which instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction flow, which tuwb – provides answers which facilitate our restoration and return, even our response and reply to that which is towb – good, pleasing, joyful, beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, and that which causes us to be loved, to become acceptable, and to endure, tahowr / tohorah – purifying and cleansing us, towr – so as to provide an opportunity to change our thinking, attitude, and direction).” (Dabarym / Words / Deuteronomy 29:29)

“Indeed (ky – truly and surely), you should actually listen to (shama’ ba – you should receive the message and really hear) the voice (qowl – the call, invitation, and summons) of Yahowah, your God (Yahowah ‘elohym), for the purpose of closely examining and carefully considering (la shamar – so that you observe and thoughtfully scrutinize and study) the terms and conditions of His binding contract (mitswah – His authoritative instructions and written legal conditions) and His clearly communicated prescriptions and inscribed recommendations of what we should do in this life to live (wa chuwqah – His written rules regarding life; from choq – His shared and nourishing thoughts regarding an allocation of something from Him by way of one who is set apart which is designed to cut us in on the Covenant agreement), which are inscribed (ha katab – that which is written, engraved, and permanently memorialized) in (ba) the written scroll (ha seper – the written document) of this (ze’th), the Towrah (ha Towrah – the Instruction and Teaching, the Guidance and Direction). And that is because (ky – truly and surely) you will really return and be restored (suwb – you will actually be changed and transformed, turning back) to (‘el) Yahowah, your God (Yahowah ‘elohym), with all (ba kol) your heart (leb – your emotions and feelings), and with all (wa ba kol) your soul (nepesh – individual consciousness).” (Dabarym 30:10)

“For indeed (ky), the utterly powerful and exceedingly great (ma’od – the unequivocally mighty and extraordinarily magnificent) Word (dabar) of your God (‘el) facilitates your approach and brings you near (qarowb – enables you to engage in a close and personal relationship)—ingrained in your speech (ba peh), and in your heart (wa ba leb – influencing your feelings and emotions)—to engage with, capitalize upon, and celebrate with Him (la ‘asah – to actively associate with and benefit from Him).” (Dabarym 30:14)

That is about as clear a depiction of Yahowah’s “ma’od – utterly powerful, exceedingly great, and extraordinarily magnificent” “dabar – Word,” as you will ever read. His dabar is the means by which God is known. His Word enables us to engage with Him. The Word is God’s means to restore us so that we can return to Him.

Thus far, every citation regarding the “dabar – word” has come from the Towrah. And that is because the Word of God and His Towrah Instructions are synonymous and inseparable. But did you know that Yahowsha’ not only recited the words of the Towrah; He completed it?

“Later (‘achar) therefore (ken), he recited and proclaimed (qara’ – he [Yahowsha’] read aloud and called out, inviting and summoning everyone to enter the presence of and embrace) all of (kol – every one of) the words (dabar – statements and messages) of the Towrah (ha Towrah), the blessings of peace and prosperity (ha barakah –  enriching gifts and loving benefits) and also the  slights and denunciations (ha qalalah – vilifications and abominations, anathemas, abhorrences, blasphemies, condemnations, curses and damnations; from qalal – to slight and trifle with, to view as unworthy and insignificant, to lightly esteem), just as (ka) all of these things (kol) were written (katab – permanently inscribed and engraved) in (ba – within) the written scroll (seper – the inscribed documentation, the permanently engraved letter, communication, and message) of the Towrah (ha Towrah – the Instruction and Teaching, Guidance and Direction).” (Yahowsha’ / Yah Saves / Joshua 8:34)

“There did not exist (lo’ hayah – there was not, is not, nor ever will be) a Word (dabar – statement and message) from (min) all (kol – everything) that which (‘asher – as a result of the relationship) Moseh (Moseh – the one who draws us away from oppression and judgment) had instructed and directed (sawah – had guided) which (‘asher – relationally) Yahowsha’ (osfei or [fwhy – Yahowsha’:  a compound of Yahowah and yasha’ – saves) did not (lo’) read, recite, call out, and proclaim (qara’ – provide as an invitation to meet and summons to encounter God) in a straightforward manner in the presence of (neged – directly before, face to face and in sight of) the entire (kol – whole) assembled community (qahal – gathered congregation) of Yisra’el (Yisra’el – those ‘ysh – individuals, who sarah – strive and contend with, engage and persist with, are set free and are empowered by ‘el – God), including the women (ha ‘isah – the females) and the little children (tap – young people), as well as (wa) the foreigners (ger – visitors from different races and places) who were walking (halak – traveling) among them (ba qereb – in their midst).” (Yahowsha’ 8:35)

“And then Yahowsha’ (osfei or [fwhy – Yahowsha’:  a compound of Yahowah and yasha’ – saves = Yahowah Providing Salvation) wrote (katab – inscribed, making an enduring and permanent record of) these (‘eleh) words (dabar – statements) in (ba) God’s (‘elohym) Towrah (Towrah – signed, written, and enduring means to search for, find, and choose instruction, teaching, guidance, and direction which provides answers that facilitate our restoration and return, which are good, pleasing, beneficial, favorable, healing, and right, even purifying and cleansing, thereby giving us the opportunity and means to change our thinking, attitude, and direction).” (Yahowsha’ 24:26) Yahowsha’ is the Word. He is the living embodiment of the Towrah. He not only recited the words which comprise the Towrah, and wrote the words found within the Towrah, He enabled them.

efei

While we could easily continue this discussion on the “dabar – Word” of God for the next hundred pages, I’d like to conclude by sharing what is perhaps the most often quoted passage on this topic—although I’ll do so in context. Christian pastors cite a tiny slice of what we are going to consider to infer that God has intervened to keep their bibles from being corrupted. But that isn’t what God is saying. In actuality, He will be comparing His Word to our character.

But before we consider Yahowah’s perspective on His Word, let’s listen to what He has to say about us. This presentation is found in my favorite book, one which begins: “The revelation (hazown – the divine communication) to Yasha’yahuw (Yasha’yahuw – Yahowah Saves, commonly (mis)transliterated Isaiah), the son (ben) of Amowts (‘Amowts – the alert and bold, the strengthened and secure, commonly (mis)transliterated Amoz), which by way of the relationship (‘asher) he received prophetic information (hazah – observed the future) regarding (‘al) Yahuwdah (Yahuwdah – Yah is Abundantly Sufficient, Of Yah, From Yah, and Those Who Are Related to Yah; commonly (mis)transliterated Judah) and Yaruwshalaym (Yaruwshalaym – the source of salvation, commonly (mis)transliterated Jerusalem) in the day (ba yowm) of Uzyahuw (‘Uzyahuw – Yahowah Strengthens, commonly (mis)transliterated Uzziah), Yowtham (Yowtham – Yahowah Vindicates, Perfects, and Completes, commonly (mis)transliterated Jotham), Achaz (‘Achaz – grasp hold of him and seize the opportunity), and Yachizqyah (Yachizqyah – Grow and Prevail with Yahowah, commonly (mis)transliterated Hezekiah (this spelling of the name was derived from the Dead Sea Scrolls)), kings (melek – rulers) of Yahuwdah (Yahuwdah).” (Yasha’yahuw / Yahowah Saves / Isaiah 1:1) When the names are changed, as they are in every English translation, the essence of the message, and the identity of its Source is lost.

Yahowah’s prophetic testimony is grounded in time, but not limited in time. The circumstances this revelation describes were prevalent when they were recorded, just as they are now. The message was true then, just as it is today.

This prophetic document was scribed around 700 BCE, during the reign of King Yachizqyah, seven centuries before Yahowsha’ would fulfill its predictions. This king, and his (actually God’s) defeat of the Assyrians, has recently been documented in secular texts, affirming that the historicity of these words is as accurate as were the predictions they made.

Particularly interesting in this regard, there was but one complete scroll found in the Qumran caves above the Dead Sea: Yasha’yahuw – Isaiah. The Great Isaiah Scroll, as it is known, was most recently carbon-14 dated in 1995 by the University of Arizona. They calibrated its origin to between 335-324 BCE. Therefore, God has provided us with a written record which predates the events He predicted by three hundred years.

In that every prediction made on this scroll has been, or soon will be, fulfilled precisely as promised, it serves to prove that Yahowah is God and that He inspired His Word. There is no other possible informed or rational conclusion. The probability of chance fulfillment of the predictions made through Yasha’yahuw exceed one in ten to the sixtieth power. That is greater than one chance in sixty billion billion billion billion billion billion. And that is why there is an entire volume of Yada Yah entitled “Salvation,” which is dedicated to these predictions.

One of the most famous prophets who ever lived, wrote: “Listen (shama’) heavens (shamaym – in the spiritual realm), and listen (shama’) earth (‘erets – in the material realm), for indeed (ky – surely and truly), Yahowah (efei - hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah (God’s personal and proper name, commonly replaced with Satan’s title: “the LORD”)) has spoken (dabar – communicated the word). ‘I reared the children and caused them to grow (gadal benym – I nurtured the family and made them great) and I lifted them up to a place of honor (ruwm – I raised them, causing them to grow up), and they (hem) rebelled against Me (pasa’ ba – revolted against and offended, were indignant and defied Me).’” (Yasha’yahuw 1:2)

Our Heavenly Father honored His end of the Covenant, whose stated goal was to help us grow, but His children have disavowed their responsibility.

Thinking themselves wise, God’s children were actually unaware. “A bull (sowr – a cow) knows and acknowledges (yada’ – is aware of and respects) the one who caused him to be born (qanah – the one who conceived, created, and bore him, bringing him forth), and an ass (hamowr – donkey) his lord and master (ba’al – owner who possesses and controls him). Yisra’el (Yisra’el – individuals who contend with God) does not know or understand (lo’ yada’ – is not acquainted with and does not acknowledge, is unaware, undiscerning, and indiscriminating), and (wa) My family (‘am – My related people and kin) does not realize or apprehend this information (lo’ byn – is not observant, does not pay attention, is not discerning, and does not understand).’” (Yasha’yahuw 1:3)

These were loaded terms. The “bull” was Satan’s favorite guise. Its image permeates every early pagan religious cult, from Babel / Babylon to Egypt. The Children of Yisra’el had made a golden calf in honor of this false deity as the Torah was being revealed. So, Yahowah is saying, “Even Satan knows who created him.”

An “ass” is the epitome of a dumb, stubborn animal with a nasty, independent, attitude (as are far too many men). Yahowah had called Ishmael’s descendants, today’s Muslims, “wild asses of men.” Ba’al, meaning “lord and master,” is the Devil’s most prevalent Scriptural title—vastly more common than “ha Satan – the Adversary.” So, Yahowah is saying, “Even dumb asses know that Satan is their lord and master, the one who owns and controls them.”

But not Yisra’el. They were lost. But the same could be said for Christians, Muslims, and Socialist Secular Humanists. The evidence is available, as is the proof, but they are unwilling or unable to process it rationally.

And that is why this next admonition widens the scope of the audience being critiqued to include “gowy – Gentiles” in addition to Yisra’el. “Woe (howy – alas, expressing a warning, sorrow, and regret), the people from different races and places (gowy – the Gentiles, the nation of heathens and pagans) bear blame and are guilty (hata’ – they do the wrong thing, miss the way, wander off the proper path, fail to reach the goal, and bear the consequences of their sin). The people’s (‘am – the family’s) distortions and corruptions (‘awon (actually ‘aown) – propensity to warp, alter, and twist, perversity and depravity, iniquity and liability, wickedness and wrongdoing, guilt and punishment; from ‘awah – to bend, twist, distort, pervert, and corrupt) are numerous and significant (kabed – are burdensome, weighty, voluminous, troubling, grievous, severe, and harsh), offspring (zera’ – seed and descendants) of those who have done wrong (ra’a’ – immoral individuals who have brought harm upon themselves and their children, troubling and mistreating them so that they suffer calamity, misfortune, and ruin), children (benym) of those who corrupt (shahat – of those who ruin, ravage, devastate, and destroy, perverting and injuring others, causing them to decay). They have rejected and abandoned (‘azab – left their previous association with, deserted and forsaken) Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah). They have spurned, rejected, despised, and blasphemed (na’as – they strongly dislike and feel contempt for, they revile and abhor, they have provoked, libeled, slandered, maligned, insulted, disparaged, and defamed) the Set-Apart One (qadowsh ‘eth) of Yisra’el (Yisra’el – a compound of ‘ysh – individuals, who sarah – strive and contend with, engage and persist with, are set free and are empowered by ‘el – God). They are strangers who have gone astray (zuwr – they having turned away, have become estranged and alienated, abandoning the relationship), having turned their backs (‘ahowr – having walked backwards away from an association, hindering themselves in the process).’” (Yasha’yahuw 1:4)

‘Awon, which more accurately is transliterated ‘aown, is from ‘awah. That is important because it describes the specific kind of wrongdoing of which the gowy and ‘am were guilty. They “distorted and corrupted, altered and twisted, Yahowah’s Word, perverting it. As proof, compare this or any passage to a modern bible translation.

What this means is that God not only allowed people to corrupt His Word, to alter and to twist it, He told us that Jews and Gentiles alike would do this very thing. Therefore, the “I can’t believe God would allow anyone to corrupt His Word,” protestation mouthed by the ignorant and irrational victims of religion is a direct contradiction of God’s Word.

The consequence of perverting Yahowah’s message is the corruption of our children and their children. Those who have rejected and spurned Yahowah breed the same response in their offspring. Indeed, the seed of distorting the Word of God is contempt for God.

I have said, and will say again, religious leaders, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim, don’t respect or revere Yahowah’s name. They despise it. And this is not my opinion, but instead Yahowah’s conclusion. To blaspheme is to bring God’s name to naught, to negate it by hiding it.

Yahowsha’ is the “qadowsh ‘eth – Set-Apart One” of Yisra’el, as He is the One who is “set-apart” from Yahowah. The Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’ is not the second or third person of a Trinity, because God is One. He is part of Yahowah, set-apart from Him.

Religious Jews long for ha Mashiach who is disassociated from Yahowah, who is human, not Divine, who will conquer, not reconcile. They have spurned and continue to despise the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’, the Set-Apart One of Yisra’el. And in this way, they have gone astray.

Fortunately, Yahowah’s commitment to this relationship is far greater than our own. As evidence of this, even while His children were rebelling against Him, God announced His plan to reconcile the relationship. What follows, indeed most all of Yasha’yahuw, is devoted to not only depicting the awful mess man has made, but also to describing precisely how Yahowah will achieve His goal.

Now that introductions have been made, let’s journey deeper into this prophetic text to ascertain Yahowah’s perspective on His Word. This discussion begins: “‘Comfort and console My family and encourage My people to change their attitude, thinking, and perspective (nacham nacham ‘am – reconsider, relent, and repent My people, acknowledge that you were wrong and change your mind My family),’ God (‘elohym) said (‘amar – responded and declared).” (Yasha’yahuw / Yahowah Saves / Isaiah 40:1)

The thing that Yahowah wanted His people to change their attitude, thinking, and perspective about, was His summons to them, His Way, and His Ma’aseyah. “A voice (qowl) will actually call out (qara’ – will really summon, proclaim, and recite) in the wilderness (ba ha midbar – in the place without the Word (from dabar)), ‘Turn around, clear away the clutter, and face (panah – change direction and turn to) the Way (derek – the path, way of life, and steps) of Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah), and (wa – extant in the Dead Sea Scrolls, thereby connecting these thoughts) do and consider what is right and become upright (yashar – be straightforward and become agreeable and acceptable, in accordance with the law, and consider what is right in association with the standard) in the wasteland (ba ha ‘arabah – in desolate darkness), a highway (macilah – a thoroughfare, a main road and causeway, be an elevated ramp, a stairway, and a walkway; from calal – be that which provides a way to lift people up (singular)) to (la) our God (‘elohym).’” (Yasha’yahuw / Yahowah Saves / Isaiah 40:3) If this is familiar to you, it is because Yahowchanan the Immerser quoted it as Yahowsha’ was approaching the Yarden River.

It is amazing how much more revealing this passage is in Hebrew, than it is in every English bible translation. God is asking us to change our thinking, and to clear away the clutter which is disrupting our ability to recognize Him—to face Him. He wants us to acknowledge His Way—singular. And most important of all, by using His name in this context, He is telling us that He, Himself, is Yahowsha’, God in the flesh.

Central to this instruction is “panah – turn around and change direction,” which is indistinguishable in the revealed text from paneh, which speaks of “entering into God’s presence, appearing before Him, and facing Him.” To achieve this, those who have been beguiled by religion must change direction, walk away from their religion, clear their minds, hearts, and souls of its clutter, and then walk along the Way God has provided. It is only in this way that we are prepared to enter Yahowah’s presence, and gaze upon His face.

Further, Yahowah is reinforcing one of the pillars of the Covenant, that He wants us to stand upright in His presence, not bow down, to be straightforward as opposed to feigning faith or praise, and to be in accord with His standard, the Towrah. If we do these things, we become a thoroughfare to God – our witness and example serving as an elevated path from earth to heaven.

Reinforcing this, yashar, translated “do and consider what is right and become upright,” in this verse, was scribed in the piel imperative. The piel stem conveys the grammatical voice of relationships, and tells us that the object of the verb (and that would be us in this case), is influenced and affected by the verb’s action, meaning that by considering what is right, and doing what is right, we will become upright and agreeable in God’s presence. Further, the imperative mood of the verb expresses a command or exhortation which encourages volition. That is to say, God is instructing and inspiring us in the hope that we choose to do the right thing.

Before we move on, and especially because this section is devoted to God’s Word, it’s important that we confront a very troubling, albeit irrefutable fact. Recognizing that I’ve translated this passage as it appears in the Great Isaiah Scroll, it is essential that we compare what we have just read to what we find in the Christian “New Testament.”

Once again, Yahowah inspired: “A voice (qowl) will actually call out (qara’) in the wilderness (ba ha midbar), ‘Turn around, clear away the clutter, and face (panah) the Way (derek) of Yahowah (YaHoWaH), and (wa) do and consider what is right and be upright (yashar) in the wasteland (ba ha ‘arabah), a highway (macilah) to (la) our God (‘elohym).”

“This (outos) for (gar) is (estin) the (o) word having been spoken (lego) through (dia) Esaias (Esaias – a rather pathetic attempt to transliterate Yasha’yahuw), the (tou) prophet (prophetes), saying, ‘A voice (phone) crying out (boao) in (en) the (te) uninhabited (eremos), “Prepare (hetoimazo) the (ten) way (hodos) of ΚΥ (ΚΥ – used as a Divine Placeholder), straight (euthys) make (poieomai) the (tas) paths (tribos) of Him (autos).”’” (Mattanyah / Yah’s Gift / Matthew 3:3)

Esaias (Ἠσαΐας) isn’t a credible transliteration of Yasha’yahuw. “Calling out” and “crying out,” are not the same thing. There is no pain or anguish associated with qara’, and yet that is the primary connotation of boao.

“Eremos – uninhabited” and “midbar – wilderness” are somewhat related, but hardly identical. The Hebrew panah is focused on “turning around and facing” someone, and on “removing obstacles to facilitate entering their presence.” It is a far cry from “hetoimazo – prepare.”

Since Yahowah cannot be transliterated using the Greek alphabet, a system of placeholders was deployed. So while we cannot fault the Greek translator of Mattanyah for not scribing Yahowah’s name, the KY placeholder was a poor substitution because it is based upon kurios, which means “lord, master, and owner.” But since inaccuracy is currently the issue, let’s table this discussion until the next section.

God asked us to “yashar – do and consider the right thing, and become upright” and yet Mattanyah wrote “euthys poieomai – straight make.” Once again, these are very different concepts. But it gets worse, because Mattanyah completely left out the parallelism of “‘arabah – in the wasteland.” Worse still, “tribos – paths” is plural in the Greek text, which is not only in conflict with the singular derek and macilah, but also incorrectly suggests that there is more than one way to God.

But that’s not the last of the serious issues. Yahowah, as a result of summoning us in the wilderness, of us turning around, clearing away the clutter, and preparing to face the Way to Yahowah, and becoming right and upright, wants us to be “macilah la ‘elohym – a highway to our God.” But Mattanyah’s account has been corrupted to the point that this instruction was changed to “euthys poieomai tas tribos autos – straight make the paths of Him.” These thoughts bear no resemblance whatsoever.

Taken collectively, these deviations from Yahowah’s Word lead to a sobering conclusion. What Mattanyah wrote is not reliable. Either it was not inspired by God, or what he wrote has been so badly corrupted by subsequent scribes that it no longer resembles the original. Either way, what we have today is not the Word of God.

In the book ascribed to Mark, we find the same errant citation of Yahsa’yahuw 40:3. “A voice (phone) crying out (boao) in (en) the (te) uninhabited (eremos), ‘Prepare (hetoimazo) the (ten) way (hodos) of ΚΥ (ΚΥ), straight (euthys) make (poieomai) the (tas) paths (tribos) of Him (autos).’” (Mark 1:3)

To a large extent, the reason that these differ in identical ways to the statement Yahowah made in Yasha’yahuw, is that they were quoted out of the Septuagint—proving that it was also unreliable. Further, Christian scribes had a bad habit of unifying texts, and removing differences which called the testimony of these witnesses into question.

The letter which bears Luke’s name repeats all of the same mistakes. But Yahowchanan’s testimony is a little different because the quotation was put in Yahowchanan the Immerser’s voice. So the Disciple wrote: “He declared (phemi), ‘I am (ego) a voice (phone) crying out (boao) in (en) the (te) uninhabited (eremos), ‘Make (poieomai) straight (euthys) the way (hodos) of ΚΥ (ΚΥ), just as (kathos) said (lego) Esaias (Esaias), the (tou) prophet (prophetes).’” (Yahowchanan / John 1:23) And while it is good that multiple paths were constrained to a singular way, this is not “kathos – just as” Yahowah dictated this prophecy to Yasha’yahuw.

Beyond recognizing and acknowledging the obvious, that God did not inspire these words found in the books named Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, where does this evidence leave us? At the very least, it means that we must question the veracity of everything we find in the Greek text. And it means that apart from Yahowsha’s own words, we must consider the remaining commentary and chronologies found in the so-called “New Testament” to be the product of human recollections. And even with Yahowsha’s testimony, it is only reliable to the extent that it has been accurately translated out of Hebrew and Aramaic and into Greek, to the extent that it has been accurately maintained, to the extent that we possess early witnesses of His statements from the first or second centuries, and to the extent these manuscripts are accurately translated into a modern language like English. And, sadly, a thorough investigation of the evidence reveals that most of these things seldom occurred.

I wish we had an original autograph scribed in Hebrew and Aramaic from the hand of Mattanyah and Yahowchanan upon which we could rely. But we don’t have anything even remotely close to this. So it is long past time we all deal with the facts: The Word of God is limited to the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms. Yahowah proved that He inspired them. Men demonstrated that they inspired everything else.

So as a good rule of thumb, unless what you read in the “New Testament,” can be verified in the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, don’t believe it. Do not base your understanding of God, the relationship He established, or the path of salvation He delineated, on anything apart from that which is affirmed in His Word.

 Speaking of Yahowsha’, the 5^th verse of the 40^th chapter of Yahsa’yahuw proclaims: “Then (wa) He shall reveal (galah) the glorious presence and manifestation of power (kabowd – the glory, attribution, status, and gift) of Yahowah (hwhy). And all (kol) living creatures (basar – humans and animals, the physical nature of living beings), they will see (ra’ah – they will be shown) Yahdow – the Unity of Yah (Yahdow – the Oneness of Yahowah (יַחְדָּו)).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:5) Yahowsha’ is the corporeal manifestation of Yahowah. He is one with Him in that He is set-apart from Him. Nothing more. Nothing less.

So that you better appreciate what is being said here, it is helpful to know that God experiences all of time at the same time. For Him, the past, present, and future exist simultaneously. To reinforce this, He often juxtaposes His most recent arrival, the one heralded in the third verse, with His next visit to the earth, which will be His glorious return. They are often presented side by side—just as they are in the famed 9^th chapter of Yasha’yahuw, and again here in this verse. Here, God is speaking about what will occur on the Day of Reconciliations, when He will return so brilliantly, He will look like the stars. On that day, those who survive to witness His return will know what you will soon discover, that Yahowsha’ is part of Yahowah, set apart from Him to serve us in our material realm. They will see Yahdow—the Unity of Yahowah.

Since it is germane to this discussion, please do not miss the fact that “basar – living creatures” will coexist in the presence of God. Flesh will see Him, but not in heaven, instead on earth. What’s happening here, and indeed with all of the references to a physical human existence in proximity to God, is that the entire Earth will become like the Garden of Eden during the Millennial Sabbath. For one thousand years, the relationship God intended between Himself and Adam will be enjoyed by all of those who populate the final Sukah – who are privileged to Campout with God.

Along these lines, it is also interesting to note, that if we were to take God’s Valley of Dry Bones illustration literally, and not just symbolically, the Children of Yisra’el who relied upon the Way Yahowah provided, will be physically resurrected, so that they can walk in the Promised Land side by side with their God during the thousand-year celebration of the Shabat.

Affirming that Yahowsha’ is “the Word of God in the flesh,” although seven hundred years before Yahowchanan (meaning Yahowah is Merciful, but commonly (mis)transliterated John) drafted the opening lines of his eyewitness account, Yasha’yahuw was inspired to scribe the same thing: “Indeed (ky), He is the Word (ha dabar – He [speaking of Yahowsha’] is the spoken and written Word (scribed in the piel perfect, indicating the relationship is whole and complete throughout time; in the third person, masculine singular, identifying the pronoun He) is), the verbal spokesman (peh – literally: the mouth) of Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:5)

The Word of Yahowah would become flesh and tabernacle (indicating that He would arrive on the Called-Out Assembly Meeting of Shelters) with us. The Author of these words, and the Divine manifestation of the Word, would campout with mankind. Therefore, we should not be surprised that Yahowsha’ not only observed the Torah, and affirmed every jot and tittle scribed within its words, His life and sacrifice served to announce the Way, He, Himself, becoming the stairway from our physical mortal existence to Yahowah’s eternal and spiritual realm.

This is followed by something which establishes a contrast between our character and God’s, between our physical mortality and the enduring existence of His Word. “A voice (qowl) is saying (‘amar), ‘Call out (qara’ – summon and invite, read and recite, proclaim and announce the news, and arrange a meeting)!’ So (wa) I asked (‘amar – I questioned (as it is presented in the Dead Sea Scrolls where the query is from Yasha’yahuw, but not the Masoretic Text were “he,” as in the manifestation of God, is asking)), ‘What (mah) shall I announce (qara’ – shall I call out and summon people to encounter)?’ ‘All (kol) humankind (basar – living creatures, human and animal nature, flesh) is grass (chasyr – a common plant which spreads out, lives for a while, and then becomes food for other animals), and the totality of (kol) his loyalty and love (chesed – his unfailing kindness, goodness, faithfulness, devotion, and mercy) is akin to (ka – can be compared to) the flower (sys – the blossom of a plant) of the field (sadeh – cultivated ground). The grass (chasyr) withers (yabes – dries up and is gone), and the flower (sys – blossom of the plant) fades away (nabel – shrivels, decays, and is senseless).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:6-7)

This is an apt depiction of our brief mortality, as well as the fate of our flesh. But more than this, it is a hauntingly accurate portrayal of our character. Our mortal souls are not any more reliable or durable than our bodies. Most will wither and fade away, because our soul, our consciousness and character, is neither loyal nor loving, faithful nor devoted to God.

But there is hope. There is a way to transcend our mortal existence. There is a means to avoid fading away, to prevent our souls from dissipating into nothingness and ceasing to exist. “But indeed (ky – however by contrast, truthfully and reliably this is very important), the Spirit (ruwach – the eternal, and thus not mortal or material, presence and power, the maternal manifestation (a feminine noun)) of Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah), She is actually dispersed (nashab – She is exhaled as breath and is blown (scribed in the qal perfect, indicating a relationship which is totally real, and one which is whole and complete, without interruption, throughout time, with the third person, feminine, singular suffix, identifying She)) truthfully and reliably (‘aken – indeed and in fact, surely and truly, this is important) in him (baw – inside of him) who is surely of (‘aken – who is indeed of) the family (ha ‘am – of the related people) of grass (chasyr).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:7) Once again, to translate this passage correctly, we must turn to the 2,300-year-old Great Isaiah Scroll. The Masoretic Text isn’t even remotely reliable when the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’ is the subject of the discussion.

In our mortal and material bodies we may be nothing more than grass, as common as a plant which spreads out, lives for a while, and then becomes food for other living things when it withers and decays. But, and this is the most important contrast in all of creation: the Spirit of Yahowah, when She is dispersed truthfully and reliably in him, such grass becomes family.

Also interesting, as Yahowsha’, Yahowah set apart part of Himself to become human. This diminished manifestation of God, known as the Son of God, was not only part of God’s family, but also embraced the limitations of grass, and became one with the grass for a time. So since the pronoun “He” has been associated with Yahowsha’ throughout this discussion, God is predicting that His Spirit would be blown upon Yahowsha’ as He approached His symbolic immersion in the Yarden.

Even Yahowsha’s body withered on the upright pole of Passover and faded away. But His soul endured the separation of Unleavened Bread, and was reunited with His Spirit, so that the Word of God would stand once again on FirstFruits, thereby enabling us to stand forever with Him. That is not my opinion, but instead Yahowah’s prediction…

 “The grass (chasyr – the common plant which spread out, lives for a while, and then becomes food for other animals) withers (yabes – dries up and is gone), and the flower (sys – blossom of the plant) fades away (nabel – shrivels, decays, and becomes senseless), but (wa) the Word (dabar) of our God Almighty (‘elohym) stands, establishes, uplifts, and endures (quwm – He and it is upright, fulfills, confirms, restores, rises up, uplifts, and validates (scribed in the qal imperfect, speaking of an unfolding relationship, and in the third person masculine singular, depicting the pronoun: He) forever (la ‘owlam – into infinity, time immemorial).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:8)

We have arrived at our destination; the reason we turned to this passage. The Word of our God endures forever. So, if rather than withering and decaying, you want your soul to endure forever, to be established, restored, and to be lifted up to heaven, trust and rely upon the eternal Word of God—the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms.

The religion of Christianity dies with this verse, so it is a wonder that so many preachers cite it, although out of context and errantly translated. God’s Word, His Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, endures forever. A “New Testament” did not replace an “Old Testament.” The Torah has not been annulled; its usefulness has not come to an end, as Paul would have Christians believe. The “dabar ‘elohym – Word of God” is the power of God to save us, now and forever. It is manifest in the flesh by Yahowsha’ and in the spirit by the Ruwach of Yahowah.

And what are we to do with this information: “Ascend (‘alah – climb up) unto God’s (‘al – upon the Almighty’s) exalted and high (gaboah – official and lofty) mountain (har) to proclaim the good news (la basar – to herald and announce a favorable message, to bring glad tidings).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:9)

Basar is a play on words. The same three Hebrew letters we have been translating “basar (בָּשָׂר) – humankind, human nature, and the flesh” can be pointed to mean: “baser (בָּשַׂר) – proclaim and herald the good news.” In other words, as mortal beings, as flesh, we can deliver a message which will cause those who receive it with an open mind, who come to trust it and rely upon it, to become immortal. That is good news indeed.

Even in this mortal and material realm of rotting flesh, we can become a “sign” which directs people along the path which leads to immortality. “Lift up (ruwm) Zion (Tsyown – the sign and the signpost in the desert, the memorial, the monument, the marker on the Way) in the power and strength (koah – the physical and muscular capability) of your voice (qowl – the physical sound of your speech), proclaiming the good news (basar – bringing and announcing the favorable and agreeable message and greeting).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:9)

The “Tsyown – Sign” is the Word of God, which “tsyown – marks the way” to God. The “Tsyown – Signpost” is Passover’s Upright Pillar upon which the Lamb of God was nailed, making this “tsyown – monument and marker” the Doorway to Heaven.

Tsyown, of course, is in: “Yaruwshalaym (yaruwshalaym – the source from which salvation flows) be uplifted (ruwm). Do not be intimidated (lo’ yare’ – do not fear or be afraid). Say (‘amar) to the inhabitants (‘uyr – the population) of Yahuwdah (yahuwdah – Yah is Abundantly Sufficient, Of Yah, From Yah, and Those Who Are Related to Yah), ‘Behold, look here, now, and see (hineh – observe and listen, pay attention to every detail) your God (‘elohym).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:9)

This is where Yahowah affirmed God’s Word and enabled its promises on Passover, Unleavened Bread, and FirstFruits in 33CE (year 4000 Yah). And this is where He will return to fulfill the Day of Reconciliations and Shelters forty Yowbel (meaning Yahowah’s Lamb is God, but known as Jubilees) later, as the sun sets on October 2^nd, 2033 (year 6000 Yah).

And speaking of Yahowah, our Foundation and Upright Pillar, Yasha’yahuw told us that He, Himself, is the Passover Lamb, the Sacrificial Lamb of God, our Savior and Redeemer. Therefore, it is Yahowah who is returning. “Look and see (hineh – pay attention, observe and behold) Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah), our Upright One (‘edownay – our Foundation and Upright Pillar of the Tabernacle [a.k.a., the Tsyown – Signpost]), who arrives (bow’ – comes and returns) with the blast of a trumpet (ba hazaq – in might, power, and authority).

He is the Sacrificial Lamb (zarow’a – the shoulder of a lamb, from zera’, the seed who sacrificially shoulders our burdens (scribed with the third person masculine singular suffix, designating the pronoun He). He is the Proverb and the Parable (law masal – He is the picture of the Word which is vivid, easy to see, and easy to remember, He is the One with Authority and Dominion).

Behold (hineh – look and see) Him, our recompense and fare for the passage (sakar – He is the offering, the payment of the voucher for transporting us by way of a service rendered which provided a just payment and ransom, and these rewards) are associated with Him (‘ethow). He does the work to pay our debt (pa’ulah – He performs the labor which is required to provide recompense, to make amends, and to compensate for us so as to spare us from injury and loss) to clear the way to appear before His presence (la paneh – to turn around, to approach, and to see His face).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:10)

This is the Good News! God has done everything which was required to pay our debts so that we might live in His presence. Therefore, it isn’t per chance that a masal is both a “visual portrait or word picture, a proverb, and a parable.” It is the identity and the explanation of the Word. And it is why there never was any need for a “New Testament.”

Further describing Yahowsha’, the physical manifestation of Yahowah, and His Word, the prophet Yasha’yahuw was inspired to write: “As a Shepherd (ka ra’ah – as a friend and companion) shepherds, leads, protects, and feeds His flock (ra’ah ‘eder), the Sacrificial Lamb (zarow’a – the One who shoulders our burdens) will gather (qabas – assemble and collect) His sheep (tala’ym).

And in His chest (ba cheyq – garment, bosom, and midst), He will lift them up (nasa’ – carry them away, forgiving them by removing their guilt), nursing, nurturing (‘uwl – feeding the young children) and guiding them (nahal – leading, directing, and sustaining them, helping them by caring for them).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:11)

God has a great deal more to say about this harvest of saved souls, of His return, and about His renewed relationship with His children. But as we move from the Word to the Name, we would be remiss if we didn’t consider the conclusion and result of this work.

“And those who wait for and place their trust in (qawah – who look forward with confidence, awaiting and anticipating the benefits of) Yahowah (hwhy- יהוה – Yahowah), they move on, are renewed, and grow (halap – they are changed, transformed, adorned anew, and pass over the obstacles and through the doorway). Empowered and strengthened (koah – invigorated and enriched, enabled and authorized), they ascend (‘alah – are lifted up and rise) as with (ka) the wings of eagles (‘eber – having the freedom of flight), quickly darting about (ruwsh – rapidly moving from one place to another), and they do not grow weary (lo’ yaga’ – they do not expend our energy to accomplish the task of) moving about (halak – walking or traveling) nor (lo’) fall or fail (ya’ep – never tripping, fainting, being destroyed or decaying).” (Yasha’yahuw 40:31) We will become spiritual beings, with all of the rights, privileges, and power inherent therein. We become God’s children.

To see the entire Chapter Two, click this link Dabar – His Word