Wisdom is justified of Her Children, Luke 7:35
In Jewish thought and literature, as well as in the nuances of the Hebrew language itself, is revealed an understanding of the personage and character of the Ruach haKadosh that has for the most part been lost through translation and introduction of pagan influences into the assembly.
Lost to everybody that is except the Jews and others learned in the Torah, and in the Hebrew language of Scripture.
Jewish orthodoxy has done the best at preserving the identity of the Ruach, but instead of taking you to their writings, I will simply take you to the Scripture that provides all the evidence of the nature, character, and personage of the Ruach haKadosh.
But before I go on, let me first clarify why I refer to the Ruach, to the “Holy Spirit“, as Kadosh, rather than as Kodesh as you will hear most Messianics say. It has to do with whether the Ruach is a “what“ or a “who“.
Most people have been taught to perceive the Spirit as a “what”, that is, as a “thing”; thus the application of the word Kodesh; which is the word given to describe Holy “things” or “objects“.
However, in Hebrew the Spirit is a person, and as such, is to be referred to as Kadosh; the Hebrew word used to describe Holy beings or personages. Thus the phrase "Ruach haKadosh", and commonly translated as the "Holy Spirit".
What are some of the Scriptures that help define more precisely the Hebraic understanding of the Ruach haKadosh?
Let’s begin by first stating that Hebrew, like many languages of the earth, contain both feminine and masculine tenses. The tense of the word, determining the gender of the noun being described.
For example, in Spanish “muchacho” means boy, and “muchacha” means girl. The “o” at the end of muchacho defining masculine tense, and the “a” at the end of muchacha defining feminine tense.
In Hebrew, the word “Ruach” is feminine tense, assigning to the Spirit a feminine nature, character, gender, or characteristic.
When the word being spoken is in reference to an inanimate object, then the tense is in reference to the predominant “characteristic” of the item being spoken about. But when a tense is in reference to a life form, then the tense is in reference to the “gender” of the life form.
Since we know the Ruach to be a conscious, living being, we can determine from the tense of the Hebrew word that the Ruach haKadosh is feminine tense, and therefore, "female" in gender.
Now let’s go to Scripture to determine more precisely who the Ruach of Yahuweh is, and what Her character and role in the life of the believer is.
In this brief summarized study I will present the Scriptures that identify Her character and role in creation. Essentially, I will show that She is our spiritual mother.
In B’resheet (Genesis) 1:26,27 it states “And God said, let Us make humans in Our image according to Our likeness. And God made them male and female.” The word “human” here will say “man” in your translation, but it comes from the Hebrew word “Adam” which means humankind or “mankind“, if you prefer the traditional term.
So if God said let "Us” (plural), make humans in “Our” image, and He made them male and female, and the man was made in the image of the father, then in whose image was the female made in?
Do the Scriptures give us a clue as to who was here in the beginning? Yes. Study Mishlei (Proverbs) 8:1 through 9:5.
This whole passage describes a being, named Wisdom, who is female in gender and motherly in nature; and who was here at the beginning of creation, and even before creation, before there ever was an earth.
It describes Her as being daily Yahuweh’s delight, rejoicing always before Him, and in His inhabited world; and states that Her delight was in the sons of men. Then She refers to Yahuweh’s children as,
1- Her children;
States that,
2- whoever finds Her finds life;
That,
3- whoever sins against Her wrongs his own soul;
That,
4- She gives instruction concerning truth, righteousness, and justice; and that
5- by Her, Kings reign.
Five key statements are made here. Let’s address statement #1, first.
That Yahuweh’s children are Her children.
In statement #1, in Mishlei (Proverbs) 8, Wisdom refers to the children of Yahuweh as Her children.
That makes sense, for every child is the product of communion between male and female.
In fact, every living thing on earth is the product of communion between male and female of the species except for viruses and bacteria.
This is why the Scriptures state in Yahchanan (John) 3:5-7
3:5 Truly, I say to you, unless one is “born” of water and of “the Spirit“, he cannot enter the kingdom of Yahuweh.
3:6 For that which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born of spirit is spirit.
3:7 Do not marvel that I said unto you, “You must be born again“.
The Scriptures tell us in Romans 1:20 that the things of Yahuweh can be understood through that which has been created.
Creation teaches plainly that all life is born of the mother, of the female of the species. Never of the father/male of the species.
It is the mother who carries the child and gives birth to it.
It all makes perfect sense that if Yahuweh created the family unit, that the family unit must in some way be a reflection of Himself.
So here it is, we have Yahuweh the Father, and Yeshua the son. But who is the Mother?
Creation itself teaches that it is not possible for a child to have a father without having a mother. Yahuweh is not the Creator, or perpetuator, of the single parent family, the Accuser (S-tan) is.
So, if our earthly two-parent family structure is a reflection of the heavenly/spiritual structure of things; which it is, for all things in the earthly realm are patterned after those things which are in the spiritual realm. Then it’s just a matter of determining which spiritual realm is begin reflected.
Whether it is reflecting the spiritual realm of Yahuweh, or the spiritual realm of the Accuser (S-tan).
The two-parent family unit is easy to see, for all of creation reflecting Yahuweh’s Kingdom is two-parent in structure. Now, once this concept is understood, then some other Scriptures start making more sense.
For example, B’ereshith (Genesis) 2:23,24. Adam said concerning his wife, Havah (Eve),
2:23 This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man.
2:24 Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother to cleave to his wife.
So, Adam joined with his wife Havah (Eve); and the Scriptures state that for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother to be joined to his wife.
So, how could Adam leave his parents to be joined to his wife if he had no parents?
It is because he did have parents. In the beginning, in B’resheet (Genesis) 1:26, it is written,
1:26 And God said, “Let Us make humans in Our image, and after Our likeness…
And God made them male and female; B’resheet (Genesis) 1:27. In “their” image and likeness.
This helps to explain two other passages in the B‘rit Chadasha (the New Testament) beginning with Ephesians 6:1,2 which states,
6:1 Children, obey your parents in Yahuweh, for this is right.
6:2 Honor your father and mother, which is the first Commandment with promise.
What is the first Commandment? To love Yahuweh our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
That is, to honor our father and mother, is the same as fulfilling this: the first Commandment, of loving Yahuweh our Father, with a promise added to it.
What Promise? The promise of the giving of the Ruach haKadosh.
In Luke 24:49 Yeshua stated,
24:49 I send the promise of My Father upon you; but wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.
Then in Ephesians 1:13 it states,
1:13 In Him is the gospel of your deliverance, in whom also, after having believed, you were sealed with the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit) of Promise.”
So, honoring our mother and father in earth is what? The first Commandment of loving Yahuweh our Father - with the promise of the Ruach haKadosh, our spiritual Mother, added to it.
Now, notice also the curious expression in Ephesians that stated we have been “sealed” with the Ruach (Spirit) of Promise. What in creation is sealed by it’s mother, other than a child inside it’s mother’s womb?
If you go to Galatians 4:19 you will find the Emissary Shaul (Apostle Paul) presenting the analogy of laboring in birth until Yeshua is formed in us.
In this passage we see the birth process described once again; this time to describe the formation of our character, into the character of Yeshua, thus completing the picture of us being sealed inside the womb of our spiritual Mother until the character of Yeshua can be formed in us.
Likewise, the Scriptures state that we must be “born” again. Yahchanan (John) 3:3-5.
The word “born” in this passage comes from the Greek word “gennao” and can also be translated as “conceived” or as “to be conceived.” So here we have another picture of the womb.
This takes us to Yeshua. For if all this is true, then we should be able to find evidence of both the Father and the Ruach (Spirit) being present at the time of Yeshua’s conception inside of Miriam’s (Mary’s) womb. Is there such evidence?
Absolutely, as it is written in Luke 1:31,34,35;
1:31 Behold, you shall conceive in your womb and bring forth a son, and shall call His name Yeshua…
1:34 then Miriam (Mary) said to the messenger, “How shall this be since I do not know a man?”
1:35 And the messenger answered and said to her, “the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit) will come upon you, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow you; and therefore that Holy One who will be conceived in you shall be called the Son of Yahuweh."
You see, the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) was resting upon Miriam (Mary), and Yahuweh, the Most High God, was overshadowing her.
The Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit) “rested upon” Miriam (Mary) - no doubt to place Her egg in Miriam’s (Mary’s) womb, and Yahuweh no doubt “overshadowed her” to cause that egg to be fertilized.
The position of the Father to the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) is also consistent with the most common position of a man with his wife during intimacy.
And in this case, Miriam (Mary), with her pure, undefiled, virgin womb, was being used as the concubine, or “surrogate mother“ if you will, through which Yahuweh, and the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit), would bring forth their Son into this world in human form.
And now that we are in the subject of Yeshua’s conception, are there any other mysteries to reveal through these wonderful and delightful truths?
Yes. Go to Ephesians 5:25-27 and 30-32. Where it states,
5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Messiah also loved the assembly of called out ones and gave Himself for it,
5:26 that He might purify it and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word,
5:27 in order to present it to Himself a splendid assembly, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it might be set apart and without blemish…
5:30 for we are members of His body, “of His flesh and of His bones“ [Compare to B’resheet (Genesis) 2:23]
5:31 For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; B’resheet (Genesis) 2:24.
5:32 This is a real mystery, but I speak concerning Messiah and the assembly of called out ones.”
So here we are back to the leaving of the father and mother scenario, but this time in relation to Yeshua taking the assembly of called out ones as His wife. The Emissary Shaul (the Apostle Paul) says this is a great mystery, but he obviously knew what this mystery was, as any one knowledgeable in Torah, and Scripture, will also know.
First let’s address the statement about how Yeshua is taking the assembly of called out ones out to purify them, and cleanse them, with the washing of water by the Word.
Remember Yahchanan (John) 3:5-6 where it stated we must be born of water and of the Ruach (Spirit)?
What is the common element required for existence of all life on earth? Water. No living thing on earth can be brought forth, or sustained, without water.
And what in particular, in Scripture, is stated as requiring water in order to germinate? A seed.
And a seed in order to germinate must first die and dry out.
Then, to germinate it and revive it, we must provide water.
The Scripture states in Galatians 3:29,
3:29 if you belong to Messiah, then you are Avraham’s “seed“, and heirs according to the Promise.
In I Yahchanan (I John) 3:9, it says,
3:9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin for His “seed” remains in him and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.”
You see, repenting and calling on Yeshua causes us to receive the Promise of the Ruach (the Spirit); Acts 5:31,32, and to be sealed in Her womb; at which time Yahuweh plants His seed in us.
This seed in turn is fertilized - germinated with the ‘water’ of the Word, thus causing us to become born, or more accurately stated, "conceived" of the water and of the Ruach (Spirit). With the continuous washing with the water of the Word ultimately forming us into the image and character of Yeshua.
Now, to get to the heart of the mystery, the statement of Yeshua leaving His Father and Mother to cleave to His wife - His assembly of called out ones who have been “born” of the water and of the Spirit.
If I had not explained to you up to this point who the Ruach (Spirit) is, this verse would probably have had no meaning to you, but now perhaps you have an idea of what mystery the Emissary Shaul (Apostle Paul) is referring to.
Let me just take the time here to fill in a few details. Ephesians 5:30 said,
5:30 ….for we are members of His body, flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bones.
Which statement is followed in 5:31 by the quote from B’ereshith (Genesis) 2:24, thus providing a direct correlation between Havah (Eve) as Adam’s wife, and the called out ones as Yeshua’s wife.
Does the correlation go deeper? Yes.
Havah (Eve) was taken from Adam’s side.
And Yeshua? If you recall Yeshua on the execution stake, then you will recall that Yeshua was pierced in His side with the spear of a soldier.
Yahchanan (John) 19:34,35 state that when the soldier pierced Yeshua’s side with his spear that “water and blood came out.”
So, now we’ve correlated the side of Yeshua with the side of Adam.
How does this correlate the taking of Adam‘s wife from his side, with taking of Yeshua‘s Bride from his side? How does that show the assembly of called out ones being taken out of Yeshua’s side in like manner?”
This is how. Ask yourself, "if the hymen of a virgin woman is broken at the time of first intercourse with her husband, prior to becoming pregnant; then when is the hymen broken in an impregnated virgin who has never had intercourse?".
It is broken at the time the virgin gives birth.
Now where in the Temple did the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) dwell? In the Most Holy place, the Holy of Holies, which was separated from the Holy place by a thick veil.
Now when Yeshua gave up His spirit to the Father on the cross and died, what happened in the Temple?
The veil that separated the Holy of Holies from the Holy place was torn in two.
That is, the hymen was torn, and afterward, blood and water poured from the Yeshua‘s side.
And what happens when a woman gives birth to a child? Water and blood pours out.
And in I Yahchanan (I John) 5:7,8 it says there are three that bear witness “the Ruach (Spirit), the water, and the blood.”
Yeshua stated that unless a seed dies, it cannot bear forth fruit.
You see, Yeshua during His life had to be molded and formed inside the womb of the Ruach (Spirit) even as we, but it was not until death that He was actually born - released from the womb of the fleshly body to return to Eternity in His new and incorruptible body, even as we must do to enter into Eternity in our new bodies.
This life is our “womb” experience, and at the time of death we will be born either into Yahuweh’s Kingdom as eternal children of Light, or into the Accuser's (S-tan's) kingdom as eternal children of darkness. Thus presenting a dual purpose of the water and blood.
The one purpose pictured is of the water and blood, combined with the tearing of the veil of the Most Holy Place, to indicate that a birth had taken place. The birth of Yeshua from His physical form into His spiritual form.
The second purpose pictured of how the water and blood, combined with the piercing of Yeshua’s side, showed that the time for His wife to be brought forth, and prepared for Him, had arrived.
Thus the testimony of Yahchanan (John) in I Yahchanan (I John) 5:6,8 which says,
5:6 This is He who came by water and blood; Messiah Yeshua. Not only by water, but by water and blood. And it is the Ruach (the Spirit) who bears witness, because the Ruach (the Spirit) is Truth.”
5:8 For there are three that bear witness; the Ruach (the Spirit), the water, and the blood, and these three agree as one.
So why would the Ruach (the Spirit) be one of the three witnesses? Because a mother knows her own child.
Now we have statement #2 in Mishlei (Proverbs) to consider, that whoever finds Her finds life; causing the connection between Wisdom and the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit) to become even more clear.
In Romans 8:2 the Ruach (the Spirit) is referred to as “the Spirit of Life” and in II Corinthians 3:6 that the “Spirit gives life”, and in Romans 8:11 that Yahuweh will give life to our mortal bodies through His Spirit.
And statement #3 In Mishlei (Proverbs) 8:36, it says,
8:36 He who sins against Me wrongs his own soul.”
Yeshua says in Mattit’yahu (Matthew) 12:31,32 that all manner of blasphemy and evil speaking against the Son of man will be forgiven; but that whosoever blasphemies the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit) shall never be forgiven.
That is, “whoever sins against” the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) “wrongs his own soul“. It’s like the man who says, “Say anything you want about me, but don’t you dare insult my mother, my wife, or my daughter.”
And concerning statement #4, in I Yahchanan (I John) 5:6 we read that the Ruach (the Spirit) is Truth.
And in Mishlei (Proverbs) 8:6,7 that Wisdom is the instructor of Truth, as it is written,
8:6 Listen, for I will speak excellent things, and from the opening of My lips will come right things,
8:7 for My mouth will speak truth...”
In Yahchanan (John) 16:13 it states, “When She, the Ruach (Spirit) of Truth has come, She will lead you into all truth.” And isn’t it most often the mother who teaches the children the commandments and instruction of her husband?
And in Yahchanan (John) 14:26 it says,
14:26 But the Helper, the Ruach haKadosh (Holy Spirit), whom the Father will send in My Name, She will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
So here She is also referred to as the Helper, even as Havah (Eve) was helper to Adam.
Some translations state Comforter rather than Helper. Both are correct, and Comforter still describes a female entity for it is the mother who usually comforts the children.
These things should all be making sense by now. It’s only common sense that if Havah (Eve) was called by Adam the “mother of all living” that there must also be one who is the Mother of all spiritually living; and that of course, is the One whose image Havah (Eve) was created in.
And remember the first statement in Mishlei (Proverbs) mentioned in the beginning of this study, where Wisdom refers to the sons of God as Her children? This is wonderfully confirmed in Luke 7:35 where it states “Wisdom is justified of Her children.”
And concerning statement #5, that by Her, Kings, and Princes, and Nobles reign; and rulers decree justice.
It is no small matter that oil is used to represent the anointing of the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit), and that all Rulers appointed by Yahuweh were anointed with oil.
Now, going back to B’resheet (Genesis) 1:26,27 where God says, “Let ‘Us’ make humans in Our image” In B’resheet (Genesis) 11:7 it says,
11:7 Come, let “Us” go down, and there confuse their language that they may not understand one another’s speech.
If the second party in the “Us” statement is the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit), then is it any surprise that the One who caused the languages to become confused is the same who caused the languages to be brought back into unity at Shevuot (Pentecost) in Ma'aseh (Acts) 2:1-12?
And doesn’t even science indicate that it is the female gender that is the more gifted in language?
Likewise, “Wisdom” in Mishlei (Proverbs) 3:18 is called a “tree of life”, and as it is written in Mishlei (Proverbs) 8:35,
8:35 “whosoever finds [Her] finds life.”
And in Romans 8:2 the Ruach (Spirit) is referred to as the Ruach (Spirit) “of Life“.
And finally, last but not least, in Mattit’yahu (Matthew) 29:19 Yeshua says,
28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, immersing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit).”
We know the name of the Father - Yahuweh. And of the Son - Yeshua. But what is the name of the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit)? Wisdom, (pronounced, “Chokmah“ in Hebrew), is Her name.
Is there any better candidate for the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit) other than Chokmah, Wisdom, of Mishlei (Proverbs) chapter 8? No, I think not.
Chokmah, like the Ruach haKadosh (the Holy Spirit), is feminine, gifted in language, a Mother of the Sons of God - One through whom we must be born.
She was there in the beginning, nurtures and comforts Her children, and leads Her children into all truth as She upholds the Torah.
By Her kings, judges, prophets, and priests are anointed to reign. Those who find Her find life; and those who blaspheme Her, do so to their own destruction.
And so declare also the Jewish sages of old - these same things, centuries prior to the writing of the B’rit Chadasha (the New Testament).
And what a joy and wonderful thing it is to know that we are part of a complete, two-parent family.
Blessings in the Name of Messiah Yeshua, the Name above all names. Shalom.
Copyright 2002, by the Torah & Testimony Revealed Ministry
4/8/05 Edition
|
