Matthew 10:16, .... be ye what?

[Shmanu YAH]

shalom mishpacha, "baruk h'shem YHWH" weh "baruka ha'bo beh shem YHWH", "blessed is your coming in the name YHWH" ->>> Yahushua,

                                 I pray all is well with you and yours and if not believe it will be soon.

In this breif message I'd like to look into a short but meaningful passage of scripture from the mouth of Yahushua himself that because of misunderstanding has caused many to "whimp out" instead of stand up.

The passage we need to look at and apply correctly from now on is what was recorded by MattitYahu / Matthew at chapter 10 as Yahushua after empowering them was instructing his talmadym / deciples to go out in this manner, we should remember reading in Chapter 10: 5-8, These twelve Yahushua sent forth, and commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give". . .......- but also what we need to get to is a good look at is whats recorded in the 16th verse, "...Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves". ...... - being sent as "sheep in the midst of wolves" is self explanatory knowing that they were under Roman occupation as well as going to their own fellow Israelites under the corrupt leadership of some of the "religious elite". What continually gets mis-taught in this passage is the part about being "WISE as serpents and HARMLESS as doves".

In the hebrew vocabulary the word for wisdom is "khkm" pronounced: khaw-kam' , meaning: to be wise (in mind, word or act) also make self, shew self wise, etc. (Strong's 2449). We have no problem with the word or the usage of wisdom however this is NOT the word used in this passage, the word used is "arumym" (plural) pronounced: aw-room'meem, meaning: to be prudent, clever, crafty (Strong's 6175, 6191). So while the majority of the wanna-be bible teachers tell you to go out and "be wise" they themselves lack the wisdom to know how to apply that wisdom!.... we have never really reguarded serpents as wise now have we? To get this thing right as Yahushua intended we must go out in prudence and be as "crafty" and as "clever" as we possibly know how to be while navigating through this world for the purpose of getting his message out. If we take the time to really think, the world itself has a description for those that learn or glean from running the streets that they call "street smart" - a attribute that comes in handy for them, well we also need prudent attributes so that we can get through and better this world for a greater good.

Another part of that instruction we must not overlook is the misteaching of the part about "harmless". The actual word we have from the hebrew MattitYahu text is "tmymym" (plural) which is quite different from the english word "harmless". In the hebrew the word "tamym" is pronounced as: taw-meem', meaning: without defect / blemish, complete, full, blameless, without spot, undefiled (Strong's 8549, 8552). This brings us to a greater understanding over the lesser..... todah YAH!

We can now understand Yahushua told them as well as us today to go out being unblemshed, undefiled, etc... he NEVER told us to go out "harmless" which many define as WHIMPY! It is much much easier for a MAN of YHWH to go out into the world with confidence and faith if he knows to use ALL the attributes he has aquired to get the message across instead of being a subdued sissy with a bible in his hand... same for the women. There is great wisdom from this instruction also reminding US to FIRST be tamym >>> without defect / blemish, complete, full, perfect, without spot, undefiled < before trying to get others to come to the truth..... OH OH!

We must really examine ourselves and be honest about what YHWH sees as he watches us 24 / 7 before we keep complaining about those that we speak to like family, friends, co-workers, strangers, etc... that just won't come into the truth. We also need to understand that "arumym": to be prudent, clever, crafty, does NOT mean SNEAKY!

Here is one warning of how craftiness has been mis-used, when we read what shelach Shaul aka apostle Paul wrote about forgiveness in 2nd Cor. 2:10-11, "....To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of mashiach; 11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices". ......- Paul articulated that forgiveness in the name of Yahushua is necessary to keep away the stronghold of h'shatan and his mis-used "devices" aka "craftiness". If the wicked one knows to be crafty..... then we all need to know to be craftier! Another misuse being a sad reality of old we saw in JeremiYah 4:22, ".....For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have NONE understanding: they are WISE TO DO EVIL, but to do good they have NO knowledge" .......- look around the streets of the very city you live in..... then comment.

I'm sure most of us have also read at one time or another the "t'helym Asaph" or psalms of Asaph we read in psalms 83:1-5,  "Keep not thou silence, O ELOHYM: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O EL. 2 For, lo, thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. 3 They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. 4 They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. 5 For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee:..." ...... - this was a petition to the most high YHWH to "qum" rise up against those prideful enemies of Israel that have taken "crafty counsel" to cut off the nation.

Now we should see by the means of constant mis-information this act is still being done today, ..... question is: Why have we not effectively used our craftiness to help restore the nation by building up the truth and destroy these lies?  Remember the blessings and protection of YHWH on Daniel and the 3 hebrew youth? They were worthy of his blessings if we read their resume' in Daniel 1:4, .....Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and SKILLFUL in all wisdom, and CUNNING in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. ..... -and also verse 17, - As for these four children, ELOHYM gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. ..... - YHWH will aways bless those that use the attributes he gives them,..... are you fully using yours?

IF (and I certainly mean "IF") We, the awakened Israelites that exist from one end of the Earth to the other, were to take our energies as serious as those devisers of crafty counsel, but instead lift up the name of the true and living YHWH, his laws, statues, ordinances, etc. and proclaim repentance through the attoning blood of Yahushua h'mashiach then we would be showing and proving our prudence and cleverness for his greater good as Yahushua instructed.

Also if we, the awakened Israelites that exist from one end of the Earth to the other were to also become confederate and PROVE ourselves not "harmless" but instead spiritually "tamym" aka unblemished, undefiled, blameless, without defect - Only then we would read and receive what YHWH said to Solomon recorded in 2nd Chronicles 7:14, manifested in full effect! >>> " IF my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land". ......- which demands true repentance NOT just lip service, not to mention this is what being tamym can bring us!

So from now going forward lets know assuredly that we should at all times use whatever knowledge, wisdom, understanding, prudence, craftiness, cleverness and whatever else the Most High has given us - to live IN this world but not be OF this world and to use these attributes as the disciples did to go out swinging hard for the restoration of the TRUE house of Yisrael in that it finally will receive the increase.

selah, .......shalom