The Ma’aseyah will arrive and return as promised, and mercifully provide the ultimate source of victory: eternal life in His Covenant Family.

Restored from the Empower Network archive (2011–2017), lightly edited to meet our current advertising standards. Views are the original author’s.

 Yada Yah

Book 3: Going Astray

… Our world reflected in Howsha’s Israel

8

 Ruwach – Spirit

The Spirit of Life…

Self-assured and religious, affluent and ignorant, the Northern Kingdom was ill prepared for the coming Assyrian assault. “Though he flourishes among his brothers, a scorching east wind will come.” And it did. This sounds like a haunting warning to the West, which while comparatively flourishing, is ill prepared for the inevitable scorching wind of satanically-inspired jihad.

For both them and for us today, in time, the Ma’aseyah will arrive and return as promised, and mercifully provide the ultimate source of victory: eternal life in His Covenant Family. But the Yisra’elites and Yahuwdym, befuddled as ever, would reject Him. So while Howsha’s prophetic letter is addressed to them, this message applies to all who do not know the Spirit of Yahowah.

“The Spirit (Ruwach) of Yahowah (hwhy) will ascend out the wilderness. His source of life (maqowr – the basis for purification and fountain of joy) will confound, be disapproved and treated shamefully (bowsh – be pained and ashamed, be frustrated and delayed, be disappointed; experiencing the distress of a farmer with a diminished harvest). And His cistern of mercy (ma’yan – source of blessings, well of sustenance, fountain of life) He will dry up (hareb – make desolate, separate, forsaken, and wasted). He will plunder the treasury of every precious and beloved article (kaly – vessel, armor bearer, implement, and possession).” (Howsha’ / He Saves / Hosea 13:15)

The east wind could mean drought, Satan, the Assyrians, Muslims, or more likely, all of the above. But the Spirit of Yahowah which ascends out of the wilderness is the Ma’aseyah. Matthew records the event: “Now, in these days, John the Immerser came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying: ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, make ready the way of Yahowah. Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”’” (Mattanyah / Matthew 3:2-4 from Yasha’yah / Isaiah 40:3)

Yahowchanan was announcing the arrival of Yahowah as Immanuel—God with us—the Ma’aseyah. Howsha’ was telling us that the Ma’aseyah is the “basis for purification and thus the source of life.” But he also foretells that the Spirit of Yahowah would “confound” the Jews, causing them to disapprove of Him and treat Him shamefully—frustrating and delaying their national redemption for 2,000 years. This would cause Yahowah, in the person of Yahowsha’, to “experience the distress of a farmer with a diminished harvest.” By crucifying the “cistern of mercy,” rejecting the “basis of purification,” and murdering the “source of life” these Jews, and all those who have followed their example, have lost everything of value—their wealth, land, freedom, life, soul, and God.

The “confound” aspect of bowsh is particularly revealing. It suggests that the Jews were “puzzled, mystified, confused, baffled, and bewildered.” They didn’t murder the Ma’aseyah based upon understanding or reason, but out of confusion and bewilderment. Ignorance isn’t bliss—yada is.

Howsha’ was not only announcing the arrival of the Ma’aseyah, and defining His mission of salvation, he was confirming in advance what would happen and why. The Jews, and all others who have access to these writings, are without excuse. And that means you.

Here is the consequence: “Samaria [the land and/or the capitol city of the Northern Kingdom] will be held guilty (‘asham – will become desolate, separated, forsaken and damned), for she has rebelled against (marah – provoked and been contentious with) God. They will fall by the sword. Their little ones will be dashed in pieces, and their pregnant women will be ripped open.” (Howsha’ / He Saves / Hosea 13:16)

When we separate ourselves from God we lose His protection. Israel is the prime example. But America is on the cusp of feeling this sting, too. As we will discover when we review Isaiah 17 and 18, what happened to Israel will happen to us. It all begins when a nation or individuals rebel against God. Such provocation and contentiousness always leads to the same undesirable place—being desolate (lifeless), separated (without a redeemer), and damned (dead).

In the opening chapter of Howsha’ we learned that the sin of infidelity—associating with false gods or religions—condemned parent and child. So it is with rebellion, provocation, and contentiousness. Whether it is because our children become confused by our religious schemes and thus become a casualty of them, or because the products of a Spiritless union are Spiritless, and thus unknown to God, the result is the same—death. According to God, our choices have consequence. They redeem or condemn our children.

Choose wisely: “Return (suwb – turn back, become restored, refreshed, and repaired; answer the call and be changed) O Yisra’el (Yisra’el – those who engage and endure with God), to Yahowah (hwhy), your God. You have stumbled (kashal – been cast down, fallen, become feeble and decayed, weak and bereaved) because of your iniquity (‘awon). Take (laqach) words (dabar) with (‘im) you and return (suwb) to Yahowah (hwhy). Say (‘amar) to Him, ‘Take away (nasa’) all (kol) sin (‘aown) and receive (laqach) us mercifully (towb – happily, lovingly, and favorably, as if we were good and acceptable, thereby beneficially). This is our reward and restoration (shalam), the fruit (para’) of our lips (saphah).’” (Howsha’ / He Saves / Hosea 14:1-2)

This is a presentation of the good news upon which the Covenant is based. It is the means to attain salvation. “Stumbling and sinful” people are “changed, repaired, and restored,” making them appear as if they were “acceptable so that they might endure.” And the path to redemption is a “return to Yahowah our God by way of His Word.” These are the ground rules of salvation.

While finding this merciful treasure in Howsha’ is rewarding and reassuring, there is much more to it than meets the eye at first glance. This path to paradise follows a pair of prophecies pertaining to the Ma’aseyah: “The Spirit of Yahowah will ascend out of the wilderness.” And: “His source of life and basis for purification will confound, be disapproved and treated shamefully. His cistern of mercy and fountain of life, He will dry up and make desolate.”

It explains that Yahowah is “the source of purification and life.” It tells us that Yahowsha’ is Yahowah because it was Yahowsha’ who “ascended out of the wilderness,” “confounded” the Jews, “was disapproved and treated shamefully” as was foretold and later confirmed, causing the nation to dry up and the people to die. Moreover, these verses suggest that the “Spirit of Yahowah” is synonymous with the Ma’aseyah title Yahowsha’ bore. And we have a connection between Yahowah’s Spirit and purification. This is suggestive of the Garment of Light that made Ya’aqob appear perfect, leading to his salvation.

But while these things are reassuring, connecting Yahowah to Yahowsha’, they are not the reasons I find this passage so exciting. I see it as a treasure—a missing link of sorts. To help you see it as I do, I’d like to review the most essential words under a microscope.

The first is suwb, meaning: “turn back, become restored, refreshed, and repaired; answer the call and be changed.” It is a “relationship word with strong spiritual connotations.” Suwb confirms that Yahowah is calling us to Him, knocking at the door to our heart, and asking us to let Him in. And suwb conveys the result: we will be “restored, refreshed, and repaired”—made to appear new, even perfect in God’s eyes so that we can live forever. Finally, suwb tells us that Yahowah’s Spirit will “change us, enhancing the quality of our lives and improving our behavior.” Suwb defines what Yahowsha’ meant when He told Nicodemus that he needed to be “born anew from above”—a passage we will review in a moment.

The second important word is the subject of the sentence, “Yisra’el,” meaning: “to stand upright, straight and be righteous, to be correct and pleasing, to be agreeable, right, justified, and straightforward with God.” This defines the audience to whom Yahowah is speaking, the means to redemption, and the consequence of it. If you are like me, a Goy/Gentile, fret not; this message is for you. Yahowsha’ stood upright on Golgotha’s pole so that we all might be “justified, correct and pleasing” to Yahowah. When we accept His mercy, we become Yisra’el—“one who stands upright with God.”

By this time you know “Yahowah is God” so we’ll move on to the verb of the second sentence, the word that describes man’s fallen state: kashal – “to be cast down, to fall, to become feeble and decayed, weak and bereaved.” The opposite of eternal life is death. The opposite of being caught up is being cast down. The opposite of purity and health is decay and corruption. The opposite of enjoying a relationship is to be bereaved of it.

The less desirable option is the result of ‘awon – “iniquity, perversity, and depravity,” a.k.a. “sin.” Specifically, ‘awon means: “guilt, the consequence of iniquity, the legal state of being liable for wrongs done.” All who don’t yada Yahowah are held accountable for their sin. Iniquity makes us “sick, feeble and decayed” so that we “stumble out of control,” casting ourselves into She’owl. Without a cure, without a savior, without a means of purification, sin is deadly. So from the first two sentences we have learned that we must be born anew from above by way of Yahowah’s Spirit because we have all sinned and will otherwise be held accountable.

In the third sentence, Yahowah explains how we are to go about receiving His remedy. To appreciate the process, we have a dozen more words to unwrap: “Take (laqach) words (dabar) with (‘im) you and return (sub) to Yahowah (hwhy). Say (‘amar) to Him, ‘Take away (nasa’) all (kol) sin (‘aown) and receive (laqach) us favorably (towb). This is our reward and restoration (shalam), the fruit (para’) of our lips (saphah).’”

“Take” is laqach, meaning: “to take hold of, to take in the hand and carry along, to fetch and take with you, to receive and marry, to accept and possess, to select and seize.” “Words” is dabar, meaning: “words and statements, communication and chronicles, sayings and instructions, events to which one might refer, speech and message, account, treatise, and record, formal rendering in a systematic manner.” Therefore, we find dabar translated as: “account, acts, advice, annals, answers, conclusions, consultation, conversation, counsel, desires, fulfillments, instructions, message, oath, promises, plot, proposal, purpose, rationale, record, reply, report, request, sayings, speech, thoughts, verdict, ways, word and words.” So in a word, dabar is Scripture. That means we need to receive, accept and take hold of God’s Word if we are going to live. We need to possess it to the point of being married to it. There is nothing subtle or passive about this process. If we want Yahowah’s redemption we must take hold of His Word and carry it with us.

This is why Yahowchanan began his presentation of the good news by confirming what we have just read in Howsha’: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…. In Him was life, and His life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness but the darkness has not understood it…. He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. Yet to all who received him, to those who rely on His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and tabernacled with us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of mercy and truth…. For the Towrah was given through Moseh; mercy and truth came through the Ma’aseyah Yahowsha’.” (Yahowchanan / Yah is Merciful / John 1:1-17) This is the prose and poetry of salvation—a summation of Yahowah’s message to man in eloquent terms.

To learn how we can be “born of God,” let’s return to Yahowah’s most vivid explanation. “With,” in Howsha’s salvation passage, is ‘im, meaning: “with, indicating something that is done together.” ‘Im refers to “something that parties share in common”—which is probably His Spirit. ‘Im is used to convey: “to walk with, to converse with, and to enjoy companionship with” Yahowah, as He is the object of this sentence.

“Return” is suwb, meaning: “to turn away from [Satan] and to turn to [God].” To suwb is “to answer and be restored.” Suwb means: “turn away from evil, come back home, and return from the dead.” To suwb is to “engage in spiritual relations.” It conveys “repentance and rebirth.” Therefore, this first sentence reveals: “Receive, accept and possess Yahowah’s Words, His Scripture, making it the thing you share in common so that you can return to Him and be restored, turning away from evil and coming back home—literally returning from the dead by being born anew.”

Based upon that foundation, the middle sentence clarifies the process. “Say” is ‘amar, meaning: “say, speak and answer.” To ‘amar is to “make a promise or a vow. It is a vouch—a spoken affirmation or assurance.” ‘Amar means “to give your word or pledge, to claim and tell, to declare your response and intentions.”

“Take away” is nasa’, meaning: “lift up, bear continuously, carry away, accept and forgive.” “All” is kol, that’s all kol means. “Sin” is ‘avon, meaning: “iniquity, wickedness, perversity, unfaithfulness, and guilt.” ‘Avon reflects “the consequence of iniquity and the legal state of being liable for wrongs done.”

“Receive” is also laqach, meaning: “take hold of, receive and marry, accept and possess, select and seize.” The last word is “favorably,” from towb, meaning: “to be considered good, and thus to be acceptable.” It is something that is offered and should be received “happily and lovingly” Towb is to be “agreeable, good, and acceptable.”

Therefore the middle sentence reads: “Answer Yahowah and say to Him, ‘Forgive all my sins. Accept my iniquity. Bear my guilt. Carry my liability away, receiving, marrying, and possessing me by way of your mercy—an unearned favor conceived in love that makes me acceptable.” It is the sinner’s prayer of salvation.

The third sentence gloriously confirms the previous two. “This is our reward and restoration (shalam), the fruit (para’) of our lips (saphah).” “Reward and restoration” is shalam, meaning: “rendered in full.” It is “perfect deliverance, complete and finished.” It is why Yahowsha’ said “It is finished” as He hung on Moriah’s pole. Shalam signifies the “peace” that is made between a perfect God and sinful man by way of God “paying our penalty.”

Shalam is a “recompense rendering restoration, a requital.” Since these are not words we use everyday, let’s examine them. “Recompense” is a “reward which compensates. It means to “offer a payment that makes up for another’s debt.” “Render” is “to extract in a crucible, to approve by way of offering compensation, to deliver and to restore.” To render is to “hand down a legal judgment or verdict. It is to “acknowledge the dependence of a person on the service provided by another.” “Restoration” is “renewal, the bringing back to a former condition.” In this case, it would be back to Adam’s perfect sinless nature and ideal relationship with Yahowah prior to the fall. “Requite” is “an act of giving compensation to render someone suitable, returning an injured person to a beneficial status.” Collectively, shalam defines Yahowah’s/Yahowsha’s atoning sacrifice on Mount Moriah’s pole. It explains the how and why of salvation.

But there is more. Every definition of shalam describes the Ma’aseyah’s merciful gift: “to perform something that is good, to make restitution, amending the record.” Prophetically, shalam is often translated “to fulfill” or “to finish.” It is the “final fulfillment of an obligation,” in this case Yahowah’s prophetic promises to save mankind by sacrificing Himself for us. By shalam we “receive compensation” so that God can “mete out a just verdict” that enables us “to remain healthy, be unscathed and unharmed,” taking us to “a preferable state”—eternal life in paradise.

The same three Hebrew letters vocalized differently form shelem, a “fellowship offering that comes by way of fulfilling a promise or vow.” Shelem is “a voluntary sacrifice which perfects, reestablishing the covenant relationship.” Another variation of the three letters rendered in the text is shalem, telling us that the recompense was “complete and fully accomplished” keeping us “safe from danger” and enabling us to enjoy a “close personal association”—that standard being the torah, or prescriptions. Shalem makes us “whole, in complete accordance with the acceptable standard.” Shalem suggests that the person offering the gift “was fully devoted, having great love and passion,” and that He was “obedient”—concepts which permeate the Ma’aseyah’s last day as a mortal man.

In this passage, shalem is often translated “present,” a word which means “to become manifest” and “to formally bestow a gift” which “introduces a person into the presence of someone with a superior rank”—in this case of God, by God, to God. It is a perfect and complete summary of the Covenant. It is beryth.

“Fruit” is para’, meaning: “to bear fruit, to be fruitful, to thrive in fruitfulness, and to flourish.” In this context it means to be restored so as to live and be productive. Our lips provide the means to this rehabilitated state because saphah, means: “lips, speech, language, and to communicate a message.” Our contribution to the salvation process is limited to answering Yahowah and accepting His gift in accordance with His Word.

Howsha’ just completed one of the most important three-part declarations in human history. It begins ominously, telling the Jews that they will reject their Savior, but ends majestically, telling us how to accept His gift of eternal life. Notice it is all predicated on: “The Spirit of Yahowah will ascend out the wilderness. His source of life and basis for purification will confound, be disapproved and treated shamefully, and His cistern of mercy, source of blessings, well of sustenance, and fountain of life He will dry up and make desolate.” As a consequence: “Samaria will be held guilty, becoming separated, forsaken, lifeless, and damned, for she has rebelled against, provoked and been contentious with God. They will fall by the sword. Their little ones will be dashed in pieces.”

But there was a better choice—the ultimate choice—the choice for which man was created and the Scriptures revealed: “Receive, accept and possess Yahowah’s Words, His Scripture, making it the thing you share in common so that you can return to Him and be restored, turning away from evil and coming back home—literally returning from the dead by being born anew. Answer Yahowah and say to Him, ‘Forgive all my sins, accept my iniquity, bear my guilt, and carry my liability away, receiving, marrying, and possessing me by way of mercy—an unearned favor conceived in love that makes me acceptable. The restoration of our relationship is the result of this communication with You.” (Howsha’ / He Saves / Hosea 13:15, 14:1-2)

This solemn dialogue with Yahowah includes an acknowledgement that Yahowah loves us, because we are answering His call. It acknowledges that He revealed Himself to us by way of His Scripture and that we must study His Word to know, understand, and trust Him. This communication is an acknowledgement of our sinful and thus condemned condition. It includes an acknowledgement of our need for a redeemer. The prayer signifies an acceptance of who the Savior is and how He saved us. It recognizes that we have chosen to receive His merciful gift. It confirms an understanding of how that choice liberates us from the penalty of death. And it is an acknowledgement of our willingness to be anointed by Yahowah’s Spirit, being born anew from above and eternally married to Him. If you have not had this conversation with Yahowah, please do it now.

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Yada Yah 

Was Writen by Craig of

“An Introduction to God” found at

All Glory be to Yahweh!

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