SHEVAT 14
Counsel
“Blessed is the man who shall not walk in the COUNSEL …” (Ps 1:1, emphasis mine)
The Hebrew word that has been translated as ‘counsel’ is the word ‛êtsâh (Strong’s H6098), and is defined as counsel, advice, purpose. Jeff Benner, in his wonderful Ancient Hebrew Dictionary, defines this word as “Advice given in the sense of being the firm support of the community”[1], revealing that ‛êtsâh can also be for the good of the community, the people, and not necessarily for an individual alone.
My husband does not randomly give counsel or advice; he learned many years ago that for the most part, people want you to tell them what they want to hear and will often ignore what is truth. Even when asked for his opinion, very seldom will my husband give it. And we have both learned some painful lessons through the years. In one instance, a sister in Messiah came to us, asking for counsel about leaving her husband, who had some critical issues that he was not willing to seek help over, and that could have been sufficient grounds for divorce. We gave her the Scriptures concerning divorce, what we believed was the correct interpretation of them, and agreed to hold her up in prayer as to direction from the Father. She stayed with her husband, though the issues he had were never addressed or resolved. Eventually, they did end up in a divorce some 8 to 10 years after these events. Unfortunately, what counsel we gave her at that time was held against us, and the relationship between all of us was irreparably damaged.
I truly believe that there are those individuals that our Creator has set in place as counselors; these people – the ones that I am personally familiar with – have an amazing knowledge and personal application of the Word of our Elohim. They are also anointed with a calm and gentle spirit, something that is critical when dealing with troubled people. I do not hesitate to say that I am extremely reluctant to step into this position, for I do not believe that I am sufficiently qualified to give the counsel that some folks are in need of. I have, however, no qualms in directing others to those of greater expertise, professionals that I perceive can be of more help than I can.
Be careful, brethren, not only in giving advice, but in listening to it as well. Perhaps some of the questions we might ask are, “to WHOM is this advice and counsel ultimately bringing honor and esteem to? Are the suggestions in line with the precepts of Torah? Will the counsel being offered bring me closer to becoming the type of person my King will want to spend eternity with?”
“Let Me instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; Let Me counsel, My eye be on you.” (Ps 32:8)
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[1]Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible; ©2006 Ancient Hebrew Research Center; ISBN: 1589397762 Author: Jeff Benner
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