Characteristics of The Wise Virgins: Part 5

This is the final study in this series on characteristics of wisdom that set the Wise Virgins apart from the Foolish Virgins.

Let us look once again, at the words Yahushua Messiah [Jesus Christ] spoke in Matthew 25:

“They that were ready went in with Him [the Bridegroom] to the marriage” (Matthew 25:10)

In speaking this parable, Yahushua taught His disciples the importance of being ready for a marriage. The marriage referred to in this passage, as we see in Revelation 19:7-9, is Yahushua’s own marriage — “the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

In the parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins in Matthew 25, we are given the vital key for being ready for marriage to the Bridegroom: the Wise Virgins had wisdom, but the Foolish Virgins lacked wisdom!

It was the Wise Virgins in the parable who were ready to go in with the Bridegroom. It is the same with us today. If we desire to be ready; if we desire to be among ‘the Wise Virgins,’ then we too, as born again believers in Yahushua Messiah, must have the same wisdom!

Very briefly, here is what we have seen in the previous parts of this series.

In Part 1, we saw that wisdom comes from the Words of the mouth of Yahuwah [the Hebrew name for the LORD], as recorded in the written Scriptures. We discussed the wisdom of the Wise Virgins as being a daily walk, a ‘way’ or path to walk in. We saw that there is a prerequisite, a necessary requirement that we must meet, if we desire to enter, and walk in, The Way of Wisdom. We also looked at the goal for learning about the Biblical characteristics of wisdom.

In Part 2, we looked in depth at the wisdom of one who hears and obeys the counsel and instruction of Scripture. We saw the great importance of using discernment for testing what our source of wisdom is! We learned that by the wisdom of our obedience to Yahuwah’s written Word [the Scriptures], Father enables us to be made ready.

In Part 3, we saw that the one who is wise, learns to choose humility as a way of life — choosing to follow the example of Messiah, who humbled Himself by becoming obedient.

In Part 4, we discussed in detail the great significance of choosing the Fear of Yahuwah [the Fear of the LORD] as a way of life.

In order to fully understand what is presented here in Part 5, please refer to the previous posts, because they present basic and foundational guidelines for entering into Biblical wisdom.

Now we will begin the final post, Part 5 of this series. The final wisdom characteristic we will look at is:

The one who is wise will be obedient to Torah!

Obedient to Torah

This characteristic of the Wise Virgins is seen in Proverbs 28:

“Whoso keeps the law [Torah] is a wise child” (Proverbs 28:7a).

The English word ‘law’ is the very important Hebrew word torah (Strong’s number 08451), meaning “God’s set of teachings, instructions, and guidelines.”

The Torah is known as the first five books of the Bible. But Torah can also include all of the Scriptures since all the Scriptures are God’s teachings, instructions, and guidelines,

It is the Torah that defines Father’s boundaries and principles for His children, the ‘House Rules’ for daily living guidelines, for His children to follow.

In other words, we could read this verse as saying:

Whoever keeps the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of Yahuwah
— (the Father’s House Rules) — is a wise child!

Many times the Hebrew word ‘torah’ is translated into English as the word ‘law.’ So whenever we come across the word ‘law,’ it is often the Hebrew word ‘torah.’

The following verses are a few good examples of inserting the meaning of ‘torah’ into the verse:

The instructions, teachings, and guidelines of Yahuwah [the LORD] is perfect, converting the soul (Psalms 19:7a).

Blessed is the man whom you chasten, O Yahuwah, and teach him out of Your instructions, teachings, and guidelines (Psalms 94:12).

O how I love Your instructions, teachings, and guidelines! it is my meditation all the day (Psalms 119:97). 

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your instructions, teachings, and guidelines is the truth (Psalms 119:142).

He that keeps the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of Yahuwah, happy is he. (Proverbs 29:18). 

As these verses teach us, being obedient to Yahuwah’s Torah [the Scriptures from the beginning], is a blessing and a delight! The Torah is the Standard for Truth! The Torah is what God considers to be right, truthful, and good. It is also the Standard of Holiness for His people, instructing us what to choose, and what to avoid.

When we begin to sincerely follow and keep God’s instructions, teachings, and guidelines, then we begin to understand many, many aspects of God’s written Word, and His plans for His people! It is obedience to the Torah that opens our understanding, helping us to mature and gain wisdom:

The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding unto the simple. (Psalms 119:130)

The only ‘Words’ that the above verse could be referring to is the Torah! Taking in Father’s Words [the Torah], into our heart and life, through obedience to His instructions, results in having more truth and wisdom, and more understanding of the purposes of Yahuwah.

The Torah is Holy

Obedience to the Torah is a characteristic of the Wise Virgins.

Obedience to the Torah gives us a greater discernment of Father’s special plans for His family.

Obedience to the Torah is liberating, bringing freedom on multiple levels (Psalms 119:45; James 1:25).

Why is this true? It is because we begin to understand the appointed pathway that Father intended for His people from the beginning! 

And obedience to the Torah is also the identifying sign that we belong to God’s family, His people, just as Moses told us:

And Moses and the priests the Levites spake unto all Israel, saying, Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day you are become the people of Yahuwah your God. You shall therefore obey the voice of Yahuwah Your God, and do His commandments and His statutes, which I command you this day.(Deuteronomy 27:9,10)

Yahushua Messiah, the Great Shepherd, was the One who Moses declared would come. Yahushua did come! He came forth to tend, to supervise, and to rule over Yahuwah’s people, Israel — all the wild branches and all the natural branches who are grafted-in to Israel (Deuteronomy 18:15-19; Matthew 2:6; Hebrews 13:20,21).

It was Messiah who told us, “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). Therefore, as members of Yahuwah’s family, we love Him by keeping His teachings, instructions, and guidelines, including those He gave to Moses.

We would do well to delight ourselves in the law [the Torah] of Yahuwah [the LORD].

The apostle Paul ‘delighted in the law of God,’ and so did King David! They knew that ‘the law [the Torah] is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good‘ (Romans 7:12,22a; Psalms 119:77,92).

Abraham, Samuel, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and all of God’s apostles and prophets, delighted in the Torah. They knew that Father’s teachings, instructions, and guidelines are His ‘Rules of the House’ for His family, and they are true, eternal, and unchanging:

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law [Torah] is the truth. (Psalms 119:142) 

The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8)

 For I am Yahuwah [the LORD], I change not. (Malachi 3:6a)

As Born-again Believers, some of us need a ‘renewing of our mind’ concerning God’s Torah. Some need to un-learn distorted, deceptive teachings regarding obedience to the Torah!

Father’s Torah are His guidelines, instructions, boundaries, and principles for our good! They are relevant, up-to-date, and as eternal and unchanging as He is! And, as the Scriptures assure us, we will become wise when we keep Yahuwah’s Torah!

If You Love Me

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about becoming wise, is that the keeping of Torah is essential if we want to show our love for Yahuwah. Showing our love for Father begins with loving, and keeping, His written Word.

God’s Son, Yahushua the Messiah, is the WORD of God seen throughout the Old Testament writings, and is the embodiment of Yahuwah Himself!

So whenever Yahushua talks about ‘His’ commandments, He is referring to the commandments that He Himself, as the WORD of Yahuwah, gave to His people from the beginning (Numbers 15:31; John 1:1, 14)!

Yahushua Himself emphasizes many times the connection between love and obedience to Torah:

If you love me, keep my commandments. (John 14:15)

He that has my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. (John 14:21)

If you keep my commandments, you shall abide [remain] in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. (John 15:10)

As the above Scriptures teach us, there is a direct connection between loving God and keeping His commandments! The Bible is full of references revealing the way we are to love God: by keeping the instructions, teachings, and guidelines of Yahuwah!

Notice what the apostle John said about how we are to love God:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous. (1John 5:3) 

And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. (2John 1:6)

Loving God and keeping His commandments go together. You cannot have one without the other!

To show our love for God, we need to do what Yahushua Messiah did, and follow His example: “even as I have kept my Father’s commandments.” (John 15:10)

If we want to walk in the wisdom characteristics of the Wise Virgins, then we will seek to learn, and follow, our Saviour’s example of obedience. Yahushua Messiah [Jesus Christ] was obedient to the Torah! And Yahushua will always do, “those things that please Father” (John 8:29) — obeying those things found in the Torah!

The Wisdom of Walking As He Walked

The apostle John urges us to “walk, even as He [Yahushua] walked” (1John 2:6). We are to keep the Torah as Messiah did [and as the apostle Paul did, as well as all the disciples].

Let us begin by keeping the seventh-day Sabbath, keeping the annual Feasts of Yahuwah, and keeping the instructions regarding clean foods versus unclean — all of which are included in Yahuwah’s Standard for Truth, His Standard for being holy [‘set-apart’].

Our obedience to ‘walk as He walked’ is the way we receive more of His wisdom (Proverbs 13:20a) — the wisdom that comes from our Saviour, Yahushua Messiah: “…the One in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3).

As followers of Messiah, we can begin by diligently learning to keep the “Ten Words” found in the Torah, the very important Ten Commandments.

When we begin to keep the Torah just as Messiah did, we enter more fully into the blessings of purity and holiness. We also have a greater sense of sharing in the well-being of Messiah’s righteousness, and we receive a greater comfort and peace from walking more fully in His truth.

Your Torah is Truth

Notice the rich treasures we find in the Torah:

The law [Torah] of Yahuwah is perfect.... (Psalms 19:7)

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law [Torah] of Yahuwah. (Psalms 119:1)

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law [Torah] is the truth. (Psalms 119:142) 

Great peace have they which love Your law [Torah]: and nothing shall offend them. (Psalms 119:165)

These Scriptures teach us that obedience to Yahuwah’s Torah is the source of many rewards: blessings, truth, peace, and integrity.

In Psalms 19:7-11, King David reveals that a ‘great reward’ comes through keeping the Torah:

Moreover by them (the words of Torah) is Your servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:11)

Let’s see what this great reward is.

The Greatest Reward

In Genesis, we are told of an ‘exceeding great’ reward:

After these things the word of Yahuwah came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am Your shield, and Your exceeding great reward. (Genesis 15:1)

Here we see that our exceeding great reward is Yahushua Messiah Himself (The Bridegroom), who is the WORD of Yahuwah (John 1:1, 14).

The greatest reward or incentive for gaining wisdom, and for obeying Messiah’s commandments in the Torah, is that it will make us to become ready to go in to the marriage with The Bridegroom!

The way we acquire this readiness is to do what Father exhorts: ‘Get Wisdom!‘

It is by the Spirit of Yahuwah imparting His wisdom to us, and by His merciful grace enabling us to obey His Word, that Father helps us to be prepared and ready, that we might be among the company of the Wise Virgins.

Let us therefore stay close to our Saviour, seeking Him daily for His grace and strength, and remember this wonderful characteristic of the Wise Virgins: obedience to Father’s loving teachings found in the Torah!

Characteristics of the Wise Virgins

Let us recap the four wisdom characteristics that we looked at in this series:

• Listening to, and Following, the Counsel of the Scriptures
• Walking in Humility
• Walking in the Fear of Yahuwah
• Keeping the Torah of Yahuwah [His instructions, teachings, and guidelines]

With Father’s help, if we will remember these wisdom characteristics and begin to walk in them, then we are on the road to gaining wisdom, and thus being ready for the Bridegroom!

For review, please return to the previous posts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

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Related Articles:

• Acquiring A Teachable Heart
• The Key to Gaining Understanding
• The Holy Spirit Will Guide You Into All Truth
• Seven Biblical Guidelines for Studying the Bible: Using Scripture to Interpret the Scriptures
• Steps To Obtaining Wisdom
• The Wise and Foolish Virgins: The Separation of the Wise
• Preparing Your Heart
• Thy Torah is My Delight
• That It May Be Well With You
• My Path to Torah
• The Word – or The Spirit
• Abiding in His Love

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Posted in Obedience, Torah, Wisdom