Where do I belong?

​We’ve begun a series of lessons based on Proverbs 14:1 “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” (NIV)  In my previous blog, we focused on the identity of the woman as we answered the question, “Who Am I”?  Today, we are going to focus on the territory assigned to the woman as we answer the question: “Where Do I Belong”?

God begins this verse with a statement of His perfect will: “the wise woman builds her house.”  This statement speaks not only of the woman’s overall significance in God’s eternal plan, but also her manifest destiny – the territory over which she has been given ultimate authority and has been guaranteed victory. The woman has been given the high calling of God to build her house as of first importance; and since we know that “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10), we can also determine that the woman described in the first part of this proverb has an intimate and abiding relationship with the Lord.  She is clothed with honor and glory because of the “facetime” she spends with the Father; and she is prepared when the enemy shows up seeking to steal, kill and destroy that which God has placed into her hands.  And because she has the mind of Christ,  she sees every person and every situation as an opportunity to demonstrate the Fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galations 5:22) - because these are the evidence of who she is - her identity.   Her spoken words are encouraging and enlightening; and she proclaims the power and authority of the LORD Jesus Christ into the atmosphere of her home.  All her works glorify God. All of this is possible because she is in a real personal relationship with her Creator.

The second phrase in this proverb presents a jaded contrast to the brilliant woman described in the first part of the proverb.  The foolish woman chooses to do things her own way; “with her own hands” speaks of rebellion against the perfect will of God.  She doesn’t think like God thinks, she operates out of an earthly mindset that is controlled by the spirit of this world.  She uses logic, reason, and rationale to make her decisions.   As a result she is self absorbed and, therefore, selfish; she thinks that the way she lives her life is her choice.  She refuses to acknowledge the potentially destructive impact of her choices on those who live in her sphere of influence.   She does not realize that her words, attitudes and actions have the power to destroy herself, her family, her community, and her nation.  She is an unwitting accomplice of the enemy of God.  The result of her rebellion is not only her own destruction, but also the destruction of the very thing for which she was created.  With her own hands, she destroys both her identity and her destiny; and she yields her assigned territory to the control of her enemy.

What is Your House?
Since the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, I thought it would help us grasp the concept of “house” by looking at the meaning of the word in that language.  The Hebrew word translated house in this verse is bayith and its meaning includes the idea of (1) a physical dwelling place, (2) the family– both ancestors and descendants, (3) the part within, (4) a temple, and (5) a treasury. (Strong’s 1004). 

Bayith is spelled with the Hebrew letters “Bet”, “Yod” and “Tav”.  In the Hebrew language, every letter contributes significantly to the total meaning of the word, just as the brilliance of a diamond is released through the number of facets cut into the stone.  Every letter has a pictograph, an icon that symbolizes the meaning of the word.  We are familiar with icons: every app on our cell phone has an icon, and many of the directional signs along our highways have icons showing us where we can find food, or gas, or a place to spend the night.  Additionally, every letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a numerical value with a corresponding meaning.

The letter “Bet” literally means “house”; (so the first letter of the word translated as house also means house).  The pictograph for “Bet” looks like a house or dwelling, and is described as having a roof, a floor, and a window.  “Bet” is a picture of Yeshua as Master of the House: the roof is His blood that covers us, the floor is the solid foundation on which we stand, and the window is our direct connection to heaven – the throne of God.  The numerical value of “Bet” is two.  (hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Bet/bet.html)

The number “two” signifies several interesting things:

• Difference – male and female were created to be different; but in marriage, God declared the two become one, and thus, the house is established.  God’s plan was for the house to be a place where each individual retained their unique distinctions but operated in unity.
• Division –separation, as on the second day, the Light was separated from the Darkness.  Darkness is actually the absence of light; light is the evidence of God’s Presence.  It was God’s intention that the house be a place where His Presence would abide, thus separating light from darkness.
• Oppression of the enemy – Satan is a divider and from the beginning, he has inserted himself into every relationship.  His plan is to create disharmony within the family and destroy what God has created. (Bullinger, E.W., Number in Scripture, Kregel Publications, 1967, pp 92- 94)

The presence of the letter "Bet" in the Hebrew word translated "house" signifies the following: All of Creation, the entire Universe including the heavens and the earth is God’s house.  God is a God of order; He has a design He follows all throughout His Creation.  He separated or divided the elements to create night and day, heavens and earth, land and water.  He created the fish, fowl, and all living creatures as distinct species and commanded them to reproduce after their kind.  He created man to be different from the animal kingdom; and He made woman to be a perfect counterpart of the man.  Man and woman were created to retain their individual identities while operating in unity, a picture of God’s image as seen in the Trinity.  

Satan was also part of God’s creation along with all the other angels.  Satan’s overthrow and expulsion from heaven was as a result of his desire to usurp God’s position as the Master of the House.   Having failed at achieving his goal to become the master of God’s house, satan has turned his attention to destroying the house of the woman.  Satan seeks to destroy the house because he hates what God loves.

The second letter of the Hebrew word for house is “Yod”.  “Yod” is part of every Hebrew letter and is considered the starting point of the presence of God in all things – the “spark” of the Spirit in everything.  The letter is described as having a “face” and a “head”.   “Yod” literally means “arm” or “hand,” and its pictograph form suggests a hand that is reaching toward heaven.  All of this speaks of a Divine Person who is at and in the Beginning of all things, and who desires a personal relationship with His creation. (hebrew4christians.com/Grammar/Unit_One/Aleph-Bet/Yod/yod.html)

The numerical value of “Yod” is ten.  Ten signifies the perfection of Divine order; it implies that nothing is wanting; that the number and order are perfect; that the whole cycle is complete. (Bullinger, E.W., Number in Scripture, Kregel Publications, 1967, pp 243)

The presence of the letter “Yod” in the Hebrew word translated “house”, shows us that the house is a structure established by God from the beginning of time which incorporates both a dwelling place prepared by the Creator and a personal relationship with the Creator.  The structure itself is the evidence of Divine order, nothing is missing, everything is in its proper place, and nothing else needs to be added.

The third letter of the Hebrew word for house is “Tav”.  The pictograph for this letter looks like a cross and it means “mark” or “sign” or “signature”. (ancient-hebrew.org/alphabet_letters_tav.html) The cross is the sign of the intersection of God’s love for mankind and His wrath against sin.  The vertical beam is the bridge between heaven and earth; the horizontal beam demonstrates the breadth of God’s love which stretches “as far as the east is from the west, (for) so far has He removed our transgressions from us.”  (Psalm 103:12)  At the cross the blood of Jesus provided the full payment necessary to completely deliver us from our sins.  The blood is also a sign that a new and living way has been opened for us to come before a Holy God.  God signed the covenant that guaranteed our eternal inheritance in Christ with His own blood.
 
And the Holy Spirit is a sign:  Ephesians 1:13: “Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit (sign) guaranteeing your inheritance... (as) God’s possession.”

In this one letter, “Tav”, we see all three Persons of the Trinity at work on our behalf.  “Tav” is the impression of the simple faith in God’s omnipresence; a faith that passes as an inheritance from one generation to the next; a faith based on God’s seal which is truth.  “Tav” is the sign of righteousness. (inner.org/hebleter/tav.htm)

The numerical value of “Tav” is 400.  This number signifies a divinely perfect period.  From the birth of Isaac until the date of the Exodus was a period of 400 years.  (Bullinger, E.W., Number in Scripture, Kregel Publications, 1967, pp 280)   Genesis 15:13-14 “Then the Lord said to (Abraham), “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.  But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward, they will come out with great possessions.”

The presence of the letter “Tav” in the Hebrew word translated “house” is the mark of God’s covenant with the house, a covenant He established before the foundations of the earth, a covenant He cut in His own blood, a covenant we receive by faith in the One who is the Truth. 

The question, "What is Your House?" may be answered thoroughly by the following statements:

Your house is a picture of the Trinity: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are all present and operating in unity.
Your house is His covenant with you; He paid the price and signed the contract with His own blood.
Your house is your relationship with Him; you carry His “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval within you in the Person of the Holy Spirit.
Your house is your person - your spirit, soul and body.
Your house is your marriage, your husband, your children and all extended relatives.
Your house is where you abide; and where He abides with and in you.
Your house is your sphere of influence, your field where you plant and reap your eternal harvest.
Your house is the spiritual inheritance you received and the spiritual legacy you pass on to the next generation.
Your house is who you are – your identity; your house is where you belong – your territory; and your house is what you are here for – your destiny.

Are you building your house, or are you tearing it down with your own hands? The wise woman builds her house.

Blessings,
Linda
© 2020 Linda Sue Harper