TK Torah Keepers

He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend. (Proverbs 22:11 KJV)

The picture drawn by this single verse in the proverbs is a very intimate one.  The king is drawn to those who speak graciously from a pure heart.  If we understand the King to be the Sovereign Creator of the Universe, this verse takes on even greater meaning and significance. Here we may recall the testimony of the scriptures concerning Abraham.

Art not thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham thy friend forever? (2 Chronicles 20:7 KJV)

But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. (Isaiah 41:8 KJV)

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. (James 2:23 KJV)

What an honor to be considered the Friend of God or the Friend of the King.  The Psalmist also reminds us that intimate communion with the Sovereign contingent on the pureness of heart.

Who shall ascend into the hill of YHWH? or who shall stand in his holy place? ⁴ He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4 KJV)

Our Master, Yeshua the Messiah, likewise taught,

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (Matthew 5:8 KJV)

According to the Proverb above, this honored title and position of intimacy is bestowed by the King because of the gracious and loving words coming from the mouth of his subject.  Here we must recall that YHWH desires us to love and serve him from a genuine and whole heart.

And thou shalt love YHWH thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV)

Our Master has taught us that what comes out of our mouth originates in our hearts.

O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. (Matthew 12:34-35 KJV)

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: (Matthew 15:18-19 KJV)

If we genuinely love the King with our “whole” heart then our words and our deeds should reflect this pureness of our hearts. A “whole heart” is not polluted with mixture or divided loyalties, or mixed motives.  Our Brother James exhorts us concerning our tongues.

Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. ¹⁰ Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. ¹¹ Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? ¹² Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. (James 3:9-12 KJV)

Pure water cannot come from a defiled well.  Nor can pure words come from a defiled heart.  The Spirit of the Holy One desires to write his self-revelation, the Torah, upon the tablets of our hearts.   The scriptures repeatedly encourage us to hide the word of YHWH in our hearts, to bind them to our hearts, to write them on our hearts.

And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: (Deuteronomy 6:6 KJV)

And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love YHWH your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul, (Deuteronomy 11:13 KJV)

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:8 KJV)

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. (Proverbs 4:23 KJV)

Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart. (Proverbs 7:3 KJV)

Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: (Proverbs 3:3 KJV)

While studying, learning, and memorizing the word of God, are indeed profitable acts, this is not enough to win the friendship of the King.  It is true that the word of God is pure.

Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (Proverbs 30:5 KJV)

Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it. (Psalm 119:140 KJV)

While the word of God is indeed pure, it can still be defiled by the vessel that holds it.  There are many within the body of Messiah today that have a great mastery over the scriptures, but use YHWH’S pure word like a venomous sword for selfish and unholy purposes. Only the words of the pure in heart are pleasing in the ears of the King.  It is not enough for us simply to study and memorize the word.  It is not enough for us to “hide the word” in our hearts if our hearts are already defiled.  If we desire such pleasing intimacy with the King we must learn to keep our hearts from defilement.  This is not easy when living in such a polluted world. We must learn to cry out with David,

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10 KJV)

We must learn to subject our hearts to the trying eyes of the Spirit of the Holy One that he may, by his refining fire, raise the dross of our lives to the surface that we may remove it from our hearts. 

Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart. (Psalm 44:21 KJV)

Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: ²⁴ And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23-24 KJV)

We should daily, search our own hearts, to see what dross and defilement remain, and separate us from intimate communion with the King.  We should likewise, listen carefully to the words we speak, for they reveal much about our hearts.  This is true not only of our words  to the King but to his subjects as well.