by servant@nazareneisrael.org

 

 

 

 

 

Proverbs 11:27 is an amazingly powerful verse: He who earnestly seeks what is good will find Elohim’s favor.

 

Friend, would you like to find Elohim’s favor? Then earnestly seek what is good.

 

 

שֹׁחֵר          Sho-kher: (He) who diligently seeks

טוֹב           Tov: (what is) good

יְבַקֵּשׁ        Ee-va-kesh: will find

רָצוֹן          Ratz-own: (YHWH’s) favor

וְדֹרֵשׁ         V’do-resh: but (he) who seeks (even lightly)

רָעָה           Rah: evil, (what is bad), i.e., trouble

תְבוֹאֶנּוּ     T’vo-eh-nu: It will come to him.

 

 

This may seem rudimentary, but let’s break this down some. The word Sho-kher שֹׁחֵרmeans to seek something with extreme diligence. The root of the word speaks of someone who gets up at dawn, in order to accomplish a task. By implication, it means to look for something even painstakingly.

 

 

In other words, what Solomon is saying here is that we have to be very diligent in searching for what is good. We have to take pains to find what is good in our situation, in our own lives, and in other people. We may have to painstakingly look for the good in our spouse before our marriage works. We may have to painstakingly look for the good in our friends, or in the brothers and sisters in our fellowships: and only then will YHWH will bestow His favor upon us.

 

It may be a lot of work to seek for the good in other people with diligence, but isn’t it worth having YHWH’s favor? Isn’t it worth it, to please Him?

 

There is a lot of evil in the world. It almost cannot be avoided. This is why, in contrast, the word do-resh דֹרֵשׁ does not imply any kind of diligence. It just means that our habit is to look for the bad in a situation, or in other people.  We just have to look for the bad as a matter of course. It then becomes our habit. it becomes our treaded or ‘beaten path.’

 

 

Do-resh דֹרֵשׁ simply means that we allow the natural man to fall into the habit of being critical, rather than trying to redirect our focus onto that which is good. Do-resh דֹרֵשׁ simply means that we do not go out of our way (whatever it takes) to find the good in the situation, or in the people YHWH has brought into our lives. Instead, we just go along, habitually allowing what is bad to crop up and enter our thought processes.  It can be more than this, of course, but just this is enough, not to have YHWH’s favor.

 

As our forefathers used to say, “He is looking for trouble.” Trouble will surely find him.

 

Our forefathers might also say, “He is looking for the ugly side of things.” Trouble will surely find him also. This may be one reason why the Apostle Shaul wrote:

 

 

This may also be one reason why he wrote:

 

 

Now, to be sure, everything in Scripture is a double-edged sword. There is plenty of evil in the world, and love without wisdom is an open door for the Adversary. This is why Yeshua tells us that in addition to being harmless as doves, we must be wise as serpents.

 

 

Elohim does not want us to be stupid: He does not want us to be Pollyanna. What He wants is for us to carefully, diligently identify both what is good, and what is evil: but then He wants us to discipline ourselves to focus upon that which is good in other people, and in our lives, and in situations that confront us. In so doing, through the gift of Elohim’s wisdom we can bring about the good will of our Elohim. 

 

There are many levels at which this maxim can be applied, but there is no level at which this maxim fails. When we diligently seek what is good, then YHWH’s favor will be upon us.

 

 

May He teach us all to seek diligently after what is good, in wisdom.

 

In Yeshua’s name,

 

Amein.

 

 

 

 

Norman B. Willis

Overseer, Nazarene Israel

Re-establishing the Faith Once Delivered