I Kissed False Unity Goodbye!

The *testimony of the *unfruitful man is *filled with self-confidence against the *seat of truth *while the mouth of the wicked are *engorging themselves with sin. (MAST)

*[The testimony] literally, an unprofitable witness. But this is a witness, not in the courtroom of civil justice in the domestic disputes of Israel, as if the case was made from the seat of the king’s throne, but of the justice of the Temple of the LORD where the sacrifices of Belial are not permitted to enter into the judgment of the Truth (2Cor.6:15-16). Therefore the testimony, not the man, is of Belial. This man has, (maybe better stated, had) a testimony, but it has become corrupted by his own judgments rather than influenced by the Spirit of Truth (Eph.5:18).

*[the unfruitful man] literally, of Belial. If we isolated this word in the sheer nakedness of its identity, it means a good-for-nothing man; a man full of corruption and complete negation of spiritual fruit. But I don’t believe, in the wisdom of Solomon, that this is his intent. I believe he intends to mean that this man is currently (in a pattern) of unfruitfulness, not a man who bears absolutely no fruit (to God) (Jn.15:1-27). But this adjective is of the Hifil (causative) stem of the verb, to put on airs. So “the testimony” that he once had becomes “undone” in his current charade of self-confidence (Jn.15:5,10,11,16). In other words, the judgment of his unfruitfulness is the cause of boasting in himself against the obvious truth, for we do not bear fruit to the body of death but to God (in the life of the Spirit). Literally, his defense of himself is worthless. He needs to hear, again, the previous proverb (v.27). In the genitive construct, it could be rendered, “the testimony of Belial’s destruction” (Rom.7:24).

*[filled with self-confidence] literally, to mock his interpretation. But, in this context, it leans toward the “inflation” of self-worth for his own “interpretation.” This “testimony,” in defense of his own ruin, (i.e., God’s judgment of his sin), is full of useless air that will not rise to satisfy the judgment of God (Rom.7:22,25). It’s literally worthless in the mind of God. But again, it is the testimony, not the man, that is worthless because he speaks not from the Spirit of Truth but from his imagination of himself (Pr.3:3-8). If he once spoke by the Spirit, he is not altogether worthless (in God), but rather is like king Saul who fell from his useful position (in the kingdom of Israel) to be removed in disgrace. Yet his disgrace is not God in himself but in what he defends that is not of God (Gal.1:24;1Sam.10:9-12;13:11-14). For the unfruitfulness of the Hifil stem continues in what follows of the Piel stem in the mouth of the wicked. Literally, his testimony defends the sin of the wicked, and in this manner, he is no good for the testimony of God’s justice (Lam.1:8-10;Nahum 3:4-6;Hos.2:8-9,13;1Tim.2:8-15;2Tim.2:14-23).

*[the seat of truth] literally, the judgment. While this is speaking of the mercy seat hidden behind the veil of the temple, it changes not the judgments already made of Him who sits between the cherubim (Jn.8:26;12:47-48). While Christ extends mercy in the knowledge of satisfaction through the holy sacrifice, he extends mercy exclusively to those who confess to the truth of His testimony (Jn.3:18). We don’t have the right to enter into judgment against what he has already condemned for the sake of our self-preservation. This mercy is conditional to our submission to his judgments. While there is liberty in Solomon’s civil court, there is no liberty to refuse the judgments that come from the seat of the Temple (Isa.45:23;54:17;Rom.14:11;Phil.2:11). Therefore, Solomon is using his liberty to make his son aware of the folly of Belial’s self-destruction. If we sacrifice to our self-worth, it offers the kingdom of God no fruit (1Cor.13:1-3,11-13). It is good-for-nothing and will be plucked up by the roots and cast into the fire to be burned (Matt.3:7-10). It is a weed that hinders the growth of the flower of God’s holiness in the soul. It must be plucked up and cast out that the light of truth may shine onto what God has planted for its spiritual growth (1Kgs.6:18,29,32,35). It may be helpful, here, to remember that Solomon is still addressing his son in the context of the civil dispute of a man who lost his reputation to the actions of his wife in favor of her son. She had gone against his prayers for the sanctification of the home, and because of this, the father is left with nothing but his Surety in God’s favor through Solomon’s sacrifice. It’s to be specifically noted in this context that the Spirit accepts Solomon’s sacrifice in the Temple on behalf of this father who “apparently” lost the fruit of his family, but this was only before men, not before God (Prov.9:12). This father keeps his reward, which was Christ, while the mother loses hers (Mk.8:35;Matt.6:16-24;Rev.22:12).

*[while] literally, together with. But this is the conjunction of the Hifil and Piel stems in the yiqtol (imperfective aspect) use of the verbs. Therefore they are working in unison while differing in the reflexive action. In other words, the Hifil stem is the reflexive cause of this man’s unfruitfulness, but what drives the testimony is to the defense of the Piel stem. This man is unfruitful because he defends the liberty of wickedness. This is what Solomon refuses to be (in himself), but "while" in his civil court, it commands him to extend such liberty. The judgments of his court sometimes nullify the judgments of the Temple court, not in the mind of God, but in the foolishness and ignorance of men (2Cor.4:1-6). Therefore the sacrifice that enters the Temple on his behalf must be rendered useful, but how can this be done without faith? How can Solomon wear two crowns? What justifies his sacrifice? He must show his faith (in his example) in the hope that the foolish will see his wisdom and become wise in the judgment of the Temple and understand the differential of the civil (James 2:18). He must cling to what he knows is pure and good and practice it (Rom.12:9). He must not give in to envying the liberty of the wicked (Ps.24:3-5). He must remain holy for spiritual use as an instrument of God in the court that was appointed to him, but he must understand his holy role in all of God’s judgments (Rom.14:14-23). By the fear of the LORD, he is made wise for this service, and so his son must learn to follow his example and take up the trade or custom of his house.

*[are engorging themselves] literally, to announce. But this verb is to be understood in the figurative sense. While it is not so much talking about a literal physical appearance of engorging the flesh to become fat, it is, however, aiming for the impression that the wicked gulp down the pleasure of sin to wear it, “to announce it,” like a unholy garb that outlines the shape and image of their pride (idol) in order to draw all attention away from the image of God to the glory and honor of the idol (self). They are fattened (inflated with air (יָלִיץ)) by the consumption of the pride of self (Phil.3:17-21). It has a self-imposed appearance of holiness but is contrary to the truth of godliness that accords with Christ (Col.2:23;1Tim.4:7-8;Heb.5:14). The verb, here, is in the plural form, speaking of many wicked witnesses, but notice that there is unity in them as they speak with one mouth. They have one voice and message, which is to “announce” that they want to proclaim liberty for themselves. But this they proclaim to the detriment of their own salvation (1Cor.7:12-15;11:16). In a situation that an unbelieving wife desires to benefit from the holiness of a believing man, we are called to show mercy to the unbeliever, not for the sake of her false theology, but for the hope of her salvation and for the children. We are called to allow that believing man to order his own home in the patience of the Spirit (1Cor.7:16;Matt.10:33-40), but not at the sacrifice of the Word of Spirit and Truth (Jn.6:63;17:17). We don’t change our message to satisfy a defiled conscience. We work with the head of the house to be patient in affliction (1Thess.1:6;2Tim.4:5;Heb.11:25). While this is in the Piel stem, it is reflexive to the testimony of Belial’s destruction (Job 15:15-16). This is what a wicked man brings as a sacrifice into the Temple of Yahweh and expects to be justified, specifically, satisfied in it (1Sam.2:13). But the “holy” priest is to say, "No; you are not justified in this (Rom.12:1;1Pet.2:5)!" There is no unity in this brand of justification (Jer.7:4;8:11-13)! The Spirit of Truth has no pleasure nor joy in such a sacrifice! Turn now from your pride and confess the truth of the Lord’s holy judgments (1Cor.12:2;1Thess.1:9), which are pure and right (Ps.33:4;119:128,140;Pr.24:26)! The sacrifice is not to satisfy the preference of the priest but the commandment of the Lord (1Sam.2:13;1Cor.7:19;Ps.53:5,Heb.12:2,5-8,14-17;Tit.1:10-2:8).