Integrity, Yashar יָשָׁר

Give Now!

One of the great mysteries in life is the whole area of health and healing. There is a promise, a covenant promise made by God to Israel that promises to keep them from any “Egyptian” disease and simultaneously reveals that Yahweh is the healer.

Let’s look at this verse and see if we can uncover a truth that we can worship the Lord with. God makes a conditional statement. This “if” “then” statement implies a choice. This reminds us that health is a choice and that there is divine guidance that can lead us to the right choice. God will speak to us to lead us towards what is healing and away from what is disease.

The key is to do what is right in His sight. The doing of what is “right” is called Yashar. This is connected to living free from disease. Let’s unpack the word Yashar to maybe gain some insight.

Looking at the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon, it states: 

“The pictograph “shin” is a picture of the teeth representing pressure, the “reysh” is a picture of the head representing the top or beginning. Combined these mean "press the beginning". Ropes and cords were usually made of bark strips such as from the cedar or from the sinew (tendon) of an animal. The rope is made by twisting two fibers together. A single fiber is attached to a fixed point (top), and the two ends of the fiber are brought together. One fiber is twisted in a clockwise direction and wrapped over the other fiber in counterclockwise direction. The second fiber is then twisted in clockwise direction then wrapped around the first fiber in a counterclockwise direction. The process is repeated through the length of the rope. The twisting of the fibers in opposite directions causes the fibers to lock (press) onto each other making a stronger rope. The rope is used to tightly secure or support something, such as a load to a cart or the poles of the tent.”

As we open our heart to the Lord, and we yield ourselves to His voice we become intertwined with Him what the bible calls becoming “one”.

“The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;” (John 17:22, NAS95)

Life is a process of entanglements, or if you prefer commitments. We give ourselves to our commitments and they in turn make us. We cannot become anything in isolation. True freedom comes from surrender intro that which we have committed ourselves to. This is the path of love. Love is all about surrender.

“Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;” (Rom 12:10, NAS95)

When we lose ourselves in the other in our lives, we become one. This is the heart of the marriage covenant and is the prototype for all health entanglements. 

This is Yashar, the entanglement of doing what is right. 

Too often we live lives of non-commitment out of fear. We are afraid to commit so we live in a twilight reality where we never know the joy of surrender to a purpose greater than ourselves. What we don’t realize is that by serving the fear of commitment, lack of commitment, we diminish our health and vitality.

We are designed by God for purpose for living intentionally. I have begun a Podcast that I call Vibrant Longevity. It is based on the possibility of living a full lifespan, with vibrant health. 

One of the keys is to study those who have succeeded in the endeavor. These places of success are called the Blue Zones, and they have many keys to the puzzle. Most people want to know is it the diet they eat or the exercise they do?

These things are important. BUT even more important is that they live in a blue zone.  The standard or expectation is vibrant longevity. It is the opposite of what Yeshua experienced in Nazareth.

“And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.” (Mat 13:58, NAS95)

There are community atmospheres that determine outcomes. Agreement is the place of power.

“"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven. "For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."” (Mat 18:19-20, NAS95)

In the Blue Zones, people agree for vibrant longevity. It has become normal and expected. They have a place in their faith for vibrant longevity.

What is the source of that power? It is a mindset, a perspective. What is sad is that the vast majority of people who identify with the giver of eternal life, live expecting sickness and disease as “normal”.

They go from sickness to sickness lining up in prayer lines for a healing touch from God, yet they are unwilling to change their mindset about vibrant longevity. The result is a culture of feebleness and ultimately untimely death.

Yet God wants to instruct us by His voice that should we listen and do what is right be free of disease and experience the vibrant longevity that is our birthright. 

Now, I’m not saying this is going to be easy. No! It is going to maybe be painful and tough because it is counter-culture. Turn with me to Hebrews 12:5-10:

“and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness.” (Heb 12:5-10, NAS95) 

God is NOT a GOD of disease. He doesn’t put disease on us to test us. He doesn’t allow disease. No He puts disease on the enemies of God who refuse to love Him. Egypt had disease, not Israel.

He does discipline us though and we need to listen and be willing to apply the discipline. The results?? Health and vitality. Read with me:

“All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” (Heb 12:11-13, NAS95)

You see there is a path to vibrant longevity. It is Yashar, doing what is right in the sight of the Lord. 

Let’s look at another use of this word:

““You shall not do at all what we are doing here today, everyone doing whatever is right in his own eyes; for you have not as yet come to the resting place and the inheritance which the LORD your God is giving you.” (Deu 12:8-9, NASB)

We have a choice between doing what is right in our own eyes or doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. You see it’s all about perspective. What vision are we following? Have we reduced our vision, our hope to that which others or ourselves allow? Or are we willing to be trendsetters, leaders?

One final verse about Yashar:

“The way of the righteous is smooth; O Upright One, make the path of the righteous level.” (Isa 26:7, NASB)

Righteousness, Yashar yields a smooth path in life.