Honor the Widows that are Widows Indeed

When we read 1 Tim 5 we see Paul giving instructions on taking care of ‘WIDOWS’ and lays down guidelines on whom to consider as widows and who shouldn't be accounted for widows. 

1 Tim 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.

 Let’s look at a quick background of ‘taking care of widows’. We read in Acts 6:1-4 there were some Hellenistic Yahudi’s who murmured against the Hebrews that their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. The apostles appointed seven men full of the Holy Spirit to look into the distribution of the daily needs of the widows.

Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples were multiplied, There arose a murmuring of the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebrews, because their widows (alamanoth) were being overlooked in the daily ministration.

Acts 6:2 So the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of the Aluahym and serve tables.

Acts 6:3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Ruach and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

Acts 6:4 But we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word (dabar).

The abary word for widow is ‘alamanah/álamanoth’ which means bound in grief.

Even the Thurah itself spoke of taking care of ‘Widows’ by bringing in the ‘tithe’ and also warns of not afflicting them in anyway.

Ex 22:22 You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. Exo 22:23 If you afflict him at all, and if surely he does cry out to Me, I shall surely hear his cry; Exo 22:24 and My anger shall be kindled, and I shall kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your sons orphans.

Deut14:28 At the end of three years you shall bring out all the tithe of your produce in that year, and shall deposit it in your town. Deut14:29 The Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that Yahuah your Al may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

We know that the Thurah is spiritual and if one notices the ‘widows’ are identified with the ‘Levites’ & the ‘fatherless’ which have no inheritance with the children of Yasharal. When we read 1 Tim 5 in the instructions given to taking care of widows, we must see these scriptures in the light of ‘spirit’ in the ‘letter’ without ignoring the commandments.

Deut 10:17 For Yahuah your Al is the Al of the elohim and my Master of haadonim, the great, the mighty, and the awesome Al who does not show partiality nor take a bribe.

Deut 10:18 He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner by giving him bread and clothing.

Deut10:19 And you shall love the alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Deut 24:19 When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that Yahuah your Al may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deut 24:20 When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs after you; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.

Deut24:21 When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it after you; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.

Deut24:22 You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I am commanding you to do this thing.

That’s how we see Boaz obey Yahuah’s Thurah when he told his servants to deliberately drop from the sheaves so that Ruth the widow could collect it for her sustenance.The law of Aluahym continuously gave Israel a reminder that they were ‘bondmen’ in the land of Egypt (in captivity) and therefore they must show mercy to the stranger, fatherless & widow. We see this picture in the book of Ruth as well. Ruth was a widow and was a Moabitess but she chose to cling to Naomi her mother in law and came into Israel along with her. Boaz a type of Messiah tells his men to deliberately drop the sheaves so that she could pick them up for herself. 

Rut1:4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years.

Moab was an accursed nation and were children by harlotry. Lot’s daughters made him drink excess wine and slept with him to give birth to Moab and Ammon.

Gen19:36 Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father.

Gen19:37 The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day.

Gen19:38 As for the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi; he is the father of the sons of Ammon to this day.

Ruth is a perfect spiritual picture of the widow a Moabitess choosing to suffer affliction with the people of Aluahym rather than remarrying a Moabite and living in pleasures of sin.

Rth 2:15 And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:

Rth 2:16 And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.

Deut 26:12 When you have finished paying all the tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and to the widow, that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

Deut 26:13 You shall say before Yahuah your Al, I have removed the holy portion from my house, and also have given it to the Levite and to the alien, to the orphan and to the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me; I have not transgressed or forgotten any of Your commandments.

If hallowed things out of an Israelite’s house was given to ‘widow’ and a ‘widow’ was put in the same category of the Levite, the stranger & the fatherless then the spirit in the letter shows they were referring to the elect of Messiah.

Ps 68:5 A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, is Aluahym in His holy habitation.

It’s interesting to see 2 words and the comparison between them

Widow:  Abary word is ‘Alamanah/alamanoth’ :  spelled as ‘alaph lamed mem nun uau thu ‘

Maiden: Abary word is ‘alamah’ and spelled as ‘ayin lamed mem ha’

 ‘Mah’ in ‘Alamah’ (young virgin)

The pictograph mem is a picture of water. The sea is a place of the unknown (what is beyond or what is below). It was feared by the Ancient Hebrews because of its size, storms and fierceness.

Al in ‘alamah’ and Ayl in ‘almah’

Alamah: Maiden

We have already seen in our study ‘Ascending to the hill of Yah’ on the word ‘ayl’ which means ‘see the staff’ where the ayin is the eye and the lamed is the staff.

The ‘ayl’ is in the ‘Song of ascents’ in the Psalms. The word ascent comes from the abary word ‘malah’ spelled as ‘ma ay la ah’

The song of ‘malah’ is a cry that goes ascending to the MOST HIGH Yahuah asking for speedy help.

‘alamoth’ (Strong’s 5961)-soprano voices of young women-an ascent of sweet voice to Aluahym invoking his presence for help.

Psa 46:1 To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth (ayin lamed mem uau thu). Aluahym is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

The word ‘mah’ means the unknown. Hence put together ‘aylmah’ is ‘a virgin not known by a man’

‘alamoth’ is ‘a virgin not known by man in covenant/betrothed’

We have been betrothed to Mashiyach as his bride, a chaste virgin not known by the unknown.

Widow: ‘Alamanah/alamanoth’- ‘Alaph lamed mem nun uau thu’

Al is the poetic title short form for our creator ‘Aluahym’

‘manah’/’manoth’:

Hence a widow is spiritually ‘Al’s portion’ or ‘One who has portion with Aluahym’

The maiden (alamah/alamoth) lives as a chaste virgin betrothed to the husband Mashiyach and is rejoicing and singing songs of Yahuah’s deliverance and the widow (almanah/almanoth) is one who is sorrowful and in mourning crying out for Yahuah’s deliverance.

1Cor 7:8 But I say to the unmarried and to widows that it is good for them if they remain even as I.

1Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry; for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

The spirit is hidden in the letter. Paul was not forbidding to marry but by a literal command on marriage and remarriage he by Ruach was telling the unmarried and the widow to be betrothed to Mashiyach their husband and remain as he was living a life totally dedicated to Yahusha.

There are many trying to cling to Messiah but are living in false doctrines and therefore not all widows were to be/are to be considered as widows and we see this picture from Messiah telling that there were many widows in Yasharal in the days of Alayah (Eliyah) but he was only sent to a woman who was a widow unto Sarepta. This is what Paul in his instructions of taking care of widows in the assembly is speaking spiritually and in the ‘letter’ is the ‘spirit’.

Luke 4:25 “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Yisrael in the days of EliYahu, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land”

Luke4:26 “and yet EliYahu was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”

This widow (a picture of the elect) along with her son were having their last meal and the Yahuah sent Eliyah to give her and her son sustenance in the time of Great Famine (Great Tribulation).

Psa 55:22  Cast thy burden upon the YAHUAH, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Let’s look at a few verses and compare them spiritually to see the whole picture of why the elect are portrayed as a ‘widow’?

Lam 5:1 Remember, O Yahuah, what has befallen us; Look, and see our reproach!

Lam 5:2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.

Lam 5:3 We have become orphans without a father, our mothers are like widows.

Being a widow is a picture of elect having fornicated and now returning in repentance and are coming back to the true husband i.e. Messiah. The fair virgin went after many lovers and forgot who she was betrothed to and when she came to her senses she realized her harlotry and is now in dust and ashes weeping (spiritual fast) for the bridegroom to come and end her widowhood. The sorrow of losing the husband is widowhood.

Luke 5:34 And Yahusha said to them, “You cannot make the attendants of the bride chamber fast in which the bridegroom is with them, can you?”

Luke5:35 “But the days shall come; and when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they shall fast in those days.”

2Chr7:14 and if My people who are called by My name humble upon them and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I shall hear from heaven, shall forgive their sin and shall heal their land.

Eze22:23 And the word of Yahuah came to me, saying,

Eze22:24 Son of man, say to her, You are a land that is not cleansed nor rained on in the day of indignation.

Eze22:25 There is a conspiracy of her prophets in her midst like a roaring lion tearing the prey. They have devoured souls; they have taken the riches and gems; they multiplied her widows in her midst.

The false prophets caused widows to be multiplied. The seven women take hold of their husband Yahuah saying we will eat our own bread (own besorah) and we will wear our own clothes (righteousness) only let us be called by your name to take away are reproach. This was why Yasharal was doing until Yahuah had to carry them into captivity where they realized their whoredoms and returned to Yahuah their husband.

Isa 4:1 For seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, We shall eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let your name be called on us; take away our reproach!

Now let’s see Paul’s instructions on considering widows who are true widows

1Tim 5:3 Honor widows who are widows indeed;

1Tim 5:4 but if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents; for that is good and acceptable before the Aluahym.

1Tim 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and in union (yachayadah), trust in Aluahym and continues in supplications and in prayers night and day.

1Tim 5:6 But she that lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

The word ‘yachayadah’ means in union with Yah continues in supplications and prayers day and night.

The very word as we saw ‘alamanah’ means ‘Aluahyms portion’

It’s no coincidence that her union is a riddle (chaydah)/dark saying.

Luke 2:36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in many days and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,

Luke2:37 and she was a widow till the eighty-four years. She never left from the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

Luke2:38 At that hour she came up and gave thanks to Yahuah, and spake of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Yerushalam.

1Tim 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,

1Tim 5:10 well reported of for good works; if she has brought up children, if she has shown hospitality to strangers, if she has washed the feet of the holy ones, if she has relieved the afflicted, and if she has diligently followed every good work.

1Tim 5:11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against the Mashiyach, they want to get married,

1Tim 5:12 having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

1Tim 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

Paul tells Timothy that widowhood is refused to those who are younger for when they have begun to be immoral against Messiah they will marry. In the commandment is the spiritual vs spiritual.

Rev 18:7 How much she glorified herself and lived sensuously, So much torment and mourning give her; for she says in her heart, I sit as a queen and I am not a widow, and shall never see mourning.’

Those mentioned in Rev 18:7 are those who are part of Mystery Babylon who say in their heart “ I sit as a queen and am no widow”. She is living in pleasure as a younger widow who is immoral and a harlot and is against Messiah and his true besorah. These are those who have cast of their ‘first faith’ and have gone in the way of error.

Whereas the ‘poor widow’ is in union with Aluahym and trusteth in Alauahym (1 Tim 5:15) just as the one Messiah spoke of who cast in all her living for the sake of Aluahym.

Mark 12:41 And He sat down opposite the treasury, and He observed how the people were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.

Mark 12:42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.

Mark 12:43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury”;

Mark 12:44 “for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

The Widow of sixty years old are the elect who are part of the temple of Aluahym i.e THE WIFE OF ONE MAN Mashiyach.

1Tim 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under sixty years old, having been the wife of one man,

Ezra 6:3 In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king made a decree: Concerning the house of the El at Yerushalam, let the house be built, the place where they offered sacrifices, and let its foundations be retained, its height being sixty cubits and its width sixty cubits

This picture can also be seen from the glory that the elect will receive from her bridegroom being in union with him in being his portion.

Song 6:7 Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil.

Song 6:8 Sixty of them are queens and eighty concubines, and maidens without number;

The resurrected Messiah the true bridegroom was revealed to 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus which was from Jerusalem about sixty furlongs from Yerushalam. He broke bread with them and vanished from their sight and they had a revelation of who Messiah is.

Luke 24:13 And behold, two of them was going that same day to a village named Emmaus, which was about sixty furlongs from Yerushalam.

All those outside the covenant are those part of Mystery Babylon who says in her heart that she is a queen (no need of Messiah) and no widow when actually she is a harlot trampling the outer court whereas the elect cry out to Messiah day and night.

Luke 18:1 Now He spoke to them a parable to show that they ought always to pray and not to be weary,

Luke 18:2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear the Elohim and did not respect man.”

Luke18:3 “There was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, ‘Avenge me from my opponent.’”

Luke18:4 “For a while he would not; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear Aluahym nor respect man’”,

Luke18:5 “yet because this widow bothers me, I shall avenge her, lest by continually coming she shall wear me out.”

Luke18:6 And the Master said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge said”;

Luke18:7 “now, shall not the Aluahym bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and shall He delay long over them?”

Yahusha compared the widow to the elect who cry to Aluahym day and night.

Lam 1:1 How lonely sits the city that was full of people! She has become like a widow who was once great among the nations! She who was a princess among the provinces has become a tribute-prayer!

Aluahym promises that our widowhood will end very soon.

Isaiah 54:3-13 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles (Guym) , and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. [4] Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. [5] For thy Maker is thine husband; the Yahuah of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The Aluahym of the whole earth shall he be called. [6] For Yahuah hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy Aluahym. [7] For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. [8] In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith Yahuah thy Redeemer..