Left and Right Hand
Shape and Softness
Crime and Punishment
Strength and Weakness
How the Hands are Held
The inside of the hand represents the relation to self, and the outside of the hand represents the perception of others. The thumb is inward (radial), and the ulnar (percussion) side of the hand is outward. This is represented by the orientation of the karate chop.
Death cannot be predicted by the lines in the hand, or any other way.There are three general methods of analyzing the lines in the palm. First, the lines may be analyzed as linear with discreet markings that correspond to a timeline. This could also be called a differential approach. The problem is, however, that the scale is not necessarily constant. The points along the line will be in the right order, but events separated by the same number of years may not be the same distances apart along the lines. That does not mean the linear method has no merit. It just means it must be used with discretion. The second method is to view the lines with respect to their positions on the palm. For example a line that extends into the feminine side of the hand would be associated with femininity, or cognition of the right lobe. Or a long line would represent more extensive thought than a short line. The second method is the most credible. The third method is the integral, or pictorial approach. This method attempts to discern sketches, patterns, or pictures from the lines and markings in the palm. The marks of suffering recorded in the palm are the sketches of complete pictures. For example, the picture of Right Woman will be in the left hand and the picture of Right Man will be in the right. A person who can integrate the pictures may be less inclined to sweat the knits associated with other methods of hand analysis. All three of these methods are Biblical.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock,The major lines in the palm represent God's Strategic Design for the person. When the hand is held with the thumb pointing up, the lines that go up point to God, and the lines that go out toward the fingers point to man. The lines pointing upward bear relationships to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Sovereign Design of the Father; the authority of the Son; and the power of the Holy Spirit, all work together to accomplish God's purpose in the individual. The lines that point toward the fingers represent the body, soul, and spirit of the individual fulfilling the purpose of creation. Just as Adam was created trichotomous with a body, soul, and spirit, every created descendant of Adam has a body, soul, and Spiritual life line to God.
Who trains my hands for war,
And my fingers for battle; (Psalm 144:1, NAS)
Strategy is not a subject that is easily understood because the future is an unknown. However, it is a very necessary part of life. The decision to build a house is a strategic decision. In order to complete the house hundreds of decisions will have to be made. At the time the strategic decision to build the house is made, all those details are too much to consider. Yet, they have to be faced to complete the house. A human life is similar to building a house.
The potter and clay analogy in the Bible is an even simpler example. God is the potter, and we are the clay. He decides what kind of pot to make, and proceeds to do it. No matter what a person may try to become, he will never be any more or less than what God intended. This doesn't mean the person doesn't have a volition and make decisions for himself. The Sovereignty of God and the free will of man coexist in human history. The lines in the hand represent the Sovereignty of God, and the thumb represents the free will of man. God's design will be accomplished in an individual's life. A person can use his volition to enjoy the ride, or react to it, but he can't stop the Sovereign Design of God from being accomplished. God even knows the number of our steps.
“Does He not see my ways,The word, "ways," is the Hebrew derek, which is translated road, highway, path, pathway, and way. The literal meaning of derek is a road or path, but the figurative meaning is strategy or tactic. The word is used frequently in the Bible, just as the English equivalent is used frequently today. God's Strategy is marked in the hand of each created individual. There are 6 major lines in the palm, where 6 is the number for man, who was created on the 6th day. On the sixth day, the Sovereign Design of God was implemented in the creation of man. The creation bore the mark of the Creator. Lines of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit created man with a body, soul, and spirit.
And number all my steps? (Job 31:4, NAS)
Then the LORD God said, "It is not good that Adam should be alone. I will make him a helper corresponding to him." (Genesis 2:18)The Right Man touches the Right Woman with his dominant right hand. The right hand belongs to the Right Man. The Right Woman's head is in the hand of the Right Man. The picture of the Right Woman is engraved in the left hand of the Right Man.
“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.” (Song of Solomon 2:6; 8:3 NAS)
The left side of the brain represents the temporal, while the right side represents the spiritual. The left side of the brain represents the man and temporal authority, whereas the right side of the brain represents the woman and love. The left frontal lobe is called the mind, and the right side of the brain is called the heart. The left side of the brain controls the right hand, which represents the Right Man. And the right side of the brain controls the left hand, which represents the Right Woman. Whereas, the left side of the body represents the temporal and the right side represents the spiritual, the hands are reversed. The right hand represents the temporal Right Man, and the left hand represents the loving Right Woman. This is because the hands are the mirrors of the soul and represent the thinking of the mind and heart.
The length of life is recorded in the right hand, while riches and honor are recorded in the left.
Long life is in her right hand;The line of the Father is often called the line of life. And palm readers are forever looking for signs of riches and honor. The Righteous right hand of God upholds the believer's right hand (Isaiah 41:10, 13).
In her left hand are riches and honor. (Proverbs 3:16, NAS)
Isaiah 41:10,13 (NAS)Holding to an idol is a lie in the right hand (Isaiah 44:20) because the right side is spiritual and the left is temporal.
10 ‘Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,
Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
13 “For I am the Lord your God, who upholds your right hand,
Who says to you, ‘Do not fear, I will help you.’
He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” (Isaiah 44:20, NAS)Ignorance is not knowing the right from the left (Jonah 4:11).
“And should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals?” (Jonah 4:11, NAS)
Unhealthy hands may be withered. The Lord healed a withered hand (Matthew 12:13; Mark 3:5; Luke 6:10).
Cutting Off the Hands and Feet
Cutting off the hands and feet was required by the Mosaic Law for criminality toward Right Man - Right Woman. If a woman grabbed a man's genitals when two men were fighting, her hand was to be cut off (Deuteronomy 25:11-12). Grabbing the genitals was an attack on the Divine Institution of Marriage.
As a part of the execution ritual, the hands and feet of a prisoner were cut off. The ritual removed the hands that committed the crime and the feet that carried the the news (2 Samuel 4:12, ref. 2 Samuel 1:15-16). The Lord cut off the palms of the hands of Dagon (1 Samuel 5:4).
The dogs that killed Jezebel only left the skull, palms of the hands, and feet (2 Kings 9:35). The skull represented Jezebel's usurpation of the authority of her husband, the King. The hands represented the record of the evil that she had done, and the feet represented her evil walk through life.
Hanging by the hands was a form of capital punishment used by the Chaldeans (Lamentations 5:12). The hands and feet of the Lord Jesus Christ were pierced on the Cross (Psalm 22:16; John 20:27; Luke 24:39). The thumb and big toe of Adoni-bezek were cut off when he was taken prisoner so he could not carry arms or flee (Judges 1:6-7).
Hebrews 12:12-13Drooping hands and feeble knees are a dramatic construction in the Greek to emphasize the need for recovery of the reversionist. The verse has literal and Spiritual meaning. This is the whole basis for psychodiagnostic chirology. The word, drooping, is the Greek parivhmi (pariemi), which means weakened, listless drooping. It is a dramatic perfect, which describes a fact or existing state in an unusually vivid or realistic way. It refers not only to hands that are weak, but drooping and out of alignment. Feeble knees are another sign of weakness. Weak knees make it impossible to stand or difficult to walk. The hands represent service, and the feet represent the path of life. The reversionist has problems which will show up in both his hands and feet because he is disobeying God and going in the wrong direction.
12 Therefore, restore the drooping hands and the feeble knees 13 And make straight paths for your feet in order that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
The word, restore, is the Greek ajnorqovw (anorthow), which means to restore, rebuild, or strengthen. Restoring the hands and knees to health is the physical analogy to reversion recovery in the Spiritual Life. "Restore" is a command.
The reversionist is further commanded, "make straight paths for your feet." The word, "straight," is the Greek ojrqov" (orthos), which means to stand straight up. It means upright both literally and figuratively. As with the hands soulish, problems are reflected in the feet. "Straight paths" refers to alignment with the Strategy of God's Sovereign Design. It refers to the execution of the Spiritual Life through the daily metabolization of Bible Doctrine. "Straight paths" also refers to the six major lines in the hand that represent God's Strategic Design for a person's life.
Hand, knee, and feet problems need to be healed. The rest of the verse indicates that a lame joint may be dislocated by further abuse. Lame refers not just to the knees and feet, but also to the hands. Hands that are bent out of shape are included in the description of the reversionist. Reversionism will show up in the hands and feet. However, the problems with the hands and feet are the symptoms of Spiritual problems. Treating the hands and feet is not enough. The solution is not complete until the Spiritual solution is attained.
The hands may be held so that one covers the other. To cover means to contain, and therefore, mitigate the problem. If the dominant hand covers the other hand, it is a sign of overpowering; but if the dominant hand is covered by the other hand, it is a sign of being under control.
If the fingers of the two hands are clasped, or interlaced, together, it is a sign of holding power. If the clasped hands are placed up on a table or propped up with the elbows, it is a bold power sign. If the tips of all the fingers touch, it is a bird cage, which is the sign of a trap. If one hand grasps four extended fingers of the other hand, it is a sign of holding weakness or holding on.
Fingers extended in various ways have meaning associated with the finger. When the index finger alone is extended as if to shake at another, it is a sign of a strong expression of the ego. When the angle of the thumb is near 90 degrees, it is a bold expression of the will to the point of being dictatorial.1 If the thumb falls inside the hand, it is the sign of a broken will and giving up. If the thumb is bent like a hook, it is a sign of impotence of will. If the thumb is held tightly against the upper side of the hand, it indicates a person who is closed toward others and will not reveal personal information. This may be a guilt reaction from abuse. If the little finger is bent backward like a hook, it is a sign of hopelessness and helplessness.2
Line of the Father
Line of the Son
Line of the Holy Spirit
Line of the Body
Line of the Soul
Line of the Spirit
Line of Light
Straight and Crooked Lines
Ring of John the Baptist
Ring of Fate
Ring of Justice
Inner Heart Line
Line of Lasciviousness
Line of Intuition
The lines in the palm represent information processing, or cognition, such as related to the head, heart, capacity for life, destiny, Marriage, or success. The lines represent the Sovereign Design of God for the individual. The lines have symbolic meanings that correspond to the functions. The hand is a record of the creation of man, who was created in the image of God.
The line of the Father corresponds to the Sovereign will of God the Father, the author of the Divine Design for Creation. The line of the Son corresponds to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things, and the authority over all creation (Matthew 28:18). The line of the Father and the line of the Son originate from the top of the hand, which points toward Heaven. The line of the Holy Spirit corresponds to the function of the Holy Spirit as the helper in the Spiritual Life. The line of the Holy Spirit originates from the ulnar side of the hand, which is opposite from the other two lines.
The call to Salvation in Israel is from God the Father through the LORD. The LORD is the tetragrammaton, JHWH, which refers to a single member of the Godhead and can refer to the Father, Son, or Holy Spirit.
“Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God; the LORD is unique! (Deuteronomy 6:4)"Hear" is the Hebrew, shama`, which means hear and obey. The LORD of Israel was God. He had deity, and He was unique. The unique LORD is the uniquely born Son of God (Daniel 7:13-14; Isaiah 7:14).
For in this manner God loved the world, that He gave His uniquely born Son that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have Eternal Life (John 3:16)God the Father is symbolized by the Line of the Father while God the Son is symbolized by the Line of the Son. The Sovereign will of God is expressed in the Word of God, which is to be heard and obeyed. Obedience is recognition of authority. All authority is given to the LORD of Israel, who is the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:18).
“And you shall Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. (Deuteronomy 6:5)The Love that is commanded for the LORD is divine Love - not human soulish love. The Love for the LORD must first come from God. It is, therefore, reciprocal Love. The heart, which is the right lobe of the soul, responds to and expresses love; while the mind, which is the left lobe of the soul submits to and expresses authority. The thenar, thumb side, of the hand corresponds to the mind while the opposite side of the little finger corresponds to the heart. The thumb side is the masculine side while the ulnar side of the little finger is the feminine side. Thinking of the mind is objective while thinking of the heart is abstract.
The command to Love God with reciprocal Love with "all your heart" corresponds to the Line of the Holy Spirit and the Line of the human Spirit. The Line of the Holy Spirit originates from the ulnar side, which is opposite the thumb. The Holy Spirit is the helper, or helping hand. The Right Woman represents the helper hand. The Line of the Holy Spirit corresponds to the function of the Holy Spirit in communicating the Love of God to mankind and the reciprocal Love for God from mankind back to God.
The Lines of the Father and Holy Spirit may also be called the Line of Life and the Line of the Heart respectively, per the anthropopathism:
‘But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed always. (1 Samuel 2:35, NAS)Here, the LORD speaks of His heart and soul in the Old Testament before the Lord Jesus Christ came in the flesh with a heart and soul. The heart refers to the right lobe of the soul, while the soul is the immaterial essence, which is the seat of human life. The word, soul, is the Hebrew nephesh, which also means life. Thus, the Line of the Father may also be called the Line of Life, which corresponds to the soul, or life, of God. All life comes from God. The Line of the Holy Spirit, may similarly be referred to as the Line of the Heart, which corresponds to the heart of God.
God is also said to have a mind in another anthropopathism.
“And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” (1 Samuel 15:29, NAS)The mind refers to the left lobe of the soul. Since God is said to have a mind, the Line of the Son may also be called the Line of the Head, which represents the thinking and the authority of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the authority over all Creation (Colossians 2:10).
The Line of the human Spirit, which points toward the middle finger, may have branches into the ulnar side of the hand. The middle finger is the consolidating finger, and the command is to Love with all the heart, soul, and might. Thus, Loving with all the heart includes not only the Line of the Holy Spirit but also the Line of the human Spirit. The Line of the human Spirit is also called the line of destiny. Destiny is produced by the Sovereignty of God.
The command to Love "with all your soul" is a reference to the Line of the Soul. The soul has human soul life. When the soul is in the body, a person is alive. When a person dies, the soul leaves the body. The Line of the Soul encompasses the function of soul life. A good life is associated with success and prosperity.
The command to Love with "all your might" is a reference to the Line of the Body. The Line of the Body refers to the body, which is the physical part of man as opposed to the soul, which is immaterial essence. The Line of the Body is associated with the health and well-being of the body.
When the Lord Jesus Christ quoted the call to Love in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, He added "and with all your mind."
Mark 12:29-30The "mind" refers to the mentality of the soul, which is associated with the left lobe of the soul. The mind is objective and responds to authority. Thus, the "mind" refers to the Line of the Son, who has all authority and is the author of the Word of God, which must be obeyed.
29 Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD; 30 and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
Walking requires that a person stand upright, which means the X-axis horizontal to the left and right, the Y-axis in front and back, and the Z-axis vertical. Spiritual Dynamics is described in terms of the Space-Time X, Y, Z Coordinate System. The X, Y, and Z axes correspond to Faith (X), Hope (Z), and Love (Y) as well as Righteousness (X), Justice (Z), and Love (Y). The path of Righteousness corresponds to the line of the Father. The path of Justice refers to the line of the Son. And the path of Love refers to the line of the Holy Spirit. Any advance is along all three axes at once. The lines of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit simply refer to the three axes of the Space-Time Coordinate System.
The lines of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit correspond to the X, Y, and Z axes of the Space-Time Coordinate SystemThe wilderness has no paths. Cognition causes marks on the hands, and those with limited cognition have few hand lines.
“He deprives of intelligence the chiefs of the earth’s people,The sluggard, or lazy person, does not act or think with efficiency, which is also reflected in the hands.
And makes them wander in a pathless waste. (Job 12:24, NAS)
The road of the sluggard is as a hedge of thorns,The road of the sluggard is like a hedgerow of thorn bushes in contrast to the path of the upright, which is like a super highway. Instead of fine, well-defined lines in the hand, the sluggard will poorly defined lines full of ancillary markings that may resemble a hedgerow.
But the path of the upright is a highway. (Proverbs 15:19)
Ecclesiastes 12:6-7Death is described as the silver cord being broken. Silver represents justice. The cord is the life line, which is the connection to the Heavenly Control Room. The spirit of human soul life returns to God the Father at death.
6 Remember Him before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed; 7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.
The Line of the Father is called the life line (Prov 2:19; 3:16; 10:17; 12:28; 15:24; Psa 16:11). The opposite of the life line is called the cord of Sheol, or the grave (Psalm 18:4-5; 116:3; 2 Samuel 22:6). The opposite ends of the life line are in a tug of war that pull toward Heaven and Sheol, the grave.
But it pleased the LORD (Father) to afflict Him (Son) with disease (sickness);The Sovereign will of the Father in the hand of the humanity of Christ was the line of the Father around the thumb.
If His soul would pay a trespass offering, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days;
And the will of the LORD (Father) in His hand shall prosper. (Isaiah 53:10)
Believers and unbelievers have the line of the Father. God's will for the unbeliever is to accept Salvation.
“Thus it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. (Matthew 18:14, NAS)The line of the Father circles the thumb, which represents the free will of man. The Sovereignty of God and the free will of man coexist in every person. Just as Adam and 'Ishah were free to obey or disobey God in the Garden, everyone is still free to obey or disobey the Sovereign Design of God.
In whom also we have received a destiny, having been predestined according to the Design from the One (Father) implementing all Specifications according to His Design Proposal. (Ephesians 1:11)The line around the thumb represents the thought processes associated with obeying or disobeying God's Sovereign Design. The portfolio of invisible assets of the Spiritual Life do not show up in the hands. The hands are physical and not Spiritual. However, this verse does apply in principle to the hands since the Father does, indeed, implement His Design for a person's temporal life, which is recorded in the hands.
for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to produce on behalf of His good pleasure. (Philippians 2:13)The Sovereign Design of God the Father is at work in us. We have a free will to do the will of God or to reject it. The thoughts are in the soul, but a physical representation of the thoughts are in the hand.
Everyone has a calling from God's Sovereign Design. There is a calling for the temporal life, and a calling for the Spiritual Life. The calling for the Spiritual Life will not show up in the hands.
Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; (2 Peter 1:10, NAS)The Sovereign Design of God provides a calling for everyone. Every man has a profession to earn a living per the Adamic Covenant. Working in a profession is analogous to walking along the path of the Line of the Father. Those who stumble stop advancing along the line. This is the principle for the temporal life, and it also applies to the Spiritual Life. However, the Spiritual Life does not show up in the hands.
Ecclesiastes 2:24-25, NASThe unbeliever does not have a Spiritual Life, but he can still eat, drink, and succeed in his profession per the Sovereign Design of God. The unbeliever's calling, or profession, is represented by the Line of the Father.
24 There is nothing better for a man than to eat and drink and tell himself that his labor is good. This also I have seen, that it is from the hand of God. 25 For who can eat and who can have enjoyment without Him?
The devil counterattacks the Sovereign Design of God and tries to get a person to do his will.
and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will. (2 Timothy 2:26, NAS)Slavery to the Cosmic System will leave a record of problems in the hand. For example, the lines that radiate up toward the thumb on the mount of the thumb may represent the lust pattern. When the lines cross the Line of Life, they indicate overpowering and enslaving relationships. Cross-hatched areas on the hand represent judgment. These patterns will be explained under Markings. A person who obeys the will of the devil departs from the will of God as portrayed in the Line of the Father. The resulting punishment and suffering will leave physical marks on the hands.
The Line of the Father is also called the wagon track of Righteousness.
He restores my soul;The Hebrew lG*u=m^ (ma`eggal) means wagon track.
He guides me in the wagon tracks of Righteousness
Because of His Integrity. (Psalm 23:3)
The Line of the Father is called a path of Righteousness made by His footsteps.
Psalm 85:12-13David instructed Solomon about the wagon tracks of wisdom and the upright path that corresponds to the Line of the Father.
12 Indeed, the Lord will give what is good;
And our land will yield its produce.
13 Righteousness will go before Him,
And will make His footsteps into a path.
Proverbs 4:10-11Children who obey their parents will have a long life (Exodus 20:12). The years of life, the wagon tracks of wisdom based upon God's Righteousness, and the upright paths refer to the Line of the Father.
10 Hear, my son, and accept my communication,
And the years of your life will be many.
11 I have directed you in the wagon tracks of wisdom;
I have led you in upright paths.
Proverbs 4:12-13Those who obey the Sovereign will of God will be able to advance without having their steps hindered, which means there will not be obstacles along the Y-axis. And they will not stumble, which corresponds to falling along the Z-axis. Thus, the wisdom of the Line of the Father is associated with the Line of the Son (Z-axis) and the Line of the Holy Spirit (Y-axis). "Instruction" in Righteousness is called "your life," which is the life line, or Line of the Father.
12 When you walk, your steps will not be hindered;
And if you run, you will not stumble.
13 Take hold of instruction; do not let go.
Guard her, for she is your life.
Short or Broken Life Line
The Life Line is like a wall that protects the will and its relationships. When the Life Line is short, broken, or reduplicated, it represents a breach in a wall of security (Ezekiel 22:30). A Life Line with such flaws is like a wall that collapsed after the foundation eroded (Job 30:12-15; Psa 129:4; Matthew 7:26-27). It symbolizes a security breach, e.g. in a Client Nation, city, or residence. The men may be killed and the women raped. The wall of the Life Line separates the Masculine Mount of objectivity from the Feminine Mount of subjectivity. When the wall (Life Line) erodes, raiding bands may break out or victims of subconscious illusions may intrude. Objectivity may become aggressive or subjectivity may become seductive. The subconscious my intrude upon objective thinking. The person may be deluded into thinking that a very incompatible person would make a good marriage partner. Or the person may have episodes of forgetfulness or aberrant behavior.
A short Life Line also symbolizes Eclipse Testing, since the Feminine Mount, symbolized by the Moon, bleeds over into the Masculine Mount, symbolized by the Sun. Eclipse Testing only occurs between Right Man and Right Woman as it did in the Garden when the woman sinned and put the man's lights out.6
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (Matthew 28:18, NAS)The line of the Son is also called the line of the head, which is not bad, since the head is the symbol of authority. The Lord Jesus Christ represents all authority. There is no authority that is not ordained of God. The line of the Son represents a person's relationship with authority.
“All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son, except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father, except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. (Matthew 11:27, NAS)
20 which He (the Father) put into operation by means of Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all command, authority, might, and power, and every title that is given, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and He gave Him head over all things to the Church,
Romans 13:1-2, NASThe Father gives all authority to the Son, and the Son establishes authorities for the human race. These authorities include: Pastor-Teachers, Government authorities, Educational authorities, and the man in Marriage. When any authority is opposed, the authority of God the Father and God the Son is also opposed. Even the Love of God the Holy Spirit is rejected. This illustrates the principle that what occurs on one of the lines of the hand occurs in them all. A problem on the line of the Father will also show up on the lines of the Son and Holy Spirit.
1 Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore he who resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
The believer is commanded to hear and obey the word of the LORD, which is the Hebrew (shama`).
Jeremiah 2:4-5The path of Justice, which is the Z-axis, refers to the Line of the Son (Prov. 2:7-8; 8:20; Isaiah 40:14). The criminal, or crook, deviates from the path of Justice.
4 Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. 5 Thus says the LORD, “What injustice did your fathers find in Me, that they went far from Me and walked after emptiness and became empty?
They do not know the way of peace,The path of the adulteress deviates from the path of life and goes to the sin unto death.
And there is no justice in their tracks;
They have made their paths crooked;
Whoever treads on them does not know peace. (Isaiah 59:8, NAS)
She does not ponder the path of life;
Her ways are unstable, she does not know it. (Proverbs 5:6, NAS)
24 Now therefore, my sons, listen to me,
And pay attention to the words of my mouth.
25 Do not let your heart turn aside to her paths,
Do not stray into her ways.
26 For many are the victims she has cast down,
And numerous are all her slain.
27 Her house is the way to Sheol,
Descending to the chambers of death.
Behold, God is my helper;The Line of the Holy Spirit symbolizes love, the heart, and the Spiritual dimension. It represent the Love of God and a person's response to that Love with reciprocal Love for God. Without Love there is no Spiritual Life. The line of the Holy Spirit symbolizes the love life. However, the line has nothing to do with Spirituality. It represents the Sovereign Design of God, who is responsible for all love relationships. The love relationships in a person's life are represented by the Line of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord is the sustainer of my soul. (Psalm 54:4, NAS)
The Line of the Holy Spirit is also called the line of the heart, since the heart, which is the right lobe of the soul, expresses love. The Line of the Holy Spirit represents the thinking of the right lobe, just as the Line of the Son represents the thinking of the left lobe. However, as previously stated, all the lines are related, just as the thinking of the brain may be dominated by one area while other areas perform subordinate roles.
Job paid attention to hand analysis. He associated the heart with love relationships and a spot at a specific location on the hand as a sign of adultery.
Job 31:7-9, NASThe Love for God, which is symbolized by the Line of the Holy Spirit, may be tested severely.
7 “If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted.
9 “If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor’s doorway,
Psalm 44:17-18The Love for God in the face of testing keeps the person on the pathway of God's Sovereign Design, which is the Line of the Holy Spirit. During testing, a person must continue to obey the authority of the Law and other teachings of Bible Doctrine.
17 All this has come upon us, but we have not forgotten Thee,
And we have not dealt falsely with Your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
And our steps have not deviated from Your pathway,
The adulteress proceeds along the line of the heart.
Do not let your heart turn aside to her paths,The instruction of Bible Doctrine will keep a person on the straight and narrow path of the heart.
Do not stray into her ways. (Proverbs 7:25)
Listen, my son, and be wise,Directing the heart in the path is a command to remain true to the Sovereign Design of God represented by the Line of the Holy Spirit.
And direct your heart in the path. (Proverbs 23:19)
The reversionist does not have reciprocal Love for God, which is symbolized by the line of the heart.
“Because of the iniquity of his unjust gain I was angry and struck him;The path of the heart is the line of the heart in the palm of the hand.
I hid My face and was angry,
And he went on turning away, in the path of his heart. (Isaiah 57:17)
The hands reflect the health of the body, but one line in particular is associated with health. It is called the Line of the Body, or line of health. Not everyone has a line of health, but when it is present, it reveals the health of the body. A strong, solid Body Line indicates strength to stand up to physical challenges. A strong Body Line is like being thick-skinned. The problems of life do not make the person sick. Even when the person is sick or injured, the problem will be clearly indicated on the Body Line and taken in stride. However, a weak, broken, or striated Body Line is the sign of stress in the body, which often leads to infirmities. People with thin skin and fine hair are often hypersensitive and subject to body stress, which shows up as a striated Body Line. They fall apart physically under pressure.
Sickness and physical ailments are due to God's punishment, which is from His Sovereignty. Punishment is often designed to teach a person after rejection of Bible Doctrine. Those who do not profit from punishment are doomed. The thinking of the soul is recorded in the hand, and the resulting punishment of the body is also recorded.
People with bodily infirmities were healed when their hands touched the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, the hands are related to bodily health.
for He had healed many, with the result that all those who had afflictions pressed about Him in order to touch Him. (Mark 3:10, NAS)Weak hands are analogous to a person without Spiritual strength.
Hebrews 12:12-13The paths of a person represent the thinking associated with God's Strategic Design, which is reflected in the lines in the hand. The Line of the Body is associated with the health of the body.
12 Therefore, restore the drooping hands and the feeble knees,
13 And make straight paths for your feet in order that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed.
The Body in Marriage
The major cause of divine punishment of the body is the Right Man - Right Woman relationship. The body is God's gift for Marriage. In Marriage, the man's body belongs to the woman and the woman's body belongs to the man (1 Corinthians 7:4). Therefore, divine punishment of the husband is punishment of the wife's body and vice versa.
So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; (Ephesians 5:28, NAS)A person who is serious about Marriage will try to keep his own body healthy out of respect for the Marriage partner. Since people usually take seriously the health of their bodies, this is also a metaphor of how Christ cares for the Church, which is His Spiritual Body.
Ephesians 5:29-30, NASThe body of the Christian does not belong to himself but belongs to Christ, his Savior, who purchased him with His own blood on the Cross. The body of the Christian is indwelt by God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The body of the adulterer is joined to the darkness of the Cosmic System, and the body is no longer filled with the Light of life. The soul is still saved, and the body is still indwelt by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; but the body is full of darkness rather than the Light.
29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body.
Flee fornication. Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the fornicating person sins against that one's own body. (1 Corinthians 7:18)Punishment for adultery and fornication is in the body (Proverbs 7:23). In agreement with Proverbs 7:23, traditional palmists even called the Body Line the hepatica, or Line of the Liver. Since the adulterer is in the darkness of the Cosmic System, he is punished by darkness in the body. Sickness is due to God's reduction of Light in the body. The adulterer will be punished physically and will not glorify God in his body.
For you see, you were purchased for a price; now therefore, glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:20)Glorify (Greek doxavzw, doxazo) means to clothe in splendor or with the effulgence of Light. It refers to Spiritual Light, not physical light. Glorifying God in the body means more than the Filling of the Holy Spirit in the soul. It means Light in the body. Light in the body means the body is not under the control of the Old Sin Nature, which resides in the 23 chromosomes passed down from the male. Light in the body is blessing from God for those who execute the Christian life. Scar tissue of the soul blocks Light to the body. Adultery builds up scar tissue of the soul and blocks Light to the body. Sickness is divine punishment of the body by reducing the Light of biological life in the body.
The Fountain of Youth
The biological life of the human body is under control of the Lord from the Heavenly Control Room. Commands to biological life are transmitted by the Holy Spirit. The commands are composed of Light. Glorifying God in the body is only possible by responding to God's grace. As the believer executes the Christian life, God blesses the body, soul, and human spirit with Light. Light in the soul and human Spirit produces the Edification Complex of the Soul, while Light in the body produces the Fountain of Youth. Abraham and Sarah received the sexual fountain of youth in their bodies after Abraham was circumcised. His physical circumcision represented the circumcision of the heart, which is the removal of scar tissue of the soul. The removal of scar tissue of the soul allows divine Light to reach biological life in the body and rejuvenate the body with the Fountain of Youth. Abraham and Sarah were sexually dead, but when the Light reached their bodies, they were sexually rejuvenated (Romans 4:19-22).
The LORD told Joshua about the path of prosperity and success.
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your path prosperous, and then you will have success. (Joshua 1:8, NAS)The path of prosperity and success is a metaphor for the Line of the Soul, which reveals success in the hand. Although prosperity and success come from the grace of God, the results are nevertheless temporal. The Line of the Soul is the indicator of temporal success.
David commanded Solomon to follow the same path for success. The paths of God's Sovereign Design are in the hand, and the line of success is one of them.
“And keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His paths, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, (1 Kings 2:3)The LORD promised the same success to Jacob, the personification of the nation of Israel.
“I, even I, have spoken; indeed I have called him,The path of success corresponds to the Line of the Soul in the hand.
I have brought him, and He will make his paths successful. (Isaiah 48:15)
The path of prosperity is a grace gift of the Sovereign Design of God.
You have crowned the year with Your prosperity,Fatness is a symbol of prosperity. The wagon tracks of God are like the Line of the Soul associated with success in the hand.
And Your wagon tracks drip fatness. (Psalm 65:11)
The hand of the humanity of Christ revealed prosperity from the will of the Father.
But it pleased the LORD (Father) to afflict Him (Son) with disease (sickness);The will of the Father in the hand of Jesus Christ revealed prosperity. The Line of the Soul revealed the prosperity. The Line of the Soul runs toward the third finger, which is associated with justice. Success comes when the Sovereign Design of God is vindicated or validated in the life of a person. Blessing and success come when God can justify such things.
If His soul would pay a trespass offering, He shall see His offspring; He shall prolong His days;
And the will of the LORD (Father) in His hand shall prosper. (Isaiah 53:10)
God controls destiny from His Sovereignty. However, Satan tries to give demons credit for destiny.
Isaiah 65:11-12The LORD pronounced a the destiny of those who held festivals to demon gods. These people set a place at the table for Gad, the god of good fortune, and they filled up a mixed drink for the goddess of Destiny. However, this was evil, and the LORD destined those people for slaughter. The Babylonian god of good fortune was Baal-hamman, who was the same a Jupiter, one of the gods of war. Jupiter was called by the Arabs "the greater luck." "The lesser luck" of the Arabs was Venus, who was synonymous with the goddess of love.
11 “But you who forsake the LORD,
Who forget My holy mountain,
Who set a table for Gad (god of good fortune),
And fill up mixed drink for the goddess of Destiny,
12 I have destined you for the sword,
And all of you shall bow down to the slaughter.
Because I called, but you did not answer;
I spoke, but you did not hear.
And you did evil in My sight,
And chose that in which I did not delight.”
The LORD described the destiny of the Fifth Cycle of Discipline to Jeremiah.
“And it shall be that when they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you are to tell them, ‘Thus says the LORD:The Christian has a Spiritual destiny from the Sovereign Design of God.
“Those destined for death, to death;
And those destined for the sword, to the sword;
And those destined for famine, to famine;
And those destined for captivity, to captivity.”’ (Jeremiah 15:2, NAS)
In whom also we have received a destiny, having been predestined according to the Design from the One (Father) implementing all Specifications according to His Design Proposal. (Ephesians 1:11)The Spiritual destiny is not recorded in the hands, but it is analogous to the temporal destiny that is recorded in the hands.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,The "path of the righteous" refers to the Line of Light in the palm of the hand. Descriptions of the believer walking in the light also refer to this line (Psalm 119:105; 1 John 1:7).
That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (Proverbs 4:18, NAS)
The Line of Light is often called the line of ambition, but that is not a very good description. The Line of Light represents self expression, acting out, or production on the Stage of Life. The greatest example of the Line of Light was in the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, who was called the Light (John 1:4, 9; 8:12). The second greatest example was John the Baptist, the herald of the Light, who prepared the way before the Lord (Malachi 3:1).
In addition, there is the blessing of a high intelligence and the ability to understand and influence other people. Such people give up the world for a higher life or for a relationship with nature or children. For example, they may be good teachers, farmers, veterinarians, or animal trainers. They may lack an interest in money and have a questioning, philosophical mind. There may be multiple rings, which heightens the intensity. If the ring is only half-developed, it lessens the intensity.
King Solomon was known for having a philosophical mind, and he was wise; however, he didn't give up worldly and materialistic ambition. The better example would be John the Baptist, who lived in the wilderness, wore a camel's hair coat, and ate locusts and wild honey.
Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (Matthew 3:4, NAS)Thus, John the Baptist not only gave up the world, but he enjoyed a rapport with nature as he lived off the land. He literally lived with the animals in the wild. Yet, according to the Lord Jesus Christ, John was the greatest person up until that time.
“Truly, I say to you, there has not arisen among those born of women anyone greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. (Matthew 11:11)The testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ is that John was greater than Moses, Elijah, and other great prophets of the Old Testament. Moses was better known, but John the Baptist was greater. His greatness did not lie in his popularity, although he was a well known evangelist. His greatness came from passing the test of the love of the Lord. John proved his love for the Lord by humbly accepted his calling in the Sovereign Design of God. God called upon John to live a humble life without a wife and without the normal comforts. He was a Nazarite (Luke 1:15), and he preached to large crowds, who came out into the desert to hear his message (Matthew 3:5). He "performed no sign" (John 10:41). He simply gave his message as Malachi predicted.
"Behold, I am going to send My messenger, that he may prepare the way before Me. And the LORD, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the angel of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming," says the LORD of the Armies. (Malachi 3:1)The name, Malachi, means "My messenger," which was John the Baptist. John the Baptist was the herald of the King. He performed his Heavenly calling in self-denial and humility. "In his humility he declined the honors that an admiring multitude almost forced upon him and declared himself to be no one - merely a voce - calling upon the people to prepare for the reception of the One whose sandal he was not worthy to remove."4
Balaam exhibited the traits of a person with a Ring of Fate. When he finally landed a contract from the king, his path was blocked by the Angel of the LORD on the way to the job (Numbers 22:23). And when he tried to curse Israel, he blessed it instead (Numbers 23:11-12, 25-26).
Balaam is also an example of a person with this trait. He was to be paid a large sum of money by King Balak for cursing Israel. However, he did not succeed in getting his pay (Numbers 24:10-11). Later, he did come up with a scheme and earned the money. Absalom also may have had such a mark. He invested much time in stealing the hearts of the men of Israel; but he had no sooner proclaimed himself king, than he was killed on the battlefield after he was caught in a tree branch (2 Samuel 15:3; 18:9-15).
Having been created with a special capacity for intimacy, these types easily enter into intimate relationships. This may be a blessing or a curse. Only the Spiritually Mature individual will have capacity for intimacy and be able to avoid the pitfalls of illicit relationships. Those with Inner Heart Lines will undergo rigorous testing on the road to Spiritual Maturity in order to learn to reject illicit relationships. Since the Intimacy Room of the Edification Complex of the Soul cannot tolerate illicit intimacy, the testing of Marriage Culture will be rigorous for those with Inner Heart Lines.
Amplifier of the heart
The Inner Heart Line is like an amplifier of the heart. It reveals the amplification, often to an extreme, of the inclinations of the heart by the emotions. It is an indicator of a highly sensitive nature; however, this may be accompanied by hypersensitivity, nervousness, and anxiety. Bearers may be moody and easily offended. And when the line is complete and unbroken, the person may have a tendency toward hysteria.5
The Inner Heart Line acts as a ring to block the Destiny and Success Lines. Blocking the Destiny Line signifies blocking the social relationship of Marriage, i.e. the friendship between Right Man and Right Woman. Friendship with the world, or paramours, is substituted for friendship with the spouse. Blocking the Success Lines may come from the multitude of distractions associated with the Inner Heart Line. The desire to commit adultery, which may be fueled by the Inner Heart Line, is an attempt to break the judicial relationship in Marriage that requires forsaking all others.
The Inner Heart Line signifies a number of different forms of intimacy, which are associated with individual segments of the line. These segments are color coded in the illustration.
This segment can represent various forms of injustice.
A person may be tempted to break the Marriage contract. This is not
adultery. Adultery is revealed beside the Marriage Lines. But
it could mean that a person has an opportunity to commit adultery.
This is associated with the judicial aspects of infidelity. In another
case, a person might be able to expose hidden flaws or expose the weaknesses
of products during testing. In other cases, the person could be tempted
to engage in criminality or some other form of illicit behavior.
Others might become paranoid from fear of injustice. Some extreme
cases of multiple Inner Heart Lines may be present in schizophrenics, who
hear voices or have paranoid conspiracy theories.
The Inner Heart Line represents one of the two fundamental love failures in the human race. They are the love of money and the love of honey. The Inner Heart Line represents the love of honey, which symbolizes the female sexual response. Sex inside Marriage is not a sin, but sex outside Marriage is one of the major sources of evil. David taught Solomon about the love of money in Proverbs 2 and about the love of honey in Proverbs 5 and 7. Solomon, who was a teenager at the time, did not listen. He went on to become the greatest example of the love of money and the love of honey. He hoarded gold and silver and built lavish palaces. He was a lover of the arts and drama and fulfilled his intimate illusions. Song of Solomon is an example of one of his musical dramas. He undoubtedly had the Inner Heart Line and the Line of Intimate Illusions, which is also called the Passion Line (Ecclesiastes 2:8).
King Herod behaved like a person with an Inner Heart Line. When the Magi told him that the King of the Jews had been born, Herod was very troubled. He was hypersensitive to the threat of the baby because he was the king of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-4). When John the Baptist exposed Herod's incest, Herod had John arrested because he perceived John as a threat. Then Herod was so pleased with the belly dancing of the daughter of Herodias, his incestuous wife, that he had John the Baptist beheaded to grant her wish (Matthew 14:3-11).
Joseph of Arimathea
Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ because he feared reprisal from the religious Jews.
And after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. He came therefore, and took away His body. (John 19:38, NAS)The word for "secret," is the Greek kruvptw (krupto), which means hidden or secret. Joseph of Arimathea behaved like a person with at least a partial Inner Heart Line. He kept his true beliefs a secret because he was hypersensitive about criticism from the religious, legalistic Jews.
Secret Attractions of Romance
The Inner Heart Line may indicate a secret agenda for romance. Although there is no indication that Job had this line, he was a palm reader and recognized this as one of the basic personality types.
“I have made a covenant with my eyes;Job obeyed the doctrine of Marriage and recognized the lust of the eye as a sin. His decision to obey Bible Doctrine was like keeping a hidden covenant that his heart had made with his eyes. Instead of a hidden covenant, the person with an Inner Heart Line may have a hidden agenda.
How then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1)
Job 31:9-10Job obeyed his hidden covenant and did not allow his heart to be enticed by a woman. He did not go to his neighbor's house with a hidden agenda to commit adultery. Although Job didn't do these things, his vocabulary recognizes that others did. Those with an Inner Heart Line may have their hearts enticed to commit adultery. Job uses the analogy of a mortar and pestle for grinding grain as a metaphor for sex.
9 "If my heart has been enticed by a woman,
Or I have lurked at my neighbor's doorway,
10 May my wife grind to another,
And let others kneel down over her.
Another secret perversion was the phallic reversionism of cults where the worship of the goddess of love included orgies.
Job 31:26-27The heart could be enticed to worship the Sun or Moon in conjunction with the associated illicit sex. The person with an Inner Heart Line may be enticed by the perversions of Sun or Moon worship. Such people would, however, keep such activity a secret and fear public exposure. This is described as the heart being "secretly enticed." The poetic expression, "my hand kissed them (the Sun and Moon) to my mouth," could be translated "my hand threw them a kiss from my mouth." Kissing or blowing a kiss is an expression of endearment.
26 If I have looked at the Sun when it shone,
Or the Moon going in splendor,
27 And my heart was secretly enticed,
And my hand kissed them to my mouth,
Creeps are also good examples of people with Inner Heart Lines.
For among them (loser believers) are those who creep into homes and seduce silly women overwhelmed by their sins, led on by a variety of lusts (2 Timothy 3:6)Creeps are secretive and have a hidden agenda of seduction. They are motivated by a variety of lusts. Motivation is seen in the hand by the mounts. Amnon, who raped his sister, Tamar, behaved like a creep with a hidden agenda (2 Samuel 13:1-22). Those who commit adultery from their hidden agenda carefully guard the secret (Numbers 5:13). Since adultery was a crime under the Mosaic Law, elaborate schemes were employed to find out the secret.
One of the biggest problems in personal relationships is keeping secrets. Those with Inner Heart Lines will try to carefully guard their secrets. When the secrets of others are discovered, it is a liability that can lead to big trouble. Discovering the salacious details of a secret romance or the feet of clay of another may lead to gossip, which is a terrible sin. Gossip, whether true or untrue, destroys the privacy of others. It intrudes upon their volition, which is Divine Institution Number 1. God's punishment will be severe. The punishment due the object of gossip will be given to the one who gossips along with punishment for attacking a divine institution. The punishment of the person who gossips will thus be compounded (Matthew 7:1-2). The person who gossips will wind up with more punishment than the person who committed the original sins. Since fornication and adultery carry with them Intensified Discipline, this can be a big problem. Sexual sins will be judged immediately from the Supreme Court of Heaven (Hebrews 13:4).
Are you striving with your neighbor? Strive with him;"Striving" here refers to arguing a civil case in self-defense, not a criminal case. It does not mean strife associated with jealousy. When a person is pulled into a dispute with a friend or neighbor, it is legitimate to defend oneself. Many disputes arise from misunderstandings, and the truth will dispel them. However, when making a defense, a person should not bring in as material proof and means of acquittal, secrets entrusted by another, or secrets known about another. The secrets of a third party should not be used to win a dispute.
But do not reveal the secret of another; (Proverbs 25:9)
Execution of the Spiritual Life will expose evil, and the Christian will learn many of the dark secrets of the world. However, this knowledge is a liability.
Ephesians 5:11-12Exposing secrets or feet of clay of others is disgraceful and puts the one who does it on the same level as the perpetrator. The person who exposes the feet of clay of another is like the iconoclast who smashes images. Such activism will immediately suck the person into the Cosmic System under the power of the devil.
11 And stop participating in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but even be exposing them. 12 Because it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are being done by them secretly.
The Line of Lasciviousness may indicate a passion for physical desires, such as sensual and sexual pleasures. On a strong firm palm, with clear lines of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the need for excitement may be satisfied by sport and adventure. In a weak, soft hand with broken or defective lines of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and an Inner Heart Line, the desires may become addiction to drugs, alcohol, or illicit sex. The Line of Lasciviousness alone cannot be construed to mean a person is a homosexual, alcoholic, or a rake; nor does the absence of the mark mean a person is not. The whole hand must be taken into consideration before jumping to a conclusion. Sexual sins carry with them intensified discipline, and the results will show up in other areas of the hand, such as a depleted mount of Capacity for Life.
The Line of Lasciviousness may proceed toward the little finger and represent great eloquence or a clever politician. However, there may also be the tendency toward lascivious desires. Or the line may turn back across the Line of Life, which could represent a desire to escape.
Men of Sodom
The men of Sodom exhibited the strong lascivious desires that may be associated with the Line of Lasciviousness (Genesis 19:5-11; Jude 7). The men of Sodom were homosexuals who lusted for the flesh of angels that had come to destroy the city. The men both young and old surrounded Lot's house and tried to break the door down to satisfy the lusts of the flesh.
Benjamites of Gibeah
The Benjamites of Gibeah exhibited similar desires (Judges 19:22-28). When a Levite, who probably worked around the Tabernacle, stopped to spend the night in an old man's home, the Benjamites came to rape the man. The old man went out and pleaded with the Benjamites, "Do not commit this shameful licentiousness!" (Judges 19:23). "Shameful licentiousness" is the best translation of the Hebrew nebalah, which is often poorly translated, folly. And nebalah is a type of behavior exhibited by a person with the Line of Lasciviousness. After the Benjamites demanded to rape the Levite, the Levite gave them his concubine. They abused her sexually all night, and in the morning she was dead. The Benjamites exhibited the behavior of a people with the Line of Lasciviousness. They "committed a lewd and lascivious (nebalah) act in Israel" (Judges 20:6). The army was called out to punish the Benjamites "for all the licentiousness (nebalah) they have committed in Israel" (Judges 20:10b).
Nabal, a drunk and a scoundrel, was the husband of Abigail, one of the most beautiful, intelligent, and doctrinal women in the Bible. The contrast between these two affords insight into the meaning of nebalah and its relation to the Line of Lasciviousness (1 Samuel 25:2-3). Nabal, which means fool, was probably a nickname, since nobody would name a son, fool. Nabal was inhospitable, churlish, and vulgar. He was harsh and evil in his business dealings. And he was an alcoholic, who drank himself to death. He died the sin unto death of a massive heart attack. Abigail, who was very beautiful, refined, and intelligent, was probably given to him in marriage because he was rich. In those days, the women did not choose their husbands. The marriages were arranged by the parents.
Abigail was the perfect wife, but Nabal was a rotten husband. He was called Nabal, which means fool. When Job's wife told him to "curse God and die," he told her she spoke like "one of the the foolish women," which is the same word, nabal (Job 2:9-10). The word, nabal, was not very complimentary. When Nabal refused to pay David's guards for providing security for Nabal's shepherds and David was about to kill Nabal, Abigail reasoned with David. She said:
“Please do not let my lord set his heart against this man of Belial, over this Nabal (fool), because as his name is so is he. Nabal is his name and vulgarity (nebalah) is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. (1 Samuel 25:25)She called him a man of Belial, which mean worthless or good for nothing. Belial is also a euphemism for the devil. She called him nebalah, which in this context means his vulgarity and churlishness. The vulgarity and churlishness, however, must be understood in contrast to the respectful consideration and hospitality of Abigail.
Vulgarity is an attack on civilization. Lasciviousness is an attack on Marriage, and a rejection of God's divine design. It is only when the Righteousness of God is compared to vulgarity and lasciviousness that the shame of nebalah comes out. The shame of homosexuality and rape is magnified when compared to the Righteousness of God.
Homosexuality and lesbianism are examples of behavior symbolized by the Line of Lasciviousness.
And in the same way also males abandoned the natural sexual function of the female and burned in their lust toward one another, males with males committing shameless deeds, and receiving back in their own persons the due penalty of their error. (Romans 1:27)The word for "shameless deeds" is the Greek ajschmosuvnh (aschemosune). The deeds are shameless because they reject God's gift of sex for Marriage. Homosexuals are not just foolish; they are defying God. Homosexuality and lesbianism are a rejection of God's Divine Design.
The rape of Dinah was shameful because it violated the standards of Israel in contrast to the heathen tribes.
Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had committed licentiousness (nebalah) in Israel by having sex with Jacob's daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done. (Genesis 34:7)Amnon, who raped his half-sister, Tamar, exhibited the behavior associated with the Line of Lasciviousness.
2 Samuel 13The word, "abuse," is the Hebrew hn*u* (`anah), which means to humble by rape, degrade, abuse. It refers to the abuse that accompanies rape and what it does to the woman. "Shameful lasciviousness" is nebalah.
11 But when she brought them near to him to eat, he grabbed hold of her and demanded, "You, come have sex with me, my sister!" 12 But she answered him, "No, my brother! Do not abuse (rape) me, because such a thing is forbidden in Israel!; do not commit this shameful lasciviousness!"
Released July 3, 2002 - Revised Aug. 16, 2015