THE TREE Of LIFE - Universal Ethical Norm

(A Future Prophecy in Nahum’s Day)
Nahum 2 “Behold, upon the mountains the feet of him bearing good news, are making peace heard! Celebrate, O Judah, your feasts; fulfill your vows; for not will continue any more to pass through among you the worthless; completely he is cut off (brought to an end).’”

MacArthur Commentary.- mountains … feet. The verse echoes Isaiah 52:7, where it refers to those who announced the deliverance from Babylon.

“’And now what do I have here?’
Declares the Lord.
‘For My people have been
Taken away for nothing,
And those who rule them
Mock,’
Declares the Lord.
‘And all day long
My name is constantly
Blasphemed.
Therefore My people will
Know My name;
Therefore in that day they
Will know
That it is I who foretold it.
Yes, it is I.’”

“How beautiful on the
Mountains
Are the feet of those who
Bring good news,
Who proclaim peace,
Who bring good tidings,
Who proclaim salvation,
Who say to Zion,
‘Your God reigns!’
Listen! Your watchmen lift up
Their voices;
Together they shout for joy.
When the Lord returns to
Zion,
They will see it with their
Own eyes.
Burst into songs of joy
Together,
You ruins of Jerusalem,
For the Lord has comforted His
People,
He has redeemed
Jerusalem.
The Lord will lay bare His holy
Arm
In the sight of all the
Nations,
And all the ends of the earth
Will see
The salvation of our God.”
Isaiah 52:5-10

McGee Commentary.- Isaiah spoke this in reference to the destruction of Babylon as he wrote to the southern kingdom of Judah. Nahum, writing to the northern kingdom, says the same thing but concerning Assyria.

Barnes Commentary.- Nahum joins on this signal complete deliverance from a temporal enemy, to the final deliverance of the people of God. The invasion of the Assyrian king was an avowed conflict with God Himself. It was a defiance of God.
The Assyrian king would make God’s people, his; he would cut them off, that it be no more a people, and that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance.

“The prophet, with irony and satire, ordered the Assyrians to prepare for the coming invasion …”

(Continuing Nahum 2) Verse 2 “Guard the rampart, watch the way, strengthen the loins (prepare all your strength for conflict), exceedingly firm up the power. For Jehovah has turned (aside) the glory (the honored position) of Jacob (the ancestor, the tribal head of the nation Israel), like the glory of Israel (illuminating the Law & holy standard of God). For those emptying (the people of God of their occupied habitation of righteousness) have emptied them, and their branches (their judicial system and courts extending or from the expansion of their personal interests or activities through the practice of a free and equal representation of the people as a righteous and just system of civil government) they have destroyed.”

(Review)
ISAIAH 14:1-2 “For Jehovah will have pity on Jacob, and will chose yet among Israel, and give them rest on their [home] land. And the alien [left helpless in the face of oppression- who of necessity relied upon others for justice, since they were not in a position to demand it, or mete it out themselves] shall be joined to them; and they shall cling to the house of Jacob [in the thick of the battle of life- for Jacob is in enemy territory and threatened by a hostile world]. And peoples [strong in righteousness] shall take them and bring them to their place. And the house of Israel [whose very covenant safeguards the liberties of others] shall possess them [in an ethical sense] on the land of Jehovah for slaves and slave girls [who meekly accept being ruled by the laws of a free and democratic society], and they shall be [socially restrained] captives of their [law enforcing] captors [restoring and maintaining the boundaries of the law], and [in such a social posture] they shall rule over their [lawless and cruel] oppressors [the ruthless Babylonians- a formidable political world power of underground organized crime- involved in a secret bid for worldwide domination].”

McGee Commentary.- “It is very interesting that Nahum, with biting sarcasm, tells Assyria, ‘You sure had better fortify yourself. The Assyrians (the best fighting machine - ferocious looters, building their state by robbing other nations) spared no one, and they thought that their capital was impregnable and that they could withstand any kind of a judgment. But God is saying to this nation, ‘You are going to be destroyed.’”

Barnes Commentary.- For the emptiers (the Assyrians) have emptied them out. Unlike the world, their emptiness is their fullness, as the fullness of the world is its emptiness. The Church falls, but to arise; for the Lord has restored the excellency of Jacob; for the emptiers have emptied them out and marred their vine branches, i.e., its fruit-bearing branches.

(The Assyrains forces molded into an irrestable fighting machine - sought to reduce the whole civilized world into a single empire)

Barnes Commentary.- The Assyrian King then was not a picture only, he was the agent of Satan, who used his hands, feet, tongue, to blaspheme God and war against His people.

“After He has employed these nations, as Nineveh and Babylon, for a time to fulfill His purpose, He lays them aside. But, He, in the case of His elect people (whose very covenant safeguards the civil liberties of the alien), restores them to His favor again (illuminating the Law & holy standard of God, “signifying the nation’s restoration to the promised position” – far from the corporation of tyrannical imperialism)."

Henry Commentary.- Here is an alarm of war sent to Nineveh. The prophet speaks of it as just at hand, for it is neither doubtful nor far distant. O Nineveh! Keep the munitions’; secure your towers and magazines: watch the way; set guards upon all the avenues to the city; make your loins strong; encourage your soldiers; animate (rouse) yourself and them (into activity); fortify your power mightily, as cities do when an enemy is advancing against them: (this is spoken ironically); “do the utmost you can, yet you shall not be able to put by (prevail against) the stroke of this judgment, for there is not counsel of strength against the Lord.”
A manifesto published, showing the causes of the war: The Lord has turned away the excellency of Jacob, as the excellency of Israel, that is, the Assyrians have been abusive to Jacob, the two tribes (the Assyrians have humbled and mortified them), have emptied them, and marred their vine-branches. For this God will reckon with them; though done long since, it shall come into the account now against the kingdom, and Nineveh the head-city of it. Emptiers have emptied the cities, and marred the vine-branches in the country of Jacob and Israel; and must not the excellency of Nineveh, that is so much her pride, be turned away too?

Calvin Commentary.- The Prophet again teaches us, that whatever he prophesied respecting the destruction of the city Nineveh, was for this end,- that God, by this remarkable evidence, might show that He had a care for His people, and that He was not unmindful of the covenant He had made with the children of Abraham. This prophecy would have otherwise produced no salutary (beneficial) effect on the Israelites; they might have thought that it was by chance, or by some fatal revolution or through some other cause, that Nineveh had been overthrown. Hence the Prophet shows, that the ruin of the city, and of the monarchy of Nineveh, would be a proof of the paternal love of God towards His chosen people, and that such a change was to be made for the sake of one people… because God…purposed that some seed should remain; for it would have been inconsistent, that the covenant, which was to be inviolate (unaltered, kept pure, not subject to change or destruction), should be abolished. We now then understand the Prophet’s object, and how this verse is to be connected with the rest of the context.
Behold, he says, on the mountains the feet of him who announces peace. There would be now free liberty to proclaim peace on the highest places.

Barker – Bailey Commentary (Expounded).- God promised the cessation of hostility and the restoration of autonomy (existence as independent moral agents) to the people of Judah (via the exclusivism of the covenant). No more would the wicked invade the people of Judah. They (the Assyrians) would be completely cut off, a word of assurance that Judah’s subservience to Assyria would soon end. Literally, the Hebrew reads, “for not again still to pass over you Belial.”
In this chapter the prophet warned the city of the coming destruction “with biting irony…” Like almost everyone in Judah, he looked and hoped for the destruction of Nineveh.

“An attacker advances against you, (Nineveh).
Guard the fortress,
Watch the road,
Brace yourselves,
Marshal all your strength!”

For Nahum the ultimate shatter was God Himself. No matter who the human agent of destruction might be, God rendered the Assyrians powerless (in an ethical sense). He planned to rescue the peoples of the world and particularly to rescue His chosen people from the iron hand of the oppressor.
God had decreed the destruction of Nineveh. The only thing the people of Nineveh could do was attempt to defend themselves. Human nature demands that citizens fight to defend their lives and their property even when the cause is hopeless.


“The Lord will restore the splendor of Jacob
Like the splendor of Israel,
Though destroyers have laid them waste
And have ruined their vines.”

Here is Nahum’s final word directed overtly to Judah. From this verse all else flows. Because God has decided to restore Judah’s splendor, the battle must be engaged. Nineveh’s splendor must vanish from the earth. Destruction for Nineveh meant comfort for Judah.
The message of the book is one of comfort to Judah by ending the oppression of Nineveh. Jacob will be restored because Nineveh’s oppression will end. In fact, all the peoples will feel restoration at the fall of the oppressor. When the peoples hear the word of Assyria’s demise, they will clap their hands, for all had felt the cruelty of the Assyrian power.

Robertson Commentary.- Nahum had been called of God to stand against the powers that be. But he did not discharge his duty of prophetic proclamation in a perfunctory (hasty or superficial) manner. Instead, he summoned the full force of his fertile imagination to communicate the fact that the mighty oppressor, still hovering over its cowed victims, would crumble into dust.

McComisky Commentary.- Nahum now relates a vision that he has received from God. It describes the demise of Nineveh. Nahum sees the end clearly; there is no doubt about the outcome. This one vividly portrays the confusion and horror that will come on the inhabitants of Nineveh when they meet their fate.
We imagine Nahum once again viewing the attacking army from the watchtower of Nineveh. As he does, he is caught up in a vision of the end of that city. Although he wrote these words years before the event, it is as if he were there. This vision imparts to the reader a feeling of certainty that what it depicts will be fulfilled. God has allowed the prophet to see the demise of Nineveh in vivid detail. There is no doubt that this event will take place.
(Continuing Nahum 2) Verse 4 “The (defensive) shield (the protective guard) of his mighty ones (raised in the defense of his battle axe, used for the hacking down of others for self-advancement and dominion) has become red (the color associated with blood and war); the men of valor (the men of courage, especially that shown in war or battle) (are) clothed in scarlet (the color of spilled blood as an ornamented ideological covering); with the (burning) fire of iron (irresistible war machines) (shall be) the chariots (symbolizing the doctrine or dogma upon which many ride) in that day of his preparation (of arraying for battle); and the cypresses (symbolizing men who conform to the authoritative standard of God) are made to quiver.”

A Teaching for Consideration – (A Disclaimer to Antichrist’s Claims)
Consider the Cypress

RIGHTEOUSNESS- is defined as holy and upright living, in accordance with God’s standard. The word “righteousness” comes from a root word that means “straightness.” It refers to a state that conforms to an authoritative standard. Righteousness is a moral concept. God’s character is the definition and source of all righteousness. Therefore, the righteousness of human beings is defined in terms of God’s.

CORPORATE UNITY OF MAN WITH GOD
HOSEA 14:9 “’I (Jehovah) am as a green cypress. From Me your fruit [the state of bearing a tree of like kind] is found.”

The corporate unity of Man with God is tied to purity of heart and moral rectitude of life; being and doing right. The righteousness or justice of God is the divine holiness applied in moral government and the domain of law. As an attribute of God it is united with His holiness as being essential in His nature; it is legislative, as He is the righteous governor of all; and is administrative or judicial, as He is a just dispenser of rewards and punishments.
In theology, as in the Scriptures, the terms justice and righteousness are used synonymously. The justice of God is both an essential and relative attribute of the divine existence. It is a necessary outflow from the holiness of God.

In summary, the non-corrosive tempering agent of “righteousness,” keeps the standard of the law in tack, yet, provides a judicial “balance” for the maintenance of moral purity. In this capacity, the doing of judgment for the maintenance of righteousness- can surpass the letter of the law. Righteousness is a fruit of just judgment; the two go hand in hand.

Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed [favored for success] (are) those doing the command of Him [fearing the Lord, walking in His ways and obeying Him], that will be the authority of them over the tree of life, and by the gates [of “Grace and Hope” for all humanity] they [(those) applying the Golden Rule - keeping to the paths of justice- safeguarding the rights and liberties of others, while maintaining the boundaries of the law] may enter into the city [of refuge]. But the dogs (are) outside [wickedly enraged and unpitying malicious wretches who hound the god fearers to their doom]…”

Key to World Peace

Universal Ethical Norm

The people of Israel were themselves once immigrants and God had told them in Leviticus (19:33-34): "When an alien (a nonmember of the covenant community) resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself (do unto him as you would have him do unto you), for you were once aliens in the land of Egypt."


Global Ethic

The Old Testament. The term "Golden Rule" is not found in Scripture, but is the popular way of referring to the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12 and Luke 6:31. Jesus states, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." With regard to the Old Testament, two main points prevail. Matthew's citation presents the Golden Rule as encapsulating the teachings of the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12 reads, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." Second, even though the Golden Rule addresses human interpersonal relationships, its message is essentially theo- logical, serving as the “ethical bridge” that joins the Golden Rule with the message of the Old Testament. For these two points, the sum of the law and the cultural superior nature of the Golden Rule, are both found here. When asked what was the greatest commandment, Jesus claimed that to love God totally and to love one's neighbor as oneself was the sum of the Law and the Prophets. Obeying the mandate to love one's neighbor ( Lev 19:18 ) essentially conveys the Golden Rule.

The immediate context of the Golden Rule in Leviticus 19:18 is restricted to the covenant community upholding the Divine Law as the Ethical rule of conduct, thusly protecting religious freedoms, values and interests. The Golden Rule then is an ethical code that states one has a right to just treatment, regardless of race, sex or religion, along with the responsibility to ensure justice for others. The “alien” in Israel is not to be mistreated, but is to be regarded as a native-born Israeli. “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19: 33-34)

A key element of the golden rule is that a person attempting to live by this rule treats all people, not just members of his or her in-group, with consideration. Defined another way, it “refers to the balance in an interactive system such that each party has both rights and duties, and that one’s rights are the other’s obligation."

There is to be no respecting of persons. Likewise Exodus 34:6 represents an often repeated theme in the Old Testament. God's love, mercy, and grace far exceed His desire to punish the wicked.

God's benevolence to Israel is paradigmatic of his goodwill toward all humans. His compassion for people is seen in His love for the aliens among Israel, pagan nations.

Therefore the "Golden Rule" presents God as having unconditional positive regard for all human beings. In order to be perfect as He is perfect, and to be "sons of the Most High, " we are to emulate the purest altruism and uncompromising impartiality of the Father, who seeks only the good of his creatures.

Several passages in the New Testament quote Jesus of Nazareth espousing the golden rule, including the following:

Matthew 7:12
12Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Luke 6:31
31And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

Luke 10:25-28
25And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 26He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? 27And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. 28And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

Jesus taught: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” In all truth, how could it be otherwise.
What by measure has surpassed the law in moral value?

THE FULFILLMENT OF THE LAW
Consider the Word’s of Jesus
MATTHEW 5:17-20 “’Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the (testimony of the) Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Revelation 7:9-17 “After these things I (John) saw, and behold, a great crowd which no one was able to number them, out of every nation, even tribes and peoples and tongues standing in front of the throne, and before the Lamb, having been clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. And they cry with a great voice, saying, ‘Salvation to our God sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb.’”
Verse 11 “And all the angels and of the elders and of the four living creatures stood around the throne. And they fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, ‘Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Verse 13 “And one of the elders answered, saying to me, ‘These, the ones having been clothed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?’”
Verse 14 “And I (John) said to him, ‘Sir, you know.’”
“And he said to me, ‘These are those coming out of the great affliction [commencing at the crucifixion and ascension of Jesus- a time when the brotherhood had been broken between Israel and Judah], and whitened e robes of them in the [innocent] blood of the Lamb [who set the course of human history toward reconciliation with God]. Therefore they [those inside the confines of the city] are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night [continually and unceasingly] in the temple of Him. And the (One) sitting on the throne tabernacled over them.”
Verse 16 “Not they will hunger longer, nor will they thirst longer, nor not shall fall on them the (relentless scorching of the garish) sun, nor every (kind of) heat (unrelenting judgment) because the Lamb in the midst of the throne will shepherd them, and will lead them upon fountains (the source) of living waters [reviving afflicted souls], and God will wipe off every tear from the eyes of them.”

WILL THE LIVING WATER LEAD US TO THE “TREE OF LIFE”?
(FOLLOWING THE TRAIL – A WILDERNESS PILGRIMAGE to the TREE Of LIFE)


REVELATION 22:1-6 “And he [the messenger of God] showed me [John] a clean river [in a moral sense] of water of life [waters of blessing, sustaining, reviving and invigorating provision], bright light crystal [free from impurity] coming forth out of the throne [the judgment seat] of God, and of the Lamb.”
Verse 2 “In (among the) midst of the street (the thoroughfare) of it, and of the river, from here and from there (on either side), a tree of life producing twelve fruits according to one month (the applicable season) yielding the (ripened) fruit of it.”

TREE of LIFE.- “The tree of life is an image of life and immortality, but also of irretrievable loss. Except for four metaphoric references in Proverbs, reference to the tree of life occurs only in Genesis and Revelation. The tree of life thus connects the creation of the world to the re-created world that is to come.

Proverbs 3:18 “She (Wisdom) is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast.”

Proverbs 9:10 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy Ones [the prophets of Jehovah giving witness to the word of God] is understanding.”

Proverbs 8:13 “To fear the Lord is to hate evil…”

Proverbs 3:19 “By wisdom the Lord laid the earth’s foundations, by understanding he set the heavens in place…”



SUMMARY:
Wisdom, hatred of evil is a tree of life.

Proverbs 11:30 “The fruit of the just is a tree of life and he who wins souls is wise.
Proverbs 15:4 “A healing tongue [a word of godly counsel] is a tree of life, but perversity in it [distorting the course of justice] is a breaking in the spirit.”

CONCLUSSION: The Tree of Life represents, morally principled words of godly counsel, respectable, upright words, based upon the hatred of evil: The counsel of true wisdom.

The Fruit of the Tree of Life
How to Obtain Eternal Life – Teachings of Jesus

Matthew 19:16-22 “Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, “teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?’”
Verse 17 “’Why do you ask me about what is good?’ Jesus replied, ‘There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.’”
Verse 18 “’Which ones?’ the man inquired.”
“Jesus replied, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother, and ‘love your neighbor (the aliens) as yourself.’’”
“’All these I have kept,’ the young man said, ‘What do I still lack?’”
“’Jesus answered, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me.’”
Verse 22 “When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.”

Jesus told the man to keep the Ten Commandments. As the First Commandment forbids the worship of any false god, seen or unseen, it is here forbidden to worship an image of any sort, whether the figure of a false deity or one in any way symbolical of Jehovah. Only One is good. Obey God. Do good to the alien. This Christ declared to be the second commandment of the law.

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself
Mark 12:28-31 “And one of the scribes come and heard them arguing, and recognizing that he (Jesus) had answered them well, ask him, ‘What commandment is the foremost of all?’ Jesus answered, “The foremost is, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God in one Lord; 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.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

JOHN 13:34-35 (Jesus Taught) “’A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.’”

LIFE IN CHRIST
(Catechism of the Catholic Church)
The Ten Commandments

“Teacher, what must I do…?”

2052 “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the “One there is who is good,” as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” And he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” Finally Jesus sums up these commandments positively: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Based on the testimony of Jesus, two fundamental elements temper and stabilize the moral standard of the law: (1) the testimony of the Prophets – by way of the “Word of God”; (2) and righteousness – through the application of the Golden Rule - keeping to the paths of justice- safeguarding the rights and liberties of others, while maintaining the boundaries of the law, as a non-corrosive admixture used as a principle designed for the maintenance of “moral rightness” – at times when a rigid law fails to be a boarder of defense for the innocent and becomes instead a malicious tool for the wicked. In such a posture the non-corrosive admixture of just judgment owes its flourish state to the rightness of an action under a particular circumstance or situation.

Example:
In a comparative analogy- the only “corrosion-resistance” admixture within the scope of ethics is “righteousness.” For example, the law of God was written on “stone,” but the law in and of itself is not corrosion-resistant- it can fail.

In certain circumstance the law can fall short in its objective to maintain a border of defense for the innocent and actually became- instead a malicious tool for the wicked. For example, the law says, “Thou shalt not lie.” Written on stone it is a cold hard and brittle Law. The question arises, “Would it be wrong to tell a lie even to a would-be murderer who came to your door seeking to kill an innocent person hidden in your house.” This kind of situation illustrates the following testimony of Jesus.

Could it be imagined that the “Ten Commandments” are symbolized as the first of the ten “fruits” of the tree of life? Jesus taught: “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.” In all truth, how could it be otherwise.

“Teacher, what must I do…?”

2052 “Teacher, what good deed must I do, to have eternal life?” To the young man who asked this question, Jesus answers first by invoking the necessity to recognize God as the “One there is who is good,” as the supreme Good and the source of all good. Then Jesus tells him: “If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” And he cites for his questioner the precepts that concern love of neighbor: “You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.” Finally Jesus sums up these commandments positively: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Analysis
Review
Based on the testimony of Jesus, two fundamental elements temper and stabilize the moral standard of the law: (1) the testimony of the Prophets – the “Word of God”; and (2) righteousness, as a non-corrosive admixture used as a principle designed for the maintenance of “moral rightness” – at times when a rigid law has failed.

Consequently, the last two “fruits” associated with the “tree of Life” – have a direct reference to the “prophets,” (the “Word of God”) and the tempering element of “righteous judgment,” geared toward the maintenance of moral purity in its highest standard- thus successfully surpassing the law in moral virtue. As two fruits of the tree of life they could symbolize: (1) The “Word of God,” the testimony of Jesus and the Prophets; and (2) the doing of “judgment” for the maintenance of righteousness.

(Continuing Revelation 22:1-6) Verse 2 “In (among the) midst of the street (the thoroughfare) of it, and of the river, from here and from there (on either side), a tree of life producing twelve fruits [(1-10) the ten legislative enactments: the “Ten Commandments”’ followed by (11) the fruit of the ” Word of God”, viewed as the testimony of Jesus and the Old Testament Prophets; (12) righteousness – through the application of the Golden Rule - keeping to the paths of justice- safeguarding the rights and liberties of others, while maintaining the boundaries of the law, as a non-corrosive admixture used as a principle designed for the maintenance of “moral rightness”) (each) according to one month (the applicable season) yielding the (ripened) fruit of it. And the leaves of the tree [providing a divinely sectioned Ethical Norm as a shelter of protection for all peoples] (will be) for healing [restorative medicine] of the nations. And every curse will not be longer [for those having set in order his moral duty and obligation aright].”

“ Empathy is at the root of kindness, compassion, understanding and respect – qualities that we all appreciate being shown, whoever we are, whatever we think and wherever we come from. And although it isn’t possible to know what it really feels like to be a different person or live in different circumstances and have different life experiences, it isn’t difficult for most of us to imagine what would cause us suffering and to try to avoid causing suffering to others. For this reason many people find the Golden Rule’s corollary – “do not treat people in a way you would not wish to be treated yourself” – more pragmatic. [29]

The Golden rule appears to have an evolutionary basis, having a common descent from the teaching of God, boarding the scope of ethical responsibilities of the Jews as it pertains to reciprocal relationships toward all mankind.

The golden rule has its roots in a wide range of world cultures, and is a standard which different cultures use to resolve conflicts; it was present in the philosophies of ancient India, Greece, Judea and China. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways, but its most common English phrasing is attributed to Jesus of Nazareth in the Biblical book of Matthew: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."