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Jehovah-Tsidkenu: Three Points, a Poem, and Beyond A loving grandmother shares the following story: "I didn't know if my little granddaughter had learned her colors yet, so I decided to test her on them. As we sat there on the living room floor, I pointed to things around the room and asked her what colors they were. Every time she told me, she was absolutely right, but because I was having so much fun, I continued the game. We continued, that is, until the little tyke got up and headed for the door, matter-of-factly saying, 'Grandma, I think you should try to figure out some of these things on your own.'" Obviously, the little girl misunderstood what her grandmother was attempting to do. We often do the same thing when it comes to truly understanding who the Lord is and what He came to do. The name of God that is before us right now—Jehovah-Tsidkenu—"the Lord is our Righteousness," is a very powerful example of this. It is derived from the Hebrew word, Tsedsk, meaning straight or right, and representing God's dealings with people under the ideas of righteousness, justification, and acquittal. And beyond that, "Our Righteousness" is commanding right and just relationships throughout all of life. In Jeremiah 23: 5-6, the Lord says, "Behold, the days come…that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days, Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is His name whereby He shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." Due to the peoples' grievous sin and absolute refusal to repent and change, God cut off the Davidic monarchy in 586 BC. God did promise, however, to raise up a king from the line of David who would be a righteous Branch. This King, of course, is Jesus, and He has come—and will come—to do that which is right and just. When all is said and done, a believing remnant will "be found in Him, not having (their) own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith." (Phil. 3:9) So many today have the idea that their righteousness is in being a pretty good person, or perhaps belonging to or attending a church, but God has another idea. I think it will be helpful to consider three aspects of what the Bible has to say about righteousness. First, it is something proclaimed. By that, I mean this concept of God Himself being Jehovah-Tsidkenu—the Lord our Righteousness—is proclaimed practically on every page of the Scriptures. Israel and the Church alike are reminded that by Him and in Him we learn and confess Him to be our righteousness—He is Lord, and He is to be the only Lord. The Greeks sought after wisdom and the Romans sought after power and world dominion, but the people who see God for whom He really is and for what He is really trying to do, are seeking after Him, and Him alone. Jesus put it this way—"…seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33) Yes, righteousness has been amply proclaimed through Jesus Christ! Secondly, it as prescribed. I am thinking now of that which the doctor does for you if you are in need of a particular medicine. Over-the-counter medications may not be strong or appropriate enough, so he or she writes a "script"—a prescription. That order is to be filled with Himself…His Kingdom…His righteousness. A perfectly righteous Creator has every right to decree righteousness on the part of His creatures. As I often say, He has paid the price—He has every right to tell you what to do. No, it is not His way of getting back at you for your disobedience; it is actually His mercy—He imputes His righteousness into us because we have neither the character nor the conduct of our own to lay before a just God. Staupitz, Martin Luther's friend said to the great reformer one day, "I have vowed over a thousand times that I would become better, but I have never performed that which I vowed. Here after, I will make no such vow, for I have learned from experience, that I am not able to perform it." If only we today would come to such a revelation—that which a righteous God desires and demands of people cannot be produced by people. In our own strength, we are absolutely helpless to workout a saving righteousness—Jesus is the only one who could, and He did—once and for all, for us all! You see, this is actually our third point—it is provided. This is the Gospel—our Jehovah-Tsidkenu became flesh, and was "made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30b) A righteous God pronounced death as the penalty for all sin—yours and mine. Paul makes clear that this spiritual death is what we truly deserve, for it is "the wages of sin." (Romans 6:23a) But don’t forget the second half of that verse—"But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." In His love and mercy, He sent Jesus to suffer, die, and rise again, that His righteousness would be provided and planted into the repentant sinner. You see, true saving righteousness is not really attained; it is actually obtained—through no merit of our own! Webb-Peploe tells the story of a 12 year-old girl lying on her deathbed. Her mother asked her, "My darling, are you afraid to go and meet God?" "Oh, no," she replied, "No, I am not afraid, for I look to the justice of God to take me the Heaven." Thinking her daughter was confused, the mother asked, "Oh, honey, you mean His pity or His love, don't you?" "No, mother," she replied, "I mean His justice. He must take me to Heaven, because Christ is my righteousness, and I claim Him as my own. I am as He is now in God's sight, and God would never reject His own child." Do you see this girl's train of thought? It was Jesus who paid the penalty for sin as He gave His life on the Cross of Calvary. When we receive that personally, we also receive His righteousness. Isaiah 64 tells us clearly that our own goodness and self-righteousness are nothing but filthy rags, and when we recognize that and get rid of them, we can be filled with the pure and holy righteousness of God. Robert Murray McCheyne put it this way— I once was a stranger to grace and to God, I knew not my danger, and felt not my load; Though friends spake in rapture of Christ on the tree, Jehovah-Tsidkenu was nothing to me. When free grace awoke me, by light from on high, Then legal fears shook me, I trembled to die; No refuge, no safety, in self could I see; Jehovah-Tsidkenu my Saviour must be. My terrors all vanished before the sweet name; My guilty fears banished, with boldness I came To drink at the fountain, life-giving and free; Jehovah-Tsidkenu is all things to me. When the Lord our Righteousness has become all things to us, then we will become, in all things, what He expects of us. As I am apt to say—it is about time He gets what He paid for. This truly is a point beyond the other three—when our positional righteousness in Heaven is assured, there will also come a practical righteousness right here on earth. The Lord is calling for there to be no contradiction between our standing in Christ and our state in the world, and when there is, we must truly repent, turn from the contradiction and let the power of the Holy Spirit grow us in purity and holiness. Praise God—it will make its way into every aspect of our lives—"rightness" in conduct, conversation, finances, relationships, business obligations, etc. The prophet spoke of this as worship, and that worship will be in everything we do—"In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar." (Zechariah 14:20) In other words, it is not a mechanical, legalistic "right-living," but a living of the holiness of God in every avenue of life—this is true worship! Remember—"He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:3) Recently in the Shamoga district of India, 15 Hindus, armed with clubs and knives, mercilessly beat the pastor of the Believer's Church and destroyed the building. In a Pakistani jail, Muslim inmates became furious when a Christian, imprisoned for his faith, drank from one of their cups. He was forced to drink out of a glass used for cleaning toilets. These are only two out of the dozens that I could tell you about who have gone beyond to actually live in the righteousness of God—no matter what! Three points and a poem are nice, but who in these days, will be willing to go beyond—reaching beyond that which they have already grasped? Praise Jehovah-Tsidkenu—we don't have to try to figure out some of these things on our own—its been proclaimed, prescribed, and provided; now, let His righteousness be very practical—live every moment of your life in His righteousness. Copyright (c)
2007 Christ Our Rock Bible Church. |
