Psalm of Praise: Psalms 89:15-17
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, Lord. They rejoice in your name all day long; they celebrate your righteousness.
For you are their glory and strength, and by your favour you exalt our horn.
Background:
In the Old Testament God is referred to as Yahweh, also pronounced Jehovah, and translated in English as ‘Lord’. There are seven occasions where Jehovah is used with a suffix which describes a different aspect of the nature of God.
Today we are going to look at Jehovah Tsidkenu: The Lord our Righteousness.
Bible Reading: Jeremiah 33:14-16
"The days are coming," declares the Lord,
"when I will keep the promise that I made to Israel and Judah.
In those days and at that time, I will cause a righteous branch to spring up for David.
He will do what is fair and right in the land.
In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live securely.
Jerusalem will be called The Lord Our Righteousness.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us,
so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
A Reflection:
I wonder what the word ‘righteousness’ conjures up in your mind. Self-righteousness has very negative connotations and, if we are honest, we all fail; none of us can claim that we are righteous in God's eyes. The Israelites certainly couldn’t.
Israel has turned away from God and been conquered by the Babylonians. Their temple has been destroyed, many Israelites have been slaughtered and many others have been taken into captivity and slavery in Babylon.
Into this desolate situation Jeremiah prophecies a future hope. A righteous descendant of David will come as Saviour, Judah will be saved, Jerusalem will be restored and will be known as Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord our Righteousness. God’s people will be secure.
Into our desolate situation too, Jeremiah prophecies a future hope. Jesus the descendant of David, came as Saviour, not just for the people of Israel, but for the whole world. The righteous Son of God took our sin on the cross so that, when God looks at us, he doesn’t see our sin. Instead he sees the righteousness that is ours in Christ Jesus. Through faith in Jesus we are put right with God.
Let us walk each day then, not in self-righteousness, but in the humility of knowing that our sins have been forgiven, that what we could not do for ourselves, Jesus has done for us. He is Jehovah Tsidkenu, The Lord our Righteousness, and we are right with God.
Pray:
Thank you Lord our Righteousness, that when I was lost in sin you found me and clothed me in your righteousness. Amen
All I once held dear