Hi Skip,

Just thought I’d share some of Deuteronomy from The Jerusalem Bible (1966); I can’t speak to the quality of the translation, but the point is rather clearly stated.

Deuteronomy 6:24 And he brought us out from there (Egypt) to lead us into the land he swore to our fathers he would give to us.

Deuteronomy 6:24 And Yahweh commanded us to observe all these laws and to fear Yahweh our God, so as to be happy for ever and to live as he has granted us until now.

Deuteronomy 6:25 For us right living will mean this: to keep and observe all these commandments before Yahweh our God as he has directed us.

I like the use of “righteousness/tzadekah” in the Gen 15 & Deu 6 passages. In English we just see “righteousness”, yet in Hebrew this can be either ‘tzadek’(masculine), or ‘tzadekah’(feminine).

This subtlety in Hebrew gains us insights into a fuller understanding. Just as the genders exhibit characteristics- males ‘initiate’ (they implant the seed) and females ‘respond’ (they nurture the seed and bring forth the newborn)- so is the tendency of Hebrew nouns to exhibit those same characteristics- males nouns tend to ‘initiate’ and female nouns tend to ‘respond’.

In our passages the use of the feminine “tzadekah” indicates that in Gen 15 Abraham’s trust was a ‘righteous response’ (and not a righteous deed he initiated on his own), and in Deu 6 “our righteousness” in keeping His commandments is a response to His love for us (and not something that we earned by coming up with it ourselves).

“Every act of obedience redeems the earth and glorifies Him. It matters. Oh, yes it does!”

I agree brother Skip. It matters for a variety of reasons which we don’t need to ponder herein! Yet …. I would like to point out that it is irrelevant that we understand this declaration! Yes irrelevant!

Our belief becomes a faith when it triggers t’shuvah and transformation. Our faith holds that our redemption and salvation (our righteousness) comes in the glorious might and actions of Yeshua, Who has commanded us to obey Torah.

Getting folks to accept that works are meritorious … well it sounds like the health based arguments I hear for observing “kashrut” (food regulations). Yes we humans have learned that the Biblical food regulations are “healthy for us” … yet at the same time “should we care”? My level of comprehension should not be a prerequisite for my obedience.

It seems that we need to craft self serving intellectual/logical propositions to convince ourselves that our other self serving intellectual/logical propositions may be wrong. At some point people need to simply walk in faith and submit their lives to Yeshua in the correct manner … and this manner does not discount the haTorah!

and not the result of works, to put a stop to all boasting. (Ephesians 2.9) Is this the “end of the story?”-No. Let’s keep reading… A little bit deeper please- and now- for the rest of the story! –(drum roll??)

“For we are God’s masterpiece, created in the Messiah Jesus to do good works that God prepared long ago to be our way of life.” (Ephesians 2.10) “saved” (in order) to do good works. 1,2,3.

(1)By grace. (2)Through faith. (3)Unto good works. (Is G-d a god of order?)

Number one- grace. The “goodness” of G-d. The physically demonstrated beneficent love of G-d. G-d so loved He gave. All of life is a gift. Every stitch of it. Our next breath is “the gift of G-d.” Our “salvation/deliverance” is a gift of G-d. We could fill pages with the “grace gifts” of G-d. Just look around and “remember.”

Number two-faith. Our (right) response to the word(s) of G-d. G-d said “do.” Abraham’s (right) response? He (obeyed) and did. Yeshua’s word to us? “Please do what I ask.” -If you love me-keep my commandments.

Number three- (greatly feared by “evangelicals”?- lol!!) -good works. It was said of Yeshua- (who teaches by example)-”do as I do”/not ‘just’ do as I say… How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good (Acts 2.38). If we are to “mimic the Master” (and we are!) -we also, (His students) are to “go about doing good”. Why?- Because we (all), (now),(today), have the mind of Christ-(who went about doing good). We (now) live to do His will. What is the will of YHWH? -that which is “pleasing in His sight”. What is pleasing to Him? (the will of G-d is plainly revealed in the word of G-d)- “love the LORD (your G-d) with all your heart-soul-mind-strength (the sum-total “all” of us) and to love one another with a pure heart fervently. Love G-d/love your neighbor. Right now/right here. -”How may I serve you?”-

My relationship with YHWH, who is outside time, who can see the end from the beginning, to my reference to time is both in the here-‘n-now and the hereafter. Hence, when I ‘believe’ that His word is reliable, which results in my obedience to His mitzvoth based upon that belief, it will be for my own good both now and forever.