The Purpose of Knowing (1)
I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Psalm 119:75 NASB
Your judgments – I wonder if we can confidently echo David’s poetry. Do we really know that the judgments of the Lord are righteous, every one of them? The Hebrew is ki-tsedeq (righteous, just, justice, lawful). This word describes conformity to moral and ethical standards. Those standards include but are not limited to the mitzvot (commandments). What is righteous also extends to what is socially acceptable, ethically expected and normative. Obviously, this word encompasses what God says, not what men interpret about what God says. David knows that all “Your judgments” are accurate, correct, right, honest and equitable.
Actually, the claim is quite amazing. Perhaps shocking for most of us. If God is the Sovereign Ruler of the universe, nothing transpires that does not in some way serve His eternal purpose. In God’s universe there are no accidents, no happenstance events, no anomalies. God is a God of creative purpose and everything He does serves some end of His. When David declares that all mishpateka (“Your judgments”) are ki-tsedeq, he affirms more than a belief in the truth of the Ten Commandments. He vouches for every one of the six hundred thirteen. He says that from the least to the greatest, every one of them brings justice, divine purpose, truth and honesty to the world of men. I suppose the question David demands of us is this: “Do you know that all His judgments are upright, pure and just?”
How will you answer David’s assumed question? If you say, “Yes, I know that,” then we would expect to observe the requisite behavior in your way of living. If we don’t see it, we might ask if you really know it. If you answer, “No, I didn’t know that,” then David and all the other faithful of the Lord should be more than willing to teach you. That’s our charge. Go and teach. Not go and tell because teaching means changing one’s outlook and actions. Hebrew education is becoming an apprentice to God. I don’t learn until I do.
Is it possible to keep all 613? Of course not! But most of the 613 aren’t for you and never were. The conditions for keeping them don’t apply to you. In fact, only some were ever directed to you. Try one (for 90 days) and see how it feels. Apprentice yourself to the Lord. Do what He expects of you, not of your wife (husband), neighbor, Levite, child, butcher, or a dozen other categories. Determine for yourself that His judgments, the ones that apply to you, are full of truth, justice and integrity. Don’t think about sawing the board or hitting the nail. Do what the Teacher does. Saw! Hit! Measure! Be an apprentice. Ah, but David isn’t quite done with this declaration. Like all good Hebrew poetry, he offers the same idea in another form. As we shall see. . . .
Topical Index: education, apprentice, know, yada’, righteous, tsedeq, judgments, mishpat, Psalm 119:75
As I read through yesterday’s news about all that is going on in our country – Legalization of Marijuana, Gay Marriage, US Demands Two-State Solution in Israel – the verse came to mind, “As in the days of Noah.” Based on Skip’s teaching, in the days of Noah, men were completely inclined to their desires, no one heeded the desire of God—or more properly stated, they did not listen to God to control their desire.
We also know that Sodom & Gomorrah were destroyed because these men were doing the same thing as “in the days of Noah” — they were completely consumed by their own desire.
This got me to thinking. When The Angel of the YHVH went to S&G to find ten righteous men, how were the righteous to be found? Was God going to look for the “I ‘Heart’ YHVH” bumper stickers on the donkey carts? Again, how were the righteous to be found? How was Lot found? He was “doing” righteousness! Righteousness takes more than a few magic words (Sinner’s Prayer), putting a fish sticker on my car, and proclaiming to be a Christian. It takes us “doing” what God says to do!
Of course, there are those who say we can’t earn our salvation. But if God came looking for the righteous, how would He find you?
Isn’t it in doing the “odd” things that the Lord requires of us that set us apart. I’m sure the Ezekiel thought that what the Lord required of him was “different”. Are we willing to be different, even if we are different alone? (even alone in our families)
Hi Jill:
I think I know what you intended to say here, but I just want to clarify for newer participants that we can’t really compare those things done by prophets like Ezekial and Hosea with the mitzvot.
The prophets often lived experiences directed by God to enable them to fully comprehend God’s love and zeal for His people when they spoke the prophetic word. The things the prophets were asked to do were illustrations for themselves first and then for the people to see the result of having strayed from God’s way.
I don’t think we can say the same thing about the mitzvot. Keeping the 613 is designed to set us apart from the world, the same way the blood on the doorpost at Pesach set apart His people. They are directives designed to protect us. We demonstrate our hearing and obedience to His way when we keep them. Our action in keeping the mitzvot is a result of our emunah, (our trust) in God.
Once they are incorporated into our lives, we see that it is the world that is odd and different. And we find ourselves scratching our heads in wonder that they persist in their unbelieving ways. 🙂
Yes, Suzanne! I use the prophets as an example because doing what Yah asked them to do was above and beyond the 613, and would have seemed odd to those who kept the 613 (or not, but at least were aware of them) Thank you for clarifying my short random thoughts 🙂
True that, as my son would say. Hmmmm, how would He find my righteousness,? Will I be recognized by this? He said if I love Him I will keep His commands, if I have sought His face before I have sought the face of man, if I have called upon His name , how about Malichi 3:16? Good word.
From Rules to Relationship
Duty, Drudgery or Delight?
~ I know, O LORD, that Your judgments are righteous, and that in faithfulness You have afflicted me ~ (Psalm 119:75)
~ I (now) delight to do Your will..~
~ For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of Heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of Heaven. “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven ~
We do need to know something. More than this, we need to know Someone. We need to know the “only” perfect Man, the only One who ever kept all “613” “rules for rightly-related living” in totality. We need to know there has been (and is) “only” One perfect man ever to have lived.
(Helpful household hint)- I am not Him. And neither are you or you or you. Neither is Adam, or Abraham, or Noah, or Moses or David. There is (still, today) only One.
When the Word of God (our authority for rightly-related living) states: ~ there is NONE righteous, no, not one ~ (Romans 3.10-18) it would greatly behoove (haven’t used this word in a while!) every man to know this. How does any man know this? (Glad you asked..)- Friend, “it is written.”
From Isaiah 53.6: ~ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all ~
Now isn’t this a strange little (inclusive?) word: “ALL.” How would you translate “all?” Does “All” really mean “all?” – May we?
Has “any man (Jew or Gentile, male or female) has kept all 613 “rules for rightly-related living” from birth until death? In deed and in truth? In actions and in attitude? Are there any among us who is able to declare “perfection?” Or for that matter, receive the worship of men and of angels? I am a man of very limited kith and ken, but I know of, nor have ever heard even rumor of such an one, – save One, ~ “Jesus Christ the Righteous.” There is, dear friends, only One.
If (since) we “ALL?” are sinners, and none of us “mortals” may claim to have NEVER sinned (or transgressed the Law)..- then how is man, any man or woman, who has been thoroughly established to be a sinner reconciled to His Maker who has both declared and revealed Himself to all of us to be totally holy and without sin? How is a man (any man) made or declared righteous? – “Right in the sight of God?”
David, the Shepherd-King gives us this testimony: Here is another (sinners) prayer..
For the leader. A psalm of David, when Natan the prophet came to him after his affair with Bat-Sheva: God, in Your grace, have mercy on me; in your great compassion, blot out my crimes. Wash me completely from my guilt, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my crimes, my sin confronts me all the time. Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil from Your perspective; so that You are right in accusing me and justified in passing sentence. True, I was born guilty, was a sinner from the moment my mother conceived me. Still, You want truth in the inner person; so make me know wisdom in my inmost heart. Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, so that the bones You crushed can rejoice. Turn away Your face from my sins, and blot out all my crimes. Create in me a clean heart, God; renew in me a resolute spirit. Don’t thrust me away from Your Presence, don’t take your Ruach Kodesh away from me. Restore my joy in Your salvation, and let a willing spirit uphold me. Then I will teach the wicked Your ways, and sinners will return to You. Rescue me from the guilt of shedding blood, God, God of my salvation! Then my tongue will sing about Your righteousness ADONAI, open my lips; then my mouth will praise You. For You don’t want sacrifices, or I would give them; You don’t take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God, You won’t spurn a broken, chastened heart. In Your good pleasure, make Tziyon prosper; rebuild the walls of Yerushalayim. Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then they will offer bulls on your altar ~ (Psalm 51)
Did God hear and answer this prayer? Does the Son of man have power/authority on earth to forgive sins? (Matthew 9.6,Mark 2.10, Luke 5.24)
May we? Let us review the case before us.. Does the Son of Man have the authority on earth to forgive sins? (Sin is any transgression of the Law)
~ Jesus stepped into a boat, crossed over and came to his own town. Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” At this, some of the teachers of the Law said to themselves, “This fellow is blaspheming!”
Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But SO THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sin . . . .” Then He said to the paralytic, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe, and they praised God, who had given such authority to men ~
Has the Christ thoroughly established for us, He does have authority to forgive sin? And if (since) we are “all” sinners, – (the whole world is guilty before God for all have sinned..) what are we to do? How are we (known sinners) to be made righteous or to become righteous (rightly-related) with the One who has made us? Yes, we Do need to know something.. (better yet, Someone.)
To wit, (yes, to know) that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word (this message, this “good news”) of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5.19) – Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.…
He, (the Living Word) has said, ~I AM the Way.. I AM the truth (yes, Truth is a Person), and I AM the Life ~
~ No one (no, not one) comes to the Father except through Me ~ (John 14.6)
No “ifs, ands or buts” about it- this is a very narrow (straight) gate.. but didn’t He also say, ~ I AM the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture ~ (John 10.9)
I must confess. I do love the word “whoever,” for “whoever” also includes this sinner, me. Hallelujah, I (too) have a Savior. The Living Lamb of God and Word of God, who on earth has the power and the authority to forgive sin. ~ If we claim we have not sinned, (we deceive ourselves and) we make Him out to be a liar and His word is not in us ~ (1 John 1.10)
But.. ~ if we confess our sins, He is Faithful and Righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness ~ (1 John 1.9) ~ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved ~ (John 3.17)
Do we now have sufficient “evidence” to believe? Or are we still “willingly ignorant?” We have a Savior. He is our Near-Kinsman Redeemer. He is the Lamb sent from God.
Is this “good news?” ~ And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son [to be] the Savior of the world ~ (1 John 4.14)
Carl,
Re your comment: We do need to know something. More than this, we need to know Someone. We need to know the “only” perfect Man, the only One who ever kept all “613″ “rules for rightly-related living” in totality. We need to know there has been (and is) “only” One perfect man ever to have lived.
It is my understanding Yeshua did not keep all 613 mitzvot. Considering, He was not a woman, He was not an earthly priest, He was not a farmer, just to name a few areas, He could not observe the mitzvot pertaining to these categories. However, just because a mitzvah does not apply to certain persons, does not mean he/she could not guard/protect them.
You won’t get any argument from me that He was perfect!
O LORD, help me. Help my heart to be inclined towards You. Inscribe Your Torah upon me. Instruct my desires, that I know and walk in Your ways; that I may perform and produce only that which You have apportioned and purposed for me. In that may I find sufficiency.