You’re Not Getting Out of Here Alive
In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me. Psalm 71:1-2 NASB
Righteousness – The Tanakh’s parallel to Yeshua’s parable. Yeshua tells a story about a common man and a religious authority. The religious authority declares his prominence in the world, his unique favor with God and his deserved blessing. The common man can do only one thing—plead for mercy. In the Psalms, David says essentially the same thing. “Deliver me.” But not on the grounds of my worthiness. I have none. Deliver me on the grounds of your righteousness.
How can that even be possible? Isn’t God the God of holiness? Doesn’t holiness demand perfection? Can God just let things slip by because we ask? How can His righteousness be upheld if we sinners are not punished? Does God condone wickedness, or even overlook it? Heaven forbid! What kind of God would He be? No, something else must be involved here in order for David to plead his case.
Righteousness (tsedaqa’) is essentially about conformity to a standard. Certainly David understands this (see Psalm 145:17). After all, he is king. A standard is expected. God has a standard of righteousness too. In fact, as with most Hebrew concepts, it is displayed most clearly in action. “The man who is righteous tries to preserve the peace and prosperity of the community by fulfilling the commands of God in regard to others. In the supreme sense the righteous man (ṣaddîq) is one who serves God (Mal 3:18). Specifically, he, like Job, delivers the poor and orphan, helps the blind along the way, supports the weak and is a father (provider) to the poor (Job 29:12–15). This was the righteous ‘clothing’ of Job’s life. To return the poor man’s pledged coat before sundown so that it may serve as his night clothes is righteousness (Deut 24:13), the purpose in this case being the man’s comfort. But the ‘righteousness’ consisted in obedience to God’s law and conformity to God’s nature, having mercy for the needy and helpless.”[1]
The last line from Stigers’ quotation is the answer to our dilemma. Tsedaqa’ includes mercy toward the needy and helpless. Showing compassion on those who cannot fend for themselves is righteousness. In fact, any version of tsedaqa’ without compassion and mercy is not Hebraic, not biblical, and idolatrous. The pagan gods may need to be appeased, but YHVH does not. His righteousness includes forgiveness without measuring the cost. In other words, God is not keeping a tally of your sins, exacting punishment according to the insult and injury you have committed before Him. He is waiting to be the Father of the prodigal, hoping that His grace will woo you back. He forgives at great expense because He is righteous.
Deliverance. Oh, how we need to be rescued! So much of Babylon has crept into our lives, deliberately or inadvertently. So much needs to be washed away. We need the clean, new heart that comes from experiencing God’s mercy. How does this happen? You may be inclined to say, “Well, I can’t do a thing. God has to do it all.” And you would be correct, except for the parable of the great debtor. Yes, there is nothing you can do about rescuing yourself. The great God of righteousness must act on your behalf. But there is everything you can do afterward, and to fail to do it is to reject the righteousness of the Lord. Do you know what it is that you must also do?
Topical Index: righteousness, tsedaqa’, deliverance, Psalm 71:1-2
[1] Stigers, H. G. (1999). 1879 צָדֵק. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (753). Chicago: Moody Press.
“But there is everything you can do afterward, and to fail to do it IS TO REJECT THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD.”
I think there are two ways to read that. I read it the obvious way, which is to say if I don’t turn around, like the parable of the Two Debtors, and to Do To Others As I Wish To Be Done By, then I have failed the Golden Rule, which even the greasiest of Grace Only claimants must admit, I am quite sure (and I love them all, as some of them are my very good friends!). The other way I read it is that, by choosing to “do it”, I am literally choosing that “the righteousness of the Lord” be done by Him THROUGH me. In other words, that is HOW I turn over the yetzer ha-ra to be transformed by Him into His Will and His Way: the wheel of the yetzer ha-ra is held by my hand, and steered under my power, but the yetzer ha-tov is held by His hand, and steered under His Power, His Spirit, and by His righteousness. Under the yetzer ha-tov, “I” somehow get lost, and the world, if I hand it over correctly, ceases to see me, and just sees Him. And they will be seeing correctly. It won’t be “me” (the yetzer ha-ra) doing it: it will be Him doing it through me; therefore, I won’t be eligible for any of the credit. I won’t be ‘doing’ righteousness correctly, and then just modestly handing over the cred to Him (now THAT would be a real joke!): it will be His credit because it will be His action through me. This IS the Righteousness of Christ. Not Him on the Cross, but Him in my life. Sanctification is a replacement operation. The replacement of me with Him. Halleluah! (Not there yet! Can you tell? LOL!)
The words really do fail me here, y’all. I don’t know how to say something that I can clearly see and experience in my life. I don’t know if it is just the English, or just me, but I don’t know how to say what I really suspect is going on. It is the strangest of all feelings to me to sit back in the boat, and, when I choose righteousness, then TURN LOOSE the steering and the ‘control’ (now there is a laughable word!) and just sit back and watch. That boat I am in just does the funniest stuff sometimes! Not to mention astounding. But the strangest thing of all is to not be powered by my own votive force, my own effort, my own motives. People talk about ‘having’ (now there is another funny word!) the Holy Spirit. When that talk gets loose around me, I sit there and just shake my head and say to myself that I really don’t think they know what they are talking about. Anytime the Holy Spirit gets anywhere around me, it is He that ‘has’ me! And the words are failing again.
I am a mixed vessel. I know I have not figured out HOW to get that steering wheel all the way into His Hand yet! It is still a power play, a struggle, an imperfect operation, as there are still elements of me, of the human, of the yetzer ha-ra, in all I do. I know it. I cringe every time I make a move, because I feel I am bringing discredit to Him, and diminishing His glory (sin). No, I don’t think that I am; I know that I am. I ask for forgiveness all the time for that from Him, and I have to ask it from all y’all, too. I am sorry. Please forgive me for diminishing His glory. I don’t have it right yet, and I know it. I want to crawl under a log every day. BUT, I don’t have an excuse. I have to get up and DO something, even if it is not perfect or right (righteousness) yet, because I don’t have an excuse not to. I just have to keep apologizing until I get it right. All of Him and none of me. Whew! That would sure be great! That is the day that “I” will truly be fully “me” and fully real -actualized -(would that be BORN AGAIN?). Until then, I just have to keep saying “I am sorry”, and, “thank you”.
To Do Today
Do you know what it is that you must also do?
Absolutely. I must “kneel at the cross of the crucified Christ and there at the foot of the execution stake, become “the” beggar, one who knows he is bankrupt and nothing to bring to the table, nothing to add to the equation, but to rest and to trust fully (and finally) in the finished work of the Lamb of God, for it was my sin that held Him there, until it was accomplished.
Righteousness (or right-relatedness) comes no other way for He is the Way. I do not, nor will not depend upon any “good work” or “merit” of mine for as Isaiah has said:
But we are ALL as an unclean thing,
And all OUR righteousnesses are like filthy rags;
We all fade as a leaf,
And our iniquities, like the wind,
Have taken us away. (Isaiah 64.6)
We bring nothing to the table. All we provide (our part) is one who knows he is “a sinner in need of salvation.” Yes, “all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to his own way and the LORD has laid on [who?]- “Him” the iniquity [twistedness] of us all.
Friend, it is true – the Way of the cross lead home.
There is NO righteousness (no right-relationship) apart from the tslav [the execution stake] of the Messiah.
~ For the message/word (logos) of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God ~ (1 Corinthians 1.18)
~ This is a trustworthy saying and worthy of complete acceptance:
“Yeshua The Messiah was born into this world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.” (1 Timothy 1.15)
~ If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us ~
Sirs, – what must I do to be saved?
~ And they said to him..
“Trust in our LORD Yeshua The Messiah, and you shall live, – you and your household.” (Acts 16.31)
~ He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone.
~ And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other Name under Heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved ~
What will I do?
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
Oh, there are ten thousand charms.
Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love and power.
Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Every grace that brings you nigh.
Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.
View Him prostrate in the garden;
On the ground your Maker lies;
On the bloody Tree behold Him;
Sinner, will this not suffice?
Lo! the incarnate God ascended,
Pleads the merit of His blood:
Venture on Him, venture wholly,
Let no other trust intrude.
Let not conscience make you linger,
Not of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him.
“But there is everything you can do afterwards…..” Ah yes..and how easily we ignore those “things” within us that need our attention. I was clearly given the opportunity to understand my need for accountability about 40 years ago one morning during a worship service. As I stood in worship – giving all glory to God, I happened to see a gentlemen also standing in worship. “I don’t see how he can stand there when he talks……” Immediately Holy Spirit, very gently I may add, said, ‘You are correct…he does do that.” A pause while I nodded in the affirmative pleased with my indisputable discernment. “Do you know why you can see that in him?” He continued. “Because you do the same thing.”
WHAAAT?!! The revelation of that truth about myself almost put me on the floor. I can feel it even now and am crushed in repentance and humility. Oh Father, please help us to see through Your Eyes-ourselves and others. Help us to be patient….kind…even loving… to others who don’t understand some things about You or about me or even about the life they have been given. Help us to walk our lives into Yours so that even our footprints on this earth leave Your residue.
Show us who You are so that everything else pales into Your Wholeness.
Praise Your Holy Name!