Elul 27
DO
“Thus said יהוה,
“DO right-ruling and righteousness …”
(Jer 22:3 ISR, emphasis mine)
Huh! Interesting to note that righteousness is
something we “do”, it involves action, motion, and intent. The Hebrew word that has been translated as
‘do’ is the word ‛âśâh (Strong’s H6213), and has been
translated over 1300 times in the Scriptures as ‘do’. ‛Aśâh is a verb, and means to labor, to
work at anything and everything.
Combined with the word for righteousness (tsedâqâh (Strong’s H6666), which means justice, righteousness and
virtue, we understand that by our actions
and labor, we produce and confirm righteousness in our lives.
Noah
Webster defines righteousness as “Purity of heart and
rectitude of life; conformity of heart
and life to the divine law. Righteousness, as used in Scripture and
theology, in which it is chiefly used, is nearly equivalent to holiness,
comprehending holy principles and affections of heart, and conformity of life
to the divine law. It includes all we call justice, honesty and virtue, with
holy affections; in short, it is true religion.”[1] In other words, righteousness is how we live out our lives; it is how we walk this Torah walk. Are we walking in obedience to all that we
have learned concerning Torah? Do we love
our Elohim with everything in us, and are we loving and caring for our neighbor
as we do ourselves?
‘Right-ruling’
has to do with justice and judgement.
The Hebrew word used here is the word mishpâṭ (Strong’s H4941), and can also mean an ordinance or
law. Mishpâṭ is found in Psalm 119 twenty three times, a Psalm that most
of us would agree is a lengthy discourse concerning Torah. With that in mind, I believe it would be safe
to assume that right-ruling is Torah,
for it would not be right-ruling
without it.
As these
last few days of Elul wind down, let us be diligent to closely examine our
actions, the things that we are ‘do’-ing.
Are we reflecting the righteousness and right-ruling that are tenets of
Torah? Can the life that we are living
‘be read by all men’; are we the ‘epistle’ that we are meant to be? (2Cor 3:2)
“יהוה, who does sojourn in Your Tent? Who does dwell in Your
set-apart mountain? He who walks blamelessly, And DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS, And speaks
the truth in his heart. He has not slandered with his tongue, He has not done
evil to his neighbour, Nor lifted up a reproach against his friend; In whose
eyes a reprobate one is despised, But he esteems those who fear יהוה; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; He has not
put out his silver at interest, And has not taken a bribe against the innocent.
HE WHO DOES THESE IS NEVER MOVED.” (Psalm 15 ISR,
emphasis mine)
©2018
No comments:
Post a Comment