The Righteousness Of God.

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.

Psalm 119:137-144.

PSALM 119:137. “Righteous art thou, O LORD, and upright are thy judgments.”

“Righteous art thou, O LORD,” is a declaration of the righteousness of God. And because He is righteous, all His “judgments” are “upright,” or “just.”

Thus could Abraham say, “Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). Even Pharoah momentarily recognised that ‘the LORD is righteous’ (Exodus 9:27). And Ezra echoed, ‘O LORD God of Israel, thou art righteous’ (Ezra 9:15).

Ultimately, it is the Apostle Paul who declares the ‘gospel of Christ’ to be ‘the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth’ FOR ‘therein is the righteousness of God revealed’ (Romans 1:16-17).

PSALM 119:138. “Thy testimonies that thou hast commanded are righteous, and very faithful.”

If God is righteous, and His judgments are upright/just, then He has also “commanded” His “testimonies”/statutes in righteousness. The terms of His covenant are “very faithful”/ trustworthy/ steadfast. God conveys Himself in His written word.

PSALM 119:139. “My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten thy words.”

The world is hostile to Christianity. The Psalmist is like Lot in Sodom, ‘vexing his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds’ (2 Peter 2:8). This is how Christians often feel in this troubled world: our souls are tormented within us because of the unrighteousness and unbelief which surrounds us.

PSALM 119:140. “Thy word is very pure; therefore thy servant loveth it.”

The Psalmist has thoroughly tested God’s righteous “word,” and found it “pure.” He “loves” it.

PSALM 119:141. “I am small and despised: yet do not I forget thy precepts.”

The Psalmist may be “despised,” and made to feel “small” – but he is determined to live by God’s “precepts.”

The world may think us ‘old-fashioned,’ but there God’s people make their stand, they can do no other.

PSALM 119:142. “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.”

The righteousness of God is a ‘righteousness which is righteous for ever’ (R.S.V.). Therefore it follows that God’s “law” is “the truth.” Thus Jesus could say in His great high priestly prayer, ‘Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth’ (John 17:17).

PSALM 119:143. “Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.”

The Apostle Paul could testify, ‘We are troubled on every side, but not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed’ (2 Corinthians 4:8-9).

When we have a relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, we are strengthened by the veracity of His word.

PSALM 119:144. “The righteousness of thy testimonies is everlasting: give me understanding and I shall live.”

God’s word will outlive all our troubles. This puts things into perspective.

‘For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us’ (Romans 8:18).

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

“Give me understanding,” says the Psalmist, “that I may live.”

Give us “understanding” when we read the Bible, that we may live.

Jesus says, ‘Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me’ (John 5:39).

The life that we receive is ‘eternal life,’ just as surely as God’s “righteousness” is an “everlasting righteousness” (Psalm 119:142), and “the righteousness of (His) testimonies is everlasting” (Psalm 119:144).