Righteousness and Justice
Righteousness and Justice
“I have chosen him, so that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice, so that the LORD may bring upon Abraham what He has spoken about him.” Genesis 18:19
Righteousness (Tzedek): This primarily concerns being in right standing with God
Justice (Mishpat): This involves acting rightly toward others.
There is a consistent command to be righteous and just. God created man with a righteous nature. But man, wanting to be God and make his own decisions – having authority over his own life – violated God’s law and was separated from God. Man continues to demand “I have a right to do what I want” and thus remains separated from God. But, God has made a provision of redemption to bring man back to commune with God. That provision is the death and resurrection of Jesus. By repenting and turning back to God – returning your will in obedience to God’s will – by faith in the sacrifice of Jesus, then the gift of salvation is made possible. Then, through the work of the Holy Spirit a work of transformation begins and is fulfilled at our resurrection into an immortal, incorruptible life.
The message of that is demonstrated in the covenant God made with Abraham – and later with Israel
“I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless, that I may make my covenant between me and you…” Genesis 17:1–2
Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ Exodus 19:5-7
Ezekiel 36:22
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord GOD says:
“It is not for your sake, house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you went. And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that
I am the LORD,” declares the Lord GOD, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight. For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land.
Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols.
Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances.
And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God. Moreover, I will save you from all your uncleanness; and I will call for the grain and multiply it, and I will not bring a famine on you.
Instead, I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field, so that you will not receive again the disgrace of famine among the nations.
Then you will remember your evil ways and your deeds that were not good, and you will loathe yourselves in your own sight for your wrongdoings and your abominations.
I am not doing this for your sake,”
declares the Lord GOD; “let that be known to you. Be ashamed and humiliated for your ways, house of Israel!”
‘This is what the Lord GOD says: “On the day that I cleanse you from all your wrongdoings, I will populate the cities, and the places of ruins will be rebuilt. The desolated land will be cultivated instead of being a desolation in the sight of everyone who passes by. And they will say, ‘This desolated land has become like the Garden of Eden; and the waste, desolated and ruined cities are fortified and inhabited.’
Then the nations around you that are left will know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the ruined places
and planted that which was desolated; I, the LORD, have spoken, and I will do it.”