What is Righteousness?

Shabbat service 7/23/11

Righteousness - What does it mean?

Mat 5:6  "How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness! for they will be filled.

Mat 5:10  "How blessed are those who are persecuted because they pursue righteousness! for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.

Mat 6:33  But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

G1343  Righteousness   δικαιοσύνη

dikaiosunē; from G1342; righteousness, justice: - right (1), righteousness (90).

G1342    δίκαιος

dikaios; from G1349; correct, righteous, by impl.  innocent: - innocent (1), just (6), justice (1), right (7), righteous (48), righteous man (8), righteous man's (1), righteous men (1), righteous one (4), righteous person (1), righteous persons (1).

Let us realize that the "New Testament" was not yet written at the time that the Messiah and his disciples walked; therefore, the Law/Torah was all that they had to live by.

Mat 5:20 'For I tell you, if your uprightness does not surpass that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of Heaven.

(Mat 21:28)  "But give me your opinion: a man had two sons. He went to the first and said, `Son, go and work today in the vineyard.'

(Mat 21:29)  He answered, `I don't want to'; but later he changed his mind and went.

(Mat 21:30)  The father went to his other son and said the same thing. This one answered, `I will, sir'; but he didn't go.

(Mat 21:31)  Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they replied. "That's right!" Yashiyeh said to them. "I tell you that the tax-collectors and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of the ETERNAL ahead of you!

(Mat 21:32)  For Yochanan came to you showing the path to righteousness, and you wouldn't trust him. The tax-collectors and prostitutes trusted him; but you, even after you saw this, didn't change your minds later and trust him.

What is the path to Righteousness? What path did Yochanan/John show?

Repent, for the kingdom of The ETERNAL is at hand! 

Repent from What?   SIN!    What is SIN?    Transgression of the Law/Torah!

1Jn 3:4  Everyone who keeps sinning is violating Torah - indeed, sin is violation of Torah.

1Jn 3:7  Children, don't let anyone deceive you - it is the person that keeps on doing what is right who is righteous, just as the ETERNAL is righteous.

In the Hebrew - Righteousness is Tsedakah meaning:

H6666  Righteousness     צדקה

tsedaqah (842a); from the same as H6664; righteousness: - honesty (1), justice (1), merits (1), right (2), righteous (1), righteous acts (3), righteous deeds (7), righteously (1), righteousness (136), rights (1), vindication (3).

H6663   Righteous צדק   tsadeq or   צדק

tsadoq (842c); denom. vb. from H6664; to be just or righteous: - acquit (1), acquitted (1), declare you right (1), do justice (1), give him justice (1), just (2), justified (5), justifies (1), justify (5), justifying (2), lead the to righteousness (1), made your appear righteous (2), properly restored (1), proved right (1), proved...righteous (1), right (4), righteous (9), vindicated (1), vindicates (1).

We see the meaning of Righteousness or to be righteous, but what does it really mean and how do we obtain it?

(Psa 15:1)  A psalm of David: The ETERNAL, who can rest in your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain?

(Psa 15:2)  Those who live a blameless life, who behave uprightly, who speak truth from their hearts

(Psa 15:3)  and keep their tongues from slander; who never do harm to others or seek to discredit neighbors;

(Psa 15:4)  who look with scorn on the vile, but honor those who fear The ETERNAL; who hold to an oath, no matter the cost;

(Psa 15:5)  who refuse usury when they lend money and refuse a bribe to damage the innocent. Those who do these things never will be moved.

Psa 11:7  For the ETERNAL is righteous, He loveth righteousness; the upright shall behold His face.

The UPRIGHT - Hebrew word is Yashar meaning:

H3477  Upright   ישׁר   yâshâr   yaw-shawr'

From H3474; straight (literally or figuratively): - convenient, equity, Jasher, just, meet (-est), + pleased well right (-eous), straight, (most) upright (-ly, -ness).

There is a book of Yasher that follows Genesis in outlining the Torah. It is the Book of the Upright.

To be Upright is to be Righteous and to follow the Instructions given in the Torah.

Psa 119:142  Your righteousness is eternal righteousness, and your law(Torah) is truth.

Psa 119:172  My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness.

Isa 42:21  The ETERNAL was pleased, for his righteousness' sake, to magnify his law and make it glorious.

The scriptures often translate the word Torah as "Law". In fact the word actually means:

H8451   Torah    תּורה

torah (435d); from H3384; direction, instruction, law: - custom (1), instruction (10), instructions (1), Law (1), law (188), laws (10), ruling (1), teaching (7), teachings (1).

H8451   Torah   תּרה    תּורה   tôrâh  tôrâh   to-raw', to-raw'

From H3384; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch: - law.

(Pro 13:5)  A righteous man hateth lying; but a wicked man behaveth vilely and shamefully.

(Pro 13:6)  Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way; but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Isa 51:7  Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the taunt of men, neither be ye dismayed at their revilings.

Psa 119:1  ALEPH. Happy are they that are upright in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

Psa 119:18  Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.

The ETERNAL will judge the earth with Righteousness and Truth!

(Psa 96:11)  Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;

(Psa 96:12)  let the field exult, and everything in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy

(Psa 96:13)  before the ETERNAL, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.

We have been taught that Grace and Faith replaced the Torah/Law, however, these scriptures tell us that in order to be found Righteous in the sight of the ETERNAL, we must follow His Truth/Law/ Torah!

(Eze 18:1)  The word of the ETERNAL came to me:

(Eze 18:2)  "What does it mean, that you keep quoting this proverb in the land of Isra'el 'When parents eat sour grapes, their children's teeth are set on edge'?

(Eze 18:3)  "As I live," says the Sovereign ETERNAL, "I swear that you will never again quote this proverb in Isra'el.

(Eze 18:4)  Look, all lives belong to me - both the parent's life and the child's life are equally mine - so it is the person who sins, himself, who must die.

(Eze 18:5)  "Consider someone who is righteous, who does what is lawful and right.

(Eze 18:6)  He doesn't eat on the mountains or raise his eyes toward the idols of the house of Isra'el; he doesn't defile his neighbor's wife or touch a woman during her time of menstrual impurity;

(Eze 18:7)  he doesn't wrong anyone; he returns any pledged property a debtor has given as collateral for a loan; he takes nothing by robbery, but gives his food to the hungry and clothing to those who need it;

(Eze 18:8)  he neither demands nor accepts interest on a loan; he refrains from what is evil; and he judges honestly between one person and another.

(Eze 18:9)  In short, he lives according to my laws and observes my rulings, so as to act faithfully. Such a person is righteous, and he will certainly live," says the Sovereign ETERNAL.

(Eze 18:19)  "You ask, 'Why doesn't the son bear his father's guilt?' When the son has done what is lawful and right, has kept all my laws and obeyed them, he will certainly live.

(Eze 18:20)  The person who sins is the one that will die - a son is not to bear his father's guilt with him, nor is the father to bear his son's guilt with him; but the righteousness of the righteous will be his own, and the wickedness of the wicked will be his own.

(Eze 18:21)  "However, if the wicked person repents of all the sins he committed, keeps my laws and does what is lawful and right; then he will certainly live, he will not die.

(Eze 18:22)  None of the transgressions he has committed will be remembered against him; for the righteousness that he has done, he will live.

(Eze 18:23)  Do I take any pleasure at all in having the wicked person die?" asks the Sovereign ETERNAL. "Wouldn't I prefer that he turn from his ways and live?

Psa 32:11  Be glad in the ETERNAL, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Tsadek and Yashar are hebrew words that are often parallel in the scriptures because in the hebrew mindset they are related words.

Tsadek/Tsadekah:

Tsade = righteous / hook

Dalet = Door

Qaf = Holiness /the back of the head

Meaning: One who is upright and walks a straight path; hooked on the path/door following the back of the head of the righteous ones.

 Straight ab: Righteous: One who is upright or righteous is one who walks a straight path. [from: dy - The straightness of the side]

Yashar -

Yud = closed hand, work(s), a deed done

Shin = teeth, to consume, destroy

Resh = First / head

Meaning: One who is straight, strongly holding up truth; destroy the first works.

 A tight rope is straight. A righteous one is one who is straight and firmly holds up truth just as the cord is straight and firmly holds the wall of the tent upright.

To Watch Video of this service CLICK HERE!