JEHOVAH-TSIDKENU (Jehovah our righteousness, Jer. 23:6, 33:16) This is another one of the better-known names of God. It is the central feature of Robert Murray McCheyne s hymn, I once was a stranger to grace and to God, I knew not my danger, and felt not my load; Though friends spoke in rapture of Christ on the tree, Jehovah Tsidkenu was nothing to me. This title encapsulates three of the greatest truths, - He is the King of all Glory, He is the God of all righteousness, and He is my God. It is a wonderful title, it is so personal and yet so magnificent, - Jehovah Tsidkenu is all things to me. These were difficult days in which Jeremiah lived, - the spiritual temperature was similar to our own today. God was about to do a wonderful work among His people, the children of Israel, - whilst it included a work of destructive judgement, restoration was also promised. You could describe the condition of the times in three simple headings UNFAITHFUL LEADERS The pastors were not up to the job of leading God s people! Pastors that destroy?!! These pastors were as shepherds causing their flocks to stray, - they were negligent/careless/remiss. They were bringing them to wrong spiritual feeding-places and to polluted waters. They assumed the name, but the call of God was absent in their ministry. They were disobeying the Law of God and teaching the people to follow them. Spiritually they were like the dry bones of Ezek. 37. These pastors were teaching the people to apply whatever good promises God was making but to ignore the warnings regarding their sinfulness. They were picking and choosing what parts fitted their beliefs and lifestyles. They were teaching God s people a false form of religion and not a faithful relationship with God. I don t need to go into how their activities are being mirrored today because we see in many quarters false religion and not a faithful relationship. Religion is any form of belief you want it to be, - you can make it up as you go along, you can change it when the notion takes you, - religion is transient; religion denies God, even though it claims to worship Him.
2 Even we evangelicals need to be aware of the dangers of religion, - it often begins with the truth, and then departs ever-so-slightly from the truth and then it moves away from the truth until it is so blatantly obvious and yet the adherents become so mummified in the binding of religion in which they have allowed themselves to become wrapped up. Religion is in complete contrast to the relationship with God and these religious leaders knew nothing of Jehovah Roi, the Lord is my Shepherd and they knew even less Jehovah Tzidkenu. These unfaithful leaders produced an UNWITTING PEOPLE They boasted because they reckoned themselves to be worthy of God s salvation. They thought they were safe because they considered themselves to be the people of God but they were not living as the people of God! They listened to their modern-day pastors with their modern-day sermons that had very little in common with the faithful prophets and men of God in previous ages. They were being destroyed and scattered for they were losing their identity as the people who had been blessed of the Lord. They could not see how far they had strayed, they could not understand what Jeremiah was saying to them. God is blessing us! Look around you we have never had it so good! 16:10 Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God? They simply could not see because their eyes were blinded by the doctrines and the preaching of the unfaithful leaders the unwitting people. However, watching over the whole proceedings was the UNCOMPROMISING GOD God does not change, and He certainly does not change His nature to make comfortable our sin. God reviles sin as much today as ever. His views on sin have never changed one iota! I think you could see how easy it would be in a Bible Study like this to castigate the exponents of false doctrine and the pseudo-evangelicalism that abounds in the Church today, but even though I have many examples that would astound you we shall keep away from that whole area except to say, our God is an uncompromising God and His ways, His doctrines, His character never changes to suit the unfaithful leaders and the unwitting people.
3 Jeremiah said to them previously, 6:16 Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. Jesus warned us through His disciples, Mt. 24:4 Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many 11 and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. Paul spoke to the Corinthian believers about the false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness (II Cor. 11:13-15). Peter warned his readers, II Pet. 2:1 there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you. John, I Jn. 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. And so Jude, v.4 there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ and so he warned the people, v.3 it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. So, such was the state of Jerusalem, - unfaithful leaders, unwitting people, and the uncompromising God. Despite, however, the darkness hanging over their religion, - for His own glory, - God gave them a promise. Yes, the evil of their doings would be dealt with (v.2) but such is His grace that He promised, v.3 I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. Immediately there would have been those who hung on to these words but these words were not for all of Israel, they were simply for the remnant of my flock. (Jeremiah uses the word nineteen times). Yes, indeed, a remnant did return to Judah and to Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity, they did rebuild the temple, and they did restore the national life however, in time these privileges were once again lost. Jeremiah is foreshadowing an even greater day.
CALLED OUT God speaks many times throughout the Scriptures about the remnant, who are they? the remnant of my flock. These false pastors had been leading astray my people and my flock, and God was saying, Enough! Here is what I am going to do, - without any outside interference, I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. And yes, we can see how He has done that. Since 1948 He has honoured His ancient promise and gathered the Jewish people from all over the world into their own land of Israel He has kept His promise! I do not believe any of the surrounding nations, or the US, the EU, the UN or anyone else will ever remove them from that land. God said He was going to call them out but not them all, though! just the remnant! How do you arrive at who will constitute the remnant? Are they people who have chosen not to follow the false shepherds and pastors? Yes, they are, they are the remnant. They were a smaller body of people who remained faithful to the Lord. What was the basis of their choosing to follow God? Were they a better calibre of Jew why did they constitute the remnant? They became included in the remnant because they were God s Elect, - let s not run scared God chose them, God elected them, God predestined them You don t agree? Turn to Rom. 11:1, Hath God cast away his people? It was a valid question. Paul responds, v.2 God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew ( which He before-loved, proginw,skw). Wot ye not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, 3 Lord, they have killed thy prophets, and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life. 4 But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal. 5 Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. 6 And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. 7 What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. You see, election and predestination is not the doctrine of a Protestant Reformer it is a doctrine purely, entirely, thoroughly and completely all of God! 4
5 God says, Jer. 23:3I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, - there is the election of God through grace and the Sovereignty of God by grace alone. (Jehovah Tzidkenu) Called out, - then Paul explains to us, Eph. 2: 11 Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: 17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. Jehovah Tzidkenu. God has chosen you to be a member of the remnant of [His] flock through grace, in the same way that He called out the remnant in Jeremiah s day. CALLED HOME And yes, too, God kept His promise to Jeremiah and He brought the children of Israel back home to Jerusalem after seventy years of captivity in Babylon and yes, too, God brought the nation of Israel back into their own land in 1948 but in an even greater sense, - when you apply the New Testament truths in this Old Testament passage, - God will call His Church, - made up of both Jews and Gentiles, - home. Indeed, the promise is Rev. 21:2 I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God (cf. Is. 65:17-20). Heaven will neither be Jewish nor Gentile because Heaven is where God eternally dwells with His redeemed people, from everywhere throughout the world (cf. Rev.5:9). There are no nationalities in Heaven! The basis of our calling is nothing less than Jehovah Tzidkenu, Jehovah is our righteousness. We plead alone the merits of what Christ did on the cross when His precious blood washed all our sins away. Our salvation is all of God, - there is nothing in it of which we can boast, Rom. 9:11 that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth; 15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy
6 on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy Jehovah Tzidkenu, Jehovah is our righteousness. Called out, called home CALLED UP This passage in Jer. 23 tells you that God, v.5 will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely. Who is this King? This King is none other than the King of kings, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our only salvation. Within the Old Testament context the people of Israel who had been brought back to the land made their way along the valleys and up the hill of Mount Zion. Resident in the newly-restored Temple was Jehovah, - that was His throne on earth and the people were called up to meet with Him, Ps. 65:5 Come and see the works of God. 8 O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard. Beautiful and all as that must have been, in a much more glorious way, Paul wrote to the Corinthians, I Cor. 15:51 Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. Believer, God will one day gather all His redeemed from every corner of this earth unto Himself. Our eyes shall only be upon Him, Job 19:26 in my flesh shall I see God: 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another and my old flesh will peal away, and He will give me a new body, - a brand new body, Is. 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days 21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. 22 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them. 24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the LORD.
CONCLUSION In what am I trusting? Where is my confidence? II Tim. 1:12 I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day for the power in which I believe is God, Jehovah Tzidkenu, v.9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began. Jehovah is our righteousness If you are trusting in anyone or anything else to bring you to Heaven, they will fail you. There is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus. He became sin for us that He would make us righteous. God alone justifies the sinner, Jesus alone saves. All other roads lead away from Him and take you eventually to eternity in Hell where the wrath of God can never be quenched. The other occasion in Scripture where this title is mentioned is in Jer. 33:16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness. If you are not saved, come to the Saviour, come to the One God has raised up as the only Substitute for the sinner, - come to Jesus, cry out to Him to take away your sin, and begin a brand new life with Him. Believer, don t ever attribute anything of your salvation to your own self, - it is all of God. He loved you before you loved Him, He chose you in eternity so that you would choose Him in time. God loves you and God will keep you, He has fitted you out for Heaven, Is. 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. What a privilege to be saved! I trust we are not depending upon anything else, but that we know Jehovah Tzidkenu personally as Jehovah Who is our righteousness. 7