Delighting in God’s Word (Part 18): The Merciful Righteousness of God

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Psalm 119:137

You are righteous, Lord,
and your judgments are just.

(CSB)

The Bible is a narrative of love by a righteous, yet merciful God, towards humanity, His greatest creation.  However, this love of God towards humanity created a conflicting situation when Adam and Eve disobeyed God with a righteous God needing to punish humanity with death while the loving and merciful part of God wanting to regain His lost fellowship with humanity.  God comes up with a unique solution with banishment from the pristine Garden with a promise of a deliverer or Messiah destroying the enemy and creating a pathway to restoration of God’s fellowship with humanity without sacrificing His righteousness (Genesis 3:15).    

When people think of a righteous God, they think of a judge issuing powerful edicts and punishment.  While God remains righteous with those choosing to continually disobey him eventually suffering wrath, the overall biblical narrative describes a merciful God (John 3:16-18).  Unfortunately, many well meaning Christians have promoted a legalistic gospel with many legal requirements for achieving a right standing with God, perhaps leading to the belief of many that their sins are too great and that there is no hope of salvation for them. 

However, this does not call for the adoption of a liberal form of Christianity believing that Jesus death eliminated the need for obedience to the law of God for as James 2:20 says, faith of this nature is a dead faith.  The balance of righteousness and mercy is in the Gospel with God the Father sending His Son to pay the death penalty for humanities sin, fulfilling the requirement of righteousness while filling people choosing to accept God’s gift with the Holy Spirit, empowering them to live lives of obedience to God.  This is what Jesus meant when he told the woman at the well that the true worshipers of God worship Him in spirit (Holy Spirit) and truth (Righteousness) (John 4:23-24). 

In Psalm 119:137-144 the psalmist describes the merciful righteousness of God by,

1)      Praising the righteous judgments of God (Psalm 119:137) – The Hebrew word translated righteous in this verse is tsad-deek.  (1) It means a form of lawful righteous judgment like one issued by a judge.  In essence, the psalmist is acknowledging and actually praising the righteous judgment of God which judges us as sinners deserving of death.  However, the praise of the psalmist is an expression of faith in the coming Messiah who would provide forgiveness from sin.  Today we no longer need to look forward for a future messiah fulfilling Genesis 3:15 for provision of salvation but can look back at the completed work of Jesus on the cross.

2)      Praising the trustworthiness and righteousness of God’s decrees (Psalm 119:138) – Unlike decrees issued by an earthly judge or ruler, the decrees of God are righteous.  The word translated righteous here is em-oo-naw carrying the meaning of something firm, steadfast, and steady.  (2)  The firm, steadfast, and steady quality of God’s decrees contained in the Bible are something upon which people can have complete trust.

3)      Anger over those choosing to disobey Gods words (Psalm 119:139) – The delight of the psalmist in the lawful, firm, steady, and steadfast Word of God creates righteous anger in the psalmist. 

4)      Love for the pure Word of God (Psalm 119:140) – The psalmist’s deep love for the Word of God is why he strives to live in obedience to God’s Word and not fear of retribution for disobedience.  Even though the Gospel message had not happened at the point in history of the writing of the psalm, the psalmist already grasped the concept of balancing God’s grace with the law.

5)      Remembering God’s precepts even though the psalmist feels insignificant and despised (Psalm 119:141) – Even King David felt inferior when considering the majesty of God (Psalm 8:4).  However, the psalmist refuses to use this as an excuse for not remembering the precepts of God’s law. 

6)      Eternity and truth of God’s righteousness (Psalm 119:142) – the word righteousness in this verse is the Hebrew Word tsed-aw-kaw indicating righteousness of a just and righteous quality that is truthful and everlasting.  (3)

7)      Delight in God’s command during times of trouble (Psalm 119:143) – In times of trouble and tribulation, we need something solid to cling to.  When Jesus asked Peter who he was, Peter rightfully declared was Messiah, the son of the living God (Matthew 16:15-19).  Jesus response that on this rock he would build His church is not a declaration of Peter as the rock but a declaration of the stability of God’s Word and our faith in it.  Even though Jesus had not been born yet, the psalmist understood the stability of God’s Word, and clinging to it in times of trouble.

8)      Eternal quality of God’s righteous decrees providing understanding and life (Psalm 119:144) – God’s Righteousness is eternal and what gives us life.  To live abundantly we must seek to understand the Word of God and live in obedience to it.

The first step in the process of experiencing the merciful righteousness of God is praying to accept Jesus as your savior.  If you have not already done so, I encourage you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

I encourage everyone that just prayed with me to begin learning more about the merciful righteous God who just forgave you sins by reading and studying the Bible.  Begin communication with Him in prayer, and find a church teaching the Bible.  May God bless everyone reading this.

1. Godrules.net. WICV. www.godrules.net. [Online] [Cited: May 12, 2018.] http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2a/heb6662.htm.

2. —. DPEN@. www.godrules.net. [Online] [Cited: 12 http://www.godrules.net/library/strongs2a/heb530.htm, May.]

3. Bible Tools. Strong's #6666: tsdaqah (pronounced tsed-aw-kaw'). www.bibletools.org. [Online] Bible Tools. [Cited: May 16, 2018.] https://www.bibletools.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/Lexicon.show/ID/H6666/tsdaqah.htm.