Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD our Righteousness

Jeremiah 23:1-6.

ETS: Jeremiah spoke a word of warning to those who mismanaged the responsibilities entrusted to them by the Lord.

ESS: We should be careful to be good stewards of the responsibilities God has given us.

OSS: [Devotional] {I want the hearers to consider whether or not they have effectively and accurately represented the Lord as righteousness and if they have been good stewards of the responsibilities given them by the Lord.}

PQ: What practical truths can we glean from this passage?

UW: Truths

Intro.: [AGS]: Tony Hughes, running backs coach for Ms. State football was heard at a Christian conference saying this, “I may be the only sermon the players ever hear. I may the only Bible they ever read.” The implication is that the way he coaches and lives matters and impacts the players, especially since he claims to be a Christian. He recognizes this responsibility, and he lives and leads in light of it. [TS]: God entrusts each of us with responsibilities in which He expects us to be good stewards and representatives of Himself. The text records the message of a prophet rising up to share a timely warning from the Lord to leaders who had not represented His righteousness well. [RS]: We each have responsibility given to us by God. We are expected to represent Him well and to lead well within the responsibility given to us. We should be careful to be good stewards of the responsibility God entrusts to us.

TS: Let us now examine the truths of this passage:

It is a terrible thing to not steward well the responsibilities God has given to us. [vv. 1-2]

The leaders referred to both spiritual and political/civil leaders. “Shallum, Jehoiakim, Jeconiah, and Zedekiah (Ez. 34:2).” [1]

“They had scattered them first spiritually by leading them into idolatry; and secondly, many had literally bene taken to Egypt with Jehoahaz, many in Jehoiakim’s time had fled thither, while others fell away to the Chaldeans: and finally the best of the land had been carried to Babylon with Jeconiah.” [2]

“There is a play on words for not attended to (‘my flock’) and I am about to attend to (‘shepherds’). The Hebrew word is paqad, meaning ‘to care for’ or ‘to chastise.’ God will discipline the shepherds for not taking care of his flock.” [3]

APPLICATION: How terrible a thing to hear these words from the LORD: You’ve not attended to the responsibilities I entrusted you; You’ve not concerned yourself with the people I have given you. We need to be careful to be good stewards of the responsibilities and people entrusted to our care.

The LORD takes care of those who are His own. [vv. 3-4]

The LORD promised a remnant to remain of His people. Additionally, He assured their safety, security, and provision.

He also assured them of His faithfulness to His promise with the language reminiscent of the language used in the command of the Garden of Eden and the promise of blessing given to Abraham: they will become fruitful and numerous

Though there were leaders who did not lead well; God promised to raise up leaders who would lead well. “Zerubbebel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Maccabees were but typical of the consummating fulfillment of these prophesies under Messiah.” [4]

APPLICATION: It is a great comfort to know that God takes care of those who are His own. This does not mean they will be absent of suffering or poor leadership who may cause challenges for them; this does mean that God will see after them, provide for them, and sustain them.

The LORD promised the Messiah who would be righteousness for the people. [vv. 5-6]

“The expression the days are coming points to messianic times. It is used fifteen times in the book of Jeremiah.” [5]

Similar to Zedekiah in pronunciation, Tsidkenu stands in direct opposition to the example of Zedekiah. Though Zedekiah means “the LORD is righteous,” Zedekiah was not a good model of such. Yet, this coming one spoken of was to be the example that “The LORD is our righteousness”

As we ponder “how can we be examples/models of Jehovah Tsidkenu” we should be comforted in this: “The good news is that Jesus Christ is our Jehovah Tsidkenu. Jesus is the Holy Branch from the root of David. He is both the embodiment of perfect righteousness and the provision for our righteousness. He was fully man, yet without sin. He was fully God, and thus He alone can represent sinful man before holy God (2 Cor. 5:20-21).” [6]

Reflection:

“In earlier days, we discovered that God is Jehovah Jireh, the Provider. Yet, here we find His people captive and lacking provision. God promised to be Jehovah Rophe, the Healer who would turn the bitter experiences to sweet; but here we see a people who are broken. As Jehovah Nissi, He promised to be their victorious Banner, but now they are completely defeated. Because of their refusal to sanctify themselves to Jehovah Mekadesh, they had become a corrupt and degenerate people. Forsaking Jehovah Shalom, they were now torn by internal dissension and outward aggression. God had remained steadfastly faithful to Himself and His promises, but Israel had turned their backs on Him. (Jer. 32:33).” [Hemphil, 85-85]

Have you been faithful in stewarding both the responsibility given to you by God and in representing the righteousness of God?

Verses: Jeremiah 23:5-6.

Bibliography:

[1] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 529.

[2] Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Jeremiah, Lamentations & Ezekiel, ed. F. C. Cook and J. M. Fuller (London: John Murray, 1879), 205.

[3] Walter Kaiser Jr., “Jeremiah,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1177.

[4] Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset, and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible, vol. 1 (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 529.

[5] Walter Kaiser Jr., “Jeremiah,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1177.

[6] Ken Hemphill, The Names of God (Tigerville, SC: Auxano Press, 2014), 88.