"God of... my righteousness"

    This description of God is found only once in the Bible, it was penned by David, and found in Psalm 4:1.

“Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.” (NKJV)

    As we have been learning in this study when we see the term “God of…,” we understand that God is the author and originator of whatever follows; He is the source from which we can obtain it in its completest and purest form.

    David praises God from Whom he has learned righteousness, by Whom he has been guided in the most proper way. God established what is right and has not left His creation to guess at what that is; He rose early and gave His commands and instructions, even having them written for accurate remembrance, complete with the reward and consequence that would come respectively from His followers obedience and disobedience.

    Because God has loved His people enough to provide knowledge of how to live right in His sight David could be calm and feel safe even in distresses (Psalm 4:1, 8). His adherence to God’s righteousness kept him focused on proper conduct when he was feeling angry (Psalm 4:4-5) and developed his desire for others to know of it and to follow it with him (Psalm 4:2-3, 6-7). Knowing he was doing his very best to align himself with God’s way of living, he felt assured of God’s promises to hear and to help (Psalm 34:17-19; 145:17-19, Proverbs 15:29, James 5:16).

    The psalmist who wrote the Hebrew acrostic known to us as Psalm 119 dedicated a whole section to righteousness. Verses 137 through 144 are under the title letter, TSADDE.

Side note: the Hebrew term, ‘tzadik,’ which means ‘righteous person’ is based on the Hebrew letter, TSADDE (or TSADE).

TSADDE

Righteous are You, O LORD, and upright are Your judgments.

Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful.

My zeal has consumed me, because my enemies have forgotten your words.

Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it.

I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Your precepts.

Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.

Trouble and anguish have overtaken me, yet Your commandments are my delights.

The righteousness of Your testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live.”

(New King James Version)  

    This is the conduct and attitude of a righteous person (1 John 3:7), someone who delights in the doing of God’s commands, who has learned the value of His instruction, and is continually discovering the wisdom found in His law.

    A righteous person also comes to appreciate the everlasting-ness of God’s righteousness. What God has called right and proper – and what He calls wrong and sinful - has not changed, will not change. We serve the God of righteousness just as David and the psalmist did, just as Jesus did, just as Mary, Martha, Paul, and Cornelius did!

    God gave His commands and instructions, having faithful men write them down, so that they may be preserved through the ages for us, and all future generations, as He wills.

    Is God the God of your righteousness? Do you look to Him for instruction in pure, absolute righteousness? Do you do your very best to align yourself with His instructions and commands? Are you assured of His comfort and help? Look to God for all that is right and proper, gain understanding of His way (Ephesians 5:15-17), and live with full assurance before Him!

You can do it! So can I!!