Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The Lord Who Is Righteous
DAY 7 WRITTEN BY: CINDY HALE-
Jeremiah 23:5‐6
“Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration — “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
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Jeremiah’s prophecies were set during a time of great political unrest. We find a divided kingdom, and a dispersed people who are facing looming captivity, the northern kingdom of Israel by Assyria and the southern kingdom of Judah by Babylon. Due to the poor leadership of the kings in Israel and Judah, who God had called to be not only leaders but shepherds to care for His people, His sheep, who had been left to the false teachers and false prophets, had been scattered throughout the earth, and were no longer one people in a land that God had promised.
But God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, never leaves His people without hope, whether present or future. The Lord declares a promise of the future King that will be unlike any earthly king they have known. He promises to raise up a Davidic king who would be a branch of Righteousness, a shoot that sprouts from a fallen tree. This King will be a true King, one who will be just and righteous, One through which God’s people will be saved and be secure, a King who extends this salvation and security to all of the earth, not just to Israel and Judah. This King brings rescue and security to all God’s people. This King is Jesus Christ, The Lord Is Our Righteousness.
What a precious name this is for our Lord Jesus Christ! It not only displays His place in the Godhead, but also is a Messianic reference that gives evidence of the deity of the Messiah.
Just as in the days of Jeremiah, we find ourselves in a world today that is full of political unrest and uncertainty. But we can rest secure in the knowledge that our hope is found in this beautiful name of Jesus Christ that we are given in this passage. The rest that we find in Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord is Our Righteousness) gives us great strength to face life’s challenges. This strength found in this name is best summed up by Martin Luther when he said “You, sir satan, your menaces and terrors trouble me not. For why? There is One whose name is called the Lord Our Righteousness, on whom I believe. He it is who hath abrogated the law, condemned sin, abolished death, destroyed hell, and is a satan to thee, O satan.”
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Lord Jesus, my heart sometimes can be so troubled as I look around and see turmoil in this world on every side. Help me to keep my eyes focused on Your promise, Your righteousness, and Your perfect peace. Through Your Righteousness, I can find rest and security in the midst of any turmoil I face. Help me Lord to just rest in You today!
