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SOME STUDY GEMS:
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Righteousness
Ezekiel 18:5-9 “But if a man is just And does what is lawful and right; If he has not eaten on the mountains, Nor lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, Nor defiled his neighbor’s wife, Nor approached a woman during her impurity; If he has not oppressed anyone, But has restored to the debtor his pledge; Has robbed no one by violence, But has given his bread to the hungry And covered the naked with clothing; If he has not exacted usury Nor taken any increase, But has withdrawn his hand from iniquity And executed true judgment between man and man; If he has walked in My statutes And kept My judgments faithfully, He is just; He shall surely live!”“
Some translations use the word righteous, and in this translation we have the word “just”. We had another post on Righteousness from 1 Samuel 26, using the Hebrew word Sedaqa (click here to read more). The Hebrew word used here is related, being Sadiq H6662 – ṣadîq. These verses in Ezekiel really gives at the heart the basics of
what it is to be righteous:
– he keeps the laws
– he loves what is right
– he doesn’t seek important things of this world
– doesn’t have idols, or things that he loves of this world
– doesn’t covet
– he is moral
– doesn’t oppress anyone
– doesn’t make debt, and keeps his word
– shares his food and clothes, helps those around him
– doesn’t make profit from interests, or from his neighbors
– he keeps the Torah
This is what you must be and do, to be counted as Righteous. Yeshua said in Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled”. The Greek word for Righteous is Dikaiosyn G1343 – dikaiosynē, and is used a lot even in the new testament, as how to be counted as “acceptable to YHWH“. Act 10:35 says, “But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
Rebellion
Ezekiel 18:31 “Stop all the rebellious things that you are doing.”. Another translations says, “Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.”
The Hebrew word used here is Pesa H6588 – pešaʿ. We did many previous posts on “Rebellion” (click here for more), as the rebellion and pride is the primary trademarks of satan.
Rebellion is quite the opposite of Righteousness, explained in the point above. In verse 11 it talks about enjoying other worship sites, coveting things and people, oppressing the poor, doesn’t deal fair with money, asks interests making excessive profits. In verse 25 we see even more, that people say “but it’s unfair! YHWH is unfair!”. They are complaining, because they TRY to be righteous, doing all the right things on the checklist, thinking themselves as being righteous. But they also act non-righteous at times, and think it is ok – their righteous acts will make up for it, and will be enough. But YHWH says no, it comes down to, you cannot be both! You can be rebellious, and turn to righteousness, but you cannot be both!
People think they can be in the middle, have it both. Do nice things, do the “works”, even give to the poor, but also being nasty with others, prideful and hateful. But being good and bad, is like being lukewarm, which is worse than just be rebellious/cold. But Revelation 3:15-16 states, “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth”
YHWH's Sign on his people
Ezekiel 20:19-20 “I am YHWH your Elohim: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am YHWH your Elohim.”
The Hebrew word for Sign is Ot H226 – ‘ôṯ, meaning to consent or agree, to setup a sign or token of an agreement, a miraculous sign or proof, a banner or remembrance token. The first time we see this word is right in the beginning with Creation, on the fourth day, Genesis 1:14, “Then Elohim said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years;”
From Deuteronomy 6 we learned that YHWH (and many times throughout Scripture) talks about His Sign on man, on the hands and head (click here to read more), and that it is not just the beast from Revelation that places his signs on people’s hands and head, but YHWH commands that we keep His Sabbath and His Feast Days, and that will be our sign that we belong to Him.
