Jehovah Tsidkenu - THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS

Let's open to the book of Jeremiah chapter 23, Jeremiah

chapter 23 and the title of this morning's message is

Jehovah Sidkenu, Jehovah Sidkenu, which translated is

the Lord our righteousness.

I think when people hear the word righteousness today they usually associate it with what?

It's been my experience that when the word righteousness comes up people sometimes associate that with self

-righteousness and of course it's true there are self -righteous people out there.

You know they always feel justified in everything that they do in a

religious context, a self -righteous person.

These are the people who think they're going to heaven based on themselves in their own goodness.

In fact you'll hear people say things like well of course I'm going to heaven because I

myself am a good person.

You know that's self -righteousness but for the person who understands the

gospel the only righteousness we have, the only righteousness I have

is what?

The righteousness of Christ which is by faith.

So we're talking about this morning the Lord our righteousness.

We're going to look at several things, the righteousness of God in salvation, the righteousness of

God and how people are to live their lives and what that looks like but first

let's deal with this passage here that this is where you get that name of God.

God has many different names Jehovah Sidkenu translated the Lord our righteousness

but it also talks about the shepherds of Israel how they were leading people into

unrighteousness.

Jeremiah 23 verses 1 through 6 the prophet writes woe

to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture says the

Lord.

Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed my people

you have scattered my flock driven them away and not attended to

them behold I will attend to you for the evil of your doings

says the Lord but I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all

countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their folds and they shall be

fruitful and increase and I will set up shepherds over them

who will feed them and they shall and they shall fear no more

nor be dismayed nor shall they be lacking says the Lord.

Behold the days are coming says the Lord that I will raise to David a branch of

righteousness.

A king shall reign and prosper and execute judgment and

righteousness in the earth in his days.

Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely

now this is the name by which he will be called Jehovah Sidkenu

and this is translated the Lord our righteousness.

Let's pray father help us to understand your

righteousness this morning.

Lord this is at the heart of the gospel that we have no righteousness

of our own that one day the nation of Israel and certainly your people today who have

believed the gospel the only righteousness we have that true righteousness is the

righteousness of Christ which is by faith.

Lord if there's someone here who has never understood the inner workings of the gospel and how the

righteousness of God is applied to the human heart I pray that you would illuminate your word this morning

and give them understanding.

And I ask this in Jesus name.

Amen.

Ok so again this is the name there's a lot of different names of God like Jehovah Jireh that's probably one of the most well

-known and this was always one that I couldn't pronounce.

So actually it starts with a T but the T is silent.

So Jehovah Sidkenu.

So I had to go online and see exactly how this was pronounced but that's how it's translated the Lord

our righteousness.

Jehovah Sidkenu it's right there in verse 6 is one of the names of Jehovah God.

But the context of this passage is how God's people Israel had been led into

unrighteousness by the bad shepherds.

And who are the bad shepherds.

Well if you look at the context of the book it's not just the religious leaders which you would expect like the

priests and the false prophets.

It's actually also the Kings and the civil leaders.

So that's definitely a problem that Israel was facing back then during the days of Jeremiah.

We know that Jeremiah is sometimes called what the weeping prophet he was that man who

saw the destruction of Jerusalem when the Jews were brought into captivity

into Babylon.

So it's a really bad situation in these days and the people were led astray and

judgment came upon the nation because essentially of the bad leadership.

And you know how that is if the leadership is bad that just trickles down and everyone's following the leader and

the whole thing goes bad.

And of course this is still a problem that happens even to this day.

Everything rises and falls on leadership.

So in making application I'm not going to address the civil rulers this morning with our

society but just on a religious level just a way to illustrate this.

I think this is a major problem with bad shepherding in Christianity

today.

Case in point who's ever heard of a rummage sale.

Okay you know we've heard of tag sales and flea markets.

Well we went to a you know rummage sale yesterday in the basement of a church.

And you know is to my surprise that they were selling books about atheism.

They even had a copy of 50 shades of gray if you don't know what that book is.

God bless you.

I've never read it obviously but I'm thinking a church is selling this.

And my point is I don't know the shepherd of this flock.

But they probably had a few things in common with the people Jeremiah was talking about.

I think is safe to say Jeremiah 23 verses 1 through 6.

Let's just go through this.

He says woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of

my pasture.

And we're all familiar with this.

The the pastor is what shepherd.

Right.

Jesus is the good shepherd.

The the congregation is the flock.

Back in the Old Testament Israel was God's flock.

Israel was the flock.

Jehovah God was the shepherd.

Maybe.

But there are under shepherds.

There are people that God appoints as leaders of priests prophets kings and whatnot.

The judges as well.

So you see the dire situation in the nation of Judah here where God says woe to the

shepherds.

Why.

Because they are destroying and scattering the Lord's flock.

So the word shepherd again today it's the same as pastor.

If you have the new King James version it's going to say shepherd.

But if you have the King James version the verse reads like this.

Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my

pasture saith the Lord.

So the pastors or the the leaders I mean they're supposed to lead the people in the ways of

righteousness not unrighteousness.

But this is what they were doing.

And the passage goes along.

As the passage goes along the Lord promises a change in Israel.

And in Judah.

Instead of these bad shepherds the Lord is going to give them good shepherds.

And he's going to give them one good shepherd in particular.

And this is of course a prophecy about the coming Messiah.

Here he is called what he is called the branch.

That's another name for Christ.

The branch one day Israel.

Okay the descendants of Abraham the Jewish people one day Israel according to the Bible

will be led by Jesus Christ.

Obviously this is in Jeremiah's future.

He's prophesying a future events.

But it's still even in our future because we know that the nation of Israel 2 ,000 years ago they

by and large rejected Jesus.

And they're still living for the most.

Obviously there's believing believing remnant of Jewish people.

But one could argue that unbelief is as big a problem now or even

bigger than it was back then.

But one day when Jesus returns he is going to lead the flock of

Israel.

He will be that good shepherd over his people Israel.

When does that happen.

Well Revelation chapter 20 speaks about this.

We call it the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.

He will lead a kingdom that according to the Bible will last for 1

,000 years.

The Bible says that Jesus will lead Israel.

He will rule.

And he will rule with what a rod of what a rod of iron.

He will not tolerate injustice.

And isn't this what we're praying for every Sunday the Lord's Prayer.

We pray what thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth

as it is in heaven.

So this of course in Jeremiah is a future prophecy about Israel in the coming of Christ.

The second coming look at verse 2 he says.

Therefore thus says the Lord of Israel against the shepherds who feed my people.

You have scattered my flock driven them away and not attended to them.

Behold I will tend to you for the evil of your doings says the Lord.

One commentator says this about verse 2.

The shepherds had scattered the people first spiritually by leading them into

idolatry.

Let me ask you are there pastors today who are involved in idolatry in

the in the church.

Of course yeah.

It's a perennial problem.

So they had led them astray.

First spiritually by leading them into idolatry.

Secondly the commentator says.

Many had been literally been taken to Egypt with King Jehoahaz.

Many in King Jehoiakim's time had fled there.

So these are kings of the nation of Judah.

And some of God's people had been led into idolatry.

Others had been led into Babylon.

Of course this is what happened on a large scale when the Jews were taken captive.

It's like okay you want to worship idols.

Is that really what you want.

I'll make sure you go captive into an idolatrous nation.

This was all done for a purpose to bring the children of Israel to a place of repentance.

And thankfully that did happen and they ended up being restored after 70 years.

But it was the bad shepherds really that brought judgment upon the nation.

So God was their righteousness.

All they had to do is worship Jehovah God.

He was their righteousness.

But instead they worship Baal.

They worship Molech.

They had all these idols and it brought judgment to the nation.

I like to say this.

You know course I didn't come up with it.

But you know people are sheep.

Right.

That's the analogy of scripture.

And I mean it's so true people follow along with whatever agenda the rich and the powerful

set.

It's always been the way it happens now.

It happened back then.

So these powerful kings they decided to worship idols.

They were worshiping idols.

What did most of the people do.

They followed along and the nation went into idolatry.

One more comment on the term driven away.

In verse two the commentator points out that good shepherds do not drive their

flocks.

There's not a lot of shepherds today.

I mean this isn't something that Americans know a whole lot about.

But a good shepherd doesn't drive the flock.

You might know this.

A good shepherd does what leads the flock.

He goes out ahead of the flock.

Whatever threats there are he's gonna face the threat first.

He's a defender of the flock he leads.

But here it talks about the shepherds driving the flock.

So he's mistreating them.

And of course there are shepherds today who you know we say they fleece the flock and it's all about

what they can get out of the people instead of having a self -sacrificial

spirit that Jesus did compare that with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd who did what he laid down his life

for the sheep.

So this is a bad situation in the nation of Judah.

But there is hope.

Look at verse 3 the Lord speaking through the prophet he says.

But I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries where I have driven

them and bring them back to their folds in there and they shall be fruitful and increased.

Now somebody might read that and say well I thought you said you know it's the bad shepherds that are driving the flock.

And here the Lord said he drove them.

Well that's true.

The Lord did say that.

And what he means is the Lord drove the people you know into captivity.

God sent them into Babylon.

There was a this was the agreement the Jews had with Jehovah God

at Mount Sinai.

There was a covenant made through Moses.

The agreement was obey and worship the Lord and be blessed or

disobey worship false gods and be what cursed.

And we know what happened.

We just talked about it.

So the Lord allowed them to go into captivity.

I think this statement about the Lord driving them it speaks to both the sovereignty of God and

the free will of man.

If you want to put it that way you see the people even if they're led into idolatry

even if somebody led you into sin and they're the one who led you you're still responsible for your

own actions.

So the people of the nation of Judah they were still the shepherds are more responsible.

That's true.

But the people are still responsible.

So that speaks of the free will of man if you will but then also the sovereignty of God even though it's the false

shepherds who are doing this it's God who is allowing it.

You could say it's God who is doing it in that sense to allow it to happen for a

purpose to bring them to repentance.

So again the sovereignty of God the free will of man side by side.

But the chastening of God is always meant for good.

Look at verse 4.

The Lord says I will set up shepherds over them who will feed them.

So instead of bad shepherds driving the flock he will establish good shepherds who feed the

flock.

And they shall fear no more nor be dismayed.

Nor shall they be lacking of anything says the Lord.

So the Jews went into captivity in Babylon but they would be brought back.

And if you know the story there was a great revival when they came back into the land.

They rebuilt the temple.

And for a season of time things were were were good.

And there were godly leaders once again men like Moses and Joshua and David.

Perfect leaders.

No not perfect but good leadership.

But it's even better than that.

Look at verse 5.

Behold the days are coming.

This is the prophecy about Christ.

Behold the days are coming says the Lord that I will raise up to David a branch of

righteousness.

Now Jesus is perfect and a king shall reign and prosper

and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.

And of course this speaks of David's son the Messiah the Christ.

You know it seemed like Israel was a tree.

And that Israel is depicted as a tree.

Sometimes I think of Romans 11.

They were like a tree at this point that was cut down to a stump.

How many of you have ever cut down a tree.

And yeah you got this little stump left.

And sometimes that kills the tree right.

And it doesn't grow back.

But sometimes you cut down the tree the stump is left.

And what happens after a little while you start to see this little green thing shooting up.

That's what Jesus said.

He is the branch and the tree.

Israel was restored and they will be mark it down.

This is the year 2024.

Israel is living in unbelief and we need to pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

There's still a war going on.

Last time I checked.

Right.

And even if there isn't we still need to pray for them.

But Israel will be re -established when Jesus comes back.

Praise be to God.

You know that's just a a wonderful illustration of God's righteous

character.

Do they deserve it.

I mean none of us are deserving but God loves them.

He made a promise to them and he's going to keep his promise.

Why.

Because the Lord is righteous and he does what he says.

Verse 6.

Speaking of Christ in his days Judah will be saved and Israel will

dwell safely.

Now this is his name by which he will be called Jehovah Sidkanu the Lord

our righteousness.

So Israel will experience salvation through the Messiah.

We read about this in Romans 11 Matthew 24.

Obviously Revelation chapter 20 19 and 20.

But this is a still in our future.

Now if I can transition here we've been talking about the nation of Israel Old Testament things.

I want to transition now to talk about the church and talk about New Testament things.

There's a difference obviously between Israel and the church.

Israel was a physical nation and they experienced at times physical

salvation.

Another word for salvation is deliverance.

The church however is what we're not a physical nation we are a

spiritual nation.

So the salvation that we most commonly speak of is spiritual

salvation.

We talk about the salvation of our souls or the souls of men.

Why do we need salvation.

I mean you don't need deliverance unless there's something to be delivered from.

So as I always like to say and it helps us think about it more clearly.

Before you can understand the good news of the gospel you first have to understand the the bad news

and realize what the problem is.

Of course the problem is you could say the problem is sin.

The same here back in Jeremiah it comes down to rebelling against God.

The Bible says the scripture says that what all have sinned and have come short of the

glory of God.

Romans 3 23.

Romans 6 23.

The wages of sin is what death.

I mean death is the problem.

Last week for Easter talked about the two great enemies death and unbelief.

So let's just talk about death for a moment.

Death can be defined as separation.

Well how is death.

Separation.

Well it's very simple when a when a person's spirit is separated from their body that's death.

You're only alive if you have your spirit within you.

If the spirit of the soul is separated from the body that's physical death.

But when the spirit is separated from God that's spiritual death.

That's called the second death.

Here's the thing sin and unbelief causes both causes both.

The only remedy for this is the righteousness of what you

righteousness of me.

No I mean we already established that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

I have no righteousness.

I mean I might do some good things.

You might do some good things.

But compared to God and his holy perfect standard I mean whatever we do whatever we

amount to it's not much compared to God.

Is it so God though he is perfectly righteous we have

no righteousness of our own.

See that's the first thing a self -righteous person will never admit that.

I know it always gets flipped around right.

The devil he exchanges bitter for sweet sweet for bitter.

The devil the devil is able to convince people that the opposite is true.

So and there may be some Bible believe in Christians who are self -righteous.

I don't know I'm sure it happens.

But typically when people think of self -righteous people they think of Christians who believe the Bible

like you have a biblical standard while you're self -righteous.

Even if you say I have no righteousness of my own I'm a sinner saved by grace.

Even if you say that and believe that you're still you still may be called self -righteous.

But the people who think they're okay by themselves they're going to heaven based on their good works.

They will never acknowledge that they have no righteousness of their own.

They think they're good.

They think they're all set.

You need to recognize that only God and the end at the end of the day only God

is truly righteous.

Let's turn to Romans chapter 3.

We're going to kind of get back to basics this morning and and talk about what the gospel we know what the

gospel is the death and burial and resurrection of Christ.

But how does that work.

I want to talk about some of the details.

You know the inner workings of the gospel and how the righteousness of God is

applied to me and to you.

So you're turning to Romans 3.

What does the Bible say about our righteousness.

Our righteousness is as what filthy rags Isaiah 64 6.

Paul said in Philippians 3 7 through 9 he said.

But what things were gained to me these.

I have counted loss for Christ.

Yet indeed also I count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Jesus Christ

my Lord for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as

rubbish that I may gain Christ and being found in him not

having my own righteousness which is from the law but that which is

through faith in Christ.

The righteousness which is from God.

By what faith.

The only way we can be righteous in the eyes of God is if we have

faith in Jesus Christ.

That's how the gospel is applied.

So how is a person declared righteous before God.

There's no self -righteousness.

I can't brag or boast about anything that I have done.

All I can do is say I have put all my trust in him.

I appeal to him.

He paid it.

All works come in.

Well God works the faith in and we work it out.

True.

If a person has genuine saving faith in his atoning death and resurrection they will have a desire.

We will have a desire for good works.

But the source is not me.

The source of the goodness is always God.

The righteousness which is only by faith.

Look at Romans 319.

Now we know Paul says that whatever the law says it says to

those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped in all the world

may become guilty before God.

Why did God give Israel the Ten Commandments.

I mean some people say rules are made to be broken.

Well that's not really what God intended.

I mean he wanted them to obey but at the same time he knew they were not going to obey.

Didn't God know that.

In giving the law it was supposed to make them realize that they had broken the law.

Israel was supposed to walk by faith.

Abraham walked by faith.

As long as they walk by faith and believe God everything would have been okay.

But they lacked faith.

God gave them the commandments to show them you know you're not really righteous.

And then they fell into a form of legalism thinking that well if I just keep these rules.

And if I don't do this.

If I don't do that then I'll go to.

You know I'll be saved because of what I do.

And that's why Jesus had to come in.

And in the Sermon on the Mount teach them the deeper implications of the law.

Even if you're technically keeping the rule on the surface your heart is still the problem.

Because you kind of want to break it sometimes even if people don't want to admit it.

I mean that was the purpose of the commandments.

Verse 20 of Romans 3.

Therefore by the deeds of the law.

Because of that no flesh will be justified in his sight.

For by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Again the commandments are given so that you'll realize you're not keeping them.

The next section is titled God's righteousness through faith he says in verse 21.

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law

and the prophets.

Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all

who believe.

For there is no difference for all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God being

justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus whom

God set forth as a propitiation by his blood through faith to

demonstrate his righteousness because in the forbearance in his forbearance God

has passed over the sins that were previously committed.

I mean that word Passover should make you think back to the children of Israel in

Egypt.

What did they have to do.

They had to kill the lamb and put its blood on the doorpost.

And that night God if you saw the blood he would pass over.

Judgment would not fall because they were under the blood.

The Passover was a picture of Jesus dying on the cross.

If we have faith we are under the blood.

Judgment will pass over his blood

satisfies the wrath of the father.

Verse 26.

This is done to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness that he

might be the just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

So who's the just one.

Who's the righteous one.

You know Jesus is the righteous one.

He is the just and he is the justifier.

Verse 27.

Where is boasting.

Then it is excluded by what law of works.

No but by the law of faith.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by what faith apart

from the deeds of the law.

So if I can kind of put this in terms you can understand this is the great

transaction that occurs when a person places their faith in Jesus.

Jesus took all of our sins upon himself when he died on the cross.

When he was on the cross he took all of our sins upon himself.

2nd Corinthians 521 says.

For he made him.

That is God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness

of God in him.

On the Bible says in Galatians 313 Jesus became a

curse.

He took the sin of the whole world upon himself.

And this is how God demonstrates his love towards mankind.

And the while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

How do we know.

God cares because he sent his only begotten son into the world.

Jesus took upon himself all of our sin.

So that when we place our faith in him he gives us in exchange all

of his righteousness is not the best deal you've ever heard.

Jesus takes all your sin deals with it on the cross pays the penalty.

We deserve death.

And in exchange if we believe all we have to do is believe.

And he gives us all his righteousness.

Therefore when we die and stand before God and by the way it's not really death because we just

keep on living.

You know that.

Right.

You're conscious here one moment then you're conscious they are the next.

So that when we stand before God God doesn't see us in our sin.

Matter of fact I'm not so sure he sees us at all.

When God looks at us on that day he will see his only begotten son.

He doesn't see me in my sin.

He sees the righteousness of his own son because it's been imputed into my

account.

That's the great transaction that occurs in the gospel.

Skip over to Romans chapter 4.

We're almost done.

We see more of the same.

The Apostle Paul explaining the inner workings of the gospel.

Now he points to Abraham.

He uses Abraham as sort of exhibit a.

If you will he says in verse 1.

What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh.

For if Abraham was justified by works he had something to boast about but

not before God.

For what does the scripture say.

Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

If you ever read the story of Abraham Abraham did a lot of things that he shouldn't have done.

Abraham wasn't called the friend of God because he was.

I mean he was a good man compared to most people.

That's true.

That's.

That's not really what salvation is all about.

How was Abraham justified before God.

It tells us how is he justified because he believed

God when God spoke to him.

Even though what God said was absolutely incredible at times seemingly impossible.

When God spoke to Abraham Abraham believed what God said.

Do you believe what God says this morning.

When you open the Bible.

When you read God's Word when you hear a preached accurately.

Do you believe it.

I mean everyone has their doubts.

That's true.

Remember the man Lord I believe.

Help thou my unbelief.

Maybe that's you this morning.

But you believe.

You have doubt.

You struggle a little bit.

But you do believe.

You're saved.

If you believe so do you believe God this morning.

You know it's like Jesus he said to the sinful woman in Luke 7 verse 50 he said to her

woman your faith has saved you.

So before we go let me end with this application.

Application is usually what you know you have to do or what you should do.

So what do we need to do.

Well to be justified before God.

You don't actually have to do anything you have to what believe.

But still what you say.

Well yeah.

But I know works is involved in this.

Somehow.

I mean there's a lot of things the Bible says about works.

See we're in a process.

Right.

If you believe you've been saved that salvation right now what we're going through is what's called

sanctification where we continue to grow in the grace and knowledge and become more like Christ.

Hopefully you're more like Jesus than you were a year ago five years ago 20 years ago.

Even with that we grow through faith not works.

You realize that you don't actually grow in the faith by just trying harder and doing more good things.

That's the result.

But it's always faith.

It's always by faith.

So here's what I want to leave you with going back to Abraham.

Abraham believed God and it says it was accounted to him for righteousness.

But you remember when God told Abraham to go to a land that I will show you.

What did Abraham do.

He went.

He went when God told Abraham who is a childless old man at the time that his descendants

would number as the stars of the sky and as the sand of the seashore.

It's like that's impossible.

But Abraham believed.

But still him and Sarah still had to come together and produce Isaac.

And then when God told Abraham to sacrifice Isaac many many years later even though Lord was

not about to let him go through with it Abraham was willing.

He was willing.

What's the point.

Abraham was willing to take action because he believed.

You know it's one thing to say.

Well I believe.

But if there's no action behind it what does James say about that.

I even the demons you know believe and they tremble.

If you really believe there's going to be something backing it up.

But that's the evidence.

So works.

It's always the evidence.

So if you have the Holy Spirit within you this morning I just want to leave you with this.

You know Abraham was willing to take action because he believed.

When God spoke to him Abraham believed he was willing to do something about it.

What's God saying to you this morning.

Yes I believe the gospel.

I know Christ amen.

Hallelujah.

But what's God speaking to you about.

What other things is he saying to you.

If a Christian has the Holy Spirit God is always trying to you know tell us something so to speak.

He wants us to do this.

Or did not for salvation.

But he wants us to become more like right.

It's just a matter of do I believe what God says.

Number one and then number two.

The second question am I actually going to take action and do something about it.

So that's the challenge.

I'll leave you with whatever the Spirit of God may be laying on your heart today whatever it is it starts with

believing that God is speaking to you in that way and that

he wants you to take action.

But make no mistake about it.

The only righteousness we have is the righteousness of God which is

applied through faith.

I am NOT righteous.

You are not righteous.

He is our righteousness the Lord our

righteousness Jehovah Sid canoe.

Let's pray Heavenly Father I thank you for this truth that I don't have to strive.

We don't have to strive and struggle and work and work to try to gain your acceptance to try to

earn your love.

Lord you already loved us.

You demonstrated that on the cross when you send Jesus to die.

But Lord because of your love we want to show you that we love you in return.

Lord.

If there's some way something we can do this week to show others that we believe to

show others that we love you and that we love them.

Lord give us those opportunities to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior

Jesus Christ it's in his name.

We pray.

Amen.