THE BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS PART 2

Matthew chapter 6













Today we are walking in: The Benefits Of Righteousness Part 2










Today we look to the word-KEY- H4668 maphteach--key, opening instrument




The Torah testifies...............

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The prophets proclaim..................





Isaiah 22:22

And the key H4668 of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.








The writings bear witness...........................




Judges 3:25

And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, H4668 and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.










THE BENEFIT OF DELIVERANCE




Yah not only hears and answers the righteous when they call, but He also delivers them from and through the difficulties of life:




The righteous cry out, and the Most High hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. The Most High is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in Ruach. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Most High delivers him from them all; He protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned. The Most High redeems His servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in Him (Psalm 34:17-22).




As long as we are aligned with Yah, He will deliver us from all our troubles. This does not mean that we will never experience trouble in life, but it does mean that we can trust Yah to carry us through and give us the strength and the grace to prevail. He won’t leave us to fend for ourselves.




Notice that verse 20 promises that Yah will protect the “bones” of the righteous so that none of them will be broken. David, the psalmist, is speaking metaphorically here. This is not a promise for protection against literal broken bones. The word bones here refers to the framework that holds everything together, like the human skeleton forms the framework that holds the body together. The promise of this verse, then, is that Yah will bless and deliver the righteous by making sure that the framework of their lives never falls apart. Yah’s promise to the righteous is, “I will keep your frame intact!” Even when the lives of others around us are falling apart, Yah will preserve our frame and that of our family.




Yahusha promised that the house built on a solid foundation would stand through all the storms (Matt. 7:24-25). Righteousness is a fundamental part of the solid foundation on which we must build our lives if we are to withstand the storm. Yah’s promise to protect our bones is a promise to protect us from being blown away by the forces of life that may destroy others. As long as we pursue righteousness and seek to stay in alignment with Him, Yah will hold us up.




THE BENEFIT OF PROSPERITY




Righteousness is also the key to prosperity. Although the Bible does not teach a “prosperity gospel” or a “name-it-and-claim-it” theology, as some teach, it does promise prosperity as a reward for the righteous:




Misfortune pursues the sinner, but prosperity is the reward of the righteous. A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous (Proverbs 13:21-22).




Prosperity, as the word is used here, includes but is not limited to material wealth. In fact, the meaning of the word goes much deeper to cover overall quality and fruitfulness of life. The life of the righteous will be full, abundant, and fruitful in every sense and in every dimension. In contrast, sinners (the unrighteous) will face misfortune after misfortune.




As I said before, the health, wealth, and stability of the wicked are only apparent, not real. As quickly as a heartbeat they can all be stripped away. Righteousness, however, brings rewards that will not tarnish or rust away but instead will endure forever.




The wealth of sinners is being stored up for the righteous. Many people have claimed this verse but have not seen it fulfilled for them. Why? Because they claimed it while ignoring the precondition of righteousness. Only those who actively pursue righteousness and seek to live according to Yah’s will have the right to claim this verse. Righteousness is the requirement; the wealth of the wicked is the reward. As Most High of the universe and owner of all that is, Yah will see to it in the end that the wealth and treasure of His Kingdom end up in the hands of righteous people who can be trusted to exercise mature, faithful stewardship.




Rewarding the righteous is the just thing to do in a just Kingdom ruled by a just Yah: “Surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a Yah who judges the earth” (Ps. 58:11b). This verse says, in other words, that as long as there is a living Yah who judges the earth, the righteous will be rewarded. It is a principle as certain as Yah’s Word and as permanent as eternity. There really is a reward for clean living.




Unlike the unrighteous, who will wither and be blown away like chaff in the wind, the righteous will flourish and remain fruitful for a lifetime:




The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Most High, they will flourish in the courts of our Yah. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Most High is upright; He is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in Him” (Psalm 92:12-15).




Judging from these verses, the righteous are not supposed to die old and crippled! They are supposed to remain of sound mind and body, bearing fruit well into old age. The phrase, “they will stay fresh and green,” refers to the idea that righteousness should keep us young in heart and mind no matter our physical age. Righteousness will help us maintain our zest for life right up to the end. And our witness to the greatness and righteousness of Yah should be just as strong, and even stronger, at the end of our days as at any other time in life.




YAH’S PLUMB LINE




Finally, righteousness benefits us by protecting us from the judgment of Yah. Righteousness is the essential standard by which Yah will judge the world. If we are already living and walking there, we are safe.




This is what the Sovereign Most High says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line (Isaiah 28:16-17a).




A plumb line is a weighted string that is used in construction work to make sure that walls are straight when they are erected. If the wall line from top to bottom is parallel to the plumb line, the wall is said to be “true to plumb.” That means that it is in line with the standard of measure.




In the Kingdom of Yah, righteousness is the plumb line Yah uses to measure whether or not our lives are “true to plumb” or whether we are out of alignment. The standard of measure cannot be adjusted; it reveals what has to be. Pursuing righteousness means that we adjust our lives, attitudes, and behavior until we fall within Yah’s standard of measure. Once we do, we are properly aligned with Him, properly positioned for full abundance and fruitfulness and to enjoy fully all the benefits and rewards that come with Kingdom life.




The Kingdom of Yah has everything we could ever possibly need or want. And the Most High wants us to have and enjoy them all; but our lives must be true to plumb. Being born again is not enough by itself. It is the necessary first step because it gets us into the Kingdom, but our access to Kingdom wealth and resources grows as we grow in practical righteousness.




How do you measure up? If Yah dropped His plumb line alongside your life today, where would you fall? Would your life be out of alignment or would you be true to plumb?




PRINCIPLES




1.What we receive is proportional to what we give.




2.When you enjoy the favor of the King you don’t have to work for what He gives you.




3.The pursuit of righteousness is the secret to maturity, understanding, and discernment in Kingdom living.




4.Only those committed to righteousness will reach maturity.




5.When we actively pursue righteousness in our daily living in obedience to Hamachiach’s command, we enjoy a level of security and protection that those outside the Kingdom of Yah do not have.




6.If we stay right with Yah, He will promote us in every situation we go into.




7.When Yah’s favor surrounds us, everything that He desires for us will come to pass.




8.Righteousness is such a strong shield that it protects even in the face of disaster.




9.Being under the protection and favor of Yah means not only that He watches over us but also that He listens to what we say.




10.As long as we are aligned with Yah, He will deliver us from all our troubles.




11.Righteousness is the key to prosperity.




12.Righteousness benefits us by protecting us from the judgment of Yah.




13.Pursuing righteousness means that we adjust our lives, attitudes, and behavior until we fall within Yah’s standard of measure.