RIGHTEOUSNESS AS THE LIGHT

Psalm chapter 37




Today we are walking in: Righteousness As The Light






2 Samuel 22:21


The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness H6663: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.









RIGHTEOUSNESS







Today we look to the word RIGHTEOUSNESS--H6663 tsadaq -- Justify, Righteous, Just, Justice, Cleansed, Clear Ourselves, Righteousness






The Torah testifies.........……


Deuteronomy 6:25

And it shall be our righteousness H6663, if we observe to do all these commandments before the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.







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




Isaiah 54:17

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness H6663 is of me, saith the Lord.









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


Proverbs 11:5

The righteousness H6663 of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.



Righteousness As The Light


The Wise and Foolish Virgins all had their Lamps. At one time, they all had Oil, enabling their Lamps to provide Light. But the lamps of the Foolish Virgins had gone out, and there was no more Light. What had happened?


It is to our advantage to look into each aspect of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, so that when the Bridegroom arrives, we might avoid being among the Foolish. In this brief writing we will look at the prophetic meaning of ‘Light’ in Scripture, because it was the Light that was missing after the Lamps of the Foolish went out.


Throughout the Scriptures, we see a parallel picture of Light and Righteousness. We will begin with the following passage:


And he shall bring forth thy righteousness <06664> as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. (Psalms 37:6)


Here we are told that our Righteousness will be as the Light, that can be seen. But what fundamental Truth does Scripture reveal to us about Righteousness? Lets look:


Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness <06664>: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness <06666> spring up together; I the LORD have created it. (Isaiah 45:8)


In this one parable, we see The Most High’s plan for our Righteousness. Here we see that it is The Most High that plants the Seed, springs up the tree, and produces the Fruit. He does it all, and He also tells us in this parable just how He accomplishes this Righteousness.


Seed and Fruit of Righteousness


In the above passage in Isaiah 45:8, we see Righteousness as the male-gender noun, Strong’s number <06664>, picturing the Seed sown from Heaven. Then we see Righteousness as the Female-gender noun, Strong’s number <06666>, as a plant that springs up, and as fruit produced.


We see that Yahusha is the Seed of Righteousness, poured out from heaven, and is planted in the earth of the heart of man. Yahusha Himself is man’s righteousness — He is both the seed, and the resulting tree that sprouts and grows, residing within our spirit. We can also say that when Messiah becomes birthed within us, we become ‘born again’ from incorruptible Seed, the Seed which is Messiah Himself, the Living WORD of The Most High.


Then we see that the Seed sprouts, and eventually springs up within us, in order to grow, and to bring forth the fruit of Righteousness. The apostle Paul describes this Fruit of Righteousness:


Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Yahusha HaMaschiach, unto the glory and praise of The Most High. (Philippians 1:11)


Here we are told that these Fruits of Righteousness are by Yahusha Messiah Himself. Thus we see that this Fruit of Righteousness is simply what we allow ‘Messiah-in-us’ to produce, to the glory and praise of The Most High. Let’s look at some additional passages:


Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness<06664> as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. (Psalms 37:5-6)


In the previous passages, we saw that our Righteousness is as the Light. We then saw it as a Seed planted, and as a Fruit produced. In this passage we see that The Most High Himself is the one who brings forth our Righteousness — which will be as the Light — it can be seen.


In this passage, we also see that the word for Righteousness is the male-gender noun <06664>. This tells us that this word used here refers to the male Seed, Yahusha Himself, who is our Righteousness; and it is His life that will be brought forth in us, and shine as the light. It is the allowing of the Life of ‘Yahusha-in-us’ that becomes the Light of men.


Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see examples of the Righteousness that The Most High desires to bring forth in our life. First, we see that Yahusha is the Seed, and ‘He-in-us’ is also the Tree. Likewise He is also the one who produces the Fruit of Righteousness in us — the good work of obedience to His Word, that He brings about in us, as we allow Him to live within us. Here is one passage describing this picture:


And The Most High is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) (2 Corinthians 9:8-10)


Here we see that it is The Most High Himself, that makes His Grace abound to us, so that it is He Himself that will multiply your seed sown, and it is He Himself, that will increase the Fruits of your Righteousness. Now let’s look at two parallel pictures of ‘Seed:’


And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. (James 3:18)


Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. (Psalms 97:11)


In the above passages, we see the parallel pictures of light and righteousness, as seed sown. The initial purpose of the seed is to bring forth a tree.


Trees of Righteousness


In Isaiah 61:1-3 we are told of the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and some of the activities that result from this anointing. But notice the purpose for this anointing:


“…that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” (Isaiah 61:3b)
His purpose is to bring forth trees of Righteousness that He has planted, that will glorify Him. We must remember, however, that The Most High plants the seed for only one reason: to produce a tree — one that will eventually produce fruit. Let us notice two passages:


For every tree is known by his own fruit. (Luke 6:44a)


Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings. (Isaiah 3:10)


A Peach tree is known by its fruit — the peach. The Pear tree is known by its fruit — the pear. Likewise, the ‘Trees of Righteousness’ are called thusly, because they produce the ‘Fruit of Righteousness.’ We are to be those Trees of Righteousness (Isaiah 61:3), and the ‘Fruit’ of this Tree is our doings — our Fruit is what we do.


The apostle Paul gives us two hints as to how we are seen as Trees of Righteousness. First, we must understand that the ‘Tree’ of Righteousness does not originate from the fruit [our works], but only from the ‘Seed,’ which is Messiah Himself planted within us, as Paul tells us plainly in (Galatians 2:21), as he elaborates on (Isaiah 45:8).


But as Paul tells us in (Romans 2:13), it is the ‘DO-ers’ of the Law that will be [seen to be] justified [‘Righteous’], again telling us that the Trees of Righteousness will be identified [determined later] by their fruit.
So how does this fruit come about? Let’s look.


For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. (Hebrews 12:10-11)


Here we see that chastening by the Father yields the peaceable fruit of Righteousness. Let’s look at another passage:


Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. (Psalms 112:4)


Here we see that Light arises unto those who live in an upright [righteous] manner — who have the Righteous Seed, and are already producing fruit. So the chastening must occur when we stray from the ‘upright’ Way, where no lasting fruit is produced.


Two Kinds of Fruit


In order to understand the kind of Fruit The Most High desires to produce within man, we will look briefly at examples of two kinds of fruit that can be produced. Let’s look at several passages together, that tell a story:


The labour of the righteous tendeth to life: the fruit of the wicked to sin. (Proverbs 10:16)


Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the Law: for sin is the transgression of the Law <458>. (1John 3:4)


Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law. (Psalms 119:53)


The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out. (Proverbs 13:9)


In the above Proverbs 10:16 passage, we see that the Righteous have the Light — they are producing the Fruit of Righteousness. That is, they are allowing Messiah-in-them to labor within them, as He walks in obedience to the Law — the Torah — while living within them.


The Fruit of the wicked is likewise their doings, and we see also in the same passage, that the fruit of this wickedness is Sin. But John tells us (1John 3:4) [see Strongs number 458, from 459], that sin is the ‘transgression of the [Mosaic] law’ — which is disobedience to Torah!


We then see in the above Psalms 119:53 passage, a more concise definition of what wickedness is, confirming what we have seen thus far. According to The Most High’s definition, wickedness describes the actions, the fruit produced by those who forsake obedience to the Law, the Torah. And because the tree is known by its fruit, these are known as ‘the wicked.’


Fiveamprayer, there are many fine, moral, kind, gentle, and upstanding people found among the citizens today, who in their ignorance, have been taught to forsake obedience to the Law, the Torah. According to the Scriptural definition, all who forsake obedience to the Law are producing wickedness. And so it will be, that even these fine, moral, kind, gentle, and upstanding ones will be counted among the wicked, among the workers of iniquity (Psalms 125:5; Rev 22:14), unless they repent — unless they turn from their own ways, and begin to walk in Father’s ways, in obedience to the Law, the Torah.


Fiveamprayer, lest we be tempted to think that we as citizens in Messiah are exempt, or that this message is not for us, we must call attention to this same message seen in the book of Revelation. Here we see Messiah Himself giving the same warnings (Rev 1:1), to the citizens (Rev 1:4) among the called-out assemblies. These warnings in Revelation are given for the purpose of urging us, as citizens, to turn from walking in our own ways, and return to walking in The Most High’s Ways — that is, urging us to repent (Rev 2:5, 2:16, 2:21, 2:22, 3:3, 3:19).


The final result of continuing in wickedness, continuing in disobedience to Torah, can now be seen, and understood, as we look at the above Proverbs 13:9 passage. The Lamps of those doing wickedness are put out, and are extinguished. Note carefully in (Matthew 25:8), that it is the Foolish Virgins whose lamps have gone out, and are become extinguished!


We may now conclude that the Foolish Virgins are those who ‘Believe’ in Messiah, but who failed to heed Messiah’s words spoken throughout the Scriptures. These Foolish Virgins also refused Messiah’s calls to repent given throughout the Scriptures — but given specifically to citizens in the Book of Revelation.


The final result is that the wicked will not have a part in the ‘Exceeding Great Reward’ (Prov 24:20), which is the WORD of The Most High, Messiah Himself (Gen 15:1) — who is as a Bridegroom to those who love Him, to those who choose to obey Him (John 14:15; Rev 22:12).


The wicked may also be ‘in’ the Kingdom as subjects (Matthew 5:19a), but will not be allowed to enter in through the gates, into the City of the King — which is reserved only for those who choose to do, and to teach, His Commandments (Matthew 5:19b; Rev 22:14-15).


Let us now look at another passage that relates Light and Righteousness:
Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness<458> [Lit. ‘transgression of the Law’]? and what communion hath light with darkness? (2Corinthians 6:14)


Here we see Light is contrasted with Darkness, in the same way Righteousness is contrasted with Unrighteousness — which is ‘transgression of the Law.’ Here Paul is giving us a two parallel contrasts, to illustrate to us that Righteousness is as the Light, and does NOT continue to ‘transgress the Law’ which is as darkness!


Let us now look further at how this Fruit of Righteousness is produced in us.


Obedience and the Fruit of Righteousness
There is abundant Scripture revealing the relationship between Righteousness and obedience to the Commandments. Let us notice the following:


“…O that thou hadst hearkened to ‘my commandments!‘ then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea…” (Isaiah 48:18)


In this passage, we see that Righteousness and Peace is the result for those that would Hearken to ‘My Commandments.’ Again, we see peace as a fruit of one’s actions:


There is no peace, saith the LORD, unto the wicked. (Isaiah 48:22)


Here we see there is no peace to the wicked – thus showing from both passages above, that it is the wicked that do not Hearken to ‘My Commandments.’ Let’s see what ‘My Commandments’ are:


My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all ‘thy commandments‘ are righteousness. (Psalms 119:172)


Here we see that righteousness is defined as all of Father’s commandments. This is the basic Bible definition for the Fruit of Righteousness, which is the keeping of ‘all thy commandments.’ But let us look at further passages:


Keep ‘My Commandments,’ and live; and ‘my Law‘ (My Torah) as the apple of thine eye. (Proverbs 7:2)


Here we see ‘My Commandments’ are the same with ‘My Torah.’ And this same appeal is repeated by Yahusha:


If ye love me, keep ‘My Commandments.’ (John 14:15)


Here we see that keeping of ‘My Commandments’ is the measure of our Love for Yahusha. Again, Yahusha appeals to us:
He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. (John 14:24)


So we are told that ‘My Sayings’ are not Yahusha’s words, but are the Father’s words. Here Yahusha gives us a valuable clue! Here Yahusha is telling us that His Commandments we are to keep, are none other than the Father’s Commandments!


It was The Word of The Most High, who is Messiah Himself, who spoke the words to Moses, and accompanied the Israelites in the Wilderness. It was The Word of The Most High, who is Messiah Himself, who wrote on the tables of stone with His own finger, and gave the tables of stone to Moses.


These are the words of Messiah, yet they are the Father’s Commandments!
And so we can see how the Fruit of Righteousness, our obedience to the commandments, is produced. When one is Born-Again, Messiah is planted within us, as the Seed of Righteousness.


It is Messiah in us who, along with our Spirit, grows up to become the Tree of Righteousness.


It is Messiah in us who, by His Grace, produces within us the Fruit of Righteousness (Php 1:11), which is our obedience (Eze 36:27) to all ‘My Commandments!’


How Shall You Believe My Words?
Yahusha asked the Pharisees a question. Notice that He was referring to the Commandments that He Himself gave to Moses. Notice carefully what Yahusha asked:


But if ye believe not his (Moses’) writings, how shall ye believe my words? (John 5:47)


Yahusha continues to ask the same question of us today. When we understand that Yahusha was the one that gave the Commandments to Moses, we then realize it is impossible to be a “do-er” of Yahusha’s words, if we refuse to be a “DO-er” of Moses’ words. For they are one and the same!


Most today do not realize that Moses’ Commandments are Yahusha’s Commandments. Look again at the following words of Yahusha:


If ye love me, keep ‘My Commandments.’ (John 14:15)


Do we keep Yahusha’s Commandments — which are His Father’s Commandments — the same as Moses’ Commandments — the Torah? Yahusha says if we love Him, we do. If we do not keep His Father’s Commandments, then we do not yet ‘know’ Him — we do not yet know who He really is. If we think it was someone else’s finger that wrote the Tablets given to Moses, then we do not yet ‘know’ Him.


Do we keep “My Sabbaths” — the prescribed Feasts of The Most High? Yahusha tells us that those who do, are those who love Him. He tells us also, that those who do, are those that ‘know’ Him (Ex 31:13; Eze 20:12; Eze 20:20).


Fiveamprayer, it was this very issue of refusing to keep the Commandments, Statutes, Judgments, and Sabbaths — the Torah of The Most High — that caused the Children of Israel to fall in the Wilderness, of which we are given warning in two full chapters in the Book of Hebrews.


A Warning for Us Today


The Israelites were refused entry into the Promised Land for specific reasons, which we are told serve as a warning to us, that we might not be refused entry because of the same example of their disobedience. Let’s look at the following verses:


Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. (Hebrews 4:1)


Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (Lit. Greek is the word for ‘Disobedience’). (Hebrews 4:11)
What was the Israelites’ unbelief all about? What was their disobedience? Let’s look at some detail of why they fell in the wilderness:


I lifted up mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen, and disperse them through the countries; Because they had not executed my judgments, but had despised my statutes, and had polluted My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after (followed after) their fathers’ idols<01544>. (Ezekiel 20:23-24)


Notice the above word translated ‘idols,’ Strong’s # <01544>, is from the root word <01556>, which is the same word as <01557>, meaning ‘dung.’ This usage gives us a very strong implication that The Most High is saying that the Children of Israel were pleased to follow the same teaching, the same “Doctrinal Dung” received from their fathers!


Fiveamprayer, we must ask ourselves, “Is this what we are doing today?” “Have we today received ‘Doctrinal Dung’ passed down from the early church fathers, all of whose original teachings were those of Rome?”


What were the Doctrines and practices of the Children of Israel, handed down from their Fathers?


Ezekiel tells us: They despised Yah’s Law [Torah], and they polluted — profaned and desecrated — His Sabbaths! This was the doctrine their Fathers followed, which doctrine was an idol [a man-made ‘substitute’ for the true teaching of Torah]. The result was that they themselves followed after their fathers’ idols!
And this Doctrine they followed is what appears, in the eyes of The Most High, to be just so much ‘dung!’


Fiveamprayer, again we must ask, “Is this what we are doing today?”


Notice what The Most High tells us of a coming day, in which the eyes of the Gentiles will be opened, and they will suddenly realize that the doctrines they have inherited are not true:


O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit. (Jeremiah 16:19)


That day is today! As followers of Messiah Yahusha, we today have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit! The inheritance of church doctrines and practices, brought out from Rome by the early church fathers, is a false inheritance — for it contradicts the Scriptures!


Fiveamprayer, when The Most High shocks us with His Word, He is chastening us, and exhorting us to produce Fruit. “Without Me, you can do nothing” — we can not produce good Fruit on our own. We must fully allow ‘Yahusha-in-us’ to produce the Fruit that He desires — and what He produces is always according to the Scriptures!


The only way ‘Yahusha-in-us’ can produce this Fruit, is for us to turn from walking in our own ways, and begin to walk in His ways — in obedience to His Word alone, in accordance with both the ‘old’ and ‘new’ testament writings — obeying Him because we Love Him!


In order to allow Yahusha-in-us to produce good Fruit, we must first come out from, and forsake the popular religious Doctrines and Commandments of Men that we have been taught. There are many truths of Scripture today, that have been twisted by men, and are now contradictory to the Scriptures, and are become Un-Scriptural. These ‘Doctrines’ have shaped our behavior and actions, and these doctrines have actually trained us to prevent ‘Messiah-in-us’ from being obedient to the Scriptures, even while He lives within us!


When we were set free by the Blood of Yahusha Messiah, we became free to choose whom we will serve. We have been redeemed from sin — we have been redeemed from ‘transgressing the Law,’ and are no longer in bondage to continue in sin, continue transgressing the Law. We may now show our love for Yahusha as our new Master, if we choose to do so — by obeying all His commandments, including those He gave to Moses! (see John 14:15.)


Conclusion


We have seen in this short teaching, that the prophetic meaning of ‘Light’ in Scripture is the Fruit of Righteousness that is produced by ‘Messiah-in-us,’ as we allow Him to do so. This is the Light that the Wise Virgins had, and is the same Light that is missing when the Lamps of the Foolish Virgins went out.
The Most High will bring forth our Righteousness as the Light, as we allow Him to do so. He will then bring forth our judgment as the noonday, for all to see.