Jehovah Tsidkenu
The Name of Jehovah-Tsidkenu, which means THE LORD IS OUR JUSTICE.
It is also known as Yahweh-Tsidkenu and translates as Jehovah Our Justice.
The context in which this name is given is wonderful: Jeremiah 23: 1-8.
It is a promise to the remnant of the Hebrew people who return from captivity in Babylon, that this rest, that handful of those chosen by GOD would be taken and returned to their land by the very hands of GOD and that they would again grow and multiply. Still, not only that is a messianic passage, that is to say, that it refers to the Messiah who is the equivalent word in Hebrew for Christ.
The promise says that David’s renewal, that is, Christ would be called Jehovah Our Justice.
Why does Jeremiah call him that?
To fully understand, we must return thousands of years ago, to Mount Sinai, in the desert, shortly after the people of Israel came out of slavery in Egypt: Exodus 20: 1-17.
This passage is where Moses is given the very famous TEN COMMANDMENTS, which were only the first of 613 mitzvot (commandments), which in total has the Jewish law (Torah).
These mitzvot contain the rules, norms, and statutes of the way of life and thought, are invariable and constant, dictated by the only Divine authority.
They talk about all the aspects we imagine, ceremonial laws, laws about slaves, laws about restitution, about sexual purity, about food and drink “kadohs” humanitarian laws, clean and unclean animals, purification after childbirth, about of contagious diseases, physical impurities and more.
For GOD and the Hebrews, the Mosaic law was a unit: James 2: 8. Violating a commandment means violating the 613 together.
The Nation of Israel could never fully comply with the law and, consequently, with the justice of GOD.
Why could he never do it? For a simple but powerful reason: SIN. Romans 5: 12-14, and 19.
Sin is a violation of the law; it is rebellion against what God has said, it is trying to live as I believe and not as GOD says; it is to disobey what GOD commands in His Word.
And all, not only the Hebrew people, are born in that spiritual condition:
- Genesis 5: 3.
- Psalm 51.5.
- Ecclesiastes 7:29.
- Jeremiah 13:23.
- John 8:34.
- Romans 3: 9-13. And 23.
- 1 Corinthians 15: 21-22.
- Ephesians 2: 1-3.
This must be very clear; those “Christians” who, for any reason, reject this doctrine, are also rejecting the need for a savior.
IF THE HUMAN BEING IS NOT A SINNER, THERE WAS NO NEED FOR CHRIST TO DIE AT THE CROSS.
The above would mean that GOD was wrong, which CANNOT be possible, because as we learned well in the previous topic, GOD is Omniscient, EVERYTHING KNOWS, therefore, is Perfect and NEVER wrong.
Even today there is much influence of Pelagius and Arminius not only in the ICAR but in the same people called evangelical, who do not believe that the human being separated from the grace of GOD is a dead spiritual condition, and those who preach call us extremists, lacking in love, that we forget that we are in the image of God, the latter is true. However, that image was distorted and continues to distort in the human being because of that original sin: Romans 1: 18-32.
It is for this reason that Jeremiah inspired by the Holy Spirit calls Christ Our Justice, for the people of Israel never met the standard of justice of GOD, and there was a need to do so on behalf of GOD.
Some have wondered, should we as Gentiles (Non-Jewish Peoples) be subject to the Mosaic law? Does it affect us? Do you condemn us?
The answer, which has been often debated, comes to an end with chapter 15 of the book of events, where only four statutes are dictated:
- No idolatry.
- No fornication.
- Do not eat blood.
- Do not eat drowned.
So what does the end of the law have to do with us? If we should only meet four points.
In the sermon on the Mount, from Matthew chapter 5 onwards, Jesus modeled a scheme of life with moral standards and precepts much higher than what the Mosaic law demands. We, as followers of Christ, the least we should do is live up to what the law of Christ asks us: Galatians 6: 2.
- The anger.
- The divorce.
- Adultery.
- The love of enemies.
- There are only some aspects where Jesus raised the rod.
We can think then that it would be better to live under the Mosaic law, or even more not to belong to any covenant, however that will not free us from the law, because even men who do not believe in GOD are under the law: Romans 2: 14.26-28.
Even more, when we are children of God, we open our eyes to sin, justice, and the law of God makes us see our real condition, then we understand that we are sinners. Luke 5: 8
Christians, many times we have gone through situations that make us fall and sin, that is to say, OVERCOME THE LAW OF CHRIST, this is nothing new because we all do it and even the same apostle Paul went through it, that new law of doing things correctly and the most perfect for our Lord, many far from being a blessing becomes a burden, rules such as:
- Do not smoke.
- Do not dance.
- Do not drink.
- Do not say rudeness or sapwood.
- Do not listen to world music.
- Not this.
- Not the other.
- Not that.
- No, no, no, no, and more.
Many times we would like to shout like Pablo ¡Miserable de mi !!! Romans 7: 21-24.
Christ did not come to take away the law; on the contrary, he came to give full fulfillment Matthew 5.17. The Bible says of Christ that he is FAIR: 1 Peter 3.18.
To say that salvation is not by works is a half-truth, of course, it is by works, BUT NOT OURS, but those of CHRIST. And this is why our actions are not necessary to be Justified; CHRIST IS OUR JUSTICE BEFORE GOD. Isaiah 64: 6.
GOD has always looked for a Just people that meets all their standards of justice 100% and has not found it: Psalm 14: 1 to 3.
GOD knew perfectly that we human beings CANNOT be models of justice and righteousness; that is why GOD himself had to take action on the matter and provide the necessary legitimacy to be able to access the throne of Grace of our GOD.
GOD is not only the highest standard of justice in the universe, but He gave us the means to be Righteous, and that means is the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross of Calvary:
- 2nd Corinthians 5:21.
- Galatians 2:16.
- Ephesians 4:24.
It is not a small thing what GOD has done; it happened to us from being filth to be his unique treasure, from being unfair by nature to be righteous in Christ, from now on we no longer have to behave as before, now we are free to live in Christ.
It is known as Jehovah-Tsidkenu. All people sin and are destitute of the glory of God, but He freely makes us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.
