Post 14: Revisiting the Thankful for the Many Names of God series!
Yahweh-Tsidkenu [yah-way-tzid-kay-noo] means “The Lord is Our Righteousness”1. Looking at the Hebrew word “tskidkenu” we see that isolated it means “righteous”. This usage appears twice in Jeremiah.
In Jeremiah 33:16, God is recognized as the righteousness of the city of Jerusalem and the prophet says that “it” (the city of Jerusalem) will be known to the people as “The Lord is our righteousness.”
In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’
Jeremiah 33:16
In Jeremiah 23:5-6, the prophet is speaking of the Messiah who will save Judah and Israel. After proclaiming that the Messiah will come from the line of David and be King, he says “this is the name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”.
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Jeremiah 23:5-6
Our God, Yahweh-Tsidkenu, is the righteousness of His chosen city, Jerusalem (to learn more about that, check out Yahweh-Shammah sometime) and He is also the righteousness of His people – the entire nation of Israel and the favored tribe of Judah, the line from which the Messiah hailed and the reason behind His name, the Lion of Judah.
What does this name mean for us?
First, we have to remind ourselves what the word “righteous” means. Easton’s Bible Dictionary references “righteous” as “justification” – a term used to mean that all of the requirements of a law have been fulfilled3.
The name “The Lord Our Righteousness” literally means that God has fulfilled all requirements of the law for us. What law is that? The law that He gave Moses to ensure the people would be able to stay in fellowship with Him. The law that started with 10 commandments and grew to hundreds because we need a lot of structure to do what is right. The law that required nearly endless sacrifices. The law that we never – no matter how hard we tried – could fulfill completely. The law that Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled for us, bringing us out from under law and into GRACE. God’s word tells us that:
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:12, underlining mine for emphasis)
Sweet friend, the prophet Jeremiah used Yahweh-Tsidkenu to speak of the salvation of not just the city of Jerusalem or of the Hebrew people but of any and all people who accept God’s perfect fulfillment of the law – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Beloved, the next time the enemy tries to tell you that you can’t be saved, that you’re too far gone, that your sin is too great, point the sword that is God’s word at that slithering snake and speak this clearly to him:
“I am not perfect, but I am right with God because I am justified by the blood of Jesus Christ who knew no sin! Jesus overcame your half-truths and temptations, and I can too in Jesus’ name!”
Father God, You alone are our righteousness! You set the first boundaries in Eden and when Adam and Even crossed it, as You knew they would, You gave the law to keep us safely close to You. You also knew we’d struggle terribly to keep the law and You – The Lord Our Righteousness – made the way for us to be made right with You, to be justified as one who has fulfilled the law. Thank You Yahweh-Tsidkenu for sending Your Son Jesus to do what we could never do, to take our sins upon Himself and fulfill the law on our behalf. Truly God Your goodness knows no end, Your careful planning is seen throughout history! You alone are worthy of our praise! You alone have made us righteous!
References:
- Got Questions. 2022. What are the names of God and what do they mean? https://www.gotquestions.org/names-of-God.html
- Blue Letter Bible. 2022. Strong’s H3072. https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/h3072/kjv/wlc/0-1/
- Blue Letter Bible. 2022. Easton’s Bible dictionary: justification https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/Dictionary/viewTopic.cfm?topic=ET0002147
The Fruitful Educator 
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