Psalm 85:11

Psalm 85:11

Faithfulness and righteousness

What a remarkable verse, it’s tempting to build a new theology from it! 

I believe that what the verse is saying is that faithfulness is evidential, it is not an abstract quality or attribute of God. To know and understand His faithfulness, we must experience it. Faithfulness in Hebrew is the word “emet” which can also be translated as “truth”. It also relates to stability and reliability. A faithful person is someone who is truthful, reliable and trustworthy. When applied to God we can use all of these terms, He is our rock, our fortress, our strong tower and there is nothing and no one who is more trustworthy. I think the psalm writer was looking at the land around him and marvelling at how it turns from barren terrain to fertile fields throughout the seasons. The spring, summer, autumn and winter cycles never fail for most of us. They are there to remind us that God is faithful. 

Righteousness is a very different attribute of our God. This psalm, as we have seen, was written at a time of national disaster in Israel, a time when injustice and wickedness prevailed. The writer understood that righteousness is not a natural quality of human beings. It can only be found by faith in the living God. His righteousness shines from heaven and embraces those who seek the Lord with all their hearts. Those who let go of their sinful humanity and who grasp the covenant promises of Almighty God. 

Nothing has changed. We cannot make ourselves righteous, only Christ can do that. Our righteousness is to God like filthy rags. (Isaiah 64:6.) The term “filthy rags” is quite strong. The word filthy is a translation of the Hebrew word iddah, which literally means “the bodily fluids from a woman’s menstrual cycle.” The word rags is a translation of begged, meaning “a rag or garment.” Therefore, these “righteous acts” are considered by God as repugnant as a soiled feminine hygiene product. Used Tampons!

The secret of righteousness lies in Jesus, it is heavenly, but it can be ours by faith in Him. Hallelujah!

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