Galatians and Righteousness (7) Old Testament

The theme of righteousness is common throughout the Old Testament. There are three main uses of the concept.

1. The Old Testament has a strong emphasis on the righteousness of God. He is different from all other gods, because everything that he does is righteous.

   Your righteousness, God, reaches to the heavens,

   you who have done great things.

   Who is like you, God (Psalm 71:9?

2. The kings of Israel were expected to implement justice and righteousness for their people.

The mighty King loves justice. You have established fairness; you have administered justice and righteousness in Jacob.

A good king makes decisions that are righteous. He provides justice for everyone who has suffered from injustice.

3. Righteousness was fulfilling the law to receive blessing.

   If only you had paid attention to my commands.
   Then your peace would have been like a river,
   and your righteousness like the waves of the sea (Is 48:18).

   The Torah provided spiritual protection for the children of Israel. God had rescued them from physical and spiritual slavery. To remain safe, they had to continue obey the law. If they rejected God by forgetting to obey the law, the spiritual powers of evil would be able to attack them. These are the curses described in Deuteronomy 28.

   This righteousness was not a better standard of goodness. Rather it was a way for sinful people being kept safe from evil by remaining under God’s spiritual protection.