Originally posted: 4/16/2021
“In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you,” (54:14).
This chapter paints a most extraordinary picture, evoking the wonder of transformation by Him Who Establishes His people in Righteousness.
And I wondered, when they heard “In righteousness you will be established,” did they remember Abraham? Did they remember God’s promise of a son though Sarah who remained barren and was way too old? Did they think of all God had done in spite of the physical impossibility that was so far-fetched in light of their circumstances? And did the exiles remember exactly how God Had Established Abraham in Righteousness?
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying,
“Do not fear, Abram,
I am a shield to you;
Your reward shall be very great.”
2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 And He said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess it.” (Genesis 15:1-6 emphasis added).
But the Scriptures are clear, only God is Righteous.
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”
They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds;
There is no one who does good.
2 The Lord has looked down from heaven upon the sons of men
To see if there are any who understand,
Who seek after God.
3 They have all turned aside, together they have become corrupt;
There is no one who does good, not even one, (Psalm 14:1).
as it is written, “There is none righteous, not even one;
11 There is none who understands,
There is none who seeks for God;
12 All have turned aside, together they have become useless;
There is none who does good,
There is not even one,” (Romans 3:10-12).
Only One Is Righteous in all His ways.
The Lord is righteous in all His ways
And kind in all His deeds.
18 The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,
To all who call upon Him in truth, (Psalm 145:17).
And it is only as we call upon Him in Truth, that the Only One Who Is Righteous in all His ways, that the Only One Who Is Able will be Faithful to Establish Us in Righteousness.
Consider Him Who Establishes Us in Righteousness
From Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance:
Establish: “3559. כּוּן kûn: A verb meaning to set up, to make firm, to establish, to prepare. The primary action of this verb is to cause to stand in an upright position, and thus the word also means fixed or steadfast.”
Righteousness: “6666. צְדָקָה ṣeḏāqāh: A feminine noun meaning righteousness, blameless conduct, and integrity… The word describes the attitude and actions God had and expected His people to maintain. He is unequivocally righteous… The word is also synonymous with truth or integrity. God declares His words are based on His own truthfulness…”
To be Established in Righteousness is to be set uprightly and made firm to do what is right, and that is a work that He alone does; it is His gift of grace. For, let’s face it, if we could do what is right, then why would we need to be saved by His grace?
I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die, (Galatians 2:21 NLT).
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast, (Ephesians 2:8-9).
But oh, how we need His grace. And it is when we call upon Him in Truth and place our faith in Jesus Christ, that He Establishes Us in Righteousness. And this necessitates a transfer by His gift of grace, from the realm of religion (works) to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son.
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me,” (John 14:6).
For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins, (Colossians 1:13-14).
It is when we come in faith through the way, truth, and life in Jesus, that He rescues us from the domain of darkness, transfers us to His Kingdom, and Establishes us in Righteousness
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?… 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God, (1 Corinthians 6:9, 11).
Because He Establishes Us in Righteousness, what we once were, we are no longer.
And when He Establishes Us in Righteousness, He transforms us and transfers us…
- … from gloom to gladness.
- “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
Break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed,” (54:1a).
- “Shout for joy, O barren one, you who have borne no child;
- … from barren to bountiful
- “For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
Than the sons of the married woman,” says the Lord, (54:1b).
- “For the sons of the desolate one will be more numerous
- … from poverty to plenty
- “Enlarge the place of your tent;
Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not;
Lengthen your cords
And strengthen your pegs,” (54:2).
- “Enlarge the place of your tent;
- …from fruitless to fertile
- “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
And your descendants will possess nations
And will resettle the desolate cities,” (54:3).
- “For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left.
- … from humiliated to honored
- “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame;
And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced;
But you will forget the shame of your youth,
And the reproach of your widowhood you will remember no more,” (54:4).
- “Fear not, for you will not be put to shame;
- … from disgraced to distinguished
- “For your husband is your Maker,
Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel,
Who is called the God of all the earth,” (54:5).
- “For your husband is your Maker,
- … from deserted to desired
- “For the Lord has called you,
Like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Even like a wife of one’s youth when she is rejected,”
Says your God, (54:6).
- “For the Lord has called you,
- … from forsaken to favored
- “For a brief moment I forsook you,
But with great compassion I will gather you,” (54:7).
- “For a brief moment I forsook you,
- … from lonely to loved
- “In an outburst of anger
I hid My face from you for a moment,
But with everlasting lovingkindness I will have compassion on you,”
Says the Lord your Redeemer, (54:8).
- “In an outburst of anger
- … from uncertain to unshakeable
- “For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
When I swore that the waters of Noah
Would not flood the earth again;
So I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
Nor will I rebuke you.
10 “For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake,
But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you,
And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,”
Says the Lord who has compassion on you, (54:9-10).
- “For this is like the days of Noah to Me,
- … from afflicted to admired
- “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
Behold, I will set your stones in antimony,
And your foundations I will lay in sapphires,” (54:11).
- “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
- … from want to wealth
- “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
And your gates of crystal,
And your entire wall of precious stones,” (54:12).
- “Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies,
- … from fear to faith
- “All your sons will be taught of the Lord;
And the well-being of your sons will be great.
14 “In righteousness you will be established;
You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear;
And from terror, for it will not come near you,” (54:13-14).
- “All your sons will be taught of the Lord;
- … from vulnerable to victorious
- “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
Whoever assails you will fall because of you.
16 “Behold, I Myself have created the smith who blows the fire of coals
And brings out a weapon for its work;
And I have created the destroyer to ruin,” (54:15-16).
- “If anyone fiercely assails you it will not be from Me.
- … from victim to vindicated
- “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their vindication is from Me,” declares the Lord, (54:17).
- “No weapon that is formed against you will prosper;
How do we respond to Him Who Establishes Us in Righteousness?
Oh, how is it even possible, such grace? And I imagine we could meditate on His amazing grace reiterated in this chapter every day until Jesus returns and never fully grasp the expanse of it all. And perhaps that is exactly what needs be done.
Let us meditate on His Truth, that we would constantly be reminded that it is only as we believe Him and place our faith in His Sinless Sacrifice that He Establishes Us in Righteousness.
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him, (2 Corinthians 5:17).
But the truth is, the world, the enemy, and often, we ourselves, are relentless in reminding us of just how unrighteous we are. This is why it is critical that our thinking be renewed each and every day.
Let us daily depend on His grace as we surrender all that we are to seek the transforming power of His Word, trusting He will empower us to live as those Established in Righteousness.
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect, (Romans 12:1-2).
The flesh needs to be reminded daily: it is only as we rely on His grace demonstrated through His death on the cross, that we will live as one who is righteous. It is only as we live by faith in Him that we are Established in Righteousness and made firm to do what is right; it has nothing to do with our works; Jesus paid it all. Oh, that we would resolve, like Paul, to lean solely on His grace and daily depend on Him Who Establishes Us in Righteousness to live His life through us.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. 21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly, (Galatians 2:20-21).