Psalm 23 Part 3--The Righteous Path
I've avoided today's passage for as long as I could.
(Okay so "avoided" is the wrong word. I sat down to write this 10 times, but couldn't find the words or peace at what I wrote. So I've waited on the Holy Spirit to fill me and speak clearly through me.)
I've wanted to make sure I had the right heart when I wrote about today's verse. No judgment. No implied guilt. Just a straight-up teaching of God's Word.
So I come to you with a humbled heart, confessed soul, and many weeks of deep Scripture study over what seems to be the shortest phrase in Psalm 23:
"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake," (verse 3b, NKJV).
Or like this:
"He leads me in paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake," (AMP).
And this one helps me really get what it's saying:
"He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake," (NIV)
Righteousness. Right paths.
In David's day, righeousness implied that one was right before God. My Zondervan Study Bible describes it like this: "acting according to God's standard, being in the right."
Because, back then, to be right before God, you had to act right.
Not just "right." The word "perfect" better explains it. You had to think, act, and be perfectly holy in order to enter God's presence. God gave page after page after page of rules to His people (see the second half of Exodus and Leviticus). SO. MANY. RULES. About how and what to eat, how and what to clean, how and what to do.
It was impossible to do it all right. (It still is, by the way.) In fact, in Romans 3:20, we are told that "no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin," (NIV). So the Israelites were learning, in essence, this: God is more holy, more amazing, more awesome, more unapproachable than you can imagine. (He still is, by the way.) You can't come to Him on your own.
So the Israelites had the Law as well as a constant reminder that they were not ever going to be good enough to approach God.
But they were to try. With all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
The Law wasn't there to teach them how to be perfect. It was there to show them what perfection was. So when the Israelites saw that they were far from God's standard, they realized they couldn't do it. They confessed their sins. They sacrificed. They obeyed everywhere they could. They honored Him as holy. And they believed that God would carry them into His Presence when they couldn't get there themselves.
And He did: "Abraham believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness," (Genesis 15:6, NIV). (Not just Abraham, but everyone who believes God, as well!) (Romans 4:23-24).
Righteousness came through believing, not works.
(Still does, by the way.)
Abraham was declared righteous by God long before he saw God's promise fulfilled. Long before he sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22). Long before he entered the covenant (Genesis 17). Abraham's righteousness came when he believed God. Accepted who He says He is, believed He could do what He said He could do, trusted His path and His plan.
And all this understanding of Old Testament righteousness affects how we understand Psalm 23:3: He guides us in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
My translation: He shows me the standard of perfection. The way to talk, the way to think, the way to love, the way to act.
And that standard of perfection is Jesus Christ in the flesh. We know righteous living when we know how Christ would live. Not a set of rules. Not a bunch of dos and don'ts. JESUS. We know He is our righteousness.
BUT....
(you knew this was coming, right?)
BUT, sometimes young ladies ignore Jesus. They know His example but it's not what they strive for. They heard a Sunday School teacher tell them once that loving Jesus means obeying Him but right now they want to do their own thing. Have fun in college. Enjoy life. Live it up.
And you're ignoring the paths of righteousness. Ignoring the Shepherd.
Because there are many things you won't find on the paths of righteousness: Illegality. Foolishness. Dishonesty. Immorality. Addiction. And being okay with any of those things.
There are lots of things on the path of righteousness, as well: Love. Selflessness. Life without secrets. Purity of thought, heart, mouth, and body. Transparency. Accountability. A deep love of God's Word.
And when you realize you've wandered off the path, you get back on. Immediately. You ask for forgiveness and He gives it.
I've searched scripture, meditated, pondered, and prayed over this post more than any other. That you would know at this very moment if you're on the path of righteousness or not.
So, ARE YOU?
If you are, praise God for His gentle leading as your Shepherd.
If you're not, you've forgotten that you are a sheep. You forgot you need a shepherd.
And He knows it, little lamb. He's seeking you out. He's drawing you back to Himself, not with condemnation, but with love:
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."
That's the picture of our Shepherd when we choose to get back on the path of righteousness.
He loves you.
You are precious to Him.
He's calling you back to the flock.
NOW GET BACK ON THAT PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Not perfection. Pursuit of Jesus and His example, because He alone can bring us before God.
And He declares us righteous.
Surely you know someone who needs to hear this! Please retweet it!
@leslienotebook.
Or sign up to get e-mails at the top right.
Or, best of all, email me at myleslienotebook@gmail.com
(Okay so "avoided" is the wrong word. I sat down to write this 10 times, but couldn't find the words or peace at what I wrote. So I've waited on the Holy Spirit to fill me and speak clearly through me.)
I've wanted to make sure I had the right heart when I wrote about today's verse. No judgment. No implied guilt. Just a straight-up teaching of God's Word.
So I come to you with a humbled heart, confessed soul, and many weeks of deep Scripture study over what seems to be the shortest phrase in Psalm 23:
"He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake," (verse 3b, NKJV).
Or like this:
"He leads me in paths of righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him--not for my earning it, but] for His name's sake," (AMP).
And this one helps me really get what it's saying:
"He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake," (NIV)
Righteousness. Right paths.
In David's day, righeousness implied that one was right before God. My Zondervan Study Bible describes it like this: "acting according to God's standard, being in the right."
Because, back then, to be right before God, you had to act right.
Not just "right." The word "perfect" better explains it. You had to think, act, and be perfectly holy in order to enter God's presence. God gave page after page after page of rules to His people (see the second half of Exodus and Leviticus). SO. MANY. RULES. About how and what to eat, how and what to clean, how and what to do.
It was impossible to do it all right. (It still is, by the way.) In fact, in Romans 3:20, we are told that "no one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin," (NIV). So the Israelites were learning, in essence, this: God is more holy, more amazing, more awesome, more unapproachable than you can imagine. (He still is, by the way.) You can't come to Him on your own.
So the Israelites had the Law as well as a constant reminder that they were not ever going to be good enough to approach God.
But they were to try. With all their heart, all their soul, all their mind, and all their strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).
The Law wasn't there to teach them how to be perfect. It was there to show them what perfection was. So when the Israelites saw that they were far from God's standard, they realized they couldn't do it. They confessed their sins. They sacrificed. They obeyed everywhere they could. They honored Him as holy. And they believed that God would carry them into His Presence when they couldn't get there themselves.
And He did: "Abraham believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness," (Genesis 15:6, NIV). (Not just Abraham, but everyone who believes God, as well!) (Romans 4:23-24).
Righteousness came through believing, not works.
(Still does, by the way.)
Abraham was declared righteous by God long before he saw God's promise fulfilled. Long before he sacrificed Isaac (Genesis 22). Long before he entered the covenant (Genesis 17). Abraham's righteousness came when he believed God. Accepted who He says He is, believed He could do what He said He could do, trusted His path and His plan.
And all this understanding of Old Testament righteousness affects how we understand Psalm 23:3: He guides us in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
My translation: He shows me the standard of perfection. The way to talk, the way to think, the way to love, the way to act.
And that standard of perfection is Jesus Christ in the flesh. We know righteous living when we know how Christ would live. Not a set of rules. Not a bunch of dos and don'ts. JESUS. We know He is our righteousness.
BUT....
(you knew this was coming, right?)
BUT, sometimes young ladies ignore Jesus. They know His example but it's not what they strive for. They heard a Sunday School teacher tell them once that loving Jesus means obeying Him but right now they want to do their own thing. Have fun in college. Enjoy life. Live it up.
And you're ignoring the paths of righteousness. Ignoring the Shepherd.
Because there are many things you won't find on the paths of righteousness: Illegality. Foolishness. Dishonesty. Immorality. Addiction. And being okay with any of those things.
There are lots of things on the path of righteousness, as well: Love. Selflessness. Life without secrets. Purity of thought, heart, mouth, and body. Transparency. Accountability. A deep love of God's Word.
And when you realize you've wandered off the path, you get back on. Immediately. You ask for forgiveness and He gives it.
I've searched scripture, meditated, pondered, and prayed over this post more than any other. That you would know at this very moment if you're on the path of righteousness or not.
So, ARE YOU?
If you are, praise God for His gentle leading as your Shepherd.
If you're not, you've forgotten that you are a sheep. You forgot you need a shepherd.
And He knows it, little lamb. He's seeking you out. He's drawing you back to Himself, not with condemnation, but with love:
"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and say, "Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep."
That's the picture of our Shepherd when we choose to get back on the path of righteousness.
He loves you.
You are precious to Him.
He's calling you back to the flock.
NOW GET BACK ON THAT PATH OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Not perfection. Pursuit of Jesus and His example, because He alone can bring us before God.
And He declares us righteous.
Surely you know someone who needs to hear this! Please retweet it!
@leslienotebook.
Or sign up to get e-mails at the top right.
Or, best of all, email me at myleslienotebook@gmail.com
Comments
Post a Comment