Our Righteousness is God’s Protection
After studying righteousness for a solid month now, it is pretty clear that for a person, righteousness only comes from believing God and obeying Him. In other words our righteousness is from God. Furthermore, our righteousness is not something that gives us right to boast, because it is not description of us as people. We consider it so when we discuss “the righteous men of the bible”, but really it is not. If righteousness is credited to us for belief, if righteoussness is the mere obedience of our action, independent of our ability or success in that action, then clearly our righteoussness is not a true description of us, but of how God has chosen to willingly see us. But more that, by “crediting” us with this righteoussness, it makes it sound like that righteousness came from somewhere, as opposed to being created out of nothing. Well, after reading Psalm 5 this morning, it dawns on me that our righteoussness is indeed transferred to our “account” (so to speak) from another one’s… God’s. In other words, when we live in righteoussness, it is God’s righteousness that we are living in. I like how this plays out…
 1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
      consider my sighing. 2 Listen to my cry for help,
      my King and my God,
      for to you I pray. 3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
      in the morning I lay my requests before you
      and wait in expectation. 4 You are not a God who takes pleasure in evil;
      with you the wicked cannot dwell. 5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence;
      you hate all who do wrong. 6 You destroy those who tell lies;
      bloodthirsty and deceitful men
      the LORD abhors. 7 But I, by your great mercy,
      will come into your house;
      in reverence will I bow down
      toward your holy temple. 8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness
      because of my enemies—
      make straight your way before me. Â
When I get to verse 7, it is an unexpected contrast to the preceding verses of a wretched humanity of whom I am a member… and David, too it would seem, because David clearly states that he only comes into God’s house by God’s mercy. In other words, any man upon whom God has mercy can come into God’s house, despite their sinful actions and ongoing inclinations. The only way this can be, logically, is if God chooses to give a person a status other than their actions and nature otherwise allow. A contradiction to be sure, if God were mere man. But, David knows about righteousness, that righteousness is how God chooses to see us, because we choose to believe and obey, choices we can make even in our sin. Choices we might fail at, though we try earnestly. And so it seems we are contradictions, too.
In this knowledge, that any righteousness is not his own, David then writes verse 8, asking God to lead him in His righteousness… and that’s the key. People are not inherently righteous, but they put on God’s righteousness as clothing, through belief and obedience, such that their sins are covered over and not seen by God… and God will make the paths of such straight.
Yet David knows what he is without God, and knows there are many who are without God. As David goes on, he writes not only of them, but of who he knows he would be…
 9 Not a word from their mouth can be trusted;
      their heart is filled with destruction.
      Their throat is an open grave;
      with their tongue they speak deceit. 10 Declare them guilty, O God!
      Let their intrigues be their downfall.
      Banish them for their many sins,
      for they have rebelled against you. 11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad;
      let them ever sing for joy.
      Spread your protection over them,
      that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
David deserves to be numbered among the guilty! He does not say otherwise… that is why his place with God is only through God’s mercy. David’s righteousness can only be through God’s mercy… and David takes refuge in it. In fact, we all should. And for all who do, see David’s prayer for them? Joy. Protection. Thankfulness. Not for perfect people, but for people who live “in” your righteousness.
 12 For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous;
      you surround them with your favor as with a shield.
God blesses those who put their trust in God, despite their faults. This isn’t something we deserve, but we can choose it. Today, I will surely make mistakes, but I will not knowingly choose mistakes; what I will choose is belief and obedience. And God will surround me with a shield to protect me from all the rest.