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As I try and work out the different perspectives on righteousness between the Old and New Testaments, something occurs to me. I read (and wrote on) book after book about how the righteous are saved and the unrighteous are condemned, that the wicked can become righteous and the good can become wicked, and finally it is how you end up without regard to duration that determines whether you go to Heaven.  And the point is made in terms of how well Israel and Judah seek the Lord, how often and to what degree God disperses them, punishes them, or lets them die, and the conditions under which He lovingly returns them to their home, and welcomes them into His house.  …

 Acts 24
25As Paul discoursed on righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” 26At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.

 27When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

Acts 25
22Then Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear this man myself.” He replied, “Tomorrow you will hear him.”

Acts 26
5They have known me for a long …

7But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment: 9in regard to sin, because men do not believe in me; 10in regard to righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11and in regard to judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.
I find this passage very interesting, if cryptic.

Because men do …

Well, I have finally gotten through every verse in the NIS translation on Righteousness.  Now, I turn to the New Testament, and am pleasantly (and only a little) surprised to find Jesus picking right up where our study left off.  However, let me first set the stage.
 1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
   ”A voice of one calling in the desert,
   ’Prepare the way for the Lord,
      make straight paths for him.’ ”
Matthew is quoting Isaiah 40:3, a prophecy that would usher in the ministry of Jesus’ 1st …

3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
I find it interesting that Daniel was told that we are too lead people to righteousness, and yet the goal of modern Judaism is not to do that, but to simply live righteously.  It is Christians who try and lead people to righteousness, specifically: belief, obedience, and zealousness for God’s name.

I believe this is one of the reasons God brought about the church.  It is sad to me, but as a rule my fellow Jews do not see it as their responsibility to add names to the book of life, except perhaps for …

 23 This is what the LORD says:
       “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
       or the strong man boast of his strength
       or the rich man boast of his riches,

 24 but let him who boasts boast about this:
       that he understands and knows me,
       that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
       justice and righteousness on earth,
       for in these I delight,”
       declares the LORD.
I am to boast, if I boast at all, that I understand God and know God.  That is a boast that I generally stay away from.  In other words, though I understand and know God, and I refrain from boasting it because I am imperfect and may not …

 1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
       because the LORD has anointed me
       to preach good news to the poor.
       He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
       to proclaim freedom for the captives
       and release from darkness for the prisoners,
 2 to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor (Christ’s birth?)
       and the day of vengeance of our God, (Christ’s reign?)
       to comfort all who mourn,
The following message is to liberate the poor, brokenhearted, captives, and prisoners, by speaking of Christ’s birth and His subsequent reign. (I beleive this to be a double-prophecy, where Isaiah was speaking of events to come soon as well as events to come much much …

Chapter 59 of Isaiah struck me.  First of all, when I read it, I felt like Isaiah just kept repeating over and over again “You’re not righteous.  You’re not righteous.”  But it was more than that.  As I read it, it changed.  It changed from a record of deceit and sin to one of justice, followed by a promise to the repentent.  But again, that’s not really what really impacted me.  Let me lead you to it.  First, here Isiah 59, up to verse 15… well not exactly.  I’ve broken it down into the component parts of righteousness and what was true of Israel at this time.  Notice that Isaiah is writing of Israel in general.  As you can see in …

As we go to Isaiah 1, to see what else there is to learn about righteousness, we find that the very first chapter speaks of Israel’s loss of righteousness, and God’s promise to bring them back… 
 19 If you are willing and obedient,  –> (i.e., if they are righteous)
       you will eat the best from the land;

 20 but if you resist and rebel,
       you will be devoured by the sword.”
       For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.

 21 See how the faithful city
       has become a harlot!
       She once was full of justice;
       righteousness used to dwell in her—
       but now murderers!

- - -

 26 I will restore your judges as in days of old,
       your counselors as at the …

 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
       but the heart of fools is in the house of pleasure.

 5 It is better to heed a wise man’s rebuke
       than to listen to the song of fools.
So far in Ecc. 7, we’ve seen 2 things: 1)We need to keep our eyes on Heaven, to be joyous of people’s passage there, and to look forward to it ourselves. 2)Mourning and sorrow are signs of a heart that loves and delights.  Verse 4 builds on that, saying that such are the wise.  Essentially, fools seek out pleasure because they lack love and delight… but they never find it because they won’t themselves feel pain, and …