We might ask why does God have so many names? Every one of His names expresses every aspect of His relationship which He desires to have with all His people. Each name represents a different aspect of His personality and His provision.
First of all, God wants His broken image to be restored in you and then your self-image will be complete when you realize the complete image of who God wants to be in you. All that He is and all that He has ever been, every dimension of His amazing personality awaits, ready to reach fulfillment in you, ready to complete your self-image.
In the weeks to follow I will be sharing different aspects of God’s names with you and you will be on your way to walk with Him in a way that is more flourishing and more fruitful than ever before.
The first name of God I want to share with you is the name “Jehovah Tsidkenu”- Jehovah our Righteousness. This is found in Jer. 23:5+6. Even though you may know Jesus as the “Righteous Branch” (Is. 11:1+2) and you know you’re in His body, because you have received Him as your Lord, your Master and your Savior. You might still feel unrighteous and full of sin. All of us have felt that way but if you’re speaking words like that out of your mouth then you are defeating yourself, merely because your words are unscriptural.
In the Old Testament our righteousness was as filthy rags, but when you came to Jesus that all changed. In the New Testament you are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 5:18). When you begin to see your right standing with God, your entire life will be changed. You will begin to move into a new area of faith, and your whole life will flow in righteousness as it has never done before.
Basically righteousness means the quality of being right. It shows a picture of a man/woman trusting in God and becoming the righteousness of God. Now this prophet Jeremiah asked God to give him eyes that would weep for his nation. He wept over the sins of Israel. He didn’t go around telling people how bad they were. He identified with them in their sin. In that sense he was a broken man wanting to prompt brokenness in the hearts and lives of the people of Israel.
In all of this darkness throughout the nation, Jeremiah prophesied God’s word (Jer. 23:5+6). When things were at their darkest, Jeremiah stood up and said:” This king will be righteous”. One time God told the people: “When you sacrifice don’t just give me animals. A true sacrifice is a broken spirit and a contrite heart “(Ps. 51:16+17).
Now who is truly righteous? Jehovah is perfect righteousness. “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is truth” (Ps. 119:142). God is saying: “I am righteous and children are like their parents. If you’re going to be My children, you will be righteous also.
Israel was so tangled up with their sacrifices and the fact that Abraham was their father, that they never thought about God making them righteous. They thought their acts could be their righteousness. If you don’t drink, smoke, curse, murder or commit adultery it doesn’t mean you are in right standing with God. Is. 64:6 says that your own righteousness is disgusting to God. It is like filthy rags. You may do every imaginable thing correctly but there is still sin in your spirit and unless you’ve met Jehovah Tsidkenu – the Lord who will be your righteousness you are still unrighteous. Only the “Righteous Servant” found in Is. 53 could pay for your ransom. He is the Holy One of Israel. He is the branch of David. He is our Righteousness in person and in Him we are righteous before God!
Now God no longer looks at you through your sins. He now looks at you through the righteousness of His Son Jesus Christ.
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