Righteous! Righteous!!
Proverbs 24: 15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place; 16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
Romans 3: 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands;
Romans 4: 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
I used to think, Proverbs 24:15-16 was about sinning. It can be applied that way, but I now believe that it is both a warning and a promise. We will investigate that shortly.
The problem, is that Romans 3 appears to be at odds with Proverbs 24 and further down, at odds with Romans 4. If no one is righteous than how can they be righteous? We need to look a little deeper at the context and reasons for Paul's statements. Paul in chapter 3 was trying to explain that righteousness does not result in action (works) we can perform. He is explaining, that it does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. You cannot claim or attain righteousness for yourselves by obeying the Law or not. Righteousness, God's righteousness, which is the only true kind, can only be acquired through faith.
OK. So what has that to do with Proverbs 24? Bear with me for a minute.
Romans 3: 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
"Well wait a sec," you might say, "Proverbs, Abraham, et. al. are Old Testament. How is that possible, since Jesus Christ is New Testament.?" The Romans 4 verses explain it. Abraham existed before the Law and he was considered righteous. So it was his faith, his belief in God, and his trust that God's promises would be kept accounted for his righteousness. Further, the promise that salvation for human kind will come through his seed, the seed who would eventually be Jesus Christ, and his belief in that promise that promise proves his righteousness came through his faith in Jesus Christ.
OK. I knew I took a little longer than you may have liked in establishing the meaning of righteousness but it needed to be done in order for me to talk more about Proverbs 24, which was my original intent.
Proverbs 24: 15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place; 16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
So let's look at the warning part. This passage is telling us that while a wicked person may successfully attack a righteous one, or their family, or what they own, the righteous will not only survive the attack, but they will rise again and again. The other part of that warning is that eventually, the attacker will meet with calamity. In the same vein, the promise is there as well. If you are counted as being righteous, that no matter how many times you get knocked down by the wicked (the wicked who planned and set out to attack you) you will rise again. They will not prevail forever and they will be met with calamity.
Why is this a hope and even a promise on which to hold? In Romans 5 and other places we are told that we will suffer. That God uses suffering to perfect us. Often that suffering comes at the hands of our enemies and or the enemies of God. Sometimes that suffering comes from earthly family. And yes it even can come from fellow believers. Proverbs 24 warns both the unbeliever as well as the believer (who is just as capable of behaving wickedly as the unsaved).
So, if you are or have been or may become under attack, attack fierce enough to damage your well being or that of your house (family), it may knock you down. If you have, or do get knocked down, as one who is righteous you in Christ Jesus, you will rise again. Even if you are severely hurt (physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually, etc.), God Himself, will lift you.
Those who know us well, know that my family has been knocked down several times by the wicked. Sometimes by family and friends who have behaved wickedly. We forgive them and God lifts us back up again.
I know that I have spent a long time building and hopefully stating my thoughts adequately. I am hoping, that believers who seem to think that the OT is obsolete except to show how God's promise of His seed was carried and protected through the centuries, can see that all of the Bible, not just a portion, has applicable wisdom by which we can hope in and live by. I am also hoping that my family in Christ, who have been knocked down and have suffered at the hands of the wicked or those who behaved wickedly, can trust that they will rise again, no matter how many times it happens. I would also like to warn my brothers and sisters that judging and behaving like Job's friends under the facade of speaking the truth in love, is also a form of wickedness.
2 Timothy 3:15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
All scripture includes the Old Testament and since there was no New Testament at the time Paul wrote this, we have no choice but to conclude he meant specifically for that time, the Old Testament
Romans 3: 10 As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; 11 there is no one who understands;
Romans 4: 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
I used to think, Proverbs 24:15-16 was about sinning. It can be applied that way, but I now believe that it is both a warning and a promise. We will investigate that shortly.
The problem, is that Romans 3 appears to be at odds with Proverbs 24 and further down, at odds with Romans 4. If no one is righteous than how can they be righteous? We need to look a little deeper at the context and reasons for Paul's statements. Paul in chapter 3 was trying to explain that righteousness does not result in action (works) we can perform. He is explaining, that it does not matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile. You cannot claim or attain righteousness for yourselves by obeying the Law or not. Righteousness, God's righteousness, which is the only true kind, can only be acquired through faith.
OK. So what has that to do with Proverbs 24? Bear with me for a minute.
Romans 3: 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
"Well wait a sec," you might say, "Proverbs, Abraham, et. al. are Old Testament. How is that possible, since Jesus Christ is New Testament.?" The Romans 4 verses explain it. Abraham existed before the Law and he was considered righteous. So it was his faith, his belief in God, and his trust that God's promises would be kept accounted for his righteousness. Further, the promise that salvation for human kind will come through his seed, the seed who would eventually be Jesus Christ, and his belief in that promise that promise proves his righteousness came through his faith in Jesus Christ.
OK. I knew I took a little longer than you may have liked in establishing the meaning of righteousness but it needed to be done in order for me to talk more about Proverbs 24, which was my original intent.
Proverbs 24: 15 Do not lurk like a thief near the house of the righteous, do not plunder their dwelling place; 16 for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.
So let's look at the warning part. This passage is telling us that while a wicked person may successfully attack a righteous one, or their family, or what they own, the righteous will not only survive the attack, but they will rise again and again. The other part of that warning is that eventually, the attacker will meet with calamity. In the same vein, the promise is there as well. If you are counted as being righteous, that no matter how many times you get knocked down by the wicked (the wicked who planned and set out to attack you) you will rise again. They will not prevail forever and they will be met with calamity.
Why is this a hope and even a promise on which to hold? In Romans 5 and other places we are told that we will suffer. That God uses suffering to perfect us. Often that suffering comes at the hands of our enemies and or the enemies of God. Sometimes that suffering comes from earthly family. And yes it even can come from fellow believers. Proverbs 24 warns both the unbeliever as well as the believer (who is just as capable of behaving wickedly as the unsaved).
So, if you are or have been or may become under attack, attack fierce enough to damage your well being or that of your house (family), it may knock you down. If you have, or do get knocked down, as one who is righteous you in Christ Jesus, you will rise again. Even if you are severely hurt (physically, financially, emotionally, spiritually, etc.), God Himself, will lift you.
Those who know us well, know that my family has been knocked down several times by the wicked. Sometimes by family and friends who have behaved wickedly. We forgive them and God lifts us back up again.
I know that I have spent a long time building and hopefully stating my thoughts adequately. I am hoping, that believers who seem to think that the OT is obsolete except to show how God's promise of His seed was carried and protected through the centuries, can see that all of the Bible, not just a portion, has applicable wisdom by which we can hope in and live by. I am also hoping that my family in Christ, who have been knocked down and have suffered at the hands of the wicked or those who behaved wickedly, can trust that they will rise again, no matter how many times it happens. I would also like to warn my brothers and sisters that judging and behaving like Job's friends under the facade of speaking the truth in love, is also a form of wickedness.
2 Timothy 3:15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
All scripture includes the Old Testament and since there was no New Testament at the time Paul wrote this, we have no choice but to conclude he meant specifically for that time, the Old Testament
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