Saving Justice – The Holy One
Saving Justice – The Holy One.
“Yahweh Sabaoth, the Lord of Hosts, is exalted through His justice (mishpa); God the Holy One proves His holiness through His righteousness and justice (tzaddeq).” (Isaiah 5:16).
Yahweh-sabaoth = LORD of Hosts; LORD of the Angel Armies; Commander of Heaven’s Armies; Leader of Angelic Warriors; the Captain of the host of angelic forces massing together for battle at the command of the LORD. Yahweh Himself called His angelic force “sacred warriors” and “proud champions.” This name of God is the most frequently used compound name for God in the Hebrew Bible. It is used over 280 times, most of them found in the biblical Prophets, especially Jeremiah, Isaiah, and in many of the Psalms and Minor Prophets. “Holy, holy, holy is Yahweh-sabaoth. His glory fills the whole earth.” (Is. 6:1).
Mishpat (mish-pawt) = Hebrew word for “saving justice;” treating people equitably and fairly; giving people their human rights in freedom; advocating for what is properly due to others as human beings made in the image of God; defending those who are being treated unfairly, including the powerless, the vulnerable, and those who are unable to defend themselves; exercising righteous judgments with an unerring sense of perfect justice. The Lord sets the ultimate standard for justice in the world, since it is literally impossible for Him to be tainted or unjust. Because of His perfect justice, God is exalted and lifted up to the highest possible level of honor in the world. Because of his perfect justice, God occupies the highest position in the universe and deserves to be glorified. We can trust that the Creator God has built a moral structure into His world. We can trust that there will be eventual accountability to behavior that does not conform to God’s moral absolutes. We see this hinted at now in his principle that we shall reap what we sow. And soon there will be God’s justice when sin will receive the logical consequences: divine punishment. “I will proclaim the name of the LORD. Oh, praise the greatness of our God! For He is the Rock, His works are perfect, and all His ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is He.” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). Thankfully, His Son Jesus through His shed blood has paid for these consequences of sin, out of sheer grace.
God the Holy One. The Lord God is set apart from the rest of the world; separate from the ordinary, the natural, the created world; is completely distinct from the impure or the profane; possesses the attributes that are uniquely sacred and transcend creation; has blameless integrity; has a faultless, perfect, sinless character; is universally distinct because He is eternally incorruptible and incapable of doing anything wrong; forever enjoys the beauty of moral perfection. Through His pure righteousness, His upright character, and His unerring justice, the Holy One has proven Himself holy and set apart. There is God, and there is everything else. God has shown Himself to be holy because of His goodness and His righteous judgments. The holiness of God is displayed through His righteous justice. “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” (Exodus 15:11).
Tsaddiyq (tsad-deek) = Hebrew word rooted in the word for both righteousness and justice; in this case, a Person who is upright and just, righteous and blameless; the Source of all moral standards; a title in Judaism given to people who are especially outstanding in piety, holiness and righteousness; the “tzaddik” has been described as someone who oozes goodness, who takes joy in justice and fairness, who loves to blamelessly put things right. That sounds like a wonderful description of God Himself. God has revealed His holiness through being the ultimate “Tzaddik,” the perfect example of someone who demonstrates justice and righteousness. God shows to the world what sets Him part, what makes Him holy… His upright character, His pure righteousness, His perfect sense of justice. “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you… The Right and Justice are the roots of your rule; Love and Truth are its fruits.” (Psalm 89:14).
There are two words translated as “justice” in the Hebrew Bible, “mishpat” and “tzaddeq.” One word, mishpat, is usually translated as saving justice. The other word is tzaddeq, and is usually translated as either righteousness or justice. In some translations you will see “justice” for tzaddeq, and other translations will have “righteousness”. These two Hebrew words are often paired together in the Old Testament, because they are considered so similar in meaning. “Thus says the Lord: Preserve justice, and do righteousness, for my salvation is about to come and my righteousness to be revealed. How blessed is the person who does this…” (Isaiah 56:1). In one excellent translation of that verse, instead of righteousness, put it this way, …”my “saving justice” will be revealed.” Another passage says, “To do righteousness (tzaddeq) and justice (mishpat) is desired by the Lord rather than sacrifice.” (Proverbs 21:3). It seems righteousness and justice are each used to accompany the other, and both are often said in the same breath. A righteous person reveals his/her righteousness by practicing justice. A just person is certainly that way because s/he is filled with righteousness. And both qualities together form a central characteristic of God’s character. To be just and righteous is to live in a way that is consistent with the moral demands of God. To do what is right and just is to be in synch with the very Spirit of God. For the only possible Source of justice and righteousness, the only perfect example we have of those qualities, is the Lord Himself. Taken together, justice and righteousness is demonstrating “the perfect rightness of God,” the holiness of the Lord, and is deserving of highest honors and acclaim.