“Righteous are you, O Lord,
and right are your rules.” Psalm 119.137
This verse opens a new stanza of the psalm, one that extols the righteousness of God’s Word. Scripture is righteous because the Lord is righteous. That is the straight-forward truth conveyed in this verse. It’s not difficult to understand the truth the psalmist puts forward here. Still, it’s impossible to plumb the depths of this truth.
God’s righteousness is perfect. Righteousness is his essence. God does not simply act in righteousness. His very being is righteous. This is vital truth, and it has profound impact on the way we understand and esteem his revelation to us. He is righteous. His Word is righteous.
This truth also has profound implications for the way we live. First, God’s righteousnesses forces us to recognize our inherent unrighteousness. This necessarily means that we need a righteousness imputed to us that is not our own. That can only be found in Christ.
Also, because God alone is righteous and his Word is righteous, Scripture is the chief source of righteous guidance for our lives. Therefore, we must submit all other sources of truth and guidance to his righteous truth.
Spend some time meditating on the essential righteousness of God, what this means for his revealed Word, and what it means for how you view the Word.
Holy, righteous Father, we praise you for you alone are good. You alone are good and righteous in your very nature. Give us a greater esteem for your righteousness and your righteous rules. Amen.