The Lord Our Righteousness

Yes, I’ve said this before, but I love this week’s name. Yahweh Tsidqenu. It’s got beauty and pathos and irony. Besides, Jeremiah used it. You know I love Jeremiah!

Let me set the stage. Chapter 21 of Jeremiah occurs toward the end of King Zedekiah’s reign. It’s a message of utter destruction.

⁴ ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: “Behold, I am going to turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, with which you are making war against the king of Babylon and the Chaldeans who are besieging you outside the wall; and I will gather them into the middle of this city. ⁵ And I Myself will make war against you with an outstretched hand and a mighty arm, and in anger, wrath, and great indignation. ⁶ I will also strike the inhabitants of this city, both the people and the animals; they will die of a great plague. ⁷ Then afterward,” declares the Lord, “I will hand Zedekiah king of Judah, his servants, and the people, that is, those who survive in this city from the plague, the sword, and the famine, over to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to their enemies, and to those who seek their lives; and he will strike and kill them with the edge of the sword. He will not spare them nor have pity nor compassion.”’ – Jeremiah 21: 4-7

Chapter 22 is a recap and a scathing rebuke of the last three legitimate kings of Judah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, and Jehoiachin. It’s a smackdown only Jeremiah can deliver. He probably received this prophecy toward the end of Jehoiachin’s blighted, three-month reign. The following chapter, spoken during King Zedekiah’s reign, continues the rebuke –

“Woe to the shepherds who are causing the sheep of My pasture to perish and are scattering them!” declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 23:1

Zedekiah, Josiah’s son and Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal, was a false shepherd–and a terrible king. In 586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah’s sons and blinded Zedekiah. Then he took Zedekiah to Babylon in chains and destroyed Jerusalem. Judea was done. Or was it?

Jeremiah gives hope.

Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord,
“When I will raise up for David a righteous Branch;
And He will reign as king and act wisely
And do justice and righteousness in the land.
In His days Judah will be saved,
And Israel will live securely;
And this is His name by which He will be called,
‘The Lord Our Righteousness.’ – Jeremiah 23:5-6

Spoiler: that’s Jesus. In Hebrew, The Lord Our Righteousness is Yahweh Tsidqenu. The root of tsidqenu is sedek, righteous. We’ve studied it before when we looked at Melchizedek, the King of Righteousness, on April 25, 2024. Picture this. Jeremiah is telling awful King Zedekiah, Nebuchadnezzar’s vassal – not even a legitimate king – whose name literally means “Yahweh is righteous,” (sedek-yah) that there will be a day when Yahweh will provide a King whose name will be The Lord Our Righteousness. Man, I love Jeremiah.

This year-long study is inspired by Ann Spangler’s Praying the Names of God for 52 Weeks