The Teacher of Righteousness

The Teacher of Righteousness

“Be glad then, you children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God; for He has given you the teacher of righteousness, and He will cause the rain to come down for you—the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.” Joel 2:23-24.

Blessings and order come together with righteousness. The millennium will be a kingdom of righteousness that is ruled in great blessedness, where everything that is good will be restored. Previously, the swarming locust, the crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust had destroyed everything. However, when they accepted the teacher of righteousness, the threshing floors were full of wheat and the vats overflowed with new wine and oil.

In the old covenant they needed to learn the basics of righteousness, and the same applies in the new covenant. In the new covenant it is Jesus Christ, the Just One, who wants to teach us by His Spirit what God’s kingdom consists of: namely, righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. We have nothing of this in ourselves. “There is none righteous, no, not one . . . .” Rom. 3:10. Everything has to be learned, and blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness from the very beginning. Matt. 5:6.

“Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” 2 Tim. 2:19. “Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Your law is truth.” Ps. 119:142. Everything that is built up on the foundation of righteousness is firm and eternal. “Seven times a day I praise You, because of Your righteous judgments. Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble.” Vs. 164-165. The only thing that we can take with us into God’s kingdom is righteousness and truth. “Because of the truth which abides in us and will be with us forever . . . .” 2 John 2.

The ministry of the new covenant is the ministry of glory and righteousness. The result of this ministry is glorious and eternal. Paul rejoiced in this ministry, and therefore he used great boldness of speech. 2 Cor. 3:11-12.

“You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” Heb. 1:9. We will be anointed with the oil of gladness only in accordance with the laws of righteousness.

Paul exhorted the young, God-fearing man Timothy to flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, together with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Tim. 2:22.

It is of great importance that we enter into this race as quickly as possible, together with those who have a pure heart. If one does not have a pure heart, one cannot run the race in righteousness and the other virtues of Christ. All those who are young should make sure that they are not left behind in the race. Life is short, and time is valuable.

The virtue that the Scriptures speak of most is righteousness. It affects everything we say and do. We need to learn righteousness as long as we live. The first thing we learn is to clear up old matters. We learn how to conduct ourselves toward one another in righteousness, through the grace that God gives us. We learn to keep our word and to be built up together with the others: to be a habitation of God in the Spirit. We learn to submit ourselves one to another, so we can serve each other, and love each other, in the brotherhood with a sincere heart. Our teacher of righteousness wants to instruct us to be as He is. Even though the way goes through sufferings and tribulations, the goal is to attain to the greatest glory, together with Christ and all the saints in the eternal habitations.