Righteousness, Exalteth A Nation

The Lord has laid this Scripture on my heart and I cannot get away from it. I believe it is one of the great messages of the hour for God’s people, and we need to consider it thoughtfully. Let us, therefore, dig deep.

Matthew’s Bible of 1537 reads, “Righteousness setteth up the people, but wickedness bringeth folk to destruction.”

The Septuagint reads, “Righteousness exalts a nation: but sins lessen [or, diminish] the tribes.” The Vulgate reads, “. . . sin makes the people wretched.”

The clear meaning of this passage of Scripture is that when we hold fast to the Word of God and live worthy of the calling wherewith we are called (Ephesians 4:1) we will be a blessed people. We will be enriched and will increase in number. We will be honoured of God. No good thing will He withhold from us.

“Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” Matthew 6:33

But if we do not hold fast to the Word of God, not only will we not be blessed, we will become wretched. We will suffer as a people and will shrink in number. We will become anathema to God and He will be against us.

This goes right along with Deuteronomy chapter 28, which tells us that if we are an obedient people unto the Lord our God, we will be blessed beyond measure in everything we do (verses 1-14); but if we are not, we will be similarly cursed (verses 15-68). I encourage the reader to read, and to thoughtfully consider, the entire chapter.

There are other passages which could be mentioned, but these will be sufficient.

Our people have a glorious history. We are the most blessed people that have ever walked the face of the earth. But it is not because of our own strength, it is because we honoured God and His Word in our national life, and thereby gained the rich blessings of God which naturally follow obedience.

Sadly, however, this is no longer the case. We have gone our own way. “All we like sheep have gone astray . . .” We have called good evil and evil good and have thereby brought cursing upon ourselves as a people.

We are a fallen people, and the situation is dire. Tyrants abound, and freedom and liberty are disappearing fast. Everything that God said would happen to us if we turned away from Him has happened, and we are living in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. Such a pitiful state! Let us cry out to God with the psalmist Asaph, “Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” Psalm 80:3 Amen.

May God help us so to do. For except He turn us, we cannot turn.