Attributes - Part 6

God is righteous and holy. The word righteous means that God is just or right. It’s not just that His actions are just and right, He IS these things. He is the standard of these things. Many times when bad things happen we want to say, “That is just not right,” or “It’s not fair.” But you see, we are not the judge of what is right or fair. Job had been put through loss and tragedy time and again and finally toward the end of the book after he had lost everything and suffered greatly, he questioned God’s justice and proclaimed his own righteousness. Basically proclaiming, “This is not fair, I don’t deserve this!” Elihu came down on him pretty hard. I love Job 35:5-7, “Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you.  If you sin, how does that affect him? If your sins are many, what does that do to him?  If you are righteous, what do you give to him, or what does he receive from your hand?”

Of course, then God comes in the whirlwind and reprimands Job saying, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if you have understanding. Who has laid the measures thereof, if you know? Or who has stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the corner stone thereof; When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy? Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of the womb?” God goes on for several chapters explaining to Job just who He is and what He has done, until finally, Job, in chapter 42, if I may paraphrase, said, “God, you have done everything. You even know my thoughts. I had no idea who you were. I have been talking about things that I know nothing about. I had heard about you, but now I see who you are. I can’t stand in your presence, and I repent in dust and ashes.”

What is truly amazing about this characteristic of God is that He can transfer it to us. The New Testament tells us that we should seek righteousness (Matthew 6:33), thirst after righteousness (Matthew 5:6), suffer for it (I Peter 3:14,15), be slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18), and practice righteousness (I John 3:7).

God is Holy. The word holy means “apartness” or “sacredness”. God is completely apart from everything else. He is “other”. God’s holiness separates Him from all else, because everything else was made “by Him and for Him”. God in His very nature is holy. I Samuel 2:2 says, “There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none besides thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” Then in Exodus 15:11, “Who is like unto thee, O Lord? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?”