February 2022
Nougat 24
Gates are important. They separate sets of people, those who belong and are welcome from those who don’t and aren’t. With the upsurge in crime globally, gated communities have become very important in many societies. One could argue that it’s a resurgence from ancient days when every city had its own gate (likely for the same reason – protection). In today’s Holy Nougat
“This is the gate of Adonai— the righteous will enter through it.” Psalms 118:20 TLV
God has a home. And that home has a gate. Though present in every place, God’s home is a gated community. Yes indeedy; and those gates also serves as a separator of people. Matthew 25 reminds us of that in Jesus’ lesson about the sheep and the goats. As lovely as that image is, that particular destination is long-term; we can only get there when we die or are caught up in the Rapture when Christ returns.
More critical for us living in the here and now is the fact that God – Adonai – the anointed and exalted One; IS Home! In other words, God is a gated community. Let’s allow this to settle in our hearts for a bit. The psalmist does not mention the house OF Adonai; rather we are told about the Gate of Adonai. Furthermore, Proverbs 18:10 affirms that even the very name of God is a place of refuge, a strong fortress in Whom the righteous may find protection from danger.
Ironically, the Gate that allows entry into the safety of Adonai has a name that clarifies its purpose: Righteousness. It’s not easy access to or for all. The word ‘Tsedek (tsadeq)’ which we transliterate as righteousness or righteous speaks to blamelessness, innocence, being just, or aligned with God. One realizes fairly quickly that in God’s utter holiness, it is imperative that those entering God’s presence come in righteousness; the state of being ‘in alignment’ with God’s Spirit and purpose.
We also know that we don’t become righteous on our own. With the myriad of offerings we place before God: wave, sin, guilt, burnt and grain; the righteousness God seeks in us comes from a fruitful relationship with Jesus. True, in the days of the psalmist, righteousness referred to having clean hands (ie honesty), a pure heart, humility and integrity (see Psalm 24:4). But that had little sway when Job was reduced to almost nothing – it was his *relationship* with God that kept him going.
And further we recall that Jesus, our Righteousness was SINLESS. Yet; He took the burden and guilt of our sins so that we could be seen as righteous in God’s presence because of our relationship. So, regardless of how messed up we’ve been, that ongoing relationship with Jesus makes a difference. We gain access to Adonai through Him. Yes, He IS the gate of Righteousness. And our access code is us receiving His Lord-ship.
Can we do that? With all that awaits us out ‘there’, I certainly will.
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May all we seek be found in Christ