Proof Of A Righteous Person
The proof that a person is righteous is not that they do not fall: on the contrary, it is what they do in response to their fall. Whether it be one time or seven or more, they rise.
“Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; Do not plunder his resting place; For a righteous man may fall seven times And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity.” (Proverbs 24:15–16, NKJV)
This reminds me of Mordecai and Haman. It reminds me of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It reminds me of Daniel in the lion’s den. Ultimately, it reminds me of Jesus who died on the cross, but rose three days later. Each of these, and several others throughout scripture, are pictures of enemies rejoicing over the downfall of the righteous. But each time they did, the reverse happened. Haman was hanged on the gallows meant for Mordecai. The guards burned instead of the three Hebrew men. Those who hated Daniel were thrown into the lions’ den and were consumed before they hit the floor. Those were hungry lions!
The devil, who thought he had destroyed the Son of God on the cross knew better when the stone rolled away and Jesus exited the tomb.
Each of us goes through problems, trials, difficulties, and tribulations. For some it is an illness, others it is financial, and others deal with addiction…etc. You might be overwhelmed right now. The best thing to do in whatever you are dealing with is trust the Lord and watch Him bring deliverance. A righteous man might fall seven times, but ultimately, he will rise.
One more thing on this. You might have “fallen” into a sin that you’ve stumbled in before. You hate when you do. You do not want to live there, but nonetheless, you fall. Is that it? Are you done? Have you fallen from grace? No. Why? Because a righteous man proves his righteousness by the struggle. If you are struggling, then you have the Spirit of God moving in you, convicting you. A sinner doesn’t consider his sin wrong, and therefore never repents nor struggles against it.
“Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21–22, NKJV)
So, once you pass the 490th sin, (70x7=490) then there is no more forgiveness? I don’t think so. Jesus was saying that there is no limit to God’s mercy. Why? First, because this was man’s forgiveness. Peter asked, “…how often shall “I” forgive my brother?” But second, Israel was in the land 490 years and for much of it was in sin. Then they were punished for that sin by being sent to Babylon. For how many years? Yep, seventy years. Seventy times seven equals 490 years. Then God allowed them to return to the land. Jesus was showing the true meaning of this proverb. The number seven has an interesting meaning.
According to the website, “The Torah”
“Numbers can carry significance beyond their arithmetic value. Examples in contemporary English are how “a million” can express abundance, “a ten” can mean excellence, or “a hundred times” can mean frequently. So too, several numbers in the Bible have symbolic value. The most popular of these is the number seven…
the number 7 is the most important symbolic number in the Hebrew Bible.
In many contexts, it conveys not just the number 7, but the idea of wholeness and perfection. As a result of the identification of the Israelite God with perfection, the number 7 has also come to represent holiness.” 1
Some examples are:
God rested on the seventh day, which signified that God’s work in creation was complete. (Genesis 2:1-3)
Jacob worked for Rachel and Leah for seven years each. (see Genesis 29)
The tribulation will be for seven “sevens” or years. (Daniel 9:27) (The Hebrew word: שבע (Seba (seven)), or in 9:27 הַשָּׁב֜וּעַ (Sabuah), “seven” or a group of seven. Context implies years.)
Abraham made a covenant with Abimelech by giving him seven sheep so everyone knew that Beersheba (“Well of the Oath/Well of the Seven”) was his possession. (Genesis 21:27–34)
The seven sayings of Jesus from the cross:
Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. (Luke 23:34)
Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise. (Luke 23:43)
Woman, behold thy son! and Behold thy mother! (John 19:26-27)
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34)
I thirst. (John 19:28)
It is finished. (John 19:30)
Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. (Luke 23:46)
God will always have mercy upon His beloved.
If you will repent and have a desire to be filled with the Spirit and to leave your sin behind, you will always find the Father with open arms willing to receive you. Remember, Jesus died so that this kind of relationship would be possible.
He will not let you go, He will not forsake you.
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