“EXALTED IN GOD’S RIGHETOUSNESS”

Happiness and blessedness are not the same. Sin offers pleasure and pleasure brings happiness. Yet sin has the penalty of death. Blessedness is a grace from God because of the pleasure He has from those who submit to His will. When God is exalted by His own, He exalts His own. This is a fulfillment of what He promised from eternity, being accomplished by Jesus, in His example of submission. Paul, the apostle wrote, “and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name” (Phil. 2:8-9 ASV).

This blessedness of God’s own is readily seen, even by those who know not God. For example, the queen of Sheba said to Solomon, “Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, that stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom” (2 Chron. 9:7 ASV).

Blessedness is inseparable from obedience as we see from Psa. 119:1, “Blessed are they that are perfect in the way, who walk in the law of Jehovah.” Again, we read, “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they walk, O Jehovah, in the light of thy countenance.  In thy name do they rejoice all the day; and in thy righteousness are they exalted.” (Psa. 89:15-16 ASV).

The ultimate blessing in being exalted by God is seen in His forgiveness. “Blessed is the man unto whom Jehovah imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.” (Psa. 32:2 ASV).