SIX GODLY QUALITIES of a RIGHTEOUS PERSON
July 26 Bible Reading: Isaiah Chapters 31-33
SIX GODLY QUALITIES of a RIGHTEOUS PERSON
"He who walks righteously and speaks
uprightly, he who despises the gain of oppressions, who gestures with his
hands, refusing bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts
his eyes from seeing evil: He will dwell on high; his place of defense will be
the fortress of rocks; bread will be given him, his water will be sure."
(Isaiah 33:15-16)
As Isaiah is prophesying about the impending judgment that is
destined for everyone (Isaiah 33:10-14), there is hope for the righteous. As in
some of the Psalms, which contain questions and answers regarding the
conditions for admittance to worship (Psalms 15 and 24), Isaiah describes the
qualities of those who will escape punishment and dwell with the Lord in safety
forever (vv. 15-16). The six qualities
of a righteous person (Isaiah 33:15) are listed below:
- Lives a life displaying righteous behavior - walks righteously
- Speaks only what is right and true - speaks uprightly
- Does not oppress weak people in order to make money – hates money from dishonesty
- Makes it plain that his/her integrity cannot be bought with bribes – refuses to take bribes
- Does not listen to suggestions for eliminating opponents by resorting to violence (Job 31:31; Prov. 1:14, 16)
- Cannot tolerate evil at any time – even the very appearance of evil
The conduct of the godly are also described in the following
scripture passages: Psalms 1:1, 2; 15:2–5; 24:4; Galatians 5:22–25; Ephesians
5:1 and James 3:13–18. The person who pursues a godly character will enjoy two major benefits (Isaiah 33:16):
- He shall be safe; he shall escape the devouring fire
and the everlasting burning in hell.
- He shall be supplied; he shall want nothing that is
necessary for him.
“On high” (v. 16) refers to God’s dwelling (v. 5)—the place
the righteous will go to live with God forever. God will make their lives
secure when He comes to reside in and rule over Jerusalem.
Let us sincerely attempt to live godly lives every day – this will surely pay off in the end!
