• Righteousness
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • Righteousness not by one’s own works

      Consequently, it is clear that imperfect men could never attain true righteousness, measuring up to the righteousness of God, by dependence on works of the Mosaic law, or by their own works of self-righteousness. (Rom. 3:10; 9:30-32; Gal. 2:21; 3:21; Titus 3:5) The men whom God has called “righteous” have been men who exercised faith in God and who did not trust in their own works but backed up that faith by works in harmony with his righteous standard.—Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3-9; Jas. 2:18-24.

      The Law was righteous

      This is not to say that the Law given through Moses did not contain God’s standard of righteousness. It did. The apostle argues: “Wherefore, on its part, the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Rom. 7:12; Deut. 4:8) It served God’s purpose, to make transgressions manifest and to be a tutor to lead the Jews of honest heart to Christ, as well as having a shadow of the good things to come. (Gal. 3:19, 24; Heb. 10:1) But it could not bring real, complete righteousness to those under it. All of them were sinners; they could not keep the Law perfectly; and their high priest was unable to remove their sins by his sacrifices and services. Therefore, only through acceptance of God’s provision of his Son could they attain righteousness. (Rom. 8:3, 4; Heb. 7:18-28) Those accepting Christ were declared righteous, not as something earned, but as a gift, and Christ became to them “wisdom from God, also righteousness and sanctification and release by ransom.” Accordingly, real righteousness can come only through Christ. This exalts Jehovah, giving him the credit as the Source of all righteousness, and not man, or self-works, “that it may be just as it is written: ‘He that boasts, let him boast in Jehovah.’”—1 Cor. 1:30, 31; Rom. 5:17.

      BENEFITS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

      God loves the righteous and cares for them. David wrote: “A young man I used to be, I have also grown old, and yet I have not seen anyone righteous left entirely, nor his offspring looking for bread.” (Ps. 37:25) Solomon said: “Jehovah will not cause the soul of the righteous one to go hungry, but the craving of the wicked ones he will push away.” (Prov. 10:3) God is to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness by Jesus Christ, and will create “new heavens and a new earth” in which righteousness is to dwell. (Acts 17:31; 2 Pet. 3:13) Eventual possession of the earth is promised to the righteous; the wicked are to be cleared out of the earth as a “ransom” for the righteous, for as long as the wicked are in control the righteous cannot have peace. And the possessions of the wicked will go to the righteous, as the proverb states: “The wealth of the sinner is something treasured up for the righteous one.”—Prov. 13:22; 21:18.

      The person who perseveres in righteousness is assured of God’s goodwill and the approval of right-hearted men now and for all time to come, for “the remembrance of the righteous one is due for a blessing [and will be “to time indefinite”], but the very name of the wicked ones will rot.”—Prov. 10:7; Ps. 112:6.

      RESPECT, HEED RIGHTEOUS ONES

      It is the course of wisdom to respect those whom Jehovah counts righteous, and to follow their counsel and reproof, which will bring good to those accepting it. David received reproof from Jehovah through righteous men, God’s servants and prophets, and he said: “Should the righteous one strike me, it would be a loving-kindness; and should he reprove me, it would be oil upon the head, which my head would not want to refuse.”—Ps. 141:5.

      “THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS”

      Because the Bible tells us, “More than all else that is to be guarded, safeguard your heart, for Out of it are the sources of life,” Christians need to have on “the breastplate of righteousness.” (Prov. 4:23; Eph. 6:14) Since the heart of fallen, sinful man is treacherous and desperate, the following of God’s righteousness is essential as a protection against its turning bad. (Jer. 17:9) The heart needs much discipline and training. The Christian can be assured of this course only by sticking close to the Scriptures, which, the apostle Paul says, are “beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.” He should accept gratefully the discipline that one receives from righteous men who make such use of God’s Word.—2 Tim. 3:16, 17.

  • Rimmon
    Aid to Bible Understanding

    • RIMMON

      (Rimʹmon) [pomegranate].

      1. The Benjamite father of Baanah and Rechab, the murderers of Saul’s son Ish-bosheth; from Beeroth N of Gibeah.—2 Sam. 4:2, 5-7, 9.

      2. A city of the tribe of Simeon in the area surrounded by the tribe of Judah. (Josh. 19:1, 2, 7; AV, Remmon) It is listed after the city of Ain, and apparently En-rimmon at Nehemiah 11:29 is a combined form to designate the twin cities. It is mentioned as a southern point in Zechariah 14:10. The ruins of a place called Umm er-Romamin are thought to be the ancient site.

      3. A Levite enclave city of the Merari family on the E border of the land of Zebulun (Josh. 19:10, 13); evidently called “Dimnah” at Joshua 21:35 and “Rimmono” at 1 Chronicles 6:77. Location believed to be present-day Rummaneh, about six miles (10 kilometers) N of Nazareth.

      4. A craglike eminence to which six hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin retreated as survivors of the battle near Gibeah, in which all Israel rose up against the Benjamites to avenge the rape and murder of the concubine of a Levite. (Judg. 20:45-47) They remained there until approached by peace envoys. (Judg. 21:13) Located four miles (6.4 kilometers) E of Bethel and fifteen miles (24.1 kilometers) N of Jerusalem, the former stronghold today is known as Rammun, where a small village is located. There is a cone-shaped limestone mountain there, protected on three sides by ravines and containing numerous caves.

      5. A Syrian god. The Syrian army chief Naaman, after being cured of his leprosy, acknowledged Jehovah as the true God but expressed concern over his having to accompany the king of Syria into the temple of Rimmon and there bow down with the king before the idol of Rimmon, as the king would be leaning upon Naaman’s arm.—2 Ki. 5:15-18.

      Rimmon is generally identified with Ramman (“roarer, thunderer”), a god known to have been venerated in Assyria and Babylonia. It has been suggested that the worship of Rimmon (Ramman) may have been brought westward from Assyria by some of the tribes that later settled around Damascus. A number of authorities regard Rimmon (Ramman) as but a title of the storm-god Hadad (Adad). The fact that Tabrimmon and Ben-hadad were names of Syrian kings suggests a basis for equating Rimmon with Hadad, since these kings likely bore the name or title of their chief god.—1 Ki. 15:18.

      The Rimmon venerated in Syria undoubtedly had much in common with Ramman. To the Assyrians, the latter was primarily a god of storm and thunder. Although regarded as the giver of rain and hence the provider of water for wells and fields, Ramman is associated more prominently with the destructive aspects of rain and lightning. On the Assyrian monuments Ramman figures repeatedly as a god of war. He was regarded as such also in Babylonia, where he together with the moon-god Sin and the sun-god Shamash constituted one of numerous triads.