The LORD our Righteousness

In response to a Muslim apologist who argued against the Trinity, I cited several OT verses which demonstrate that the Messiah is God. One of these is:

• Jeremiah 23:5-6 "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD [Yahweh] Our Righteousness.”

Against this, he stated that,

• Jerusalem was called "The LORD our Righteousness". "In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. This is the name by which it will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness…” (From the NIV Bible, Jeremiah 33:16)"

There are several problems with this response. For one thing, he fails to mention the NIV note which indicates that the “it will be called” can just as easily be rendered “He.”

For another thing, even if Jerusalem is called by this title, the Messiah is also called by this title, and he fails to give an explanation of why this child-King will bear a name of Dvinity. The apologist concludes,

• As you CLEARLY can see, the "LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" title that is given in Jeremiah 23:6 is no different than any of the JEWISH NAMES GIVEN TO PEOPLE AT BIRTH above. It's just another GODly name that Jews traditionally have made up to name each others, which obviously had contributed to the world-wide catastrophe of the polytheist trinity pagan lie that was created 1700 years ago (trinity being invented and born around year 325 by Constantine)!!

Putting aside the fact that there is much historical evidence that the early church worshiped Jesus as God -- In order to prove his contention, he cites many Hebrew names that contain a reference to God, like my own name, Daniel [God’s judge]. However, these names are single words. "THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS" is a composite of words and not a name, but therefore, a description of our King Messiah.

There is also another important element of this description that we should not overlook. Yahweh is our righteousness. We have received His righteousness as a gift through His death (Isaiah 53). We can’t earn it. Therefore, salvation and forgiveness must come as a free gift. It might be surprising to many, but the Hebrew Bible also agrees with this assessment:

• Isaiah 61:10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

• Isaiah 45:24-25 They will say of me, “In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength….25But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.

• Isaiah 54:17 This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication [“righteousness” in Hebrew] from me," declares the LORD.

God the Messiah is literally our righteousness, and not an accidental name.