Isaiah Roman

Heritage of the Servant

“Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his” (Numbers 23:10)! This should be the sincere intent and desire of every living soul particularly Christians. Ironically this is a prayer from a “man of God” deep in the throes of apostasy whose life ended in a traitor’s death.1 Apparently he didn’t make the grade.

Who are the righteous? The “righteous” are not sinless in the normal sense2 of the word; their sins are forgiven.3 They are those who were under the Law in the Old Testament; or, born again4 under the New Testament. Both are preserved by an act of God through exercising the will by grace through faith.

The difference between the two is that obedience of the law is the exemplification of salvation under the Old Testament5; the latter is that obeisance to the sacraments6 are the exemplification of salvation under the New Testament. All salvation has always been by grace through faith; the grace of God and faith in the Redeemer, the Messiah (Old Testament), and Son of God (New Testament) who are one and the same 7. Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) who died for the sins of the world.

God decreed a Mediator before creation began. Error is often made concerning the nature of God. Some reach a conclusion and claim that God in the Old Testament was a harsh unyielding God; but, God in the New Testament is loving and forgiving. Some go farther to say this represents two gods. This could not be farther from the truth! There were not two gods but one God who entered into two different covenants with mankind.

In the most ancient book of the Bible written Job prays to God for a “daysman” to place one hand on him and the other on God that they may be reconciled.8 God is “One Lord” and is eternal and unchanging.9  This is the oldest biblical evidence God decreed a redeemer, savior and declared His intent to “make a way to escape” (II Corinthians 10: 13) death when not if mankind sinned.  It is the first evidence of “free will”10 in that without it mankind would not have a point of moral trial or testing to see whether or not he would obey God (See Judges 2: 22; Ezekiel 2: 5; 2: 7; 3: 11).

Creation itself is an act on the part of God that displays His unconditional love for both His creation and creatures.  He willed an object to be the beneficiary of His love, power, and goodness. He created a living existence (being), Adam. God looked at all the creatures He created and found none that was right for Adam (Genesis 2: 18).11 Taking from Adam a rib God created “an help “meet”12 (right) for him and through them the human race and placed them in a perfect life support system (Eden). It had all the necessities for a purposeful, peaceful life. All laws were in place to support both the creation ,Adam as well as his progeny. The final instructions following the creation of mankind were go, “have dominion over all creation;” be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth.

Everything mankind has ever received from God is by grace through faith. “I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob [God’s children] are not consumed” (Malachi 3:6).

Examples of righteousness required by God:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (The Ten Commandments are all extracted from these two basic commandments).

God requires of the righteous honesty and integrity:

“Just balances, just weights, a just ephah [bushel], and a just hin [liter], shall you have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 19:36).

“The law [Old Testament/Covenant] was given by Moses, but grace and truth [New Testament/ Covenant] came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).

In the optimum condition of a child from birth to adolescence is to be under control of his parents who willingly submit to the loving Creator God.13 As they pass into adult hood each accepts the responsibility for him or herself hopefully by this time they have come to trust in God as their parents did.

“You shall not wrest [distort] judgment; you shall not respect persons [place rich above poor - all mankind are created in the image and likeness of God], neither take a gift [bribe]: a gift blinds the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous” (Deuteronomy 16:19).

Obedience of the law for life was required with a series of laws (Levitical or ceremonial laws) that must be observed under the priesthood and Temple worship. A penitent person was required to take a sacrifice to the priests who would then prepare it and place it upon the alter to be burned.

Since Mosaic or Levitical law was specified to be carried out in the Temple with a descendant of Aaron presiding and levites attending to the Temple ordinances this form of worship ended. When the Temple was destroyed by Titus in 70AD, genealogy records burned and the Jews disbursed throughout the world these laws could no longer be carried out. Mosaic law specified the precise methods and manner therefore Temple worship ceased. Prior to the coming again of Messiah (God’s Mediator) temple worship will be revived only to end in the final holocaust before the final judgment and reconciliation of God.

Rewards of righteousness:

“The LORD has said, No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against you in judgment you shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me” (Isaiah 54: 17).

“The righteous perishes, and no man lays it to heart [pauses to consider]: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous [are not deprived of life before their time]; [but] is taken away [they are spared] from the evil to come. He shall enter into peace [the very presence of Christ]: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness“ (Isaiah 57: 1-2).

“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread” (Psalms 37:25).

This is the Inheritance of the righteous, eternal blessings:

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:3).

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted (Matthew 5:4).

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy (Matthew 5:7).

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God (Matthew 5:8).

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God (Matthew 5:9)

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:10).

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake (Matthew 5:11)

Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.(Matthew 13:16)

Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled.

Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh (Luke 6:21).

Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake (Luke 6:22).

Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it (Luke 11:28).

Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them (Luke 12:37).

Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered (Romans 4:7)

1. Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them” (Joshua 13:22).
2. “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
3. I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.(Psalms 2:7)
4. “The word is [near you], even in your mouth, and in your heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10: 8-10).
5. John 14:15
6. This is not the Roman Catholic sacraments, but rather the true sacraments; baptism, communion and prayer (the form of worship).
7. Hebrews 7:19, Hebrews 10:1,4-12
8. “Neither is there any daysman betwixt us, that might lay his hand upon us both”(Job 9:33).
9. God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good” (Numbers 23:19)?
10. Free will is not license to “do as one pleases” but to obey or disobey God. There was in Adam the ability to resist the temptation of Satan. He chose to disobey whether by the direct influence of Eve or not who knows? Eve had already eaten the fruit and remained alive physically both died spiritually. The Spirit of God remained in the world in that He came upon those whom God willed at times; but, was removed from them.
11. This is the first biblical evidence that God did not intend that man should not “join” himself (become one flesh) with any other creature (bestiality) than humankind or another gender than the female(homosexuality).
12. “The LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him” (Genesis 2: 18).
13. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (I John 4:10). “We love him, because he first loved us” (I John 4:19)