A Call Towards Active Right Living
“‘And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not...Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of our feet on the day when I act,’ says the LORD Almighty.”
- Malachi 3:18, 4:3
Both Malachi and the Psalmist write in hopes of the coming Messiah. The significance found in these verses is rooted in the manifestation of active service, for it is through service that we may be able to live in true peace. Beginning in verse 18, there is a stark distinction between the righteous and the wicked. In Hebrew, one of the words for “righteous” stems from the word ts-d-k (צדק), and can be pronounced tsedekah. This word is used in verse 18, and while the English version seems to promote individuality, tsedekah actually connotes a communal right living with one another. Malachi, then, with the use of this word, is not writing about the hope that is individually significant through the Messiah but rather of a community that will experience continued liberation with the Messiah’s coming.
As we read this text today, the importance for us is derived from the way that God is present in the act of caring for others. Rather than harking upon the ways that one could seclude themselves from society, Malachi reminds us that true righteousness comes from servitude (3:18). This servitude is entangled within acts of justice that move communities towards tsedekah and is the tangible manifestation of hope for the coming Messiah. Those who serve God are not those who turn a blind eye to the wickedness, rather they are those who actively trample the wicked (4:3); therefore, complacency has no place in the servitude that is constituted as righteousness. Jesus himself, the Messiah, was the perfect picture of servitude that brought true peace. He didn’t turn a blind eye toward sin; he looked it in the eye and trampled it. The tsedekah of Christ brought peace for us.
In Psalm 125, we see the active nature of God’s work towards humanity. Again, the word tsedekah is present in the portrayal of those considered “righteous”. These people are surrounded by wicked actions and people, yet God promises in verse 3 that the wicked will not remain oppressive over the righteous. There will be liberation for all who are in right living with one another, and this is what ultimately will bring about peace (vs. 5). Living in a post-Messiah world, the call that was rooted in the hope for the Messiah is the same. As we actively care for others, we are also allowing the presence of God to permeate. We can live into this tsedekah that liberates not only ourselves but our neighbors as well through love, advocacy, generosity, and hospitality. It is through these that true peace will be brought about.
~ Beth Girard