We are in chapter twenty-three of Exodus with our word for today which are two words that are closely related. נָקִי clean, unmarried, free from, blameless, exempt, pure, innocent. It is used 43 times in the Old Testament. צַדִּיק just, innocent, righteous, in the right, upright. It is used 206 times in the Old Testament. Both of our words are used together 4 times. What I find interesting is that every time this happens they are contrasted to the wicked. Job 22:117-120 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone! What can the Almighty do to us?’ Yet it was he who filled their houses with good things, so I stand aloof from the plans of the wicked. The צַדִּיקִ֣יםrighteous see their ruin and rejoice; the וְ֝נָקִ֗י innocent mock them, saying, ‘Surely our foes are destroyed, and fire devours their wealth.’ Did you see how the wicked think they are getting away their evil actions but those identified by our words rejoice and mock them? Job 27:13, 17 Here is the fate God allots to the wicked, the heritage a ruthless man receives from the Almighty … Though he heaps up silver like dust and clothes like piles of clay, what he lays up the וְצַדִּ֣יק righteous will wear, and the נָקִ֥י innocent will divide his silver. We see this elsewhere in the Bible that the short term gains from the wicked God eventually gives to those identified by our words. Psalm 94:21-23 The wicked band together against the צַדִּ֑יקrighteous and condemn the נָקִ֣יinnocent to death. But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them. This is a great passage because it reminds us that God is our fortress and rock that we can count on when the wicked work together against us. This leads us to our last usage of both our words in our chapter. Exodus 23:7 Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the וְנָקִ֤י innocent וְצַדִּיק֙ and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. God is warning that he knows the truth about everything and will not leave the wicked unpunished who use the legal process to kill the innocent and the righteous. This reminds us of Jesus who was the only one one-hundred percent innocent and righteous. He was put to death using the legal system at that time. The good news is that God raised him from the dead after he defeated both sin and death on the cross for us. I’ll close with these great reminders. Isaiah 53:9-11 He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand. After he has suffered, he will see the light of life and be satisfied; by his knowledge צַדִּ֛יק עַבְדִּ֖י [Literally will declare righteous my righteous servant many. So this is Jesus predicted to justify which is what declare righteous means many people] my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Because Jesus died in our place for our sins God can declare us not guilty. Even the one presiding over the legal system that put Jesus to death knew he was innocent. Luke 23:4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
