Many people find it difficult to make sense of the part of the Tanak that comes before Avraham: a snake talking to the first two people on earth; the son of these two people killing his own twin brother; subsequent family members living to become almost a 1000 years old; a flood that covers and disrupts the entire known world of those days; a surviving project saving a handful of human beings and a boat full of animals from the devastating effects of this flood and a worldwide effort to build a tower that reaches into the heavens. What makes the first 11 chapters of the Bible even more COMPLICATED, is that some people spend a huge proportion of their lifetime, trying to figure out these mysteries – so much so, that they never get to be touched by the good news surrounding these mysteries. They fail to understand that Torah aims at “teaching” and “instruction” and does not pretend to be a volume of science or a precise record of history. And because many fail to understand this, they also fail to follow the great and blessed themes of Scriptures, and they miss out on the benefits of sticking to core values and principles originating from no-one less than the Creator of heaven and earth, Himself.
Let us take a look at some of the GREAT THEMES within these opening chapters of the Bible, starting off with three of the main role players during this period, Adam (husband of Eve or Chavah), Cain (or Kayin, the son of Adam and Eve), and Noah (or Noach, a far off descendant of Set, the third son of Adam and Eve). There is a very interesting pattern that transpires here. Adam (and Eve) failed to take personal responsibility for their actions. And so they came up with the excuse “It wasn’t me”. Cain failed to take responsibility for his immediate family and his own twin brother. And so he came up with the excuse “Am I my brother’s keeper?” And many commentators agree that Noah failed to take collective responsibility for his generation, because it was said of him that he was the only righteous one of that generation. How did it happen that his righteousness never rubbed off on other members of his society? Did he never speak to them? Did they never look at him or listen to him? Did he not even convince one or two people to turn back from their corrupt lifestyles? Was his own righteous way of living not enough to inspire even one, single person outside of his own household, to follow his example?
We are left with the clear impression that all three of these – Adam, Cain and Noah – came up short of the STANDARD that the Creator had set for the people He created “after His own image”. What Yahweh desired of His own people, above all else, is that they would not only take responsibility for themselves and their own actions, but that they would also look out for, and care about those living and walking besides them.
Paul Johnson, who wrote a monumental book on THE HISTORY OF THE JEWS, was once asked to single out one outstanding characteristic of the Jewish people. His answer was this: “There have been, in the course of history, societies that emphasised the individual – like the secular West today. And there have been others that placed weight on the collective – like communist Russia or China, for example. But the Jewish nation is the most successful example of a people that managed the delicate balance between both – giving equal weight to individual and collective responsibility.”
Somehow, we do not see this delicate balance very clearly with Adam, Cain and Noah. But it BEGAN TO SURFACE with Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov and Yoseph. And later it became engraved on the tables and statutes of the Torah. Still later, it surfaced as the guiding principle that motivated the faithful judges and prophets. And it highlighted the ministry of Y’shua of Nazareth, who summarized the entire Torah with the words, “You shall love Yahweh your Elohim with all your heart and all your being and all your mind, and you shall love your neighbour as yourself.” This is what Paul Johnson meant when he spoke about “giving equal weight to individual and collective responsibility.”
Yahweh did not call me to Himself so that it may one day be said of me: He (or she) was THE ONLY RIGHTEOUS PERSON in the entire community! No, He wanted my righteousness to rub off on the people surrounding me. His desire was for righteousness to be DECLARED, even to those who are not yet born (Psalm 22:31)! He leads me into the paths of righteousness – not for my own sake, but for HIS Name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). Righteousness is something that we receive freely from Yahweh, and we should therefore be more than eager to spread it out freely to those who are part of our generation (Psalm 24:5)! If three successive Psalms are telling us that righteousness was never intended to be something to be enjoyed in isolation or in solitude, we better take notice!
These, however, are not the only Scriptural proofs that you and I were called to be AGENTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS in this world. Psalm 40:9 says, “I have proclaimed the good news of righteousness; I have not restrained my lips.” Psalm 51:14 declares, “Let my tongue sing aloud of Your righteousness.” “My tongue utters Your righteousness all day long”, is the testimony of Psalm 71:24 and even “the heavens shall declare His righteousness”, we learn from Psalm 97:6. “His righteousness He has openly shown before the eyes of the nations” (Psalm 98:2).
If we believe the Scriptures, saying, “In the way of righteousness is life, and in its pathway there is no death” (Proverbs 12:28), then it would be rather SELFISH to have discovered this righteousness, but to keep it for ourselves. Wouldn’t we want to share with others a revelation that is so far-reaching that it can bring everlasting life, instead of inevitable death? If we have come to know the way of life, what does it say of us, if we simply ignore those who are on the pathway of death, and keep away from them a vital puzzle piece that may bring all the loose ends together for them?
But righteousness is such a DIFFICULT WORD to understand, some would say. Is it not ARROGANT to claim to be righteous? The short answer is: It would be FOOLISH to go around proclaiming that you are righteous. But coming to know the righteousness of Yahweh on a personal level, is a different matter altogether. His righteousness is the Source of every thought or act of righteousness. His righteousness is not only about the knowledge of right and wrong. It is also about making right, that which is wrong. And this means: granting forgiveness, performing deliverance, wiping out ignorance and deception, removing doubt and fear and despair, and changing and renewing lives. All those things that Yahweh does on a daily basis. It is only because Yahweh has set our feet on the path of righteousness, through His favour and compassion, and through the gift of His Son, that our lives have become meaningful. And just as HIS righteousness has rubbed off on us, so our acquired righteousness should rub off on others. In the same way as getting to know about His righteousness, made all the difference in our lives, so the passing on of this righteousness, will have a life-changing effect upon those of our generation. There is a certain kind of INDEBTEDNESS attached to the aspect of righteousness. Dictionaries say this word “indebtedness” has to do with something OWED to another. Yahweh did not create us in isolation. He did not save us to walk on a lone ranger’s path. His righteousness springs forth from His LOVE for all people and all generations. From the very moment I realize that I am included among those who have tasted His righteous words and actions, I am indebted – both to the One who have reached out to me, and to the ones who are close enough to me, so that I can reach out to them. I am indebted to Yahweh, because what better way is there to show my gratitude to Him, than becoming a servant of righteousness, as it is written in Romans 6:18? And I am indebted to those of my generation, because like the apostle Kefa (Peter), I know that in every nation and every generation, the ones who choose Yahweh’s way of righteousness, will be accepted by Him (Acts 10:35).
