The LORD Our Righteous Savior

In Hebrew "The Lord Our Righteous Savior" is "YHWH Zedekenu". This is found in Jeremiah 23:6. According to David Garber's commentary this prophesy is about the coming of a new King who will be called by that name. This apparently is in reference to the current king Zedekiah, whose name means "the LORD is my righteousness". To quote Jeremiah's prophesy:
"“The days are coming,” declares the Lord,
    “when I will raise up for 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 Our Righteous Savior." (Jeremiah 23:5-6)

I started my scripture reading this morning with a new attitude. Well it wasn't exactly new, more like a determined focus on an attitude of quiet obedience. God has something to say to me this morning. Even the Old Testament has something useful for me to learn which will make me a better disciple of Jesus. And I think God did speak to me through His Word (in print).

The reading for this morning (following the schedule to read through the entire bible in a year) was on Jeremiah 22-23 and Titus 1. Jeremiah 23 contained Jeremiah's ongoing criticism of the leaders of Judah. Good leaders were supposed to:
"Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place." (Jeremiah 23:3)
For if they disobey, they will lead the entire nation to disobedience. Jerusalem and the entire kingdom will become a wasteland. 
“People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’” (Jeremiah 23:8-9)

So the play on the names given to leaders is significant, according to Garber,
"With one phrase, the passage reminds the reader of Zedekiah's failed leadership while offering a vision for new leadership. The change in the pronoun in the name from first person singular to first person plural also seems significant. While Zedekiah's leadership may have been primarily self-serving, the new leader would extend God's righteousness to the entire community."

This reminder of the importance of good leadership of God's people is reiterated in Titus 1. Here Paul reminded Titus the important quality of picking leaders for the church.
"An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." (Titus 1:6-9)

Paul must know that such person does not exist! The job qualification stated in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 is similarly impossible! Gotquestions.org takes a literal interpretation on these qualifications: "..should be a male, the husband of one wife, of sterling character and one who rules his own home in a biblical way.". I disagree! I think the New Covenant suggests a new kind of christian leader, not limited by gender or marital status. He/she "rules" among God's people by being their servant. Jesus is our Righteous Savior. He makes it possible that anyone who has faith in Him and who lives by the Holy Spirit by demonstrating the fruit of the Spirit (as agreed upon by other Jesus followers) should consider serving in these offices within the church. I remember the day when I was called to be an elder of our church by having other elders and the congregation to laid hand to pray for me. It was an emotional day. What a privilege to serve in God's household! What a responsibility! Without the work of Christ and His Spirit, it would have been impossible. But praise God, what is impossible with men is possible with God! (Luke 18:27)