What does "Seek Righteousness" mean?

by N.drew 8 Replies latest watchtower bible

  • N.drew
    N.drew

    Zephaniah 2:3

    World English Bible
    Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of Yahweh's anger.

    I think some have been led to believe it means their own righteousness. But, who have kept his ordinances, means their own righteousness.

    Does "seek righteousness" mean continue keeping his ordinances, or something else?

    I believe it means something else.

    And I believe one must seek meekness to continue seeking righteousness.

  • WTWizard
    WTWizard

    What it means is to gamble your life away that the "may" part will happen. You are supposed to do theocraptic rubbish all the time, think only of theocraptic rubbish all the time, and do nothing else (aside what is absolutely necessary so you can live to think about and do more theocraptic rubbish). You go out in field circus, to the point of personal hardship, all the time. You go to boasting sessions, which are a complete waste of time because you have been there for the past 60 years. You try to figure out what in hell they are trying to get you to do, and then do it (and, if you are wrong, Brother Hounder pulls you into the back room).

    All that to get only a "Probably you MAY be concealed".

  • N.drew
    N.drew

    I think there are none "you"s here, or a few.

    It is linked to "God's Will be done". I think it can be agreed by all that God's will is not done all over Earth. Chill Mr WTWizard. God. God's anger comes against world because world did not satisfy the command to look after the orphan and widow. If fact World makes orphans and widows. So then God's anger is due. BUT it would not be fair to punish all of them who obeyed the command to Seek Yahweh, all you humble of the land, who have kept his ordinances. Seek righteousness. Seek humility. Would it? No it wouldn't.

    Shouldn't all who care about the future understand what it means to seek Yahweh, seek righteousness, then when you find some righteousness seek meekness so that you can find some more righteousness?

    How can you seek it if you don't know what it is?

    Did you ever forget what you were looking for? Doesn't your brain shift from eyes dominant to memory dominant? So (Indefinite pronoun) has to remember what (indefinite pronoun) is looking for!

  • Vidqun
    Vidqun

    N.drew, I tend to agree with you. God's thoughts is above our thoughts, and His standards is different to ours. And an excellent example is "widows and orphans." According to the Bible, from the Mosaic Law to James, the thought crops up that we must look after "widows and orphans". Certainly humilty would come in when we look out for them. When you defraud or harm them, then you will take on God Himself. Jesus said you can summarize those "ordinances" as: Love God, love your neighbour. I think that's good advice. God's standards remain the same, so the problem lies with us, when we try, but fall short. So the message for me is not to stop trying.

  • euripides
    euripides

    I think the larger context of the world of the Hebrew prophet should be borne in mind--to seek righteousness would probably be tantamount to "strive for upright conduct" in the ancient world--and that would include seeking Justice for the poor and oppressed, etc., a popular theme for Hebrew prophets. Seeking righteousness would likely be seen as part of striving for a virtuous life, whether as exemplified by one's business dealings, treatment of family and other people, whether one made apprpriate religious (ritual, Sabbath, Commandments) observations, etc, although the last were not to be stressed over and against the former.

    If you want a modern extrapolation, from my own (humble) view at any rate, its easy to see what really helps people and what doesn't--selling them WT and awake magazines (or not selling, you know what I mean), and wasting their time teaching false doctrine is seeking righteousness at all--and it certainly isn't anything done conscious of a reward. It is virtue for virtue's sake, because it is the right way to treat people, and of course, the prophet says it is part of divine command.

    I think when anyone starts making some kind of economy of decision-making, or sets conditions (I'll do this IF I get rewarded) then the point is lost entirely. Whether there is a tangible reward that you can point to, at least for modern humanists and egalitarians should be quite beside the point, although I think Christians might disagree. Some people start with the question over right conduct, 'but what's in it for me?' And if they are asking that question, it's not likely that the right conduct contemplates 'seeking righteousness' at all, because it's seeknig a reward.

  • Norcal_Sun
    Norcal_Sun

    Well if we are talking about the dictionary definition, then it is talking about virtue, morals, justice... that kind of thing. Of course the watchtower tries to copyright that word to their own definition. So really, what is the most moral and right thing to do? Well isn't that a bit subjective on which society or period of human history that you are living in?

    So yes, this topic is a bit confusing. But if you want my personal opinion, I believe that it is our quest to learn more and more about the world and ourselves. With more knowledge we are able to further define morality and virtue. As a human race we need to err on the side of love. Personally I look at Star Trek and all its incarnations as a good example of what it means to be righteous as we advance our knowledge of ourselves, the earth, and the universe.

    I like this clip ;)

    http://www.youtube.com/embed/5NJ7A0pL31E

  • N.drew
    N.drew

    As a human race we need to err on the side of love.

    This is a commendable point of view. And a share your quest of I believe that it is our quest to learn more and more about the world and ourselves.

    The "realities though not beheld" make it difficult to confirm to one's self that you or I have indeed done righteousness in any given situation.

    It is virtue for virtue's sake, because it is the right way to treat people, and of course, the prophet says it is part of divine command.

    Correct! But practicing virtue (imho) is what "who have practiced his judicial decision" means....then it goes on to be written "seek righteousness". Isn't it individual assignments to complete? For instance heaven knows where there is a lack. Many times we do not know. So to seek righeousness means to be making one's self available to be used and follow through without fear. And then seek meekness is needed so that we cannot be lifted up above our brothers and sisters (indefinite pronoun) because we have shared in heaven's glory.

  • Vidqun
    Vidqun

    Now we have to "seek righteousness," (sounds like hit and miss) but in the new heavens and new earth righteousness is to dwell. We won't have to look for it anymore. And if it is the type of righteousness as practiced by the Watchtower, then I will rather not be there. But have no fear, God says He's going to make all things new. So before he can do that he'll have to get rid of all existing structures, including the Watchtower.

  • N.drew
    N.drew

    Yes Vidqun! I think many of us here who are no longer part of the org knew that we did not want to be a part of their society even before we woke up. I think it was my comment about not wanting to live two weeks with them in their idea of "paradise" that got be booted out of another forum.

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