The Upright and the Congregation


The following passage of Scripture, repeated from the previous dissertation, takes the subject another step forward:: Praise ye the LORD. I will praise the LORD with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the congregation. The works of the LORD are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein. His work is honourable and glorious: and his righteousness endureth for ever. He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. The works of his hands are verity and judgment; all his commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness. He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.; (Psalms 111:1-10)

So, what is the difference between the upright¹ and the congregation² ?: And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.; (Matthew 8:5-13)
This is a subject repeatedly stressed on this web site³. One that forms part of this series namely The Yardstick is a case in point.

God loves you dear reader, whom He created and wishes you to be in His presence one day. Hopefully this message will reach your particular awareness so that you can become one of the converted and live accordingly, realising that your time in this present world system is just a temporary stopover.

O Lord, that we may begin to believe, be converted, to look unto You and the world with new eyes, perceiving the reality of the everlasting Kingdom against the temporal one which is soon to end.: In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength: For he bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, he layeth it low; he layeth it low, even to the ground; he bringeth it even to the dust. The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD. LORD, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them.; (Isaiah 26:1-11)
The faith that grows as we exercise its power, a sheep that understands when the Great Shepherd speaks to him or her in love.
This is far removed from the emptiness of sitting in church week by week or regularly listening to christian entertainment.: And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.; (Ephesians 2:1-10)
: And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee. And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth. And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts? For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk? But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house. And he arose, and departed to his house. But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.; (Matthew 9:2-8)


Our attitude determines our altitude:: Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee. Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham; And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou art righteous:; (Nehemiah 9:6-8)

Let the Lord's words do the talking:: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.; (John 1:1-5)

From a daily devotional booklet. Speaking of peace:
The issue that we must now face is this - although peace is something given rather than something achieved, its continuance is guaranteed only as we fulfil certain conditions. If, for example, we decide to go on an immoral spree, we will soon find that peace will elude us. Scripture says: "there is no peace . . . for the wicked" (Isaiah 57:21.) Why? because peace is conditional on obedience to morality - biblical morality.
. . . in order to enjoy continuous peace, there must be a conscious centring on God. He must not be the place of occasional reference, but of continuous reference. Furthermore, He must be the centre of our trust.

¹Upright: Taken from the Greek word for straight; in the moral sense. See Luke 3:3-5. In Other Words; the shortest distance between two points - direct, no turning to the one side or the other. A Yardstick is a straight stick and measures the shortest distance between two points. Placed vertically it is upright and can still be used to give a true measurement.
It means taking God seriously.

² Congregation: The Hebrew people collectively as a holy community. Every circumcised Hebrew from twenty years old and upward was a member of the congregation. Strangers resident in the land, if circumcised, were, with certain exceptions, admitted to the privileges of citizenship.
Going with the flow, not particularly interested, listening to what the preacher says, believing that he knows the truth.
: Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.; (1 Corinthians 3:8)

³ www.hosanna.org.za