Bible Study on Matthew 5, verses 3 to 12, part 3, hunger and thirst after righteousness

 

Hungering and thirsting after God’s standard of righteousness carries with it a promise as God’s standard of righteousness is likened to food and drink in this part of Jesus’ sermon. Consider this in Job.

 

Job 23:12  Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

 

Then Psalms and Amos among many others.

 

Psalm 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

 

Amos 8:11 ¶  Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

 

It is suggested by this verse that God’s people should hunger and thirst after righteousness as they do food and drink and even more so.

 

Mercy is an important attribute of God and of the Christian. God’s mercy is a fundamental theme of the Bible.

 

Psalm 116:5  Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

 

Mercy as an attribute of the Christian is also stressed.

 

James 2:13  For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

 

We expect God’s mercy on our lives and we should be willing to extend it to others. After all;

 

Luke 6:35  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

 

The pure in heart shall see God. The Bible defines in what being pure in heart entails.

 

Psalm 24: 3 ¶  Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place?

4  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. 5  He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. 6  This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.

 

See how in this passage in Psalms where the pure in heart seek God’s face and then in Matthew, chapter 5, Christ says that they will see God.

 

Notice the statement in Hebrews 11.

 

Hebrews 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

 

See what John had to say.

 

1John 3:1 ¶  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The pure, the righteous, God’s people by virtue of what Christ did, not what they have done, have this blessed hope.

Titus 2:11 ¶  For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12  Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13  Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Bible Study on Genesis 32, verses 3 to 8, Jacob sent messengers to Esau

 

Genesis 32:3 ¶  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom. 4  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now: 5  And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. 6  And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. 7  Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands; 8  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape.

Jacob and company are about to meet even another group, but this one does not comfort or put Jacob in awe but terrifies him. Jacob knows that he took advantage of his brother twenty years ago. He has to pass through Esau’s territory.

Genesis 25:30  And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.

Genesis 36:8  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom.

Notice the following as the Hebrews travel to the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 2:1 ¶  Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red sea, as the LORD spake unto me: and we compassed mount Seir many days. 2  And the LORD spake unto me, saying, 3  Ye have compassed this mountain long enough: turn you northward. 4  And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: 5  Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession. 6  Ye shall buy meat of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.

Clearly, Jacob has kept informed about his brother’s doings. He appears to be making an offering to Esau, to hopefully buy off his desire for revenge. Jacob’s servants, which he sent as scouts to see what Esau’s mind was about, tell him that Esau is coming his way with four hundred men. It does not look good for Jacob, his family, his servants, and his wealth, if not his life.

Dividing his group into two Jacob hopes that if Esau attacks one the other will escape. Notice two things here. God made provision for Esau even though Esau, perhaps, did not do right by our view. He was carnal, a man dominated by his flesh. But God took care of him. He was not part of the ministry to reconcile man to God except in this part with his relationship with Jacob. But God put his territory in the path of God’s man so that God’s man would have to pass through it. 

There are a lot of potential sermons in this passage, for instance, how you as a Christian, a type of Jacob, may have to pass through an Esau’s territory to get where God wants you to go. Or, how you may have to face an unsaved person or a brother in Christ whom you’ve wronged in the past. How your fears may blow things all out of proportion to what God has planned. Many sermon possibilities, many examples of the Christian’s real-life experiences.

Another thing to consider is how fearful Jacob is even though God told him to go back to his own place. He lacked the courage of his faith to believe God would continue to bless and protect him. Here we see in the Bible an understanding of our weaknesses. Even in the face of our greatest spiritual triumph, even doing God’s perfect will, we sometimes have fear and uncertainty, doubts and concerns. It is not unusual, does not show you are denying God’s will, just that you are human and weak.

Bible Study on Matthew 5, verses 3 to 12, part 2, Mourning and meekness

 

What is this mourning for? Does this imply some grace, some aspect of salvation merely because someone is grieving over a lost loved one? I don’t think that is a reasonable conclusion.

 

The more likely meaning of this verse has to do with the mourning for one’s sin and in the Jew’s case for the sins of all Israel against God. One of our weaknesses in Christianity today is that we do not mourn for our sins against God. Sin is the reason for death in this world and death is all around us. Death is the symptom and sin is the cause. Shall we not mourn for the fall of Adam and for our own iniquities? It is these that cost us so much and are the reason that Christ came to suffer the Cross.

 

Who are the meek? Moses was called the meekest of all men even though he as a prince of Egypt who killed an Egyptian and led a mass of two million roughly people through a vast wasteland for forty years.

 

Numbers 12:3  (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

 

Who was he meek toward? Now, I realize that meek in a given context can appear refer to the poor and humbled and powerless.

 

Isaiah 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

 

Isaiah 29:19  The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

 

Amos 2:7  That pant after the dust of the earth on the head of the poor, and turn aside the way of the meek: and a man and his father will go in unto the same maid, to profane my holy name:

 

But is the following passage a reference to merely someone who has no money regardless of who they worship?

 

Psalm 37:11  But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

 

Christ said He was meek and lowly.

 

Matthew 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

 

In someone as powerful as Christ and Moses meekness suggests restraint, an ability to not do what you could do. But, is that what this is referring to here in Matthew?

 

It is my contention that the meek here refers, because of the context, a meekness towards God’s will. Are you and I meek toward God’s will? Not only did Moses and Jesus, in His humanity, show incredible restraint but both were meek toward the will of God the Father.

 

So far we have blessings for those who realize they are spiritually bankrupt without God, those who mourn for sin’s very existence, and those who are meek towards God and accepting of His will for their lives.

Bible Study on Genesis 32, verses 1 and 2, Mahanaim

 

Genesis 32:1 ¶  And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. 2  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God’s host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.

Jacob sees an amazing sight from the spiritual world. An army of God’s angels approaches him. This is a sign to Jacob showing the protection of God.

Psalm 34:7  The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.

Angels are spiritual beings, typically unseen to us.

Psalm 104:4  Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:

            They represent something or someone that is somewhere else.

Isaiah 63:9a  In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them…

Judges 2:1  And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.

Matthew 18:10  Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Revelation 1:20  The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

What a spectacular and frightening apparition that must have been.

As he saw God’s host, His army, Jacob called it Mahanaim, the plural of a word that is translated as camp or host or armies elsewhere. Jacob may have named it based on his people meeting God’s angels, two groups passing each other, his and the angels. Remember what angels are; representatives of something or someone that is somewhere else.

Hebrews 12:22  But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, 23  To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

We are surrounded by a great army of God’s saints that have gone on ahead of us, as a matter of fact. Paul says this after talking about the great saints of God that have gone on before us.

Hebrews 12:1  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Bible Study on Matthew 5, verses 3 to 12, Blessed are the poor in spirit

 

Matthew 5:3 ¶  Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4  Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. 5  Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. 6  Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. 7  Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8  Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. 9  Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10  Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11  Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12  Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

 

The poor in spirit are defined by cross-referencing. Start with Isaiah 66:2 to see how a poor spirit is synonymous with a contrite spirit. To be contrite is to feel remorse, to be affected by guilt. This is the foundation of repentance, your remorse at your sin against a holy God.

 

Isaiah 66:2  For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.

 

Psalm 34:18  The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

 

Psalm 51:17  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

 

Isaiah 57:15  For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

 

Luke starts off, though, just saying;

 

Luke 6:20  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.

 

As noted earlier, just being poor doesn’t guarantee you will trust in or follow Christ so it is an absurdity for us to think that being without money or of a low social class means automatically that you belong to Christ. Lost poor people are in as great a danger as lost rich people when it comes to eternal damnation.

 

The foundation of salvation is not an intellectual assent to a proposition but of being broken realizing you are spiritually bankrupt before God. I personally don’t believe that people who simply say, “oh I can accept this,” or, “it works for me,” or even, “I was raised with this and its comforting,” are necessarily saved. I think there must be some kind of brokenness, some kind of realization of one’s spiritual poverty without Christ before salvation can happen. I am not sure you will believe in the Saviour if you don’t realize you need to be saved.

Bible Study on Genesis 31, verses 43 to 55, and Laban departed

 

Genesis 31:43 ¶  And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these cattle are my cattle, and all that thou seest is mine: and what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children which they have born? 44  Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be for a witness between me and thee. 45  And Jacob took a stone, and set it up for a pillar. 46  And Jacob said unto his brethren, Gather stones; and they took stones, and made an heap: and they did eat there upon the heap. 47  And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha: but Jacob called it Galeed. 48  And Laban said, This heap is a witness between me and thee this day. Therefore was the name of it called Galeed; 49  And Mizpah; for he said, The LORD watch between me and thee, when we are absent one from another. 50  If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives beside my daughters, no man is with us; see, God is witness betwixt me and thee. 51  And Laban said to Jacob, Behold this heap, and behold this pillar, which I have cast betwixt me and thee; 52  This heap be witness, and this pillar be witness, that I will not pass over this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass over this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm. 53  The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge betwixt us. And Jacob sware by the fear of his father Isaac. 54  Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread: and they did eat bread, and tarried all night in the mount. 55  And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters, and blessed them: and Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

Laban replies that Rachel and Leah are his daughters and that Jacob’s offspring belong to him. He claims that Jacob’s sheep are his sheep and everything Jacob has carried off belongs to him. He then admits that he could not possibly do any harm to his daughters and their children, weakly cutting Jacob out of the equation. After this verbal domination game he then offers a covenant to Jacob. I would presume he knows he is beaten in this, that he cannot go against Jacob and face God’s wrath.

They laid a pile of stones to memorialize their covenant. Laban called it Jegarsahadutha which Strong says, confirmed by the context, means ‘witness heap.’ Jacob calls it Galeed. This also means ‘witness heap’ according to Strong’s. It is given the names Galeed and Mizpah, meaning a watchtower. Laban, and most fathers can understand this sentiment as Laban warns that this heap of stones signifies that God is watching Jacob’s behavior toward Laban’s daughters. Laban acknowledges Jehovah God as the judge between himself and Jacob. Neither of them is to pass that heap of stones to each other with the intent of doing harm. Jacob agreed and offered a sacrifice and then they had a meal. The next day Laban departed after kissing his daughters and grandchildren, presumably never to see them again.

Laban has engaged in a psychological device where he feels more secure even though he has no security. The presumed weaker party in a conflict, it is revealed, has a powerful ally who changes the balance of power in the conflict. The party that thought it had all the power now demands an agreement where they mutually agree not to harm each other, as if he still had the power to harm the weaker party and would be held back by the agreement he proposed. Neither Laban, nor you, nor your employer, nor your government, nor any individual or collective you can imagine is able to stand against God; all contracts, signed agreements, and treaties aside.

God’s plan of reconciling mankind to Himself continues and another saint has been nurtured and strengthened in a potential enemy’s camp, receiving booty and gain, then moving on. The stage is now being set for the creation of the people of Israel, through which Christ will come.

Bible Study on Matthew 5, verses 1 and 2, Jesus prepares to teach a great sermon

 

Matthew 5:1 ¶  And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2  And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,

 

Jesus has called Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, so far. Compare this to the passage in Luke 6 where Jesus will teach in a plain, not on a mountain.

 

Luke 6:12 ¶  And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. 13  And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; 14  Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, 15  Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, 16  And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor. 17  And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judaea and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases; 18  And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed. 19  And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

 

So, the two sermons have a similar tone but are given at a different time and place before a smaller audience and a larger audience with Jesus seated here but standing in Luke. Some people say that the sermon in Luke almost deals with social issues as much as spiritual ones and I have thought that myself but I believe now that the topics are the same or very similar with parallel phrasing showing the meaning of the commonly-called Beatitudes and the message Jesus gave. By comparing the two sermons one can see what is meant by each using cross-referencing. This sermon in Matthew is much more detailed. It is an absurdity to think that the poor are blessed by being poor as a poor person who does not trust Christ as their Saviour is as lost as a rich person in the same state. Let’s compare the sermons.