The Blessed of the Kingdom
A Contrast of two mountains: Exodus 19:7-25/Matthew 5:1-2 Remember the transition of the Covenants!!! From shadows to full Glory! Take a look at the contrasts in God's two foundational "sermons".
Mount Sinai—Ex. 19:9 “I come to you in a thick cloud”.
Ex. 19:9 “On the third day, the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people”> (sort of!) Note the restrictions—vs 12-15.
Ex. 19:16-25 The “Visitation” in thunderings, lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it.
Ex. 20:18-21 The people’s reaction—afraid fear!!! “You speak with us, and we will hear, but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
The Matthew 5 Mount—more of a hill, a very “meek” mountain. There is no scriptural indication of its location.
Matthew 5:1 God came down in human flesh—“and when He was seated.”
His disciples came to Him—no special instructions or restrictions.
Matthew 5:2 “He opened His mouth and taught them”— No lazer light shows or clouds of smoke. This Mediator spoke as though for and from Himself, and all the disciples (probably far more than just the twelve) heard the entire sermon firsthand, with their own ears and lived to tell about it!!!
Matthew 8:1 The people’s reaction—“when He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.”
The Beatitudes describe the Blessed Life of total Dependence on the Most High God!!!
Note: 1. I am not interested in coming up with a nice, “tidy” definition for each of the attributes of the Blessed. I am only interested in our entering into the Blessedness that our Lord describes, through the ministry of His Spirit as we learn Jesus. These are descriptive “personality traits” of the Blessed. They are Spirit produced from the inside out!!!
2. Therefore, we must understand that these are not human traits that fallen man can possess. You may find a counterfeit that looks pretty good, but flesh will bristle at the humbling work of the Spirit that produces true blessedness.
3. This is not some sort of “cloning” process that makes us all look and sound alike. The Spirit produces the “Beatitude character” uniquely in each child of the King, manifesting His Beauty specially in each one.
4. These beatitudes are not negatives. Our flesh, proud—living unto our self flesh, will resist the idea of having to be poor, mourners, meek and hungry. “That’s surely not a very healthy “self esteem”.” But If they are Spirit taught, and possess such a glorious inheritance, they must be the highest longing of our souls. We need God Esteem, which is by Grace alone, not self esteem!
5. Remember, the Blessed are those who bow the knees to the Love, Will, and Purpose of their Maker—and this is the only path to fruit bearing.
Matthew 5:3a “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” God’s condition for communion and fellowship!
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite (crushed) spirit.”
Blessedness begins here!!! Is God some kind of Heavenly sadist? NO!!! Remember our condition. How soon we forget our fallen condition. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to our own way.” Isaiah 53:6a The lie of the garden is so ingrained in our fallen flesh, that we find our own vomit attractive and normal. It requires the teaching of the Righteous Spirit for us to grasp how broken we really are. The Lord is near to those who have been brought to grasp their real condition.
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God You will not despise." Consider, this is the sacrifice of Romans 12:1. Presenting our bodies a living sacrifice does not mean going to Africa! It means bowing our knees and neck to the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Most High God.
Isaiah 66:2b “But on this one will I look; On him who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word. The poor in spirit tremble at the Word of God, they seek to live by every Word that proceed out of the mouth of God. In other words, they are not their own guidance system. Their Fear of the Lord is evidenced by a fear of being out of the gaze of the Lord’s Blessing.
Luke 18:9-14 This is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Pay attention to our Lord’s “summary”—Vs 14 “For everyone who exalts himself will be abased and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
James 4:6-10 God resists the proud!!! Resists is an active word. A haughty spirit earns the active removal of any access to God’s blessing!! But the solution is simple—“Submit to God”. Did I say simple? It is Impossible without the active humbling work of the Spirit. But the promise is “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Daniel 5:17-31 God’s resistance of Belshazzar. “And the God Who holds your breath in His Hand, and OWNS all your ways, YOU HAVE NOT GLORIFIED.” Who are we glorifying? Are we living unto ourselves or unto our God. The High and Lofty One Who Inhabits Eternity holds every man’s breath in His Hand and OWNS all his ways. The poor in spirit have only one goal. They desire to glorify this great God. And they learned it the hard way!!!
Matthew 5:3b “For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Notice the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven is at each end of the Beatitudes. (Vs 3 & 7) The inheritance of the earth (promised land) is in the middle. The people of the King who exemplify the Beatitudes are in for a grand inheritance!! The Kingdom poor are the wealthiest people on earth!!! Keep the inheritance in mind as we continue to walk through the Beatitudes.
A Contrast of two mountains: Exodus 19:7-25/Matthew 5:1-2 Remember the transition of the Covenants!!! From shadows to full Glory! Take a look at the contrasts in God's two foundational "sermons".
Mount Sinai—Ex. 19:9 “I come to you in a thick cloud”.
Ex. 19:9 “On the third day, the LORD will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people”> (sort of!) Note the restrictions—vs 12-15.
Ex. 19:16-25 The “Visitation” in thunderings, lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it.
Ex. 20:18-21 The people’s reaction—afraid fear!!! “You speak with us, and we will hear, but let not God speak with us, lest we die.”
The Matthew 5 Mount—more of a hill, a very “meek” mountain. There is no scriptural indication of its location.
Matthew 5:1 God came down in human flesh—“and when He was seated.”
His disciples came to Him—no special instructions or restrictions.
Matthew 5:2 “He opened His mouth and taught them”— No lazer light shows or clouds of smoke. This Mediator spoke as though for and from Himself, and all the disciples (probably far more than just the twelve) heard the entire sermon firsthand, with their own ears and lived to tell about it!!!
Matthew 8:1 The people’s reaction—“when He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.”
The Beatitudes describe the Blessed Life of total Dependence on the Most High God!!!
Note: 1. I am not interested in coming up with a nice, “tidy” definition for each of the attributes of the Blessed. I am only interested in our entering into the Blessedness that our Lord describes, through the ministry of His Spirit as we learn Jesus. These are descriptive “personality traits” of the Blessed. They are Spirit produced from the inside out!!!
2. Therefore, we must understand that these are not human traits that fallen man can possess. You may find a counterfeit that looks pretty good, but flesh will bristle at the humbling work of the Spirit that produces true blessedness.
3. This is not some sort of “cloning” process that makes us all look and sound alike. The Spirit produces the “Beatitude character” uniquely in each child of the King, manifesting His Beauty specially in each one.
4. These beatitudes are not negatives. Our flesh, proud—living unto our self flesh, will resist the idea of having to be poor, mourners, meek and hungry. “That’s surely not a very healthy “self esteem”.” But If they are Spirit taught, and possess such a glorious inheritance, they must be the highest longing of our souls. We need God Esteem, which is by Grace alone, not self esteem!
5. Remember, the Blessed are those who bow the knees to the Love, Will, and Purpose of their Maker—and this is the only path to fruit bearing.
Matthew 5:3a “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” God’s condition for communion and fellowship!
Psalm 34:18 “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite (crushed) spirit.”
Blessedness begins here!!! Is God some kind of Heavenly sadist? NO!!! Remember our condition. How soon we forget our fallen condition. “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to our own way.” Isaiah 53:6a The lie of the garden is so ingrained in our fallen flesh, that we find our own vomit attractive and normal. It requires the teaching of the Righteous Spirit for us to grasp how broken we really are. The Lord is near to those who have been brought to grasp their real condition.
Psalm 51:17 “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart--these, O God You will not despise." Consider, this is the sacrifice of Romans 12:1. Presenting our bodies a living sacrifice does not mean going to Africa! It means bowing our knees and neck to the Love, Will, and Purpose of the Most High God.
Isaiah 66:2b “But on this one will I look; On him who is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My Word. The poor in spirit tremble at the Word of God, they seek to live by every Word that proceed out of the mouth of God. In other words, they are not their own guidance system. Their Fear of the Lord is evidenced by a fear of being out of the gaze of the Lord’s Blessing.
Luke 18:9-14 This is the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. Pay attention to our Lord’s “summary”—Vs 14 “For everyone who exalts himself will be abased and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
James 4:6-10 God resists the proud!!! Resists is an active word. A haughty spirit earns the active removal of any access to God’s blessing!! But the solution is simple—“Submit to God”. Did I say simple? It is Impossible without the active humbling work of the Spirit. But the promise is “draw near to God and He will draw near to you.”
Daniel 5:17-31 God’s resistance of Belshazzar. “And the God Who holds your breath in His Hand, and OWNS all your ways, YOU HAVE NOT GLORIFIED.” Who are we glorifying? Are we living unto ourselves or unto our God. The High and Lofty One Who Inhabits Eternity holds every man’s breath in His Hand and OWNS all his ways. The poor in spirit have only one goal. They desire to glorify this great God. And they learned it the hard way!!!
Matthew 5:3b “For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”
Notice the inheritance of the Kingdom of Heaven is at each end of the Beatitudes. (Vs 3 & 7) The inheritance of the earth (promised land) is in the middle. The people of the King who exemplify the Beatitudes are in for a grand inheritance!! The Kingdom poor are the wealthiest people on earth!!! Keep the inheritance in mind as we continue to walk through the Beatitudes.