“Blessed are
poor in Spirit… and the Meek”
By Edward Bender -
110 Boggs Rd., Pelzer, SC 29669
[2006-06 – 2021-12
- 864] 947-1757 – edbender02@att.net
Introduction:
“Happy
the poor (in spirit); for theirs is the KINGDOM of the HEAVENS… happy the MEEK;
because they will possess the LAND.”
Matthew 5:3, 5, Diaglott. “How blest are those who know their need of
God; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs… How blest are those of a gentle spirit;
they shall have the earth for their possession.” Matthew 5:3, 5,
NEB.
Beatitudes are not promises to us
but rather descriptions of our lives. The describe the characteristics of a
person that belongs to the Lord.
I.
“Blessed [happy] are the poor in spirit; for their’s is the kingdom of heaven” Matthew 5:3. “And
he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed
be ye poor: for your’s is the kingdom of God”
Luke 6:20
A. “Blessed…”
1. Blessed
or happy is describing the believer’s inner [spiritual] condition. This is a person that desires to do God’s
will. Psalm one gives an Old Testament
picture of the blessed man, whose nature is reveals, his actions.
a. If he does not walk in the counsel of the
ungodly; his delight is in the law of the LORD.
b. If he does not “…stand
in the way of the sinners…” or “…sit in the
seat of the scornful” but he meditates on the word of God.
2. See
Psalm 1:4-6, for the opposite reaction from God: “The ungodly
are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth
away…”
B. “…poor in spirit;…” Opposite of
proud.
1. God’s people are often described as
“poor”.
a.
Psalm
40:17, “But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord
thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my
God.”
b.
Isaiah 41:17, “When the poor
and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth
for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake
them.” See verses 18-20.
2. “…poor, rich in faith…”
a.
James
2:5, “Harken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen
the poor of the world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath
promised to them that love him”.
b.
2
Cor. 6:10, “As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing;
as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things
Rev. 2:9,.”
c.
“I know thy works, and
tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them
which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.”
d.
Ungodly
who prosper in the world
Psalm 73:12, “Behold,
these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; these increase in riches”
3. The Example of Christ:
a.
Matthew
11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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, For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
b.
Matthew 21: 5, “Tell ye the
daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting
upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass” See also Zech. 9:9.
4. Our
Example: 1 Peter 3:1-18.
a.
“…chaste conversation coupled with fear…”
b.
“…let it be the hidden man of the heart,
in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet
spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price”
c.
“Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit,
sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind” vs. 8, NRSV.
d.
“Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse;
but, on this contrary, repay with a blessing.
It is for this that you were called – that you might inherit a blessing.
Vs 9,
NRSV.
e.
“But even if you do suffer for doing what is
right, you are blessed. Do not fear what
they fear, and do not be intimidated.” Vs 14, NRSV.
f.
James
1:21, “…receive with meekness the engrafted
word, which is able to save your souls.”
g.
James
3:13, “Who is the wise man…his works with
meekness of wisdom”
h.
Titus
3:1, 2, “…gentle, shewing all meekness unto all
men”
C. “…kingdom of heaven.” Vs. “…kingdom of God…”
1. Why did Matthew call it the kingdom of
heaven and Luke call it the kingdom of God [compare Matthew 5:3 & Luke
6:20].
a. The book
of Matthew was written to the Jewish people specifically. See Mathew chapter one.
b. Jews
were not allowed to speak the name of Jehovah [God] because they feared that
they would break the 3rd Commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his
name in vain” Exodus 20:7.
2. The kingdom of [from] heaven and the
kingdom of [from] God are the same kingdom:
a.
Acts
3:19-22 – “…refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord; …Whom the heaven
must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath
spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”
b.
Psalm
132:13, 14 – “For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he
hath desired it for his habitation. This
is my rest for ever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.”
c.
Psalm 140:13 – “Surely the
righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy
presence”
d.
Revelation 21:1-3 – “…I john saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from
God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. …Behold the tabernacle of God is with men,
and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself
shall be with them and be their God.”
II. “Blessed
are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” Mathew 5:5.
A. As
we have already shown, humility and meekness
go hand in hand.
B. “…shall inherit the earth…”
1. Psalm 37: Read entire Psalm.
a.
Curse
of the wicked
1). “…cut down like grass…”
2)
“… shall not be…his place, and it shall not be” See Obadiah 16.
3). “…the
wicked shall perish…they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away”
4). “…be cut off…”
5). “Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him,
but he could not be found.”
b.
Blessings [happiness] for the humble & meek
1)
“…rest…” See Hebrews 4:1-11.
2). “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give
thee the desires [petitions] of thine heart.”
3). “…meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight
themselves in the abundance of peace”
2. Proverbs 10:30; 11:31
a.
“The righteous shall never be removed: but the
wicked shall not inherit the earth”
b.
“Behold the righteous
shall be recompensed in the earth:…”
Conclusion: Our reward is in the “age” [world] to come,
the Kingdom of God on the earth.
James 2:5, “Harken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom, which he hath promised
to them that love him.”
1 Timothy 6:2ff-10, “…Teach and urge these duties. Whoever teaches otherwise and does not agree
with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that is in
accordance with godliness, is conceited, understanding nothing, and has a
morbid craving for controversy and for disputes about words. From these come envy dissension, slander,
base suspicions, and wrangling among those where are depraved in mind and
bereft of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. Of course, there is great gain in godliness
combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into this world [age], so that we can take nothing out of it; but if
we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into
temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge
people into ruin and destruction. For
the love of money is a room of all kings of evil, and
in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and
pierced themselves with many pains”. NRSV
1 Timothy 6:17-19, “As for those who in the present age are rich, command them
not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but
rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good
works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the
treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the
life that really is life.” NRSV