Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour,
wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel,
but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father which is in heaven.  
Matthew 5:3-16

BLESSED - Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance - 3107 – supremely blest, well off, happy [happy -Webster’s Dictionary – satisfaction, joy, contentment, glad, pleased, satisfied, exactly appropriate to the occasion]

The worldly system thinks “blessed are they” that have great monetary riches, or are successful in business, are famous in the sight of men, physically beautiful, politically powerful, have a noted family name, are very talented, etc.  The Lord is the author of wealth, promotion, our looks and so forth but from the very beginning of His earthly ministry He taught these things were not to be the plumb line for happiness – He knew that if we would choose righteousness and not sin, we’d be blessed. 

Acts 3:26
…God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you,
 in turning away every one of you from his iniquities. 

Each of the beatitudes makes a number of two-fold points:

·         what the Father expects of us and what we can expect from Him

·         who gets blessed and what constitutes the blessing

·         a present blessings is pronounced and a future blessing is promised 

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Ps. 51:17  “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.”  
Is. 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.”  
Is. 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.”  

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted

Is.  61:2-3   “To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.”  
2 Co. 7:9-11  “Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”  
Ja. 4:8-10  “Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.” 

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth

Ps. 37:11  “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Tit. 3:2  “To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.”  
1 Pet.  3:4  “But 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.”  

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
 for they shall be filled

Ps. 84:2   “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.”  
Jer. 31:25  “For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul.”  
Lk. 1:53  “He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away.”
Jn. 7:37  “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.”  

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy

2 Chr. 6:14  “And said, O Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:” 
Psalm 18:25  “With the merciful Thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an upright man thou wilt shew Thyself upright;”  
Col. 3:12  “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;” 
1 Pet. 3:8  “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:”  

Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God

Ps. 24:3-4  “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart;”  
1 Pet 1:22 “ Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:”  
1 Jn 3:2-3  “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. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure.”  

Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God

Mk. 9:50  “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another.”  
Rom. 14:19  “Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.”  
Eph. 4:2-3  “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”  

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake:
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Mt. 10:16-22  “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.”  
1 Pet. 3:14-17  “But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.”  
1 Pet. 4:12-18   “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part He is evil spoken of, but on your part He is glorified. But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”  

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you,
and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for My sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Acts 5:41  “And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” 
Acts 16:25  “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.”   
1 Pet. 4:13   “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.”   

Ye are the salt of the earth:
but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?
it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out,
and to be trodden under foot of men.  

Salt loses its saltiness when left subject to the elements of the world; left out in the sun, the water, or air. When its not kept in a sealed container its ceases to be effect in being a flavoring and a preservative. We too will lose our saltiness when we set ourselves subject to the spiritual elements of the worldly system.  We fail to be the savor of the Lord, His preserving agent on the earth when we move into pride, lust, covetousness, anger, etc.  We must stay under the sealing of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13), under the feathers of the Almighty (Ps. 91:4), keeping ourselves unentangled from the affairs of this world (2Tim. 2:4). 

Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick;
and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works,
and glorify your Father, which is in heaven.

June 2005