The Happy Ones

Those Poor in Spirit Matthew 5:3  

•     It is important that we not take this one out of context. It seems that there can be various ways of interpreting it correctly. The interpretation as given by the Good News Bible (GNB) implies that those who are cognitively aware of their need for Holy Spirit are happy because they are called by God to become members in the kingdom of the heavens. We shall cite Matthew 5:3 in the King James version which in this case happens to be closer to the oldest known copies of the original Greek version shown by B.F. Westcott and F. J. A. Hort:
   
  • Matthew 5:3 KJV+
    Blessed³¹⁰⁷ are the³⁵⁸⁸ poor⁴⁴³⁴ in spirit:⁴¹⁵¹ for³⁷⁵⁴ theirs⁸⁴⁶ is²⁰⁷⁶ the³⁵⁸⁸ kingdom⁹³² of heaven.³⁷⁷²
     
• The Greek word for poor in this translation can mean a beggar, and thus might refer to those who beg for Holy Spirit,  or rather pray in the Spirit.  So it might be translated as:
   
  • Blessed are the ones who pray (beg)  in Spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

    John 4:23-24 KJV But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
     

• However it may denote one who is distressed in spirit, or depressed, feeling lowly and crushed, and therefore humble. This is in line with James' inspired words.
   

·        James 4:7-10 ASV  Be subject therefore unto God; but resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye doubleminded.  9  Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.  10  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall exalt you.
 

•     Another reason the King James, in this case, is a more accurate interpretation, is that those who are haughty, or those with dark lofty eyes, are those that God hates, and clearly not worthy of the kingdom of the heavens.  Furthermore because the KJV is closer to the original, it covers a more general range of interpretation, and is not pigeonholed into one group’s limited range of interpretation. This does not however imply that the King James is the perfect Bible translation out there, nor is it in any way saying that the GNB is fundamentally flawed.
•     The point is that we need not limit ourselves to one way of looking at something until all the evidence is thoroughly evaluated. In this particular case we see that the KJV happens to be in better harmony with what we find in the Bible as a whole. Many people are conscious of their spiritual need, but that does not and should not give them the right to conclude that they qualify as heirs to the Kingdom of heaven. To do so is basing one's faith on a very weak and limited foundation. It displays a presumptuous attitude.
   
  • Luke 6:20 GNB Jesus looked at his disciples and said, "Happy are you poor; the Kingdom of God is yours!
     
  • Proverbs 6:16-19 WEB There are six things which Yahweh hates; Yes, seven which are an abomination to him: 17 Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood; 18 A heart that devises wicked schemes, Feet that are swift in running to mischief, 19 A false witness who utters lies, And he who sows discord among brothers.
     
  • Proverbs 28:14 Webster Happy is the man that feareth always: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
     
  • Proverbs 16:19 Webster Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. 
     
  • Proverbs 29:23 Webster A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.
     
  • Psalms 34:2 WEB My soul shall boast in Yahweh. The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.
     
  • Psalms 119:71 WEB It is good for me that I have been afflicted, That I may learn your statutes.
     
• Let us all pray to our Father in the heavens that he make us among the poor in spirit.

The Mourners Matthew 5:4

•  Those who mourn perhaps over the death of lost loved ones shall be comforted. The congregator gives us some insight on the matter:
   
  • Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 WEB A good name is better than fine perfume; and the day of death better than the day of one's birth. 2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men, and the living should take this to heart. 3 Sorrow is better than laughter; for by the sadness of the face the heart is made good. 4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
     
•     It is implied here that once we are asleep in death our ability to learn ends and thus we are wise to learn as much as we can as far as the Word of God is concerned, before that day comes. If we are in constant vexation than we are allowing our hearts to be refined to purity by God.
   
• Let us all pray to our Father in the heavens that we be among those who mourn.

The Meek Matthew 5:5

• Matthew 5:5 KJV Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
•     A meek person is the same as a mild-tempered person. One who is meek is willing to turn the other cheek. Sheep are meek, but donkeys are stiff-necked. If one is mild tempered, then one is therefore patient with those around him and willing to learn when his instructor from the heavens teaches him. It can be argued that God has provided Satan as a means of discipline for his sons, and so a meek person is willing to suffer slaps from Satan, through other men, knowing that his Father in the heavens is teaching him or her something about His statutes, His commandments, and His judicial decisions. A meek person is also one patient with those he is trying to teach. We should also notice here that the meek shall inherit the earth. Dose that then imply that they shall not go to Heaven as some try to teach? No! It implies that the true Israel shall own the earth as a possession and rule over resurrected mankind, but a proof of that is for another paper.
  
   
  • Proverbs 29:1 ASV  He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.
     
  • Exodus 13:13 ASV  And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
      
• Let us all pray to our Father in the heavens that he give us a meek heart.

Those Who Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness Matthew 5:6

•     Righteousness as found in the Word of God is moral justice without partiality or favoritism. In other words to hunger and thirst for God's righteousness is to have a desire for His statutes, His commandments, and His judicial decisions rather than the wickedness and perverseness we see going on now in the world. Those who hunger and thirst for it simply crave it because in Satan's system of things it is difficult if not impossible to find, but in the kingdom to come, when Messiah rules over the earth it will exist in great abundance.
   
  • Proverbs 2:20-22 GNB So you must follow the example of good people and live a righteous life. 21 Righteous people---people of integrity---will live in this land of ours. 22 But God will snatch the wicked from the land and pull sinners out of it like plants from the ground.
     
  • Proverbs 16:9 GNB You may make your plans, but God directs your actions. 
     
  • Proverbs 16:13 GNB A king wants to hear the truth and will favor those who speak it.
     
  • Proverbs 31:8-9 GNB "Speak up for people who cannot speak for themselves. Protect the rights of all who are helpless. 9 Speak for them and be a righteous judge. Protect the rights of the poor and needy."
     
• Let us listen to the Word of God so that we may know how to hunger and thirst for righteousness.     

The Merciful Matthew 5:7

•    The merciful person is impartially compassionate to other souls in need. He is even willing to show mercy to his own enemies.
   
  • Proverbs 19:17 GNB When you give to the poor, it is like lending to YHWH, and YHWH will pay you back.
     
  • Luke 10:29-37 GNB  But the teacher of the Law wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "Who is my neighbor?"  30  Jesus answered, "There was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving him half dead.  31  It so happened that a priest was going down that road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side.  32  In the same way a Levite also came there, went over and looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side.  33  But a Samaritan who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart was filled with pity.  34  He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his wounds and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took him to an inn, where he took care of him.  35  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Take care of him,' he told the innkeeper, 'and when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you spend on him.' "  36  And Jesus concluded, "In your opinion, which one of these three acted like a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?"  37  The teacher of the Law answered, "The one who was kind to him." Jesus replied, "You go, then, and do the same."
     
• Let us be merciful to those in need of mercy.

The Pure In Heart Matthew 5:8

•    The pure in heart are the wise ones who allow and even pray to our Father in the heavens to discipline them to purity. They are the same ones found in the house of mourning and are the same ones in constant dread of God.
   
  • Proverbs 16:2 GNB You may think everything you do is right, but YHWH judges your motives.
     
  • Proverbs 17:3 GNB Gold and silver are tested by fire, and a person's heart is tested by YHWH.
     
  • Proverbs 20:9 GNB Can anyone really say that his conscience is clear, that he has gotten rid of his sin?
     
  • Proverbs 21:8 GNB Guilty people walk a crooked path; the innocent do what is right.
     
  • Proverbs 30:12 GNB There are people who think they are pure when they are as filthy as they can be.
     
• Let us all pray to our Father in the heavens that he give us a pure heart.

The Peaceable Matthew 5:9

•     The peaceable forgive those who have debts against them. A debt can be owed money, or a violation of moral or of secular law. Some examples of the peaceable are those who forgive a spouse who has committed adultery, or a brother who has transgressed in any way, or a neighbor who has sinned against him, and yes the ones who forgive their own enemies. Jesus was a perfect example of how to be a peacemaker, by forgiving those who killed him.  
   
  • Proverbs 12:20 GNB Those who plan evil are in for a rude surprise, but those who work for good will find happiness.
     
  • Proverbs 17:9 GNB If you want people to like you, forgive them when they wrong you. Remembering wrongs can break up a friendship.
     
  • Proverbs 19:11 GNB If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.
     
• Let us forgive our neighbors their trespasses against us, so that we can be among the peaceable.

Those Who Have Been Persecuted For Righteousness' Sake Matthew 5:10

•     The prophets of old are good examples of those who have been persecuted for Righteousness' sake. They were killed or placed into the prison house or beaten for telling what YHWH had said was right and what was being done wrong as regards keeping YHWH's statutes, His commandments and His judicial decisions.
   
  • Proverbs 17:26 GNB It is not right to make an innocent person pay a fine; justice is perverted when good people are punished.
     
  • Proverbs 29:10 GNB Bloodthirsty people hate anyone who's honest, but righteous people will protect the life of such a person.
     
  • Proverbs 29:27 GNB The righteous hate the wicked, and the wicked hate the righteous.
     
  • Proverbs 3:16-17 GNB Wisdom offers you long life, as well as wealth and honor. 17 Wisdom can make your life pleasant and lead you safely through it.
     
  • Ecclesiastes 7:15 GNB My life has been useless, but in it I have seen everything. Some good people may die while others live on, even though they are evil.
     
  • Ecclesiastes 8:14 GNB But this is nonsense. Look at what happens in the world: sometimes the righteous get the punishment of the wicked, and the wicked get the reward of the righteous. I say it is useless.
     
• Let us then remember the prophets, even Jesus, and our teachers who were persecuted for righteousness and be guided by them. 

You, When men revile you and Persecute you And Falsely Say Evil Against you For The Word's Sake Matthew 5:11

•     In the same way the prophets were persecuted, you the reader will be persecuted if you boldly do as they did. Jesus Christ is the Word of God, therefore if you are persecuted for the sake of the Word, then you should be happy, your reward is great in the heavens.
   

  • Proverbs 14:19 GNB Evil people will have to bow down to the righteous and humbly beg their favor.
     

  • Proverbs 24:15-16 GNB Don't be like the wicked who scheme to rob honest people or to take away their homes. 16 No matter how often honest people fall, they always get up again; but disaster destroys the wicked.
     
• Let us then be willing to suffer the humiliation of persecution, even to death, for the sake of our master Jesus the Messiah and prove to our Father that we love him as Jesus did.