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Bible Study WELCOME TO AN IN DEPTH STUDY OF MATTHEW'S GOSPEL.

Mat 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Psa 30:10 Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me: LORD, be thou my helper.
Psa 30:11 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness;
Psa 30:12 To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.
 
reba said:
I read the word 'poor ' here as not full of one self... not a pharisee ...which makes one more open to the Holy Spirit
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I agree Reba.

Isaiah 66:2~~
2“For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD.
“But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.
 
Chopper said:
Day 32 Wednesday 10/15/14 Matthew 5:5 Earth Owners?
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Matt 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Chopper, this is the scripture reference that started my Bible study thread on the Two Covenants. I would invite anyone who has not yet read the thread to consider it, and any comments would be welcome. In my study thread http://christianforums.net/Fellowship/index.php?threads/two-covenants-the-old-and-new.55735/ I asked the following questions:

What does it mean to inherit the earth? Have we already inherited the earth? Or are we waiting for some future kingdom in which we hope to inherit the earth? Both positions I believe could be argued for from the scripture, but the difference in the answer would more than likely depend upon which covenant with God your beliefs align with: The old covenant or the new covenant.

To understand what it means to inherit the earth, I think we need to look at Abraham and his relationship to the Lord. In examining Abraham we find that he was a tent dweller, he never possessed lands as his own nation. He followed after the Lord and went where the Lord commanded by him by Faith. And where ever the Lord commanded Abraham that he should go, Abraham tended to those lands in the face of the nations that surrounded him, and by his Faith in the Lord he prospered.

Hebrews 11:8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

Hebrews 11:13-16 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.

I think it is important to point out that Abraham by faith sojourned in the land of promise as if he were in a strange country. Surely Abraham inherited the land of promise, as he has inherited the earth, but Abraham lived as if he were in a foreign country, abiding by the customs of the nations that surrounded him, yet his trust and faith remained in the Lord, and the Lord blessed him for it.

The nation of Israel on the other hand took the land of promise and established their kingdom, and fought it enemies. They did not wish for the Lord to rule them: The despised the judges and sought a king to rule over their nation. And their kings did great evil, and they did kill the Lord's prophets. Because they polluted the land so badly, the Lord punished Jerusalem double for her sins. Twice she has been judged and destroyed.

Is that the type of earth we wish to inherit, where there is an earthly king to rule over us? Or do we wish to accept by faith that where ever we may be in the Lord, there we are already in the land of promise?
 
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When I consider what Jesus meant by the poor in spirit, I think about His great love for the ones neglected and forgotten by society who take no place of honor at the table. There is so much to speak to this love throughout scripture. Widows, orphans, the last be the first. I don't see this as economically deprived necessarily, but being so can... can lend itself to a closer relationship with Him.

When I remember the extremely poor people I came to know in my trips to Brazil, this is what's indelibly etched in my mind: They clung, relied, existed, depended, and trusted Him for every new day, every next meal, and every breath. Like Paul, I know (to a certain extent) what it is to be with and without. Where I differ is my ability to be content in all circumstances. One thing I can say is that I've found it much more difficult to feel dependent on Him when things were going better. Without knowing it, I gravitated to feeling of self reliance.

To be poor in spirit in my understanding is to be exhausted of all notions that I can do it or others will do it for me. It is when I understand that my only help comes from the Lord. My sinful nature resists this, but in my heart I know I need to be poor in spirit. I pray He gives me what I need; not what I want.
 
Day 32 Wednesday 10/15/14 Matthew 5:5 Earth Owners?

Matthew 5:5 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth."
We have here two main subjects; Meek, and Earth. Meek is not that hard to explain, but to "inherit the earth?" not so easy.

MEEK: Look at Romans 12:19 "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." This command in the New Covenant, or New Testament, describes the result of being meek. To be meek, one has to receive injuries with the belief that God will vindicate us.

Meekness produces peace. It is a proof of greatness. It comes from a heart too great to be moved by little insults. It has been said that "meek is not weak", it is the strength of an inner resolve to live like Jesus Who is our example. It is not "I'll get you for that" No! It is "I forgive you for that, payment for that injustice belongs to God, not me." Satan is the great motivator of revenge. Unfortunately the world is under the sway of the evil one, and that is why the world is our enemy, and Jesus' commands are our safety net. The Spirit wages war with the world to bring victory to us if we live our lives in faith that our Heavenly Father sees all and destroys the world's influence that would destroy parts of our lives.

INHERIT THE EARTH. I see two Covenants at play here. I recommend that you read ezriders thread "Two Covenants." He has done a very good job in describing the old, under Abraham, and the New, under Messiah, at least that is how I see the two.

Those of whom Jesus was teaching were Jews who knew the Hebrew Scriptures. So to inherit the earth might puzzle them. Abraham and his seed never owned land, the were strangers who were sojourning in that strange land. I suppose that Canaan was what their forefathers thought was the inheritance. Except for prophesies about a future land which Founder was God Almighty it must have been a question that they hoped Jesus would explain.

Probably our Lord’s audience understood the Hebrew Scriptures such as;
Psalm 37:3 "Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed."
Psalm 37:34 "Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."

I think perhaps the Jews at this time, were thinking that Jesus was to, at some time, overcome the Roman rule and install Palestine as their promised land, implying that those who manifested a meek reception of his will would obtain that full possession of the land of Palestine which was now denied to the Israelites through the conquest of the Romans.

At this point I see the old, Abraham Covenant in the minds of that mass of people who had come to the mountain to admire and receive all that Jesus would give them, healing was just the first step to entering Palestine as there own possession. Exodus 32:13 "Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever." We must not forget Canaan, which the Israelites thought was their inheritance.

Now, at the point of Jesus saying that they would inherit the earth, the New Covenant is introduced. The new covenant is a heavenly Canaan, not an earthly one. A heavenly Palestine, not an earthly one. The Kingdom theology moves the listener to take its attention from the old covenant with it's earthly focus on Canaan to its heavenly focus, the New Jerusalem with all its blessings for the meek.

I don't look for an earthly city, I look for a Heavenly City, not made from human hands, but the right hand of YHWH ruled by the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Jesus the Christ.

I don't think that I pulled this verse together as much as I wanted, but perhaps you get a general idea if its meaning.
 
Mat Henry::
III. The meek are happy (Mat_5:5); Blessed are the meek. The meek are those who quietly submit themselves to God, to his word and to his rod, who follow his directions, and comply with his designs, and are gentle towards all men (Tit_3:2); who can bear provocation without being inflamed by it; are either silent, or return a soft answer; and who can show their displeasure when there is occasion for it, without being transported into any indecencies; who can be cool when others are hot; and in their patience keep possession of their own souls, when they can scarcely keep possession of any thing else. They are the meek, who are rarely and hardly provoked, but quickly and easily pacified; and who would rather forgive twenty injuries than revenge one, having the rule of their own spirits.
These meek ones are here represented as happy, even in this world. 1. They are blessed, for they are like the blessed Jesus, in that wherein particularly they are to learn of him...

O yea that is me :wall
 
Day 33 Thursday 10/16/14 Matthew 5:6 Satisfaction.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

RIGHTEOUSNESS: Formerly called "rightwiseness" being God's own nature to be right. To be right implies never to be wrong, NEVER! The very nature of God is that He can be, and never is, wrong. Oh man, can He be trusted? Or what! Yes He can be trusted to never make a mistake with my life or what He wants me to do. The next time we think of being righteous, we should think or pray that with God's righteousness that we hunger and thirst for is to always be right, and never wrong. That my friends is a good thing!

2 Corinthians 2:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." (ESV) Now, this new creation is birthed in Christ's righteousness. That is so important to remember because in myself, or in my flesh, dwells no good thing. But, in my soul and spirit, I am righteous in Jesus the Christ. When I think of thirsting for righteousness, or praying for righteousness, I go back in my mind to Genesis one and remember that I have been created in the "image" of God. That to me is saying that If I pray for what I'm hungry and thirsty for, I'm really praying that God would help me to live His image.

God, by His grace helps me to be less of me and more of Him, I hunger and thirst to be like Jesus, nothing else will satisfy that need. I don't hunger for spiritual blessings, although that is a by-product of thirsting for righteousness for many Christians, but at my age, I hunger to be a true image of Jesus in my flesh body and in my mind, and in my walk before men and my Master.

I thirst after a complete conformity to the Law of God. I thirst after God's "image" of righteousness period! I expect nothing in return but His love. I say all of this, not to brag, but to say that I don't want to teach something that I don't personally practice.
 
Chopper said:
Day 33 Thursday 10/16/14 Matthew 5:6 Satisfaction.

Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled."

RIGHTEOUSNESS: Formerly called "rightwiseness" being God's own nature to be right. To be right implies never to be wrong, NEVER! The very nature of God is that He can be, and never is, wrong. Oh man, can He be trusted? Or what! Yes He can be trusted to never make a mistake with my life or what He wants me to do. The next time we think of being righteous, we should think or pray that with God's righteousness that we hunger and thirst for is to always be right, and never wrong. That my friends is a good thing!

2 Corinthians 2:17 "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." (ESV) Now, this new creation is birthed in Christ's righteousness. That is so important to remember because in myself, or in my flesh, dwells no good thing. But, in my soul and spirit, I am righteous in Jesus the Christ. When I think of thirsting for righteousness, or praying for righteousness, I go back in my mind to Genesis one and remember that I have been created in the "image" of God. That to me is saying that If I pray for what I'm hungry and thirsty for, I'm really praying that God would help me to live His image.

God, by His grace helps me to be less of me and more of Him, I hunger and thirst to be like Jesus, nothing else will satisfy that need. I don't hunger for spiritual blessings, although that is a by-product of thirsting for righteousness for many Christians, but at my age, I hunger to be a true image of Jesus in my flesh body and in my mind, and in my walk before men and my Master.

I thirst after a complete conformity to the Law of God. I thirst after God's "image" of righteousness period! I expect nothing in return but His love. I say all of this, not to brag, but to say that I don't want to teach something that I don't personally practice.
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When I converted I had been playing with God for better than 23 years. I had explored God, casually. I had long since dumped any affiliation and wore a used Tail Rotor Control Chain over my right shoulder and God Is Alive on the back of my Bike Vest. I never realized how hungry I was for righteousness.

The winter of '89 found me without, without and hungry. My wife had placed me in file 13, keeping the house, the cars and sending me to the auction to pick u pa single speed Bicycle for $15. That year, every time Dollie sang He's Alive on CMT I broke out in tears and could not understand why.

After my conversion I began to consume the word of God and I married the final time in November and well past the next year i troubled my new wife with my studies until two and three in the mornings. I was hungry and the LORD was busy filling me.

Any person that cannot understand the love for God is a sad person, indeed. I thought, like many performers, that the drugs, alcohol and sexual escapades was what joy was all about. The night the Holy Spirit over came me I was about to kick a man's teeth down his throat for publicly challenging me and while M feet were less than twelve inches below the level of his teeth.

He did scream that I was a coward and I laughed and grinned, all the way home that New Years morning in 1990. It was right then that the spirit overcame me and it was then that I became hungry and thirsty for the things of God and every day it is my wish that all lost men and women acquire that same hunger and thirst, there is nothing that satisfies as well.
 
th1b.taylor said:
When I converted I had been playing with God for better than 23 years. I had explored God, casually. I had long since dumped any affiliation and wore a used Tail Rotor Control Chain over my right shoulder and God Is Alive on the back of my Bike Vest. I never realized how hungry I was for righteousness.

The winter of '89 found me without, without and hungry. My wife had placed me in file 13, keeping the house, the cars and sending me to the auction to pick u pa single speed Bicycle for $15. That year, every time Dollie sang He's Alive on CMT I broke out in tears and could not understand why.

After my conversion I began to consume the word of God and I married the final time in November and well past the next year i troubled my new wife with my studies until two and three in the mornings. I was hungry and the LORD was busy filling me.

Any person that cannot understand the love for God is a sad person, indeed. I thought, like many performers, that the drugs, alcohol and sexual escapades was what joy was all about. The night the Holy Spirit over came me I was about to kick a man's teeth down his throat for publicly challenging me and while M feet were less than twelve inches below the level of his teeth.

He did scream that I was a coward and I laughed and grinned, all the way home that New Years morning in 1990. It was right then that the spirit overcame me and it was then that I became hungry and thirsty for the things of God and every day it is my wish that all lost men and women acquire that same hunger and thirst, there is nothing that satisfies as well.
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Hey old Buddy, I love that testimony! It thrills me to read about how you became the man of God that you are, in spite of all that the evil one threw at you. Bravo!! You are absolutely right, there is absolutely nothing that will satisfy that hunger and thirst for the things of God except surrender to Him, and that's what you did. :thumb

That's why I love you, you old corn cob.
 
Chopper said:
Hey old Buddy, I love that testimony! It thrills me to read about how you became the man of God that you are, in spite of all that the evil one threw at you. Bravo!! You are absolutely right, there is absolutely nothing that will satisfy that hunger and thirst for the things of God except surrender to Him, and that's what you did. :thumb

That's why I love you, you old corn cob.
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LOL! You missed one essential two word descriptor there my friend, it should read and not be assumed for the younger, you dried out old corn cob and I will not discuss proper usage of such instruments. LOL!

May God bless your grandchildren with your faith.
 
Mat 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Good ol Matt Henry... and this guy did not have a computer

Now as to the merciful. 1. They are blessed; so it was said in the Old Testament; Blessed is he that considers the poor, Psa_41:1. Herein they resemble God, whose goodness is his glory; in being merciful as he is merciful, we are, in our measure, perfect as he is perfect. It is an evidence of love to God; it will be a satisfaction to ourselves, to be any way instrumental for the benefit of others. One of the purest and most refined delights in this world, is that of doing good. In this word, Blessed are the merciful, is included that saying of Christ, which otherwise we find not in the gospels, It is more blessed to give than to receive, Act_20:35. 2. They shall obtain mercy; mercy with men, when they need it; he that watereth, shall be watered also himself (we know not how soon we may stand in need of kindness, and therefore should be kind); but especially mercy with God, for with the merciful he will show himself merciful, Psa_18:25. The most merciful and charitable cannot pretend to merit, but must fly to mercy. The merciful shall find with God sparing mercy (Mat_6:14), supplying mercy (Pro_19:17), sustaining mercy (Psa_41:2), mercy in that day (2Ti_1:18); may, they shall inherit the kingdom prepared for them (Mat_25:34, Mat_25:35); whereas they shall have judgment without mercy (which can be nothing short of hell-fire) who have shown no mercy.
 
Day 34 Friday 10/17/14 Matthew 5:7 Mercy In Return.

Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

Mat 18:23 Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
Mat 18:26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest.
Mat 18:29 And his fellowservant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
Mat 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

I feel that this parable tells the story about what MERCY is all about. To be merciful is to be kind and forgiving. These two words go hand in hand through out our Christian lives.

Joel 2:13 "And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness." I feel that in order to be merciful to someone, we must not let anger get in the way.

Merciful in the noun form, is an outward show of pity for those who are in need. God shows us mercy by His own exercise of it.

Colossians 3:13 "Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye."

When we need mercy, and cry out to God for it, He will give us mercy for that need. When a person needs mercy from us, we must give it to them because there will be a next time when we need mercy and we need to be in a position to receive it again.
 
th1b.taylor said:
LOL! You missed one essential two word descriptor there my friend, it should read and not be assumed for the younger, you dried out old corn cob and I will not discuss proper usage of such instruments. LOL!

May God bless your grandchildren with your faith.
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Ha Ha, Ok, I'll try and remember that in the future. I saw a couple of those in a Maine out house.:eek
 
Well, I just got back on the web. My next door neighbor had a "roll off" container removed from his property and in the process of removing it,the driver tore down my Comcast transmission line from my house. Grrrr. So I had to change my hook up to wireless.
 
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