Blessed are the poor in spirit

stunnedbygrace · Nov 21, 2019

Thanks for your input everyone. As with almost every other verse, we begin to see it from whatever light we currently have and from wherever we currently are and according to what we are currently able to bear. I always find that amazing! I don't know how He does that!

Hidden In Him · Nov 21, 2019

Heart2Soul said:
Good explanation, there HiH....I would like to expand...Matthew 5:3 says Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.....then Luke 6:20 simply says Blessed are the poor for yours is the kingdom of God....
Jesus wouldn't be edifying the poor in material means because that would contradict too many other scriptures about prosperity....so I most definitely think that one who is poor in spirit is a person who has emptied their life of themselves and have nothing to fill the void but Jesus.....just my humble opinion.

Yeah. Maybe encouraging them is the better word. The problem wasn't with the promises of Deuteronomy 28, but rather the fact that the Jews had turned these into a means of judging who was righteous and who was not, based on their own presumptuousness in the moment. The story of Job was meant to teach (even in OT times) that one can only judge how blessed a man is by his final state, AFTER all is said and done. So, too, with the NT apostles. They understood that Heaven (their final state) was where their true inheritance was waiting for them.

So "blessings and cursings" still held true, but the teaching was never to judge things by appearances, or prematurely (James 2:5).

Heart2Soul · Nov 21, 2019

Hidden In Him said:
Yeah. Maybe encouraging them is the better word. The problem wasn't with the promises of Deuteronomy 28, but rather the fact that the Jews had turned these into a means of judging who was righteous and who was not, based on their own presumptuousness in the moment. The story of Job was meant to teach (even in OT times) that one can only judge how blessed a man is by his final state, AFTER all is said and done. So, too, with the NT apostles. They understood that Heaven (their final state) was where their true inheritance was waiting for them.

So "blessings and cursings" still held true, but the teaching was never to judge things by appearances, or prematurely (James 2:5).

I was thinking about Jonah last night and I pondered how he ever ended up in the belly of a whale . He was a prophet...you would think he would foresee his outcome if he continued the path he was on.....SOOOOO that made me realize that it really isn't the person....it's the Holy Spirit through that person and when we are being rebellious it hinders and grieves the Holy Spirit.....yep.

Hidden In Him · Nov 21, 2019

Heart2Soul said:
I was thinking about Jonah last night and I pondered how he ever ended up in the belly of a whale . He was a prophet...you would think he would foresee his outcome if he continued the path he was on.....SOOOOO that made me realize that it really isn't the person....it's the Holy Spirit through that person and when we are being rebellious it hinders and grieves the Holy Spirit.....yep.

Yes. There were moments in David's life where he was in serious trouble spiritually-speaking, and in danger of not only being removed from his kingship but potentially killed. But the thing with godly men is that they always find a way to turn things back around : )

Same was true of the apostle Peter.

Heart2Soul · Nov 21, 2019

Hidden In Him said:
Yes. There were moments in David's life where he was in serious trouble spiritually-speaking, and in danger of not only being removed from his kingship but potentially killed. But the thing with godly men is that they always find a way to turn things back around : )

Same was true of the apostle Peter.

Absolutely...and that really encourages me about my gift and calling.

amadeus · Nov 21, 2019

stunnedbygrace said:
I've never seen that translation. I don't care for it personally because I would never understand it written that way.

I understand it this way: the Lords light penetrates deep inside a man and exposes his true motives.

Of course, God has purposely included other verses in the scriptures to help us find what we need to find and understand:

"Examine me, O LORD, and prove me; try my reins and my heart." Psalm 26:2

"Shall not God search this out? for he knoweth the secrets of the heart." Psalm 44:21

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts." Prov 21:2

"If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?" Prov 24:12

bbyrd009 · Nov 21, 2019

amadeus said:
A little child before he is corrupted by following the ways of his parents and other examples is poor in his own spirit. As he 'wises' up he gains momentum toward being rich in his own spirit. A person who is and remains rich in his own spirit will never make room in himself for the Holy Spirit. He will always be marching to his own drummer.

ya, sounds familiar i'm afraid. I keep finding myself plowing my own ground here arg

bbyrd009 · Nov 21, 2019

Heart2Soul said:
you would think he would foresee his outcome if he continued the path he was on

he pretty much did though, didnt he? Not that your point isnt valid

ScottA · Nov 21, 2019

2 Corinthians 8:9
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

He became like us, that we might become like Him. Hallelujah!

VictoryinJesus · Nov 21, 2019

ScottA said:
2 Corinthians 8:9
"For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich."

He became like us, that we might become like Him. Hallelujah!

...that we might become like Him.
2 Corinthians 6:10 “...as poor, yet making many rich;...”

Enoch111 · Nov 21, 2019

Episkopos said:
What about the opposite of someone who exalts himself...has a high opinion of himself....claims to be "special."

Sounds like the alter-ego of Episkopos.

ScottA · Nov 21, 2019

Enoch111 said:
Sounds like the alter-ego of Episkopos.

It is very important to distinguish between those who lift themselves up, as opposed to those who lift up Christ; which is all the more difficult and often mistaken when exhortations come via Christ in us.

Example: I am sure Paul received much criticism for his "for me to live is Christ" air about him.

Prayer Warrior · Nov 21, 2019

Episkopos said:
What about the opposite of someone who exalts himself...has a high opinion of himself....claims to be "special." (of course not in an Olympic kind of way)

Does that person exist--the person who NEVER thinks more highly of himself than he ought? If he does, I would like to meet him.

lforrest · Nov 21, 2019

The poor in spirit are utterly dependent on God. They are thankful for what they have, taking nothing for granted as without God they would have nothing.

An adittiude of humility.

amadeus · Nov 21, 2019

bbyrd009 said:
ya, sounds familiar i'm afraid. I keep finding myself plowing my own ground here arg

We all have done it. Of course some will lie about it. Who is not a liar? If we are growing toward God, we should becoming poorer in this respect, but some us insist on being rich and even in getting richer. The greenback dollar bill and the 20 dollar gold piece are not the particular focus here.

Heart2Soul · Nov 21, 2019

bbyrd009 said:
he pretty much did though, didnt he? Not that your point isnt valid

No actually he gave God some sass about His mercy and that he didn't want to go all the way to Ninevah to prophesy their doom knowing that if they repented He would forgive them.....
So he flees on a ship to Tarsus to avoid going...the storm rose up and that is when he admitted to the others that it was his fault and to throw him overboard....get swallowed by a whale and puked up on the shore of Ninevah.

bbyrd009 · Nov 21, 2019

Heart2Soul said:
the storm rose up and that is when he admitted to the others that it was his fault

^

Episkopos · Nov 21, 2019

Prayer Warrior said:
Does that person exist--the person who NEVER thinks more highly of himself than he ought? If he does, I would like to meet him.

In poorer countries...which is most of the world. So you just need to travel....but not to tourist destinations.

faithfulness · Nov 21, 2019

Hidden In Him said:
Yeah. Maybe encouraging them is the better word. The problem wasn't with the promises of Deuteronomy 28, but rather the fact that the Jews had turned these into a means of judging who was righteous and who was not, based on their own presumptuousness in the moment. The story of Job was meant to teach (even in OT times) that one can only judge how blessed a man is by his final state, AFTER all is said and done. So, too, with the NT apostles. They understood that Heaven (their final state) was where their true inheritance was waiting for them.

So "blessings and cursings" still held true, but the teaching was never to judge things by appearances, or prematurely (James 2:5).

So don't pronounce judgment prematurely, before the Lord comes; for he will bring to light what is now hidden in darkness; he will expose the motives of people's hearts; and then each will receive from God whatever praise he deserves. 1 Cor 4:5

Hidden In Him · Nov 21, 2019

Prayer Warrior said:
Does that person exist--the person who NEVER thinks more highly of himself than he ought? If he does, I would like to meet him.

We always walk a fine line between boasting in the Lord and boasting in ourselves (1 Corinthians 1:31, 2 Corinthians 10:17)

Blessed are the poor in spirit

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