Tag Archives: Blessed

Jesus gives us the Beatitudes (Matthew 5: 1-12)

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Bible Summary:

Jesus begins the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes:

  • Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  • Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  • Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
  • Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
  • Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  • Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
  • Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  • Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

– From the English Standard Version Bible at Bible.com which is how I know it.

My Thoughts:

Doing right can be hard, but rewarding: In less than 150 words, Jesus touches each person’s heart, since they had experienced at least one of the characteristics – poor in spirit, mourning, meek, and hunger or thirst; teaches them how to behave – merciful, pure of heart, peaceful, and righteous; and warns them that doing right can cause others to revile and persecute them, but they will be rewarded in heaven.

Foreshadowing: the last part about persecuted prophets describes the past but also foreshadows what will happen to Jesus and the apostles.

Moses Solves the Bitter Water (Exodus 15)

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Bible Summary:

Moses and the Israelites celebrate their victory over the Egyptians with a song that describes the power of God’s right hand in drowning the army in the Red Sea plus the fear in the tribes neighboring Canaan.

Then Moses leads the Israelites away from the Red Sea and across a desert for three days without water. They finally find water but it is too bitter to drink, so the Israelites complain to Moses. He prays to God and learns a type of wood to throw into the water to make it fit to drink.

Later, God tells the Israelites laws to live by and warns them to obey or He will punish them with diseases like the Egyptians.

My Thoughts:

No Water: Can you imagine walking three days across a desert without water, only to finally finding some that you cannot drink? Today, people complain if the faucet is off just a couple hours for repairs. We take so many things for granted that we fail to see how blessed we truly are. Next time you are in a situation you would normally complain, stop, ask how long before things will be cleared up, and then go do something else: take a walk, talk to a friend, read a book, etc. You will be surprised how this approach can reduce your stress and improve your relationships.

Unwritten Commandments: I was surprised to hear that God was already laying down the laws, though just verbally, shortly after freeing the Israelites. I always thought they came down first in hard copy with the Ten Commandments. Guess we will find out more as the story unfolds.