THE THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
Dress for the day and guard yourself against evil
“13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; 15 And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Ephesians 6:13-16 (KJV)
Matthew 5 (18th book written in the NT)
Each beatitude begins with “Blessed are…”
Strong’s Concordance (3107) – makarios: blessed, happy; A prolonged form of the poetical makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension, fortunate, well off — blessed, happy. BLEST, adjective Made happy. 1. Making happy; cheering.
Jesus uses the word to refer to more than a superficial happiness; in this context, blessed refers to a state of spiritual well-being and prosperity. The happiness is a deep joy of the soul.
The beatitudes contain two parts; those who are blessed will then, experience the second aspect of the beatitude (kingdom of heaven, comfort, inherit the earth, filled, mercy, see God, called sons of God, inherit the kingdom of heaven).
As a literary form, the beatitude is also found often in the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms.
Psalm 1:1 (KJV), “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”
Psalm 34:8 (KJV), “O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.”
Psalm 65:4 (KJV), “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.”
Psalm 128:1 (KJV), “Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways.”
God’s Word throughout scripture emphasizes to approach life with a humble heart to enable one’s heart to be open to receive instruction from God. Jesus opens this powerful message to all of us with this verse to instruct us to be humbled and open hearted to receive His Words.
Matthew 5:3 (KJV), “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Solomon also instructs us to have a humble spirit
Proverbs 16:19 (KJV), “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.”
God tells Isaiah to come to Him with a humble and contrite heart
Isaiah 66:1-2 (KJV), “Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? 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.”
- Why does Jesus call us the salt of the earth?
Jesus uses analogies quite often when He teaches us the steps to following Him. Salt had two purposes in the Middle East of the first century. Because of the lack of refrigeration, salt was used to preserve food, especially meat. Believers in Christ are preservatives to the world. Salt was used then, as now, as a flavor enhancer. The followers of Christ stand out as those who “enhance” the flavor of life in this world.
Matthew 5:13 (KJV), “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.”
Jesus sets an example for us as to what our purpose should be to the world
John 1:4-5 (KJV), “4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.”
And what we should be
Matthew 5:14-16 (KJV), “14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 15 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. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
The Mosaic Law was given specifically to the nation of Israel. It was made up of three parts: the Ten Commandments, the ordinances, and the worship system, which included the priesthood, the tabernacle, the offerings, and the festivals
Leviticus 26:46 (KJV), “These are the statutes and judgments and laws, which the Lord made between him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.”
Romans 9:4 (KJV), “Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises.”
2. Christ Fulfills the Law
Matthew 5:17 (KJV), “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”
In His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, Jesus obtained our eternal salvation. No more were priests required to offer sacrifices and enter the holy place. Jesus has done that for us, once and for all. By grace through faith, we are made right with God: “He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross”.
Colossians 2:14 (KJV), “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”
3. The most important commandment(s) Jesus taught us
Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV), “37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”
Our acceptance into the Kingdom of God is based on ‘love’. The ‘love’ of God and the ‘love’ of our fellow man[kind]
Exodus 20:13 (KJV), “Thou shalt not kill.”
Matthew 5:21-22 (KJV), “21 Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”
Jesus is not comparing murder to hatred, anger, or raca; He is comparing hatred to love
Strong’s Concordance (4469) – rhaka: empty (an expression of contempt). Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – empty, i. e. a senseless, empty-headed man, a term of reproach used by the Jews in the time of Christ.
4. Is lust sin?
Lust in of itself is not sin but lusting can lead to sin
James 1:14-15 (KJV), “14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
It should be noted here that the meaning of ‘but every man…’ means
Strong’s Concordance (1538) – hekastos: each, every. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – individually, every one of many.
Exodus 20:17 (KJV), “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
Jesus tells us that if anything is a sinful temptation we should stay clear of it
1 Corinthians 10:13 (KJV), “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
In other words, if looking at something can cause you to stumble, don’t look. The same with your hands or any body part that may cause you to stumble
Matthew 5:29-30 (KJV), “29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.”
5. Marriage Is Sacred and Binding
Matthew 5:31 (NKJV), “Furthermore it has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’”
Law Concerning Divorce – As given by Moses
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 (KJV), “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. 2 And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. 3 And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; 4 Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.”
That men’s divorcing of their wives upon dislike, or for any other cause except adultery, however tolerated and practiced among the Jews, was a violation of the seventh commandment, as it opened a door to adultery
Exodus 20:14 (KJV), “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
Notice the wording here
Matthew 5:31-32 (KJV), “31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.”
Jesus does not say as before, (It hath been said by them of old time), because this was not a precept, as those were, though the Pharisees were willing so to understand it, but only a permission
Matthew 19:7 (KJV), “They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?””
Thus the law had prevented rash and hasty divorces; and perhaps at first, when writing was not so common among the Jews, that made divorces very rare; but in process of time it became very common, and this direction of how to do it, when there was just cause for it, was construed into a permission of it for any cause
Matthew 19:3 (KJV), “The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?””
Jesus now has rectified and amended this. He reduced the ordinance of marriage to its primitive institution: They two shall be one flesh, not to be easily separated
Genesis 2:24 (KJV), “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be[a] joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
Therefore divorce is not to be allowed, except in case of adultery, which breaks the marriage covenant; but he that puts away his wife upon any other pretence, causeth her to commit adultery, and he also that marry her when she is thus divorced.
Note, Those who lead others into temptation to sin, or leave them in it, or expose them to it, make themselves guilty of their sin, and will be accountable for it. This is one way of being partaker with adulterers
Psalm 50:18 (KJV), “When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers.”
Matthew 5:32 (KJV), “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”
6. Jesus Forbids Oaths
What does it mean to not take God’s name in vein?
Exodus 20:7 (KJV), “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.”
Strong’s Concordance (7723) – shav: emptiness, vanity. Brown-Driver-Briggs – 1. emptiness, nothingness, vanity.
1828 Webster’s Dictionary (vanity)– 1. Emptiness; want of substance to satisfy desire; uncertainty; inanity.
Matthew 5:33-35 (KJV), “33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.”
James 5:12 (KJV), “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.”
We must in a special manner avoid promissory oaths, of which Christ more particularly speaks here, for they are oaths that are to be performed.
Jesus now forbids here and shows that there is nothing we can swear by, in any way that is related to God.
Go the second mile to show compassion and forgiveness (verses 38 – 42)
Love Your Enemies (verses 43 – 48)
The last eleven verses are probably the hardest to comprehend and act upon
We are to do our best to not start a quarrel or act upon continuing one. Allow the proper authorities do your justice and allow God to recompense evil for evil
What does it mean to be perfect as God is perfect
Matthew 5:48 (KJV), “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
Strong’s Concordance (5046) – teleios: having reached its end, i.e. complete, by ext. perfect.
Thayer’s Greek Lexicon – of mind and character, one who has reached the proper height of virtue and integrity; in an absolute sense, of God; as respects understanding and goodness.
In respect to our goal to press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus
Philippians 3:12-14 (KJV), “12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. 13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
Revelation 4 The Throne Room of Heaven
John is invited to see the throne room of heaven through Jesus
Revelation 4:1 (KJV), “After this I looked, and, behold, a door [2374] was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”
An invitation we all have as spoken as a parable to the pharisees who doubted Him
John 10:1-2 (KJV), “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door [2374] into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door [2374] is the shepherd of the sheep.”
John 10:9 (KJV), “I am the door [2347]: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”
The seven churches previously mentioned are described here as the seven lamps explained to be the seven spirits of God
Revelation 1:4 (KJV), “John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne.”
Revelation 4:5 (KJV), “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.”
John’s vision here before the throne is virtually the same vision God gave Ezekiel
Revelation 4:6 (KJV), “And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.”
Ezekiel 1:22 (KJV), “And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.”
The four living creatures are very similar, if not the same, beings as those in Ezekiel and Isaiah
Revelation 4:8 (KJV), “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
Ezekiel 1:10 (KJV), “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.”
Isaiah 6:2-3 (KJV), “2 Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. 3 And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory.”
Jeremiah 21 Jerusalem’s Doom Is Sealed
King Zedekiah of Jerusalem inquired of Jeremiah if the Lord would spare them from Nebuchadnezzar but God had to justifiably punish Jerusalem for their wickedness and stiff-necked
Jeremiah 21:7 (KJV), “And afterward, saith the Lord, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants, and the people, and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine, into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life: and he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity, nor have mercy.”
As with Adam, Noah, Moses, Abraham, and others, God was cleansing the land of evil with the opportunity of the prize of life
Genesis 1:28 (KJV), “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.”
Genesis 8:17 (KJV), “Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.”
Genesis 17:6 (KJV), “And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.”
Jeremiah 21:8-10 (KJV), “8 And unto this people thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I set before you the way of life, and the way of death. 9 He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey. 10 For I have set my face against this city for evil, and not for good, saith the Lord: it shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.”
Message to the House of David
Jeremiah 21:13-14 (KJV), “13 Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley, and rock of the plain, saith the Lord; which say, Who shall come down against us? or who shall enter into our habitations? 14 But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the Lord: and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.”
Proverbs 12 Read
Ezekiel 19 Israel Degraded
Israel is likened to a lioness and her cubs who tried to conquer but ultimately failed
Moses
Ezekiel 19:2-4 (KJV), “2 And say, What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions, she nourished her whelps among young lions. 3 And she brought up one of her whelps: it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men. 4 The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.”
Ezekiel
Ezekiel 19:8-9 (KJV), “8 Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him: he was taken in their pit. 9 And they put him in ward in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon: they brought him into holds, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.”
God had established Israel as a strong land flowing with milk and honey and all of the advantages that God had to offer them, but they turned their back on Him
Ezekiel 19:12-14 (KJV), “12 But she was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit: her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them. 13 And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground. 14 And fire is gone out of a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a sceptre to rule. This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation.”
Grow in the Word of the Lord 