| Lets move some misconceptions right out of the way from the start.Jesus is not speaking about those who live in poverty and are poor.Again he is rather speaking about what the people who will inherit the kingdom are like.
"Blessed" doesn't carry the liturgical sense of the word,when we say to someone bless you. Blessing is the opposite of curse. Blessing carries the connotation that salvation belongs to the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus is describing what the people who will inherit the kingdom of God are like. These are the characteristics of the people of that Kingdom. Kingdom of heaven/God are synonymous. They often used Heaven so as not to speak the name of God out of reverence. Here is a
description of those who are poor in spirit Isaiah 66:2 But this is the man to whom I will look he that is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at God's word. Isaiah 57:15 I dwell in the high and holy place and also with him who is humble and contrite in spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and the heart of the contrite. Those who aren't arrogant and full of pride. Blessed means salvation belongs to the person who is like this ...... ....Comfort in Isaiah 40 is declared as the true end to her exile and alienation from God. First of all we see that this person who is poor in spirit is a God fearer and reads the word of God to be as if God Himself had just spoken it to him or her.Gods word to this person comes before what him or her would rather desire. Fear of God should not be seen as a bad thing.The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and so should be understood as a good thing.Most of all to a person who has this attitude to God and His word blessing will come upon such a person. And blessing will ultimately be that persons salvation and inheritance in the Kingdom of God. John the Baptist declared the end of exile and alienation from God.For with Jesus ministry came the salvation of many and the beginning of the end to her alienation from God. To be comforted is for her suffering to come to an end, and for her sins to be forgiven. Now this must be understood in a now and not yet sense.The Kingdom of God is what they were expecting to come imminantly. When it didn't come as they expected does this mean that Gods promises had failed.Not all rather the Kingdom of God did come but not as they expected.But the Kingdom of God came in raising those who believed in Jesus into the life of the Kingdom,the born again life,the resurrection life. By Jesus been raised from the dead and ascending to the right hand of the father to take up the throne of King David and then to pour out the spirit which would give his people new life of the age to come. This is how the Kingdom came and delivered His people,believing Israel from their ultimate enemy of sin and to be delivgered of our ultimate enemy death when he returns. We have received a first fruits of our salvation and the Kingdom of God. The complete comfort will be at the end of this age and at the beginning of the age to come namely the Kingdom of God. This is exactly what Jesus the man of sorrows accomplished on the cross. Isaiah 53 is in the book of Israels comfort which is the last part of the book of Isaiah from chapter 40. In Isaiah 53 we see first of all that he died for the sins of the believing nation of Israel and of course secondly for the salvation of those who will believe in the rest of the world. To be comforted is to know that God is no longer against you and that you have been reconciled to him and have peace with him no longer been alienated from him.It has everything to do with your sins been forgiven and reconciled to God. Pictures of comfort are God wiping away every tear and filling them with everlasting Joy. Isaiah 52:9 the Lord has comforted his people is in context of The Lord returning to Zion to redeem His people and Jerusalem. Isaiah 60:20-21 speaks of the days of her mourning been ended in the context of final salvation. The comfort of the people of God is their exaltation by vindication. |
