One of the most significant words in the Bible yet least understood is the word “blessing.” In Genesis 25 through 36 the Hebrew word for blessing occurs forty-two times. To my knowledge, no other word appears this many times in this amount of Scripture in the entire Bible. I believe that God intentionally repeats this word to give special emphasis. The word “blessing” is used repeatedly in Matthew 5 as it describes the beginning of Jesus' public teaching ministry. As He looks upon the crowds of hungry and thirsty followers, he has compassion and begins to speak to the disciples saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom...
Blessed are those that mourn...
Blessed are the meek...
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...
Blessed are the merciful...
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers...
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom. At first glance, this list appears to be a group of disconnected wisdom sayings that teach us how to live the Kingdom life. A closer look, however, reveals that this list of eight wisdom sayings are intricately linked together and are foundational to spiritual growth. Begin at the top, and click clockwise on each Beatitude to see the pattern for spiritual growth
and character development in the Kingdom life.
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