Matthew 5.5 [Blessed are the Lowly...]

R&R Devotional Bible Study
Matthew 5.5
'Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth'

Blessed are the Lowly

Lowly definition:
Meek; humble; lowly, submissive [Philippians 2]

Blessed are those who are not self-reliant and self-assured, but those who are lowly and humble...those who understand that on our own accord we can do absolutely nothing at all in our relation to Yahweh. Positionally we understand and accept that God alone is holy, which is why if we are truly of Yahweh we hunger and thirst for His holiness and righteousness.

Once again, we are spiritually well off if we understand and accept this, because on our own we reject this.

The best way to understand lowly/meek is to think of it of it as 'poor in spirit' in action. We might say that to be lowly/meek is the practice application of 'to be poor in spirit' and 'to mourn'. Another way we can understand lowly/meek is that it is the response to our acceptance of being 'poor in spirit' and our 'mourning/lamenting' over the fact that we have transgressed against the Law of Yahweh, and that we have abandoned our created purpose.

To be lowly/meek/humble is to empty one's self and be under control. This should make us realize immediately that we cannot achieve this in and of ourselves. Whilst Christ did in fact humble Himself, this was so show His deity. There must be the work of Yahweh in us in order for us to be emptied and self-controlled. Self control itself is one of the manifesting works of The Holy Spirit within us, meaning this is not natural to natural man.

In being told that spiritually fortunate are the lowly/meek, once again the spiritual fortune is the fact that God is working within those who are His through Christ, and lowliness is being worked in them.

The problem:

Original sin is the problem, the fact that every single intent of the thoughts of the heart is only evil continually; or as we are told in Jeremiah: 'the heart if deceitful above all else, and is desperately sick...who can understand it?'

Lust of the eyes
Lust of the flesh
Boastful pride of life

Mankind, in and of ourselves, we like to think that we are free and that our wills matter, and that we have a 'say-so' in eternal matters. We do not recognize, or accept, that we are merely created beings who are sustained by Yahweh.

To further this, in our fallen state, we are actually born slaves to:
the world system
the evil one [born into the family of also]
sin

Matthew 23.12 tells us:
'Whoever exults himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.'

Herein lies the problem, the entirety of mankind in and of ourselves, we exult ourselves to no end. In our natural state, on our own accord, we cannot and will not humble our self. Whilst the promise of Yahweh is true, the command [or exhortation] of Yahweh here is ultimately to show us our inability, which then is to lead us to repentance. If we could humble ourselves on our own accord, then it would be our works that save us, and God would ow us something.

Apart from Yahweh, mankind is:
Dead
Blind
Destitute
Antithetical to Yahweh
[This is shown in our self-worship and self-service and self-focus]

What is True lowliness [humility]?

This actually ties into all that we have been considering thus far in Matthew, specifically when we are told to 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'

Humility, or meekness, is to understand and accept our condition, to mourn and lament over the fact that we have transgressed the Law of Yahweh [that we have profaned the holy name of Yahweh], and to submit to the perfect estimation of Yahweh as well as the absolute and sovereign authority of Yahweh [acting in accordance with the manifesting work of The Holy Spirit within us, in which self control is part of]

Part of being meek is to understand that strength only resides in Yahweh alone, and nowhere else. Self-importance and self-strength have absolutely no place in being in the presence of God because apart from God, there is absolutely nothing at all.

This actually ties into the fact that we need to be washed in the precious shed blood of The Lord Christ Jesus in order to even be in the presence of Yahweh. We have to be justified.

The Lord Christ Jesus says that if any will come after Him, the must:
Deny self
Pick up their cross [their instrument of death]
Submit to The Lord Christ Jesus

There is no self in the kingdom of heaven. Self has to be denied, self has to die. In fact, we are supposed to have the demeanor of little children who have complete dependence upon Yahweh through The Lord Christ Jesus, just as a little child has complete dependence upon his parents, cause once again, we have nothing in and of ourselves.

...For they shall inherit the earth

This really ties in with 'blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' in that those who are lowly are the ones who are in the kingdom of heaven, and will inherit the new heavens and the new earth.

Once again we are being shown that there are two groups of people, those who are truly of God, and those who are not.

This also ties in with the first Beatitude in that it is only because of the work of Yahweh in us where we can be humble/lowly in the first place

We can understand this as Yahweh's rest regained. In Genesis 3, mankind was cast out from the presence of Yahweh. When we are converted, we come back into the presence of Yahweh through the work of The Lord Christ Jesus

Isaiah 56.7-8 tells us:
'7-'Even those I will bring to My holy mountain and make them glad in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable at My altar; for My house will be called an house of prayer for all the peoples.' 8-Lord Yahweh, who gathers the banished of Israel, declares: 'Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered'.'

Ezekiel 36.24 tells us:
'I will take you from the nations, gather you from all the lands, and bring you into your own land.'

Hebrews talks about not being found with an evil hardened heart of unbelief which would cause Yahweh to not allow them into His rest.

Hebrews also talks about how Abraham was looking for a city not built with human hands

Not relying on our own works, which can do nothing for us

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