Reading With the People of God #11 BlessedSample

Focus of the month: (The Beatitudes)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

- Matthew 5:3-12

Solomon’s troubles

Today we see the rise of King Solomon’s adversaries. The writer illuminates that God raised up these adversaries to make trouble for the reign of Solomon, just after the litany of offenses committed by Solomon in the sight of the Lord. We get an in-depth look into the brutal nature of the power struggles in the region around 900 years before Christ. The story of Hadad the Edomite and Rezon son of Eliada are explored and it is emphasized that the Lord raised up these enemies to oppose Israel with righteous indignation and hatred. There is generational enmity even to this day throughout that same region; continued hostilities and atrocities are committed regularly with peace being the exception rather than the rule. Earthly kings continue to struggle mightily for position, profit, and power over the people in a never-ending atmosphere of deceit and violence.

Love your neighbor

With hatred being a human birthright and heritage, how is it possible to break the chain of destruction and death? Jesus Himself tells us what the most important commandments are in Matthew 22:

“Jesus replied: “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22: 37-39 NIV)

The second part has its roots in our OT reading today in Leviticus. Jesus elevates the new standard of obedience to God in terms of love. We are called individually to walk in a posture of love with our God and our neighbor; to diligently consider others' well-being as well as our own.

* Devotional primer contributed by Matt Harry, Elder Emeritus, Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla