Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psalm 1:1 NASB Blessed – A few days ago I taught English classes to two groups of 16-year-olds in a local Italian high school. I didn’t spend much time on…
How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Proverbs 28:14 NASB Fear always – How can a man be blessed if he is always afraid? This just doesn’t seem to make any sense. If perfect love casts out fear, and we are exhorted to enter…
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psalm 1:1 NASB Walk/stand/sit – Undoubtedly Watchman Nee’s influential Christian book Sit, Walk, Stand found its genesis in a verse like this. Perhaps you, like me, read it when…
Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them. Luke 12:37 NASB On the alert – Are you awake? No, I don’t…
How blessed is the man who fears always, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity. Proverbs 28:14 NASB Fear always – How can a man be blessed if he is always afraid? This just doesn’t seem to make any sense. If perfect love casts out fear, and we are exhorted to enter…
How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! Psalm 1:1 NASB How blessed – What should we do now while we are waiting for the return or an exit? Do we just continue with…
“Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” Matthew 25:34 NASB Blessed – If you turn to the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, you will find that each one begins with the Greek word makarioi. This word should not be translated “blessed are” since…
“Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” Matthew 11:6 ESV Stumble – David Flusser points out that the Hebrew verb behind this Greek gospel expression is a word that means “to be led into sin, to go astray from the right understanding of the will of God.”[1] In other words, the…
Blessed is the man to whom YHWH does not charge iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Psalm 32:2 Guile – There are two important verbs for blessing in the Hebrew text. The first is barak. This is the verb used to bless God and it is the verb used by God to…
Of David, a contemplation. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Psalm 32:1 Blessed Is – So, now you know that this is a maskil. That means it is an insight for action. But immediately following the word maskil, we come to what appears to be a passive verb, blessed is. …
