Gospel of John [16:33]. Why the believer has tribulation in the world [part 9 - pure in heart]. Mat 5:3-12; Psa 24; 73.

Title: Gospel of John [16:33]. Why the believer has tribulation in the world [part 9 - pure in heart]. MAT 5:3-12; Psa 24; 73.

 

Announcements/opening prayer: 

 

 

MAT 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

 

"pure" - cleansed, spotless, without blemish. Heart - the real inward person. There is a great difference between inward purity and outward.

 

PSA 32:2

How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!

 

The interpretation of the phrase, "in whose spirit there is no deceit," would be one who vainly tries to hide his iniquity from God rather than acknowledging it before Him.

 

The one who deviates from the way of God and tries to hide that in his heart is one who wants to continue on that path. This would be an unclean heart.

 

PSA 15:1-2

O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent?

Who may dwell on Thy holy hill?

He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness,

And speaks truth in his heart.

 

1JO 3:2-3

Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is. And everyone who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

 

PSA 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.

 

PSA 24:2 For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the rivers.

 

PSA 24:3 Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place?

 

PSA 24:4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, And has not sworn deceitfully.

 

"lifted up his soul" - to long or strive towards a thing.

 

EXO 20:7

"You shall not take [same as "lifted up"] the name of the Lord your God in vain [same as "falsehood]

 

On the contrary:

PSA 25:1

To Thee, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

 

"has not sworn deceitfully" - the soul that loves deceit passes it to the tongue.

 

This flows from lifting up the soul to falsehood. The one who lifts up the name of the Lord in falsehood or deceit is one who swears deceitfully. This is an impure heart. What is within flows to the tongue.

 

MAT 15:10-11

He said to them, "Hear, and understand.  "Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."

 

PSA 24:5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord And righteousness from the God of his salvation.

 

This could not be the righteousness given at salvation, but this positional righteousness cannot be ignored since only a believer, made righteous in his position, could pursue righteousness. This practical righteousness is described here as a gift to the one who is pure in heart.

 

The ability to pursue the experience of the righteousness of God is viewed as a gift. Only those who are pure in heart see its path.

 

So we again see a linkage in the beatitudes. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are pure in heart.

 

PSA 24:6 This is the generation of those who seek Him, Who seek Thy face —  even Jacob.

 

The true Jacob are the seekers of God's face. Jacob was a liar and a scoundrel, but in the end, he was a seeker of God. There is again here as elsewhere, and certainly a main part of the beatitudes that worship of God is not overt only, but within the heart. Though some Jews overtly worshipped Jehovah, the true worshippers or believers are the true Israel.

 

ROM 2:28 For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly; neither is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.

 

ROM 2:29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart [cutting off the flesh at salvation], by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

 

Sometimes the pure in heart witness the wicked prosper and their faith in God's way may falter. Wisdom is restored in the house of God.

 

PSA 73:1 Surely God is good to Israel, To those who are pure in heart! [again, true Israel is distinguished from those who are so only in appearance.]

 

PSA 73:2 But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling; My steps had almost slipped.

 

PSA 73:3 For I was envious of the arrogant, As I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

 

PSA 73:4 For there are no pains in their death; And their body is fat [prosperous and strong].

 

Job asked in his suffering:

JOB 21:7

"Why do the wicked still live,

Continue on, also become very powerful?

 

PSA 73:5 They are not in trouble as other men; Nor are they plagued like mankind.

 

PSA 73:6 Therefore pride is their necklace [stiff knecked]; The garment of violence covers them.

 

PSA 73:7 Their eye bulges from fatness [tremendous prosperity and indulgence]; The imaginations of their heart run riot.

 

Literally: 'they exceed the imaginations of their heart.'

 

PSA 73:8 They mock [literally: melt minds], and wickedly speak of oppression; They speak from on high.

 

PSA 73:9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue parades through the earth.

 

The same is said of the Beast.

REV 13:6

And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven.

 

The tongue parading through the earth means that they are ever restless like their master Satan.

 

PSA 73:10 Therefore his people return to this place; And waters of abundance are drunk by them [some join the wicked and drink their abundance].

 

PSA 73:11 And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge with the Most High?"

 

God's patience and loving kindness is mistaken for inattentiveness.

 

PSA 73:12 Behold, these are the wicked; And always at ease, they have increased in wealth.

 

They are not always at ease. Impatience exaggerates.

 

PSA 73:13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, And washed my hands in innocence;

 

PSA 73:14 For I have been stricken all day long, And chastened every morning.

 

PSA 73:15 If I had said, "I will speak thus, "Behold, I should have betrayed the generation of Thy children.

 

The still small voice within him causes him to shrink away from openly endorsing ungodliness.

 

Positive volition in a believer restrains full blown revolt against God when doubt and impatience are entertained.

 

PSA 73:16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight

 

The powers of human reason, speculation, and research cannot accomplish any understanding concerning the way of God and man. Only God's revelation can do so.

 

Attempting to rectify the ways of wicked man with the ways of God and make any sense of them and their relation to one another will only bring mental and emotional pain. This is why much of mankind would rather ignore the question entirely.

 

PSA 73:17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end.

 

The sanctuary was the appointed place of meeting between God and His people: then God manifested His glory and goodness to His people.

 

PSA 63:1 O God, Thou art my God;

I shall seek Thee earnestly;

My soul thirsts for Thee, my flesh yearns for Thee,

In a dry and weary land where there is no water.

 

PSA 63:2 Thus I have beheld Thee in the sanctuary,

To see Thy power and Thy glory.

 

PSA 77:11 I shall remember the deeds of the Lord;

Surely I will remember Thy wonders of old.

 

PSA 77:12 I will meditate on all Thy work,

And muse on Thy deeds.

 

PSA 77:13 Thy way, O God, is holy;

What god is great like our God?

 

PSA 73:18 Surely Thou dost set them in slippery places; Thou dost cast them down to destruction.

 

David prays similarly for those who oppose him and so oppose God:

 

PSA 35:6

 Let their way be dark and slippery,

With the angel of the Lord pursuing them.