BIBLE STUDY LESSON 19

SERIES Q --- THE SAVIOUR

THE WAY TO BLESSEDNESS

WORDS THAT CHANGE LIVES

From Matthew 5

On a certain day, Yeshua left the crowds and went up into a mountain. When His disciples arrived, Yeshua sat down to teach them. Here is what He taught:

[Happy are those who are humble, for YHVH will share His home with them. Happy are those who express their sorrow, for YHVH will bring His comfort to them. Happy are those who do not demand much, for YHVH will give them the world. Happy are those who desire to please Him, for YHVH will give them a satisfied heart. Happy are those who show mercy to others, for YHVH will reward them with His own. Happy are those whose hearts are pure, for YHVH will be their friend. Happy are those who lead others to peace, for YHVH will claim them as His own children. Happy are those who are treated wrongfully because they do what YHVH desires, for YHVH will give them heaven for their reward. Happy are you when others insult you and persecute you and say evil against you because you are Mine. Be glad! Be very glad! For YHVH will reward you greatly in heaven, for even the prophets were treated this way.

[You disciples are like salt, seasoning a tasteless, undesirable world. But if you become tasteless yourselves, where will you find your seasoning? Worthless salt is discarded for people to trample under their feet. [You disciples are like light, illuminating a dark world. As a city built on a mountain, you must let your light be seen. Send your light to all around you, as a glowing candle mounted on a stand, not under a basket. Thus, your goodness will be seen by others and they will praise your Father in heaven. You must understand why I have come to earth. My purpose is to make the Law of Moses and the teachings of the prophets come true, not to do away with them. Listen to this! Every Law of YHVH will remain until the end of time and it accomplishes what He intended. Whoever breaks the least important Commandment and teaches others to do the same will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys YHVH’s Laws and teaches others to obey them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Let Me tell you this: if you expect to go to heaven, you must please YHVH more than the Pharisees and teachers of the Law please Him. The Law said that you should not kill, for if you do, you will be brought to court for justice. But let Me tell you more. If you are merely angry without a reason, even to your brother, you face the same judgment. If you speak to him with contempt, you may face a worse penalty. And if you curse him, you may face the judgment of hell. If you have gone to YHVH’s House to present an offering and remember that a friend has something against you, go quickly to your friend and make peace with him. Then you are ready to present your offering to YHVH. If someone sues you, be friendly with him before you get to court. Otherwise, the judge may rule against you and you may face jail and great expense. The Law of Moses said that you must not commit adultery. But let Me tell you more. If you even look at a woman with that in mind, you are guilty of doing it. It would be better to give up your best eye or your best hand than to let them constantly lead you into sin, and then to hell. The Law of Moses also said! that if you wish to break your marriage with your wife, you may do so by giving her a letter of divorce. But let Me tell you more. If you do this to your wife, unless she has been unfaithful to you, you will cause her and her future husband to commit adultery. It has also been said in the Law of Moses that you must not break promises that you have vowed before YHVH that you would keep. But let Me tell you more. You should never make promises with such vows. Don’t vow by heaven, for it is YHVH’s throne, nor by earth, for on it YHVH rests His feet. Don’t vow by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Don’t even vow by your own head because you cannot control the natural colour of your hair. Simply say ‘I will do it’ or ‘I will not do it.’ To make your promises stronger will get you into trouble. The Law said that a man who destroys another’s eye must give up an eye as punishment. Or if he destroys a tooth, then he must lose a tooth also. But let Me tell you more. You must not want revenge for someone who hurts you. If someone hits your right cheek, let him hit your left cheek also, if someone sues you to get your shirt, give him your coat also. If anyone makes you go a mile with him, then go on with him another mile. When someone asks you for something, give it to him, and if he wants to borrow something, lend it to him. The Law said that you must love your friends and hate your enemies. But let Me tell you more. You must love your enemies and pray for those who hurt you. This is the kind of conduct which the Father expects from His true sons. For He sends the sunshine and rain on good and evil people alike. If you love only those who love you, what does that do? Even those with bad reputations, such as the tax collectors, do that. And if you make friends only with those who are like you, what have you done? That is what the heathen does. You should seek to be like your Father, for He is perfect.]

COMMENTARY

HATTIN AND BEATITUDES: TWO MOUNTAINS

The exact place where Yeshua gave the Sermon on the Mount is lost in the distant past. There are no records of any kind to help in identifying the location. Even the Gospels do not mention the exact place. The most they supply is a useful hint. The writers of the New Testament reveal only that it must have been near Yeshua’ home in Capernaum. Capernaum was on the northern side of the Sea of Galilee. The mountainside on which He stood and gave the Sermon on the Mount to the crowd gathered below must be somewhere near there. But the Sea of Galilee is surrounded by many high hills and mountains, and the question remains: which one was it? Traditional belief has settled on two places as the most likely locations for the Sermon on the Mount. The first is a mountain known as the Horns of Hattin. It was given that name because of twin peaks that adorn its head like horns. It is about four miles northwest of Tiberias, approximately six or seven miles southwest of Capernaum. The heights of Hattin look down over the Sea of Galilee to the east and the Plain of Gennesaret on the west. The {horns} of Mount Hattin are actually the craters of two ancient volcanoes that have been dead for thousands of years. A natural hollow is formed between them, where Yeshua might have spoken to a large crowd of people. The second location believed most likely for the Sermon on the Mount is a hill some miles closer to the site of Capernaum. It is much lower than the Horns of Hattin, but its gentle sloping sides make good gathering places for a crowd. Because of its possible connection with the Sermon on the Mount, the hill has come to be called the Mount of Beatitudes. It is highlighted by a small chapel built at the top of the slope. The view from the Church of the Beatitudes is down a grassy slope to where it meets the edge of the water. From there, it is only a two-mile walk along the shores of the Sea of Galilee to Capernaum and Yeshua’ home.