Blessed are the people of whom this is so; blessed are the people whose God is the LORD. Blessed are the peopleThe Hebrew word for "blessed" is "אַשְׁרֵי" (ashrei), which conveys a sense of happiness, fortune, and divine favor. In the context of the Psalms, this blessing is not merely a temporary or material happiness but a deep, abiding joy that comes from being in right relationship with God. The phrase suggests a state of well-being and contentment that is rooted in spiritual prosperity rather than worldly success. Historically, the Israelites understood themselves as a people set apart by God, and this blessing is a reflection of their covenant relationship with Him. of whom this is so
This phrase refers back to the preceding verses in Psalm 144, which describe a society characterized by peace, prosperity, and divine protection. The "this" encompasses the ideal conditions of a community living under God's favor, where sons and daughters thrive, barns are full, and there is no breach or cry of distress in the streets. It paints a picture of a harmonious and flourishing society, which is the result of God's blessing and the people's faithfulness to Him. blessed are the people
The repetition of "blessed" emphasizes the certainty and abundance of God's favor. It serves as a poetic reinforcement of the idea that true happiness and fulfillment are found in God alone. This repetition also highlights the communal aspect of the blessing, suggesting that it is not just individuals but entire communities that experience God's favor when they collectively acknowledge Him as their Lord. whose God is the LORD
The term "LORD" in the Hebrew text is "יְהוָה" (YHWH), the personal name of God revealed to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:14). This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenantal faithfulness. The phrase underscores the exclusivity and intimacy of the relationship between God and His people. It is not just any deity that brings blessing, but specifically YHWH, the God of Israel, who is the source of true happiness and security. In a historical context, this declaration would have been a bold statement of allegiance, distinguishing the Israelites from surrounding nations who worshiped multiple gods. For conservative Christians, this phrase reaffirms the importance of acknowledging and serving the one true God as revealed in the Bible, emphasizing that ultimate blessing comes from a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Persons / Places / Events 1. DavidTraditionally attributed as the author of Psalm 144, David was the second king of Israel, known for his deep relationship with God and his role as a warrior and poet. 2. IsraelThe nation of Israel is often the context for the Psalms, representing God's chosen people who are in covenant with Him. 3. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal, self-existent nature and His relationship with His people. Teaching Points Understanding BlessednessTrue blessedness is not found in material wealth or earthly success but in having a relationship with the LORD. This aligns with the Hebrew word "esher," which conveys happiness and contentment rooted in God's favor. Covenant RelationshipThe blessedness of the people is directly tied to their covenant relationship with God. This calls believers to prioritize their relationship with God above all else. Community of FaithThe verse emphasizes the collective blessing of a people whose God is the LORD, encouraging believers to foster a strong community of faith that seeks God together. God as the Source of SecurityIn a world of uncertainty, the assurance of God's presence and favor provides true security and peace. Bible Study Questions 1. How does the concept of blessedness in Psalm 144:15 challenge modern views of happiness and success? 2. In what ways can we, as a community of believers, ensure that God remains central in our lives and decisions? 3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's blessing in a way that was not material. How did it impact your faith? 4. How can the assurance of God's presence and favor help us navigate challenges and uncertainties in life? 5. Compare the blessedness described in Psalm 144:15 with the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. What similarities and differences do you observe, and how can they inform your understanding of God's kingdom? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 33:29This verse echoes the theme of blessedness for those whose God is the LORD, highlighting the security and salvation found in Him. Psalm 33:12Similar to Psalm 144:15, this verse speaks of the blessedness of a nation whose God is the LORD, emphasizing the communal aspect of God's blessing. Matthew 5:3-12The Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount reflect the idea of blessedness, though with a focus on spiritual qualities and the kingdom of heaven. People David, PsalmistPlaces JerusalemTopics TRUE, Blessings, Case, David, Fall, Happiness, Happy, Nation, O, Ordered, Praise, Psalm, Situated, Situation, Thus, Yea, YesDictionary of Bible Themes Psalm 144:12-15 5224 barn Library Sermons on Selected Lessons of the Gospels.
Adoption, a sonship higher than that of nature, [482]255; frequently mentioned in Holy Scripture, [483]255, [484]256; the term of ancient use among the Jews, [485]256; "raising up seed to brother," [486]256; used by St. Paul to express the mystery of our adoption in Christ, [487]256. Adversary, to be agreed with and delivered from, [488]442; not so Satan, [489]442; the Law our, so long as we our own, [490]443; must agree with, by obedience, and so made no longer adversary, [491]443. Affliction, blessing …
Saint Augustine—sermons on selected lessons of the new testamentPeriod ii. The Church from the Permanent Division of the Empire Until the Collapse of the Western Empire and the First Schism Between the East and the West, or Until About A. D. 500
In the second period of the history of the Church under the Christian Empire, the Church, although existing in two divisions of the Empire and experiencing very different political fortunes, may still be regarded as forming a whole. The theological controversies distracting the Church, although different in the two halves of the Graeco-Roman world, were felt to some extent in both divisions of the Empire and not merely in the one in which they were principally fought out; and in the condemnation …
Joseph Cullen Ayer Jr., Ph.D.—A Source Book for Ancient Church History Thankfulness for Mercies Received, a Necessary Duty
Numberless marks does man bear in his soul, that he is fallen and estranged from God; but nothing gives a greater proof thereof, than that backwardness, which every one finds within himself, to the duty of praise and thanksgiving. When God placed the first man in paradise, his soul no doubt was so filled with a sense of the riches of the divine love, that he was continually employing that breath of life, which the Almighty had not long before breathed into him, in blessing and magnifying that all-bountiful, …
George Whitefield—Selected Sermons of George Whitefield The Resemblance Between the Old Testament and the New.
1. Introduction, showing the necessity of proving the similarity of both dispensations in opposition to Servetus and the Anabaptists. 2. This similarity in general. Both covenants truly one, though differently administered. Three things in which they entirely agree. 3. First general similarity, or agreement--viz. that the Old Testament, equally with the New, extended its promises beyond the present life, and held out a sure hope of immortality. Reason for this resemblance. Objection answered. 4. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Knowledge of God Conspicuous in the Creation, and Continual Government of the World.
1. The invisible and incomprehensible essence of God, to a certain extent, made visible in his works. 2. This declared by the first class of works--viz. the admirable motions of the heavens and the earth, the symmetry of the human body, and the connection of its parts; in short, the various objects which are presented to every eye. 3. This more especially manifested in the structure of the human body. 4. The shameful ingratitude of disregarding God, who, in such a variety of ways, is manifested within …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Godly are in Some Sense Already Blessed
I proceed now to the second aphorism or conclusion, that the godly are in some sense already blessed. The saints are blessed not only when they are apprehended by God, but while they are travellers to glory. They are blessed before they are crowned. This seems a paradox to flesh and blood. What, reproached and maligned, yet blessed! A man that looks upon the children of God with a carnal eye and sees how they are afflicted, and like the ship in the gospel which was covered with waves' (Matthew 8:24), …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 Scriptural Christianity
"Whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head." Ezek. 33:4. "And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." Acts 4:31. 1. The same expression occurs in the second chapter, where we read, "When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all" (the Apostles, with the women, and the mother of Jesus, and his brethren) "with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing …
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions Letter Xl to Thomas, Prior of Beverley
To Thomas, Prior of Beverley This Thomas had taken the vows of the Cistercian Order at Clairvaux. As he showed hesitation, Bernard urges his tardy spirit to fulfil them. But the following letter will prove that it was a warning to deaf ears, where it relates the unhappy end of Thomas. In this letter Bernard sketches with a master's hand the whole scheme of salvation. Bernard to his beloved son Thomas, as being his son. 1. What is the good of words? An ardent spirit and a strong desire cannot express …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux Psalms
The piety of the Old Testament Church is reflected with more clearness and variety in the Psalter than in any other book of the Old Testament. It constitutes the response of the Church to the divine demands of prophecy, and, in a less degree, of law; or, rather, it expresses those emotions and aspirations of the universal heart which lie deeper than any formal demand. It is the speech of the soul face to face with God. Its words are as simple and unaffected as human words can be, for it is the genius …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Psalm 144:15 NIVPsalm 144:15 NLTPsalm 144:15 ESVPsalm 144:15 NASBPsalm 144:15 KJV
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