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The Beatitudes Part II

      Every statement the Scriptures make about "pride" is negative. Now lets look again at Is. 66:2: But to this one I will look, to him who is poor and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My Word. Thus the "poor of spirit" or "humble of spirit" are those who "tremble at" YHWH's "Word." What is his "Word"? Isaiah defines this earlier: ...for out of Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the Word of YHWH from Jerusalem. (Is. 2:3b) (note that verses 5-22 go on to speak of the proud being humbled) Why do they "tremble" at his Torah? The fear of YHWH, according to the Tanak, includes Torah observance: ...that he may learn the fear of YHWH his God, to keep all the words of this Torah and these statutes, to do them: (Deut. 17:19) ...that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear YHWH your God, and observe to do all the words of this Torah. (Deut. 31:12) All of this is again confirmed bt Psalm 25:9-10 which says in part: ... He teaches the humble His way... And what is his "way"? And the LORD said unto me, Arise, get thee down quickly from hence; for thy people which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves; they are quickly turned aside out of THE WAY which I commanded them;..... (Deut. 9:12) 22 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the LORD your God, TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS, and to cleave unto him... 26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of THE WAY which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known. (Deut. 11:22, 26-28) 15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; 16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, TO WALK IN HIS WAYS, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. (Deut. 30:15-16) But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the Torah, which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you, to love the LORD your God, AND TO WALK IN ALL HIS WAYS, and to keep his commandments, and to cleave unto him, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul. (Joshua 22:5) And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. (Isaiah 30:21) Blessed are the undefiled in THE WAY, who walk in the TORAH of the LORD.... I have rejoiced in THE WAY of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.... I will run THE WAY of thy commandments, when thou shalt enlarge my heart. (Psalm 119:1, 14, 32) So the "poor of spirit" humble their pride and submit in humility to Torah. Now how does this work?

     Humility is stressed in the Mishna tractate Avot (1:3; 1:13; 2:8; 3:1; 4:4, 5; 5:19) According to the Mishna: Antigonos of Sokho received [Torah] from Simeon the Righteous. He would say, Do not be like servants who serve the master on condition of receiving a reward, But like the servants who serve the master not on condition of receiving a reward. And let the fear of Heaven be upon you. (m.Avot 1:3) The humble man submits himself to Torah seeking only to do the will of YHWH and not seeking any reward for himself. The humble man would never seek to bribe YHWH because only a prideful man would think that YHWH needed anything from a mere man. One major stumbling block to Torah Observance is pride. A prideful man does not wish to submit. The prideful man resents rules. The prideful man is rebelious and will not be told what to do. He may believe the rules are for others but he is above the rules. This issue of pride has been a stumbling block to anomian Christains. They see the "Jewish Law" as an inferior system. They believe that they have outgrown the Torah and that they no longer need it. When it is realized that the Hebrew word TORAH actually means "instruction" or "guidance" the arogance of this theology is clear to see. The prideful man cannot be taught, because he will not hear, but the humble man , the "poor in spirit", he may be taught. He may recieve the Torah (instruction) of YHWH and submit to it.