Happy
Part II

Read Time: 7 Minutes

Last week we read about Happy in the Old Testament, that it is more appropriately translated blessed. The same is true in the Gospels and New Testament.

In the Greek, the word translated happy and blessed is makarios, here are some occurrences in the Gospels and Epistles.

Matthew 5
:3 Blessed [makarios] are the poor [humble] in spirit:
        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
:4 Blessed [makarios] are they that mourn:
        for they shall be comforted. [we are blessed because we know the ultimate comforter, God]
:5 Blessed [makarios] are the meek:
        for they shall inherit the earth.
:6 Blessed [makarios] are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:
        for they shall be filled.
:7 Blessed [makarios] are the merciful:
        for they shall obtain mercy.
:8 Blessed [makarios] are the pure in heart:
        for they shall see God.
:9 Blessed [makarios] are the peacemakers:
        for they shall be called the children of God.
:10 Blessed [makarios] are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake:
        for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
:11 Blessed [makarios] are ye, when men shall revile you,
    and persecute you,
    and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
:12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven:
        for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We are not blessed when we mourn and are persecuted but we are blessed because we know God and He is with us. Through His strength we can endure, be strengthened, and thrive. If we are prideful and self-sufficient, and do not trust in God we will not see the blessings that He provides.

Matthew 13
:16 But blessed [makarios] are your eyes, for they see:
    and your ears, for they hear.
:17 For verily I say unto you,
        That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see,
            and have not seen them;
        and to hear those things which ye hear,
            and have not heard them.

Are you not happy and blessed that you have been shown God's wonderful matchless Word so that you may know the one true God, creator of the heavens and the earth, and be a part of the family of God whereby He edifies us in love? Truly, I am happy. Prior to knowing God I was lost and shy, just going to work coming home and watching TV, without purpose or focus. Where were you prior to knowing God? Now our eyes have been opened and our ears hear.

We were born under the sin of Adam, a natural man with enmity in our hearts toward God. We would think and do things contrary to the will of God. But God has reached out to us with loving arms and offered forgiveness to us. By the payment of Jesus Christ we can now be brought into the fold, into the household, forgiven and reconciled. Blessed are we!

Romans 4
:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
:5 But to him that worketh not,
        but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly,
    his faith is counted for righteousness.
:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man,
    unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
:7 Saying, Blessed [makarios] are they whose iniquities are forgiven,
    and whose sins are covered.
:8 Blessed [makarios] is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

By believing God's truths we are blessed with righteousness, the right to stand before God without any sense of sin, guilt, or condemnation. Verses 7 and 8 are a quote from Psalms 32:1 & 2, which use the Hebrew word esher, at that time their sins were covered. Today we have remission of sins. We have been released from the guilt and penalty of Adam's sin and our sins. When we return to God our sins can no longer separate us from the Father, we are truly blessed above measure.

I Peter 3
:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another,
    love as brethren, be pitiful, [tenderhearted] be courteous:
:9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing:
    but contrariwise blessing [eulogia - verb, praise, speak good words];
        knowing that ye are thereunto called,
        that ye should inherit a blessing. [eulogeo - noun, praise]
:10 For he that will love [agapao - love of God in manifestation] life,
        and see good days,
    let him refrain his tongue from evil,
    and his lips that they speak no guile:
:11 Let him eschew evil, and do good;
    let him seek peace, and ensue it.
:12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous,
    and his ears are open unto their prayers:
    but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.
:13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness sake, happy [makarios] are ye:
    and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:
    and be ready always to give an answer to every man
    that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
:16 Having a good conscience;
        that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers,
        they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
:17 For it is better, if the will of God be so,
        that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.

Be compassionate, love, be tenderhearted and courteous, not evil. Watch what you say to speak praises not evil and abusive words. Do you want to love life and see good days? Mind what you say, that it is not evil and deceitful.  Do keep yourself from evil, limit your exposure to it, (TV, radio, 'friends') but seek peace. Know that our Heavenly Father does see, and hear us; so, who could harm you? But, if you suffer for the sake of righteousness be blessed/happy and be not afraid of their terror (the terror others have of an issue), neither be troubled. But, in contrast set apart the Lord God in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone that asks you regarding the hope of your faith with meekness and reverence. Even though others may speak evil of you and falsely accuse you, your behavior and mind set is right. "For it is profitable to you that you suffer evil [things] while you do good works (if therefore it is the will of God) and not while you do evil [things]." (Magiera, 547)

So far we have seen the following truths:

• We are happy, blessed, that God saves and protects us.
• We are blessed when we delight in His Word.
• We are blessed to dwell in the house of the Lord.
• We are blessed to have God as our source of strength.
• Blessed is the nation whose God is their Lord.
• Trust in God and you will be blessed.
• We are happy/blessed when we reverence God and it will be well with us.
• Blessed are we when we are humble, when we mourn, are meek, thirst and hunger after righteousness, are merciful, are pure in heart, are peacemakers, when persecuted.
• We are blessed because our eyes see and our ears hear.
• We are blessed because we have been freed from the guilt and penalty of sin.
• We are blessed even when we suffer for righteousness sake for God causes us to triumph in Christ.

The last occurrence of makarios is in Revelation 22 regarding our eternal life.

Revelation 22
:12 And, behold, I come quickly;
    and my reward is with me,
        to give every man according as his work shall be.
:13 I am Alpha and Omega,
    the beginning and the end,
    the first and the last.
:14 Blessed [makarios] are they that do his commandments,
    that they may have right to the tree of life,
    and may enter in through the gates into the city.

Truly we are blessed to be able to walk through the gates into the heavenly city that God has waiting for us at the end of times. We are blessed to be called to the family of God, to be part of the Body of Christ, to have right to the tree of life. Take a minute, think about it, meditate on these words, "Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." what a glorious day. This is a God provided happiness! This is a great blessing from God.

:20 He which testifieth these things saith,
        Surely I come quickly. Amen.
    Even so, come, lord Jesus.
:21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

__________________

Magiera, Jan. "Aramaic Peshitta New Testament Translation. LWM Publications: Truth or Consequences, NM, 2006.