Poor in Spirit

The principles of the Kingdom are demonstrated throughout the whole of the Old Testament, and are explained by Jesus in the New.  They all work on the basis of faith in the Father, and on His good pleasure, His grace and His mercy, as demonstrated through Jesus Christ.

When Adam sinned, he was naked, and hid himself from the presence of God.  God, in His mercy, both punished him with the curses, and also brought him the promise of redemption, covering Him with the skin of a slain animal, symbolizing a type of Christ.  In all but the final stage of judgment, there is always a seed of hope, even as symbolized in the words of the prophet Joel, who knows but that He wont turn and leave a blessing it its place (Joel 2:14), concerning the intended judgment.  In the story of Adam and his wife, even with the promise of her seed crushing the serpent, it was their poverty of spirit that resulted in their covering.  It was God’s Kingdom.

Similarly when Cain slew his brother Abel.  God warned Cain when his sacrifice was refused, and, when God pronounced the punishment for his brother’s blood, Cain in broken and contrite spirit, uttered, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” (Genesis 4:13-14, portion).  It was in his poverty of spirit that the Lord could responded, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Genesis 4:15.  Then, the Bible tells us that God put a mark on Cain so that people see it and not kill him.  Most Happy are those who are poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.