Blessed Are The Hungry And Thirsty
“Blessed are they
which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt 5:6) (KJV)
Hunger, Thirst,
and Fulfillment A Kingdom Promise
Jesus said,
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they
shall be filled.” (Matt 5:6) (KJV) As He so said, I believe there was little
or no doubt in the minds of the people concerning that which He spake. They knew the Old Testament scriptures, and
they knew that Jesus was presenting to them a kingdom promise. The
The Old
Testament bears witness that the
Let us
consider one final Old Testament promise.
“Now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be
glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And he
said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the
tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee
for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of
the earth. Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel,
and his Holy One, to him whom man despiseth, to him whom the nation abhorreth,
to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship,
because of the LORD that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall
choose thee. Thus saith the LORD, In an acceptable time
have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will
preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the
earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go
forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves. They shall feed in the
ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. They
shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he
that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he
guide them. And I will make all my mountains a way, and my
highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo,
these from the north and from the west; and these from the
What Is This
Righteousness for Which We Are to Hunger and Thirst?
Before we proceed further with this study we must ask ourselves, “What is this righteousness for which we are to hunger and thirst?” After all, this verse not only implies hunger and thirst, but pining away – a starving, if you will – for righteousness. It is only logical and right to try to determine what this righteousness is.
Moses spoke to the children of Israel about a time when they were hungry saying, “He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.” (Deut 8:3) (KJV) It doesn’t take long to realize that our hunger should be for something spiritual. We should hunger for God’s word. Is this the righteousness for which we should hunger, or is there more? David found himself hungering and thirsting, but his hunger and thirst extended to more than the word of God: he hungered for God Himself. “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.” (Ps 63:1-7) (KJV) As David lived his life he was like most of us; he faced difficult times. At times he felt as if he were in the desert and would starve to death, of die of dehydration. Sometimes we feel so barren without a sense of the presence of the Lord. This was how he felt when he wrote this psalm. His longing was for a sense of the presence of God. David wanted God’s power and glory displayed that he might rejoice again. He remembered times when he had enjoyed God’s presence. Now David hungers and thirsts for the presence and power of God again. He realized that he would only be satisfied with God. Nothing and no one else would do. We, too should hunger and thirst after God’s presence in our lives.
Finally, we
come to see that this righteousness is Jesus Christ. The word of God and the presence of God are
both summed up in Christ who is both the Word and God. Paul stated that Jesus is our righteousness. “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God
is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Cor
The Hungry and
Thirsty Filled
The blessed aspect of this promise is found in the fact that those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness shall indeed find their satisfaction. “Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.” (Ps 107:8,9) (KJV) It is the character of God to fulfill the desires and longings of the hungry and thirsty. He does so to His glory. God is exalted when we come to Him for our satisfaction. In no other way can we truly honor God than by desiring Him and seeking our joy in Him alone.
Let us read
some of the promises God has made to the hungry and thirsty. “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call
upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
He will fulfil the desire of them
that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.” (Ps 145:18-19)
(KJV) God promises to fulfill the
desire of those who fear Him and call upon Him.
“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy
wine and milk without money and without price.
Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that
which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even
the sure mercies of David.” (Isa 55:1-3) (KJV) While many people are “Looking for Love
in All The Wrong Places” and laboring to find joy, God
calls for us to come to Him and receive the only satisfaction that is lasting and
free! The apostle Paul certainly seems
to have learned this. “I have
learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know
both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things
I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer
need. I can do all things through Christ which
strengtheneth me.” (Phil 4:11-13) (KJV) Contentment,
satisfaction, and strength all come from Christ. He truly and fully satisfies those who come
to Him. Have you found this joy and
satisfaction? Not only is it a promise,
it is a command. “Delight thyself
also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” (Ps 37:4)
(KJV)