THE GOSPELS: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT: BEATITUDE 4, BLESSED are those who HUNGER and THIRST for RIGHTEOUSNESS, for they will be filled

15 May 2026

We are proceeding to study the SERMON of YESHUA on the MOUNT.

We are mainly reading from the Complete Jewish Study Bible – insight for Jews and Christians. We use the Hebrew letters for the name of God, YHVH (Yod-Heh-Vav-Heh) where the word LORD in English is indicated in capital letters in the Scriptures. The reason being that the Jewish writers removed the vowels in God’s name out of fear of transgressing the third Commandment of taking His Name in vain. And today there is a lot of controversy about the pronunciation of His Name.  We also refer to Him as Abba Father and use the Hebrew Name Yeshua the Messiah instead of the English Name Jesus Christ translated from the Greek.

We are studying the fourth BEATITUDE in Matthew 5:6 where Yeshua taught: “How BLESSED (meaning happy and fortunate) are those who HUNGER and THIRST for RIGHTEOUSNESS! For they will be FILLED.”

The study of RIGHTEOUSNESS in the WORD of GOD is a weighty subject and VERY IMPORANT to understand well and therefore it will require more than one message to cover it! So we ask Yeshua our Messiah, to OPEN our MINDS to UNDERSTAND HIS WORD as He did for His disciples according to Luke 24:45.

In Psalm 106:3 David said something similar to what our Messiah said in Matthew 5:6, namely: “Blessed (happy, fortunate) are those who ACT JUSTLY, who ALWAYS DO what is RIGHT.”

In Isaiah 28:17 God said: “I will make JUSTICE the measuring line and RIGHTEOUSNESS the plumb-line (measuring equipment used in construction to ensure that walls are straight and structures are level), hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, water will overflow the hiding place (HIS TRUTH will DESTROY all falsehood and deceit)…”

In Amos 5:24 God tells the people of Israel and Judah He hates and despises their festivals and take no pleasure in their solemn assemblies and they should spare Him the noise of their songs and the music of their harps and instead  “…let JUSTICE well up like water, and RIGHTEOUSNESS like an ever-flowing stream.”

This does not mean that God did not want them to celebrate HIS FEASTS as instructed by Him in His Word like in Leviticus 23, but they reduced these feasts and offerings to Him to religious fakery, becoming only outward ritualistic behaviour but their hearts were filled with idolatry, injustice and unrighteousness.

And in Proverbs 21:3 & 15 we read: “To DO what is RIGHT and JUST is more pleasing to YHVH than sacrifice.”

It is therefore clear that there is a CONNECTION BETWEEN RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE. And that is because WE SERVE a JUST and RIGHTEOUSS GOD!

The Nelson’s Foundational Bible Dictionary defines RIGHTEOUSNESS as: Conforming to God’s ethical (principled/ upright, virtuous) and moral (honest, honourable) standards. And JUSTICE is defined as: The PRACTICE and MAINTENANCE (preservation) of what is GOOD (moral, worthy, blameless) and RIGHT (correct and true), UPHOLDING (maintaining, keeping, protecting) what is JUST (fair, impartial, objective).

We read in Deuteronomy 10:18 and 27:19 specifically the REQUIREMENT of JUSTICE for the foreigner, the widow and the orphan – all being people having difficulty looking after and providing for themselves without the help from others.

In Isaiah 1:7 God says in line with this: “Wash yourselves clean! Get your evil deeds out of My sight! Stop doing evil, LEARN to DO GOOD! SEEK JUSTICE, relieve the oppressed (take the yoke off those who are burdened), defend (protect) orphans, plead for the widows. And James latch on to this in James 1:26-27 saying: “Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. The RELGIOUS OBSERVANCE (adherence, compliance) that GOD the FATHER considers PURE and FAULTLESS is this: to CARE for orphans and widows in their distress (suffering, pain, sorrow) and to keep oneself from being contaminated (polluted, made filthy) by the world.” Also read Jeremiah 22:3, Mica 6:8 and Zechariah 7:9-10.

In Deuteronomy 32:3-4 it is written: “For I will proclaim the NAME of YHVH. Come, declare the GREATNESS of our GOD! The ROCK! His work is perfect, for ALL HIS WAYS are JUST. A TRUSTWORTHY GOD who does no wrong, He is RIGHTEOUS and STRAIGHT (upright, decent and honest).”

In 2^nd Chronicles 19 king Jehoshaphat, a king of Judah (the Southern Kingdom), brought the people of Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom of Israel, consisting of Ten of the Tribes) back to YHVH their God and he appointed judges throughout the fortified cities of Judah and instructed them in verses 6-7: “Think about what you are doing, you are not dispensing (providing) JUSTICE by merely human standards but on behalf of YHVH; HE is with you when you deliver a verdict (decision, ruling, judgment). Therefore, let the FEAR of YHVH be upon you; be careful what you do; for YHVH our GOD does not allow dishonesty (deceit, fraud, corruption), partiality (bias, favoritism) or bribe-taking.”

Isaiah prophesied the following about Yeshua our Messiah in chapter 9:5-6, “For a CHILD is born to us, a SON is given to us, DOMINION will rest on HIS shoulders, and He will be given the NAME Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace, in order to extend the DOMINION and PERPETUATE (continue, preserve, spread) the PEACE (shalom in Hebrew meaning peace, tranquility, safety, well-being, welfare, health, contentment, success, comfort, wholeness and integrity) of the throne and kingdom of David to SECURE it and SUSTAIN it through JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS henceforth (from now on) and FOREVER. The zeal (fervor, passion, dedication, commitment) of YHVH will accomplish it.”

And in Isaiah 30:18-19 we read about God’s stubborn people who will be disciplined by God through their enemies pursuing them (chasing them, hunting them down): “A thousand will flee at the threat of one, you will flee at the threat of five, until you are left isolated, like a flagstaff (flagpole) on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill. Yet YHVH is just waiting to show you FAVOR, HE will have pity on you from high; for YHVH is a GOD of JUSTICE; happy (blessed) are ALL who WAIT for HIM!”

And in Isaiah 45:21c YHVH declares: “There is no God besides Me, a JUST GOD and SAVIOR (Rescuer, Redeemer, Liberator/ Deliverer), there is none besides Me.”

In Isaiah 51 the EVERLASTING SALVATION of ZION (the New Jerusalem) is prophesied and in verses 1-2, 4-8 & 11 God says: “LISTEN to Me, you PERSUERS of JUSTICE, you who SEEK YHVH: consider the ROCK from which you were CUT, the quarry from which you were dug – consider Abraham your father and Sarah, who gave birth to you (referring to Isaac and Jacob later named ISRAEL from which the TWELVE TRIBES of ISRAEL came); in that I CALLED him when he was only one person, then BLESSED him and made him MANY…Pay attention to Me, My people! My nation, LISTEN to ME! For TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy, summed up in the Ten Commandments) will go out from Me; I will CALM them with MY JUSTICE as a LIGHT for the people. My RIGHTEOUSNESS is at hand, MY SALVATION goes out. MY arms will JUDGE the peoples. The coastlands (these seem to include the descendants of Noah’s son Javan according to Genesis 10:5 and descendants of the tribe of Zebulun and Naphtali according to Genesis 49:13 and Matthew 4:14-16 and Isaiah 9:1-2 who formed part of ISRAEL (the Northern Kingdom, the Ten Tribes under Ephraim) and were scattered to the Coastlands according to Jeremiah 31:10, the remnant of the people of Judah according to Zephaniah 2:6-11, people from Tyre and Sidon according to Luke 6:17. Also read Yeshua’s Words in Matthew 15:24 saying, I was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel) PUTTING their HOPE in ME, TRUSTING in MY ARM (a reference to Yeshua the Messiah in the Old Testament). Raise your eyes toward the skies, look at the earth below. The skies will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like clothing. Those living on it will die like flies; but MY SALVATION WILL BE FOREVER, and MY JUSTICE WILL NEVER END. LISTEN to Me, you who KNOW JUSTICE, you people who HAVE MY TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy summed up in the Ten Commandments) in your HEART; don’t be afraid of people’s taunts (scoffing, mocking, name calling), don’t be upset (distressed, disappointed, dismayed, troubled, saddened) by their insults (verbal abuse, offences, wrongdoings). For the moth will eat them up like clothing, the worm will eat them like wool; but MY JUSTICE WILL BE FOREVER, and MY SALVATION for ALL GENERATIONS…Those RANDSOMED by YHVH will RETURN and come singing to Zion (the New Jerusalem); on their heads will be EVERLASTING JOY. They will acquire GLADNESS and JOY, while sorrow and sighing will flee.” Also read Isaiah 56:1, Revelation 7:17 and 21:1-4.

Likewise David explains in Psalm 37:28-31 “For YHVH LOVES JUSTICE and will not abandon His faithful; they are preserved FOREVER. But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off. The RIGHTEOUS will INHERIT the LAND (the New Earth) and live in it FOREVER. The mouth of the RIGHTEOUS articulates (speaks) wisdom, his tongue speaks JUSTICE. The TORAH of his GOD (Genesis to Deuteronomy, summed up in the Ten Commandments) is IN his HEART; his footsteps do not falter.”

Habakkuk saw the evil done during the reign of king Manasseh of Judah and in chapter 1:1-4 he laments to God: YHVH how long must I cry without You hearing? ‘Violence!’ I cry to you, but You don’t save. Why do You make me see wrongdoing, why do You permit oppression? Pillage (plundering, theft) and cruelty (meanness, nastiness, brutality) confront me. So that strife (conflict, friction) and discord (disharmony) prevail. Therefore TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy, summed up in the Ten Commandments) are not followed (are not kept); JUSTICE never gets rendered, because the wicked fence in (put limitations on) the RIGHTEOUS. This is why JUSTICE comes out perverted (corrupt).

In Isaiah 61:8a we read “For I YHVH, LOVE JUSTICE.”

In Jeremiah 9:22-23 YHVH says: “…The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he UNDERSTANDS and KNOWS ME – that I AM YHVH, PRACTICING GRACE, JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS in the land; for in these things I TAKE PLEASURE, says YHVH.”

In Daniel chapter 4 from verse 28 onwards, king Nebuchadnezzar takes pride in his own power and majesty and God took away his authority as ruler and humbled him by taking away his sanity and driving him away to the field and letting him eat grass like an ox until he admitted that God is the Most High and glorified Him as such. And then God restored Nebuchadnezzar’s sanity and reestablished him as ruler of his kingdom and he declared in verses 34-35 & 37: God’s “…RULERSHIP is EVERLASTING, HIS KINGDOM ENDURES through ALL generations. All who live on earth are counted as (adds up to) nothing. He DOES what HE WISHES with the ARMY (the powers) of HEAVEN and with those living on earth. No one can hold back HIS HAND or ask HIM, ‘What are You doing?’…So now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the KING of HEAVEN: For ALL HIS WORKS are TRUTH, and HIS WAYS are JUST; and HE can humble those who walk in pride.”

Amos chapter 5 is a lament and CALL to REPENTANCE to ISRAEL (the Northern Kingdom, the Ten Tribes under Ephraim) and we read in verses 14-15: “SEEK GOOD and not evil, so that you will SURVIVE. Then YHVH Elohei Tzva’ot (YHVH the God of Heaven’s Armies) will be with you, as you say He is. Hate evil, LOVE GOOD, and UPHOLD JUSTICE at the gate (the entrance of the city, and therefore also on your own doorstep!) Maybe YHVH Elohei Tzva’ot (YHVH the God of Heaven’s Armies) will take pity on the SURVIVORS of JOSEPH (alluding to ISRAEL, the Ten Tribes under Ephraim, Joseph’s son anointed by Jacob his grandfather as the eldest son although he was the youngest son of Joseph as well as Manasseh the other son of Joseph and one of the Tribes of the Northern Kingdom, read Genesis 48).”

In Job 34:10-12 we read: “So listen to me, you men with sense (wisdom, knowledge and understanding)! Far be it from God to do anything wicked! For He pays people back for what they Do and sees that EACH GETS what his CONDUCT (behavior) DESERVES. It is certain that God does nothing wicked; Shaddai (the Almighty) will not pervert (distort, corrupt) JUSTICE.  And in Job 37:23 it is repeated: Shaddai (the Almighty), whom we cannot find, WHOSE POWER IS IMMENSE, in HIS GREAT RIGHTEOUSNESS, does not pervert JUSCTICE.

In Psalm 33:4-5 we are told: “For the WORD of YHVH is TRUE, and ALL HIS WORK is TRUSTORTHY. HE LOVES RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE; the earth is FULL of the GRACE of YHVH.”

In Psalm 50:6 we read: “The heavens proclaim HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, for GOD HIMSELF IS JUDGE.” Also read Psalm 82:1-7 where it is again reiterated that He expects FAIR JUDGEMENT saying: “Give JUSTICE to the weak and fatherless! UPHOLD the RIGHTS of the wretched and poor! RESCUE the destitute and the needy; DELIVER them form the power of the wicked! This is confirmed in Hebrews 10:30 saying: “For the (capital letter) ONE we know is the ONE who said, “VENGEANCE (punishment, sentencing, penalty) is MY RESPONSIBILITY; I will REPAY, and then said, YHVH will JUDGE His people.” This is a quotation from Deuteronomy 32:35-36.

And in Psalm 89:14 it is CONFIRMED: “RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE are the FOUNDATION of YOUR THORNE; GRACE and TRUTH attend (are present with) YOU.” And in Psalm 99:4 it is declared: “MIGHTY KING who LOVES JUSTICE, You established FAIRNESS, JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS in Jacob (referring to UNITED ISRAEL, ALL TWELVE TRIBES).

And in Proverbs 2:6-15 we read: “For YHVH GIVES WISDOM; from HIS MOUTH (His Word) comes KNOWLEDGE and UNDERSTANDING. HE STORES up COMMON SENSE for the UPRIGHT (the decent and the honest), is a SHIELD to those whose conduct (behavior, ways) is blameless (innocent), in order to GUARD (safeguard) the courses (the paths) of JUSTICE and PRESERVE the WAY of those FAITHFUL to HIM. Then you will UNDERSTAND RIGTEOUSNESS, JUSTICE, FAIRNESS and EVERY GOOD PATH. For WISDOM (possibly referring to His Torah and His Holy Spirit!) will ENTER your HEART, KNOWLEDGE will be ENJOYABLE (pleasant) for you, DISCRETION will watch over you, and DISCERNMENT will guard you. They will SAVE you from the way of evil and from those who speak deceitfully, who leave the PATHS of HONESTY to walk the ways of darkness, who delight (enjoy, have pleasure) in doing evil and take joy (pleasure) in being stubbornly (willfully) deceitful (dishonest, false), from those whose tracks (footpaths) are twisted (perverse, bitter/ nasty/ hostile/ unfriendly, cruel/ unkind).”

Proverbs 28:5 goes on saying: “Evil people don’t understand (comprehend, grasp, follow) JUSTICE, but those who SEEK YHVH understand everything.”

We read in Matthew 12:15b-21, “Many people followed Him (Yeshua); and He healed them all but warned them not to make Him known. This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah (referring to Isaiah 42:1-4), Here is MY SERVANT, whom I have chosen, MY BELOVED, with whom I am well pleased; I will put MY SPIRIT on HIM, and HE will announce JUSTICE to the Gentiles (people not from the Southern Kingdom, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, therefore non-Jewish people). He will not fight or shout, no one will hear His voice in the streets, He will not snap off a broken reed (someone who is damaged and have a broken heart) or snuff out a smoldering wick (someone who is losing his or her fire due to spiritual, physical or moral weakness and may be stressed, troubled and depressed) until He has brought JUSTICE through to VICTORY. In Him the Gentiles (people not from Jewish descent/ the tribes of Judah and Benjamin) will put their HOPE.”

And we are WARNED:

In Proverbs 29:26 Not to seek JUSTICE from rulers (leaders, head of states), because it is from YHVH that each person gets JUSTICE, meaning EVERYONE will RECEIVE what he or she deserves, equating to the SOW and REAP principle in the WORD of GOD explained by Messiah Yeshua as what we DO to others will be done to us in Matthew 7:1-12 and Luke 6:31. And therefore the JUDGEMENT that each of us will receive comes down to the CHOICES and DECISIONS each person made with their own free will and therefore it is considered as FAIR JUDGEMENT. And we read this up to the last chapter in His Word, Revelation 22:12 with Yeshua saying: Pay attention! I am coming soon, and My rewards are with Me to give to each person according to what he has DONE.”