Matthew 5:4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Luke 6:21b Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh.

Psalm 30:2 O Lord my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.

5 For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Isaiah 12:1 And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.

2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.

Isaiah 51:11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

12a I, even I, am he that comforteth you.

Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

II Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

4 Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

MEMORY VERSE: I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. —John 14:18

CENTRAL THOUGHT: Those who have mourned their sinful condition and wept in godly sorrow are promised the comfort of God’s salvation, forgiveness, and abiding presence.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Matthew 5:4 “Comforted”: to call near; to call to one’s side; to exhort, encourage; to refresh, cheer. In this case, the consolation (comfort) is given not in words but by the experience of a happier lot. (See also II Corinthians 1:3-4.)

Psalm 30:5 “Weeping may endure”: may come to lodge, as a wayfarer or a guest for the night.

Isaiah 12:1 “Comfortedst”: from a primitive root meaning to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly; by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to pity or console; or (unfavorably) to avenge (oneself).

Isaiah 40:2 “Double for all her sins”: Some commentators say this means a double punishment: the Jews were carried into Babylonian captivity and at the time of Jesus were in Roman captivity. But some interpret it to mean that God would give blessings double to the punishment. As this prophecy points directly to the message that John the Baptist brought to the Jews, preparing them for the Messiah, who would take away their sins AND baptize them with the Holy Spirit, many reformers apply this to the full gospel message of justification and sanctification. “Let the water and the blood from Thy wounded side which flowed, be of sin a double cure; save from wrath and make me pure” (Rock of Ages, by Augustus M. Toplady).

John 14:18 “Comfortless”: bereaved; an orphan; fatherless; desolate.

LESSON BACKGROUND

Closely following and related to the first “Blessed,” the second pronounces the blessing of the consolation of the Comforter for those who have seen their needy condition and cried out to God about it. The Psalmist and Isaiah both describe the condition of mourning before God when cognizant of His wrath toward our sin, and the comfort of His release and pardon. Isaiah goes further and points to Christ bringing a double solution to sin. The deep spiritual truths about what salvation will do in a man’s life are later described in the other verses in Isaiah 40, 51, and 66. Going into the New Testament, the Greek word for comfort expands the meaning as it is applied to the Holy Spirit and His role of advocate, intercessor and helper.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. How Long? How did the Psalmist contrast the time of weeping with the joy that came later?
2. Speak Ye Comfortably: With what message was the “Voice” to comfort God’s people? Name the specifics.
3. Double: What does this mean when applied to salvation?
4. A Word Picture: According to Isaiah, what is the manner in which God comforts His people?
5. How Much? What words in II Corinthians describe the scope of God’s comfort?
6. His Promise: In what condition did He promise not to leave us?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

I’ll never forget a message I heard at the graveside of a young husband suddenly taken from his family. The minister spoke of Mary and Martha who were grieving the death of their brother Lazarus. When Jesus came to the scene, Mary, silent and solitary, was grieving inside her home. After Jesus spoke with Martha, He asked for Mary. “The Master is come, and calleth for thee,” Martha told Mary. The minister told the young widow, “Some day, in your grief, Jesus is going to call you. He’s going to come and call you to come close to Him.”

That indeed is the deep meaning to the word “comfort.” To call near. He will call us near unto Himself, and that is the ultimate comfort. What is so precious is HOW He comforts: as one whom his mother comforts. When I comforted my children in their little scrapes and heartaches, I took them up on my lap, in my arms, and held them close, soothing and wiping tears away.

When we are in sin we are far from God. Our sins have separated us from Him. “But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). Truly we can now rejoice and sing praise; we have been pardoned, our sins have been avenged by the blood of Jesus and we are no longer under His wrath. Sorrow, the night visitor, has taken his flight as the Sun of Righteousness arises in our hearts, and we are held closely, consoled and healed by His enfolding rays.

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

REFLECTIONS

We’ve all seen the sad images of people rifling through debris after a natural disaster, trying to salvage and piece back together what’s left of their homes and their lives. The things that were once of great value are gone. Photos and heirlooms, things that are irreplaceable, have been destroyed.

I can only imagine the sorrow that they experience. Their lives have been torn apart. What was once a place of comfort is now a place of despair. If we could translate this scene into the spiritual equivalent, we would see that sin has ravaged the lives of so many people. It’s destroyed homes and torn families apart.

The regrets and disappointments of sin take their toll on our physical, spiritual and emotional life. “If only I had not done that.” ”If only I had listened.” “If I knew then what I know now.” Satan has the ability to blind our eyes to the consequences of our choices. We don’t see the pain and heartache that our pursuit of sin brings to us and to those around us. But when the Lord, in his mercy, opens our eyes and we see the damage, we come to our senses and we are sorrowful.

As we sift through the destruction and try to piece back together what is left, we mourn. We mourn our loss of innocence and the wasted time and resources.

However, the good news is that there is help and there is hope. It is at these times that Christ who loves us comes to our rescue and provides comfort. Mourning is a healthy expression of loss and the scripture gives us a blessed promise—if we mourn, we SHALL be comforted.

—Bro. Darrell Johnson