WAIT FOR THE LORD 

BEATITUDES 

• the Bible uses a distinct literary form called a beatitude to teach us how to be happy in this life 
• a beatitude is a verse that begins with "Blessed is…" or "Blessed are…" 
• the most familiar beatitudes are the nine Beatitudes of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:3–11; cf. Luke 6:20–22) 
• there are 89 beatitudes in the Bible (45 in the OT; 44 in the NT) 
• the first beatitude was written by Moses (Deut 33:29) and the greatest concentration is found in the Psalms in the OT 
• beatitudes are also found in classical Greek (Aristotle) and in intertestamental literature (Tobit 13:14; Sirach 25:8–9) 
• ashere (plural in Hebrew) and makarios (Greek) mean 'happy'—in beatitudes translate "Happy is…" or "Happy are…" 
• all beatitudes are promises of happiness 

WAITING FOR THE LORD 

• happiness is promised to those who wait for the LORD ('O the happiness of all those who wait for Him' Isa 30:18)
• hakah (wait) is used of waiting until morning light (2 Kings 7:9), waiting for your turn to speak (Job 32:4),
fleeing instead of waiting (2 Kings 9:3), bandits waiting in ambush (Hos. 6:9), and waiting for death (Job 3:21)
• wait (1) for God to act (Isa 64:3–4), (2) for God's will and guidance (Psa 106:13–15; cf. Psa 73:24), (3) for God to fulfill
a prophecy (Dan 12:12; Hab 2:2–3 = second coming of Christ in Heb 10:37),
(4) for God to judge the wicked (Zeph 3:8), and (5) for God's help and protection (Psa 33:18–20)
• qavah (wait) is used of waiting for vines to produce grapes (Isa 5:2, 4), waiting for rain (Mic 5:7), waiting in ambush (Psa 56:6),
waiting for wages (Job 7:2), waiting for sympathy (Psa 69:20), waiting for peace (Jer 8:15; 14:19), waiting for justice (Isa 5:7)
• waiting takes place in our souls (Psa 130:5)
• wait (1) for God to answer our prayers (Psa 40:1; 130:5–6), (2) for God to give rain—to intervene in the affairs of life (Jer 14:22),
(3) for Israel's deliverance from future difficulties (Gen 49:18), (4) for God to deliver you from evil (Prov 20:22),
(5) for the millennial Kingdom (Isa 51:5; 60:9), and (6) for the Eternal State (Isa 25:9)

APPLICATION 

• God is good to those who wait for Him (Lam 3:25)
• God gives physical strength and stamina to those who wait for Him (Isa 40:28–31)
• your enemies will not put you to shame if you wait for the LORD (Psa 25:1–3; of Israel in the Millennium, Isa 49:22–23)
• waiting for the LORD requires inner strength and courage (Psa 27:12–14)
• maintain your integrity while you wait for the LORD (Psa 25:21)
• waiting for the Lord requires faith, trust, hope, patience, self-control, steadfastness, endurance, and courage
• God makes us wait to show us He's boss, to show us how helpless and dependent we are, to make us appreciate His help,
to test our faith, to develop patience, self-control, and endurance, to demonstrate His grace
• wait continually—until God acts or answers your persistent prayers (Psa 25:5; Hos 12:6)
• why wait for the LORD? because you'll be happy while you're waiting (trust without worry)
and happy because you waited (you'll like the results)
• grace comes to those who wait for the LORD (Isa 33:2)
• millennial rewards will be given to those who wait for the LORD (Psa 37:9, 34)
• Pray…Have Faith…Keep Waiting…Be Courageous…Rest, Relax and Be Happy!