BEATITUDES THREE – BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
March 31, 2011
Blessed Are The Meek
Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. NKJV
In this third declaration of blessedness made by Jesus, our Lord is promising a blessedness, which speaks of “spiritual well-being and prosperity,” a deep joy of the soul, to those who are meek. Perhaps we can in-vision in our minds where meekness could lead to the spiritual well-being of one’s soul but how does meekness lead to prosperity? But this is the promise of Jesus, that the meek shall inherit the earth.
What does that mean to be meek? According to Webster’s dictionary, it means to be submissive or humble. The Greek scholar, Spiros Zodhiates adds lowly to the definition and other words that could describe what it means to be meek are gentleness, considerate, unassuming. So therefore, one who is meek could be described as one who is submissive, humble, lowly, gentle, considerate and unassuming.
These qualities don’t seem to be the qualities of a people who will inherit the earth. We might be more apt to think that the aggressive and the self-assertive will inherit the earth but not the meek.
As I thought about examples of those who were meek in the Bible, two people immediately came to mind: Moses and Jesus.
- Moses
Num 12:1 Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married; for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2 So they said, “Has the LORD indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the LORD heard it. 3(Now the man Moses was very humble (KJV = very meek), more than all men who were on the face of the earth.)
As the Lord dealt with Miriam and Aaron’s rebellion, He said to them that His servant Moses is “faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
The fear of the Lord came upon Miriam and Aaron when she became leprous but Moses shows his meekness by praying for those who had cursed him and God heard his prayer and healed his sister.
- Jesus
Matt 21:5 “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, Lowly (KJV = meek), and sitting on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
Jesus came lowly, in gentleness, in humbleness and in meekness. He who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Phil 2:6-9).
Meekness in the light of God’s Word is a poverty of spirit, the absence of boastfulness or pride; it is seeing ourselves in the light of the Lord, which brings a true revelation of ourselves. When we finally see God for who He is, we will then have a proper perspective of who we are.
This is so far from the world’s philosophy. To the world the meek is looked down upon and sort of run over. The world will say to the meek, “You’ll never get anywhere, unless you’re aggressive and self-assertive.” But Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth.”
Can we be meek and humble like Moses and Jesus? Not in our own strength but our Lord Jesus has said to us, “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:29).