01.06.2021
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
We are now in the year 2021. Back in December, we began looking at the Beatitudes which Jesus gave to us from the Sermon on the Mount. He had gone up on the mountain, much like Moses did of old. He is ‘the Prophet’ which Moses said would one day come. He then sat down and taught His disciples.
The Beatitudes are simple statements which describe how one can be fully spiritually satisfied. They picture what life will be like in the Millennial Kingdom,
We looked at the first Beatitude which dealt with self. The next three deal with my attitude toward sin. Last time we considered the first of these: “Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4) Today we turn to the second of these.
“Blessed are the meek…”
Our text today is based on Psalm 37:11, But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
In the ancient world, the word ‘meek’ meant ‘mild or gentle.’ Moses was said to be “the meekest man on the earth.” In his day, the word meant timid. We see this in his reaction to the call of the LORD to lead Israel. He gave several excuses as to why he wasn’t the guy for the job. Chief among those excuses was his inability to speak. God sent his brother Aaron along to help him. However, as the events unfolded, we see Moses taking the leadership. With the help of the LORD, this timid man led Israel for the forty-year journey through the wilderness.
However, Jesus elevated the word to new meaning, which unfortunately has been lost. Meekness is not weakness or timidity. It is rather power under control, like a horse that has been broken. The horse has the potential to be wild, but when it has been broken, it is under control. This powerful animal has to be held in with bit and bridle, but it is able to be controlled, to be ridden.
In a spiritual sense, meekness means to be quietly trusting and completely submitting to God. The first aspect of this is to accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You take God at His Word that Jesus is the only one who can save you from sin. Realizing your need as a sinner, you humble yourself before Him and trust Him
The second aspect is to trust Christ daily as your Lord and Guide. David wrote: Do not fret… trust in the LORD… delight yourself in the LORD… commit your way unto the LORD. Some of Jesus’ most famous words are: Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls (Matt 11:29).
“…for they shall inherit the earth.”
This is the promise of participation in a literal kingdom one day on this earth. We recently recognized Jesus’ first Advent as He came to this earth as the babe in the manger. He came the first time for a cross, to die for the sins of the world.
He is coming again a second time for a crown, to rule this earth from a throne in Jerusalem. Those who are His sons and daughters will have a place in that 1000-year Kingdom.
The Beatitudes are dealing with the steps to godliness, to becoming His sons and daughters. The first step is a recognition of our spiritual need. The second step is to repent (turn) from my sin. Today we learn that the third step is fervent submission to the will of God. Have you taken these important steps toward joy?