Meek As Lambs

"For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." (Psalm 37: 10, 11 KJV)

"The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever." (Psalm 22: 26 KJV)

When the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, who's mother was Jewish but who's father was Greek, he said to him: "and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus." (II Timothy 3: 15 NIV)

Surely Jesus knew even better than Timothy the Holy Scriptures. Surely both Joseph and Mary taught Jesus the Hebrew Torah, or Old Testament.

The evidence of this is seen when Christ was but 12 years of age, when he was in the Temple discussing the Torah as one who was wiser and more knowledgeable in it than the scribes and priests who were many times older than he. (See Luke 2: 41-48)

The Lord Jesus Christ was a man who knew the holy scriptures. If one studies the sermons and teachings of Christ, he will see that the overwhelming majority of things he taught were already taught in the Old Testament. He expanded truth as it was prophesied that he would - "he will magnify the law, and make it honourable." (Isaiah 42: 21 KJV)

Much more was taught in the Old Testament than the Jews had "eyes to understand." (See Luke 24: 44)

"Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." (Matthew 5: 5 KJV)

By these words it is clear that Jesus understood the verses in the Old Testament cited above relative to the promises Lord God had made to the "meek." He knew what David had said in relation to the "meek" of the earth and he simply rephrased and condensed the words of David, and of the other Old Testament prophets.

When Jesus promised the "earth" or "land" to the "meek," he was promising salvation. To inherit the "new heavens and the new earth" is only for the saved and the redeemed. (II Peter 3: 13 KJV) On the other hand, the non-meek will not "inherit the earth," and "will not be," meaning "will not be here on earth," for the promise is prevalent throughout the Old Testament Scriptures that the wicked will be removed from this world and consigned to a far off region of woe, called Gehenna, or the "lake of fire."

Later on in the 37th Psalm David adds this thought to the idea of the meek inheriting the earth while the wicked are removed.

"Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." (Vs. 34)

"I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD." (Psalm 101: 8 KJV)

"Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul. Praise ye the LORD." (Psalm 104: 35 KJV)

"But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it." (Proverbs 2: 22 KJV)

"The righteous shall never be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth." (Proverbs 10: 30 KJV)

The wicked are like squatters and tresspassers. Like weeds they will be "uprooted" and "removed."

"Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite. The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground." (Psalm 147: 5, 6 KJV)

"For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation." (Psalm 149: 4 KJV)

Again, we see how salvation is promised only to the "meek," and that the wicked, who are anything but "meek," are destroyed as weeds.

What does it mean to be "meek"? Its importance is seen from the fact that eternal salvation is promised only to those who are judged to be such by the Lord.

In the bible there are some words often associated with the word "meek." They are the words humble and gentle. All three words, taken together, may be well symbolized by the lamb, so that to be meek, humble, and gentle, is to be lamb like.

As Christ is both a Lion and a Lamb, both bold and meek, so too are Christians, for they emulate Christ.

"At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep. Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry? Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared, and was still, When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah." (Psalm 76: 6-9 KJV)

This is a recounting of and commentary upon the story of the Exodus by the Psalmist. What is interesting about his account is the fact that he looks upon the event as one in which Jehovah is bringing salvation to the meek of the land, to the Israelites, who had been humbled and made meek and gentle by their abject condition as slaves in Egypt.

"Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things." (Psalm 45: 3, 4 KJV)

That Exodus experience was but a miniature, however, simply a "prelude" of what is yet to come in that time called the "day of the Lord." In that Exodus event Lord God not only "brought the meek out" of a life of misery, where they daily were "eking out" a living and a decent existence, but he also destroyed the "proud" of the land, the "haughty" Egyptians, who were anything but "meek."

"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth: with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (Isaiah 11: 4 KJV)

So, the greater future Exodus is spoken of as occurring at that time when the Lord Jesus, according to the Apocalypse, fulfills the words of the prophet and returns to "smite the earth (land)" and when he comes to "slay the wicked" with the "breath of his lips" (a verse no doubt alluded to by Paul in II Thessalonians 2: 8), and will also be a time when the Lord comes to uproot the proud and those who are not meek. Christ will return to exalt the meek, to make them the rich kings of the "world to come," to cause them to "inherit" the land and all the promised blessings of God attached to it.

"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness. The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." (Isaiah 29: 18, 19 KJV)

"That day" is of course the day when Christ returns and when "all things are made new" (Revelation 21: 5 KJV) and when the meek "inherit the new heavens and the new earth."

"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." (Isaiah 61: 1 KJV)

This prophecy chiefly concerns Christ, and then, secondarily, those who are sent out by him to bear the "good news" of his work of redemption. The good news is announced to all, but they do not apply to all. All may be saved who hear the gospel. But, all who hear the gospel do NOT believe it, and are NOT spiritually humbled and made meek by it. If one is spiritually meek and poor in spirit, then, by the word and promise of Christ, that person will surely be saved, and will inherit eternal life, enjoying the Eden's land forever.

"Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger." (Zephaniah 2: 3 KJV)

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." (Galatians 5: 22, 23 KJV)

The above two verses, taken together, again show that salvation is only promised to the "meek." Men, in seeking to be meek, are but seeking a "new heart" and a "new spirit," a new character and attitude, one that is exemplified first in Christ Jesus, and then in his born again people. The verses also show that it is only the Holy Spirit that can produce this "meekness" of spirit which characterizes the inner being and external life of the "elect of God."

It was said by the prophet - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (Psalm 127: 1 KJV)

We may equally say that "except the Lord produce meekness in the heart they labor in vain who attempt to produce it there." And, how many seeking sinners need this word of instruction! They need to know that the meekness of spirit that comes in the Christian conversion experience is what the Holy Spirit creates, and not what the sinner himself manufactures. The sinner must come to Christ and seek his meekness, and his gentle spirit.

"Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." (Matthew 11: 29 KJV)

"Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass." (Matthew 21: 5 KJV)

"Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you." (II Corinthians 10: 1 KJV)

Notice how Paul joins together "meekness" with "gentleness." A meek and gentle person, as was Christ, is someone who is non-violent, and harmless, and peace loving, and who only wants to "be good to" his neighbors. Surely it was these qualities that the evangelist had in mind when he spoke of the career of Christ in these words -

"How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." (Acts 10: 38 KJV)

"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens." (Hebrews 11: 26 KJV)

"Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." (Numbers 12: 3 KJV)

So, here is another way in which Moses is a type or figure of Christ, the Messiah. It was Moses who had said to the ancient Israelites - "The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken." (Deuteronomy 18: 15 KJV)

Moses is not known for his "meekness." When bible students list the "likenesses" existing between Moses and the Messiah, it is likely that meekness and gentleness get excluded.

Jesus is the superlative "meek" one, the one who is "lowly in heart," and the one whom Moses was but a miniature figure.

"Good and upright is the LORD: therefore will he teach sinners in the way. The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies." (Psalm 25: 8-10 KJV)

The "meek" are the objects of God's affections! Of his regular attention! He "guides" and "teaches" them. The "meek" may be viewed as weak and timid, and as poor and ignorant, here in the world, and by the world, but they are nevertheless the truly strong and bold, and the really rich and wise, being judged so by Lord God himself.

"Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted." (Galatians 6: 1 KJV)

Notice how being "meek" is expressed by being "in the spirit of meekness." Also, that is is connected with being "spiritual," and also with being spiritually introspective, with regulary and habitually practicing what is called "considering," or self evaluating oneself in the light of the word of God. It is also connected with spiritual wisdom for the meek and spiritually introspective person is one who considers consequences, having foresight, and who always "considers himself LEST," in his decision making.

"Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom." (James 3: 13 KJV)

Again, the "meek" are the "wise".

"But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (I Peter 3: 4 KJV)

Again, another connection of "meekness" with a "meek spirit" and how a "meek spirit" is itself connected with a "quiet spirit." Notice too how this "meek" and "lowly spirit" is a spiritual "ornament" that "adorns" the character of the people of God, and also how this inner meekness is connected with the "hidden man of the heart," that "heart" that God promised to create in believers.

"I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Ephesians 4: 1-3 KJV)

"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering." (Colossians 2: 12 KJV)

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." (I Timothy 6: 11 KJV)

The above verses show how much the apostles promoted meekness as a qualifying characteristic of the "new heart" and "new spirit" that is given by the Messiah to those who believe on him. (See Ezekiel 11: 19; 18: 31; 36: 26 KJV)

Notice the "elect of God" are such as are characterized by being "meek" and with having a "humble mind."

"In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth." (II Timothy 2: 25 KJV)

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear." (I Peter 3: 15 KJV)

"...receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1: 21 KJV)

The above verses show how that they who preach the gospel to others, and who show others the way of salvation, ought to be they who teach humbly and meekly, and not with arrogance and egotism. They also show that the word of God, if it is to save a sinner, must be received "with meekness" by the sinner. Oh the great need of sinners coming to Christ and of looking to his Holy Spirit to make them humble and meek!

"To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men." (Titus 3: 2 KJV)

"Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great." (II Samuel 22: 36; Psalm 18: 35 KJV)

Oh the great value then of being meek and humble, of being gentle as was Christ! The only way to become so is to receive Christ, to receive his spirit, and the new heart promised. Notice how "greatness," both now and for eternity, is connected with this meek, gentle, and lowly heart and spirit.

"Go your ways: behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves." (Luke 10: 3 KJV)