From the book: Sermon on the Mount. Vol. 1 |
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Sermon on the Mount, #5 |
MEEKNESS AND ITS BLESSING Sermon #32 "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth," MAT 5:5. Our text deals with the blessedness of the meek, "for they shall inherit the earth." These beatitudes are the steps which lead us into the Temple of Christ. Each of these steps—humility, penitence, and meekness—are only obtained through grace. Those who are privileged to obtain these graces find that they never receive them in the way of perfection. They might have humility, yet they may still have to strive against pride that continually sticks up its ugly head. They may be blessed with the grace of mourning over the power of sin. They find that the mourning is continual because sin continues to boil up in their heart. They have to continue to mourn over the sins of each day. Meekness is the third step leading into the Temple. This is a special grace. Even those who have been given grace in the richest measure must strive day after day against the sin of pride and rebellion. Let's look at the blessedness of the grace of meekness. "Blessed are the meek" is against human reasoning. The human reasoning of the heart boils up against the grace of meekness. Human reasoning strives for honor, superiority, aggressiveness, and self-centeredness. The sin of self-centeredness continually boils up in the heart. This grace must continue to war against that sin. A meek personality is not what Jesus meant when He said blessed are the meek! A timid, shy, and quiet temperament is not the meekness that Christ spoke about. He was not speaking of those who yield to others and who are quick to give in when challenged. Moses was the meekest of all men. NUM 12:2-3 says, ("Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.") Moses' meekness must be analyzed in three different places. His meekness was God-centered. Moses would not defend his own name, but he would stand to defend the name of the Lord at all costs. Moses was put down for his personality, character, and leadership; yet he never defended himself. Moses was not, however, a meek man when defending the Lord. He did not yield to the men who challenged the Lord. This is the distinction between true spiritual meekness and yielding to every challenge. Many people yield to every challenge against God and His Word, as well as against themselves! This is not meekness which Jesus calls blessed. Moses' grace of meekness ebbed and flowed. The graces we receive from the Lord go through a spiritual warfare. The Spirit is striving against the flesh, and the flesh against the Spirit. These graces ebb and flow because of this continual warfare throughout our life. Moses, who was the meekest of all men, was not allowed to enter the promised land of Canaan. Can you guess why? It was because he lacked meekness. Moses did not sanctify the Lord. In a weak moment, the grace of Moses' meekness was withdrawn. Watch where Moses' meekness failed. Moses did not sanctify the Lord. Moses claimed that he was fetching the water. The Lord told Moses, '...and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water.' See what Moses did. NUM 20:7-12 says, "And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. [Moses didn't sanctify the Lord by saying, 'And the Lord will bring you water out of the rock.'] And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them." When the grace of meekness was withdrawn from Moses, the meekest of all men fell and was not meek. In his weak moment he railed upon the congregation of the Lord. Moses said, "Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?" The blessedness of meekness is a special grace which is given from the Lord. We find that it ebbs and flows. NUM 12:3 says, "(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)" The Scriptures show us many examples of the blessedness of the meekness of Moses. Moses prayed for Aaron his brother and Miriam his sister when they came against him in NUM 12:1-13. The fact that Moses didn't make the slightest attempt to defend himself symbolizes the meekness within him. He didn't try to defend his honor. Moses' own brother and sister spoke against him. The Lord had sent Aaron with Moses through the ten plagues of Egypt and anointed him the priest of the Lord. This is the brother who spoke against Moses. What was Aaron's charge? We find it in V:1. Aaron charged Moses very grievously. "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman." Aaron spoke against Moses for his wife. V:2 says, "And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it." The charge brought against Moses would be enough to ignite every sense of dignity in a normal person to defend himself. Aaron spoke against the closest part of Moses' intimacy—his own wife. Aaron also charged Moses with exalting himself, saying that the Lord had spoken by him alone. These are very grievous charges. We can see the demonstration of his meekness in V:10. "And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous." The priest held the authority to determine if a person had leprosy. When the leprosy broke out in Miriam, Aaron asked Moses to pray for her. Moses did not condemn them for judging him earlier. He did not defend his own honor. NUM 12:13 says, "And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee." This is a demonstration of meekness. Moses did not point his finger at Aaron or Miriam. Moses immediately prayed that the Lord would be merciful. For his own name, his own honor, his own glory, Moses was meek above all men which were upon the face of the earth. Moses never tried to defend himself. Spiritual meekness is the ability to let your own honor come behind other people's or the Lord's. EXO 14:11 says, "And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?" The people came against Moses. They didn't accuse the Lord, they accused Moses of bringing them out because there were no graves in Egypt. V:12 says, "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." When Moses was being attacked by the entire congregation of Israel, he didn't defend his own name. Moses directed their attention away from themselves and to the salvation of the Lord. "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever," V:13. Moses said, "...Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever." Moses directed their eyes to the blessed salvation that the Lord would send. Moses told them that the salvation of their deliverance that day would go down in history and glorify the Lord for all eternity. This is a demonstration of meekness. The people of Israel charged Moses with bringing them into the wilderness to die. They brought grievous accusations against Moses. Moses' first and only response was to direct their eyes unto the salvation of the Lord. Moses used their accusation to glorify God. The people murmured against Moses in EXO 15:23-24. "And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?" The congregation of Israel brought their charges against Moses personally. Moses did not defend himself. Immediately, Moses let his name be trampled, but he stood to glorify God. Moses cried unto the Lord for them. V:25 says, "And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them." The Lord gave Moses the grace of meekness to take the accusations against him and turn to the Lord in their behalf. The tree of life was cast into the waters. This is a type of Christ. Christ stood for true meekness. He took the penalty of all their sins. The tree was placed in the waters, and the waters became sweet. These are symbols of true spiritual meekness. Abraham was meek. This grace, which the Lord gives to His people, is shown in Abraham in GEN 13:8-9. "And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left." Look at Abraham's meekness. The Lord had sent him to inherit the land of Canaan. The Lord had given him the promises. Lot had just gone along. When the contentions arose, Abraham placed Lot before himself. Abraham gave Lot the choice of land; Abraham preferred Lot ahead of himself. This is such a demonstration of meekness. Abraham was not self-centered when he gave Lot the choice of land. Lot chose the plains of Sodom by the sight of his eyes. He saw the beauty of the riches of the grass. Lot chose from the wrong priorities. Abraham, in his meekness, did not strive with Lot. Isaac demonstrated meekness in GEN 26:19-22. "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley, and found there a well of springing water. And the herdmen of Gerar did strive with Isaac's herdmen, saying, The water is ours: and he called the name of the well Esek; because they strove with him. And they digged another well, and strove for that also: and he called the name of it Sitnah. [After Isaac's men dug the well, when the herdmen of Gerar strove for it, Isaac let them have it. This showed Isaac's meekness.] And he removed from thence, and digged another well; and for that they strove not: and he called the name of it Rehoboth; and he said, For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land." Isaac showed the spirit of meekness by giving up the wells that his men had dug until there was room enough for everyone in the land. Moses was not timid, shy, quiet tempered, or yielding to others when it came to God's Name, honor, or law. We must understand that a timid, shy temperament in itself is not true meekness. Most often they are the very ones in the churches who will allow God's Word or His name to be desecrated for peace sake. They think they are peacemakers! They will allow things which are absolutely against the Word of God to happen because they are concerned about not stirring the water or becoming a trouble maker. This is not the peacemaker which Jesus calls blessed, nor is this the meekness spoken of in our text. Meekness means not preferring yourself. When the Word of God is being dishonored, we must defend. Watch what Moses, the meekest of all men, did in EXO 32:19-21. "And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount. [Moses was not quiet, timid, shy, or yielding to the voice of others. Moses demonstrated his displeasure.] And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. [Moses did not try to be a peacemaker. He came in very forcefully when it came to the will and honor of God.] And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" We must understand that meekness is not standing for our own honor. It is standing for God's honor. Being meek does not mean that for peace's sake we should allow the Word of God to be dishonored. We must be troublemakers against the things which go against God's honor. The apostle Paul was known as a troublemaker because he showed the people how they were stomping on the Word of God. Moses did not act shy and timid when the Lord's name was being dishonored; that is not meekness. An inferiority complex is not the meekness spoken of by Jesus. Concern of not being able to measure up to other people is in itself a sense of pride. An inferiority complex is an unhealthy view of oneself in comparison with others. It is a fear of being laughed at or despised. It is very self-centered. Spiritual meekness is God-centered. The blessed meekness spoken of by the Lord Jesus Christ is a God-centered meekness. There is a difference between spiritual poverty and spiritual meekness. Spiritual poverty is mourning over our short comings in light of God's just demands. Spiritual meekness is how we view ourselves with regards to others. Spiritual poverty is speaking of a debt that we cannot pay. True meekness prefers the other before oneself. ROM 12:9-10 says, "Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another." Prefer the other before yourself. Look at the other person's honor as more important than your own. The Lord's honor is more important than our own. Like Moses, we must not defend our own honor when it is being destroyed. When the honor of God is being destroyed, we must defend His honor. Don't be timid when you are defending the honor of God. Defending God's Word can cause you to be put out of the church as a troublemaker because you are stirring up the church. Then you may be told, "Thou art the man," that troubles Israel because you have caused a stir in the church. One time the Lord laid JER 15:19 on my heart. "...and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as my mouth." Separating the precious from the vile is to separate truth from error. What is more precious than truth, and what is more vile than error? If you separate the truth from the error in your church "as [God's] mouth," you are branded as a troublemaker. You are then not a meek person in the eyes of man. This doesn't mean that you are not meek in the eyes of the Lord. By nature we are quick to justify self. We are self-centered. Meekness is God-centered. John the Baptist said in JOH 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease." Job did not complain that his rights were violated. See how his friends and acquaintances came against him and laid many and grievous charges against him. Read Job 22 and see how grievously they charged him of the most heinous crimes! Job was accused of the most horrible crimes, but he did not defend his own honor. Job turned his face to the Lord saying, "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes," JOB 42:5-6. Job stood for the honor of God. Human nature cannot justify God's sovereignty or dealings in providence. Human nature is not able to prefer the honor of God before the honor of man. The modern day religion has a sovereign man and a God who sits in a helpless position. Modern religion does not hold to the honor that God is sovereign in their salvation. Religious people today want the right to decide whether they will be saved or not. They cannot bow to the sovereignty of God in election. They don't understand ROM 9:14- 16. "What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid. For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." True meekness is coming before the Lord and saying, "By grace I am saved. If I differ, it is only by the grace of God." Human nature cannot justify the sovereignty of God. LUK 13:1-5 says, "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. [In God's sovereignty, he allowed in His providence for the blood of the Galilaeans to be mingled with their sacrifices, but that didn't mean they were sinners above others.] Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." True meekness submits to God's sovereignty. True spiritual meekness can justify the Lord in their own condemnation. We must be able to submit to the sovereignty of God if we are going to claim spiritual meekness. "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." True spiritual meekness is an unconditional surrender to the sovereign will of God. This is what brings us as beggars before the throne of God pleading for mercy. Mercy is undeserved favour. Our will becomes dissolved in the will of God. This is not self-centered; this is God-centered. The sovereignty of God is righteous and just. Job's meekness was displayed in accepting God's sovereignty. JOB 1:20-21 says, "Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." That is such a blessed demonstration of meekness. Job was stripped of everything he owned, yet he never defended himself. Job never claimed the children, cattle, sheep, or other possessions. Instead, Job said that the Lord gave them, and the Lord took them away, "...blessed be the name of the LORD." This is a powerful demonstration of meekness to the sovereignty of the will of God. Job understood what Peter said 1PE 2:19-20. "For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God." Job suffered wrongfully. The people took his property, killed his servants, and his children died. What does it mean, "For this is thankworthy?" This means that it is showing gratitude for Christ's suffering. Christ suffered wrongfully. He had no sin, yet He died as a malefactor. He was hanged upon the cross. He was accused of blasphemy. His life was wrongfully taken. Suffering wrongfully is showing gratitude for the sacrifice of Christ and that which He suffered. Job understood this. Spiritual meekness is rooted in our relationship with the Lord, but it flows over into our relationship with others. The first full demonstration of meekness is to be able to surrender everything, as Job did, to the sovereign will of God. If we are able to see that the will of God is so much higher, then we are able to surrender everything. Spiritual meekness also overflows into our relationships with others. Our spiritual meekness is full of shortcomings. We can see this in our own hearts and in those who have the greatest profession of meekness. I have known people who constantly speak about their sins and miseries being such a burden; but when they are reproved of one sin that they walk in openly, they become like a wolverine! A wolverine is a small animal, yet it is able to attack and kill a grizzly bear by grabbing it by the throat. You suggest repentance over just one of their sins, and all at once they will turn on you as the worst enemy they have ever known. Their self-righteousness is stirred up. Some who pretend to be the meekest people are like this. PRO 9:8 says, "Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee: rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee." Meekness is not to be measured by a pretense of love. Some people seem to be so loving. They have such love for their fellow man until they think that he might identify a sin of theirs; then he is accused of being judgmental. Is that true meekness? The Lord will sort out the hypocrites as far as meekness is concerned. The Lord is looking for those who pray with David in PSA 139:23-24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." The Lord Jesus said in JOH 3:20, "For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." The righteous come to the light. We all have many things wherein we offend, but do we want to come to the light to have them identified? That is the trial of spiritual meekness. Do we want to identify the areas we are walking in which are displeasing to the Lord? David's meekness ebbed and flowed. 1 SA 24:3-4 says, "And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily." This was a demonstration of true meekness. V:5-6 say, "And it came to pass afterward, that David's heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul's skirt. And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD." The Lord put Saul into David's hand "...that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee." What did David do? Sparing Saul's life seemed good unto David because Saul was the anointed of the Lord. David's heart smote him that he had even cut off a piece of Saul's skirt. This proved that David could have destroyed him. This is a demonstration of true spiritual meekness. Who was Saul? Saul was in that cave because he was hunting for David to slay him. David's meekness shows when his heart smote him because he had touched the garment of the anointed one of God. David's men wanted to slay Saul on the spot. The Lord put Saul into his hand so that David could do unto him as David saw fit. What did David see fit to do? He gave reverence to Saul's office as being anointed of the Lord in spite of his need to flee from Saul to save his own life. David showed reverence. That is meekness. David sent his servants to Nabal. This shows how David's meekness ebbs and flows. When the grace of meekness wasn't granted to him in the same measure, David wasn't so meek. 1-SA 25:10-11 says, "And Nabal answered David's servants, and said, Who is David? and who is the son of Jesse? there be many servants now a days that break away every man from his master. Shall I then take my bread, and my water, and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men, whom I know not whence they be?" Watch David's human reasoning in the next verses. "So David's young men turned their way, and went again, and came and told him all those sayings. And David said unto his men, Gird ye on every man his sword. And they girded on every man his sword; and David also girded on his sword: and there went up after David about four hundred men; and two hundred abode by the stuff," 1-SA 25:12-13. David said, "And so do God to me and more also if there remaineth one of Nabal." The spirit of meekness was not so generous. They had offended David, and he defended his own name and honor. The Lord was so gracious to David. This record shows us how we must fight the spirit of anger and of self-centeredness. We must pray for the spirit of meekness. The Lord spared David through the meekness of Abigail. 1-SA 25:23-24 says, "And when Abigail saw David, she hasted, and lighted off the ass, and fell before David on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, And fell at his feet, and said, Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be: and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid." She came to talk to David to spare him from bringing reproach upon his name and upon the Lord. She wasn't defending her husband, because she admitted the sin of her husband. She came to spare David from bringing reproach upon his name. Lest when he became king, this would be brought against him. 1 Samuel 25:32-33 says, "And David said to Abigail, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which sent thee this day to meet me: And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand." She kept him from avenging his own name and his own honor. The Lord spared David through the meekness of Abigail. The Lord tried David, as Hezekiah, so David might know what was in his heart. 2CH 32:31 teaches this of Hezekiah, "Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart." The Lord allows these trials to come upon us so we can know the sins of our hearts. The Lord was so merciful to spare David from fulfilling the sins he would commit. The Lord spared David from bringing a reproach against his name. Yet the Lord tried him so David would know all that is in his heart. Christianity must be seen, not only professed. PRO 25:15 says, "By long forbearing is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone." PRO 19:11 says, "The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression." Ephesians 4:1-3 says, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, [It is so important that our profession is seen by our actions.] 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." Speak evil of no man. True meekness will not speak evil of anyone. TIT 3:2-5 says, "To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men. For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, [Doesn't that describe why David's meekness ebbed and flowed?] serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. [We just saw this in David and Moses.] But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost." Isn't it blessed to see the righteousness of God who sent His restraining grace to David to keep him from committing sin. We must all say, like David, that we are also sometimes foolish. Weakness and foolishness dwells within us. Sometimes we are disobedient serving our lusts and pleasures. We sometimes live in malice, envy, and hatred. Who has a stone to throw? We are to speak evil of no man. We need to look to Christ as our example of meekness. 1PE 2:21- 24 says, "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: [We must strive to follow the blessed example of the Lord Jesus Christ] Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; [We saw the same in the meekness of Moses. He did not revile again; he turned to the Lord.] when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: [This is a beautiful demonstration of true meekness.] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." Christ left us this example. Jesus meekness was prophesied. ISA 53:7 says, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Jesus' meekness is shown in the matter of Judas. When Judas came to betray Him, what did Jesus say? "And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, Friend, wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus and took him," MAT 26:47-50. That spirit of meekness holds such beauty. The Lord Jesus knew what Judas came for. He knew the treachery of Judas's kiss. The Lord Jesus knew that Judas had come to betray Him with a kiss. Yet He asked, "Friend, wherefore art thou come?" ROM 8:9 says, "But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." That spirit of meekness, that Spirit of Christ, must be seen within us. This doesn't mean that it is always with us because a continuing spiritual warfare exists between the spirit and the flesh. The meek spoken of in our text, whom Jesus pronounced blessed, have the desire in their heart to walk in meekness and to prefer other men ahead of themselves. What is the evidence of meekness? It is repentance. The evidence is when we turn again and ask to be forgiven. We must have the Spirit of Christ to do this. Jesus says in MAT 11:29-30, "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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Isn't that beautiful? This means that we must be able to be reviled without reviling again. We must be able to suffer without threatening. We must be able to commit everything unto Him that judgeth righteously. Isn't that Spirit of Christ a blessed example of meekness? 1PE 2:23 says, "Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously." When we are reviled and threatened, instead of threatening again, we must be able to commit it unto Him who judges righteously. This is the true Spirit of Christ. ROM 12:14-15 says, "Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." 2CO 10:1 says, "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." This is another example showing that meekness doesn't mean shy or weak-minded. The apostle Paul was meek, but he was also bold for the truth. 1TH 5:14 says, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men." Meekness doesn't mean to justify sin. 1TH 5:15 says, "See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men." We aren't to let sin pass by unnoticed. V:14 says, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men." The servant of the Lord must not strive. 2TI 2:24-26 says, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;[Those who oppose themselves are those who are defensive.] And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." It is so important that we understand this. The Lord rewards the meek. ZEP 2:3 says, "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." ISA 11:4 shows that with righteousness He will judge the poor. "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." The Lord has a reward for the meek. He will reprove with equity for the meek of the earth. The Lord comes forth to defend and avenge the meek. PSA 22:26 says, "The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever." PSA 37:10-11 says, "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." In ISA 26:3 we read, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." The Lord grants this blessed peace to those whose mind is stayed on Him. MAT 5:5 says, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Amen. |
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