Our Lord tells us in the Sermon on the Mount that ‘blessed are the meek.’ Without a shadow of a doubt, ‘meekness’ is highly valued in the Scriptures. A. W. Pink says that ‘meekness is the opposite of self-will towards God and ill-will towards men.’ Let us look at some examples from the Bible to help us understand ‘meekness’.
Example #1: Mr. Job
Now, hear Mr. Job’s response in Job 1:20-22: Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshipped. And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.
We see no self-will in Mr. Job towards God who sends these afflictions. Neither do we see any ill-will in Mr. Job towards the men who were instrumental in bringing those afflictions to pass.
Example #2: Mr. Abraham
The incident has to do with Nephew Lot in Genesis 13. There was strife between Lot’s servants and Abraham’s servants. It came to a point where a separation is inevitable.
Abraham could have approached the problem in this way: “Look nephew, who’s the REALLY important person? You or me? Who is the ONE God has chosen? Who is the ONE who possess the covenant?”
Lot would have to answer, “It’s you, Uncle Abraham” and Abraham would have gone on to say, “I’m glad you remember, Lot. Don’t ever forget this. You are just a hitchhiking relative. I am the important one. I am the chosen one. I’ve got the covenant! So now I get to pick the land first!!”
But that was not how Abraham handled the matter. Instead, we hear him saying these words in Genesis 13:8-9: “Please let there be no strife between you and me, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen; for we are brethren. Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.”
Example #3: Mr. Moses
In Numbers 12:3, we are told that Moses was the meekest man on earth! The incident in Number 12 illustrated that. His own brother (Aaron) and sister (Miriam) rebelled against him and said hurtful words to him. What was the response of Moses? Silence, absolute silence. Not a word of defence, and no word of attack!
When Mr. Moses finally opened his mouth to speak, guess what was it? It was intercession! It was a plea to God to show mercy to Miriam who was being punished!! Now, that’s ‘meekness’!
Of course, the Moses presented to us in Exodus 32 is very different. See the red anger on his face, hear his stinging rebuke of the Israelites for worshipping the golden calf, observe him breaking the two tablets of stone with all his strength! Perhaps you will respond, is that ‘meekness’? Yes, says the Bible. If he did not behave in this way, he is weak, not meek.
God’s honour is at stake in Exodus 32. Moses responded in the most vigorous manner possible. His own reputation is being attacked in Numbers 12. Moses did nothing. For me, I offer no defence; for God, I’ll give my life!
Example #4: Mr. Stephen
Acts 7. He was serving the Lord faithfully. He was being persecuted shamefully. Look at him, as they were stoning him to death.
And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
No self-will towards God — he quietly accepted God’s providence and asked the Lord to receive his soul. No ill-will towards men — while they were stoning him, he was supplicating for them! That’s ‘meekness’!
Dear fellow believers, our Lord calls us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him. Learn what? We note that He never calls us to learn how to heal or raise the dead from Him. But He calls us to learn to be meek like Him — 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.
Let us begin TODAY!!
Seek the LORD, all you meek of the earth, who have upheld His justice. Seek righteousness, seek humility. It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’s anger.
Zephaniah 2:3
WEI En Yi