Bible Class: Lesson 31

What is meekness?

Meekness is a mild, gentle, moderate, humble and submissive quality. Meekness is an attribute of human nature and behavior that has been defined as, inner humility and gentleness. It is a calm temper of mind that is not easily provoked.

Meekness is not weakness and softness

People often associate meekness with weakness and softness due to a misunderstanding of its true nature. Meekness is not about being a pushover or lacking backbone; it is a quality that combines strength with gentleness, confidence with humility, and assertiveness with kindness. It is the ability to remain calm and composed, even in the face of provocation or adversity.

The biblical view of meekness

The bible describes meekness as a virtue that involves humility, gentleness and self- control. It is the power to choose patience over anger, forgiveness over resentment and humility over pride. A meek person is strong enough to endure hardships without becoming bitter or vengeful. Meekness reflects a conscious decision to show restraint, and deal with life’s challenges and problems with a Christ like attitude. Weakness, on the other hand, signifies an absence of strength, capability and inner will power to deal with problems and life’s challenges. 

Identify a meek person

How do we identify a meek person? Do people have identifying marks on their heads? The words of Jesus are true. “By their fruits you shall know who people are.” A meek person can be identified and recognized by their words, actions, behaviors and attitudes.

• Matthew 7:16-17
  By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.

Moses was the meekest man

Moses was opposed and criticized even by his own family. He restrained himself. He did not lash out and display anger. Did his work as a Shepperd help with his meekness?

• Numbers 12:1-3
  And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.

Can meekness be tested and provoked?

The most humble and gentle person can lose his temper when he is tested, provoked and when people go too far. How far is too far in aggravating someone? Moses seemed to have too much of the complaining of Israel. He lost his cool, and that cost him entering the Promised Land.

• Numbers 20:7-12
  The LORD said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” So, Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank. But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”

Meekness in answering people

People will ask us questions about our faith and spiritual things. Some questions can be silly and provoking. We need to be gentle with our answers.

• 1 Peter 3:15
  But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.

Meekness in dealing with people and problems

Persons will encounter problems and disagreements. When we deal with conflicts and problems, we should seek to resolve them with a meek spirit and attitude. 

• Proverbs 15:1
  A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

Meekness and the Holy Spirit

People are converted to Christianity with their undesirable attitudes. The Holy Spirit can take those uncultured and rough attitudes and convert them to gentle and meek ones. This will take some time.

• Galatians 5:22-23
  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Meekness, the quality of a Christian woman

Peter instructed Christian women who are married to unsaved men, to win them with gentle attitudes and behavior.

• 1 Peter 3:1-4
  Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.

Jesus was meek

There are things in life that are not right and will aggravate us. These things will test our meekness. Jesus like Moses was meek. He had a humble disposition. He encouraged people to learn from him and be gentle. Jesus chased the money changers and business people out of the temple. Was that a display of meekness?

• Matthew 11:28-30
  “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
• John 2:13-16
  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So, he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”
  

The meek will inherit the earth

Jesus in his sermon on the mount, quoted from the book of Psalm that the meek will inherit the earth, the land. Jehovah Witnesses use this to teach that people will live on this earth forever. Jehovah Witnesses teach that the earth will be cleansed on the Judgement Day, and the righteous will live on it forever. This is contrary to what Jesus and apostles taught about the earth and where the save will be on the Judgement Day. Could it be, inherit the earth has to do with the meek enjoying the physical blessings and prosperity of the land?

• Matthew 5:5
  Blessed is the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
• Psalm 37:11
  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.

The earth is temporary

This earth was designed to be a temporary dwelling for man. This world is not our home. This earth shall be dissolved.

• Hebrews 1:10-12
  He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.”
• 2 Peter 3:10
  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.

We are pilgrims

We are pilgrims passing through. Our time here is limited. Christians look forward to their eternal and permanent dwelling place in heaven. Abraham and people of old considered themselves as passing through the earth.

• 1 Peter 2:11
  Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.
• Hebrews 11:13-16
  All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. Instead, they were longing for a better country a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

The promise of Jesus

Jesus promised his followers, the meek people, heaven as their permanent home. He did not promise them a cleansed earth.

• John 14:1-3
  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
• 1 Peter 1:3-4
  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you

Our citizenship is in heaven

Christians have a different mindset and hope. The people of the world crave after physical and material things. They build and establish themselves on the earth, with the belief, that they will be on the earth forever. Christians live temporary lives on the earth, knowing that this life on earth will come to an end. They live with their minds set on heaven.

• Psalm 90:10
  The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
• Philippians 3:20
  But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,
• 2 Corinthian 5:
  For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.
• Colossians 3:1
  Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.