Blessed Are the Meek

“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
-Matthew 5:5

Meekness is a trait that isn’t always considered very attractive in the context of our current culture.  We often think of meekness as being synonymous with feeble character, week-mindedness, or a spirit of constant compromise. If this is what Christ meant by meekness, it’s hard to imagine how such a person could be considered blessed, let alone inherit the earth. 

Thankfully, God provides us with examples of meekness in Scripture that we can learn from. So, in order for us to accurately discern this beatitude, we must seek to understand meekness in a biblical sense.

Moses was a Hebrew man that was born during the time when God’s people were enslaved in Egypt. As the people continued to multiply in number, Pharaoh commanded that every Hebrew boy be put to death at birth. When Moses was born, his mother kept him hidden as long as she could. When she could no longer hide him, she placed him in a basket and set him near the river bank. The daughter of Pharaoh found him, took pity on him, and chose to raise him as her son (Exodus 2). 

God later called Moses to be His instrument to lead the entire nation of Israel out of slavery and to the land that He promised Abraham hundreds of years earlier would be given to his offspring.

But nestled into the narrative of Moses’s life, we are told that, “the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Did you catch that? The Bible tells us that Moses was the meekest man on the earth! But as we read more about him, we see that Moses was not a weak, spineless man. He was chosen by God to oppose the King of Egypt, led the entire nation of Israel out of bondage, was placed in authority over all the people, and performed many miracles by the power of God. Yet, despite the position he held over the Israelites, he remained humble. So we see from his example, that meekness is not in opposition with power and authority. 

We can find further insight into the meaning of meekness in Psalm 37. 

“But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.”
-Psalm 37:11

Here is another instance in God’s Word where we are told that the meek will inherit the earth. Just two verses earlier, we also see that, “those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land” (vs. 9). So, as both the meek and those who wait for the Lord will inherit the land, this passage seems to imply that the meek are characterized by waiting for the Lord.¹ 

The meek, are able to wait patiently for God. They know that God is in control of the universe, and their lives rest safely in His hands. Because they trust in the Lord, they can remain steadfast even through the trials and difficulties of life. 

If you look earlier in this chapter, we are given a greater picture of what it looks like to wait for the Lord. 

Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in Him, and He will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
-Psalm 37:5-8

Isn’t this beautiful? Meekness allows us to be still and wait for God to act, no matter what is going on in our lives. When we have placed our trust firmly in God, we have no need to worry, despair, or get angry when things do not go as we have planned, because we know He will act. When we are armed with this mindset, we are willing to leave everything—our plans, our rights, our whole future—in the hands of God.

Do you long for this as I do, sweet momma? Do you desire to possess this calm confidence of the work of God in your life in the mist of the heartache that you bear? Our God would not call us to be meek without also equipping us through His Spirit to display this characteristic in our lives. As you continue to press into Christ, He will continue to cultivate meekness in your heart. A meekness that will enable you to rest in the Lord’s work on your behalf. A meekness that springs forth an incalculable confidence that God is for you, and that He will sustain you through the tumult of losing a beloved child. 

While we can look to Moses’s example to help us discover what meekness looks like practically, we cannot fully understand what it means to be meek without also looking at how this trait was perfectly embodied in Christ. 

“I, Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…”
-2 Corinthians 10:1a

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
-Philippians 2:5-8

“When He was reviled, He did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but continued entrusting Himself to Him who judges justly.”
-1 Peter 2:23

Jesus, being fully God, possessed all the power and authority of heaven and earth, yet when He came to earth He submitted to the will of His Father. This same God who created the entire universe with the sound of His voice also endured the pain and shame of the cross in order to redeem us unto Himself. He emptied Himself in order to make it possible for you to share in His eternal inheritance. He humbled Himself to the point of death because of His great love for you. This is meekness. 

This kind of living is certainly not easy and assuredly not our natural inclination. No, what is natural is to fight to defend ourselves, give way to worry, fear, or anger when our circumstances become difficult or painful, and demand our rights. Meekness goes against our very nature.

But dear one, as we strive to live in such a way as these beatitudes describe, we are not without help. As you endure the sorrow and difficulties of life with meekness, God is working to assure your heart of your beautiful inheritance through His Son. In Christ, you are a fellow heir to the world and everything that is in it!

“He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?”
-Romans 8:32

Yes! All things have been given to us through Christ! Sweet sister, we shall inherit the earth. Will you take a moment to let that astounding truth sink deep into your heart? Satan will attempt to distract you from your true inheritance at every turn. He will try to tempt you into securing your own happiness just as he did all those years ago to Eve in the garden (Gen. 3). But we are daughters of the King. Everything He has is already ours through the death and resurrection of Jesus. Your inheritance in the kingdom of God is secure—rock solid!

So, while you wait on this side of eternity for the day when you will finally hold your precious babies in your arms, take heart. God will enable you to endure this heartbreaking reality with meekness as you cling to the hope that you have been given the earth. Our beloved children have been given the earth. Oh, what a beautiful inheritance!

---

¹More information about the correlation between Matthew 5:5 and Psalm 37 may be found in John Piper’s sermon on Matthew 5:5 here

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Widget not in any sidebars

---