The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Matthew 5:5 (ESV) – ⁵ “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Meek is Not Weak

Meekness is not weakness, but strength that is wisely managed.

The Sovereign is the Key

The focus of meekness is on strength that is not its own.

Meekness always has its eye on the sovereign.

• Meek people know that the highest-ranking person in the room is always God.
  • We watch different traffic signals.

The Fight for Might

Worldly wisdom is a strategy to master the earth and control its resources.

People are fighting to rule a world that is just going to end up in the hands of the meek. (Mark 10:29–31 (ESV) – ²⁹ Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, ³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”)

• While the full physical manifestation of kingdom life and rule is in the world to come, we can receive foretastes of it now. [Ephesians 1:13–14 (ESV) – ¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.]
  • The Holy Spirit is a downpayment on our inheritance.

Meek People are Strong People in Disguise

God hides his strength in people He can trust.

God used Moses after Moses learned meekness.

• Hebrews 11:24–27 (ESV) – ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.
• Numbers 12:3 (ESV) – ³ Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth.

Other Old Testament figures that are models of meekness:

• Joseph
• Esther
• Daniel

For the Culture

The culture seduces us away from meekness.

Matthew 24:37 (ESV) – ³⁷ For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

The days of Noah are the era of Cain:

• (Genesis 4:12 (ESV) ¹² When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” )

Cain was shown mercy and kindness by the Lord, but used it to sin even more

• Genesis 4:15–17 (ESV) – ¹⁵ Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. ¹⁶ Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. ¹⁷ Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
  • Cain couldn’t master the earth directly, so he used technology to create the first urban center and trained his son to run it.
  • He never lost his toiling spirit. Instead of using his gifts for God, he used them for vanity—to make a name for himself.

He trained his descendants to become great by using innovation.

• Genesis 4:19–22 (ESV) ¹⁹ And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ²⁰ Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. ²¹ His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. ²² Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
  • Cain’s great-great-great grandson Lamech is innovative, powerful and ruthless.
  • Lamech’s children become the first influencers.

Lamech is innovative, powerful and ruthless and aspires to be greater than his great-great-great grandfather Cain.

• Genesis 4:23-24 (ESV) ^{– 23} Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. ²⁴ If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”

Jesus is the Starting Point for Meekness

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV) – ²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ 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. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Key Attributes of Jesus:

• Gentle = Meek [Action]
• Lowly in heart = Humble [Attitude]

Key Actions on our Part:

• Come
• Take
• Learn

Key results:

• Rest
  • Meek people have entered the rest of God.

© Joshua D. Smith, Ph.D., 2023