“The Combination of Gentleness and Strength” Matthew 5:5

Episode 67

Title: “The Combination of Gentleness and Strength” Text: Matthew 5:5; Psalm 37  Key Verse: “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” – Matthew 5:5

Introduction: What does it mean to be meek? The word meek is define as “mild, moderate, humble, or submissive quality.” (Webster) The Hebrew word, “anav” means “a state of being humble, lowly, or oppressed.” The Greek word, “praus” means “gentle or mild; kind, humble and patient; even under provocation.”  To be meek, means to be “mild of temper; soft, gentle; not easily provoked or irritated; yielded; given to forbearance under injuries (AV 1611). 

Meekness is truly a trait of a Godly person and evidence of one who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Galatians 5:22,23 says “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

What are some other scriptures on meekness?

- “Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” – Proverbs 16:19

- “But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” – 1 Peter 3:4

- “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” – Isaiah 66:2

- “But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” – Psalm 37:11

We see that Jesus is quoting Psalm 37:11 in Matthew 5:5. 

“The Meek shall inherit the earth.”  Let’s look at the context of Psalm 37 to help better understand this teaching.

Outline: Psalm 37

This Psalm deals with the adversity of Righteous people and prosperity of the Wicked. It was written by David in his last days on earth during the events of 2 Kings chapter 2, right before Solomon takes the throne. This Psalm clearly teaches us how we are to behave amongst the wicked, that we use the power we have been given to serve others, and that Divine Justice is inevitable.  Note four things about Psalm 37…

I. The Righteous and his Conduct (Psalm 37:1-11) David was very troubled over the wicked and their prosperity. If the spiritual warfare that takes place inside the Believer is not enough, the prosperity of the wicked can be very depleting and devastating to us if we are not careful. David is encouraged to know that not only the wicked will one day be judged, but also that “The Meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” The first thing we learn in Psalm 37 is how we are to conduct ourselves despite the wickedness that surround us. David gives us several commands that we should all heed to: - Don’t worry or be envious of the wicked.  The Child of God, the one who’s new nature is to be gentle, kind, slow to anger, and humble will one day inherit the earth and live in peace. - Trust and Delight in the Lord.  One of the best ways to be intimate with anyone, is to trust them. With intimacy, trust is key. The more we trust in God, the closer we are to Him, and the more we can rest and delight in His Word. When the wicked distract us, trust in God and be thankful for His Mercy and Grace. Remember what Paul said, in 1 Corinthians 6:11, that “such were some of you.” - Commit your ways unto to the Lord.  The word commit means to devote yourself, pledge, and to carry out. As we discovered in our last lesson, that Joy is not the opposite of suffering, but that life with Christ is that we can find joy in suffering. As citizens of the Kingdom, we can experience the benefits of God’s Kingdom here and now. Not only is there Joy in the life of one who lives in Christ, but there is also Peace. Devoting our life to God and His commands, results in a life of peace. The peace