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Article taken from Fatherly Talk
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The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
Dearly Beloved
Meekness has always been mistaken for weakness in human relationships. What exactly is meekness? In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word 'anav' has been translated both as 'meek' (Psalm 22:26; 25:9; 37:11; 76:9; 147:6; 149:4; Isaiah 11:4; 29:19; 61:1; Numbers 12:3) and also as 'humble' (Psalm 9:12; 10:12, 17; 34:2; 69:32). There are, of course, many other Hebrew words for humble. The Greek words for 'humble' (tapeinoo) and 'meek' (praos) are clearly differentiated. Humility and meekness are definitely related: the question is how are they related? Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit whereas humility is the effect of meekness upon the soul, thus we are told to humble ourselves - that is humble our souls and ego (Galatians 5:22, 23: 1 Peter 5:6). Humility being the result of meekness would be impossible unless one receive the impartation of meekness from the Spirit of God. There are many definitions of meekness but the most important understanding is that all the fruit of the Spirit are aspects of love (nine aspects – Galatians 5:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 13). Meekness is the ability to respond to all pressure and circumstances by loving restrain and kindness. Restrain being the fact that there is the potential to exercise great destructive power but it is withheld because of the object of one's love towards the antagoniser. Thus when power grows with meekness and humility, the possibility of the abuse of power is removed. Abuse of power only results when one has power without love thus in God's kingdom only the most loving will ascend into the most powerful of positions. He who is the servant of all is the greatest among us.
The fact that Jesus ties inheritance of the earth to meekness shows us that meekness is also a methodology of dominion over the earth. Humans have gathered together in tribes, nations and empires to conquer and rule over one another; to possess the power of control over resources and knowledge. In the natural world, the strong triumphs over the weak and enslave them. Humans lord over one another, killing, stealing and betraying one another for the right to rule and dominate. In the end, despite all the efforts of humans to be kings of their own over their own domain, it is God who gives permission for those whom He chooses to rule and reign (Daniel 2:21).
When our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, He did not conquer by demands but He conquered by love and service (Matthew 20:28). Ultimately, Jesus gave Himself for us on the cross of Calvary and was lifted to the highest place (Philippians 2). Our Lord Jesus Christ has shown us the way that the key to conquest of the earth is through humility and meekness and not through power and might of the arm of flesh. There is inherent in every human being a desire to master the earth and be in control of all circumstances. That desire is good for it springs from the godliness that God has created into man. This desire must mature into a desire to exercise authority and power through meekness rather than by dependence on natural power. A dependence on God rather than a dependence on self.
The earth was never to be given as a wage; it was to be given as a gift. The promise of being heir to the entire world was given in the Abrahamic promise (Romans 4:13). It was a promise to be activated not by works but by grace through faith. God did not give Adam and Eve the garden of Eden as payment for their work; He gave it to them as His gift of love to them. God did not make Joseph the ruler of all of Egypt as a payment for his works; He made him the ruler of Egypt by His gift of mercy and grace. God did not make David to be king over all Israel because of the works of David. God gave it to him as a promise because of His love for David's heart. David had not done a single work yet when he was anointed king. In all of the stories of the Bible, God has never given power, riches, authority, lands, properties or fame because of the works of men or as wages, He has given it to men whom understood that it was a gift of God's mercy and grace. Why else do you think that God disciplined Nebuchadnezzar when he thought that he had gotten all his kingdom by his own might and power (Daniel 4). It was to teach him that 『the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, GIVES it to whomever He will and sets over it the lowest of men' (Daniel 4:17). Wow, talk about learning a lesson of humility and meekness, Nebu really got it hard.
This rule of God over the nations of the world, over all business empires, over riches and gold, fame and fortune continues even in our modern times. Politicians may think that they got through by their own might or power or by merely the votes of men but actually it is the Lord who gives to whomever He chooses. If God did not so choose, then it will not happen no matter how hard a person may try. When Pontius Pilate thought that he had Jesus in the corner and proudly spoke of his power and authority in response to the silence of Jesus, saying 『Do you not know that I have power to crucify you and power to release you?』 Jesus answered him and said, 「You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been GIVEN you from above」 (John 19:11). All power and authority of humans, nations and armies are only temporarily given to people and can be as easily taken as it was given. This includes fame and popularity which exercises a type of power and influence over people. Sometimes, for reasons to do with God's predestination for a greater good, like the time of the endtimes, He even allows for a short season the saints to be given into his hand (Daniel 7:27). Many people who think that God is not in control has completely no idea of the fact that God has everything perfectly in His control and is working out predestined events towards His purposes and Will.
This gift of God to inherit the world includes the call of various ministers in the fivefold office. Each minister must learn the dominion in which God has gifted them to be in; they must not transgress into a calling that is not theirs. Uzziah the king tried to be a priest and died of leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:18-21). We see this sad Old Testament case repeated again and again in modern ministries who have no idea of the limitations of their domain and anointing. Just because one is successful as a king does not mean that one can be successful as a priest. All dominion, even spiritual dominion and influence, comes as a result of the Lord GIVING it to whomever He wills. The day that we think we need to protect our own tuff instead of relying on the God who gave us the tuff in the first place, is the day we have become like King Saul. King Saul received his kingdom as a gift from God for he was a nobody. When he became king, he did everything in the natural to preserve his kingdom even going against God many, many times; the God who gave him the kingdom in the first place. King Saul would even go to the extent of trying to kill the next generation after him (David) to preserve his own lineage. How sad to see him not recognize that we do not really own anything in this life – all things are only loan to us to make use of until we leave this earth naked as we came. We take nothing with us from the earth except for the change (supposedly for good) of our character as we learn to be faithful with whatever our lot in life – whether it be great or small, well known or unknown.
How does God GIVE such dominion and authority over the world? The key is meekness. Meekness involves a fruit of the Spirit in understanding total dependence on God. Meekness is love resting upon the lover, assured that one is protected and shielded by the God of love and mercy who is being 100% relied on. Meekness does not react to abuse and threats because meekness knows that the source of all authority is in God. Meekness knows that we are nothing in God and that everything we are is God and God alone. Meekness is the cry of Paul who said, 「when I am weak, then am I strong' (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Blessed are the meek for they WILL inherit the earth.
How does one grow in meekness, since meekness is the key to possess all the earth (or rather inherit or have it GIVEN unto us)? You can't. It grows in you and not you grow in it. There is not a single verse in the Bible that speaks about growing in meekness. Why is this so? Try to understand it mathematically. Meekness is like a zero. How can you grow a zero? Meekness is learning to be nothing in God and allowing God to be your everything – the fullness of John 15:5. Meekness is learning to be supple and nothing before the Almighty God. We learn to be nothing once and then learn to maintain it no matter how much God uses us – that is meekness.
In the light of this understanding, we can comprehend why the Pentateuch records Moses as the meekest man on earth (Numbers 12:3). There was nothing that Moses could do when his older sister and older brother challenged his authority as a prophet and man of God. How can he answer when they find fault with him and look for weaknesses in his life to attack? They attacked his wife and criticized him. They were neither interested in Moses nor in his wife. They were only using those things as an excuse to challenge his authority with God. In truth, they actually thought that they were equal with Moses in their walk and authority with God when they used the statement, 「Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses?」 They proclaimed themselves to be prophet and prophetess on par with Moses, if not even greater than him (after all they were indeed much older in age to Moses). Guess what? One of them ended up with leprosy, too like Uzziah. It was the mercy of God and Moses' love and forgiveness to them that brought them restoration. Moses prayed for his sister to be healed. The worst thing is that God actually got angry at them and not Moses. Who was Moses? He was nothing without God so there was zero and no reaction from him. Oh the power of knowing that we are nothing without God but everything in Him.
The key passage on understanding meekness is John 15:1-5. Meekness is allowing the fruit of Jesus and God to grow in us. Meekness is the 100% percent yieldedness of the branch to the vine. Meekness is when each time we bear fruit, we allow God to lope us off and prune us until we are nothing but a bare branch again, ready to bear the next lot of fruit. Meekness is 0% of ourselves and 100% of Jesus. Ministry is a fruit and not a work. True Christian business is a fruit and not a work. Christian life is a fruit and not a work. It is being more than doing. The doing only follows the being and not run before it. If you understand this, you will never again be weary in your Christian life, ministry life, business life or at any time in your life. Every day is just a life of Christ in you more and more each day.
We inherit the world in direct proportion to our meekness. Let us learn the secret of recognizing that when we are weak, then is He strong in us.
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. Every day is the seeking of the pleasure of the Lord, the shining of His face is all that matters. We live to please God and Him alone.
In Christ Jesus
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