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  • Blessed are the meek: It is impossible to translate this ancient Greek word praus (meek) with just one English word. It has the idea of the proper balance between anger and indifference; of a powerful personality properly controlled; and of humility.
    • Lets start with an idea of what Meekness is not!
      • Meeknessis not cowardice, emotional flabbiness, lack of conviction,  complacency, timidity or the willingness to have peace at any cost.
      • Meeknessis not indecisiveness, wishy-washiness, or a lack of confidence. The meek person is gentle and mild in his own cause, though he may be a lion in God’s cause or in defending others.
      • Meeknessis not shyness or a withdrawn personality, as contrasted with that of an extrovert.
      • Meeknessis not weakness, but meekness does not use its power for its own defense or selfish purposes. Meekness is controlled strength or power completely surrendered to God’s control. It is an attitude of heart in which all energies are brought into the perfect control of the Holy Spirit
    • Probably the best place to begin to understand this concept is in Psalm 37.
      • Read Psalm 37:9-11
    • So let’s try to see what meekness means in this Psalm and what it has to do with God. We get a picture of those who wait for the Lord, that is, the meek, if we read verses 5–8:
      • Read Psalm 37:5-8
    • A Portrait of the Meek: What are these people like who, according to verse 11, are meek and, according to verse 9, wait for the Lord?
      • They Trust in God:
      • They Commit Their Way to God:
      • They Are Quiet Before God and Wait for Him:
      • They Don’t Fret over the Wicked:
    • So the portrait we have of meekness so far, based on the closest biblical parallel is that it begins by trusting God. Then it commits its way to the Lord in the confidence that he will use his power and mercy to do good for us. Then it waits patiently and quietly for the outcome. And, finally, it does not give way to anger and fretfulness when faced with opposition and setbacks.
    • Now let’s add some detail to our portrait with some other biblical instances of meekness. The book of numbers describes an occasion when Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses severely:
      • Read Numbers 12:1–4
    • What happens in the following verses is that the Lord rebukes Miriam and Aaron and vindicates his servant Moses.
      • Meekness stands between Opposition and Vindication
      • Meekness Refrains from Revenge and Defensiveness:
    • Meekness and wisdom
      • Read James 3:13 –
    • For they shall inherit the earth: We can only be meek, willing to control our desire for our rights and privileges because we are confident God watches out for us, that He will protect our cause.
      • The promise “they shall inherit the earth” proves that God will not allow His meek ones
    • Read Genesis 13:1-18
      • So Abram gave Lot a choice: Is not the whole land before you? Since Abram was the eldest, and God gave all the land to Abram (not to Lot), it was pure generosity on Abram’s part that caused him to make this offer to Lot.
      • If you take the left, then I will go to the right: Abram was able to fight when the occasion demanded it. He did not yield to Lot out of weakness, but out of love and trust in God. A few acres of grazing land didn’t seem worth fighting for to a man with an eternal perspective.
        • God was glorified when Paul, out of love, waived his right to be supported by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14-18).
        • God was glorified when Jesus, out of love, waived his right to an existence which knew no human suffering or trial by experience (Philippians 2:5-11).
      • If you go to the right, then I will go to the left: Right or left, Abram knew he could trust God. He did it because he learned God would provide for his needs, and he did not have to worry about being too generous. This is what meekness looks like, the peace that even though you are in the higher position you are going to yield to the ultimate power.
        • In Egypt, Abram thought he had to take his fate into his own hands. He had to look out for “number one.” Now, he is wiser and is willing to let God look out for his interests. Right or left, it didn’t matter to Abram, because God would be there.
        • Because he trusted in God, Abram did not have to be obsessed with his own “rights” and neither do we. The only right we truly have is the right to go to hell. Everything else is the free gift of God and has nothing to do with our “rights.”