By Ken Blue
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew” 5:5.
The book of Matthew was written to demonstrate to Israel that Jesus Christ was their Messiah. This is attested to from the prophecies fulfilled, the voice of the father, and His resurrection. The Book describes that the King was present, thus the Kingdom of Heaven was theirs if they would repent and receive Him as Messiah, and King. There is nothing in the book about the church, which is His Body, and was a mystery.
We are dealing with the beatitudes, or the blessings awaiting the Jewish remnant whose character and actions manifest these. Sadly, because many fail to rightly divide the Scriptures, they spiritualize the sermon in an attempt to force it to fit the present day church.
The text addresses the meek, and their inheritance. One of the problems, when interpreting this passage, is our preconceived misunderstanding of the word “meek.” The best way to understand the meaning of the word in the context, is to allow Scripture to clarify what it is not.
We read in Scripture that Moses was the meekest man on the earth. “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)” Numbers 12:3. A review of the life of Moses, will correct the concept that most have of the word. I will list these things, without adding the reference.
- Moses killed an Egyptian who was mistreating a Jewish slave
- Moses confronted Pharaoh, and brought the plagues on Egypt, the last, killing all the first born of Egypt.
- Moses raised the rod and the sea closed on the whole Egyptian army.
- Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and crushed the golden calf to power, put it in the water, and forced them to drink it.
- Moses had the rebels within the congregation killed.
- Moses confronted Korah and his followers, and destroyed them by having the earth open and swallow them.
- Moses was willing to stand up against the whole nation of Israel and rebuke them. We witness this illustration when Jesus made a whip and cleansed the temple. Again, all the above go against the common idea of the meaning of meekness.
I am sure there is more we could find, but I believe these will suffice. Meekness is not an attitude of refusing to confront, or failing to deal with responsibilities. Vines Dictionary says, “…In Gal. 5:23 it is associated with enkrateia, “self-control. “Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words. It is having self under the control to the will of God. I believe this is alluded to in Matthew 16:26. “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” You will notice that the context is that of missing the Kingdom of Heaven. It is these, whose will is under submission to God, who enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
The inheritance is the “earth.” Again, the world is not the subject here, but the land promised to Abraham and his earthly seed. “18 In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates: 19 The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites, 20 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims, 21 And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.” Genesis 15:18-21. This is the earth the meek of Israel will inherit at the Second Advent of their Messiah. “21 For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it. 22 But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.” Proverbs 2:21-22.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.