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Series: Sermon on the Mount
Lesson: #4
Title: The Meek
Scripture: Matthew 5: 5
Date: 6-7-2009
Place: Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Princeton, NJ
Matthew 5: 5: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Proposition: Meekness is the disposition of spirit in the believer toward God which results in his disposition toward men. Believers bow to God--to what God says about himself, about us and about Christ the Way of salvation. By the meek he means persons of mild and gentle dispositions, who are not easily provoked by injuries, who are not ready to take offense, but are prepared to endure anything rather than do the like actions to wicked men.
BLESSED ARE THE MEEK
First, a spirit of meekness is not of man, but of the Spirit of God. Galatians 5: 22: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23: Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Our text says, The man whom God has blessed is meek. We do not become meek to get the blessing but rather God's blessing results in meekness of spirit. Remember we saw that these beatitudes are not what we become but what the believer is, whom God has blessed.
Secondly, since the believer submits to God those with a spirit of meekness endeavor to never compromise the plain truth of God no matter who it is to whom we speak. 1 Pe 3:15: But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (meekness and fear toward God.) 1 Corinthians 2:3: And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (Toward God)
There is a fake meekness which is regarded highly by man. It is the disposition of spirit which compromises the gospel in order to get along with men. God the Holy Spirit calls it "using wisdom of words", "making the cross of Christ of no effect." In reality, while it is a show of meekness toward men it is really a bold, defiant, stiff-necked, hardhearted spirit toward God. It is anything but meekness.
Examples of meekness: Daniel 3: 16: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17: If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18: But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
Acts 4: 18: And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19: But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 20: For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Thirdly, a spirit of meekness is needed to teach sinners. The carnal man whose apparent meekness is simply the acting of his own flesh shows his true heart by his "heavy handedness," his "self-assertiveness" and his "self-interest." He will not have anyone rebuke him, he will not bow to instruction, yet, he goes on his act thinking his outward show is true meekness.
Still, the believer continues to deal gently toward one such as this, and continues to set before them the truth of God come what may, because we know that such a one only opposes himself. 2 Timothy 2: 24: And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25: In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Fourthly, because the believer submits to God this spirit of meekness accepts God's dealing with us in providence as good, even when it causes us sorrow. If evil is inflicted upon the meek man, he knows that the evil inflicted upon him from others is permitted by God. It will serve to separate our affections from this world and cause us to rely more upon our God. So the meek man trusts God to provide for him.
Isaiah 41: 17: When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
Numbers 12: 1: And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman. 2: And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it. 3: (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.) [This information is added to show that without Moses even saying a word to God, the LORD answers those who oppose the meek.] 4: And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out. 5: And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
Ps 147:6: The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
Ps 149:4: For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
Isa 11:4: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Example: Joseph--you meant it for evil but God meant it for good.
Christ Jesus the Lord--Isaiah 50: 4: The Lord GOD hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. 5: The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6: I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. 7: For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8: He is near that justifieth me; who will contend with me? let us stand together: who is mine adversary? let him come near to me. 9: Behold, the Lord GOD will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
Lu 22:63: And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. 64: And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee?
I Peter 2: 23: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25: For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
· The meek man is the righteousness of God in Christ
· The meek man is sanctified in Christ
· The meek man is complete in Christ
· As Christ is in heaven so the meek man is even now.
· Therefore, having all, why would a man strive with the potshards of this earth? This is what makes a man meek.
Matthew 5: 38: Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 39: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40: And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. 41: And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42: Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
FOR THEY SHALL INHERIT THE EARTH
Just as he has done throughout the beatitudes the Lord gives us a paradox. Verse 3: Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. It is strange to the carnal man to understand how those who are bankrupt of everything holy could be given the kingdom of God. Verse 4: Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. The world thinks you are blessed if you are happy. Now he says in verse 5: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
False meekness is forceful, exerting power and might to have its own way or compromising of the word to attract men by false humility. Either way it is hypocrisy and the opposite of the power of God.
Illustration: The spoiled brat who says, "'I'll have my way or I'll take my toys and go home."
The meek man trusts the Lord and does nothing by force but he rest in the promise of God himself, he exhorts with the word of God, but he waits on God to do the work in the heart of the stout-hearted through the Holy Spirit through the dynamite of the gospel. Therefore the meek man appears to the world as one who will gain nothing, a push-over, etc…though the meek man is anything but that.
Yet, the meek man, who is not trying to get his own way by the strength of his hand, who appears to be walked on by the stiff-necked, is the one Christ says shall be given everything, freely by God.
Inheritance is a gift requiring no striving after. An inheritance is a gift from the Father. It is not taken by force.
Matthew 5: 5: Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Illustration: Mordecai and Haman
Conclusion
Be honest with yourself: are you insisting on doing things your way or God's way? The carnal man can not help but strive by his power and his might because he is under the dominion of sin. The meek man can not help but trust God and be bold to declare the truth because he is under the dominion of Christ, born of the Spirit of Christ Jesus the Meek.
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