Meekness, Part 3

We continue with our meditation on meekness. Recall that a meek person is a humble person and that a humble person is characterized by the absence of self-assertion or self-exaltation. Also remember that meekness is associated with submissiveness to authority. It is because of the nature of meekness that we have this commandment given to us:

James 1:21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

The meek are those who will humble themselves before the authority of the word of God even if it crosses them. They will deny themselves and their will in order to bow to the will of God. They are like King Josiah when he heard the word of the Lord. After hearing the words of the law pronouncing judgment against his kingdom, Josiah sent unto the prophetess Huldah to inquire of her regarding the words he had heard. Huldah sent this reply to Josiah:

2 Kings 22:18 But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard;
19 Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

Although the word that Josiah heard was against his kingdom, he humbled himself before it. That is receiving the word with meekness.

The word of the gospel, with its comforting promises of mercy and forgiveness for poor sinners, is addressed to the meek.

Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings (the gospel) unto the meek;

The proud have too high an opinion of themselves. They would rather justify themselves or think that they can help themselves than humble themselves and admit that they are helpless sinners in need of God's mercy. It is to the meek, who admit that they are poor, helpless sinners, that the gospel is addressed.

Then we have this promise regarding the meek.

PSA 25:9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.

The meek have a disposition that is open to God’s instruction. They are not so self-confident with regard to their judgment and their way. They recognize their need for guidance outside themselves and humbly submit to God’s direction. By contrast, the proud will resist and refuse God’s instruction as Israel did when they “dealt proudly.”

Nehemiah 9:16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,
17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage:

If you do not humble yourself before God, God will withhold from you His guidance and instruction leaving you to stumble about in your own foolishness until it destroys you.

Proverbs 1:30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof.
31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.
32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

You see, our proud self is our greatest enemy. It resists the authoritative word of God that tells us what is wrong with ourselves and points us to the way of blessedness and deliverance. The reformer Martin Luther wrote:

"I am more afraid of my own heart than of the pope and all his cardinals. I have within me the great pope, SELF."

This is a healthy fear for all of us to cultivate, especially considering how our self interferes with receiving God’s instruction.

Take these general principles and make specific application of them in your life. Ask yourself: "What direction from God is crossing my will? Does it pertain to how I relate to my spouse? How I dress? How I wear my hair? How I spend my time? How I manage my finances? How I deal with my superiors? How I react to my enemies? Am I resisting God's direction, or humbly bowing to it?" Rather than serving the dictates and decrees of your self, why not humble yourself under the mighty hand of God and follow his dictates and decrees? In this way you shall find direction, blessedness, and salvation. “Receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.”