- I [God] am Meek and Lowly in Heart - “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass” (Mat 21:5). Meekness is a wonderful reminder of the two-fold description of the Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, Who said in Mat 11:29, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls”. We must bear in mind that when the Lord speaks of Himself as “meek” and “lowly”, we are talking about eternal God the Creator, His Eternal Majesty, the King of Kings, and the Lord of Lords! “Who [Jehovah God] humbleth [shaphel:H8213] himself to behold the things that are in heaven, and in the earth!”. Here we see to what extent Christ had to empty Himself of His divine glory as He humbled Himself by taking on a human nature: “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men” (Php 2:6-7). In order to be the only Savior for sinners the Lord Jesus had to first take on a human nature. Secondly, he had to become sin, as 2 Cor 5:21 so emphatically announces: “For he [God the Father] hath made him [God the Son] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him”. Thirdly, He had to suffer the equivalent of spending eternity in Hell for every single child of God: “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Php 2:8). The Savior not only epitomizes the very essence of humility in His life but in His death as well as He suffered the equivalent of eternal damnation in the “lake of fire” for each of His elect people. In Acts 8:30-35 we are faced with the account of the Ethiopian eunuch who asks Phillip to explain a passage in Isa 53: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away”. These passages substantiate the infinite degradation that the Lord Jesus subjected Himself to in experiencing the shame of sin and the “lowest Hell”.
Acts 8:30-35 “And Philip ran thither to him (eunuch), and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? 31And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. 32The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth: 33In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth. 34And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man? 35Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
Php 2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
- God Giveth Grace unto the Humble - The Hebrew word for “meek” (‘anav:H6035) is found some 26 times, and is generally translated as “meek”, “humble”, “poor”, and “lowly”. Num 12:3 affirms: “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth”. We should remember that Moses is a great “type”, or representation, of the Lord Jesus. One of the main themes in the Bible is the pride of Satan and man, which underlies all sin. The contrast between pride and humility is found throughout the pages of Scripture; and one such example is the historical parable of the Pharisee and the publican, found in Luke 18:9-16. Notice in verse 16 that the Lord pinpoints “little children”: “But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer [allow] little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God”, who in their naiveté represent those who have become “children of God”. We see the same “little children” in Mat 18:3: “And [Jesus] said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven”. Also Mat 21:5 that declares, “Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass”. The two donkeys pictured here represent the true believers who have been made “meek” or “saved” by their King. He sits upon them as He rides triumphantly into Jerusalem, typifying the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband (Rev 21:2-4). To “sit” is figuratively associated with “ruling”, or “reigning”, as Christ most certainly does over His eternal church.
Psa 34:18 “The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”
Psa 149:4 “For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.”
Luke 18:9-16 “And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [or saved] rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. 15And they brought unto him also infants, that he would touch them: but when his disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer [allow] little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.”
- The Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness - Lord Jesus indeed manifested a “…contrite and humble spirit…” In turn, those whom God has elected to salvation will be “humbled” and will be “made contrite” as God gives them a new resurrected soul and saves them by His grace and for His glory. Before salvation God has to “break us down” spiritually, and humble us because by nature we are so proud and arrogant as we disdain God and His Word, the Bible. Jer 44:10: “They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in my law, nor in my statutes, that I set before you and before your fathers”, relates to the rebellion of Judah and Jerusalem in the historical setting, but figuratively it explains what is transpiring in our day with the institutional churches and denominations, putting themselves over the authority of the Bible, which sadly are under God’s wrath. God “revives”, or “makes alive”, “… the spirit of the humble, and… the heart of the contrite ones”: “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones” (Isa 57:15). Thus, the “humble” are God’s elect. The trait of humility, which the Savior so perfectly demonstrated, is also found among His people, as the indwelling Holy Spirit produces the fruit, and they reflect His character of being “…meek and lowly in heart…”. 1 Pet 5:5-7 speaks of each Christian as being “clothed with humility” and highlights the essence of someone who is a true child of God. Eph 4:2: “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;” and Col 3:12-23 admonishes believers, to pattern their life after their Master. Notice how God associates “humility” with the “fear of the LORD” in Pro 22:4 “By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honour, and life” and Pro 15:33 “The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility”. The Lord hears the prayers of the humble: “LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:” (Psa 10:17). God the Holy Spirit indwells the new Christian in his newly resurrected soul. In this wonderful new relationship (which the Bible likens to marriage) the child of God is both taught and led by God in the Scriptures. May God give us the grace to walk more humbly and more obediently before Him.
Gal 5:22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
Jam 4:6 “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble [meek].”
1 Pet 5:5-7 “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
Col 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye”
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