“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.”

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

Psalm 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 147:6 The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Psalm 149:4 For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.

Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD’s anger.

Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

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.

30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Galatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

3 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

II 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.

Titus 3:2b Shewing all meekness unto all men.

James 3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

MEMORY VERSE: Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. —I Peter 3:3-4

CENTRAL THOUGHT: Meekness, a blend of gentleness and strength, is the spirit of Christ Himself, and is a Christian grace rather than a natural virtue. Humility and moderation are expressed by meekness.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Psalm 25:9; 37:11; 147:6; 149:4; Proverbs 3:34 (lowly); Zephaniah 2:3 “Meek”: poor; afflicted; humble; lowly. From a root meaning “to put down; to become low; depress; afflict.” It is interesting that the word proud in the Old Testament comes from a word that means “to rise up.”

Matthew 5:5; 11:29; I Peter 3:4 “Meek”: (Greek: praus) mild; humble; “exercising God’s strength under His control; demonstrating power without harshness; a blend of gentleness (reserve) and strength” (HELPS Word Studies). “The Greek word ‘praus’ (prah-oos) was used to define a horse trained for battle. Wild stallions were brought down from the mountains and broken for riding. Some were used to pull wagons, some were raced, and the best were trained for warfare. They retained their fierce spirit, courage, and power, but were disciplined to respond to the slightest nudge or pressure of the rider’s leg. They could gallop into battle at 35 miles per hour and come to a sliding stop at a word. They were not frightened by arrows, spears, or torches. Then they were said to be meeked. As centuries went by, the secret of training such animals was passed from the Greeks to the Roman legions, then to the Moors, the Spanish conquistadors, and finally the Austrian Empire. We see a few war horse descendants today in the Lippizanner horses of the Spanish Riding School of Vienna. To be meeked was to be taken from a state of wild rebellion and made completely loyal to, and dependent upon, one’s master. It is also to be taken from an atmosphere of fearfulness and made unflinching in the presence of danger. Some war horses dove from ravines into rivers in pursuit of their quarry. Some charged into the face of exploding cannons as Lord Tennyson expressed in his poem, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade.’ These stallions became submissive, but certainly not spineless. They embodied power under control, strength with forbearance” (Sam Whatley, readjourneymagazine.com)

Ephesians 4:2 “Meekness”: “the natural expression of a lowly state of mind, opposed to boisterous self-assertion and rude striving with others; it genders a subdued manner and a peace-loving spirit that studies to give the soft answer that turneth away wrath” (Pulpit Commentary)

LESSON BACKGROUND AND LIFE APPLICATION

The Old Testament verses in our lesson today describe God’s view of the special grace of meekness and His promises for persons who will seek for it: He will teach them His way; He will give them the earth as their inheritance, which in the New Testament points to a spiritual application. God will cause the meek to delight themselves in an abundance of peace; He will lift them up; He will give them grace; He will beautify them with His deliverance and salvation; He will hide them in the day of His anger.

In the New Testament, Jesus promises rest to the meek; by meekness and lowliness is the bond of spiritual unity kept. The believers are admonished to earnestly pursue meekness, show meekness to all men, and meekly instruct opposers and those who have been overtaken in faults. The wisdom of a truly wise man is marked by meekness. Wives are to adorn themselves with meekness and quietness of spirit, upon which God places high value.

In Biblical examples of meekness, such as Moses, Jesus, and Paul, we find strength and focused authority. Where each might have unleashed harshness and given vent to hateful, savage and bitter vengefulness, we see self-control and self-restraint. Therefore, scriptural meekness is not weakness, timidity or cowardice. It is power and strength properly used.

We notice in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that “blessed are the meek” comes after “blessed are the poor in spirit” and “blessed are they that mourn.” “[Meekness] is the conduct and disposition towards God and man which follows from the inward experience described in the two former Beatitudes” (MacLaren’s Expositions).

My interest in meekness at this time has to do with marriage, because it is mentioned by the apostle that a wife’s adornment is to be a meek and quiet spirit. As I read that the Greek word for meek has to do with a horse that has been trained, it gave me a mental picture of a husband and a wife who have had God take the wildness and egotism and cowardice out of them. They are both being trained to pull together, not apart. They are both loyal to the core to the duties of the home and family, and to the will of God. The sweet atmosphere in the home of peace and contentment is so valuable to them they will not choose to fight for selfish whims nor cunningly connive to achieve them. They courageously confront issues that divide them and work through them, each yielding to what they know God requires. God, give us meekness!

—Sis. Angela Gellenbeck

DISCUSSION:

1. Share the promises in God’s Word for the one who is meek.
2. Share a Biblical example of meekness.
3. Explain the “blend” contained in meekness.
4. Express how necessary it is for both husband and wife to bear the fruit of meekness.

REFLECTIONS

Communicating in meekness and wisdom can build respect, love, and loyalty! “A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

1 Samuel 25 tells the story of Nabal, a very rich man of whom David, when he was in the wilderness hiding from Saul, asked for food. Nabal railed on David and refused to help him with food when he was in need. His sharp, demeaning, and unkind words stirred anger and resentment in the heart of David. This was Nabal’s way. His servant testified of him that he was “such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him.” Nabal’s wife Abigail said to David, “Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal: for as his name is, so is he.” When you look up the Hebrew for Nabal, it says “dolt.” According to Webster, dolt means “a heavy, stupid fellow; a blockhead; to behave foolishly.”

In contrast, James 3:13 speaks of a wise man. “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.” When our conversation, our words, and our actions are in meekness, it opens many doors in marriage. James 3:17 tells us the wisdom from above is pure, peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated (easy to speak to)!

In marriage the thought processes between husband and wife are very different sometimes. This can lead to scorn, resentment and anger. When we are gentle, peaceable, and easy to talk to, we can learn by healthy communication to appreciate each others’ differences. Meekness can make us able to “build” together and accomplish wonderful purposes when it wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Our own feelings of inadequacy can hinder meekness because we are trying to prove who we are. If we will truly come to Jesus and learn of Him; learn of his love and how much He values us, then we don’t have to prove our worth. We can take the yoke of submission to Christ and of being a servant to others. We can learn of His love and then truly be meek and gentle. Meekness is not weakness but is “exercising God’s strength under His control,” as was mentioned in the lesson. Oh, if we could learn this early in life, how much trouble it would save us and the people that have to live around us! Let us allow God to make us great by His gentleness (Psalm 18:35).

When we are “meek” we will:

Be easy to approach. This is what “easy to be intreated” means. Instead of being like a thorn bush when being approached about something difficult, we can have an inviting, trusting atmosphere.

Be peaceable. When someone “wants” peace, there is ground to find resolution to our differences.

Be gentle. Fear of an “explosion” keeps people from communicating. This greatly complicates the marriage relationship.

The benefits of meekness can hardly be overstated. Allowing God to work meekness into every area of our life will make for a wonderful oneness in spiritual, emotional, and physical ways that the stiff and the proud can only dream of. This is inheriting the promises given to us by the Lord of life! He will beautify the meek with salvation, guide them in judgment, and teach them His way.

—Bro. Phillip and Sis. Rosie Gellenbeck, Guthrie, Oklahoma

Married November 15, 1980