Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
That's a promise. These are all promises we can remember. I think the world calls these the beatitudes. I guess they're attitudes we need to be. Maybe that's why they call it beatitudes.
We definitely want to remember Matthew 5:5. If you look in the scriptures, there are a number of promises that are given to those who walk in meekness.
Today meekness is considered to be a negative trait. If you're meek and mild-mannered, you're considered to be weak, but meekness is not weakness. Yahushua Himself said, "I am meek and lowly of heart." But we know how strong He was.
Those who inherit the earth are those who are given eternal life. As Passover comes up in just over a week, I think it's important that we are called to be a humble people. We are called to be a meek people--not brash, not loud, not abrasive, obnoxious, not arrogant-minded or trying to draw attention to ourselves.
We are called to be a meek people. It's no small thing to be called a disciple of Yahushua the Messiah. The word "disciple" means to be taught by Yahweh. In order to receive His teaching, we need to be meek.
The disciples, the taught ones are going to be a meek people. We're going to look at some scriptures on that. I'd like to look at an important characteristic of meekness, mainly because in order for us to truly repent and receive the good news and come to a place where we seek baptism and seek to live as Yahushua lived, we need to have a very meek attitude.
Meekness should permeate through everything we do. It's a kind of attitude and part of a personality of one who is humble. Meekness should be found in our conversations, our tone of voice, the way we look at others, how we react to someone who does wrong to us or does wrong to others.
Perhaps meekness is most often lacking in our own homes. Yet, this is often where it's needed the most. For instance, when we feel that our spouse or children have wronged us--or maybe a brother has disrespected us--do we lash out in pride, or do we have the meekness of Yahushua in us?
A home full of meek disciples will have no strife, because by pride comes strife. Our attitude toward others who might be doing wrong to us, who might be sinning against us, who might be opposing us, or maybe even hating us, should be one of meekness.
Let's look at an example of that in Mosheh's household. He was faced with opposition from his own brother and sister. They were older, but Miryam and Aaron spake against Mosheh because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. He had married an Ethiopian woman.
They said, "Hath Yahweh indeed spoken only by Mosheh? Has He not also spoken by us?" And Yahweh heard it. Here is an excellent opportunity for Mosheh to say something like, "Well, Yahweh called me out of the burning bush, not you." But there's no record of him saying such a thing? Why would that be? We learn when we read the next verse here.
Numbers 12:3 - (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
I think that's interesting. Mosheh was the most meek man that Yahweh could find. He was the most meek man Yahweh could find. It was a trait Yahweh saw in a man to lead His people out of Mitsrayim.
For Yahweh to be glorified, Mosheh needed to remain meek. He did not want a man standing in the way of Him getting the glory. The one time he may have failed in meekness was when he failed to glorify and believe in Yahweh's Word when he struck the rock. He paid dearly for it. But overall Mosheh was very meek.
Going back to Numbers 12, Mosheh did not lash out. He didn't even speak up for himself. He just let Yahweh take care of it.
Numbers 12:4 - And YAHWEH 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.
Numbers 12:5 - And YAHWEH 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.
Numbers 12:6 - And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I YAHWEH will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
Numbers 12:7 - My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
Numbers 12:8 - With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of YAHWEH shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
Numbers 12:9 - And the anger of YAHWEH was kindled against them; and he departed.
Numbers 12:10 - And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
Yahweh did not allow the bad fruit of murmuring against Mosheh to remain for long, because the moment Aaron and Miryam began to speak against Mosheh, Yahweh immediately took action.
Mosheh was given a great responsibility. With responsibility comes authority. Mosheh's authority and position was being questioned. We see that Mosheh was meek. He had died to self. He didn't see a need to defend himself. Yahweh did it for him.
This does not mean that we can never speak a word to defend our actions. Even Paul wrote much in his own defense in 2 Corinthians and other places. There are times Yahushua spoke in His own defense, as well.
It doesn't always have to be. If Miryam and Aaron were both meek people, they would never have spoken these things, and the situation would have never transpired to begin with.
I want to say in the chat room right now there is a conversation going on about whether people are supposed to be quieter during the message.
In the chat room, we like to keep conversations down, if possible, as much as possible during the message, because we do have scriptures being posted in the room, and we want people to be able to read those scriptures along as we are sharing the message.
If conversations keep going on, then they scroll up off the screen, and then people don't get a chance to read them. It's also very difficult to listen to two people at one time. 1 Corinthians 14, I think, teaches us that one should speak at a time, and in a chat room that can be kind of difficult, but we'll try to follow the spirit of that as much as we can.
I appreciate it. After the message, I open the floor, anybody can say what they want and share their disagreement with me or whatever they want to say. That's fine.
During the message, I'd appreciate if you try to keep conversations to a minimum. You can go private chat, if you'd like.
Meekness is a fruit of the Spirit.
Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Galatians 5:23 - gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
The New King James typically translates meekness as gentleness, and gentleness is certainly a character trait of one who is meek, patient, and gentle.
When Yahweh's Spirit is within us, then the fruits of the Spirit will be in us, as well. Meekness will be in us, as well. We know that Yahushua was full of Yahweh's Spirit, and He said in Matthew 11:28-29:
Matthew 11:28 - Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 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 are called to imitate Yahushua's example of meekness. What is meekness? In Hebrew it means to be poor, humble, and lowly. The Hebrew word anav is translated various ways: meek, humble, poor, lowly. It means to be one who is often afflicted, one who is often needy.
Our attitude, if we are this way, will be one of gentleness, mildness, and a very patient spirit. This is not to be mistaken with spiritual weakness. Spiritual weakness has nothing to do with meekness. In order for us to really be meek when someone wrongs us, we actually need to have a lot of strength within us.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city. That's Proverbs 16:32. Meekness is important if we ever expect to know Yahweh's truths.
Psalms 25:8 - Good and upright is YAHWEH: therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
Psalms 25:9 - The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
HalleluYah. We need meekness in order for us to exercise righteous judgment. If we're quick to be angry and quick to be offended, we'll have a tendency to be selfish in our judgments.
If we are meek, we have a tendency to not let our own emotions and our own anger guide us in our judgment, but let reason, the scriptures, and Yahweh's Spirit speak to us, guiding us in judgment.
We also, if we are meek, we will learn the ways of Yahweh more readily, because Yahweh requires us to have a meek attitude in order to really teach us.
If we're prideful, Yahweh resists the proud, but He gives grace and understanding to the humble. For us to discern the will of Yahweh, we have to be a meek and humble people.
Psalms 149:1 - Praise ye YAHWEH. Sing unto YAHWEH a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints.
Psalms 149:2 - Let Israel rejoice in him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Psalms 149:3 - Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Psalms 149:4 - For YAHWEH taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.
HalleluYah. It is the meek that are beautified with salvation. Remember our humble and very meek state when we first gave our lives unto Yahweh? Many of us were probably in a state of weeping, a state of utter humility, realizing that we are nothing. We are nothing, and He is everything.
Do we still feel that way? If any man thinks he's something when he's nothing, he deceives himself. Brethren, why should anything change? Why should we depart from that attitude? I don't think we should.
Sometimes it can be difficult. I don't claim perfection in this area. It can be very difficult, when different circumstances arise, to forget. We tend to forget the pit from which we were dug, don't we?
We need to remain humble and meek. A lot of times what happens is knowledge puffs up. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. You can go on discussion forums different places on the internet where different people gather together, and you can perceive in some of the conversations there's battles for respect and honor among brethren.
Even in conversations, you'll notice when two people are talking--a lot of times it tends to be men more than women--when two men are talking, they're both talking about the things they've done, the things they've accomplished, and there's a hidden battle going on for respect, and there's a little dispute going on.
It's not very open and very obvious. It's very subtle. There's a little dispute going on of who's the greatest. We can perceive that when we get stories going on different things that have happened or in discussion forums. Anytime a topic on a discussion forum going on changes from what is truth to who has truth, everything goes downhill from there.
The one who's battling for honor, the one who's battling for respect, seeking to be the greatest, is not seeking Yahweh's honor.
Mark 9:34 - But they held their peace: for by the way they had disputed among themselves, who should be the greatest.
Mark 9:35 - And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.
Mark 9:36 - And he took a child, and set him in the midst of them: and when he had taken him in his arms, he said unto them,
Mark 9:37 - Whosoever shall receive one of such children in my name, receiveth me: and whosoever shall receive me, receiveth not me, but him that sent me.
Mark 9:38 - And John answered him, saying, Rabbi, we saw one casting out devils in thy name, and he followeth not us: and we forbad him, because he followeth not us.
Mark 9:39 - But Yahushua said, Forbid him not: for there is no man which shall do a miracle in my name, that can lightly speak evil of me.
The greatest brethren are the ones who serve. Who is the greatest servant of all? Is it not Yahweh the Father? And is it not He who has served us by giving us awesome gifts, awesome blessings, and who abundantly supplies our every need? Was it not He who gave His only begotten Son for our sakes?
Does not He rain down on the just and unjust who despise Him? Yet, we know Yahweh is the greatest of all. He gave us life and everything we have. He has served us all in greater ways than we will ever possibly imagine.
Even when we pray, we not only declare His greatness, we ask Him to do things for us. We're asking Him to serve us by doing various things. When we have our closing prayer, we have prayer requests every week.
What are our prayer requests? We want Yahweh to do for us. We want Yahweh to serve us in some capacity, in some way, whether it be a healing, or to reveal to us His will, or whatever it might be.
We're asking Him to do something for us, and He does it. He does what we ask, because He loves us and He serves us. Do you know what the Hebrew word "baruch" means that's translated bless? It means to bow the knee. That's what it means.
When we say "Yahweh bless you," we're saying, "Yahweh bow the knee to you." In the picture I see there is Yahushua the Messiah down on His knees washing the feet of His disciples, saying, "You ought to do this to one another. You ought to do for one another as I have done for you." In John 13, He says:
John 13:13 - Ye call me Master and Rabbi: and ye say well; for so I am.
John 13:14 - If I then, your Rabbi and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
John 13:15 - For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
John 13:16 - Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his master; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
John 13:17 - If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
We are all called to be servants. Of course, we know Yahushua served us, just as His Father serves us. Serving us and serving His Father was His main goals in life. In light of the fact that Yahweh is continually serving us, should we not serve Him, as well? Should not our service to Him and our fellow man be our main goal in life?
Whether it's serving our brethren, serving our spouse, serving our children, serving the community, one who lives their life that way is truly fulfilled, loving indeed and in truth, not just in word.
He who is greatest is not necessarily the one with the most knowledge, the most wisdom, the most revelations. The teachers of the Word get a lot of attention, and they'll also be stricter in judgment. I suppose I'll be one of those who receives a stricter judgment.
Pray for me that Yahweh has mercy on me, and pray that I always maintain a meek spirit. I don't ever want to depart from that--not that I have perfected it--but I always want to be meek in His eyes.
The last thing I need is to have done the things that Yahweh has called me to do and ruin it all through pride. The same is true for all of us. When we serve, when we do what we're commanded, what did Yahushua say we're supposed to do? Go and tell everybody all the wonderful things we do every day that we're called to do?
No, He says:
Luke 17:10 - So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
We are all unprofitable servants. If we happen to do what's commanded, we're just doing our duty. Look at all that Yahweh has done for us. It pales in comparison. The good news of Yahushua the Messiah is to the meek.
Isaiah 61:1 - The Spirit of the Master YAHWEH is upon me; because YAHWEH hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Who were the ones that ended up rejecting Yahushua the Messiah when He came on the earth? Who are the ones who ended up receiving Him? It was the meek disciples that were chosen, even though there might have been more learned men for Yahushua to choose. One of them said in Luke 5:8:
Luke 5:8 - When Simon Kepha saw it, he fell down at Yahushua' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O master.
He recognized his own sinful state, and he was humble, falling down at Yahushua's knees. Yahushua gave that man the keys.
Matthew 16:18 - And I say also unto thee, That thou art Kepha, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:19 - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Imagine that. A man going from a position of saying, "I'm not even worthy to be in your presence," being given the keys, and he unlocked a lot of things. He was the first one to speak in Acts 2, the ministry to the people of Israel, and He was the first one to open the door to the Gentiles.
The gates of Sheol, that is the grave, shall not prevail against us, because we are a people who have Yahushua the Messiah living in us, and the gates of Sheol did not prevail against Him. The grave could not contain Him.
The grave will not contain us. We will be raised again to eternal life. If we remain strong and endure to the end, we will be saved. It's the meek that Yahweh will choose to save. It's the meek that Yahweh can use in a mighty way. Those who lack meekness lack the ears to hear His words, and Yahweh rejected them.
I wonder what truths we might be lacking because of our lack of meekness. Yahushua said a lot of times, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
The meek ones had ears to hear, but the prideful ones did not in verse 10.
Matthew 13:10 - And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?
Matthew 13:11 - He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.
Matthew 13:12 - For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.
Matthew 13:13 - Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
Matthew 13:14 - And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:
That's a pretty sad condition to be in, pretty sad. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29:
1Corinthians 1:26 - For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:
1Corinthians 1:27 - But YAHWEH hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and YAHWEH hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
1Corinthians 1:28 - And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath YAHWEH chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
1Corinthians 1:29 - That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Pretty amazing. Yahweh does not want any flesh glorying in His presence, and so He chooses the meek and the humble and gives them wisdom, the wisdom that will confound the wise of this world.
So we know why Yahushua said, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." This wasn't a new promise or teaching. Yahushua was actually quoting from the Old Testament. He was quoting a Psalm.
Psalms 37:9 - For evildoers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon YAHWEH, they shall inherit the earth.
Psalms 37:10 - For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.
Psalms 37:11 - But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
HalleluYah.
Psalms 147:6 - YAHWEH lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
We get a sense here, through reading the various scriptures on meekness, that the meek are those who maybe have been treated unfairly or have been wronged, but trusted Yahweh to take care of things.
How many men of Yahweh in scripture could we name that were falsely accused and mistreated? It would be a very long list indeed. In many cases, we see Yahweh will take vengeance on behalf of the meek. Isaiah 11:4, speaking of Yahushua, it says:
Isaiah 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.
Yahweh is willing to take up the cause of one who is willing to commit everything to Him.
Isaiah 29:18 - And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
Isaiah 29:19 - The meek also shall increase their joy in YAHWEH, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 29:20 - For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
In Zephaniah 2:3:
Zephaniah 2:3 - Seek ye YAHWEH, 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 YAHWEH's anger.
Meekness is something we should be seeking after. It's a path. It's an attitude. It's a character trait, a fruit of the Spirit. If we're willing to seek it and seek righteousness, when Yahweh pours out His wrath upon the earth, we may be hidden in that day.
We read in Revelation the different judgments that come down. Remember, Yahushua said we should pray always that we would be able to escape the things which are going to come to pass upon the earth and to stand before the Son of man.
In one of the assemblies in Revelation, He promised He would keep them from the hour of trial.
Revelation 3:10 - "Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.
That's the Philadelphia assembly that did not forget or deny His name. If we want to be hid in the day of tribulation to come in some way--Yahweh may spare us from the hour of trail, Yahweh may keep us from facing the wrath of different things that are going to happen and tribulations--then we need to seek righteousness, and we need to seek meekness and keep His command to persevere.
What do we make of these examples here? For instance, maybe someone would think that Stephen wasn't very meek when he was standing up in Acts 7 and accusing the Sanhedrin.
Acts 7:51 - Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do ye.
Acts 7:52 - Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
Acts 7:53 - Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
They didn't like that too well.
Acts 7:54 - When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
Didn't like it. Yahushua said, "You serpents, generation of vipers, how can you escape the condemnation of hell?"
Yahushua and Stephen didn't sound very meek, I guess you might say. They were very strong and bold in what they said. Some people will grab these examples here and go on a tirade against maybe a family member, or friend, or a brother in the faith, and use these as examples to walk in anger and walk in the flesh.
Yahushua and Stephen were not walking in the flesh. They were walking in the Spirit. They were speaking to very wicked, bloodthirsty men who had murder on their minds, and their intent was to kill. They had innocent blood on their hands in many ways. Yahushua said to them:
Matthew 23:34 - Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Matthew 23:35 - That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.
They had shed a lot of innocent blood in their pride, and their evil deeds needed to be exposed. The bold statements given by Yahushua and Stephen, cutting right to their heart with the truth, was necessary if there was any hope of humbling these prideful men.
But among the brethren, we are admonished:
1Thessalonians 2:5 - For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; YAHWEH is witness:
1Thessalonians 2:6 - Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome, as the apostles of the Messiah.
1Thessalonians 2:7 - But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
1Thessalonians 2:8 - So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of YAHWEH only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
This is very tender and affectionate and gentle. That's how it ought to be among us. Let's not try to misapply scripture and justify fleshly anger, calling it righteousness and righteous indignation when it's not really.
This was Yahushua's method of exposing the murderous Pharisees. He never called any of His fellow disciples broods of vipers and snakes. Meekness was very much expected also of women in the faith. That meek spirit is very precious in the eyes of Yahweh.
1Peter 3:1 - Wives, likewise, [be] submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,
1Peter 3:2 - when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.
1Peter 3:3 - Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel--
1Peter 3:4 - rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of YAHWEH.
There is a testimony for you, brethren, as to the power of a meek and quiet spirit. A woman can bring her husband to obedience through a meek and quiet spirit.
The word translated "gentle" or "meek" here has the meaning of mildness of disposition, a gentleness of spirit, and meekness. The very opposite of that is clamor, loudness, boisterousness. Those are actually, if you look in Proverbs, characteristics of harlots.
It says she's loud. Her feet don't stay within her house. She's clamorous. It talks about the opposite. When you look at women like Ruth, Sarah, Miryam (Yahushua's mother), they were very meek women, and they were used by Yahweh.
If we desire to know righteous judgment, if we deserve to know Yahweh's ways, and we desire to be used by Yahweh, we need to maintain meekness. Not just women, all of us.
Remember these things are given to the meek. It says the meek you will guide in judgment, and the meek He will teach His way. All the paths of Yahweh are mercy and truth unto such that keep His covenant and His testimonies.
I can say I have received some very precious jewels of wisdom from women who were very meek and quiet, knew their place, and loved the humble place of submission and holiness.
Many times, the meek and quiet widows who are just dedicating their life to Yahweh--or even the married women, too--are some of the most spiritually minded. Many of them will enter the kingdom far before any men who get more attention in this age.
In fact, there might be more women in the kingdom than men. I tend to think there will be because of this very thing.
Study the examples of the holy women of old. I'm not talking about since women's liberation and all that stuff. In former times, look at Ruth. She was always bowing down and humbling herself before somebody. She was called in one place, it was said of her that everyone in this area knows that you are a virtuous woman.
They were precious in Yahweh's eyes and in the eyes of others. I certainly hope the handmaidens of Yahweh in this age of women trying to act as men will display the righteous characteristic of meekness. Trust in Yahweh and let Him be your hiding place. Let Him be your rock in the day of trouble, and all of heaven will be with you.
If we see a brother who is in sin, how should we approach him? What should our attitude be? A lot of times it is harsh correction and a "got you" kind of rebuke. Scripture says:
Galatians 6:1 - Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.
Galatians 6:2 - Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of the Messiah.
Galatians 6:3 - For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
Do you know a lot of times what happens when someone insults another person and judges them and corrects them harshly? Yahweh will take the person who's correcting them harshly and put them in a similar situation and see how well they do.
That's what He's saying here. If you see someone overtaken in some kind of a sin, you'd better restore them in the spirit of gentleness, or you might also be tempted. Yahweh may test you in the same situation and see how well you do.
For your own benefit, just be meek and humble, no matter how terrible the sin is, and restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. Do we need to be brash and cold to unbelievers? It says we have to be gentle to the believers, but what about the unbelievers?
Do we raise our voice and insult them, intimidate them who might oppose us?
2Timothy 2:24 - And the servant of YAHWEH must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient,
2Timothy 2:25 - In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if YAHWEH peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
2Timothy 2:26 - And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
Even in our instruction to others who are unbelievers, we teach with gentleness and meekness. Let's never forget, brethren, that we were all pulled out of that miry pit. We were deceived souls who were given the grace of Yahweh. We need to maintain that same humility that brought us salvation.
Yahushua called out many unto Himself, yet He was a meek man. Maybe the people were expecting some loud, bold, and harsh man, but He was meek. Matthew 21:5 in the New King James version says, "Tell the daughter of Tsiyon, 'Behold your King is coming to you, lowly and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.'"
Maybe they were expecting some kind of grand entrance, and a procession of riches and splendor. He was bold, but He wasn't bold in the way He expected.
Here He was, King of kings, Master of all the earth, through whom all things were created, entering Jerusalem lowly, sitting on a donkey, entering Yerushalayim.
Titus 3:1 - Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,
Titus 3:2 - To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.
Titus 3:3 - For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
Most all of us were that way at one time in our life. How are they going to know to change, but to see the blessedness of Yahushua's peace upon us through our meek attitude?
We should not stand up and be arrogant because we're called children of the King. We should be thankful to Yahweh that He called us out of this world and its darkness, realizing that unless Yahweh had called us, we would still be in the same condition.
Titus 3:4 - But after that the kindness and love of YAHWEH our Saviour toward man appeared,
Titus 3:5 - Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Set-apart Spirit;
Titus 3:6 - Which he shed on us abundantly through Yahushua ha Mashiach our Saviour;
When we reach out to others, should we be full of wrath and a closed ear? A lot of times people want to act how they perceived John the Baptist to be. They perceive him as being a loud, brash preacher out in the wilderness, very condemning. I don't believe he was that way.
I believe he was that way towards the Pharisees who came. He said, "What are you coming here for?" They weren't coming to be baptized. He knew that. They weren't coming to repent. He knew that, too. They were bloodthirsty men. He treated them the same way that Yahushua treated them, Stephen treated them.
When people asked what they ought to do, he told them what they ought to do to repent.
James 1:19 - So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
James 1:20 - for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of YAHWEH.
James 1:21 - Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
James 1:22 - But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
We're called to be doers, not just hearers. Sometimes when we understand the right way to do something, we rejoice, and then we go on about our life and don't change. Maybe you heard something in the scripture study today that you'll say, "I need to work on that. That's right. What he said is correct."
And you feel better about yourself, because now you know the right thing to do. But if a year goes by, and you're not any better for it, then you are a hearer and not a doer.
We need to be hearers and doers. There's a tendency to deceive ourselves and to think, "Oh, now I understand what to do, and that's all we need." The next step is to do it. It's not just to hear it, and understand it, and have the right doctrines and know the right things to do, and understand the proper wisdom, but to apply the wisdom.
Solomon in all his glory had all kinds of wisdom. He knew the right things to do, but he didn't do it. He allowed idolatry into the holy place of Israel, building temples to idols, multiplying wives for himself. He had the wisdom, but he didn't do it.
If we are given wisdom, praise Yahweh. Praise Yahweh for it and ask Him to give you the strength to walk it out and focus on it. We're called to be slow to speak and swift to hear.
James 1:19 - So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath;
When we speak many words, if we dominate most conversations, how can we really hear? If we spend all of our time talking, and every time someone tries to say something we interrupt, and we dominate everything, how are we going to gain any wisdom from others?
Yahweh can use others to teach us, but if we're always dominating everything, we don't learn. A lot of times--not always--but a lot of times the dominators are the proud, and the quiet ones are the meek. Our attitude can come out, whether we're meek or prideful, by the multitude of words which we speak.
If there are ten people sitting at a table, and one person is doing all the talking, he must figure his words are a whole lot more important than everybody else's.
Everybody should be given the opportunity to speak, and no one should dominate. There's a time for an oratory or to give a sermon, like Kepha gave a sermon, Paul gave a sermon. There's a time for that. But when we're all coming together in one place, I like to seek out the meek ones a lot of times and hear their perspectives. I like to associate with the humble.
May Yahweh help us receive the Word with meekness and receive the meek brethren. When we share the Word in meekness, a lot of times it will provoke meekness in the hearers.
I've found it to be true when we are swift to hear others, even those who are totally opposed to what we have to say, it's only then that they're going to respect us enough to listen to what comes out of our own mouth.
But if we're always talking, never learning, that's not good. We can learn from anybody. To think we can't learn from somebody else is often based on pride. Who is wise and who is understanding among us?
James 3:13 - Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct [that] his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
We have to have right conduct, not just right wisdom. Knowledge that's not carried out is not really wisdom. It's just a bunch of knowledge.
James 3:14 - But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
James 3:15 - This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
James 3:16 - For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
James 3:17 - But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:18 - Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
So if we desire to sow the seed of the Word, which produces the fruit of righteousness, let's sow it in shalom, in peace. Too often, the Word is being crammed down another person's throat. What happens? The seed falls into such a hard-packed soil, it's never going to grow.
When you're planting your garden, you dig a little spot there, and you gently cover it with soil. Sow it in gentleness and in peace so that the fruit of righteousness might truly grow.
We know that scripture says that many are going to speak against us, and we need to be willing to stand up and defend the truth. But in what way?
1Peter 3:15 - But set apart YAHWEH in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;
1Peter 3:16 - having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in the Messiah may be ashamed.
1Peter 3:17 - For it is better, if it is the will of YAHWEH, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
We don't have any reason to be fearful, do we? Why does it say meekness and fear? It's not fear toward men; it's fear toward Yahweh, because when we open our mouth, the things that come out of it need to be truth. Or we may become like Job's friends. Yahweh's wrath was kindled against them, because they did not speak of Yahweh the thing that is right, as Job did.
Job 42:7 - And it was so, that after YAHWEH had spoken these words unto Job, YAHWEH said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
When you read through the book of Job, you ought to pay attention to who's talking, because Yahweh specifically said that his three friends did not speak of Him what is right. When you come to those scripture verses, just because it's written in the scriptures, don't necessarily rely on what these three friends had to say, because it could be totally wrong.
Yahweh specifically said they spoke the thing that was wrong, but Job did not. We need to be careful when we speak of Yahweh the things that are right, and let our mouth be filled with His words.
1Peter 4:11 - If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of YAHWEH. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which YAHWEH supplies, that in all things YAHWEH may be glorified through Yahushua the Messiah, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever.
If we speak, let's speak as the oracles of Yahweh.
Proverbs 30:5 - Every word of Eloah is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
Proverbs 30:6 - Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.
Yahweh's Word is a far better teacher than any eloquence of men. For this reason, I think it's best if we fill our studies with His words.
In the first century assembly, the focus was not on the teachers. The focus was on the Word, and that's where we need to really be careful. A lot of times, people tend to focus on the teacher, but not so much on the message.
Sometimes the reason for that is because the message is mainly a man's own reasoning, his own eloquence, his own way of wording things. But when the focus is on the Word, then the fruit of righteousness can grow.
In the first century assembly, what was the focus? It was on the Word.
Acts 6:7 - And the word of YAHWEH increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts 4:29 - And now, YAHWEH, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
Acts 8:4 - Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
Acts 8:14 - Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of YAHWEH, they sent unto them Kepha and John:
Acts 11:1 - And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of YAHWEH.
Acts 12:24 - But the word of YAHWEH grew and multiplied.
The focus was on the Word.
Acts 17:11 - These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
When the focus was on the Word, guess what? The focus was on Yahushua, who is the Living Word of Yahweh, and change can come. I certainly pray Yahweh will have mercy on me if I've ever spoken contrary to His Word.
We all need to ask ourselves, "Where is our focus?" Do we want the wrath of Yahweh kindled against us for not speaking something that was right? Do we want to inherit the earth? Do we want to be taught the ways of Yahweh? Do we want to avoid temptation? Do we want salvation? Do we want to bring others to the knowledge of the truth?
Do we want Yahweh to make right all the wrongs that have been done to us? Do we want to be filled with His Spirit and bear the fruits thereof? Do we want to be hid in the day of Yahweh's anger? Most importantly, do we want to be like Yahushua?
My brethren, as Passover approaches, let's examine ourselves, walking in meekness, turning away from pride, seeking to overcome any and all wrath, vengeance, pride, and strife, and let Yahushua the Messiah's meekness flow through us. When we do this, we can receive all the promises that Yahweh gives to those who seek and walk in the way of meekness.
May the pure love and patience and gentleness and meekness from Yahweh rest upon you, fellow servants of the Most High. May Yahweh bless you and may He have mercy on us all.