Tuesday Night Handout Beatitudes 3

Beatitudes 3

Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth Matt 5:5

"The Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because he didn't fulfill their messianic expectations. He even preached against the means in which they put their hope. They first rejected, then hated, and finally killed Him because instead of approving their religion, He condemned it, and instead of leading them to independence from Rome, He disdained revolutionary acts and offered a way of even greater subservience.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 anyone hanged on a tree is "accursed of God"

This was a stumbling block to the Jews 1 Corinthians 1:23

They ignored Isaiah pictures of what the Messiah would be like.
Isaiah 53:2
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53:6-8

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Meaning of Meekness

Matthew 21:5
2 Corinthians 10:1

Difference between meek and poor in spirit?
poverty of spirit focuses on our sinfulness
meekness focuses on God's holiness
The sequence of the Beatitudes

1. Poverty of spirit is negative and results in 2. Mourning. We are comforted by and our attention is now directed towards God which produces 3. meekness. Meekness is positive and results in 4. seeking righteousness.

Blessings of the Beatitudes are for those who are
1. Realistic about their sinfulness
2. Repentent of their sins
3. Responsive to God in His righteousness

The proud Pharisees wanted a miraculous kingdom
The proud Saducees wanted a materialistic kingdom
The Essenes wanted a monastic (live like a monk) kingdom
The proud Zealots wanted a military kingdom

The humble Jesus wanted a meek kingdom

Job 5:11
Psalm 25:9
Numbers 12:3
Ephesians 4:1-2
Colossians 3:12
Titus 3:1-2

Meekness is not weakness
the word refers to the breaking of an animal - power under control, God's control

Proverbs 25:28 and 16:32 Hebrews 10:34

"The spirit of meekness is the spirit of Christ, who defended the glory of His father, but gave Himself in sacrifice for others."

Leaving us an example to follow.
1 Peter 2:21-23

He was the only human being who did no wrong, always had a perfect defense, but never defended Himself (He had the right)

He made a scourge of cords and drove out the money changers and sacrifice sellers from the temple (He had the power)

Meekness is not weakness, but it doesn't use it's power for it's own defense or selfish purpose. Meekness is power and rights completely surrendered to God's control.



Manifestation of Meekness

Abraham Genesis 13:5-9
Joseph Genesis 45:2 5,8 Genesis 50:19-20
Moses Numbers 12:3 Exodus 3:11 and 4:10
David 1 Samuel 24:5-6 2 Samuel 16:5-12
Paul Philippians 3:3 4:13
Contrast what happens to King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles26:4-5 and verses 16-21

Result of Meekness

inherit the earth Genesis 1:28

Most Jews believed that the coming great kingdom of the Messiah would belong to the strong, of whom the Jews would be the strongest. The Messiah himself said that it would belong to the meek, Jew and Gentile alike

Psalm 37:11 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

Unrighteous will not inherit 1 Corinthian 6:9 Psalm 149:7-9

Necessity for Meekness

Required for salvation
-Only the meek will inherit the earth, because only the meek belong to the King who will rule the future kingdom on the earth.

Psalm 149:4 Matthew 18:2-4

-It is commanded Zepaniah 2:3 James 1:21

-Because we cannot witness effectively without it
1 Peter 3:15

"Pride will always stand between our testimony and those to whom we testify - they will see us instead of the Lord, no matter how orthodox our theology or how refined our technique."
Only meekness gives glory to God - pride seeks it's own glory, but meekness seeks God's.

Meekness is reflected in our attitude towards other children of God

Humility in relation to other Christians gives God Glory

Romans 15:5-7