The Meek Will Inherit the Earth

 Blessed are the meek,
because they will inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 (LEB)

The world can be an unfriendly and intimidating place. We have forgotten how to maintain a simple life, and have embraced a society that cries for more war, is quick to get angry, and has completely mixed religion with politics to a point where they are nearly inseparable. We need a reset that has nothing to do with what world leaders would have us believe. Yeshua gave us insight into world events and who will live a meaningful life apart from the worldly chaos.

Matthew 5:3–12 (LEB): ³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Blessed are the ones who mourn, because they will be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they will be satisfied. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, because they will be called sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. ¹¹ Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things against you, lying on account of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.

“Meek” is the English word used for Strong’s G4558, and the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology has the following to say about this Greek word:

πραΰς G4558 (praÿs), gentle, humble, considerate, meek; πραΰτης G4559 (praÿtēs), gentleness, humility, considerateness, meekness; πραϋπαθία G4557 (praÿpathia), gentleness; ἐπιεικής G2117 (epieikēs), mild, yielding, gentle, kind, forbearing; ἐπιείκεια G2116 (epieikeia), mildness, forbearance, gentleness, graciousness.

CL praÿs (from Homer on) is etymologically linked with the Gothic frÿon to love, frionds, friend, and means friendly, mild, gentle. The noun praÿtēs (from Thuc. on) and praÿpathia, derived from praÿpatheia, means gentle, mild friendliness. The virtually synonymous epieikēs, and the noun epieikeia are derived either from eikos, becoming, decent, or from eikō, to yield, give way, and mean (from Homer on) the proper way of life, or (from Thuc. on) forbearance, indulgence, mildness.
Words from the praÿs group are used of things (e.g. mild words, soothing medicine, actions and feelings), animals (tame) and people (benevolent). It is a quality shown by friends, while stern harshness may be expected from an enemy.

W. Bauder, “Humility, Meekness,” ed. Lothar Coenen, Erich Beyreuther, and Hans Bietenhard, New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1986), 256–257.

I have difficulty understanding the thought process of Christians who vehemently support leaders, nations or movements that are acting contrary to the words of Yeshua. We are to be peace makers, friendly, humble, and thirst for righteousness. Righteousness is defined for us in Scripture.

Deuteronomy 6:25 (LEB): ²⁵And it shall be righteousness for us if we diligently observe and do all of this commandment before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.’

Yeshua told his followers that if they lived by the sword they would die by the sword. This means if we are warmongers who seek revenge by bombing other nations and acting inhumanely, then we should expect to get bombed and be treated inhumanely.

Matthew 26:52 (LEB): ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place! For all who take up the sword will die by the sword.

The idea of one’s own actions coming back on their own head is a concept from the Old Testament. It is likely where the concept of “Karma” was derived.

Obadiah 15 (LEB): ¹⁵ “For the day of Yahweh is near against all the nations! Just as you have done, it will be done to you. Your deeds will return on your own head.

Yeshua repeats the same concept. God’s justice is always presented with balanced scales.

Matthew 7:1–2 (LEB): 7 “Do not judge, so that you will not be judged. ² For by what judgment you judge, you will be judged, and by what measure you measure out, it will be measured out to you.

NBC reported, that according to the Council of Foreign Relations, the US dropped 26,171 bombs on seven nations in 2016. These nations were Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Syria and Somalia. More recently, Israel has been dropping an amount of bombs equal to that of two nuclear bombs in Gaza according to an article on the euromedmonitor.org website. Here is what the article reported:

“Geneva – Israel has dropped more than 25,000 tons of explosives on the Gaza Strip since the start of its large-scale war on 7 October, equivalent to two nuclear bombs, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a press release issued today.

According to the Geneva-based human rights organization, the Israeli army has admitted to bombing over 12,000 targets in the Gaza Strip, with a record tally of bombs exceeding 10 kilograms of explosives per individual. Euro-Med Monitor highlighted that the weight of the nuclear bombs dropped by the United States on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan at the end of World War II in August 1945 was estimated at about 15,000 tons of explosives.”

Yemen has joined the war aligning with Palestine, and it looks like it is expanding to Lebanon. Algeria is threatening to close the straight of Gibraltar. It is just as devastating to human life in the Ukraine theatre or war, and it looks like the wars are ramping up more than there is any hope of a peaceful solution as the NATO nations push back against Russian aggression, or Russia pushes back against NATO aggression. It is all perspective based on what one believes to be truth.

Matthew 5:43–46 (LEB): ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, ⁴⁵ in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven, because he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not the tax collectors also do the same?

Many of these wars are justified through some type of religious framework. People fighting wars throughout history have usually had a deity fighting on their side. Christians, Jews and Muslims are no different; however, does the one true God of Israel condone all these wars we see today?

Matthew 26:53 (LEB): ⁵³ Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and he would put at my disposal at once more than twelve legions of angels?

Ancient Israel did not fight battles by might and force. It was the supernatural workings of the Father that gave them prosperity, and it was only when they were obedient to His commandments.

Psalm 34:11–17 (LEB): ¹¹ Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of Yahweh. ¹² Who is the man who desires life, who loves many days in order to see good? ¹³ Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. ¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it. ¹⁵ The eyes of Yahweh are toward the righteous, and his ears toward their cry for help. ¹⁶ The face of Yahweh is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. ¹⁷ They cry out and Yahweh hears and delivers them from all of their troubles.

This is how the world will go from a complete disaster to a peaceful place where the resurrected King David’s descendant, Yeshua, will rule the nations.

Revelation 19:11–15 (LEB): ¹¹ And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and the one seated on it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and makes war. ¹² Now his eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many royal headbands having a name written that no one except he himself knows. ¹³ And he was dressed in an outer garment dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies that are in heaven, dressed in clean, white fine linen, were following him on white horses. ¹⁵ And out of his mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it he could strike the nations. And he will shepherd them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the wine of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful.

There will be a supernatural event that will end the wars and create a peaceful existence where Yeshua is ruling the nations. It will not be ushered in by the actions of nations bombing other nations into oblivion, despite how righteous or justified they claim to be.

Isaiah 2:4 (LEB): ⁴ He shall judge between the nations and he shall arbitrate for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. A nation shall not lift up a sword against a nation, and they shall not learn war again.

No earthly alliance of armies will make this happen. Our only job as followers of Yeshua is to do what he said. He told us to do the Father’s will which is following His instructions for a peaceful, meaningful life on earth. Be meek, peaceful and thirst for righteousness, resisting picking sides in these earthly battles designed to divide believers.

Featured photo by Kym Ellis on Unsplash