Matthew 5:3-12 lists eight Beatitudes that were spoken of by Jesus. Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5)
To be blessed, one must have an attitude to be meek.
Moses (who wrote down God’s law for his people) and Jesus (who fulfilled the law and who wrote down God’s grace and mercy for his people) are both described as having been ‘meek’ (Numbers 12:3; Matthew 11:29). God led his people, using Moses, out of a state of physical bondage and captivity from the land of Egypt (Exodus 13, 14) and God continues to lead all the world by his Only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, out of the state of spiritual bondage of death and captivity under sin (Galatians 5:1). To be meek means to be submissive, but by no means a push-over or someone who is weak. In fact, it is quite the contrary as the word, when used in the Greek New Testament, in the Beatitudes, is πραΰς which is phonetically spelled as prah-ooce’ and transliterated as ‘ praus’ meaning ‘mild or gentle (reserved) with strength’. In other words, to be meek is to have ‘power under control’. The Greek used this term to describe a wild horse that is brought under control by the bit and bridle. The wild horse, even when tamed has no less power than it had before it was tamed. The difference however is that the horse’s power is under control and can be channeled. To be blessed, we must be meek, which means we must have ‘power under control’. To have power under control, we must submit to God. We must submit to his will as Jesus did. We must submit to having God’s power (in us) control and channel our lives as He so desires according to His will, not ours.
In our submission (meekness), to God, we are blessed; blessed to inherit the earth. Inheritance implies being given something or some trait as a right, because of a relationship. Inheritance cannot be earned. So when Jesus says, that the meek shall inherit the earth, it reinforces the fact that the earth and everything in it is the LORD’s (Psalm 24:1). It also establishes the fact that when we submit (be meek) to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, by believing in Him, in faith, and submit to the leading of the Spirit of God, we are adopted into God’s family and we become His children (Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 3:26-27). As children, we have the right to inherit what God owns, which would mean we have the right to inherit the earth and its fullness thereof, and so when we submit, being meek, we are given, as an inheritance, this earth and the new earth to come. This earth matters to all who are in Christ, but it is not of great significance to all who are meek, having submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, as their citizenship is really of heaven (Philippians 3:20), but in the new earth that God establishes (Revelation 21:1), as this earth will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:10) we shall be joint-heirs with Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords (Romans 8:17, Revelation 19:16) and what a blessed Truth that is.
Matthew 5:5 (KJV)
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
1 Peter 3:4 (KJV)
4 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.
