Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 161

Meekness Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Beloved Good Shepherd,

We praise you for your teaching heart and gentle spirit.

We thank you for modeling meekness in leadership and for your patience with us as we learn.

Heal our hearts, humble our spirits, open our hands that we might lead with gentleness and hospitality.

Grant us open minds and a teachable spirit that we might lead those around us only to you.

Through the power of your Holy Spirit, now and always, Amen.

Meekness Prayer
Also see:
Believer’s Prayer
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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
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Oración de Mansedumbre

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Amado Buen Pastor,

Te alabamos por tu enseñando corazón y gentil espíritu.

Te agradecemos por modelar la mansedumbre en liderazgo y por tu paciencia con nosotros mientras aprendemos.

Sana nuestros corazones, humilde nuestros espíritus, abre nuestras manos para que podamos liderar con gentileza y hospitalidad.

Concédenos mentes abiertas y un espíritu de enseñanza para que podamos guiar a los que nos rodean solo hacia tí.

A través del poder de tu Espíritu Santo, ahora y siempre, Amén.

Oración de Mansedumbre
Ver también:
Oración del Creyente
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Sitio del autor: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
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Meekness is the Pastoral Gene

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, 

for I am gentle and lowly in heart, 

and you will find rest for your souls. 

(Matt 11:29)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Meekness is a pastoral characteristic, as Charles Colson (2005, 30) writes: “Freedom lies in obedience to our calling.” We know this not only from the words of Jesus, but also from his disciples and those that followed. For example, Jesus says:

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. (Matt 10:42)

Here he is encouraging his disciples to display humility lived out (or meekness) in front of, not children (“little ones”), but young believers (or seekers). The word for disciple (μαθητής; “mathetes”) here means—“one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice” (BDAG, 4662)—and Jesus’ disciples were instructed to teach young believers with an attitude of gentleness and service, modeling meekness in what they said and did.

The Apostle Paul paraphrases Jesus’ command, making teaching meekness (or gentleness) an explicit requirement for church leaders, as when he writes:

And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. (2 Tim 2:24–26)

Gentleness (or meekness) also appears on many of Paul’s lists of the fruits of the spirit (e.g. Gal 5:19–23; Col 3:12–14) and in the writing of James and Peter (Jas 3:13; 1 Pet 3:15). 

Interestingly, meekness is cloaked in one of the most famous images of Christ: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) The image of the Good Shepherd is, in fact, a messianic image prophesied by Isaiah in one of his Servant Song passages:

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. (Isa 40:11)

The Apostle John pushes the shepherd metaphor even further when he writes:

For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. (Rev 7:17)

Here the messianic shepherd is also both a lamb and a king, underscoring that meekness is a divine attribute.

Shepherding likewise anchors the great pastoral passage in the Gospel of John where the risen Christ confronts and restores Peter to leadership:

Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. (John 21:15)

Three times Jesus asks if Peter loves him and with each of Peter’s responses he asks Peter to give up fishing (catching fish with hooks and nets) and to take up shepherding (caring for, defending, and feeding sheep; John 21:15–18). As with Peter, Jesus bids all his disciples to care for his flock displaying meekness.

References

Bauer, Walter (BDAG). 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. ed. de Frederick W. Danker. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. .

Bethune, George. 1839. The Fruit of the Spirit. Reiner Publications.

Bridges, Jerry. 1996. The Practice of Godliness. Colorado Springs: NavPress.

Colson, Charles and Harold Pickett. 2005. The Good Life. Carol Stream: Tyndale House Publishers

Meek is the Pastoral Gen
Also see:
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:



Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com



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Manso es el Gen Pastoral

Tomen mi yugo sobre ustedes y aprendan de mí, 

que yo soy manso y humilde de corazón, y 

Hallaran descanso para sus almas.

 (Matt 11:29)

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

La mansedumbre es una característica pastoral, como Charles Colson (2005, 30) escribe: “La libertad radica en la obediencia a nuestra llamado.”⁠1  Sabemos esto no solo por las palabras de Jesús, sino también de sus discípulos y los que siguieron. Por ejemplo, Jesús dice:

Y cualquiera que como discípulo dé a beber aunque sólo sea un vaso de agua fría a uno de estos pequeños, en verdad les digo que no perderá su recompensa. (Matt 10:42)

Aquí está animando a sus discípulos a mostrar humildad vivida (o mansedumbre) delante no niños (estos pequeños), sino a los jóvenes creyentes (o buscadores). La palabra por discípulo (μαθητής; “mathetes”) aqui significa—“alguien que se dedica en aprender a través instrucción de otra, alumna, aprentiz”  (BDAG, 4662)⁠2—y los discípulos de Jesús se instructieron enseñar los jóvenes creyentes con una actitud de gentilidad y servicio, modelando mansedumbre en lo que dijeron e hicieron.

El Apóstol Pablo parafrasea el mandamiento de Jesus, hacer enseñando mansedumbre (o gentilidad) un requisito explícito para los líderes de la iglesia, como cuando escribe:

El siervo del Señor no debe ser rencilloso, sino amable para con todos, apto para enseñar, sufrido. Debe reprender tiernamente a los que se oponen, por si acaso Dios les da el arrepentimiento que conduce al pleno conocimiento de la verdad, y volviendo en sí, escapen del lazo del diablo, habiendo estado cautivos de él para hacer su voluntad. (2 Tim 2:24-26)

La gentilidad (o mansedumbre) aparece también por muchas de las listas de Pablo de los frutos de la espíritu ( e.g. Gal 5:19–23; Col 3:12–14) y en las escritas de Santiago y Pedro (Jas 3:13; 1 Pet 3:15). 

Interesante, la mansedumbre está envuelta en una de las más famosa imagenes de Cristo: “Yo soy el buen pastor; el buen pastor da Su vida por las ovejas” (John 10:11). La imagen del Buen Pastor es, de hecho, una mesiánica imagen profetizada por Isaias en uno de sus pasajes de Siervo Canción:

Como pastor apacentará Su rebaño, en su brazo recogerá los corderos, y en su seno los llevará; guiará con cuidado a las recién paridas. (Isa 40:11)

El Apóstol Juan empuja la metáfora del pastor aún más lejos cuando escribe:

Pues el Cordero que está en medio del trono los pastoreará y los guiará a manantiales de aguas de vida, y Dios enjugará toda lágrima de sus ojos. (Rev 7:17)

Aquí el pastor mesiánico es también tanto un cordero como un rey, subrayar que la mansedumbre es un atributo divino.

Igualmente, pastoreando ancora el gran pastoral pasaje en el Evangelio de Juan donde el Cristo resucitado confrontar y restaura Pedro de liderazgo.

Cuando acabaron de desayunar, Jesús dijo a Simón Pedro: Simón, hijo de Juan, ¿me amas más que éstos? Sí, Señor, tú sabes que te quiero, le contestó Pedro. Jesús le dijo: apacienta mis corderos.” (John 21:15)

Trés veces Jesús pregunta si Pedro lo ama y con cada de las respuestas de Pedro le pide a Pablo a deje pescando (coger pescados con anzuelos y redes) y que continúe pastoreando (cuidando, defendiendo, y alimentando ovejas; John 21:15–18). Al igual que con Pedro, Jesús ordena a todos sus discípulos a cuidar por su rebaño mostrando mansedumbre.

Notas

1 Charles Colson (2005, 30) writes: “Freedom lies in obedience to our calling.” 2 The word for disciple (μαθητής; “mathetes”) here means—“one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice” (BDAG, 4662

Manso es el Gen Pastora
Ver también:
Gospel as Divine Template
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Sitio del autor: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
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Water Cooler Observations, April 22, 2020

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Prov 1:7 ESV)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

In small group discussions this week, we talked about the nature of wisdom.

One interpretation of wisdom arises through distinguishing different types of knowledge. In my book, Simple Faith (2019), I distinguish three types of knowledge: knowledge about what is (positivistic knowledge), knowledge about values (normative knowledge), and knowledge about what to do (prescriptive knowledge). Prescriptive knowledge is necessarily contextual and often referred to colloquially as wisdom.

In the context of the current corona virus pandemic, we face large and uncertain threats, but also large uncertainty about all three of these types of knowledge. High levels of uncertainty have pushed decisions up the chain of the command in cities, states, and countries, which is the natural response when the delegated authorities of other leaders have been exceeded.

This is clearly a Gethsemane moment, when we have the choice between turning into our pain or turning to God. But, what does turning to God look like? In a similar crisis—the U.S. Civil War—President Lincoln declared a national day of prayer—Thanksgiving. This is an important precedent for the current crisis because in turning to God we admit our inadequacy and turn away from various traps, like political division. Being open to God’s will for our lives is an obvious plea for wisdom, which we sorely lack.

In the secular realm, our current dilemma appears like the classic venture capital problem. Venture capitalists normally operate in an investment context of high uncertainty and, potentially, high rates of return. How does a venture capitalist respond? Set goals and work on figure out what you need to know to achieve them, much like the moon landing in the 1960s using techniques like decision trees and project management approaches.

When President Kennedy announced the objective of putting a man on the moon and returning him safely home again, no one knew how to do it because it had never been done before. I suspect that white boards were brought out, a list of things unknown was identified, and project managers were assigned the task of exploring the unknowns with deadlines for completion.

The Swedish Experiment

In the midst of the corona virus pandemic, the Swedish have apparently decided to continue with business as usual rather than having people shelter in place. This decision was not made out of ignorance, but out of recognition that we do not know the costs involved in alternative strategies.

Social distancing is a policy that evolved out of experience of the Spanish flu in 1918. U.S. cities that practiced social distancing had lower mortality rates than those that did not. In the current crisis, the argument is that by slowing down the transmission of the corona virus, hospitals will be able to treat the victims more adequately because resource constraints on staff and things like ventilators will not be exceeded. Hence, fewer people will die for lack of medical attention.

The Swedish response is to ask whether hospitals are actually able to save more patients than simply having them remain at home.If hospital care does not change actual mortality experience or changes mortality rates only modestly (about two-thirds of patients on ventilators have been reported to die anyway), then the social cost of shutting down the economy may seem to be a drastic measure.

In any case, we really do not know the actual cost of these trade-offs. Is the effect of hospital care simply an example of the placebo effect, where doing anything seems offer improvement that is, in fact, illusionary? We hope that hospital care is a real benefit because in shutting down the U.S. economy we have bet a significant sum to gain this benefit.

Measurement Problem

We really do not know what the mortality rates are from corona virus. Mortality rates currently mask actual mortality rates because deaths are divided into the more difficult cases where tests are administrated. If we tested everyone, we might learn that the mortality rates are actually much lower than reported.

The variance in reported cases suggests extreme uncertainty about mortality rates. In Europe where everyone has social medicine, mortality rates average 10.5 percent. Sweden has a rate of 10.7 percent; in France it is 17.5 percent. In the United States, the mortality rate 5.3 percent on April 18, 2020, exceeding the mortality rate for U.S. Marines (5.2 percent) during World War 2.

The Trade-offs

A meaningful strategy for dealing with the corona virus requires knowledge about three public policy strategies and their cost:

1. Develop herd immunity (the Swedish alternative) without sheltering in place (likely costs the most lives; likely least expensive).

2. Shelter in place until a vaccine becomes available (saves most lives; likely the most expensive).

3. Shelter in place until antibody tests give a green light to come out (unclear how effective in saving lives).

These strategies can be used together. We could, for example, shelter the most vulnerable people while opening the economy, but unfortunately we do not know whether sheltering some is even possible as a practical matter.

The hand-wringing and finger pointing that surrounds conversation about these strategies arises because the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) signed on March 27, 2020 and related announcements by the Federal Reserve implicitly assume the corona crisis will end in weeks not months or years. Because a vaccine is likely not going to be available until 2021, and the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 went on for roughly four years, these alternatives meed to be seriously researched and discussed. Additional public bailouts are simply not financially possible.

The question is: Which strategy is most cost effective in terms of lives and financial resources spared?

Life at Sea

The infection of people on cruise ships and naval vessels gives us a peek at actual mortality rates when everyone is infected.

Aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the U.S. Navy tested 94 percent of the crew, finding 600 sailors (out of 4,800 sailors) infected. Accordingly to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, 350 of those 600 infected were asymptomatic. As of this writing, the Washington Post reports that only one sailor has died. That yields a mortality rate of less than one percent (0.166 percent = 1/600). Sailors tend to be young and healthy, not a high risk group.

One of the early examples of cruise ship outbreaks in February 2020 resulted in 1,500 infections and 39 deaths (mortality rate of 2.6 percent) in one cruise line, more than any nation other than China at the time. More than two-thirds of the passengers on one such cruise ship were over the age of 65, a healthy strata of high risk group. This compares with media reports of up to half of the corona virus death in the United States being among nursing home residents, a high risk group with pre-existing conditions where mortality rates of around 20 percent have been reported.

Summing Up

We all will die. The mortality rate of human beings taken over 120 years is one hundred percent. The question is whether we can live a faithful life between now and then, pointing those around us to God and his salvation in Jesus Christ.

I published my new book, Living in Christ, this week in Kindle. Once a paperback edition is released within the next couple weeks, I will begin advertising more actively.

Water Cooler Observations, April 22, 2020
Also see:
Water Cooler Observations, April 15, 2020
Water Cooler Observations, April 8, 2020
Water Cooler Observations, April 1, 2020
Water Cooler Observations, March 25, 2020
Corona Virus Versus the Flu
Black Plague
CDC Flu Statistics
Managing Change 
Believer’s Prayer
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.
Newsletter:  https://bit.ly/Meet_2020

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Set Limits, Heal Relationships

Henry Cloud and John Townsend. 1992. Boundaries: When to Say YES; When to Say NO; To Take Control of Your Life. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra

Shortly after 9-11, my pastor preached about an intriguing book which I later bought and read.  The book suggested lifestyle changes that over time led me to find a better job and discover a call to ministry. The book?  Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.

Introduction

What is a boundary?  Cloud and Townsend write:  Just as homeowners set out physical property lines around their land, we need to set mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries for our lives to help us distinguish what is our responsibility and what isn’t (25).

Cloud and Townsend start their book by outlining a day in the life of a mother named Sherrie.  In the first chapter, she is anxious, overworked, motivated by fear, and micro-managing those around her (24-25).  She trouble seeing where her world begins and where it ends.  In the final chapter, they return to Sherrie who is now self-confident, works hard, knows her limits, and helps people assume responsibility for themselves.  Sherrie learned to manage her boundaries.

Key Concepts

The increasingly common use of the term, boundaries,  today makes defining boundaries especially important.  Cloud and Townsend talk about boundaries by outlining ten key concepts (laws).  The first three of these are:

First, the law of sowing and reaping:  you reap whatever you sow (Galatians 6:7-8).  Codependent people make a lifestyle of rescuing others from their bad decisions.  Establishing boundaries breaks the codependency cycle and helps weak individuals accept responsibility for their own actions (84-85).

Second, the law of responsibility:  I am responsible for myself; you are responsible for yourself (86-87).

Third, the law of power:  boundaries define what you have control over and what not.  The serenity prayer provides a great summary of this law:  God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference (87-88).  Elsewhere, Cloud and Townsend comment:  the ultimate expression of power is love; it is the ability not to express power, but to restrain it (96).

The list continues.  It is interesting that the original Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 likewise establish concrete boundaries with God and with our neighbors.

Why Good Samaritan is not Great

Cloud and Townsend’s interpretation of the Good Samaritan provides an excellent life application of their concept of boundaries.  Jesus tells this story in Luke’s Gospel:

A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back (Luke 10:30-35 ESV).

Why is this story about the Good Samaritan rather than about the Great Samaritan?  The Samaritan did not walk on the other side of the road like the priest or the Levite, but he also did not drop everything and nurse the man back to health.  Instead, the Samaritan focused on what he was able to do.  Then, he delegated further assistance to the innkeeper and continued his trip (38-39).  In other words, the Good Samaritan saved the man’s life and, still, displayed healthy boundaries.

Life Changing Book

Cloud and Townsend’s interpretation of the Good Samaritan story affected me deeply.  Anxiety about not being able to “save the world” had left me feeling powerless to initiate simple steps of charity that were well within my reach.  Understanding the healthy boundaries displayed by the Good Samaritan empowered me to take steps to become more charitable myself.

Cloud and Townsend explanation of abuse was also life-changing.  Abusers are people who disrespect unspoken boundaries.  It is our responsibility to communicate our boundaries; it is their responsibility to respect them.  Both parts are important.   One I learned to articulate my boundaries, much of the pain and anxiety involved in my relationships simply vanished–most people do not want to be abusers and hate the inference that they are.  Establishing boundaries takes time and effort, but the rewards are enormous.

Do yourself a favor–read this book.  You will be glad you did.

Cloud and Townsend Set Limits; Heal Relationships; Gain Control
Also see:
Cloud: Reclaim Life, Achieve Success 
Books, Films, and Ministry
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
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Meekness and Immutability: Monday Monologues (podcast) April 20, 2020

Stephen W. Hiemstra 2020 (Ken Burtram Photography)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Meekness and Immutability. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).

To listen, click on this link.

Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!

Meekness and Immutability: Monday Monologues (podcast) April 20, 2020



Also see:



Monday Monologue On March 26, 2018 



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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.



Newsletter:  https://bit.ly/Meet_2020

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Builder Prayer

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Amazing Lord,

Creator of all that is, that was, and that will ever be. You are glorious and loving; humble and holy.

Teach me to be like you—to love your laws like Moses; to love your grace like Christ; to trust in your compassion, meekness, and strength.

Use me to build on the work of Christ—to comfort the afflicted, to aid the poor, to offer gentleness and hospitality, and to suffer for his name’s sake.

Grant me the strength to learn and the desire to apply my lessons.

Give me eyes that see, ears that hear, and hands that are open.

In the power of your Holy Spirit and in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Builder Prayer
Also see:
Believer’s Prayer
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Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.



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Oración de Constructor

Por Stephen W. Hiemstra

Asombroso Señor,

Creador de todo lo que es, eso fue, y eso será siempre.

Tú eres glorioso y amoroso, humilde y santo. Enséñaname a ser como tú—a amar tus leyes como Moisés; amar tu gracia como Cristo; confiar en tu compasión, mansedumbre, y fortaleza.

Úsame para construir sobre la obra de Cristo—para consolar a los afligido, para ayudar a los pobre, para ofrecer gentileza y hospitalidad, y para sufrir por el bien de su nombre.

Concédeme la fortaleza a aprender y el deseo para aplicar mis lecciones.

Dame ojos que vean, oídos que escuchen y manos que estén abiertas.

En el poder de tu Espíritu Santo y en el nombre de Jesús, Amén.

Oración de Constructor
Ver también:
Oración del Creyente
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Sitio del autor: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net,
Sitio del editor: http://www.T2Pneuma.com.
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God’s Meekness Speaks Volumes

Now the man Moses was very meek,

 more than all people who were on the face of the earth. 

(Num 12:3)

By Stephen W. Hiemstra

Because meekness is more a fruit of the spirit (Gal 5:19-23) than a natural state, we must learn to be meek. If Jesus is meek, does that imply that God learned to be meek? What does the Old Testament suggest about God’s meekness?

The Books of the Law

Moses is described as meek. Because he has an especially intimate relationship with God (Num 12:3) and we all are drawn to people who share our values, Moses’ meekness may infer that God may also be meek. Narratives about God as creator, covenant maker, and destroyer by means of the flood of that floated Noah’s ark together suggest that God himself is meek.

Creator

As creator, God is pictured as sovereign issuing decrees, such as: “And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.” (Gen 1:3) How light came to be, we are not told; we are only told that God decreed that it be done—God is verbal, but he is not chatty. God then declares: “And God saw that the light was good.” (Gen 1:4)—God does not brag; he meekly observes. While his ability to create illustrates God’s power, God is—“not overly impressed by a sense of [one’s] self-importance, gentle, humble, considerate” (BDAG 6132). In other words, creating is “no big deal” for our meek God.

Covenant Maker

As covenant maker, God is objective and thoughtful, not vengeful and domineering. The covenant with Adam, for example, is mostly implicit because God creates Adam and Eve, gives them a mandate (be fruitful and multiply), sets them in a garden, and leaves only one limitation—do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. When Adam and Eve disobey God’s limitation, he does not replace them with another couple; instead, God punishes (curses) them and sends them out of the garden. But before they go, like a mother preparing her child for the first day of school, “God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Gen 3:21) While God was perfectly in his right as covenant maker to be harsh with Adam and Eve, in fact, he treated them gently—another indication of meekness.

Destroyer

As destroyer, God sends a flood to wipe out humanity and every living thing—almost. The author of Genesis records God’s motivation as follows:

The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen 6:5-8)

The key words here are: regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart; God is moved by regret and by grief over sin—not anger—to send the flood, which is not the image of a wrathful God that some advance. In spite of the flood, God is careful to spare Noah, his family, and a pair of each of the animals. The ark with Noah, his family, and the animals is a prototype of the remnant of Israel later spared during the Babylonian exile (Isa 54:9).

Choosing to exercise only a subset of his rights with the remnant—like a parent offering discipline, not a judge imposing legal penalties—is another example of a meek God. These examples of God as creator, as covenant maker, and as destroyer give us a picture of a God who does not need to learn to be meek, because he was already meek when he created the heavens and the earth.

The Books of the Prophets

The words, meek and humble, appear throughout the Books of the Prophets where Guelich (1982, 82) observed that: “there is little or no difference between the poor and the meek in the Psalms or Isaiah” (e.g. Isa 61:1). This observation makes perfect sense because the nation of Israel spent much of that period as slaves exiled in Babylon and meekness is referred to often, as in:

1. There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD… but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. (Isa 11:1–5)

2. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. (Ps 25:9)

3. But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (Ps 37:11)

4. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zec 9:9)

The appearance of meekness in these messianic passages suggests that the prophets considered meekness a divine attribute.

Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets

The meekness that appears in the Old Testament is both a character attribute of God—part of his transcendence—and a kind of solidarity between God and his people. Elliot (2006, 123) notes that “Israel’s God was emotionally stable”; God meekness typifies this stability, which has led theologians to coin the term, immutability, meaning that God’s character does not change (Mal 3:6; Horton 2011, 235). Thus, when Jesus describes himself as gentle or meek (Matt 11:29), a Jewish audience might rightly hear such words as a messianic claim.

Consider the converse—what if God’s character evolved and was not immutable? What if God changed his mind and did not tell us? In such a changing world, the promises of the Bible could also change at any time—which part of the Bible is still true? What if the atonement of Christ was no longer sufficient? The possibility that God’s character could change is unnerving. 

God’s meekness is just one aspect of his immutable character. Truth is another closely related character trait (Exod 34:6). God’s immutable character implies that only one, objective truth exists. Jesus said: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) The implication is that God’s immutable character anchors stability in the physical and spiritual realms providing credibility also to the authority of scripture.

We hear meekness as typifying God’s immutable character which provides a foundation for our faith. For us, meekness is a fruit of the spirit, but, for God, it is just who he is.

References

Bauer, Walter (BDAG). 2000. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. ed. de Frederick W. Danker. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. .

Elliott, Matthew A. 2006. Faithful Feelings: Rethinking Emotion in the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel.

Guelich, Robert. 1982. The Sermon on the Mount: A Foundation for Understanding. Dallas: Word Publishing.

Horton, Michael. 2011. The Christian Faith: A Systemic Theology for Pilgrims on the Way. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

God’s Meekness Speaks Volume
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