2 Thess 2, Define Meekness – For the Meek Inherit the Earth.

Class Outline:

Tuesday August 29, 2023

 

The Bible often talks about foolishness in mankind. The Greek words used generally refer to being without thinking or without mind.

 

Why is the human race so often so foolish?

 

Folly is doing something when all reason, experience, and evidence says not to.

 

Folly means that you know that there is an alternative and you have been instructed, by the authority of God (His Word), that the alternative is righteous and good, and you know others who have chosen God’s way and prospered, and you still choose your own way.

 

Meekness is being able to do something, but not doing it in deference to God’s command.

 

Meekness is wisdom. Meekness is exhibited when you have the power and opportunity to do something, but you don’t because God’s will says there is a better way.

 

This is wisdom because you have to know God’s will and be able and willing to apply it. When wisdom meets meekness you have a mature Christian who lives his life according to the kingdom of heaven and Christ his King.

 

Paul tells us that the final dispensation of interim age, between the two advents of Christ (Tribulation) will not occur until the apostasy comes first.

 

Apostasy is political and religious.  

 

Yahweh Elohim chooses the king and the king is made responsible to His Law - that is nothing like “all the nations.”

 

Their king was not to be an apostate (one leaving the truth and the law).

 

The king will be responsible to keep the law, and if he does not, the whole nation will suffer.

 

1SA 12:12-15

“When you saw that Nahash the king of the sons of Ammon came against you, you said to me, 'No, but a king shall reign over us,' although the Lord your God was your king. 13 Now therefore, here is the king whom you have chosen, whom you have asked for, and behold, the Lord has set a king over you. 14 If you will fear the Lord and serve Him, and listen to His voice and not rebel against the command of the Lord, then both you and also the king who reigns over you will follow the Lord your God. 15 If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

 

1SA 8:19-22

Nevertheless, the people refused to listen to the voice of Samuel, and they said, "No, but there shall be a king over us, 20 that we also may be like all the nations, that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles." 21 Now after Samuel had heard all the words of the people, he repeated them in the Lord's hearing. 22 The Lord said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice and appoint them a king." So Samuel said to the men of Israel, "Go every man to his city."

 

It would take until Solomon for vv. 11-18 to come to fruition, but it did, and to the letter.

 

Keeping to the strict definition of “departing from the truth” this is political apostasy. It’s not new, but it is new to God’s client nation Israel. God allows it.

 

The kingdom would split.

 

The Northern Kingdom (Israel, Ephraim) would be conquered and be taken into captivity, or more accurately, dispersed to the East. They are not lost tribes. We know where they went.

 

The Southern Kingdom (Judah) would be conquered and taken into captivity (~150 years later). They would return and rebuild but would not have a king again, and in 63 B.C. Pompeii would conquer the area and make it a Roman province. This would be the beginning of the age of imperialism.

 

The one true and eternal king of Israel then came into the world and to His own people. At the proper time, the Lord Jesus arrived. His ministry was in revealing the truth, revealing that the kingdom of God was at hand (and hence so was the King), and eventually, openly revealing Himself as the Messiah / King.

 

At one point, when the people were convinced enough of His power, they wanted Him to be a political figure.

 

JOH 6:14-15

Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed [feeding the 5000], they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

 

15 So Jesus, perceiving that they were intending to come and take Him by force to make Him king, withdrew again to the mountain by Himself alone.

 

Interestingly, Matthew, Mark, and John have, just after this feeding of the 5000, the incident of Jesus going off to be alone and sending His disciples across the sea in their boat, and then in the middle of the night, Jesus walking on the sea.

 

They wanted a political leader, but Jesus drew away from that and went off to be alone, even from His disciples. And then, He drew secretly to the disciples in a place they were least to expect Him - walking along in the middle of the Sea of Galilee, in a fierce storm, in the middle of the night.

 

Peter wanted to join Him and walked a few steps, but could not do what Christ did. Christ faulted Peter’s faith.

 

In this age, Christ is going to come to each person in an intimate manner. He is not going to show Himself as a public figure in this age. The fallen world, and unfortunately, some in the Christian church want a political figure to solve all of their problems. Christ will come to every one in this age in the form of the gospel, and offer His hand of salvation.

 

He, our Lord, is not a King like all the nations.

 

Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world - a political position under him. Jesus said no - worship the Lord. The antichrist will be offered the same thing and he will say yes.

 

Our King is not of this world.

 

We should each shine in this world as lights in a dark place, just like Israel should have, but we have to be like our King, which is the way of our future eternal kingdom.

 

MAT 5:5

“Blessed are the gentle [meek], for they shall inherit the earth.”

 

He uses the same word to describe Himself.

 

MAT 11:28-12:1

 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  29 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

 

[picture - bright life in a wasteland]

MAT 5:16

let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

 

We are temperate, virtuous, charitable, joyful, gentle (meek and wise), … and all to the fullness of the manner that belongs to Christ.

 

JOH 10:10

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

 

The thief is the sin, evil, worldliness that tempts us all. It robs us of the life beyond our thinking.

 

The King and His kingdom are yours. Submit to Him (study, apply, obey, trust, pray, be filled with the Spirit) and you will walk in this life as if the kingdom is already all around you.