Meekness, not weakness

Exodus 33:11 says, [11] And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. God says, "The only person I stood face to face to and talked to was Mo."

Numbers 12:3: [3] (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)

Do you think Moses was a Caspar Milquetoast? A rank-and-file backbencher who didn't do anything? This is the guy who walked into Pharoah and said, "Let my people go." That's not a guy trembling in his boots and weak, says Richard Jordan.

Jesus says in Matthews 11: [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

[30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

You think the Lord Jesus Christ was weak? People have this idea, and I've heard this all my life, "Oh, that religious crowd; it's for women and children. Real men don't go there."

Listen, if you want to find men wearing laced britches go out on the tennis court, the golf course or into the business world.

You want to find men who know how to wear the armor, you get involved in the work of the ministry. It's no place for weakness.

Meekness is the issue of power, but it's under control. When He says meekness, you've got the power, but you're not using it independently on your own. Meekness is the opposite of independence.

When Jesus said, "I'm meek and lowly," His voice was the voice that thundered on Mt. Sinai. His voice was the voice that said, "And let there be . . . " and spoke a universe into existence. What is that? That's power. The world came into existence by the word of His power.

When He said, "I'm meek and lowly," He said, "I've got that power under control and I'm not using it just to demonstrate power. I got a plan and, by the way, the plan is the plan of my Father."

Rather than being independent, meekness is the idea of being dependent. John 4: [32] But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.

[33] Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat?
[34] Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

"The thing that feeds my soul, the thing that satisfies me, the thing that nourishes me," Jesus said, "is to do the will of my Father."

He chose to take this power, put it under control and submit it to the plan of His Father. In the shadow of the Cross, He says, [42] Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

As the man Christ Jesus, He says, "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, but I'll take my flesh and submit it by faith to the Father's plan."

That's why Paul talks seven times about the faith of Christ. Jesus Christ lived His life meek and lowly in His humanity. That's why Zechariah talks about His meek and lowly coming and His coming in power and great glory. That's two sides of the same Messiah. He comes in meekness; He comes submitting Himself to the will of His Father. He comes living His life in total dependence on the will and the word of His Father.

Paul says, "You know what walking worthy of the Lord is going to look like for you? It's going to be a life of humility of mind. You're not going to be strutting your stuff; it's going to be the opposite of pride. It's going to be a meek and lowly walk; a walk where the power that is yours--the identity that is yours-- is going to be dependent on the Father's will. It's going to be a life of longsuffering."

That means put up with it a long time. That's the opposite of self-will. When something is longsuffering, what happens is that you don't quit. In my mind, the word longsuffering means endurance.

In Colossians is one of the most powerful verses on longsuffering anywhere in the Bible: Colossians 1: [9] For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

[10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
[11] Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
[12] Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
[13] Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
[14] In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

That's just a shorthand version of the prayer at the end of Ephesians 3. That your life would be under the control of the knowledge of His will. That the wisdom and spiritual understanding that comes to you when you understand what God's doing today would grip your life and your life would be under control of the love and grace of God revealed through His Word rightly divided.

Why? That you might walk worthy of the Lord. There's Ephesians 4: [1] I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

[2] With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
[3] Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.