Holy Boldness

scholastic sort of way but in a meditative sort of way. This distinguished him from so many of the rabbinic teachers of his day who occasionally hit upon a profound point of truth but whose writings were mostly filled with endless diatribes on obscure and pointless bits of theology. If you don’t believe me, just try reading the Mid-rash which is composed of ancient Jewish commentary on the scriptures. In vivid contrast, it is so obvious that Jesus taught from a storehouse of truth that He had garnered after having meditated long and deep upon the scriptures so that he was able to pull from them the essence of their teaching. This is the power of meditation. It is from Psalm 37 that one discovers what it means to be meek. It means to be deeply submitted to God as a result of profound trust. It means that one can rest in the promise of God’s victory and therefore one does not have to fight for every inch of gain. The victory of righteousness and justice for the truth is settled as a verdict in the courts of heaven and will be played out in the affairs of men. The first words of Psalm 37 say, “Fret not because of evildoers…” This means that a person must begin in a place of peace and refuse to be afraid. Mourning over evil in the world is not the same as fretting . This is the essence of meekness, to be deeply and truly committed to the belief that “evil will bow before the good.” (Proverbs 14:19) Taking a humble and trusting stance before the living God, believing His promises, and acting in accordance with them is what it means to be meek. The meek are submitted to the divine purpose and give room for its being worked out in the affairs of men. The meek are encourage-able. They are not difficult to convince of the power of God unto salvation. Many Chris tians are in great angst over the condition of the world and keep waiting for their rescue out of this mess. The meek on the other hand are quietly confident of God’s ultimate victory. They are not looking for a way out but a way through . They are believing in the promise and so they are not scratching and clawing at injustice. They are quietly and confidently living their lives in full anticipation of the victory of God in all matters.

The Meekness of Daniel

The story of Daniel comes to mind as I write this morning. Daniel was a man who was given to praying three times a day, kneeling in an open window facing Jerusalem for everyone to see. Men who were jealous of Daniel’s power and prestige passed a law forbidding prayer.

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