Psalm 37:10-11 — For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The more I read the New Testament, the more I am struck by the frequency with which Jesus quotes, or at least alludes to, the Old Testament. The Sermon on the Mount is a great example. Matthew 5:5 is a clear reference to Psalm 37:11.
“Blessed are the meek”. No matter how you define meekness, it’s a virtue I need more of!
Actually the definition is interesting. Usually, the word used for “meek” Generally, just refers to a state of poverty or weakness that adds to defenselessness. The word is also used for to mean “humble”, as when Moses is described as “the most humble person on earth”. (Numbers 12:3). Which meaning, I wonder, did David and Jesus intend? Either makes sense … but in the Psalm the idea of inheriting the earth is an allusion to the way the Jews referred to their expectation as they wandered in the wilderness. “The earth” referred to Canaan. The thought is that those who have nothing, and who have no inflated opinion of themselves, will displace the wicked and live peacefully in their place.
Jesus quoted the Old Testament freely — but He always used it as the jumping off point for a new idea. The first thing to grasp in Matthew 5:5 is that to Jesus, there was an added dimension to “meekness”. It meant that perfect obedience to the Father’s will that He himself modeled so perfectly. That meekness is not a weak feeble thing. Nobody could call Jesus weak and feeble. Meekness in the Sermon on the Mount is “strength under control”.
What is “the earth” that Jesus’s meek will inherit? It’s too simple to think that it’s the land of Israel …especially as Jesus knows that His disciples are only the start of the universal church. It is the promise of all the blessings they could ever need. The Father knows what we need and if we place ourselves trustfully and obediently at His direction He will bless us with all that will make for our happiness … and with blessings for all eternity that are beyond our imagination. “Thus are the meek the only rightful occupants of a foot of ground or a crust of bread here, and heirs of all coming things.” (Jamieson, Fausset, Brown)