In an earlier post (11-12-20), I described the quality of gentleness as a beauty that never fades.
There are many examples in Scripture that demonstrate the spiritual quality of gentleness in action. Before I share a few examples, take a moment. Who comes to your mind when you think of gentleness, sometimes translated meekness, power under control?
You might think of Abraham when he allowed Lot, his nephew, to choose the well-watered plains (Genesis 13: 5-12). When as second in command in Egypt, Joseph could have easily had his brothers executed, but chose the approach of gentleness instead, saying: “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). What about David when Shimel both cursed him and threw rocks at him, yet how did David respond to his servants who wanted to kill Shimel? “Let him alone, and let him curse; for so the Lord has ordered him.” (2 Samuel 16: 11-12)
In Numbers 12:3, we read that Moses “was very humble (meek) more than all men that were on the face of the earth.” If we examine the life of Moses, we find good evidence that meekness is not weakness but strength under control.
Moses stands up to Pharaoh and his army.
He is fearless exercising leadership against the continual rebellion and stubbornness of the people. He is the most visible and influential figure in the traveling nation of Israel.
What is the context of this statement about Moses in Number 12:3? Listen to Numbers 12: 1-2: “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married… So they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.”
Remember, Miriam and Aaron were Moses’ sister and brother. At first reading, it would seem that they were criticizing Moses because of whom he married, an Ethiopian woman. But as we read further, we see that Miriam was challenging Moses’ spiritual authority. It had nothing to do with Moses’ wife!
Listen again to what Mariam says in verse 2: “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” This attack attempted to put Moses down, making him seem proud. After all, it should not matter to them if the LORD had spoken only through Moses. Their actual charge was that Moses “goes about acting as if he is the only one the LORD speaks through,” accusing Moses of pride. Thus the Spirit writes: Moses “was very humble, [meek] more than all men that were on the face of the earth.”
Miriam arrogantly tries to elevate herself and her brother Aaron by saying, “Has He not spoken through us also?” Translation: “After all, God speaks to us also. Shouldn’t we get some of the credit around here?”
But was Miriam’s statement accurate?
Did the LORD only speak through Moses?
No, and yes. The LORD addressed the people through Aaron in Exodus 4:30; He spoke to Aaron in Exodus 12:1; Miriam herself communicated words inspired by God in Exodus 15:21. But in the sense of there being one leader for Israel, there was only one. Moses, under God’s hand, had the authority and the accountability to lead the people. Yes, God had spoken to Miriam and Aaron in the past – but He had not authorized them to lead the nation.
What does the meekest man on earth say to defend himself? Does he retaliate or try to vindicate himself?
- He says nothing
- He does nothing
- He does not retaliate
Instead, in confident trust, He places himself in His Creator’s hands. God answers Miriam’s accusation against Moses. He vindicates Moses in verses 6-8: “My servant Moses; He is entrusted and faithful in all My house. With him I speak directly, mouth to mouth, clearly and openly and not in riddles; and he beholds the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
Listen to what happens next in verses 9-10: “So the anger of the Lord was aroused against Miriam and Aaron, and God departed. And when the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous, as white as snow.”
Moses practiced the truth of Romans 12: 17-21. “Repay no one evil for evil… Vengeance is Mine, I will repay, says the Lord… Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Moses neither gloats nor rejoices over his sister’s condition. Instead. he intercedes for his accuser, crying out to the Lord to “please heal her.” James 4:6 “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” And seven days later, God does heal Miriam.
You may wonder why only Miriam was punished for questioning Moses’ spiritual authority. Miriam was held more responsible because she instigated the challenge first and then enlisted Aaron to support her. And how do I know this? Notice in the text that Miriam is named before Aaron at the start of the account. In every other place in the Bible where their names are listed together, including later in the same report, Aaron is mentioned first. The verb “speak against” is actually in the feminine singular in Hebrew: “She spoke, Miriam, and Aaron, against Moses…” These reasons suggest that Miriam originated the challenge and enlisted Aaron to support her, so she is held more responsible and given a greater punishment. Divine justice in action. May this be a warning to each of us!
Why does Moses not retaliate? What can we learn from his example?
Moses knows that whatever crosses his path, it has first been filtered through the loving hands of his heavenly Father. His attitude reflects a humble submission to God’s will and not his own will. This inner attitude enabled him to endure injury with patience and without resentment, thus responding with gentleness or power under control.
When we respond in difficult situations with gentleness, God will be glorified (Matthew 5:16), and the experience God has allowed will result in our spiritual growth. (Romans 8: 28-29) Meekness is willingly accepting whatever comes as permitted by the sovereign, all-loving God, thus allowing a gentle response. Therefore, a valued quality is held in high esteem in the sight of our God.
Jesus demonstrated the character traits of humility and gentleness as he interacted with a variety of different people.
He gathered children about Him—they sat on His knee, and He took the time to talk with them. When the disciples sought to dismiss the children as a nuisance, Jesus rebuked His disciples. We can see the quality of gentleness in his treatment of the woman caught in adultery that the Pharisees wanted to stone. Remember His conversation with the woman at the well in Samaria? He engaged her in conversation that drew her in rather than alienating her. He did not condemn her; instead, He allowed her to admit her sin. The discussion was gentle. Consider His behavior and words in the upper room, just hours before His crucifixion. Knowing in advance that Peter would deny Him, and Judas would betray Him, He did not rise in angry protest. He washed their feet. His gentleness, His love restrained Him.
Later, Peter was inspired to write about how Jesus is the supreme example of meekness and gentleness. 1 Peter 2:21-24 “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously…”
Gentleness is not a mere reflective or meditative virtue; it maintains peace and patience in the midst of bombarding frustrations, irritations, and annoyances.
It is interesting how often Peter mentions the mouth in this passage. Remember, this was Jesus’ experience throughout His entire life on this earth. Listen to the meaning of these words.
“No deceit was found in His mouth”: Deceit refers to a fishhook,
a trap, or trick; it is a deliberate attempt to mislead; it is a desire to gain an advantage by deceiving others. It involves all forms of deception.
“When He was reviled, did not revile in return”: Revile means to subject one to verbal abuse, and to criticism, accusations, slander, speak in a highly insulting manner. This harsh language not only rebukes a man but also sharply bites him. It is intended to wound a man as with a vile, hateful sting.”
Jesus did not strike back when He was insulted. He uttered no threats. Think what this means: He never thought about revenge, nor did He threaten with retaliation.
How can we control our tongue as Christ did?
What is the example we are to follow?
2 Peter 2:23: “He committed (or entrusted) Himself to God, His Father who judges righteously.” As each new attack came, He surrendered Himself to His Father’s righteous judgment. Each time He was attacked verbally with abusive insults, He placed Himself into the loving hands of His Father.
The temptation of our flesh will always be to lash out at those who oppose us. Still, as our example, Jesus was victorious in this area. We must follow His example, only achieved supernaturally. Without control of our tongue, we will never have the Spirit’s power of gentleness – the 8th component of the Fruit of the Spirit.
- Proverbs 15:1 “A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”
- Proverbs 16:24 “Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.”
Hopefully, you are beginning to understand why a quiet and gentle spirit is so precious, very precious in God’s sight. The key to understanding the qualities of humility and gentleness is to realize that they are qualities of strength, not traits of weakness. They are godly, encouraging virtues; they are not a display of passive timidity. They involve restraint; therefore, they require strength under control. They are the appropriate, suitable temperament for a servant of God.
Have you ever wondered why it seems that you are not growing spiritually? Do you seem to be going backward, not making any spiritual headway? Join me next time when we unfold the relationship between gentleness and spiritual growth.