Number 12:3
“Now, the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
Humility has its basis in an honest and realistic comparison of us with God. To compare ourselves with other people always allows us a great deal of wiggle room because we can always find flaws in other people’s character. But these rationalizations are not really honest because our goal is not to be in the image of other people or them to be in our image. Our goal is to be in the image of God, and therefore the comparison must be with Him.
If we are striving to be like Him, to walk in His steps, to be in His image, this comparison gives us a much more realistic foundation to work from in relating both to Him and to fellow man. It is a wonderful attitude adjuster and regulator of relationships. Humility tends to be the flipside of faith, because where the confident, faithful and trusting will push themselves forward, the humble can have a tendency to hesitate. It can be a matter of restraint.
Contrary to popular belief, the meek or gentle do not take everything “lying down.” Notice Moses, who was the meekest man of his time. He did not hesitate to order the execution of about three thousand of the idolaters who worshipped the Golden Calf, while he was with God on the mountain (Exodus 32:25-28). Against evil this meek man was as stern. How a meek person reacts depends upon what they discern God’s will is for them within the circumstance. Because the meek person sets their mind on God’s purpose and not their own comfort, ambition, or reputation, they will offer implacable resistance to evil in defense of God, yet react with patience, kindness, and gentleness when others attack them.
Humility or lowliness directly connected with meekness. While meekness is a complex subject it contains an evident element of restraint. The meek are kind, gentle, and sensitive to others needs. They are thoughtful, agreeable people. They are not aggressive, assertive, insistent, or argumentative. They are easily approached and easy to get along with. However, we should not be deceived, that the meek are not weak. Certainly, we would not classify Jesus and Moses as being weak, but meekness would be an accurate description of them. They were firm and uncompromising regarding following truth, but they did not feel constrained to overwhelm those who were aligned against them.
