http://grandadventure2.blogspot.com/ one of the best bloggers online took leave of his usual photo art...This has been on my heart after reading a fascinating word study on the term “meek”. Lookin up meek in the dictionary, you may see it defined as “overly compliant” or “docile” or even “spiritless”. Culturally that is the meaning which the word has taken on. Translated from the Greek word “praus”, meek had a different cultural connotation then we might at first think.
Every year the Greeks used to go into their mountains and capture wild horses for use in their military. Training would begin. This was the ALERT academy for horses. Following training there were essentially three categories of horses. First there were the horses that were broken. They were “meek” in our modern use of the word. Docile & tame they were able to take direction in the long line of pack animals. There were other horses; wild and unruly brutes that were rebels at heart. These were utterly useless to the military.
There was a third category, however. These were called, by the Greeks, “Praus” the same term used by Jesus to describe those who would inherit the earth. Still full of fire and energy, they were full of passion and power, but it was a disciplined power. Like Moses going before Pharoh or Jesus entering the temple to challenge the Pharisees and Sadducees, these “Praus” horses were submissive to their masters and their passion was directed towards their masters will.
In the same way, when we consider our roles as occupiers for Christ, his regents on earth, we should seek to be meek or “praus”, that is to say, it should be our prayer to be bold and fearless, but not for our own interests like a wild horse roaming the mountains, but like a war horse charging into the ranks of the enemy sensitive to our master’s call, our master’s desires and our master’s wishes.
Take THAT to the ballot box this year!
“ 9 For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the LORD, They shall inherit the earth. 10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more; Indeed, you will look carefully for his place, But it shall be no more. But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Psalm 37
1 comment:
Thanks so much, this is great stuff. Never heard the term described this way, having been well-steeped in the cultural meaning, as in "wimpy, weak, spinelss". Fits right in with the effeminisation of our culture. The men are to be weak and spineless, the women to be hard as iron. And we've bought it!! So, the true sense of the word gives tremendous impact to the saying that the meek will inherit the earth. If the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof, and we are His, will not all things come to us who have His "bit" in our mouth and are eager to respond to His reining/reigning? There has been a similar cultural twisting of the word "wait", in the early part of this passage. We typically think of wait as in idly passing the time, as in waiting for the bus. It more acccurately means attend to, be responsive to, more as a waiter will tend to his patrons in a restaurant, eager to respond to their instructions. Both they who wait, and they who are meek, will inherit the earth. We know who will reign with the Lord of glory on this very earth when it is made new. Amazing stuff, this.
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