A Meek and Humble People

Brethren, I'd like you to take yourself a little bit into the future. In other words, just think a little bit into the future, and look for a time immediately after Christ's return. Now, we do know there will be a lot of nations that Christ will rebuke. We do know that. But it will be a time when the resurrection would have just occurred. The armies fighting Christ would have been destroyed.

But there will be a time of a very special and unique event, which in fact will be the second time it will happen, which will be a time which we in the church call the second exodus. So today, brethren, I want to talk to you about a very precious attitude in the sight of God that we need to strive to have a similar attitude today. So let's, if you turn with me, turn to Isaiah 11. Isaiah 11.

And we're going to start reading in verse 1 and 2. Because we see a time where in verse 1 and 2 we see that Christ is ruling. And the Spirit of God will be on him, as we see in verse 2. He will have great wisdom, of understanding, of counseling, and of power, and of knowledge, of true knowledge, knowledge of God. But also, the fear of God will be abounding on earth. And then we read verses which we are very familiar with, like in verse 6, that he says, The wolf shall dwell of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat. So picture yourself into a time in which you can see the spirit of God. Into the future, into the world tomorrow, where there will be peace. There will be complete peace. But there is something very special that is going to happen at that time. And that is discussed in verse 11 of Isaiah 11. Isaiah 11, 11. And it says, it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time, to recover the remnant of his people who are left. And then it says, from whatever they are, from different areas in the world, but it will be the second time that God will bring people back to the, as it says, to the land that was promised to them. In verse 12, he says that you'll assemble the outcasts, and will gather together the dispersed people of both Judah and Israel from the four corners of the earth.

Now, you can see this is what basically the Church calls it a second exodus, because we have had a first exodus when the Israelites left Egypt. But this will be, and they left Egypt on the way to the promised land, but this will be the second time that people will leave, but now not just from Egypt, but from all four corners of the earth. Imagine, people come from everywhere, and will go to the promised land.

Jeremiah 16 adds a little bit more about it. Jeremiah 16. Jeremiah 16, we'll start reading in verse 14. Jeremiah 16, verse 14. And it says, Therefore, behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that it shall be no more said, the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt. It was, you're no more going to say, well, this was the exodus. Verse 15. But they will say instead, the Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands where it driven them. In other words, people won't even talk about the exodus, because this exodus, the second exodus, will be so much bigger. So much bigger. And it says, For I'll bring them back into their land, which I gave to their fathers.

But look at verse 16. It says, Behold, I'll send for many fishermen, says the Lord, and they shall fish them. Because some of the people will be hiding, terrified. And God will send out, between the inverted commas, fishermen, to go and get them out of where they're hiding and say, Come, you are safe. You can come out. And then it says, Continue reading, and afterwards, I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks. They'll be hiding, terrified, terrified. But God will bring them back at the second exodus. To the land of their forefathers. They will have passed, they will have had, or they would have had passed, through the worst time ever in humanity. They would have experienced the worst and most unmanageable difficulties. And you read in verse 17 and 18, it says, yeah, mankind would have sinned, people would have sinned, but they would have been punished. They would have been punished. But after the punishment, we read in verse 21, I will once again, I will, verse 1, cause them to know, I'll cause them to know my hand and my might, and they shall know that my name is the Lord. So God will then, even though mankind has sinned, these relights have sinned, and they'll be hiding. God will hunt them out, will bring them for the second exodus, from wherever they are, and they will be able to go into this beautiful land. Will the wolf dwell in peace with the child and the snake and all that? A wonderful world tomorrow.

Now, I want you to think about that. What sort of mental attitude will these people be in?

And in Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 9, Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 9, now that's the fourth or third book just before the end of the Old Testament, Zephaniah chapter 3, verse 9, it's talking about a time when I will restore people's pure language. So you know that scripture. It's a scripture that you have read many times. But focus now on verse 11 and 12. So I'm talking about Zephaniah 3, verse 11, and then verse 12. In that day, you shall not be ashamed for any of your deeds in which you transgress against me, for then I'll take away from your midst those who rejoice in your pride. So the arrogant, the proud people will be removed, and you shall no longer be haughty. You no longer be arrogant in my holy mountain. My holy mountain means in God's kingdom, because mountain is a kingdom and holy is God's, right? Basically is terminology referring to God's kingdom. But look at the attitude in verse 12. Zephaniah 3, verse 12, I'll leave in your midst a meek and humble people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord. The attitude of these people will be a meek and humble people.

That will be a very different attitude than the one the Israelites had. When they left Egypt during the Exodus.

Paul describes their attitude, the attitude of the Israelites who left Egypt during the Exodus in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. So let's briefly turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 10. And yeah, we read, you know, moreover brethren, starting in verse 1, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud, in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and they all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual rock that was with them. Maybe a better translation that followed them, that accompanied them. And that rock was Christ.

You see, those Israelites were guided by Christ. But, look at verse 5, but with most of them, God was not well pleased. God was not well pleased with those Israelites as they were leaving Egypt. And because of that, their bodies, for their bodies, were scattered in the wilderness. And you know, they were punished for 40 years, they had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years, and they died in the wilderness. That generation died. Those that were 20 younger then made it through. But that generation died except for two men, Joshua and Caleb. All the others died. None of the others went into the promised land. God was not well pleased with that attitude that they portrayed.

And why? Well, verse 6 and verse 12 basically says, Now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not lust after evil things, as they also lasted, and do not become idolaters, as were some of them. As it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose to play, nor let us commit sexual immorality as some of them did, and in one day 23,000 fell, nor let us tempt Christ as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents, nor complain as some of them also complained, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed, lest he fall. So what do we have here? We have these people, we're putting other things before God.

What about us? Because it says it's an example for us. So what about us? What could be said of us today?

You know, how much time we spend on something, it's kind of indicative of what you put first in your life. Do we put God first? Or do we put other things like maybe our cell phones or whatever it is? I'm not saying we don't, we can't use those things, but it's a question of priorities and a question of who is first. What about it says that they tempted Christ, and they were complainers and murmurers. We need to be careful. I need to be careful. We all need to be careful how we conduct ourselves. Because God sees our hearts. God sees what's in our inner thoughts.

So, basically, what is the difference between this attitude of these relights leaving Egypt and the attitude of the Israelites going to the promised land at Christ's return? What is the difference?

The ones leaving the four corners of the earth and coming to the promised land at Christ's coming, as we saw in Zephaniah, were a people that was meek and humble. I would dare say that Israelites that left Egypt were not meek and humble.

And these are examples for us, and that's why it says in verse 12, therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Because if we think comparing to maybe a scripture in the book of Revelation, if we think we're okay, we reach and increase with goods, be careful. If we're arrogant, if we think we're okay, Jack, if we think we stand, be careful. And so I have to continuously analyze myself. We all have to. How am I? How are we before God? Because God sees your heart and he sees my heart. And to be frank, I see myself failing a lot.

So we have to humble ourselves and to be meek. I want to I want to just briefly look at the example of the Israelites because it's quoted here. So let's just look at one section in the Old Testament in Numbers chapter 20. So let's look at Numbers chapter 20 about what they did. And this is just one example. In Numbers chapter 20, in verse 3 through 5, Numbers 20, verse 3 through 5 says, and the people contended with Moses. So what we see are people were arguing against God, but they were visibly, they were arguing against God's messenger. And then it says, saying, if only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord, why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness that we and our animals should die at? Moaning, moaning, complaining, complaining, complaining, murmuring, murmuring, murmuring. And why have you made us come out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? You know, somewhere else it says, you know, when it says it's not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there any water to drink? This is a horrible place! Ground, ground, ground, mount, mount, mount.

And so they spoke against Moses. No, indeed, it was not a nice place. But it's like us, we go through trials and difficulties in this life. And as we heard in a very good sermonette earlier, and I thank Santana, I'm very encouraged to see that you were able to speak. So what a blessing. But you know, are we, even though we go through pains and are we turning pain and suffering into a purpose and focusing on the purpose, on the end result? It is so important we do that. And then look in verse 10. In verse 10 says, that's numbers 20, and Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock and he said to them, here now you rebels! I mean putting it in today's terminology, Moses blew a fuse. He just blew a fuse. I've had enough. I've had enough. Now, we know he did wrong by saying, must we bring water from out of this rock? And he did not do exactly what God had told him, to speak to the rock and he hit a rock.

This brethren is an analogy because the rock is Christ and the first time, the first time when the situation of the water with the rock, he was instructed to hit a rock. Because symbolically, as we read in Corinthians, the rock was Christ symbolically and so symbolically, at Christ's first coming, he had to die. He was hit. He was struck. But he's not struck twice. You can't strike, strike Christ twice.

And symbolically, it is as if he did that and we know he was punished for it. But, put it in another way, he did. The Israelites did push him to the limit. They pushed him to the limit and then we read in Numbers 21 Verse 5 and 6. He says, and the people spoke against God and against Moses. Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die in the wilderness for the reason of food and no water and our soul loves this worthless bread?

And so the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people and many of the people of Israel died. You see the murmuring and complaining against God and Moses continued and they were punished.

As we read in 1 Corinthians, God was not well pleased with their attitude.

And so what do we have? In the first Exodus, we have a prevailing attitude of rebellion, of being arrogant, of murmuring. In the second Exodus, we have an attitude which is completely different, a meek and humble attitude.

Where are we today in God's church? Where am I? Where are you? Where are we? Because I'm talking about we need to examine ourselves.

And I am analyzing myself like we all have to analyze ourselves.

So what is our attitude? What is our vibe?

Now you and I know you and I know there is going to be a time and I think it's very soon. There's going to be a time that Satan will be expelled out of heaven. Satan and his demons. We read that in Revelation 12 verse 7. Revelation 12 verse 7. Satan will be expelled out of heaven and his demons. It says, and war broke out in heaven. Revelation 12 verse 7. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon and his angels fought. So we have here Michael and his angels and we have Satan and his demons.

And they, in other words, Satan and his demons did not prevail. Nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. Now we know that there was a previous war and they fell, but they were still allowed to go into heaven because you read stories like in Job that he says, God said to Satan, where have you been? Walking to and fro and all that. So you know that. So as we continue reading here in Revelation verse 9, he says, so the great dragon was cast down that serpent of old called the devil and Satan who receives the whole world. Brethren, deception in the world is so big today that people no longer know what is right and wrong. You just have to look at what's in the media, what people are demonstrating for and things like that. People don't know anymore what is right and wrong. I don't have to go into details. You know what it is. The whole world is deceived. The whole world. And he was cast to the earth and his angels and the demons were cast out with him as well.

What is going to happen, therefore, brethren, is that he is going to be mad. He is going to be furious, furious. And what you and I see today and the suffering and the pain that you and I see today is peanuts, quote unquote, compared to what it will become. And his first goal will be to attack God's church, you and I.

There's going to be a time that he is going to attack God's church viciously, viciously. And we can see that described in verse 13. Now, when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the church, God's church, who gave birth to the male child. So, in other words, the church, the woman representing Israel, spiritual Israel, it's and therefore it's talking about us. And the church was given two wings of a great eagle that she might fly into the wilderness to a place where she'll be nourished for a time. That's one year. Times, two years, and half a time, half a year, three and a half years, from the presence of the serpent. So, there'll be a time that the church then fought as this enormous attack on the church starts. Then God will intervene and will protect the church.

The Israelites were also towards after the third plague were also protected, the fourth, first, etc. They were protected from those. And they didn't even know how. God just did it. We don't know how God's going to do it. He will do it. We just have to have faith and trust in God. He'll do it.

So, but you see, in verse 15 and 16, that Satan is going to attack the church and with an army, as we understand, wore out of his mouth like a flood, an army after the church, after the woman, that he may cause her to be carried away by the flood, representing this military power. But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened up its mouth and swallowed this army, which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. So, just like in Israel, the Israelites had the Red Sea in front, had two mountains at the back, had an army at the... I mean, a bigger part of it, two mountains on each side, and an army at the back, and they said, what are we going to do? And they had to have faith and go forwards. They didn't know what God was going to do. You and I don't know what God's going to do, but he says, be courageous. Go forwards. We have to go forwards. There's no way back. We've got to go forwards. And so he says, we'll be protected.

But... But... Look at verse 17. Look at verse 17, he says, and the dragon was enraged with the church, and he went to make word of the rest of her offspring. So, which basically means a portion of the church will be protected, and a portion of the church will not be protected.

And the ones that will not be protected are the ones who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. Which means the ones that are protected do have, or do keep the commandments of God, and also have the testimony of Jesus Christ, of course. So, what is the differentiating factor? What is the differentiating factor? So, we have a portion of the church. They come to church, they keep the Sabbath, keep the Holy Days, believe in Christ. A portion of the church, keep the Sabbath, keep God's Holy Days, believe in Christ, and this portion is protected, and this portion is not.

And you and I, now in Luke 21, verse 36, if I'm not mistaken, says, watch and pray, obviously yourselves, that you may be counted worthy to escape. Escape what? Right? And, in addition to that, to stand before the Son of Man in other words, to be at resurrection with Christ. So, what is the differentiating factor? Why are some protected and some are not protected?

Basically, not all of the church will be protected. That's why it says, watch and pray, that you may be counted worthy. So, what is it in God's eyes that makes you counted worthy?

Well, let's look at the letters which Christ wrote to God's church, and let's look at two specific letters. The one to Philadelphia and the one to Laudesiah in Revelation chapter 3. In Revelation chapter 3, verse 8, it says to this group of people that have this spirit, this intent, this attitude, this way of looking at things, it says, I know your works.

And, see, I have said before you an open door, and no one can shut it, and you have a little strength, but you've kept my word and have not denied my name. There's a lot to unpacking that, but let's just move forward. Yeah, we have people that did what God said, and they were not ashamed of Christ. They were not ashamed of Christ. And then he says, and then in verse 10, he says, because, in verse 10, because you have kept my command, the word there is, Logos as well, my word, to persevere. So, because you have persevered upamoni, which is a cheerful, grateful, hopeful endurance, patiently, with genuine kindness and love, you've persevered. I'll also keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on earth. In other words, because you have this intent, the spirit, this attitude, to persevere, to be faithful, to do what I said, there is a vibe in these people that because of that, God is going to protect them from the great tribulation, you know, the hour of trial.

Let's look at the other church era, which runs in parallel, which is the loudest seer. And then, in verse 15, he says, I also know your works. Verse 15, that you neither called nor heard.

You just look warm and look at verse 17, because you say, I am rich, I've become wealthy, I have need of nothing.

You know, you always see an attitude saying, I'm okay, Jack, I'm doing quite well. You could equate that to being a haughty, arrogant, top attitude. And then he says, in verse 18, I counsel you. In other words, God is saying, not just counseling, I'm going to allow you to go through the great tribulation. It was to buy from me gold refined in the fire that you may be rich, and that you may have white garments, that you may be clothed. You see, so one group has one attitude, and the other group has a different attitude.

It could be, therefore, and I'm not saying it is, but it could be, therefore, that one group has more of a meek and humble attitude, and the other one does not.

Look at Zephaniah chapter 2. We were in Zephaniah a moment ago, so let's go back to Zephaniah, but now to chapter 2, verse 1 through 3. Zephaniah chapter 2, verse 1 through 3. Gather yourselves together. Yes, gather together. In other words, when you gather together, basically means unite yourselves. Get together.

Become united. The one thing I have learned is that when we need to come together, we need to be humble.

Because if one of us or some of us are arrogant, it's very difficult to come together. We need to have a humble and meek spirit. And it says, oh, undesirable nation. Yeah, we are an undesirable nation in this world. We God's people. Therefore, before the decrees issued or the day passes like chaff, before the Lord's fierce anger comes upon you, before the day of the Lord's anger comes upon you. So before the Great Tribulation, before the time of all these problems are going to hit the world, have a spirit, an attitude of gathering yourselves together.

I think this is very profound. But then he continues in verse 3, Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth.

Isn't it like something that we just heard, you meek of the earth?

Who have upheld this, who have upheld this justice? Seek righteousness, seek humility. Why? Why? Look at what it says next. Why? It may be that you will be hidden in the day of the Lord's anger. Wow! Isn't that telling? Maybe you will be protected during the time of the Great Tribulation.

Seek the Lord all you meek of the earth. So an attitude which is prevalent here is meekness.

Look in 1 Peter chapter 3. Now in 1 Peter chapter 3, it's talking about wives. But the principle is applicable to everyone. It says in verse 1, 1 Peter 3, verse 1, wives likewise be submissive to your husbands that even if some of you, that even if some do not obey the word, they without a word may be won by the conduct of their wives. Think about your job and your manager. Be respectful to your boss, to your manager, wherever you're working. As employees, we need to respect those above us. And look in verse 2, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear, so we have a good conduct with respect for God. So and then in verse 3 says, so it's not just a nice suit or well-shaved or a professional look or being well-dressed. That's basically what it says. It's not what you have. And then we read in verse 4, but let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. The incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. The word gentle is the Greek word praus, 4239, which is also translated as mik. In the authorized version, in Derby, in Old King James, in the young literal's translation, they translate that word as mik. And so let it be the hidden person of the heart with the incorruptible beauty of a mik and quiet spirit. Again, mikness comes to the fore. Is mikness all that important? Yes, it is.

And then it says, which is very precious in the sight of God, very precious in the sight of God. We have seen that the people at the second exodus are a mik and humble people. The people at the first exits, at the first exodus, were not. We have implied that the church or the portion of the church that will be protected will have a spirit like that. I'm implying, I understand, I'm speculating, I'm implying, but it does seem to be pretty much along those lines. Whilst the other ones that will not be protected, I'm okay, Jack, I'm rich and increased with goods, it's not a mik and humble spirit. And so what is mikness? Because that's very precious before God. Now, mikness is not weakness. Mikness is not weakness. I'm not going to turn there, but Numbers 12 verse 3 talks about Moses being mik.

Right? But he got angry, and he made about two million people drink an idol. He took that idol, he took that idol, and he burnt it and ground it and made the powder of it, and two million people drank it.

That's not weakness, but he was mik.

We read in Matthew 21 verse 5. Also, I'm not going to turn there, but it's Jesus Christ, he's mik sitting on a donkey coming into Jerusalem, and he says he was lowly. The Greek word is 4239, praus, also translated as mik in some places. But you and I know that when Christ comes as a second time, you'll come to make war and to fight the rebels.

So what is mikness? Well, we are very familiar with the Beatitudes, and if you turn to Matthew 5 starting in verse 3, the Beatitudes, Matthew 5 starting in verse 3, and he talks about the Beatitudes on the Sermon on the Mount. And the first one is the Purim Spirit, that is the humble, for there is the kingdom of heaven. The second one is those that mourn, in other words mourn, but also mourn for what we've done. In other words, it's a sign of repentance. And thirdly, bless the God of mik, for they will inherit the earth.

So what we have is mikness is built upon humility with a spirit of mourning, repentance, willing, therefore, to change. It's a gentle and humble spirit that is willing and ready to receive instruction. It is malleable. It is teachable. It is someone that is time, time-able, with a healthy respect of God. That's why it says it's gentle, like an animal that is domesticated, that's time. It's a gentle animal. Therefore, many times the word prowess is translated mikness, but is also translated as gentleness.

So mikness is a spirit of teachability, quietly submitting and accepting instructions, and is not a spirit of arguing back. In fact, it's one of the attributes of God's early spirit. If you read in Galatians 5, 22, and 23, talks about the fruit of God's early spirit. It's got these nine components, love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, mikness or gentleness, and self-control. So it is one of the attributes of God's early spirit. In fact, James talks about it in a very interesting way.

If you look at James 3, verse 13. James 3, verse 13. In James chapter 3, verse 13, he says, who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the mikness of wisdom. In the mikness of wisdom. In other words, a wisdom that has a mikness attitude, vibe about it, which we can see is from God.

But he says that if you have better ending and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast that you can lie against the truth. So he then explains that that is not godly. And then in verse 17 and 18, he says, but the wisdom that is from God is pure, peaceable, gentle, gentle, willing to heal, full of mercy, and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy.

And so we can see James Yair is talking about the result of having a mik attitude, which is very wise, and it's very precious in the sight of God. And he says in verse 18, now the fruit of righteousness is so sound in peace by those who make peace. And for that, we need to be mik and teachable. And so mikness is those that are willing to be teachable, those who follow God's instructions, even if it is through failing man.

And God can entrust those people with power, glory, and life eternal in the kingdom of God. It is something very precious to God. How can you and I become mik? Well, we must not be wise in our own eyes. Don't be the great smart guy.

Don't be the one that knows it all. Don't be self-righteous. Don't be a self-justifier. Like, oh yes, you're right, but, but I know better, or the way I see it is this way. See God behind his ministers, obviously as long as they follow Christ.

And it's just like in any job, a manager needs staff members that are teachable and non-argumentative. God in his kingdom wants people that are teachable and of a quiet spirit. Turn with me to Isaiah 66. Isaiah 66, and we're going to look at verse 1 and 2. Isaiah 66, verse 1 and 2. And yeah, it says, God is saying, the heaven is my throne. The earth is my footstool. I've got everything. The whole heaven belongs to me.

The earth is just where I rest my feet. Really, where is the house that you're going to build me? And where is the place of my rest? What are you going to give me? You know, what is it that you're going to give me? I've got everything. I am the owner of everything. Verse 2, For all those things my hand has made, and all those things exist, because he's created them, says the Lord. But, but on this one will I look, on him that is of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at my word.

God, as we saw at the time of the Second Exodus, you will hunt for those that are of a contrite spirit that are meek and humble. You'll go and fish them out, because that's an attitude that God is looking for. And that's an attitude you and I can have today.

And surely God is going to protect and reward those that have that attitude by protecting them.

God wants from you and I a meek and humble spirit.