Meekness and Quietness
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Walking Worthy Means Living in the Realm of the Miraculous
Ephesians 4:1–2 KJV:
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
Walking worthily requires walking in balance. Our walk and our calling must be in balance. We can get too extreme on the doctrinal side, or too extreme on the practical side, so we need balance. When you read “walk worthy,” you could think “live in the realm of the miraculous.”
Ephesians 4:2–3 KJV:
2 With all lowliness [mak] and meekness [nakh], with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Lowliness and Meekness
Lowliness is actually the word for meekness. Meekness comes from the Aramaic verb mak. Mak shows us a picture of what meekness is all about. The picture for this word mak means to lie down flat or to lie down under.
mak = meekness: to lie down under.
Most of the time, the Nile River flowed within its banks. The water was below the level of the land. In the Hebrew way of describing that, they would say that the Nile was meek to the land.
Luke 3:5 KJV:
Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low [mak]; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;
“Brought low” is the same word elsewhere translated as meekness.
James 1:21 KJV:
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness [mak] the engrafted [implanted] word, which is able to save your souls.
To walk worthy of the calling that God has for us requires meekness. Mak, to lie down under, what is it that we are to lie down under? The implanted Word.
It’s interesting that in Ephesians Chapter 4, God didn’t say walk worthy with love. Walking in love is not the first thing that He said. The first thing He said was to walk with all meekness, mak. We need to be meek.
1 Peter 5:5–7 KJV:
5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility [the noun form of mak]: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
The characteristic of humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God is what enables us to cast all our care upon Him.
There was an old cartoon called The Timid Soul with a character named Casper Milquetoast.
Meekness is not timidness; it takes boldness and determination!
Ephesians 3:4 KJV:
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Psalm 22:26 KJV:
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.
Psalm 25:9 KJV:
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.
We must seek it. We must humble ourselves.
Psalm 37:11 KJV:
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The second word in Ephesians 4:2 (with all lowliness [mak] and meekness [nakh]) is the Aramaic word nakh, and it means quietness.
With all meekness and quietness.
Acts 21:3 KJV:
Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden [nakh].
That’s the picture for this word: to unload your burden.
nakh = quietness, rest: to unload your burden.
Hebrews 4:4–6 KJV:
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works. 5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest. 6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
Hebrews 4:11 KJV:
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Hebrews 4:10 KJV:
For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
We have to lie down under the implanted Word and also make sure all our burdens are given to God.
Matthew 11:28–30 KJV:
28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
In Aramaic, it puts them the other way around.
Matthew 11:29 APNT:
Bear my yoke on you and learn from me that I am restful [nakh] and I am meek in my heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
In Aramaic, there’s a play on words here for the word “rest.”
Here are three examples of what it takes to be meek.
Example 1: Forgive
2 Corinthians 10:1–5 KJV:
1 Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness [mak] and gentleness [nakh, quietness] of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you: 2 But I beseech you, that I may not be bold when I am present with that confidence, wherewith I think to be bold against some, which think of us as if we walked according to the flesh. 3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: 4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;
Matthew 18:21–22 KJV:
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Example 2: Humble trust
Matthew 18:1–4 KJV:
1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? 2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, 3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Psalm 4:3–8 KJV:
3 But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him. 4 Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah. 5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. 7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased. 8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.
Example 3: Only be concerned about today.
Matthew 6:32–34 KJV:
32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
Meekness means to lie down flat or lie down under.
Isaiah 32:17– KJV:
17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever. 18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places [Hebrew word similar to Aramaic nakh];
This teaching is also available on the Acts Now Fellowship website.
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