The Third Beatitude

He leads the lowly in justice and teaches the lowly His way.  Psalm 25:9  Robert Alter translation

Lowly – “Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth.”  So reads the usual translation of Yeshua’s third Beatitude.  A direct quote from Psalm 37:11, the key word is ‘anawim (the meek, the humble, the lowly) derived from the Hebrew ana, “to afflict, to oppress, to humble.”  David uses the same expression here in this psalm.  The problem is that we don’t really understand what it means here and we certainly don’t understand what it meant when Yeshua quoted David on the hillside.

The root word ‘ana is used more than 200 times in the Old Testament.  The most interesting thing about this root is that it carries the sense of being forced into submission or being inflicted with pain for punishment.  Only through extension does it come to mean a moral and spiritual condition, denoting the inner self-inflicted pain and humiliation of contrition.  Its initial sense lies in the arena of conflict, oppression and war.  It is even used as a description of what God does to His enemies and the “humbling” of captured women (a euphemism for sexual activity). 

When this Hebrew word is used as an adjective, it is often connected with suffering.  A person who is ‘anaw is one who lives in both internal emotional affliction and external pain and suffering.  This state is the opposite of what the world seeks; yet the Bible says that God uses exactly this condition to bring His people to repentance.  The afflicted will rejoice when they see God’s deliverance, will find protection in His power and grace and will follow His laws.

The paradigm example of Old Testament usage applied to human existence is probably found in Numbers 12:3 where Moses is described as very meek (‘anaw), more than any man on the face of the earth.  If we understand the full connotation of this Hebrew word, we can see its appropriate application to Moses.  Moses is the man who is under the direct submission of God.  He is called in spite of his objections to perform God’s purposes of liberation.  From that moment, His life is lived in almost continuous presence with Yahweh whom he serves without reservation.  Moses’ life displays not simply humility but rather submission.  His ability to speak for God and to command God’s awesome power does not come from self-exultation but rather from abject humiliation.  In fact, on more than one occasion, Moses offers himself as sacrifice for a rebellious and disobedient people. 

Yeshua deliberately refers to the same concept in the Psalms because he wants his audience to know that affliction is not the result of an occupying army or of evil men or of blind catastrophe.  Affliction is a mark of God’s hand on life.  Precisely because God is afflicting you now, you have reason to rejoice.  You have reason to rejoice because you are actually living out some of the most important lessons of life.  First, you are experiencing right now the sovereignty of God.  Your world is not ruled by blind fate or irrational chaos.  It is under the control and power of One who guides its movement to His purposes.  You are not the victim of happenstance.  God is at work in your life, remolding it to suit His goals.  Life is a fabric of troubles because God uses trouble to shape His vessels.  Is this sadistic pleasure on the part of the Great Judge?  No, not at all!  The history of Israel teaches that God disciplines those whom He loves just as earthly fathers correct and discipline their own loved children.  Your present affliction has purpose and meaning.  God is domesticating you.

Whom does God lead?  Those He wishes to domesticate.  Are you feeling His hand of correction?  Are you afflicted?  Is your life troubled?  Then you can be sure God is leading as long as you are not shaking your fist at heaven and demanding your “rights.”  Are you ready to be lead?  Be sure you are prepared for the answer.

Topical Index:  ‘anaw, afflicted, oppressed, Psalm 25:9, Psalm 37:11, Matthew 5:5

If you want to know what the Beatitudes are really about, then read my book The Lucky Life.