Faith without religion.
The Power of Meekness and Humility in Faith
Meekness in Faith, Humility and Confidence, Biblical Stewardship
In this week’s teaching, we delved deeply into Psalms 8-11 and explored profound themes of meekness, humility, and confidence in God. The study emphasized how these traits align with the example set by Yeshua and the teachings of Scripture.
The Strength in Meekness
Meekness, often misunderstood as weakness, is a profound display of confidence in God. This was illustrated through Psalm 8:2, where David proclaimed the strength ordained “out of the mouths of babes.” This humility, as echoed by Paul in 1 Corinthians 1:27-28, demonstrates how God uses the weak and humble to confound the powerful. Yeshua embodied this truth, riding into Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21) and standing firm in humility while overturning tables in the temple. Meekness, therefore, is not passivity but a reflection of faith-driven action.
Dominion and Responsibility
Psalm 8 also reminded us of humanity’s dominion over creation, granted by God. This responsibility requires humble stewardship, avoiding arrogance or exploitation of the earth and its creatures. Just as Yeshua exemplified servant leadership, we are called to reign with care, honor, and respect for all that has been entrusted to us.
Christ: The Second Adam
The teaching illuminated how Psalm 8 foreshadowed Yeshua, the “Son of Man,” who restored what the first Adam lost. Through His humility and suffering, Yeshua conquered death and reclaimed dominion. Hebrews 2:5-10 beautifully ties this truth together, showing how Christ’s victory brings many to glory.
The Trials of the Righteous
In Psalm 11, David highlighted how God tests the righteous while rejecting the wicked. These trials refine us and deepen our faith. However, the teaching clarified that the references to fire, brimstone, and judgment in this Psalm and Revelation no longer apply today, as Christ’s victory has completed that era of judgment.
Living Humbly in Confidence
Finally, we learned that true humility begins with recognizing who we are before God. It is this humility that empowers us to act boldly and righteously, even when misunderstood by the world. Whether speaking truth, holding our tongue, or clearing tables, every action should flow from devotion to God and the guidance of His Spirit.
As we continue into Psalms 12 and beyond, we are reminded of the beauty of God’s design for His people: to walk in meekness, steward creation responsibly, and reflect the righteousness of Yeshua in every aspect of our lives.
Teaching Script:
So, we embarked on Psalm 8 and we got to the point where we had covered what David wrote in verse 1,
Psalm 8:1 To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David. O YAHAVAH our YAHAVAH, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
And we were working into where he added,
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
I we had worked through passages in Psalm, Isaiah and Zephaniah that speak to the value of meekness or humility.
Then we left off with how Paul described this ordination or appointment of such humble power when he wrote in 1st Corinthians 1,
1st Corinthians 1:27-28 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.
In addition to the prophetic words of David about babes and the descriptive words of Paul about “God using the weak things of the world to confound the wise, we come into the reality of Yeshua’s life and mind when He prayed in Matthew 11:25-26, saying,
“I thank thee, O Father, YAHAVAH of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
Then closer to His death we remember reading the account in Matthew 21 of His triumphal entry into the City of Peace which was going to utterly fall, and it says,
Matthew 21:6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them,
7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon.
8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way.
9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the YAHAVAH; Hosanna in the highest.
10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this?
11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee.
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them.
15 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased,
16 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?
Last week David mentioned that meekness is not weakness but confidence and don’t we see this proven when the meek expressions of our YAHAVAH (seen in Him sitting on a donkey and her colt to enter the city) are balanced by His overthrowing their tables and the seat of those who sold doves?
Meekness is certainly not weakness, but I love the way Dave described it as confidence.
Doesn’t confidence underscore the faith we are called to possess? But confidence cannot be mistaken with pride, arrogance or entitlement.
Because for the humble, their confidence is not only in God but in a right view of God.
In the life of Christ we see how meekness and humility does not translate to pride and material wealth but certainly stands for the Truth at all costs.
But looking to Him we have to ask, “what empowered Him to take action in the face of wrongdoing in His Fathers house?
This is the question and this is where believers today part ways.
See, what empowers the spirit of this world is pride, and all that comes with it. And pride is driven and fortified in this world by ego, human intellect, will, possessions and the arm of the flesh.
Such is not present in those who walk meekly as such was not in Him who embodied such things.
What governs Him was an absolute sold-out dedication to His Father and His Fathers will and the interesting thing about this dedication is it first moves us to clearly see and know who we are before Him too – that is humility we seek – and to then do His will as He moves us through His Spirit to act.
This is how, in my estimation, humility plays out best in our mortal lives as believers. What is difficult about this is that when we humbly clear tables, many will interpret the acts as arrogant.
It’s not arrogance if and when we, from the heart, are acting by the fruit of the Spirit because of our humble devotion is to Him and His Kingdom.
Get it?
So, there are times when we would hold our tongue no matter how right we are, and other times when we don’t. All in meekness, all by His Spirit and it is always circumstantially assessed.
At this point, after saying that His Glory is above all of what He has created, David is moved to sing about His awe of God as observed through creation, and he now says at verse 3,
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained (or appointed – and he then asks) 4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
What exactly does this line mean,
“What is man that thou art mindful of him or the Son of Man, that thou visiteth Him?”
Some believe it refers to Adam (the first Man mentioned), and then Cain his Son, whom God visited upon him killing his brother.
Others believe it speaks of the first man, Adam, and then Christ, the second Adam, who preferred the title, “Son of Man,” more than any other and who, of course, God also “visited” at least His baptism and then on the Mount of Transfiguration.
We do, however, have some additional insight into the meaning when we read the book of Hebrews, where it says in chapter 2:5-10, and where the writer was speaking of the age to come, says,
Hebrew 2:5 For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the age to come, whereof we speak.
6 But one (meaning David) in a certain place (meaning here in Psalm 8) testified, saying, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?”
Now, hang tough here because the explanation I am going to give is not easy and I may be making a mess out of it, but the writer appears – in my estimation, He appears to be at first talking about human beings Man but shifts to speaking of Christ, the Son of Man.
Could be wrong, but to me this seems to make the most sense. Let’s see if it makes sense to you.
So, in verse 5 the writer is speaking about Christ, in who’s hands the age to come was placed (and not in the hands of angels). Got that.
But then citing David the writer quotes where he asked, “What is MAN that thou art mindful of him” (meaning humanity) and then, (or) “the Son of Man that thou visited him.” (meaning Christ).
Then in verse 7 the writer adds,
7 Thou madest him (man in general through Adam) a little lower than the angels; thou crowned him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
This description is in direct accord with what God says in the Genesis account. And the writer adds,
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet.
Again, this is in accord with the material earth and all of its creations – humanity is to have dominion over all such things as all things have been made subject to us.
With this view we are better equipped to understand philosophies and faddish trends where it is suggested that humanity is subject to them (like the environment, animals, and all living things) instead of the way God ordained us to be.
That said, however, this order does not suggest that humanity approaches this responsibility selfishly or indifferently to the things subject to us but that we approach it with humble respect, honor, care and consideration for the well being of everything in subjection to us.
To treat animals and the seas, skies and earth indifferently and with brash entitlement is another result of human hubris, greed and arrogance and is far from the approach God would have us reign over these responsibilities.
We know this by and through the way our King reigns over us and from Him we take our lead.
Going back to Hebrews, where I believe the writer is still speaking of the human race, where he continues and says,
“For in that he (God) put all in subjection under him (man), he left nothing that is not put under him. (again, as proven by the Genesis account) – then listen carefully as the writer adds . . .
“But now we see not yet all things put under him.”
And I suggest that the meaning is, Yeshua was not put in subjection to us, which is proven by him adding . . .
9 But . . . we see Yeshua, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Really a stretch I admit, but it is how I read it.
Note that in verse 7 the writer is speaking of the first man and all those that came from him as being made lower than the angels but here at verse 9 the writer speaks of the man Yeshua also being made lower than the angels. This is significant as the line is used twice!
And in and through this we discover a fascinating model and an application after taking all of this into account.
See, to the first man, Adam, made lower than the angles in whom God put the whole earth under his feet (as the Genesis account reflects, and by the way, how the rest of this Psalm suggests).
But then, once Christ, the last Adam, had victory over the first Adam dropping the ball, we see God putting all things in His hands and control, along with all of His enemies, under His feet.
And this is a remarkable ordering of things according to God’s appointments first speaking of Man then speaking of the Son of Man.
So again, after describing the dominion Man has over all things on the earth, the writer of Hebrews adds,
9 But . . . we see Yeshua, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.
10 For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Hope that made sense. Going back to David’s Psalm now we see David, who rhetorically asks, what is man or the son of man that thou art mindful of him, and speaks of the first Adam (or all of us in the flesh and says at verses 5-8
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
And David concludes, repeating what the Psalm opened with by saying,
9 O YAHAVAH our Adonai, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Which, to us, can be either, because of the incarnation, Yeshua, or in fulfillment, YAHAVAH and or both.
Now we will push through Psalm 9-15 in very quick order as the theological ideas are either repeated or not as pressing.
PSALM 9
The inscription to this Psalm might be, “A Song of David, to be sung concerning the Death of the Strong Man, (or champion,) who went out between the Camps.”
Who was that strong man who went out between the camps? None other than Goliath. So apparently this Psalm was composed on account of his defeat.
Interestingly, the Syriac version states as the introduction:
“A Psalm of David concerning Christ’s receiving the throne and the kingdom, and defeating his enemies.”
And the ARABIC translation reads,
“Concerning the mysteries of the Son, as to the glory of Christ, his resurrection, and kingdom, and the destruction of all the disobedient.”
And then about a hundred other MSS merge the words from all of the above into the way they describe such.
Most interesting is some early church Fathers translate it, saying
“concerning the youth or infancy of the Son” causing other translations to read,
“concerning the incarnation of our YAHAVAH.”
Who knows – may the Spirit lead as we read.
What is intriguing is that when we consider David slaying the Giant Goliath with a single stone and sling, embedding the rock into his massive forehead then running and chopping the head off the human beast, we have an old Testament physical picture of what the Messiah who would come through His line would do spiritually – taking us back to the start of the teaching today where it is NOT by might but meekness that Christ brought down Satan and the Dark.
So, as we read through Psalm 9 keep the mixed application in mind of both David slaying Goliath physically and Christ leveling the Goliaths of this world spiritually.
Psalm 9:1 <> I will praise thee, O YAHAVAH, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
3 When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4 For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; thou satest in the throne judging right.
5 Thou hast rebuked the heathen, thou hast destroyed the wicked, thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6 O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and thou hast destroyed cities; their memorial is perished with them.
7 But YAHAVAH shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment.
8 And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
9 YAHAVAH also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, YAHAVAH, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
Then David adds,
11 Sing praises to the YAHAVAH, which dwelleth in Zion: declare among the people his doings.
12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
(NOTE THE NKJV writes, “When He avenges blood, He remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the humble.”)
13 Have mercy upon me, O YAHAVAH; consider my trouble which I suffer of them that hate me, thou that liftest me up from the gates of death:
14 That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion: I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15 The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.
16 YAHAVAH is known by the judgment which he executes: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell (sheol) and all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
19 Arise, O YAHAVAH; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
20 Put them in fear, O YAHAVAH: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
PSALM 10
The sentiments of this Psalm are repeated in Psalm 13, 35, and 53. It is believed to have been penned in reference to Sanballat, a persecutor of the Nation who is described in Nehemiah which means he appears in the narrative after the Babylonian exile.
The summary is that God is represented here as standing at some distance, beholding the oppression of his people, and yet apparently disregarding it.
We will also just read it.
Psalm 10:1 Why standest thou afar off, O YAHAVAH? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble?
2 The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined.
3 For the wicked boasteth of his heart’s desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom YAHAVAH abhorreth.
4 The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.
5 His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.
6 He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity.
7 His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.
8 He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor.
9 He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net.
10 He croucheth, and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.
11 He hath said in his heart, God hath forgotten: he hideth his face; he will never see it.
12 Arise, O YAHAVAH; O God, lift up thine hand: forget not the humble.
13 Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it.
14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless.
15 Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none.
16 YAHAVAH is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land.
17 YAHAVAH, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear:
18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.
PSALM 11
Is a short Psalm of David written to a chief musician, who may be seen as a master-singer, leader of the band or person who directed the choir.
That said, however, a better translation reads, “To the Conqueror,” and as a result, some deep and mystical meaning has been assigned to it which probably have nothing to do with the text.
We see repeated themes here that include that He will try or test the righteous. Let’s read it.
Psalm 11:1 <> In YAHAVAH put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain?”
2 For, lo, the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
3 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
4 YAHAVAH is in his holy temple, YAHAVAH’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5 YAHAVAH trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
I want to spend our last few minutes talking about verse 4-6 as it has such direct application to that former age and its inhabitants.
I speak a bit about this life today being a proving ground. Because I see this as the case from the garden of Eden, through the Nation of Israel, then the Bride and on out into this world I take passages like these seriously.
Admittedly, I do some picking and choosing because parsing out the text can get a tad bit discomfited.
But verse 4-5 say,
4 YAHAVAH is in his holy temple, YAHAVAH’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
5 YAHAVAH tries the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth.
I maintain that the way to understand this is YAHAVAH then and now will allow all men to be tried and tested and that the wicked that love violence his soul rejects.
This was the case in the time of Noah, the time of Christ, and I remain convinced that His displeasure with such even to day will be seen by those so inclined not entering His presence.
But verse six is so compatible with the Revelation of what God was going to pour out upon the Nation that I do not see it having application any longer, even though it is in the same Psalm and reads,
6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.
Ezekiel 38, which is about a war between Israel and a coalition of nations led by something called “Gog of Magog.”
The war is described as a prelude to the Second Coming of Christ and is also known as the Battle of Armageddon.
This is what it says beginning at verse 17:
Ezekiel 38:17 Thus saith YAHAVAH GOD; Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old time by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?
18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith YAHAVAH GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
19 For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel;
20 So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.
21 And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith YAHAVAH GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother.
22 And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.
23 Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am YAHAVAH.
Turning to Revelation, we read John’s observations of the same that was to come upon the Nation, “quickly, shortly, as the time was at hand, and it says,
Speaking exclusively to them,
Revelation 9:17-18 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
Then to
Revelation 14:10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
Then to
Revelation 19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Because Christ at His return to save His Bride from all of this, His victory over death was complete and these references are no longer applicable to people today.
Psalm 11 ends with
7 For the righteous YAHAVAH loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.
And we will return to Psalm 12 next week, YAHAVAH willing.