Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5
To reference Peterson – sometimes to understand the meaning of a word you have to understand the story in which it sits. In this case – meek – is first attributed to Moses (Jesus appears to be quoting Psalm 37 here, but the story of Moses sheads further light). Moses – meek? … The man who killed an Egyptian oppressor… the man who stood up to the head of the Egyptian empire… how can he be meek?
In the story in the book of Numbers, Miriam and Aaron complain to Moses for marrying and Ethiopian (apparent racism creeping in there) – the story tells of the LORD’s anger in this situation and as a result Miriam becomes leprous (or as Peterson says “you like white so much Miriam? Then you can become white”). In response Aaron asks Moses to ask God to heal Miriam. So Moses cried out to the LORD, “Please, God, heal her!”‘ – It is within this story that the authour writes “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”
“Meekness is energy sanctified”
Eugene Peterson