“Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip.” (2Sa 22:36-37 AV)
Chapter 22 of 2nd Samuel is David’s psalm of praise for God’s deliverance from all his enemies. It is a great song filled with high praise for the God who saved and used David his entire life. The word ‘gentleness’ seems out of place. David is speaking of physical deliverance from enemies like Saul and Absalom. The word ‘gentleness’ means humility or meekness. As the LORD delivers David, He is neither. This gentleness is from the LORD to David and enables David to remain humble and meek throughout victories delivered. When one thinks of the natural heart’s response to vindication, it is not humility or meekness. David was the God-ordained king. Not Saul. Not Absalom. They attempted to kill David and retain the throne for their descendants. David would be natural if his heart responded in pride, having been vindicated from his enemies. Rather, David was given humility and meekness, labeled as gentleness above, and because he responded correctly, the LORD could increase his kingdom.
One wonders how we would fare if placed under the same set of circumstances as Jesus. Peter speaks of Christ’s response to His passion as, “Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:” (1Pe 2:23 AV) Think of that! The Son of God, who keeps all of creation in the power of His will, does not respond in kind toward those who are abusing Him! I don’t think I could have done that. If I were an all-powerful god, the first time someone spat on me I might have given him a disease of the mouth. The one who reached forth to pluck out my beard would be paralyzed. Standing before Pontius Pilot, I may have stricken him with the palsy so he would naturally fall down before me. The list goes on and on. But love won the day. That love born in humility and meekness made the Lamb silent to the death of the Cross. This didn’t make Jesus a weakling. This only served to strengthen Him and encourage His disciples.
Humility and meekness are prized qualities to the child of God. They are not seen as weaknesses. Humility and meekness are qualities of self-control and an honest view of oneself. Humility and meekness seem as though they have disadvantages. However, if your heart is already humbled, then no one can have that power over you. Humility and meekness are not captivating. They are liberating. Having been the brunt of many attacks from school bullies, I learned a long time ago that to fight is not always wise. Especially when outnumbered. All that does is to encourage more attacks. The best defense against a bully is indifference. I never acknowledge their bullying. I never gave it any attention. Soon enough it died away. Once they saw humility and meekness, it was no longer fun. David learned a valuable lesson here. He was to serve God by serving his people. His life and ministry were never about himself. It was about the LORD and those whom He loved. His standing was important only in how it affected his leadership. He did not care about accolades. He did not care about recognition. He cared about God and the people of Israel. This gentleness is what made him great. Sure, he killed a lion, a bear, and a giant. He killed ten thousands of Philistines. But in the end, it was humility and meekness that made this humble shepherd boy a great man.
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