section 1
What is gentleness? We can tend to think of it as an effeminate quality because it is not naturally associated with men, but is it merely a virtue for women deuteronomy 28:56 , or is it that women enact gentleness more naturally, even though gentlemen should as well deuteronomy 28:54 ?
We know from Scripture that gentleness is actually a characteristic of God Himself, which He can make a part of our own character galatians 5:22-23 . So, we should cooperate with the Holy Spirit by taking this virtuous quality and practicing it to make it a part of our character so we have it within ourselves ephesians 4:2 and are enabled to implement it towards its purpose- to help others be spiritually healed galatians 6:1 ii timothy 2:25 i peter 3:15 jeremiah 3:22 by the administering of God’s grace through Truth and Love micah 2:7 jeremiah 23:22 ezekiel 34:16 hosea 6:1 ephesians 4:13, 15 . This takes more than a timid touch; gentleness requires a true strength of character within yourself to genuinely enact it towards others hebrews 12:12-13 i corinthians 16:13-14 . So, let us study what the Lord has instructed gentleness to be.
The most gentle and sensitive woman among you—so sensitive and gentle that she would not venture to touch the ground with the sole of her foot—
Even the most gentle and sensitive man among you will have no compassion on his own brother or the wife he loves or his surviving children...
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,
But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
"My wayward children," says the LORD, "come back to Me, and I will heal your wayward hearts."
"Yes, we’re coming," the people reply, "for you are the LORD our God.
Should you talk that way, O family of Israel? Will the LORD’s Spirit have patience with such behavior? If you would do what is right, you would find My Words comforting.
But if they had stood in my council, they would have proclaimed My Words to my people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.
I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.
"Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but He will heal us; He has injured us but He will bind up our wounds.
This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, Who is the head of His body, the church.
Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. "Make level paths for your feet," so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.
my notes:
section 2
Gentleness requires a humbled heart ephesians 4:2 as our pride breeds callous disdain job 12:5 when we delude ourselves into thinking we are above others who are not doing as well as we think we currently are deuteronomy 17:18-20 i corinthians 10:12 . "But for the grace of God…" We even disdain someone whose struggle or circumstances are simply different than our own, and so we scorn their soul with neglect rather than seeking to carefully dress their wounds job 16:1-5 jeremiah 6:14 ii timothy 4:2 .
It just comes so naturally to us to want to put a stop to annoyances proverbs 12:16 , even minor ones, and offenses; it’s like a reflex, a powerful urge to just be finished with troublesome others matthew 12:20 . But a gentle spirit makes the effort to fan into flame any hope of ultimate healing in others ii timothy 2:25-26 isaiah 42:1-4 . And it is the humility of Christ that should give us patience to allot the wounded time to have that healing response revelation 2:21 .
Those who are at ease have contempt for misfortune as the fate of those whose feet are slipping.
my notes:
And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Then Job replied: "I have heard many things like these; you are miserable comforters, all of you! Will your long-winded speeches never end? What ails you that you keep on arguing? I also could speak like you, if you were in my place; I could make fine speeches against you and shake my head at you. But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief.
They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.
Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.
my notes:
A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out, till He has brought justice through to victory.
Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the Truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.
Here is My Servant, Whom I uphold, My Chosen One in Whom I delight; I will put My Spirit on Him, and He will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise His voice in the streets. A bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out. In faithfulness He will bring forth justice; He will not falter or be discouraged till He establishes justice on earth. In His teaching the islands will put their hope.
I gave her time to repent, but she does not want to turn away from her immorality.
my notes:
Scripture quotations taken from one or more of the following versions as noted:
ESV = The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.
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NASB = NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), Copyright (C) 1960,1962,1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
HCSB = Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Used by Permission HCSB ©1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 Holman Bible Publishers. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
NKJV = New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.