But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
The meek are to receive the earth as their inheritance and to find delight in rich, full peace. That inheritance is the whole earth, not the land of Canaan alone. It is the earth made new, an immortal earth released from the curse of sin and death, where there is no sorrow or sickness, no hunger or thirst or parting, and where God and the Lamb make their dwelling; the wicked may stay alive and seem to prosper for a time, yet they will have no share in that renewed earth, which belongs to the meek.
This new earth was pledged to Abraham and his seed and is brought to fulfillment through Christ, so that all who belong to Christ receive it by promise. Humility and surrender of self make human beings joint heirs with Christ, and thus the meek recover what was forfeited through self-exaltation and sin. The same promise directs those who care for the sick to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, to turn away from anger and to refuse fretting or evildoing, for meekness and peace belong to a life formed by God's law and by righteous speech.
The meek are to receive the earth as their inheritance and to find delight in rich, full peace. That inheritance is the whole earth, not the land of Canaan alone. It is the earth made new, an immortal earth released from the curse of sin and death, where there is no sorrow or sickness, no hunger or thirst or parting, and where God and the Lamb make their dwelling; the wicked may stay alive and seem to prosper for a time, yet they will have no share in that renewed earth, which belongs to the meek.
This new earth was pledged to Abraham and his seed and is brought to fulfillment through Christ, so that all who belong to Christ receive it by promise. Humility and surrender of self make human beings joint heirs with Christ, and thus the meek recover what was forfeited through self-exaltation and sin. The same promise directs those who care for the sick to rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him, to turn away from anger and to refuse fretting or evildoing, for meekness and peace belong to a life formed by God's law and by righteous speech.