Pride (Part 4 of 4) - Just Desserts

Surely He scorns the scornful, but gives grace to the humble. Proverbs 3:34

When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom. Proverbs 11:2

By pride comes nothing but strife, but with the well-advised is wisdom. Proverbs 13:10

The Lord will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the boundary of the widow. Proverbs 15:25

He who is of a proud heart stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the Lord will be prospered. Proverbs 28:25

A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor. Proverbs 29:23

Let’s make two lists. Let’s compare pride versus humility Biblically. This is a tool for making a good decision.

Results of Pride:

Scorn

Shame

Being brought low

Strife

Destruction of my house

Results of Humility:

Grace

Wisdom

Honor

Prosperity

Protection for the widow

The first list looks like a Greek tragedy, but this is not the result of capriciousness on God’s part. This is the simple formula of reaping what you sow. If you practice scorning others, you should not expect grace when you fall. If you are headstrong you are not likely to learn from others or even your own mistakes. Therefore, wisdom will remain far from you. Since you have been trying to push your way into the seats of honor, you shouldn’t be surprised when the time comes that someone better displaces you. You will not have been in a place at the foot of the table, where Jesus says you would have been noticed and lifted up. The wakes of strife in your path will eventually make enough enemies to lose your house. God’s face will not be shining on you. Even the widow will look at you and shake her head. She trusted in God, who was her strong tower. If you are numbered with the proud, you are trusting in a weaker god – yourself.

Pride (Part 3 of 4) - The DO's and DON'T's of Pride

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones. Proverbs 3:7, 8

A wise man fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident. Proverbs 14:16

Do not exalt yourself in the presence of the king, and do not stand in the placed of the great; for it is better that he say to you, “come up here,” than that you should be put lower in the presence of the prince, whom your eyes have seen. Proverbs 25:6,7

It is not good to eat much honey; so to seek one’s own glory is not glory. Proverbs 25:27

As we have seen, the heart of pride is idolatry. This idolatry can be external (other gods) or internal (ourselves). In both cases the worshiper must by nature look to his gods for provision and in return provide adoration. If the god is ourselves, then we will be puffed up, exalting ourselves and seeking our own glory – all the DON’TS in the passages above. If we are the “source” of strength and provision, then we will be self-confident and necessarily be ready to rage against any that would diminish our perceived position of power. Do I puff and spew when I don’t get my way? Am I offended when I’m not honored before my peers? What would my friends say about me in private? Do I dare ask them?

The antidote to this is the “fear of the Lord.” This is the chief “DO” command and the ultimate fix for pride. Just recognizing that we are in the presence of THE KING, we will humbled. How do we cultivate fearing the Lord? We can practice daily by acknowledging in thankfulness His provision in everything we see and experience. From the mundane of brown dirt that brings forth life to the glory of union with our spouse, we can exercise giving thanks in all circumstances.

For the kings of Israel, Deuteronomy 17:14-20 outlines the principles for just rule. Specifically, the king was to write of copy of the law in a book for himself. This book was to be read “all the days of his life” with the result that he would “learn to fear the Lord his God” and that “his heart may not be lifted above his brethren.”

Finally, you should pray. In Psalm 86:11-12, David asks that God would “unite my heart to fear Your name.” Our marching instructions are clear in this battle with pride: ask God to unite your heart to fear Him, meditate on His law daily, and give thanks.

Pride (Part 2 of 4) - Clarity in Contrast

Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. Better to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Proverbs 16:18, 19

Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility. Proverbs 18:12

How can God make the idolatry of our hearts more clear? What level of contrast is necessary to see pride in its proper perspective? These proverbs focus a spotlight on two important objects.

The first is the connection between haughtiness and pride. We don’t think about sin as some form of idolatry, though it is (Psalm 40:4). We need something a little earthier. How about recognizing a haughty spirit? This is dead simple with others. Will it work for us by ourselves? Probably not. Sin is deceitful, and pride is more than subtle. Here is the lesson. We need community. We can’t forsake the gathering together as His children (Hebrews 10:25). We need the sharpening that comes from brothers and sisters. We need the wisdom of our spouse and children or brothers and sisters at church. Will this guarantee that I will repent of a haughty spirit? No, but it will guarantee that you will hear about it at the soonest possible instance. It will be easier to repent while the weed is still small.

The second spotlight reveals our target – humility. Who are our models? Let’s start with Moses and Jesus. Moses is recognized in Numbers 12:3 as the most humble man in the Old Testament. The background to this recognition is summarized in this verse from Numbers 12:7 “But this is not true of my servant Moses; he is faithful in all my house.” Moses was no slouch when it came to looking to God for provision and following in obedience. True, he wasn’t perfect, but he is our example for imitation regarding humility toward God. In the New Testament, we can look to many saints, but Jesus must be the source. Philippians 2 is the crowning verse summarizing the full and complete obedience of Christ to the Father and the level of humiliation that God was willing to undergo to effect our salvation. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father until all things are put under His feet. Humility certainly precedes honor. We should follow Christ in humility.

Temptation (post 4) - Watch your steps!

Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn away from it and pass on. For they do not sleep unless they have done evil; and their sleep is taken away unless they make someone fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence. But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. Proverbs 4:14-19

Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right of the left; remove your foot from evil. Proverbs 4:26,27

A man who wanders from the way of understanding will rest in the assembly of the dead.

Proverbs 21:16

We can start with the conclusion first; if you leave the path you will rest with the dead. The picture couldn’t be made clearer. The way of life and light is a precipitous path. Like those mountain paths in Switzerland or the Italian dolomites, the potential descent is long and deadly.

The author of Proverbs is charging us to first consider our environment. Do I see live around me as a struggle between light and darkness? Do I recognize the eternal antithesis between the city of God and the city of man? Or, do I regularly remember that as the seed of the man, I must be on the guard for serpents. We are not to assume that we live in a neutral environment. When you are climbing on the knife edge of a ridge above a 1000 foot deep chasm on either side, you make your way very carefully even if the path is adequate. Life is the same way.

We do this by pondering our path. Am I walking in the established trail? Have I checked the guidebooks? Do I have a headlamp should it turn suddenly dark in a storm or starless night? Am I traveling with a trusted and experienced companion? These are all precautions that we would take if we were mountain climbing. We would all be prepared to take care if we considered our position precarious.

Finally, we are called to be aware of blind guides. Jesus is quick to remind his disciples of this danger (Matthew 15:14). Why? The deception is that they are qualified as guides! Do what they say but don’t do what they do (Matthew 23:2-3) Jesus warns. We will encounter plenty of smart, wealthy and suave characters along our path of life. Beware! Check their eyesight. What kind of eye chart should I use to tell the difference? If they don’t acknowledge Christ, they are by necessity living in darkness (John 1:5, 8:12 and 12:46). Perhaps they are reported to be believers – just go into any Christian bookstore or check online for a myriad of supposedly qualified guides! No, these too must show their qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4)

Pride (Part 1 of 4) - What does God think about this?

Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

We know pride is bad. We don’t like it when others appear proud. We reserve a heightened disgust for people that act like this, and from this text, we know that God feels the same way. His abhorrence of pride could be defined as hate coupled with disgust. Some examples from the Old Testament include the disgust that the Egyptians had for the Israelites (Genesis 43:32), how the Children of Israel looked at “unclean” foods (Leviticus 11:11), God’s view of idolatrous activities including burning children to Molech (Deuteronomy 12:5). The gods of the Sidonians, Moabites and Ammon were called abominations (2 Kings 23:13). I think you get the idea.

The root of pride is idolatry and this is why it is linked to the abominations of the kingdoms of Canaan. The Psalmist makes this conclusion.

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have one. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. Psalm 40:4-5

The proud have turned aside to false gods including many times themselves. Moreover, the psalmist tells us that this is done in the face of God’s revelation of Himself – in the face of uncountable wonders! Is it any wonder that God is angry with this?

Temptation (post 3) -- Nothin' like helpful friends!

My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait to shed blood; let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause; let us swallow them alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down to the Pit; we shall find all kinds of precious possessions, we shall fill our houses with spoil; cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse” – my son, do not walk in the way with them, keep your foot from their path; for their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed blood. Surely, in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird; but they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners. Proverbs 1:10-19

This admonition is sandwiched between the temptation and the means of being tempted. The fruit passed before the eyes is that of “precious possessions” and a “shared purse.” Look, for just a little bit of your time joining our mob, you will be rewarded with a share in the booty. Elsewhere we are warned in Proverbs that wealth gained quickly will fly away (Proverbs 20:21) or that any sort of deceit (including pillaging other people’s stuff!) is a means of seeking death (Proverbs 21:6). Be ready to be cautious anytime you are presented with a get rich quick or get rich easy scheme. These are aimed at the greedy in heart. At such times, it is well to remember the adage that if it is too good to be true, it probably is.

Also, recognize that the temptation may be doubled or trebled by peer pressure. Here the temptation is presented by “sinners.” Their familiarity echoes in the enticement with pronouns like us and we. This means that this type of temptation is likely to come from folks you think you know better than you do. The encouraged acts may not be as drastic as proposed here, so be on your guard for more subtle group actions that promise something for nothing. Might doesn’t make right, and mobs in general should always be avoided.

Temptation (post 2) -- Eat the Sweet

Have you found honey? Eat only as much as you need, lest you be filled with it and vomit. Proverbs 25:6

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of this Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:15,16

Real temptation is like this. It involves something that we both need and enjoy. Adam and Eve were not tested with three-day-old gruel! Eve saw that “the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise.” Genesis 3:6 Similarly, Jesus was tempted with bread at the end of 40 days of fasting.

Food both sustains and is a delight. It is a blatant testimony of God’s goodness. We are not just sustained; we are provided with a feast beyond our wildest imaginations. But is the goodness of God our downfall?

In 1 John, we are told not to love the world or its things. In verse 17, we are given the reason. These things are passing away but the will of God endures forever. In this manner Jesus resisted the temptation of Satan in the desert. [Jesus] answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

When temptation for something sweet arises, we must begin by acknowledging the source of this good thing. Only in humble thankfulness will we be able to eat enough for permanence and not too much for vomiting.