“ When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. “
- Proverbs 11:2
“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
- 1 Samuel 16:7
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Last week, our study of Proverbs 11:1 showed us a profound truth.
We are all abominable beings, compared to the spiritual standards of our God! ?
We put great moral time and energy, into classifying what is acceptable to society, to do with our bodies.... use them, abuse them, sell them, change them (!)... we are also given our Lords perspective on the matter —- we know what does, and does not please Him there.
But the true root of sin is in the heart.
God is interested to a lesser extent about what we do with our bodies, than who we —are as persons—. His focus, is the heart.
There are greater and lesser commandments in the Law, ( Christ picked the two greatest : Love God, Love your Neighbor ) but even in the top 10 we see a thought crime .. “ thou shalt not covet”. In the OT, In the Sermon on the mount and in other discourses, our Lord emphasizes that the root cause of sin is internal.
Genesis 6:5 (NAS): Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every —intent of the —thoughts of his —heart was only evil continually.
Matthew 15:10–11, 19-20 (NAS): After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.... ..... For out of the —-heart come evil —thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
And leading the parade of evil thoughts is “Pride”. ( From our text this week )
It is the first abomination of the 7, (“A proud look”), the sin of Satan, and the folly of kings and commoners alike. It’s opposite is Humility. Christ HUMBLED Himself, to become a man. He was gentle, humble and meek!
God does not want us to sin like Satan, so, like a father disciplining His children, He has to —- humble us — to teach us, His way.
Deuteronomy 8:2 (NAS): “You shall remember all the way which the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness these forty years, that He might —-humble you, —-testing you, to know what was in your —-heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not.
He —humbled you and —let you be hungry, and —fed you with manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, —that He might make you —understand—that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by everything that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord. Your clothing did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years.
—Thus you are to know —in your heart— that the Lord your God was —disciplining you —-just as a man disciplines his son—. ——-Therefore——— , you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him.
—Beware—- that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today;otherwise, -when you have eaten and are satisfied, and have built good houses and lived in them,and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold multiply, and all that you have multiplies, then —-your heart will become ——-proud —- and you will —forget the Lord your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”
Moses is warning the children of Israel AGAINST PRIDE. And we, as Christians, would do well to heed that warning as well.
Prosperity & Blessing can turn to curses if we forget the One from whom all blessings flow, and say, like Nebuchadnezzar.....,
“Is not this great Babylon, that —I have built for a royal dwelling by —-my mighty power and for the honor of —-my majesty?”While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven: “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom has departed from you!” - Daniel 4:30 ( Read Dan 4:1-37 for the full story ).
In Acts, King Herod, arrayed in splendid armor, gives a stirring speech, causing people to proclaim.. , “ ‘The voice of a god and not of a man!’ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.” - Acts 12:22-23
We are beginning to get a hint of what Pride looks like, and why it might be hateful to God. We will go deeper, God willing, next week!
Hallelujah!!