Will Of God

1 Chronicles 13:9-10 
9 When they came to the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put out his hand to hold and steady the ark, for the oxen [that were drawing the cart] [a]nearly overturned it. 10 The anger of the LORD burned against Uzza, and He struck him down because he touched the ark; and there he died before God.

1 Chronicles 15:12-14
12 and he said to them, “You are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites; consecrate yourselves, both you and your relatives, so that you may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel, to the place that I have prepared for it. 13 Because you did not [carry it as God directed] the first time, the LORD our God made an [angry] outburst against us, for we did not seek Him in accordance with the ordinance.” 14 So the priests and the Levites consecrated (dedicated) themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

I flipped to 1 Chronicles yesterday and got to this account.  Uzza perishing because he touched the Ark of the Covenant.  God was clear in Numbers 4 about the Ark should be transported and how to prepare it for a journey.  Namely a sect of the Levites were to carry the Ark in a certain way.  So, in  15:12-14, David gave the instruction he received from God admitting that they did not follow the procedure.  Uzza died for it and when I read this story the first few times, I thought it was harsh.  However, God is very clear on his will.  He wants what he wants and he knows what is best.  This study piggie-backs on the last post about God’s requirements.  What’s the difference?  That’s a question I asked myself.

Romans 12:2
2 And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be [a]transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].

In this passage, it seems that the word “will” is used to say that it is what is “good and acceptable and perfect.”   The Amplified add more on saying that it is his plan and purpose for us.  It says to me that there is a purpose for me here if I stay on tack.  It makes me believe that God has plans for me like he says in Isaiah.  And I have to stay within his will to reach the point that I need to get to.

1 John 5:13-14
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God [which represents all that Jesus Christ is and does], so that you will know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have eternal life. 14 This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that [a]if we ask anything according to His will, [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.

If we ask anything according to what God says, he hears us.  Preceding that are a couple of statements that say that we can have confidence as believers that we already have eternal life.  I think this corresponds to living within the will of God.  If we are in his will, we may be able to have a certain peace.  So what does the bible say God’s will is?

1 Peter 4:2-10
2 so that he can no longer spend the rest of his natural life living for human appetites and desires, but [lives] for the will and purpose of God. 3 For the time already past is [more than] enough for doing what the [unsaved] Gentiles like to do—[a]living [unrestrained as you have done] in a course of [shameless] sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. 4 In [connection with] all this, they [the unbelievers] are resentful and surprised that you do not [think like them, value their values and] run [hand in hand] with them into the same excesses of dissipation and immoral freedom, and they criticize and abuse and ridicule you and make fun of your values. 5 But they will [have to] give an account to Him who is ready to judge and pass sentence on the living and the dead. 6 For this is why the good news [of salvation] was preached [in their lifetimes] even to those who are dead, that though they were judged in the flesh as men are, they may live in the spirit according to [the will and purpose of] God.
7 The end and culmination of all things is near. Therefore, be sound-minded and self-controlled for the purpose of prayer [staying balanced and focused on the things of God so that your communication will be clear, reasonable, specific and pleasing to Him.] 8 Above all, have [b]fervent and unfailing love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins [it overlooks unkindness and unselfishly seeks the best for others]. 9 Be [c]hospitable to one another without complaint. 10 Just as each one of you has received a special gift [a spiritual talent, an ability graciously given by God], employ it in serving one another as [is appropriate for] good stewards of God’s multi-faceted grace [faithfully using the diverse, varied gifts and abilities granted to Christians by God’s unmerited favor].

We are to put what is best for others over what is best for ourselves.  That goes hand in hand with what I wrote last time.  However in this list, there are sins to stay away from.  The Amplified adds text that sums up the list. “living unrestrained.”  We are supposed to love and also stay pure in living according to his will.  At times, this can be hard.  Even the strongest man to ever live. 

Mark 14:33-36
33 He took Peter and James and John with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled [extremely anguished at the prospect of what was to come]. 34 And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved and overwhelmed with sorrow, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” 35 After going a little farther, He fell to the ground [distressed by the weight of His spiritual burden] and began to pray that if it were possible [in the Father’s will], the hour [of suffering and death for the sins of mankind] might pass from Him. 36 He was saying, “[a]Abba, Father! All things are possible for You; take this cup [of judgment] away from Me; but not what I will, but what You will.”

The hardest decision one can make was thrust upon him from birth.  He we through his life knowing how it would end and stood firm submitting to God’s will.

God's Requirements

2 Chronicles 13:10-11 (AMP)
11 Every morning and every evening they offer the burnt offerings and the fragrant incense to the Lord; and the [a]showbread is set on the clean table [of pure gold], and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of the Lord our God [that is, the obligation we have to Him], but you have abandoned (turned away from) Him.

I did my usual reading procedure and flipped to 2 Chronicles 13.  I read about one of the battles between Israel and Judah in which Israel had taken to Idols and Idol worship instead of worshiping the Lord.  King Abijah says in the text that Judah had stayed faithful to God, continuing to burn incense and other offerings to the Lord, keeping what he called “the charge of the Lord our God.”  In the Amplified, the translation adds that it meant the obligation we have to God.  In the NIV translation, instead of using the word “charge,” it uses the word “requirements.”  Back then, burnt offerings, incense, and sacrifices were made to God to show obedience.  But, that’s not the case today.  So I started thinking, “What are our requirements under the new covenant?”  Jesus was asked the question of “what is the greatest commandment” given to us.   Which of the commands is greatest?  God’s first requirement is to love him.

Love God

Mark 12:30 (AMP)
29 Jesus answered, “The first and most important one is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; 30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul (life), and with all your mind (thought, understanding), and with all your strength.’

Jesus’ answer refers to Deuteronomy 6:5 where Moses tells the Israelites the same thing.  Jesus says this commandment is the greatest.  I’ve heard both of theses passages many times throughout all the years I’ve attended church and never thought about the “why” behind the directive?

Romans 5:8 (AMP)
8 But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

A very important thing to remember is that we love God because He loves us.  He loves us so much that he sent his son to die for us as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  At times, I go through life trying to obey commands because I’m afraid of Hell.  I remember the swift and just wrath of God of the Old Testament and even some of the wrath of the New Testament in Acts, but never stop to think that I should love God simply because He loves me.  According to this verse, God loved me even though I sin.  The Old Testament describes God as a jealous God.  He gets angry.  We grieve him with our sin and he loves us anyway.

1 Chronicles 16:34 (AMP)
O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;  For His loving-kindness endures forever.

God’s love also lasts forever.  Stated in the verse above, we should be thankful because of that fact.

Love Others


Mark 12:33-34 (AMP)
33 and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to [unselfishly] love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Matthew 22:37-40
37 And Jesus replied to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself [that is, unselfishly seek the best or higher good for others].’ 40 The whole Law and the [writings of the] Prophets depend on these two commandments.”

These two accounts made me really think.  In Mark12:33-34, the teacher of the law that posed the question to Jesus gave an answer that Jesus accepted as correct.  It makes me think of the first passage I used.  It speaks of burnt offerings and sacrifice as requirements of God.  But here, it is said that loving your neighbor as yourself is more than burnt offerings and sacrifices.  It is mind blowing to think that what Abijah said was keeping God’s requirements for all of Judah is less than our command to love our neighbor.  In the next passage, at the end Jesus said that it summed up the law and the prophets, being the books in the Old Testament.  That is also amazing.  All of the Jews were governed by this law and Jesus was telling them that this simple command sums up their law.  The Amplified translation shows that our type of love should be one that unselfishly seeks the best and higher good of others.  The addition of the word “Unselfishly” makes me think that we are to do this over the wants of our own.   That’s a tall order, but I would think that if I loved someone in that way, I wouldn’t sin against them.  If I love God that way, I wouldn’t sin against him either.  Later in the Bible, Paul gave instruction on how to love.

1 cor 16:14
14 Let everything you do be done in love [motivated and inspired by God’s love for us].

Ephesians 5:2
2 and walk continually in love [that is, value one another—practice empathy and compassion, unselfishly seeking the best for others], just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and sacrifice to God [slain for you, so that it became] a sweet fragrance.

These passages say to walk continually unselfishly seeking the best for others just as above.  It adds Jesus’ love for us.  Jesus’ example of love is an extreme one to aspire to follow.  I don’t know that I would be down to be crucified for someone.  The same theme is often mentioned throughout the Bible.  The order for husbands to love their wives as Christ loves the church.  To have the compassion, wisdom and gentleness of Jesus and use it for the good of another person would be a difficult task.

1 John 2:9-10
9 The one who says he is in the Light [in consistent fellowship with Christ] and yet [a]habitually hates (works against) his brother [in Christ] is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who [b]loves and unselfishly seeks the best for his [believing] brother lives in the Light, and in him there is no occasion for stumbling or offense [he does not hurt the cause of Christ or lead others to sin].

The people that will say they are “good Christians” and hate or work against a brother, he is in darkness.  The comparison between the ones who hates and doesn’t hate in context makes me think that the darkness is outside of or away from God.

Love was clearly important to Jesus and the Apostles.  Two of the passages I used said “in Christ” or “Believing” to the command.  However, when asked of Jesus “who is my neighbor,” Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan in which the “hero” of the story that helped the man on the road was the least likely player in the tale; therefore suggesting that our neighbor could be anyone.

Hannah

1 Samuel 1-2

The story of Hannah is an inspiring tale. The passage above displays her character in many ways leaving behind an example for us to follow. Some Christians may discount stories of influential women because the Bible speaks of women being submissive and the man being the head of the household, under Christ in the hierarchy, but there are lessons that can be taken from this account.

Reaction to provocation

In verses 6 and 7, the passage says that Hannah had a rival that would provoke her because she was barren and that it went on year after year – every time she went up to worship. However, Hannah reacted in a way that Christians should aspire to. After weeping a great deal, she went to God in prayer and made her request to bear a child. The idea of not reacting in anger to provocation is a theme spoken of throughout the Bible.

Colossians 3:8 Amplified Bible (AMP)

8 But now rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene (abusive, filthy, vulgar) language from your mouth.

Paul wrote to the church in Colassae that they should rid themselves of sins and included anger among them. He listed them in two groups, the first list being sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed – noting that, because of these since, the wrath of God is coming. But the list in verse 8 was given seemingly apart from the others hinting that they were to be avoided on top of the other list as if to say that they could be overlooked. Anger is one sin that everyone on God’s green Earth could fall prey to being that it is a natural emotion. I do not think that God wants us to somehow find a way to prevent our emotions, especially when provoked or hurt emotionally or physically. In Ephesians 4, Paul wrote “In your anger do not sin.” and “Do not let the sun go down on your anger.” Even Jesus got angry at least once in his life when, in Matthew 21, he drove out those that were selling in the temple turning over the money tables. This all tells me that anger itself is unavoidable. But we must not sin while we were angry. A sin that is listed in Colossians 3:8 is obscene language. I used the Amplified translation for the above verse because it pulls all the translations together to show what the word “obscene” means. Where the NIV says “filthy language” and the NASB uses the word “abusive,” the Amplified translates lists both while adding vulgar. The word to key in on for this particular study is “abusive.” This type of talk can often be seen when someone is anger or in a rage. In Proverbs, this is spoken of.

Proverbs 15 Amplified Bible (AMP)

15 A soft and gentle and thoughtful answer turns away wrath,
But harsh and painful and careless words stir up anger.

A big reason why we should not speak in anger is simply because it doesn’t help anything. I use the Amplified translation again because it says “harsh and painful and careless” showing me exactly what happens when someone loses their temper and doesn’t guard his/her tongue. It does nothing but stir up anger in the heart of the person we’re talking to and won’t resolve a situation. There is another reason that is directly tied to righteousness that is mentioned in the book of James.

James 1:19-20 Amplified Bible (AMP)

19 Understand this, my beloved brothers and sisters. Let everyone be quick to hear [be a careful, thoughtful listener], slow to speak [a speaker of carefully chosen words and], slow to anger [patient, reflective, forgiving]; 20 for the [resentful, deep-seated] anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God [that standard of behavior which He requires from us].

I did not think of what type of anger this could be speaking of until I read the Amplified translation. I think it specifically says “resentful, deep-seated” anger to show what kind of attitude we may have when anger with our brother or sister. Not only should we be slow to anger to avoid more anger, but we should be careful in our anger because it “does not achieve the righteousness of God.” He requires a certain behavior from us that does not coincide with being angry with others. In fact, in the Old Testament, there are passages that show us what God thinks of those that are quick to be angry.

Ecclesiastes 7:9 Amplified Bible (AMP)

9  Do not be eager in your heart to be angry,
For anger dwells in the heart of fools.

Proverbs 29:11 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

11 A fool [a]always loses his temper,
But a wise man holds it back.

According to the Bible, anger is entertained by fools. When looking at the word fool in the bible, it’s used very harshly. It is such a harsh word that in Matthew 5, Jesus warns against its use as a form of abuse. In the “Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible,” the word fool is defined as a “stupid person or senseless act. The bible uses the word in other places for one that does not believe in God as well. So, God does not use this word lightly. Solomon warns against even associating with those that give in to anger.

Proverbs 22:24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

24  Do not even associate with a man given to angry outbursts;
Or go [along] with a hot-tempered man,

I am greatly convicted by this verse given that, when I’m very angry, I tend to have angry outbursts and I’m quite sure I’m not the only one. It takes a great amount of self-control to never have an outburst and we are advised to not even associate with a man that is hot-tempered or quick to get angry.

Doing what you say

Another lesson to take from Hannah is that we should keep our word. After praying fervently, she promised the Lord that she would dedicate the child that she was asking for to the service of God – and she did just that. When I read this story as a child, I did not see how significant this was. But now, after having my own children, I understand how difficult that must have been. I fell in love with my kids even when they were still in the womb. I made plans for them. I bought them things that they would not use for years after their birth. I thought of college funds and savings accounts for them. I started Certificates of Deposits and things like that. All of this because of the great anticipation and the love I felt for them. Giving them up after they were weaned would have been a choice that I don’t know that I could have made. It took great courage and trust for her to do this. We are expected to have the same type of dedication to keeping our word.

Numbers 30:1-2 Amplified Bible (AMP)

30 Then Moses spoke to the leaders of the tribes of the Israelites, saying, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: 2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself with a pledge [of abstinence], he shall not break (violate, profane) his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)

4 When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow. 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands? 

Making an oath to God is dangerous. In numbers, the description given in the Amplified of how the oath is broken is harsh language. It is not just a broken vow when we do not do what we say before the Lord, but it is profane and a violation. The author of Ecclesiastes says that God takes no pleasure in fools, specifically fools that do not fulfill their oaths. And there’s that word again – fool. God doesn’t think much of those that would make a promise directly to him and not pay up. The passage is pretty direct. “Why should God be angry because of your voice?” We should not allow our speech to cause us to sin or that we should make it out to be a mistake. Later, in the New Testament, we are warned in even giving oaths to each other.

Matthew 5:33-37 Amplified Bible (AMP)

33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not make false vows, but you shall fulfill your vows to the Lord [as a religious duty].’ 34 But I say to you, do not make an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God; 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair white or black. 37 But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’ [a firm yes or no]; anything more than that comes from the evil one.

Jesus told his followers that we are not even to make an oath, but to simply let our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. We don’t need to swear by heaven or the Earth, but we do need to give our word and keep it.

Suffering

Psalms 118

There are quite a few chapters in Psamls in which David talks about suffering in one way or another. In the chapter above, David mentions enemies surrounding him and swarming him like bees. His trials were very real and desperate to him. Many of us go through struggles and tries either for our faith or just because life happens. It becomes harder for us, because of these trials, to focus on God or the things of God and we lose sight of what we’re supposed to do or be. However, the bible speaks to us about suffering frequently. It tells us in different locations how we should view our suffering and what we should do. There are two points that I want to consider in this post that I’ve gleaned from what I’ve read.

Point 1: suffering is not in vain

Jesus and the Apostles teach that suffering is not in vain. They acknowledge that life may not be easy whether it’s because of our faith in God or not. James tells us below about what struggles can do for us.

James 1:2-4 New International Version (NIV)

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

He doesn’t tell us to just deal with our struggles, but he tells us to consider it pure joy when we are faced with trials. That idea may be foreign to us or seem outrages because we don’t think to rejoice when we are going through some sort of pain, but the struggle helps us in a way that can be compared to the saying “it puts hair on your chest.” The testing of our faith produces traits in us that will help us glorify God and serve the body of Christ. It produces maturity that we use to face our lives in order to deal with future trials. In Romans, Paul writes a similar thought.

Romans 5:3-5 New International Version (NIV)

3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Paul mentions a few other traits created by enduring through suffering than is mention in the passage used earlier from James – character , and hope. Hope is a huge deal. We see hope as an emotion that could just mean wishing for something or wishful thinking. One of the definitions in Webster’s dictionary of hope is “ to desire with expectation of obtainment or fulfillment.” Another one of the definitions listed is “ desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment.” The Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible defines hope as “confident expectancy...not wishful thinking, but a firm assurance about things that are unseen and still in the future.” The keyword in this definition is “expectancy.” Struggles produce a firm faith that we have in Jesus that allows us to trust that, if we please him, he will reward us.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17 New International Version (NIV)

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Paul encourages the church in Corinth to not lose heart even though we may be going through trials because we are being renewed every day. And that our trials are assuring an eternal glory that will be far greater than the struggles we go through.

Point 2: God delivers

God promises to reward us because of our perseverance or help us persevere through the struggle. In Psalms 118, David says over and over again the Lord heard him and delivered him. There are many other locations where this thought is given.

Psalm 34:18-20 New International Version (NIV)

18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.

The biggest take away about this passage for me is that it says that God is “close” to the brokenhearted. I’ve been brokenhearted many times and to think that God is close to me at that point in my life is very encouraging. Further, the righteous may be delivered from troubles because God hears them in their disparity. It may take a while, however. God delivered the Israelites many times but sometimes it took years and years. God delivered them on his own schedule based on his will.

1 Peter 5:10 New International Version (NIV)

10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Peter says that God will help after we have “suffered a little while.” I think this is important because I needed to see that my struggles and trials will only happen for a little while. Even if it happens for my entire life, it is a little while in comparison to the gift of eternal life. He says that God himself will restore us and make us “strong, firm and steadfast.” Our struggles will not just put hair on our chest. God will put hair on our chest. He will help us get stronger and stay stronger as a result of our endurance through our hard times.

Arrogance

Ezekiel 31, 32:15

31 In the eleventh year, in the third month on the first day, the word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, say to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his hordes:

“‘Who can be compared with you in majesty?
3 Consider Assyria, once a cedar in Lebanon,
    with beautiful branches overshadowing the forest;
it towered on high,
    its top above the thick foliage.
4 The waters nourished it,
    deep springs made it grow tall;
their streams flowed
    all around its base
and sent their channels
    to all the trees of the field.
5 So it towered higher
    than all the trees of the field;
its boughs increased
    and its branches grew long,
    spreading because of abundant waters.
6 All the birds of the sky
    nested in its boughs,
all the animals of the wild
    gave birth under its branches;
all the great nations
    lived in its shade.
7 It was majestic in beauty,
    with its spreading boughs,
for its roots went down
    to abundant waters.
8 The cedars in the garden of God
    could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
    equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees
    compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
    could match its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
    with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
    in the garden of God.

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height, 11 I gave it into the hands of the ruler of the nations, for him to deal with according to its wickedness. I cast it aside, 12 and the most ruthless of foreign nations cut it down and left it. Its boughs fell on the mountains and in all the valleys; its branches lay broken in all the ravines of the land. All the nations of the earth came out from under its shade and left it. 13 All the birds settled on the fallen tree, and all the wild animals lived among its branches. 14 Therefore no other trees by the waters are ever to tower proudly on high, lifting their tops above the thick foliage. No other trees so well-watered are ever to reach such a height; they are all destined for death, for the earth below, among mortals who go down to the realm of the dead.

15 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: On the day it was brought down to the realm of the dead I covered the deep springs with mourning for it; I held back its streams, and its abundant waters were restrained. Because of it I clothed Lebanon with gloom, and all the trees of the field withered away. 16 I made the nations tremble at the sound of its fall when I brought it down to the realm of the dead to be with those who go down to the pit. Then all the trees of Eden, the choicest and best of Lebanon, the well-watered trees, were consoled in the earth below. 17 They too, like the great cedar, had gone down to the realm of the dead, to those killed by the sword, along with the armed men who lived in its shade among the nations.

18 “‘Which of the trees of Eden can be compared with you in splendor and majesty? Yet you, too, will be brought down with the trees of Eden to the earth below; you will lie among the uncircumcised, with those killed by the sword.

“‘This is Pharaoh and all his hordes, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”

The Bible speaks quite a bit about arrogance and pride. It seems to be quite offensive to God, especially when he’s given the person what they think they can be arrogant about. Often pride in our things or lifestyle or something of the sort takes over us and, in our pride, we sin. We may forget that God allowed us or gave us the ability to get what we have. He speaks throughout both Testaments about pride.

Isaiah 14:12-15

12 How you have fallen from heaven,
    morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
    you who once laid low the nations!
13 You said in your heart,
    “I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
    above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
    on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[b]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
    I will make myself like the Most High.”
15 But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
    to the depths of the pit.

Here, Isaiah speaks against Babylon, telling the King that their greatness will end and God would bring destruction. God starts off a passage with “How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn.” This passage has been cited when referring to Satan and his fall from heaven. The text, however, says its a taunt to the king of Babylon. In either case, the person he is speaking to put himself above God or aspired to be greater than God and wanted to give himself the credit for his position. He was exalted and God brought him down to the dirt. Pride can get us in trouble, shown also by the next passage.

Proverbs 16:18-19

18 Pride goes before destruction,
    a haughty spirit before a fall.

19 Better to be lowly in spirit along with the oppressed
    than to share plunder with the proud.

In this text, we learn that pride goes before our downfall and that it’s better to be humble and oppressed than to share in the plunder of the proud. It’s better and wiser for us to be humble than to trust in folly and take pride in ourselves and not giving credit to God.

Excessive pride can strike anyone. Men and women of great stature, even great stature in the church, can fall victim to pride in themselves and what they think they’ve accomplished.

Ezekiel 31:8-11

8 The cedars in the garden of God
    could not rival it,
nor could the junipers
    equal its boughs,
nor could the plane trees
    compare with its branches—
no tree in the garden of God
    could match its beauty.
9 I made it beautiful
    with abundant branches,
the envy of all the trees of Eden
    in the garden of God.

10 “‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because the great cedar towered over the thick foliage, and because it was proud of its height,

All are subject to become proud. Assyria was compared to a tree in God’s own garden that stood above majestic trees like Cedars and Pines in the same garden. A tree that was made more beautiful than all of the other trees in the garden that I assume was full of beautiful trees because it’s God’s garden. It says in the text that, since the tree was proud of its height, it was handed over. There are more concrete examples. Paul wrote:

Romans 12:3

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Paul wrote this letter to the Church in Rome, giving instructions to those that follow Christ to show us how to view things. This letter was written to a group of people that were already following Christ and aspiring to keep his commands. Paul writes this to remind them that they should not be proud, but to keep a humble opinion of themselves. Their faith or their success or anything that God has given them should not have made them think more highly of themselves than they should. God tells us that, even if we are exalted, we can be put in check.

Obadiah 1:3-4

1 The vision of Obadiah.

This is what the Sovereign Lord says about Edom—

We have heard a message from the Lord:
    An envoy was sent to the nations to say,
“Rise, let us go against her for battle”—

2 “See, I will make you small among the nations;
    you will be utterly despised.
3 The pride of your heart has deceived you,
    you who live in the clefts of the rocks[a]
    and make your home on the heights,
you who say to yourself,
    ‘Who can bring me down to the ground?’
4 Though you soar like the eagle
    and make your nest among the stars,
    from there I will bring you down,”
declares the Lord

The Lord says “Though you ascend as high as the eagle….from there I will bring you down.” and that the pride of their heart has deceived them – which is the key point. They were deceived by their own thoughts of themselves. And even though he brought them high, he will bring them down from the heights that they have raised to that gives them their pride.

But with humility, we can attain heights that God brings us to while giving glory to God for the things he’s done for us. Admitting that we are not deserving and that God has given us the ability or opportunity or both to achieve what we want.

Luke 18:9-14

9 To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

13 “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

14 “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

There were some that looked down on others because of their idea of their own righteousness. Jesus told a story about a tax collector, seen as Godless, that could not even look up to heaven when he prayed. He cried out for mercy that he knew he did not deserve. This is in direct opposition to the Pharisee that stood by himself, praying arrogantly thanking God that he wasn’t as bad as other people, but his attitude hurt his own faith. Jesus said that the tax collector went home justified. Those who exalt themselves would be humbled but the humble would be exalted. We need to keep a level head and stay humble no matter what situation we’re in or we will be humbled in the future.

Matthew 18:4

4 Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus tells the disciples that we need to be as humble as children to be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. We need to become humble and innocent like children to enter the kingdom.

Humility is a large part of following Christ