Proverbs 6:16-17; Psalm 18:27; Proverbs 18:12; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Psalm 62:9-12; Psalm 131; 1 Peter 5:5-7.
This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on August 15, 2021.
Today, we will look at the first thing that is hated by God, arrogant eyes. Arrogance is usually obvious to us when we see it in others. However, there are times when it becomes infectious, or endemic, to a group of people, a nation, or even a whole world.
When the Titanic set out on her maiden voyage back in 1912, the world touted it as unsinkable. Of course, they would not think they were being arrogant because they felt that they were just following the science. The Titanic never finished that voyage and still lies at the bottom of the Atlantic to this day. An iceberg flow that they were warned about became their date with destiny, a place where pride runs into reality and is cast down.
Since Proverbs 6 only lists the things that God hates, we will be looking at a number of other passages, but let’s start in Proverbs 6.
The NKJV describes this first thing as “a proud look.” Other versions use the word “haughty,” or “arrogant.” The word that is being translated is a verb that would literally mean “exalting,” or “rising up.” Secondly, it is literally talking about our eyes. God hates exalting eyes, or eyes that are rising up. It is understandable that the English translation has chosen understanding over being literal. Of course, to have arrogant, or haughty eyes, one first has a pride problem that is going on inside their heart. Before we get too deep into talking about pride and arrogance, there is one more aspect of this list of hated things that we should recognize.
The list involves parts of the body that are used in our sin. It begins with the eyes and works down the body to the feet for the first five. Things six and seven then point to things that actively extend from us towards others. This will make more sense when we get there, but it involves the things we speak and the things we sow among others.
We could just treat this as a device to enable memorizing, or simply an artistic flourish of the writer, but we must not overlook the truth that God hates it when we use the body that He has given us for sinful things. Our pride doesn’t stay in the heart. If it is not humbled by us, then it will worm its way to the surface, and it will show itself on our face, and in our countenance.
Let’s look at some other passages on this issue.
“For You will save the humble people, but will bring down haughty looks.” Psalm 18:27
“Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.” Proverbs 18:12
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18
In these verses, the arrogance of the proud is brought down and destroyed in contrast to the salvation and honor of those who are humble. Of course, many proud people seem to avoid destruction in this life, and the humble often seem to know nothing, but it. It is not always evident in life that God hates pride and will judge it.
Yet, if you were to look into the life of a proud person in the way that God can see, you would see countless ways that God has been rebuking their pride. Like warning signs on a road, or messages about icebergs ahead, they double down on their pride and cruise on past it. Proverbs pictures pride as an essential element to the destruction of anyone. You can be poor and have nothing, and yet, still be proud. Ultimately, all of us will face God one day after our death. Remember, He hates arrogant eyes. Many proud and pompous people will stand before God after their death. It will not go well for them in that day. You do not want to go into eternity as a person who rejected the rebukes of God concerning their pride.
Now, let’s look at 2 Timothy 3:1-5. Here, we are warned that pride and arrogance will be prevalent in the last days. Most of these phrases either list an aspect of pride, or something that is dripping with it: Lovers of themselves, boasters, proud, blasphemers, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, headstrong, haughty. Wow, what a list!
These are the battlegrounds of our hearts today. They are also part of what makes these last days so perilous and difficult. We are a generation that loves to talk of love, but in our heart and actions, there is all manner of pride and arrogance against one another. It is too little to say that God is not pleased. Can we hear the Scripture warning us that God hates these things, and that our judgment is even now piling up, higher and higher? It will reach heaven one day, and God will say, “Enough!” He will send judgment upon this arrogant world, and many will be caught in the trap of destruction.
O friend, don’t be enamored and idolize the proud. Don’t work to be like them. Rather, choose to pick up your cross and become like the lowly Jesus, who is loved of God. Such a person may suffer peril on this earth, but they will receive the wonderful welcome of God, His salvation and Life Eternal!
If God hates pride, then we should take some time to focus on what He loves, humility.
The flip side of all of these hated things, is that there are things that God loves, and the flipside of pride is humility. Psalm 62:9-12 counsels us to put our trust in God and not in the things of this world. It reminds us that God has mercy in quantities and in quality that this world can never understand, or give.
We can spend our whole life trying “to be something,” to the detriment of our own soul. What do I mean? Our psalm makes it clear that God only saves the lowly. He does not save the proud; He brings them down in judgment. Yet, the lowly receive His mercy.
Psalm 62 tells us something that we either don’t know, or too easily forget. There is no difference between a person of low degree (as judged by this world) and a person of high degree (according to the world). It tells us that the lowly person is just a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow. When it says that the highborn are a lie, it is emphasizing that they are no different than the lowly person. They too are but a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow. So then, why be so proud over and against the lowly? Or worse, why try to be one of the high and mighty?
The truth is that every human being on earth is lowly, and it is the most logical thing for us to be humble. However, we use our minds and hearts to rationalize that we are better, smarter, more valuable than others. Remember that God renders to each one according to his work. If you have spent your whole life in arrogant judgment against others, rejecting God’s rebukes all along the way, then prepare for such from God when you get there. He only saves the lowly.
Psalm 131 is a short psalm that I like to think of as the prayer of humility. The humble person recognizes that there are things in life that are too great and difficult for us to solve, or figure out. In such cases, we are faced with a choice. Will I let arrogance and pride push me further into things that I am ill-equipped to face without God? Or, will I remain humble and trust that God will help me through it even though I don’t understand it all?
The picture of trust in this passage is that of a weaned child. The weaned child has grown up enough that it has learned to depend upon the mother’s care. The weaned child is no longer dependent upon the mother as it once was. As an infant, it screamed and cried until she nursed it, but now it has learned that it doesn’t have to scream and cry in order to get food. Mom has been faithful in looking out for it. The weaned child is still a child. It cannot face life alone, but it doesn’t have to, and it knows it. Such a child can face a big world, and big problems, with a calm and quieted soul, peace. Peace like a gently flowing river can flood our souls when we learn to put our hope and trust in God. I would say that this is a great prayer to pray each day, as we wake up to face the day. Even better is to do what it says; trust Him!
Our last passage will be 1 Peter 5:5-7. If you want the grace of God, then humble yourself in the sight of God, and the people around you. Peter explains that part of the grace of God for the lowly is that He has a proper time of exaltation for them. Of course, for us, the best time for exaltation is now!
We all have some measure of exaltation in this life, even if it is just maturing into an adult with abilities that no infant can have. However, the true “proper time” of our exaltation is after we have shed these mortal bodies at the Resurrection. Our mortal, and sinful flesh, is really bad at handling exaltation, which is proven every day. As it is said, “Power corrupts, and absolute power absolutely corrupts.” Can I live this life trusting God knows the amount of exaltation that I can handle without losing my soul? And, can I trust that He holds in reserve for me an exaltation that I cannot begin to fathom?
Let me close by warning us of the trap of the proud. Not all exaltation is duly deserved, and it is always a test of our character and choices. When you are exalted in any way, you must work even harder to remain humble. I am reminded of the warning that James gives to those who want to be teachers. You will have a stricter judgment. So, let us hear the warning to those who desire exaltation. You will have a harder time wrestling with pride, and thus facing a tougher judgment. Of course, someone has to lead, but let them not rejoice in that day. The proud think that they are being exalted because that is their proper place (over the lesser others), but in truth, they are being exalted, like Pharaoh of old, so that God can make an example out of them. The higher they rise the greater the fall.
The end times will fall with a great crash as Jesus returns. God help us to be a people who are feeding upon the humility and lowliness of Jesus, instead of the arrogance and pride of the spirit of this world.