Pride Goes Before A Fall!
We have all heard this saying
before, pride goes before a fall; Proverbs 16:18, “Before destruction comes
pride and before a fall a haughty spirit!” Everybody basically understands what
this means, but have you thought about what, GOD, Who is the One saying this in
the Scriptures means?
Let’s look at a couple of
Scriptural examples:
Cain, the first born son of Adam
and Eve, he was so proud of his offering to GOD that because GOD rejected his
offering but accepted his brother, Able’s that he killed Able. So GOD marked
him so that everyone who saw him knew that GOD rejected him for his crime, he
was an outcast the rest of his life Genesis 4:1-16.
The account of Balaam and Balak; Balaam
was a prophet of JEHOVAH who lived by the land of Moab, the king of Moab, Balak
called on Balaam to curse the people of Israel because he feared them. Balaam
started out good, he told Balak that he could only speak what JEHOVAH told him
to speak, he could not curse Israel even though Balak offered him riches 3
times. Each time Balaam sought JEHOVAH but answered Balak exactly what JEHOVAH
told him to. But Balaam kept calling on JEHOVAH on Balak’s behalf, even though
JEHOVAH told him He would not curse Israel. GOD even sent an angel to kill Balaam
at one point. Balaam gave 2 Scriptures that are quoted still today. “GOD is not
a man that He should lie, neither a son of man that He should repent, has He not
said and will He not do it? Or has He spoken and will He not make it Good?”
Numbers 23:19; and a prophesy of David/JESUS, 24:14-25. (Numbers 22-24, 31:8; Jude
3; Revelation 2:14)
The account of Nebuchadnezzar as a
wild beast. First GOD called him to conquer all the nations around Israel and
Israel (Jeremiah 25). Then he rose up in pride and GOD humbled his as a beast
of the field for 7 years; then JEHOVAH restored Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom to him
because he saw JEHOVAH as the only True GOD. Think of this: JEHOVAH called
Nebuchadnezzar as a servant to punish Israel and the nations around her; then
JEHOVAH Judged Nebuchadnezzar for his pride, yet he saw Nebuchadnezzar’s heart
and restored him with his kingdom intact, Daniel 4.
What do Belshazzar and a rich man
in Judia have in common? Both were vain and both received JEHOVAH’s Judgment in
one day!
Daniel 5 tells of Belshazzar’s night
of celebrating his gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone by
drinking wine for JEHOVAH’s holy vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had
taken form the Temple in Jerusalem. JEHOVAH GOD wrote by hand His Judgment on
the wall of the hall where Belshazzar was celebrating with his leaders and friends
and none of his wise men or false religious priests could interpret it. His
mother reminded him of his father’s head wise man, Daniel who came and called
out Belshazzar’s vanity and interpreted the message form GOD of His Judgment
against Belshazzar and his rule. Belshazzar honored Daniel, but that very night
he assassinated and the Meads took over his kingdom.
In Luke 12:16-21 JESUS tells a
parable of a rich man who had a great harvest and did not know what to do with
it. (in Luke 12:13-15 JESUS taught about not being greedy.) The man instead of being generous decided to
keep what he already had plus his new great harvest for himself. That night GOD
came to him and called him into Judgment, then JEHOVAH said to the man, “Fool! This
night your soul will be required of you, then whose will those things be which you
have provided?” Then JESUS warned the people, “So is he who lays up
treasure for himself and is not rich toward GOD!” (Matthew 6:19-23)
So Cain, Balaam, Nebuchadneazzar, Belshazzar
and the rich man were proud; the fruit of pride is vanity and selfishness.
Andrew Murray calls pride the root of all sin!
So as a Christian we have to be
careful about pride! Cain knew JEHOVAH and brought Him an offering of his
pride; Balaam was a prophet of JEHOVAH who GOD spoke to, but he desired riches;
Nebuchadneazzar was raised up by GOD to conquer many nations as JEHOVAH’s
Judgment against them, even after seeing JEHOVAH’s Greatness through the Hebrew
people in his government he gave credit to his greatness to himself; Belshazzar
inherited his father’s kingdom but had done nothing to earn it. His vanity was
his judgment and death and the rich man was a Hebrew who knew the Torah and the
Prophets, yet he was vain and greedy. (James 1:12-16)
Seek GOD and His Kingdom!
