“Oh God be merciful to me … a sinner!”

HUMBLE AND PROUD OF IT

The title of this article may sound funny to you. It certainly did sound that way to me when I first heard someone say it. But upon further reflection, and through a study of the Biblical words for Pride and Humility, I realized that there is not only room for pride, 'boasting' if you will, but indeed, a necessity for it. The problem is, that most of us do not require any encouragement when it comes to bragging, and we usually brag about the wrong things! The danger begins when we hold the object of our boast to be anything other than God and His provision. I add provision, because it is quite appropriate to boast of that which we have from His hand, as long as we do it in humility! Having said all that, I will now proceed to emphasize what the Scriptures emphasize; humility, and let any boast you may have come from the Lord. Our Lord Jesus in the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican dynamically shows the contrast between pride in self and reliance upon God. Let us look at Luke 18:4-19

And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank  thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner." I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth  himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Several interesting points for you to consider at your leisure or personal study 

First, the underlined word "trusted" in this portion is significant. It is in the perfect tense, and indicates a history of egotistical trust in traditional values. Long before the Incarnation of our Lord, God was displeased with His people because of this tendency to put their trust and their boast in the wrong things. In Jeremiah 7:1-4 we find the problem explained in clear words:

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, Stand in the gate of the Lord's house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.

They failed to understand what God was looking for in a righteous people. He tells them in Jeremiah 7:5-7 immediately following:

For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 

And this exact error is specifically targeted by Jesus in Mark 7:6-10

He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

Second  The words "Despised others" in our English text represents a Greek word that literally means “to count others as nothing”. That is one of the natural results of false pride.  

Third I think you would benefit much by studying in some detail the words 'be merciful' in verse 13. It is a single word in Greek, carrying the meaning 'propitiation' and ‘atonement’ and is so translated elsewhere. Jesus uses it to show that this tax collector recognized fully that what the Pharisee said about him was true, and that only God, in His mercy realized through the work of Christ could possible render help for his soul.

Fourth I want you to concentrate upon the second half of verse 14, where the Lord makes reference to what can only be described as a universal principle of life, established in God Himself, and repeatedly hammered home in the Scriptures: I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Whenever we are searching the Word for material in a given area, like pride, we must be careful that we do not 'stack the deck', so to speak, and see our subject in every verse. And perhaps, I am seeing more than I should in Job 40:6-14 (See end notes below). But if indeed I am not mistaken, then the principle of bringing down the proud is a characteristic action of God, and one that He will be faithful to accomplish. When in these verses, God has had about enough of Job's speech about how God should do His job (job, Not Job), God says in effect, 'if you do not like the way I do things, you try it!' Well no doubt this sent shivers up righteous Job's spine! He knows that he is nothing without God, but he has opened his big mouth once too often. God presses the issue by offering a challenge. “Job! Prepare for action, dress for work, get ready to flex your muscles and clear your throat to act the part of God! Deck yourself with majesty and Excellency, glory and beauty.”

Please notice what God chooses for Job to accomplish if he would prove that he could be like God. He chooses the problem of the proud! Of all the things God is uniquely qualified to do as God, He centers on how He handles the proud! Yes, of course Job was displaying a certain amount of pride, and of course God is teaching as well as scolding here. Nevertheless, it is of great import that God tells Job that if he (Job) can abase the proud, that is bring them low, and put the wicked in their place, then God Himself would confess that Job may be able to save himself. Of course we are supposed to know that Job cannot meet the challenge.

Even if this were the only place in Scripture that this aspect of God's dealing with men was presented, we would still be obligated to take note of it But perhaps the urgency factor will rise dramatically if you work your way through the Old and New Testaments with Pride and Humility in mind. I have given you a few references below starting with Proverbs 3:34.

I conclude that most of us are a mixture of pride and humility, depending upon our strengths and weaknesses. I would also guess that most of us would confess that we could use a larger portion of humility and shed some excess pride.

Let me end with the old Fable of “The Frog and the Ducks”

Once upon a time there was a frog that desired to go south. He convinced two ducks to take a stick between them, in their mouth, and fly with the frog hanging in the middle by his teeth. All went well until the frog heard someone on the ground marvel at the intellect of the one who came up with such a marvelous idea, and loudly questioned who this could be. The frog was unable to resist the boast, and so on the way down to a smashing end, he was heard to say “IT WAS MEEEEEEEEEEE !  !”

Hayden Kent

Notes:

Job 40:7-14 Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said, Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me. Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous? Hast thou an arm like God? or canst thou thunder with a voice like him? Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty. Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him. Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place. Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret. Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

Proverbs 3:34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly.  

Proverbs 11:2 When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.

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

Proverbs 29:23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Ezekiel  21:26   Thus saith the Lord GOD; Remove the diadem, and take off the crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high.

Daniel 4:37  Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

Obadiah 1:4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.

Matthew 18:4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 23:12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

Luke 14:11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

James 4:6-10  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

I Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: