Humility & Pride
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
INDEX:
INTRODUCTION:
I have written this page as a place to collect my thoughts and Scripture references concerning the topics of pride and humility.
Against whom do we evaluate ourselves? Pride usually chooses to evaluate the self against those considered inferior. It must do this so as not to lose its sense of worth. To preserve itself, it will search until it finds a flaw.
If it chooses to evaluate the self against a superior, its own quality diminishes because the result of the evaluation changes markedly. In such a case, pride will often drive the person to compete against—and attempt to defeat—the superior one to preserve his status.
In today's world, certainly in modern American culture, the word humilty has been denigrated and is commonly seen as inferior to the word pride. Modern man sees pride as a necessity or, at the very least, a vital part of ones sanity.
The words of YHWH seem to say exactly the opposite.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
7Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.(KJV)
Do not look down on other people.
7But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.(KJV)
According to Jeremiah 19:7 the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.
14For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his banished be not expelled from him. (KJV)
YHWH does not respect any person but HE does provide us a means to get back to HIS salvation.
29Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days: but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.(KJV)
Interesting. Since Ahab humbled himself, YHWH spared him his wrath!
'19Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.' (KJV)
Josiah was tender, meek, and humble towards YHWH even after he heard what YHWH was planning to do. Contrast that with the prideful, self-righteous indignation which seems to be the typical response by people when faced with this situation.
11The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
12For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: (KJV)
21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! (KJV)
33Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror: and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled. (KJV)
6We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so.
7Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl: for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.(KJV)
9The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.(KJV)
10For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.(KJV)
Wisdom and knowledge are NOT a safe guard against being perverted by pride.
15For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. (KJV)
YHWH dwells with those that are contrite and humble of spirit.
2For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (KJV)
YHWH will look upon the person that is poor, penitent, and who trembles at his word.
3Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whore's forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed.(KJV)
There is a penalty for not feeling regret and sorrow for one's sins or offenses.
6I hearkened and heard, but they spake not aright: no man repented him of his wickedness, saying, What have I done? every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.(KJV)
23Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.(KJV)
YHWH does NOT want us to glory in our wisdom, power, or riches but rather HE wants us to glory in HIM.
9Thus saith the LORD, After this manner will I mar the pride of Judah, and the great pride of Jerusalem.(KJV)
How YHWH is going to deal with human pride.
13Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the LORD hath spoken.(KJV)
29We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.
30I know his wrath, saith the LORD; but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.
31Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.(KJV)
16Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill: though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence, saith the LORD.(KJV)
37Now 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.(KJV)
AFTER YHWH had humbled him, Nebuchadnezzar came to realize who was REALLY the most powerful and deserved reverance.
"20But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:" (KJV)
YHWH will humble the proud.
1When Ephraim spake trembling, he exalted himself in Israel; but when he offended in Baal, he died.(KJV)
2Though they dig into hell, thence shall mine hand take them; though they climb up to heaven, thence will I bring them down:(KJV)
3The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the LORD.(KJV)
11The heads thereof judge for reward, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money: yet will they lean upon the LORD, and say, Is not the LORD among us? none evil can come upon us.(KJV)
3Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD's anger.(KJV)
If we are humble, we may be hidden from HIS wrath in the day of YHWH.
10This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the LORD of hosts.
11The LORD will be terrible unto them: for he will famish all the gods of the earth; and men shall worship him, every one from his place, even all the isles of the heathen.(KJV)
The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.(KJV)
11In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.(KJV)
A warning to the 'holier than thou' religious people.
13Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee?
14Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts?
15And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered.
16Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name.
17And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.(KJV)
The humble will be written in a book of remembrance and spared during the day of YHWH.
1"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch." (KJV)
The proud will be 'smoked' in the day of YHWH and lose their connection to the past and the future.
4The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.(KJV)
3The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things:(KJV)
9The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way. (KJV)
YHWH will teach HIS way to the meek.
18The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. (KJV)
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. (KJV)
20Lift up thyself, thou judge of the earth: render a reward to the proud. (KJV)
6Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly: but the proud he knoweth afar off. (KJV)
YHWH respects the humble but keeps the proud at a distance.
34Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. (KJV)
34 He certainly scoffs the scoffers, But gives favour to the humble." (The ISR Scriptures)
13"The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate." (KJV)
"The fear of YHWH is to hate evil. I have hated pride and arrogance, And the evil way, And the perverse mouth. (The ISR Scriptures)
2When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (KJV)
Interesting to note how the proud like to boast of their wisdom but Scripture says wisdom comes to the humble.
10"Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom." (KJV)
3"In the mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride: but the lips of the wise shall preserve them." (KJV)
25The LORD will destroy the house of the proud: but he will establish the border of the widow.(KJV)
5Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished. (KJV)
YHWH is disgusted by the proud in heart.
18Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. (KJV)
19Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. (KJV)
12Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, and before honour is humility. (KJV)
Honour comes to the humble and destruction to the proud.
4An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.(KJV)
2Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.
25He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
23A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.
29"When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person." (KJV)
11Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath: and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.
12Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.(KJV)
8Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.(KJV)
11But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
The greatest will be the servant.
20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
According to YAHSHUA, pride is one of the many things that defile a person.
11For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. (KJV)
10So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (KJV)
Humility, accepting my role as God's servant.
10Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
11The 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.
12I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
13And 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.
14I 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.(KJV)
Humility
16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.(KJV)
6But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
YHWH resists the proud and gives HIS grace to the humble.
10Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
16But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.
5Likewise, 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.
6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
17But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
18For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth.(KJV)
3Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
4Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
