Historically, pride involves rebellion against God and produces social injustice. People consumed by pride and arrogance abandon loyalty to God to engage in self-indulgence.
This was a factor in God’s judgment of His people in the 8th century B.C., just as it is true today.
Israel’s pride testifies against him;
Ephraim stumbles in his guilt;
Judah also stumbles with them. (Hosea 5.5)
When looking for an illustration of pride in American culture, my thoughts wander through various aspects of our society. Yet, God reminds me that the first source for such an illustration should be my own life, not others.
Let’s examine human pride in light of two Bible verses. James states that God resists the proud.
God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (James 4.6).
Other Bible passages describe pride as one of Satan’s key traits. Human pride manifests as a belief in self-sufficiency and the notion that we know better than God about living our lives.
It’s no surprise that God opposes the proud. What about the humble?
For thus says the high and lofty one
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
I dwell in the high and holy place
and also with those who are contrite and humble in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble
and to revive the heart of the contrite. (Isaiah 57.15)
The current buzz in Kansas City revolves around Travis Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, and Taylor Swift. They’re a hot topic in the news, and we can’t seem to talk about them enough.
Imagine if you had the chance to meet all three of them. Wouldn’t that be a source of pride? We can’t meet them, but we can be friends with the One who created them.
God declares He lives in a high and holy place. He, the Creator, offers friendship and companionship, not due to our pride, but because of our brokenness and humility. He is willing to come to us and lift us up.
Our best choice is humility, not pride.
Failed Religious Activity
Pride and religious activity can exist side-by-side.
With their flocks and herds they shall go
to seek the Lord,
but they will not find him;
he has withdrawn from them.
They have dealt faithlessly with the Lord,
for they have borne illegitimate children.
Now the new moon shall devour them along with their fields. (Hosea 5.6-7)
One of the dangers in modern Christianity lies in knowing the right words to say without letting them truly touch our hearts.
When we outwardly seek the Lord through acts like ancient Israel did in presenting flocks and herds, yet remain faithless in our relationship with Him, we enter dangerous territory.
The ultimate manifestation of pride is believing that we know better than God. This arrogance leads us to try manipulating God to fulfill our desires. It also drives us to exploit others to attain what we want.
Oppression, inequality, and dishonesty are among the consequences of such pride.
One of the most challenging forms of worship is fasting, which involves abstaining from food and sometimes water to appeal to God for a specific cause. Israel questioned God about why He wasn’t responding to their prayers combined with fasting.
In response, He revealed the kind of fast He desired.
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them
and not to hide yourself from your own kin? (Isaiah 58.6-7)
One of our good friends at Maywood Baptist used a slogan: “Don’t talk about it, be about it.”
I believe God would speak the same message to His people, both in Hosea’s time and in our present day. Instead of merely talking about our faith in God, let’s actively live it out as described in Isaiah 58.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I produce videos each day on Hosea. Today’s article does not match today’s video but instead matches the one I put up yesterday. Sorry for the mistake.
Real Voices 