RESOURCES — SHORT ARTICLES

 

SHORT ARTICLES BY TOM ELSEROAD
	2020-12-17	What Does It Mean That Pride Goes Before A Fall? (Pr.16:18)
		Pro 16:18  Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall. “Pride goes before a fall” This is such a common phrase, however there is no English Bible translation that uses this exact phrase. The idea is the same, but the wording is different. The Bible uses “destruction” in lieu of “fall”. The New Testament equivalent is, “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1Co.10:12). Many proverbs warn of the sin of pride (Pr.18:12; 22:4; 29:23). Pride leads to one's downfall. So pride is a forerunner of men's ruin, because it provokes both God and men. While pride leads us on an ill-fated course, the opposite of pride, humility, leads to honor (Mt.20:16). The foundation of pride proves to be precarious. He that over-values himself will under-value others, and he that under-values others will oppress them. No proud man is satisfied with being simply his own admirer. Pride, as used in Proverbs, refers to an arrogant attitude that shows itself as independent from God. Such arrogance is hazardous to our well-being in life because it keeps us from fearing the Lord. In contrast, Humility involves the fear of the Lord (Pr.22:4). To fear the Lord avoids the pride that goes before a fall. And the fear of the Lord is to respect God in every area of life. When we fear the Lord, we acknowledge our desperate need for God because He is infinitely wiser than we are (Pr.3:7). Proverbs uses terms like destruction, fall, disaster, and ruin to mean punishment or discipline meted out on the proud to humble their waywardness. Scripture's warnings is to put the proud sinner back on a path that leads to honor and life. Pro 11:2  When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom. Pro 29:23  A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor. Pride is number one on God's “hate list” (Pr.6:16-19). Pride is the thing that brought down Satan (Ek.28:17; Is.14:13-15). Proud people take little account of their weaknesses. They think they are above the frailties of common people. In this state of mind, they are easily tripped up. Humility and fear of the Lord establish us securely on God’s path, where our feet won’t stumble, neither will we fall (Pr.3:26; Ps.17:5). Pastor Tom Elseroad

 

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