What other scriptures warn against pride and its consequences? Root Text: Pride Called Sin Proverbs 21:4 — “Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin.” Rapid-Fire Warnings in Proverbs • Proverbs 16:18 — “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” • Proverbs 11:2 — “When pride comes, disgrace follows, but with humility comes wisdom.” • Proverbs 29:23 — “A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor.” • Proverbs 8:13 — “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.” • Proverbs 15:25 — “The LORD tears down the house of the proud, but He protects the boundary stone of the widow.” • Proverbs 26:12 — “Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” Psalms and Prophets Echo the Danger • Psalm 101:5 — “Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret I will put to silence; the one with haughty eyes and a proud heart I will not endure.” • Psalm 18:27 — “For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.” • Psalm 10:4 — “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no room for God.” • Isaiah 2:11-12 — “The proud look of man will be humbled and the loftiness of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day. For the Day of the LORD of Hosts will come against all the proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it will be humbled.” • Isaiah 13:11 — “I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their iniquity. I will end the haughtiness of the arrogant and lay low the pride of the ruthless.” • Obadiah 1:3-4 — “The pride of your heart has deceived you, O dwellers in the clefts of the rocks… Though you soar like the eagle… even from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD.” • Jeremiah 13:15 — “Listen and give ear. Do not be proud, for the LORD has spoken.” • Ezekiel 28:17 — “Your heart grew proud of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. So I threw you to the earth; I made you a spectacle before kings.” Historical Snapshots: Pride Humbled • 2 Chronicles 26:16 — “But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall. He trespassed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” • 2 Chronicles 32:25 — “But Hezekiah did not repay the LORD according to the favor shown him, for his heart was proud; therefore the wrath of the LORD was upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem.” • Daniel 4:37 — “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and glorify the King of heaven… And He is able to humble those who walk in pride.” New Testament Clarity and Comfort • James 4:6 — “But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.’” • 1 Peter 5:5 — “All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.’” • Luke 18:14 — “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” • 1 John 2:16 — “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not from the Father but from the world.” • Romans 12:3 — “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of yourself with sober judgment, according to the measure of faith God has given you.” Consequences Laid Bare • Sin before God (Proverbs 21:4). • Disgrace and downfall (Proverbs 16:18; 11:2). • Loss of honor and security (Proverbs 29:23; 15:25). • Divine opposition and wrath (James 4:6; 2 Chronicles 32:25). • Eventual humiliation, now or in the Day of the LORD (Isaiah 2:11-12; Luke 18:14). Living the Lesson Scripture speaks with one voice: pride is no small flaw—it is sin that invites God’s active resistance and ultimately leads to ruin. Humility, by contrast, opens the door to wisdom, honor, protection, and grace. Choosing lowliness before God and people is the sure path to His favor and lasting peace. |
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