Proverbs 16:5

All right, so Proverbs 16, verse five says, everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord. Be assured, he will not go unpunished. Now, we've talked before about the fact that a proverb is typically a generally true maxim that applies situationally. So we need to be careful about universalizing them. But I think some really can be universalized, and I think this is one of them. This proverb is saying that everyone, that is everyone without exception, who is arrogant in heart, that is proud, haughty, conceited, full of oneself, Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord. It's not saying that some proud people are an abomination to the Lord, or proud people are generally an abomination to the Lord. It's saying that because of who God is, everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination in God's sight. Now, that word abomination is very strong. Elsewhere in the Old Testament, it's often used of idolatry. A Bible dictionary defined it as something that's morally disgusting or detestable. Some translations say, everyone who is arrogant in heart is detestable to the Lord. Or even, the Lord detests, that is, strongly hates everyone who is arrogant in heart. I mean, this is strong language. The person with a proud heart is morally disgusting and hateful in the sight of God. And because of this, the verse continues, we can be assured that he will not go unpunished. The justice of God will find him out. That phrase, be assured, it literally means hand to hand. So this is kind of like a confirmatory handshake. You can be sure that this person will not go unpunished. It's not just saying that God will generally cause things to work out poorly for proud people. I mean, it is saying that God will see to it that they will not go unpunished in the end. I mean, this is ultimately talking about eternal ruin. As we saw last week, the Lord has made all for its purpose. Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom. And here I think it's saying that the proud in heart are among those for whom the day of doom awaits. So this is an intense proverb. It is telling us a very weighty truth. And what I'd like to do in our time together is hone in on three specific questions. And the first is this, what does it mean to be proud in heart? What does that really say? Now we have 10 minutes and there is so much that we could get into to try to unpack that biblically. But what I want to do in the interest of time is just share A few examples where I think scripture illustrates this. And so the first example I want to remind you of is the example of King Uzziah. So he was a king that becomes king at age 16 and he reigned 52 years in Jerusalem. And it says, he set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God. And as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper. The nation grew strong and wealthy in his days. He had a long reign. In many ways, he was a good king. But then 2 Chronicles chapter 26 verse 16 says, but on account of his strength, his heart grew proud unto his destruction. That's the opening line. On account of his strength, his heart grew proud unto his destruction. And then it goes on to explain that he had taken it upon himself to enter the temple and burn incense on the altar of incense. And then it says, but Azariah the priest went in after him with 80 priests of the Lord with him. And they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, it is not for you Uzziah to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron. And they said, go out of the sanctuary for you have done wrong and it will bring you no honor from the Lord your God. And then Uzziah became angry. And he had a censer in his hand to burn incense, and when he became angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead. And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests rushed him out quickly, and he himself hurried to go out because the Lord had struck him. And King Uzziah was a leper to the day of his death, and being a leper, lived in a separate house, for he was excluded. from the house of the Lord. Second example, think of King Saul. I mean, we're especially, that's on our minds because Keith has been preaching through First Samuel and there's many examples of his pride in heart. Think especially of that time when he presumed to offer a sacrifice instead of waiting for Samuel. Remember how Samuel shows up and says, what have you done? And Saul gives one of his lame excuses, and then Samuel responds, you have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, for then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. A man who doesn't have a proud heart like Saul, but a man who is humble. with an obedient heart. And Samuel says, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. Or final example, remember Deuteronomy chapter eight and listen to how Moses warns Israel. He says, take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up. and you forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Moses continues, beware lest you say in your heart, my power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth. You shall remember the Lord your God for it is he who gives you power to get wealth, that he may confirm his covenant that he swore to your fathers as it is this day, And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish. Now, as I said, there's much more to be said about being proud in heart. But what I want you to see from those examples is that pride in heart always has to do with presumption. Like Uzziah and like Saul, it has to do with setting aside God's commands based on what we want or we think instead. And ultimately, as Deuteronomy chapter eight emphasizes, this always comes back to forgetting God, exchanging him for idols, and even lifting ourselves up as if we were God instead. That's really what being proud in heart is all about. And that leads us to the second question, which is this, why then are the proud in heart an abomination to God? Why are they an abomination of God? Well, it's because pride and being proud in heart is a complete denial of God. To be proud in heart is to deny the fact that God is our maker and absolutely everything that we have is a gift from Him. He deserves all the thanksgiving and all the glory. To be proud in heart is to deny the fact that God is our sustainer and we can do absolutely nothing apart from Him. We can't even exercise the gifts God has given us apart from Him. We can't even breathe without the strength God provides. To be proud and hard is a denial of the fact that God is the Lord of glory who rightfully deserves our reverence and careful obedience. To be proud is to be presumptuous, to conveniently overlook what God says when it doesn't fit our agenda or our opinion. And this is an outright denial of the fact that He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and we are to bow to and worship Him. Pride is also a denial of God's wisdom, because the very presumption and disobedience that comes with it flow from a heart that thinks it knows better than God does. Pride is the denial of God's love, because the proud in heart refuses to trust God, refuses to believe that He is really for us, and that He commands what He does for our good. And finally, pride is a denial of God's justice, because the proud in heart tells himself that He will never be found out. that he will never be brought low. He deceives himself into thinking that his proud deeds will get himself ahead when all the while he's really mocking the very justice of God that will hold him accountable. So friends, why is pride such an abomination to God? Why would Proverbs 16.5 say that everyone proud in heart is hateful in God's sight? Well, it's because God loves himself. And God is zealous to defend his own honor and glory. And that's the very thing that the proud in heart oppose and deny. So we've seen what it means to be proud in heart and why it's an abomination to God. And that leads us to our third and final question, which is this. If the proud in heart will assuredly be punished, is there any hope for us? I hope that everything we've said so far has stirred your heart to see something more of the ugliness of pride and hate it, and the goodness of God for opposing it, but also hope it's convicted you. And I hope it's stirred up some holy fear, because which of us doesn't struggle with pride? I mean, whose heart is pure in this regard? So friends, is there any hope? I mean, will we all assuredly be punished? Well, friends, there is hope. And ultimately, it's only because Jesus came to be punished for us. Our only hope is because Jesus came to proclaim a kingdom, a kingdom of perfect righteousness, but also a kingdom of abundant grace, a kingdom into which he didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners. And Jesus died on the cross for every kind of sin, including pride. So even proud men like Naaman the Syrian, like Saul of Tarsus or Impetuous Peter can receive grace. But friends, even as we affirm that, we also need to remember that scripture makes very clear that no one can receive this grace or enter this kingdom without humility. First Peter 5.5 says, God resists the proud. but gives grace to the humble. In Matthew chapter 18 verse one, Jesus' disciples ask him, so who's the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus says, truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. For whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And then also in John chapter five verse 44, Jesus says to the Jews, how can you believe when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God. You who are so proud in heart as to seek the glory of men instead of the glory that comes from God, how can you believe? I mean, what he's saying is pride of heart and saving faith are not compatible. And so in other words, there's only one way to enter the kingdom of heaven. It's not by accomplishing some high and mighty feat. It's not by earning God's favor. It's by humbling yourself before God, by coming as a beggar in need of his grace, confessing your pride, confessing all your other sin and humbling yourself to the dust saying, Jesus, I need your forgiveness. I need your grace to change me, to rescue me from my sin. And friends, there's only one way to grow as a Christian in Christ's kingdom. It's not by doing all you can to sort of foist yourself up above others. It's by humbling yourself to serve them in reverence for Christ. The greatness in the kingdom comes when we lower ourselves, when we are a slave of all, for the glory of God. And friends, finally, there's only one way to be near to God. You know, in Isaiah chapter 57, verse 15, it says, for thus says the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, whose name is holy. I dwell in the high and holy place and with him who has a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. Picture that, God dwells in two places, the high and holy place, and the heart of the humble. We can't be near to God if we're proud in heart. But as we humble ourselves, then the Lord of glory himself comes to dwell in our hearts, in and through the person of Jesus Christ. And so brothers and sisters, Let us be people who humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. Let's be people who confess our pride. Don't try to hide it, but confess it and seek God's forgiveness for it. Let's be people who strive to grow in Christ by repenting of the sin of presumption and being instead of people who tremble at his word and are careful to do exactly what it says. Let's strive to grow in humility by not forgetting God, but constantly remembering who he is, all that he's given us, all that he's done for us, and how utterly dependent we are on him. Let's be a people who are honest about our weaknesses and failures. You know, people who strive to accept correction with humility. rather than arguing back in anger and self-defensiveness. And let's be a people who consider the needs of others more important than our own. Loving them with humility, like Christ who did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but humbled himself to save us. And finally, let's be a people who are continuously humbled by the fact that in spite of all our pride, which is so abominable to God, yet he has loved us. Even from before the foundation of the world and in Christ, he has chosen to bear our punishment so that we would not have to. Amen. Let's pray. Oh Father, we are ashamed of our pride. And we see how opposed to you pride really is. But we are overwhelmed by your love. The way that you in humility, Jesus came and took our place. We pray that you would help us to follow you, to humble ourselves for your glory, to love one another and to serve you to be carefully obedient to your word. Oh God, please strengthen us. We ask this for our good and for your glory. In Jesus name, amen.