Willful Pride, Haughty Look

When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. For he says: ‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom.'” (Isaiah 10:12–13, NIV 1984).

“My Musings – Whether it be a nation (like Assyria), a king (like Nebuchadnezzar), or an ordinary person, “willful pride,” and a “haughty” demeanor are sure signs of an impending fall. “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18, NIV 1984). We should never take credit for the things that God causes “by the strength of [His] hand…and by [His wisdom].” Kings and kingdoms rise and fall by His hand and for His purposes. People that He raises up, He can also bring down.

My Advice – “By the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” (Romans 12:3, NIV 1984). We should retain whatever humility we had before God raises us up. Sometimes, the fall is temporary (like David, because he repented) and sometimes it is permanent (like Saul, because he did not repent). But either way, it is better to never have needed to be taken down in the first place.

Author: thebrewisamusing

I was raised in a Christian family and my earliest childhood memories include regular Sunday school and Church attendance as a family. I was taught that our Judeo-Christian values were not just a part of our Sunday routine they should be part of our character and influence all aspects of our lives. I was also taught that as important as these values were they could not save us. We must also be “born again” by accepting Christ. View all posts by thebrewisamusing