In Proverbs 6:16 we have an outline of those characteristics that the Lord hates. There are no prizes to see what tops the list. There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes. John Chrysostom called pride the mother of hell. Thomas Watson a 17th century pastor once said; “remove humility from an angel and you have the devil.”
PRIDE (2 Chronicles 26)
Uzziah is a tragic figure because he really was one of the better kings of Judah. In vrs 1 we are told that he came to the throne at the age of 16 and he reigned for 52 years. For most of his reign he was a blessing to his people. He rebuilt the port city of Elath which meant that he could launch his fleets to trade with the world. He subdued all of Judah’s enemies, enlarged his territory, equipped his army, built suitable defences for Jerusalem, got the agricultural sector of his country booming. Judah flourished under him. Vrs 15, 16 summarises Uzziah’s life in a nutshell; His fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride led to his downfall.
- HOW IS PRIDE IDENTIFIED
There are a number of ways in which pride identifies itself. Firstly, a proud person has an overinflated view of his own importance. In Acts 12:22, 23 we read of the time Herod delivered an address from his throne. The crowds shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. In Proverbs 27:21 Solomon said, the crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested by the praise he receives. Secondly, a proud person has an overinflated view of his own accomplishments. In Daniel 4:30, Nebuchadnezzar said; is this not the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty? In Proverbs 27:2 we read; let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips. It is easy to attribute earthly success to your own ingenuity and brilliance. Perhaps this is what Uzziah did. He started excellently but vrs 15 ends by saying; his fame spread far and wide, for he was greatly helped until he became powerful. Then he got ensnared in the satanic tentacles of pride. Perhaps like Nebuchadnezzar after him his pride caused him to take all the credit for Judah’s prosperity. A third mark of a proud person is found in vrs 16b; he was unfaithful to the Lord his God, and entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense. A proud person resists authority and becomes a law unto themselves. Only the priests were allowed by God’s law to enter the temple and burn incense. In Uzziah’s early years you can be sure that he would never have dreamed to enter the temple. But pride when it takes root in a person’s life will eventually manifest itself in a complete disregard for rules and regulations. Have you ever stopped to consider that if you have a problem with submission you may well have a problem with pride? A fourth mark of pride which manifested itself in Uzziah’s life is how he responded to criticism. As soon as Azariah the priest saw Uzziah in the temple burning incense he was accompanied by eighty other courageous priests and rebuked the king. In vrs 18 they admonished Uzziah; “It is not right for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord. That is for the priests, the descendants of Aaron, who have been consecrated to burn incense. Leave the sanctuary, for you have been unfaithful; and you will not be honored by the Lord God.” If Uzziah was a humble man he would have received the rebuke and beat a hasty retreat out of the temple. Unfortunately, according to vrs 19, Uzziah did exactly the opposite. If only Uzziah had read what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 13:10; Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. - WHERE DOES PRIDE LEAD?
The Lord responded to Uzziah’s pride by striking him with leprosy. That got his attention and he rushed out of the temple as fast as his legs could carry him. In vrs 21 we are given a rather sad end to what was a promising reign; King Uzziah had leprosy until the day he died. He lived in a separate house – leprous, and excluded from the temple of the Lord. Jotham his son had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. If only Uzziah had spent quality time reading his great, great, great grandfather’s wisdom. He would have seen numerous warnings of the danger of pride. Look at Proverbs 15:25; the Lord tears down the proud man’s house but he keeps the widow’s boundaries intact. Proverbs 16:5; the Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure they will not go unpunished. A few verses later in Proverbs 16:18 pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Lastly, we see in Proverbs 29:23; a man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honour. If only Uzziah had heeded these words. His pride led him to remain excluded from the temple. - HOW IS PRIDE CURED?
The first remedy for pride is praise. A worshipping person sees all good gifts as mercies from God and not as their own accomplishments. A worshipping person knows Psalm 115:1 not to us, O Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. The second cure for pride is to cultivate its polar opposite which is humility. Simply put. If pride is defined by its middle letter I, humility is best defined by its second letter – u. In Proverbs 29:23 we are reminded that a man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honour. The third cure for pride is found in the cross of Jesus Christ. In Galatians 6:14 the apostle Paul said, may I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me. It is at the foot of the cross that we are constantly reminded that our salvation and eternal destiny has absolutely nothing to do with us but everything to do with Christ who removed the disgrace of our sin before a holy God.