O my Soul,
Are you still not enjoying being brushed aside and disregarded? Consider this.
Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honour.
― Proverbs 18:12
In the original Hebrew the second simply says, humility before honour. How interesting. Humility before honour. We’ll come to that.
But firstly, before destruction a man’s heart is haughty. Haughty is somewhat of an old-fashioned word. What would be a more modern rendition? Conceited. Arrogant. Superior. Full of oneself. Prideful.
This then is about the greatest sin of them all: pride. And so the first part of this proverbial couplet is simply pride comes before a fall.
The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
― Psalm 31:23
What exactly did you suppose this repayment to comprise? Did you think it would be less than destruction? Did you think the fall would be anything other than divine judgment? Had you perhaps underestimated the severity of the sin of pride?
“Scoffer” is the name of the arrogant, haughty man who acts with arrogant pride.
― Proverbs 21:24
Do not suppose that it is a small thing to carry the name of scoffer, nor something easily excused.
Whoever plans to do evil will be called a schemer. The devising of folly is sin, and the scoffer is an abomination to mankind.
― Proverbs 24:8-9
An abomination to mankind no less!
For the LORD of hosts has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up⸺and it shall be brought low;
And the haughtiness of man shall be humbled, and the lofty pride of men shall be brought low, and the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.
― Isaiah 2:12, 17
This pride challenges the Lord himself. Do you wonder then that he will not tolerate it? For it displaces the Lord from his throne. It deceives and it defiles.
And [Jesus] said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
― Mark 7:20-23
What a shocking list, and pride is right there in the thick of it. But what else did Jesus say?
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
― Matthew 5:5
So let’s return to our proverb in the context of inheriting the earth.
Humility before honour.
― Proverbs 18:12b
The word for honour is kâbôd, although this is a word mostly not translated honour. Mostly not.
The fear of the LORD is instruction in wisdom, and humility comes before honour.
― Proverbs 15:33
The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honour and life.
― Proverbs 22:4
One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain honour.
― Proverbs 29:23
Job uses the same word in speaking of what he has received from the Lord.
He has stripped from me my glory and taken the crown from my head.
― Job 19:9
As does the psalmist.
But you, O LORD, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.
― Psalm 3:3
Marvel at this word kâbôd. For far more than honour is it translated glory.
And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favour in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.”
The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” And Moses quickly bowed his head toward the earth and worshipped.
― Exodus 33:17-18, 34:5-8
Marvel at the glory of the Lord and marvel further that this same word kâbôd is used for it!
Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle! Lift up your heads, O gates! And lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, he is the King of glory!
― Psalm 24:7-10
In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”
― Isaiah 6:1-3
The Lord will not tolerate the pride that challenges his own exaltation, his own glory, and yet he bestows honour and glory upon the meek and humble⸺glory carried in the same word as his very own!
This bestowing of honour is seen so clearly in the echo of the psalmist.
The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth? He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap, to make them sit with princes, with the princes of his people. He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD!
― Psalm 113:4-9
Here is kâbôd which is the glory of the Lord. And the echo is in Hannah’s prayer⸺Hannah, that barren woman whose womb was opened by the Lord, making her the joyous mother of Samuel, the Lord’s prophet.
And Hannah prayed and said,
“The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honour. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and on them he has set the world.”
― 1 Samuel 2:1a, 7-8
Make no mistake. The pillars of the earth are indeed the Lord’s. He alone is Creator God, and evermore to be praised. And he alone lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honour!
O my soul, be content to live in humility and the fear of the Lord, praising the one who alone is worthy, and know that he alone rewards with honour and glory! 🙏