PRIDE

¹⁸Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. (NASB)

The word "pride" translates the Hebrew term gaon (gay-on) and when used with reference to man it implies arrogant insensitivity to others, matched with overwhelming self-confidence.

The term "haughty" translates the Hebrew term gobahh (go-bah), and when used negatively it describes the lofty sense of self-importance identified with pride.

· A young woman went to her pastor and said, "Pastor, I have a besetting sin, and I want your help. I come to church on Sunday and can't help thinking I'm the prettiest girl in the congregation. I know I ought not think that, but I can't help it. I want you to help me with it." The pastor replied, "Mary, don't worry about it. In your case it's not a sin. It's just a horrible mistake." [Citation: Haddon Robinson, "Good Guys, Bad Guys, and Us Guys," Preaching Today, Tape No. 80]

The proud man reckons himself to be a cut above other people and looks down on those he considers to be below himself. The proud man thanks God that he is not like other men who are not as good as he. (See Luke 18:11-12.) Because of his great talents, wealth, power or lofty achievements he has an inflated sense of self-worth and importance, and expects others to think as highly of him as he thinks of himself.

The term "destruction" translates the Hebrew term "sheber" (sheh-ber), which means to shatter, crush or break something so completely that it is destroyed.

The term "stumbling" or "fall" translates the Hebrew kishshalon (kish-shaw-lone), and here it is used figuratively to refer to certain ruin and failure that awaits the prideful.

PERSONAL PARAPHRASE
An overly inflated sense of self-worth and self-confidence that expresses itself in independence and arrogant insensitivity to others will be shattered and crushed and is on a collision course with ruin and failure.

It would be easy to talk about the religious pride of the Pharisees or the racial pride of Haman, but most of us would be able to say amen without making any application to ourselves. For this reason, I'd like to bring the message a little closer to home by examining the life of a godly king. His story is found in Second Chronicles 26 and his name is Uzziah, meaning the strength of the Lord. According to the text Uzziah became king at the age of 16 and reigned for 52 years.

TEXTUAL OVERVIEW

1.                   He was successful in his war against the Philistines (v.6)
                        i.      He broke down the wall of Gath (a wine press), the city of Goliath and one of five principle cities of the Philistines.
                        ii.    He broke down the wall of Jabneh (will be built; later named Jabneel, God will build), a town marking northwestern boundary of tribal territory of Judah in                  land of Philistines (Josh. 15:11)
                        iii.      He broke down the wall of Ashdod (a fortified place, a strong place; only used in a bad sense to oppress). Like Gath, it was one of the five principle                  cities of the Philistines. It had been inhabited by the Anakim and was home to the temple of the Philistine god, Dagon.
2.                   He was successful in war against the Arabians, the descendants of Ishmael, an apt type of the flesh. These Arabians lived in Gur-baal, the mountain or              dwelling place of Baal.
3.                   He was successful in his war against the Meunites, an Arabian tribe that came against Judah during the reign of Jehoshaphat (873-849 B.C.). (See 2 Chronicles 20:1.) [Source: Holman's Bible Dictionary, Quickverse, Parsons.]
4.                   The Ammonites gave tribute to him. The Ammonites were the descendants of Ammon (the son of my people), a son of Lot by his youngest daughter (Gen. 19:38).
5.                   He had an army ready for battle
                          i.      It was well ordered (11)
                        ii.      It was well trained (12-13)
                        iii.      It was well armed (14-15)
6.                   His became famous for his successful military exploits (v.8).

1.                   He built towers in Jerusalem and fortified them
                                                                          i.      At the Corner Gate
                                                                        ii.      At the Valley Gate
                                                                      iii.      At the corner buttress
2.                   He built towers in the wilderness
3.                   He hewed out many cisterns
                                                                          i.      In the lowlands
                                                                        ii.      In the plain

C.      IN BUSINESS (10)
1.                   He had much livestock
2.                   He had plowmen
3.                   He had vinedressers
                                                                          i.      In the hill country
                                                                        ii.      In the fertile fields

III. HIS PRIDE (16-19a)

A.                 IT'S SOURCE – "But when he became strong, his heart was so lifted up that he acted corruptly, and he was unfaithful to the Lord his God" (16). He saw himself as qualified to overstep the boundary established by God and do what was forbidden (Numbers 16:39-40).
B.                 IT'S ACTION
1.                   "He entered the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense" (16).
2.                   He did not heed the warning of the Azariah the priest, but was enraged and continued to do what was not lawful for him to do (17-19a). (See Numbers 16:39-40.)

IV. HIS PUNISHMENT (19-23)

A.                 HE WAS SMITTEN WITH LEPROSY (19-20)
B.                 HE WAS A LEPER ALL THE DAYS OF HIS LIFE (21)
C.                 HE WAS PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING THE HOUSE OF THE LORD (21)
D.                 HIS SON JOTHAM JUDGED ISRAEL IN HIS PLACE (22)
E.                  HE WAS BURIED "NEAR" HIS FATHERS, BUT NOT WITH THEM (23)

THE LESSONS

1. Pride destroyed what the Philistines could not resist. (Ecclesiastes 10:1) Uzziah wasn't destroyed by a Philistine army or brought to ruin by rebels. He wasn't dethroned because he denied God and turned to Baal. Uzziah was brought down by his own pride.

2. Pride fails to recognize the source of its achievements and blessings. Verse 15 reveals, "…his fame spread afar, for he was marvelously helped until he was strong."

            a.            He was helped by all the people of Judah (1).
            b.            He was helped by his godly mother, Jecoliah (3).
            c.            He was helped by Zechariah's godly counsel (5).
            d.            He was helped by God (7).
            e.            He was helped by Jeiel, Maaseiah and Hananiah (11).
            f.            He was helped by 2,600 valiant warriors (12).
            g.            He was helped by an elite army of 307,500 who could wage war with great power.
            h.            He was helped by skillful men (15).

He was a legend in his own mind. He thought that he had single-handedly won the battles against the Philistines, the Ammorites and the Arabs. In madness inflicted by pride Uzziah forgot the help he had received. In his pride he failed to recognize how much he need God and others. (See 1Cor 12.)

3.         Pride fails to recognize its need for God. Scripture tells us "when he became strong, his heart was lifted up". We say, "I'm not proud!" but it is our prideful independence that keeps us from prayer, the reading of scripture and fellowship with the people of God. If we had a right sense of our need for God, the same sense of need we experience when we have a medical, marital or financial crisis, then Point Assembly would be experiencing revival.
4.         Pride brings a quick end to great blessings. It's amazing that one attitude can be so lethal that it destroys 58 years of excellence.
5.         Pride has to assert itself.
6.         Pride is unteachable.

God's Answer

The royal feast was done; the King
Sought some new sport to banish care,
And to his jester cried: "Sir Fool,
Kneel now, and make for us a prayer!"

The jester doffed his cap and bells,
And stood the mocking court before;
They could not see the bitter smile
Behind the painted grin he wore.

He bowed his head, and bent his knee
Upon the monarch's silken stool;
His pleading voice arose: "O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!

" 'Tis not by guilt the onward sweep
Of truth and right, O Lord, we stay;
'Tis by our follies that so long
We hold the earth from heaven away.

"These clumsy feet, still in the mire,
Go crushing blossoms without end;
These hard, well-meaning hands we thrust
Among the heart-strings of a friend.

"The ill-timed truth we might have kept--
Who knows how sharp it pierced and stung?
The word we had not sense to say-
Who knows how grandly it had rung?

"Our faults no tenderness should ask,
The chastening stripes must cleanse them all;
But for our blunders--oh, in shame
Before the eyes of heaven we fall.

"Earth bears no balsam for mistakes;
Men crown the knave, and scourge the tool
That did his will; but Thou, O Lord,
Be merciful to me, a fool!"

The room was hushed; in silence rose
The King, and sought his gardens cool,
And walked apart, and murmured low,
"Be merciful to me, a fool!"