Humiliation of the Proud
Text: Ezekiel 31:1-18
“To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord God” (Ezekiel 31:18 ).
From a stanza of John Newton’s poem, “The Kite; or Pride must have a fall”, he narrates the kite’s dream of being cut from its string: ‘Were I but free, I’d take a flight, And pierce the clouds beyond, their sight, But, ah! Like a poor pris’ner bound, My string confines me near the ground.’ The kite finally managed to tug itself free, but instead of soaring higher in the sky, it crashed into the sea thus ending up with a disappointment of its lofty dream.
In this very beautiful chapter, the prophet describes to Pharaoh the fall of the king of Nineveh, using the metaphor of a fair cedar tree of Lebanon, once exceedingly tall, flourishing, majestic, and remarkable for its loftiness, but now cut down and withered, with its broken branches strewed around like worthless logs on the ground. He applied the lesson to the proud king of Egypt, telling him that this was a picture of his own approaching fate, a sad end to his pride.
Arrogance and pride have plagued mankind for as long as man has been on earth. When we think of ourselves as self-reliant, self-sufficient, and self-righteous, we are proud. What happens if someone thinks that they have all they need? They won’t search after what they really do need.
Many feel that the divine principles by which God holds him down are hindrances to his soaring high but may we learn early that it’s our willingness to be humble that God uses to lift us up (James 4:10). You need God in everything and for everything. Humble yourself and the Lord will raise you up. Raise yourself up and the Lord will humble you. Attribute what is accomplished in your life to Him and He will open more doors for you.
Thought for today: If you are wrapped up in yourself, you make a very small package.