Pride and Humility
Pride and Humility
Numbers 16-20
“Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (20:12).
We naturally blame God for our problems but take credit for our successes. Of all the sins that grip the heart, there is none more insidious and abhorrent to God than pride. The book of Proverbs warns repeated that pride brings destruction but with humility comes honor (see Prov. 3:34; 11:2; 16:18; 18:12; 29:23). In his classic book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis warns of the dangers of pride, “Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through pride that Lucifer became wicked: Pride leads to every other vice; It is the complete anti-God state of mind.” He states, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people, and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” Pride not only elevates ourselves above others, it leads to disregarding God. Pride is when we believe that we control our destiny and do not need God.
In Numbers 16-20, we see the dangers of pride on full display. It can creep into the most humble person and devastate our life. In Numbers 16-20, we see three occasions where pride creeps into the hearts of people and the consequences it brings. First, we see the pride of Korah, Dothan, and Abriram. As Levites, they were given the unique privilege of serving God in the temple. But this was not enough. Pride is never satisfied; it always wants more glory, honor, and recognition. As a result, they tried to usurp Moses and Aaron’s leadership. Pride is never satisfied; it always desires more. But their sin was not against Moses and Aaron; it was against God. In the end, they wanted to usurp God’s authority. The results were ruinous as God brought swift and dramatic judgment upon them.
The second occasion of pride was found in the whole assembly of people. Pride always believes it deserves more and blames others and even God for our problems. After the decisive judgment of God upon Korah, instead of humbling themselves before God, the people blamed Moses and Aaron. But it was more than just a rejection of the leadership of Moses and Aaron; it was a rejection of God’s leadership.
The third example of pride comes in the most unlikely people and reminds us that pride can creep into the hearts of even the most godly. Pride is a sin that is always lurking in the closet, ready to spring forth with the slightest opportunity. In Numbers 12:3, we read a profound statement of God’s assessment of Moses, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” Throughout his life, Moses continually focused on the needs of the people and their welfare. When God threatened to judge them and make Moses into a great nation, instead of seizing the opportunity to make a name for himself, he pleaded that God would forgive the people (Exodus 32:10). However, even for the humble, pride is always a threat. In chapter 20:8-13 we find the people again grumbling against Moses and Aaron. Instead of mourning the death of Miriam and supporting Moses in this time of loss, the people started to complain again because they had no water. In response, God commands Moses to speak to the rock for water to come forth. However, instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock with his rod. This singular act of disobedience led to the discipline of God. The sin was not Moses’ failure to follow God’s instruction; it was the sin of pride. In verse 10, Moses takes credit for the miracle by stating, “Shall we bring for water.” In verse 12, God goes to the heart of the sin. Instead of honoring God, Moses sought to honor himself. Pride is not just elevating ourselves above others; it is disregarding God and looking to self rather than God for the answer to life.
We live in a culture that celebrates pride. Pride is the one sin that seeks to usurp God. It was the sin of the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sought to gain a position equal to God. With pride, we no longer see God and trust in His care for us. We would instead elevate ourselves and take the credit for our success. Pride is when we believe we can determine right and wrong rather than submit to God’s Word. Humility is submitting to God and recognizing that every success comes from Him. Pride is the one sin that we see in others but never in ourselves. Pride is when we start to live independently of God, rejecting our need for God and trusting in ourselves rather than Him. Pride is the one sin that blinds us to our need for God. It deceives us into thinking we do not need God or His instructions. Pride robs God of His glory by taking glory for ourselves. Are you living your life without any consideration of God? Are you elevating yourself by living by your plans rather than God’s? Humility starts with recognizing our need for God and surrendering to His will. Start each day by asking God to direct your day, and then thank Him at the end of the day for all He has done.
Numbers 16-20
“Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them” (20:12).
We naturally blame God for our problems but take credit for our successes. Of all the sins that grip the heart, there is none more insidious and abhorrent to God than pride. The book of Proverbs warns repeated that pride brings destruction but with humility comes honor (see Prov. 3:34; 11:2; 16:18; 18:12; 29:23). In his classic book, Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis warns of the dangers of pride, “Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through pride that Lucifer became wicked: Pride leads to every other vice; It is the complete anti-God state of mind.” He states, “A proud man is always looking down on things and people, and of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” Pride not only elevates ourselves above others, it leads to disregarding God. Pride is when we believe that we control our destiny and do not need God.
In Numbers 16-20, we see the dangers of pride on full display. It can creep into the most humble person and devastate our life. In Numbers 16-20, we see three occasions where pride creeps into the hearts of people and the consequences it brings. First, we see the pride of Korah, Dothan, and Abriram. As Levites, they were given the unique privilege of serving God in the temple. But this was not enough. Pride is never satisfied; it always wants more glory, honor, and recognition. As a result, they tried to usurp Moses and Aaron’s leadership. Pride is never satisfied; it always desires more. But their sin was not against Moses and Aaron; it was against God. In the end, they wanted to usurp God’s authority. The results were ruinous as God brought swift and dramatic judgment upon them.
The second occasion of pride was found in the whole assembly of people. Pride always believes it deserves more and blames others and even God for our problems. After the decisive judgment of God upon Korah, instead of humbling themselves before God, the people blamed Moses and Aaron. But it was more than just a rejection of the leadership of Moses and Aaron; it was a rejection of God’s leadership.
The third example of pride comes in the most unlikely people and reminds us that pride can creep into the hearts of even the most godly. Pride is a sin that is always lurking in the closet, ready to spring forth with the slightest opportunity. In Numbers 12:3, we read a profound statement of God’s assessment of Moses, “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than any man who was on the face of the earth.” Throughout his life, Moses continually focused on the needs of the people and their welfare. When God threatened to judge them and make Moses into a great nation, instead of seizing the opportunity to make a name for himself, he pleaded that God would forgive the people (Exodus 32:10). However, even for the humble, pride is always a threat. In chapter 20:8-13 we find the people again grumbling against Moses and Aaron. Instead of mourning the death of Miriam and supporting Moses in this time of loss, the people started to complain again because they had no water. In response, God commands Moses to speak to the rock for water to come forth. However, instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock with his rod. This singular act of disobedience led to the discipline of God. The sin was not Moses’ failure to follow God’s instruction; it was the sin of pride. In verse 10, Moses takes credit for the miracle by stating, “Shall we bring for water.” In verse 12, God goes to the heart of the sin. Instead of honoring God, Moses sought to honor himself. Pride is not just elevating ourselves above others; it is disregarding God and looking to self rather than God for the answer to life.
We live in a culture that celebrates pride. Pride is the one sin that seeks to usurp God. It was the sin of the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve sought to gain a position equal to God. With pride, we no longer see God and trust in His care for us. We would instead elevate ourselves and take the credit for our success. Pride is when we believe we can determine right and wrong rather than submit to God’s Word. Humility is submitting to God and recognizing that every success comes from Him. Pride is the one sin that we see in others but never in ourselves. Pride is when we start to live independently of God, rejecting our need for God and trusting in ourselves rather than Him. Pride is the one sin that blinds us to our need for God. It deceives us into thinking we do not need God or His instructions. Pride robs God of His glory by taking glory for ourselves. Are you living your life without any consideration of God? Are you elevating yourself by living by your plans rather than God’s? Humility starts with recognizing our need for God and surrendering to His will. Start each day by asking God to direct your day, and then thank Him at the end of the day for all He has done.
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