Pride Won't Heed

It's no secret that pride is a serious sin in the eyes of God.  In Proverbs 6:17 the first abomination of seven listed is a "proud look" and Proverbs 21:4 includes a "proud heart" as well.  It was being lifted up with pride that led to the condemnation and downfall of Satan (1 Tim. 3:6).  Pride is the first listed of the sins of Sodom, and these only begin to scratch the surface of how abominable pride is and how devastating the far-reaching consequences of it.  Whether it announces itself with haughty boasting or is subtle through silent censure and judgment, it is a deadly vice to be renounced and repented of.

This morning I read a passage in scripture that provided insight into a symptom of pride that can go unnoticed.  In Jeremiah 42, Johanan and Jezaniah came to Jeremiah with a seemingly humble request for him to pray for them and all the people.  They begged for God to direct them in what to do and promised to obey all God said.  Jeremiah 42:5-6 reads, "So they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do according to everything which the LORD your God sends us by you. ⁶ Whether it is pleasing or displeasing, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send you, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."  Their words showed commitment to humbly submit to God and do whatever He said.  Johanan and Jezaniah asked the LORD to be a true and faithful witness, even putting themselves under an oath to keep their word.

The problem was, all their words turned out to be bold-faced lies.  After 10 days Jeremiah held forth the word of the LORD and specifically prohibited them from going to Egypt in the hope they would be safe there.  God told them to remain in their land and serve the king of Babylon.  Jeremiah 43:1-4 says, "Now it happened, when Jeremiah had stopped speaking to all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, all these words, ² that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.' ³ But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon." ⁴ So Johanan the son of Kareah, all the captains of the forces, and all the people would not obey the voice of the LORD, to remain in the land of Judah."  Notice verse 2 exposes the pride of those men who came to Jeremiah under the guise of humility and faith in God.  Those proud men would not heed the word of the LORD, accused Jeremiah of lying to them and thus would not obey.

Pride is revealed not only by what we say and how we say it but if we are willing to listen and obey God.  This passage shows how pride causes men to deny the truth of God's word and puts the deceptions of fearful and ungodly men in their place.  These men masked their pride at the beginning, but eventually the hypocrisy God already knew was displayed to all by their refusal to heed God's word.  It is a good question to ask ourselves:  am I willing to hear God's word and submit to Him?  This will involve taking steps of faith in obedience to Him, perhaps doing what is unthinkable and even repulsive to our flesh--like the children of Israel serving king Nebuchadnezzar!  The proud men of Israel spoke much and refused to heed the word of the LORD, and it is possible Christians can fall into this same snare.  Many talk a good game, but will we listen and submit to God faithfully?  Our response to God's word will supply the answer.