Pride Cometh Before a Gallows

PRIDE COMETH BEFORE A GALLOWS

Text Esther 5:9-7:10

I. PRIDE AND THE IMAGE OF GOD

A. Every one of us was created in God’s image. We were created for the purpose of glory and honor (Gen.1:26-27; Psalm 8:5).

1. All of creation declares God’s glory (Psalm 19:1).

2. Different creatures display glory (Proverbs 30:29-32).

3. When Satan tempted Eve, he appealed to her sense of glory and offered Eve and her husband a glory that rose above their status as creatures. Adam and Eve were already “like God” but Satan tempted them to rise to the level of gods by determining for themselves what was good and evil (Genesis 3:1-6).

B. Pride says, “I want to be my own god.” Pride says, “I won’t submit to my Creator.”

“They that know God will be humble and they that know themselves cannot be proud.” (John Flavel)

C. We are all made in the image of God but pride is not satisfied with being equal to others. Pride wants to lord/god it over others who are made in the image of God.

1. Our God given differences are for the purpose of love (1 Corinthians 12-14).

2. Pride uses our God given talents for self-loving reasons.

D. Pride is so deeply rooted in the very core of our being that in many ways we just take it for granted as a normal part of our life.

1. Some of the most proud and arrogant people can be the most religious.

“When the devil cannot stray us from a good work, then he laboureth by all means to make us proud of it” (Henry Smith).

a. Many religious people think they will get to heaven based upon their good works.

b. A works salvation makes God your debtor (Romans 2:23; 3:27; Phil.3:4-6) and gives the person something to boast in other than God’s grace and gift of salvation.

2. We can be proud of our knowledge (1 Cor.8:1; cf. Proverbs 11:2; Romans 12:16).

3. We can become proud about our religious experiences (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

4. Negativism is a manifestation of pride (James 3:13-4:7).

5. Depression is sometimes rooted in pride and self-pity (1 Kings 19:4,10).

6. Jealousy and resentment are a form of pride because they “Weep with those who rejoice and rejoice with those who weep.” (Romans 12:15)

7. We naturally defend the honor of those whom we love, and pride always defends its honor. Pride is never penitent.

“The poor yield to the rich, the common people to the upper ten, the servants to their masters, the ignorant to the scholars; but there is nobody who does not imagine that he is really better than the others. Everyone flatters himself and carries a kingdom in his breast”.

-John Calvin (The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life p.30)

II. THE GOD OF LOVE AND GLORY HATES PRIDE AND STANDS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD (Psalm 76:12; 138:6; Prov.3:34; 6:16-17; 8:13; 15:25; Dan.5:22,23; Matthew 13:12; Mark 7:22; James 4:6; 1 Pet.5:5)

A. The God of all glory and honor is opposed to the proud and in His providence is bringing the wicked to the Day of Judgment (Proverbs 16:4-5).

B. Haman is the epitome of pride and God’s judgment (Proverbs 21:24; see Pharaoh: Ex 7:8–11:10; 14:3–9 t Goliath: 1 Sa 17:1–11 t Naaman: 2 Ki 5:11–14 t King Jehoash: 2 Ki 14:9–10 t king of Assyria: Is 10:12–14 t “star of the morning”: Is 14:12–14 t Judah and Jerusalem: Je 13:9 t Nebuchadnezzar: Da 4:28–34 t Belshazzar: Da 5:22–23 t king of the North: Da 11:36–39 t the scribes and the Pharisees: Mt 23:2, 6–7 t Herod Agrippa I: Ac 12:21–23 t the man of lawlessness: 2 Th 2:3–4).

1. Haman the Agagite not only wanted people to bow to his office, but to his person. He took great personal offense when Mordecai would not bow before him. It was beneath Haman’s dignity to kill a single Jew and therefore he sought for all the Jews to be destroyed, killed and annihilated (Esther 3:1-6).

2. Haman was “glad and pleased of heart” when he was invited to Esther’s banquet (Esther 5:9).

3. Haman was happy to recount to his friends and wife “the glory of his riches, and the number of his sons, and every instance where the king had magnified him and how he had promoted him above the princes and servants of the king” (Esther 5:11).

4. None of Haman’s attainments satisfied him because Mordecai was still alive (Esther 5:13).

5. “What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?” (Esther 6:6-9)

C. Haman’s downfall was precipitated by his pride.

1. Pride comes before a fall (Psalm 7:15-16; Proverbs 11:5; 16:18; 24:16; 26:27; Ecc.10:8; cf. 1 Peter 5:6).

a. the lot “fell” before Haman” (Esther 3:7).

b. “do not fall short in anything of all that you have said.” (Esther 6:10).

“Man falls according as God’s providence ordains, but he falls by his own fault.” (John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.23.8)

c. “If Mordecai, before whom you have begun to fall , is of Jewish origin, you will not overcome him, but will surely fall before him.”

d. “Haman was falling on the couch where Esther was.” (Esther 7:8)

2. The good news of the Gospel is that Jesus took upon Himself the judgment that was due for our pride and sinful rebellion by being hanged from the cross.

QUESTIONS FOR SABBATH DISCUSSION & MEDITATION

Are you honoring Jesus Christ, the One Whom the Father has exalted to the highest place and given the Name that is above every other Name? If not, commit your life to Him in prayer asking God to enable you and give you the desire to be conformed to His Word as read and preached today.

How is pride related to the image of God in man?

How does pride violate the two great commandments: love for God and love for neighbor?

Why do some people excel more in certain areas than others? How are we to use our God-given talents and gifts?

What are some of the ways that pride has permeated the human race?

Why is pride never penitent?

Why are “religious” people often the most proud?

Why does the God of love and glory hate pride?

Why did Jesus have to die the humiliating death of crucifixion?