PRIDE –  WHAT  GOD  HATES

                                                                                                                                                                          By W. G. Guy

Proverbs 8:13 – The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, arrogance, and the evil way, and the forward mouth do I hate.

          Pride is: self-exaltation, conceit, arrogance, haughtiness, presumptuousness, and a lofty attitude.  Pride is basically selfishness.  Selfishness, (preferring self over others), is the opposite of love; this is why God despises pride.  Jesus said that the Great Commandment is LOVE – toward God first, then toward others.

          The following scriptures list what God’s Word has to say about pride; then following will be some scriptures telling the opposite of pride which is humility or humbleness:                                                                                                                                                                                                           
James 4:6 –  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 

1 Peter 5:5-6 – Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

            In the two verses above we see that God does not bless the proud and arrogant.  This is probably because they bless and exalt themselves: but God honors the humble and shows them His favor.

1 John 2:15-16 – Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 

          Man’s pride focuses on the things of this world and ignores the things of God and the blessings of His kingdom.

Psalm 10:4 – The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.

Proverbs 6:16-19 – These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood (abortion), an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among the brethren.

         Clearly we see that God despises those that manifest the character of pride with its selfish and self-absorbed wicked lusts.  

Proverbs 11:2 – When pride cometh (or manifests), then cometh shame (embarrassment from selfish behavior):  but with the lowly (humble) is wisdom.

Proverbs 13:10 – Only by pride cometh contention (two or more exalt themselves or their ideas over others): but with the well advised (those who accept instruction) is wisdom

Proverbs 29:23 – A man’s pride shall bring him low (the end result of his arrogance will show what he really is); but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Ezekiel 16:49 – Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

          The Lord rebukes Israel comparing it with the prideful selfishness of its neighbor, Sodom, and its surrounding communities.  This rebuke reminds us of what the Lord said about the self-absorbed Church of Laodicea.

Revelation 3:17 –  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:)

          Pride causes one to boast of his achievements and possessions.

Daniel 5:20 – But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

Daniel 4:37 – Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

          A similar thing happened to Herod due to his pride:

Acts 12:21-13 – And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.  And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.  And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

          God knows how to humble those who puff themselves up to draw the attention of multitudes; and God does this on occasion.

Hosea 7:10 – And the pride of Israel testifieth to his face; and they do not return to the Lord their God, nor seek Him for all this.

Zephaniah 2:10 – This shall they have for their pride, because they have reproached and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord of hosts.

        Pride and self-exaltation draws the arrogant away from dependence on God and acknowledging Him.     

Mark 7:21-23 –  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,  thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  all these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

        Following are some scriptures on God’s desire that we have HUMILITY, the counter of pride; these are in addition to some that were included in the verses listed above:

Micah 6:8 – He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Proverbs 16:19 – Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

 Isaiah 57:15 – For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity,  whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

          God’s grace, mercy and favor is with the meek and humble with whom He likes to fellowship; but the proud He rejects.

Matthew 18:4 –  Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 23:12 – And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

       The Word of God is very clear that pride is a self-afflicting trait that is in direct opposition to the Will of God.  Pride makes a person an enemy of God and His righteousness.  The key to removing pride is stated by Jesus:

Luke 9:23 – And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

          Jesus is the example of the character and nature that we are to learn and follow:

Matthew 11:29-30 – Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart (having a spirit of humility): and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

​Conclusion:  Pride is basically self-worship in defiance of the love of Almighty God.  Pride is a sin that separates a person from God.  Thus God hates pride and embraces the humble who are submissive to Him in true worship, loving admiration and appreciation.  However, God’s mercy is so great that He is able to forgive and embrace those who repent, reject their pride, putting their pride on the cross and dying to it, and humbly follow Him.