The Abomination of Pride . . . Proverbs 16:5

Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. Proverbs 16:5

If you even wondered how God feels about pride, this should be enough to cure you of ever wanting to be "proud in heart."  Let's take a look at this thing called "pride" and see if we can avoid its pitfalls.

Pride here is the Hebrew word "gaboah" and it means a high, exalted, and proud demeanor.  This particular proverb speaks of how dangerous it is to be "proud in heart."  How dangerous is this particular heart condition?  God says He finds it an abomination to be in this condition.  It is not just dangerous - it is eternally deadly! 

Pride is having an exalted attitude of self - and a very pitiful mindset toward God.  This is the condition of fallen man.  Man is fallen - and he has falllen into this sin of pride.  At the core of this sin is the idea that we are able to handle things ourselves and that we do not need God.  It is an attitude of independence from God and dependence upon self.  When man chose to disobey God in the garden - he chose to live by the knowledge of good and evil rather than by the spiritual life that God would have provided by his grace and free gift.  Man decided he wanted to be like God by his own efforts.  He wanted to decide what was good and evil on his own.  He wanted to trust in himself - rely upon himself - live for himself - and make his own destiny.  Oh, one last thing - all these things he would be doing for himself - he would also be doing them for his own glory, honor, and praise.  Here is the crux of the human condition of arrogance and pride that is at the very core of sin. 

This pride began with Lucifer himself - who in Isaiah made the comment that He would raise his own throne above that of God and He would have the honor that he was created to give to God.  Oh, how this arrogance reeks before a holy God. 

What is interesting to most folks is that often they don't get this whole "pride" thing.  In fact - many - when they hear that God wants man to give Him the glory - accuse God of pride.  Here is where the greatest disconnect from the fall is manifest in the hearts of wicked men.  They are so blinded by their own arrogance that they don't see God for Who He is.  This is why God has to reveal Himself to us through the Scriptures - because we are utterly blind to Him in creation and in our own beings.  Scripture says that the heavens are declaring the glory of God.  Man . . . he invents a theory that says that we are a cosmic accident - a happenstance that just eventually had ridiculous levels of order and design.  So man denies the existance of God.  Scripture tells us that when we consider the human body we should come away with the thought that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Man . . . again decides that we are what the primordial slim just accidentally belched forth over billions and billions of years.  Man will negate God every way that he can - because man will not tolerate a God greater than Himself.  In the rare instances when he does - he wants that god to have all of his problems and idiosycracies.  At least that way he can continue to exalt himself in his fallenness. 

In the rare instances where we see a human being accosted by the glory and majesty of God - the human suddenly hits the deck - falling on his face.  He trembles and fears for his life.  Even godly men, when experiencing the power and glory of God - are so struck with awe and wonder - that they struggle to breathe.  Man faces the truth - there is One greater than himself - there is One to Whom he is accountable - there is One Who is responsible for his very existance - and - there is One who is grieved and angered by his unbending arrogance. 

That is why this proverb tells us in no certain terms that this arrogant, prideful heart is an abomination to God.  That the one who has such a heart will be punished for it.  We are told bluntly in proverbs 16:5, "Assuredly, he will not be unpunished!"  There it is for mankind - put as bluntly and as clearly as anyone can put it.  A prideful heart is a horrific condition - one that is dangerous and deadly - and one that reminds us that God has every reason to bring punishment upon man to the fullest measure.  Yet - the astounding reality shown to us in the Scriptures is that God, Who has every right to condemn us and punish us - chose instead to reveal His glory the brightest by having His own Son face the ultimate cost for our wickedness and pride.  His glory shines with full force in the grace He has made available through the crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection of His Son.  Truly - He is a God of inestimable mercies!