Be Humble or Be Humbled
First John 2:16 states that the vices of the world reside in one or a combination of three things: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. I believe that all sin finds root in one or a combination of these three things. I find myself daily struggling with all three of these vices and believe there have been moments where each one has had a stronger grip on me than the others. The pride of life is the vice that can be subtle in its consumption of the heart. Pride seeks to preserve the individual; this preservation can even appear as though it is for the betterment and aid of others. But thanks to our God for providing a foil for each of these vices: for the lust of the flesh there is self-control and marriage, for the lust of the eyes there is contentment, and for the pride of life there is humility.
Humility is defined as being brought low and absent of pride and arrogance (Webster). Humility is a vital quality to receive the crown of life. Its bears the ability to overcome the pride of life by bringing one low--very low, in fact. Humility is a horrible tasting medicine and a dish served cold on this Earth, but its nourishment and healing properties can extinguish the pride of any who will partake.
Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1-18; 2 Chronicles 33:1-20)
Manasseh is the son of King Hezekiah, arguably the most righteous king since King David. But he does not follow in his father’s footsteps; he reverses the reforms of Hezekiah (2 Kings 21:3) and returns the people to a state of unrighteousness. His unrighteous acts include: Rebuilding the high places; erecting altars for Baal; creating new Asherah; building idolatrous altars in the temple; burning his children as sacrifices; practicing witchcraft, fortune-telling, sorcery, and necromancy.
The Lord attempts to draw Manasseh and the people back to Him. Still, they disregard the Lord’s call for repentance (2 Chronicles 33:10). The Lord then uses the Assyrians to punish Manasseh and the nation of Judah. Historically, the Assyrians rank high in their cruelty to conquered peoples. Second Chronicles 33:11 describes Manasseh being led by hooks and chains. These hooks seemed to have gone through one’s nose, lip, or both, and were attached to a rope to pull the captive along the way. The tribulation the Lord brought seems appropriate; a king with riches, territory, and power is reduced to a humiliated slave. God brought Manasseh low; in this abyss Manasseh makes a change (2 Chronicles 33:12).
Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:28-37)
Nebuchadnezzar had known and acknowledged the Most High God (see Daniel 3:28-4:3). But over time, Nebuchadnezzar’s prosperity nurtured his pride. The king stated: “Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?’” (Daniel 4:30). The Lord addressed Nebuchadnezzar’s proclamation saying, “King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the beasts of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes” (Daniel 4:31-32). To teach Nebuchadnezzar humility, God stripped him of his humanity. The only thing Nebuchadnezzar retained was survival. I have shuddered at this passage of scripture because Nebuchadnezzar lost everything that separated us from the animals in Genesis 2-3. The power he had gained as the king of Babylon was completely eradicated, and the poor and enslaved of his kingdom had more authority than he did during this period. After seven years, Nebuchadnezzar looks up to the heavens and praises the Most High. He acknowledged God’s dominion, kingdom, authority, and the manifestation of His will (Daniel 4:34-35). God is even gracious enough to return him to his position as king of Babylon. God brought Nebuchadnezzar low; he took him to a depth that I don’t know if I can fully comprehend. As with Manasseh, it is another method that is perfect for the individual. The once powerful king is stripped of his kingdom, honor, glory, power, dignity and, most of all, humanity in order to acknowledge and honor the Most High. That is a testament to how vital it is to recognize what God has done for us and what God will do to us.
Consider these lessons on humility from Manasseh and Nebuchadnezzar:
1. God CANNOT resist the humble--When we submit ourselves to God in prayer, if we come humbly, the Lord hears. The Lord desires to listen to the prayers of a humble man; it is something He cannot resist.
2. Humility is worth adversity to every degree--God used very jarring and extreme methods to bring humility among these men and others in the scriptures. If humility is obtained through adversity, then it is worth it. Perhaps certain adversity we endure is God’s attempt to bring us back to Him and remind us of His sovereignty.
3. “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). God’s grace is sometimes incomprehensible if we truly reflect on what we have done against Him and what He has done for us. We are never too low for God to not raise up the humble.
