Month: January 2023

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PRIDE

Biblical definition of Pride:
1 John 2:16 For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.

Character Study:
Nebuchadnezzar – 2 Kings 24 – 25;  2 Chronicles 36:1-23; Jeremiah 21:1 – 52:34; Daniel 1 – 4
He was the son and successor of Nabopolassar, who delivered Babylon from its dependence on Assyria and laid Nineveh in ruins. Nebuchadnezzar married Amytis, the daughter of the king of the Medes. His son was Evil-Merodach and his grandson was Belshazzar. Daniel 4:37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything He does is right and all His ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to humble.

Nebuchadnezzar is known as:
The greatest king of Babylon
In Daniel 1:1-4 we see that in his first year as king, he surrounded Jerusalem, making Judah his vassal state. During his raid of Jerusalem, he took some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God and placed them in the treasure house of his god. He also took some of the wisest men and most beautiful women as captives, instructing Ashpenaz, his chief of staff to make sure the men – of which Daniel was one – were well-versed in every branch of learning, gifted with knowledge and good judgment. He was to train the young men in the language and literature of Babylon.
Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
Daniel 2:1-45 One night the king had a dream that his magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers could not lay out for him, because he refused to tell them the dream. God had allowed Nebuchadnezzar to have a series of dreams that could be revealed and understood only by a servant of God. Nebuchadnezzar was known for his temper and when his wise men could not lay out his dream, he ordered them to be executed. Daniel went to see the king, requesting more time to tell the king the meaning of the dream. Daniel went back and asked his friends to pray with him so that God would reveal the dream to him. From vv27-45 Daniel tells the king what he had dreamt and the meaning of it.
His pride
In Daniel 3:1-6 we read that Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue ninety feet (27.43 meters) tall and nine feet (2.74 meters)  wide setting it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. He gave instructions that at the sound of the musical instruments everyone must bow down and worship the king’s gold statue.
His punishment
In Daniel 4:1-33 Nebuchadnezzar had another dream which Daniel interpreted for him. This time the dream made it clear that he will be driven away from people; he would become insane and will live like a wild animal, eat grass like cattle and be drenched with dew from heaven. This would be for some time.
God gave him 12 months to repent, but unfortunately, there was no repentance in the heart of this proud king. This dream was fulfilled when God humiliated Nebuchadnezzar to show that God, not Nebuchadnezzar was Lord of the nations.
His acknowledgements of God
Daniel 2:47 He acknowledged that God revealed mysteries; 3:28, 29 He praised the God who rescued Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.4:34-37 After being humiliated he says in v34 At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honoured and glorified Him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; His kingdom endures from generation to generation.

What the Bible teaches about pride:
Old Testament:
In Deuteronomy 5-8 Moses summoned all the Israelites to come and hear all the decrees and laws God had given him – “The Ten Commandments.”  In Chapter 6 they are told to “Love the LORD their God” In Chapter 7 they are told to “Drive out all the nations” In Chapter 8 they must “Not forget the LORD” otherwise:
8:14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.
2 Chronicles 32:24-31 This passage tells of King Hezekiah’s pride and success. Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The LORD answered his prayer and gave him a miraculous sign. 2 Kings 20:8-11
2 Chronicles 32:25 Hezekiah showed pride when a Babylonian envoy visited him and he showed them all the treasures of his kingdom. In v31 we read that God left him to test him and in this way, God would know everything that was in his heart.
Proverbs 29:23 Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honour. (NLT) This is such a true proverb because we know that pride is the opposite of humility.
In Ecclesiastes 7:1-29 Solomon addresses the advantages of having wisdom for life. He says that patience is better than pride.
Isaiah 2:6-17 is a passage the LORD gave Isaiah as a warning of judgment and what would eventually happen to Jerusalem. In Revelation 21 we see the fulfilment of this prophecy in the New Jerusalem.
We can be sure that there will come a day of reckoning when the proud and mighty will be punished and only the Lord will be exalted on that Day of Judgment.

New Testament:
Luke 1:46-55.This passage is known as “The Magnificat – Mary’s Song of Praise. In v48b she says: “From now on all generations will call me blessed.” This was not a statement of pride. Instead, she was recognizing that God had given her a great gift. She continues that His mercy extends to those who fear Him.
In Romans 11:11-36 Paul addresses both the Jews and the Gentiles. In v13 he acknowledges that he was appointed as an apostle to the Gentiles. From vv16-24 he is speaking to the Gentiles, warning them not to feel superior to those Jews who have been rejected.
1 Peter 3:8-12 In these verses Peter addresses five characteristics that a believer should display:
– Everyone should agree;
– feeling for each other;
– be loving towards each other;
– pity your fellow believer;
– as we have seen previously the opposite of pride is humility – therefore be humble.
1 John 2:15-17 In this passage John tells us why we should not love the world and what it offers us!  When we love the world, we do not have the love of the Father in us. The world offers a craving for physical pleasure; a longing for everything we see; pride in our achievements and possessions. Those who do what pleases God will have eternal life.

Application:
The late New Testament scholar John Stott said, “Pride is more than the first of the seven deadly sins; it is itself the essence of all sin.”
It is a known fact that we all struggle with pride.
How can we prevent being proud? We can go to the Bible and see what is written: Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proud people do not acknowledge their weaknesses, and strangely enough, they usually do not realize that pride is their problem.
How can we recognize pride in our own life?
Being spiritually proud – Jesus constantly corrected the Pharisees for practising religion just to be seen by others. In Luke 18:9-14 Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. This passage is a good example with which we can compare ourselves regularly. Are we “Pharisees” or “Tax Collectors?”
Matthew 6 vv1and 5 In the Beatitudes Jesus warns us to be careful not to do our “acts of righteousness’ before men.
Give God all the glory for things he has done, is doing and will still be doing in your life.
Having an attitude of “I don’t care” is a form of pride. There is not a person alive that can say they are not hurt when criticized unnecessarily.
Do not be presumptuous before God – we need to be careful how we approach God, because He is Holy, Holy, Holy,  Lord God Almighty.  It is written in Psalm 2:11 Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. 
As a believer, there are times when we do not have the confidence to come before God because we feel our sins are too great. We think this is “humility” but in reality, this can also be a kind of pride. We forget that we have been saved by grace and not by ourselves.
There are many different kinds of pride: seek the Lord to help you recognize when you display “pride.”

Conclusion:
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Responding in prayer:
Read Psalm 25:1-22 Praying for humility will keep us from pride.
As believers, we need to continually be lifting our souls to God. We know that when our hope is in the Lord, we will not be put to shame. We can ask the Lord to show us His ways, teach us His paths, and guide us in His truth because our hope is in Him all day long.
Pride is so subtle that when we say “That was a job well done!” we should become alarmed.
We should confess our pride to the Lord. When we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. He will release us from the snare of pride.

Journal – Scripture/Prayers/Thoughts:

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CRITICISM

Biblical Definition of Criticism:
Romans 14:10 You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

Character Study:
Miriam – Exodus 1:22 – 2:4; Exodus15:20-21; Numbers 12:1-16;  Numbers 20:1; Deuteronomy 24:9; 1 Chronicles 6:3; Micah 6:4
She was the eldest daughter of Amram and Jochebed, and her brothers were Aaron and Moses.
In Exodus 1:22 – 2:4 we read that Pharaoh gave an order that every boy child born to the Hebrews was to be thrown into the Nile. Moses’ mother Jochebed made a papyrus basket, coated with tar and pitch. She placed Moses in it and placed him among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister Miriam stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
Numbers 12:1 Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. v2 “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this.

Miriam is known as:
Using her initiative
In Exodus 2:5-9 Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the baby amongst the reeds; Miriam asks her whether she could get one of the Hebrew women (her mother) to nurse him until he is a little older.
Prophetess
Exodus 15:20-21 After having been delivered – passing on dry ground through the Red Sea – Miriam led the women in song and dance
Assisted Moses to lead the people out of Egypt
She was also acknowledged as the leader of all the women who fled from Egypt with their families. She influenced the women – they would listen to her ideas and words such as when she led them in song and dance after crossing the Red Sea.
Micah 6:4 I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you also Aaron and Miriam.
Her criticism of Moses and the consequence thereof
In Numbers 12:1-16 We read that Miriam and Aaron criticised Moses because,
1. He had married a Cushite wife because Hebrews condemned marriage with any foreigner.
2. His authority over them, since he was the youngest of the three.
At once the LORD called the three of them to go out to the Tent of Meeting. The LORD summoned Miriam and Aaron to step forward and spoke to them Numbers 12:6-9. Because of His anger towards them, He left them. When Aaron turned towards Miriam, he saw that her skin was as white as snow – she had a defiling skin disease. Moses cried out to the LORD to heal her. The LORD replied that she had to be confined outside the camp for seven days.

What the Bible teaches about criticism:
Old Testament:
In Joshua 9:1-27 we read how the Gibeonites resorted to deception to save themselves after hearing what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai. When Joshua confronted them they replied that they had come from a distant land. When the Israelites examined their provisions they found that the bread was mouldy, the wineskins were split open and their clothes and sandals were worn out. Joshua made a peace treaty with them which guaranteed their safety.  The one thing the leaders did not do was inquire with the LORD about the treaty. After the deception is discovered the Israelites “criticized” the leaders, because of the treaty.
2 Samuel 6:20-23 After the Ark was brought back to the Temple in Jerusalem, we read that David went home to bless his own family. His wife Michal, the daughter of Saul went out to meet him, criticizing him for his behaviour. David retorted that he was dancing before the LORD and he was willing to humiliate himself in his own eyes, even before the servant girls Michal mentioned because they would think of him as being distinguished. Because of her criticism, Michal had no children to the day of her death.
Job 6 In Job’s second speech to Eliphaz in one of his questions he asks: v25 Honest words can be painful, but what do your criticisms amount to? (NLT)
Ezekiel 34:1-6 Ezekiel criticizes the shepherds/leaders of Israel for taking care of themselves rather than taking care of their people. He names some of the sins God are criticizing them for: They drink the milk, wear the wool, butcher the animals and let the people starve. They have not taken care of the weak, tended to the sick, bound up the injured or gone looking for those who have wandered away and are lost. Instead, they have ruled them with harshness and cruelty.

New Testament:
Matthew 11:20-24 Jesus had performed many miracles in the cities of Bethsaida, Korazin and Capernaum. Because of their unbelief, Jesus criticized them. These cities would suffer greater punishment, because of their unbelief. Jesus says that if He had performed miracles in Tyre, Sidon and Sodom, the people there, would have repented of their sins. These people would be better off on the Day of Judgment than those who had witnessed His miracles.
Romans 14:1-23 is a passage about “The danger of Criticism” –The believers in Rome were divided over special diets and special days. Paul was saying those who worship the Lord on a special day do it to honour Him; those who eat any kind of food do so to honour the Lord since they give thanks to God before eating; those who refuse to eat certain foods also want to please the Lord and give thanks to God.
Paul continues by saying that all of us will one day have to give an account to God.
Titus 2:1-8 is a passage on how to: “Promote Right Teaching” in the church.
Paul advises Titus to be an example by doing what is good and reflecting the integrity and seriousness of his teaching. Titus’ teaching must be above reproach so that no one can criticize him.
James 4:1-12 James advises the people to submit themselves to God. In verses 11-13, he gives examples of what not to do i.e. to not criticize a “brother or sister.” Obedience to the law is to love God with all your heart, soul and mind and to love your neighbour as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-40) We have no right to criticize someone else.

Application:
We have all been criticized at one time or another in our lives. It is how we respond to criticism that is not so easy.
Our normal reaction to criticism is to become defensive or antagonistic or even have an attitude of “I don’t care when people criticize me.”
Defensive – we deny, explain or make excuses to show that the criticism is off base and is not valid.
Antagonistic – we counterattack with accusations regarding their motives, hoping to punish them for daring to attack us in the first place. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
James 1:19-20 gives us three things to do when criticized:
a) Be quick to listen – this is not easy, because we can feel our emotions rising up and at the same time we are thinking of ways to counterattack. There might be truth in what the other person is saying.
b) Be slow to speak – you must allow the other person to finish his/her “criticism.” If you speak too quickly you might lash out in anger and say unnecessary things.
c) Be slow to become angry – v20 because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.
Memorize Scripture verses so that at those times when you are being criticized you can say: “It is written”
Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.
Pray about criticism. Ask the Lord for wisdom. There are times we don’t see what someone else sees.
When we are doing the Lord’s work there will be times that we are criticized – be careful that it does not become a case of “Woe is me”

Conclusion:
1 Peter 2:23 When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.

Responding in Prayer:
Read Psalm 43:1-5 This Psalm can be of great comfort in a time of discouragement, especially when we are being criticized. When this happens our only hope is in God.
Just as the Psalm writer asked God that His light and truth guide him to His holy mountain that is the Temple, where he would meet God, we can ask the same. We read in 1 John 1:5 that God is light and that there is no darkness in Him. 1 John 2:27 says that God’s truth is the Holy Spirit living within us. All we have to do is be attentive and He will provide us with the right path to follow. There is nothing more wonderful than when we feel discouraged to go to God who is our joy and delight, and praise Him. At times like this, start counting your blessings and you will be amazed at what God has done.

(All Scriptures are from the New International Version (NIV) unless otherwise stipulated)

Journal – Scripture/Prayers/Thoughts:

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JUDGING

Biblical Definition of Judging:
Matthew 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. v2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Character Study:
Deborah – Judges 4:4-5:31
In the Old Testament Book of Judges, we find that Deborah was a heroine and prophetess who led the Israelites when they were threatened by the Canaanites. Judges 4:4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time.
She was married to Lappidoth and lived in the hill country of Ephraim.
Deborah is known as:
The fourth and only female judge of Israel. 
Deborah had great influence in Israel, which is evident as the Israelites came to her for counsel and judgment.
Prophetess:
As seen in Judges 4:4 she was a prophetess. The Israelites had been oppressed for twenty years, because of the evil they had done in the eyes of the Lord.  She was leading the nation at that time and her special abilities were as a mediator, advisor, and counsellor.
Female warrior:
In Judges 4:6-10 we see Deborah summon Barak, telling him that “The LORD, the God of Israel” has commanded that he, Barak and 10,000 men must lead the way to Mount Tabor. His request that Deborah must go with him, is granted. She warns him that because of how he handles the situation, the LORD will hand Sisera over to a woman. So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh.
Faith:
In Judges 4:12-14 we read when Sisera was told that Barak had gone up to Mount Tabor, he gathered together 900 iron chariots and the men with him. In v14 Deborah told Barak to get ready, because God will give him victory over Sisera.
Poetess:
Judges 5 Song of Deborah. She magnifies the LORD as being the One who enabled Israel’s leaders to conquer their enemies.
She ends her song with v31 “So may all your enemies perish, LORD! But may all who love you be like the sun when it rises in its strength.” Then the land had peace forty years.

What the Bible teaches about Judging:
Old Testament:
In Exodus 12:1-14 God instructed Moses and Aaron on what to do when they left Egypt. In short, they had to take some of the blood of the lamb they had slaughtered and put it on the sides and tops of the door frames of their house, where they ate a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat. In vv11-12 God instructed them to be fully dressed, and eat the Passover meal with urgency because He is going to lead them out and then “execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt.”
In Deuteronomy, 1:9-18 Moses appoints leaders over each of the tribes. They have become “as numerous as the stars.” They have also become “a heavy load to carry.” He could not bear their problems, burdens, and disputes by himself. He charged their judges to hear disputes from their fellow Israelites and foreigners and then judge them fairly.
In 2 Chronicles 19:4-7, King Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah and lived in Jerusalem. He went out among the people and turned them back to the LORD, the God of their fathers. He appointed judges who were to judge the people as for God and not man.
Isaiah 66:16 In this final chapter of Isaiah, he writes there will be both judgment and hope. Vv12-13 For this is what the LORD says “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream; you will nurse and be carried on her arm and dandled on her knees. As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” In vv14-16 the hand of the LORD will be made known to His servants, but His fury will be shown to His foes. v16 For with fire and with His sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all people, and many will be those slain by the LORD.

New Testament:
Matthew 7:1-6 When Jesus went up on the mountainside He taught the people many things. One of his topics was “Judging Others.” See our definition.
Luke 6:37-38 Luke also writes what Jesus taught about “Judging Others” Always remember that the same measure with which we use to treat others – generously, graciously, and compassionately – will also be used for us – a good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over.
John 8:1-11 Jesus forgives an adulterous woman: The Pharisees had brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They wanted to know what Jesus would say, because, in the Law, Moses commanded that such a woman should be stoned. They were seeking an excuse to accuse Jesus. Jesus did not answer them but instead started writing in the sand.  v7 When they kept on questioning Him, He straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.“
Romans 2:1-16 This passage is about “God’s Righteous Judgment.” Paul was saying: There is no excuse for any of us to pass judgment on others. We all sin repeatedly and there is no way apart from Christ to be saved.
1 Corinthians 4:1-5 Paul was writing to the people of Corinth that he, Paul, Apollos, and Peter were mere servants of Christ, who has been “entrusted with the secret things of God.” He does not care if he is judged by men. We so easily judge fellow Christians. Never forget that only God knows our hearts and He is the only One with the right to judge.
James 4:11-12 James is saying that when we speak evil against each other or criticize and judge each other we are criticizing and judging God’s law. By judging the law we are not keeping it but we are sitting in judgment of the law.

Application:
In our character study, we saw that Deborah was a judge.  The book of Judges in the Bible gives us the process by which God judged the people. Judges 2:18 Whenever the LORD raised a judge for them, He was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them.
The Bible’s command that we must not judge, does not mean we cannot show discernment. When Jesus said that we are not to judge others, He did not imply that we must not identify sin for what it is. For God, sin is sin, whether it is murder or a white lie. When passing judgment, we are showing that we agree with God that it is sin.
Jesus said that we are to look at our sins before judging someone else. We are to confront others’ sins with truth, but at the same time still love and respect them.
How do we know when to judge and when not?
Jesus reminds us in Matthew 12:36 and 37 that we have to be very careful when we speak because the words we speak are usually an indication of what goes on in our hearts. We should think before we speak especially when tempted to criticize/judge someone. Make it a habit to pray Psalm 141:3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep a watch over the door of my mouth.
1 Corinthians 6:1-6 In this passage, Paul is teaching how a congregation should handle small problems between believers. As believers, we have the Holy Spirit and the mind of Christ. That is why it should not be necessary for us to turn to those who lack God’s wisdom. Just as we will one day judge the world and angels, we surely should be able to resolve ordinary disputes among ourselves.
2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
This verse speaks for itself.
Hebrews 4:12 When we make the Lord our priority, we will believe every word written in Scripture. It is living and life-changing as it works in us. It reveals who we are, penetrating the core of our moral and spiritual life. We must not just listen to what the Word says; we must allow it to shape our lives.

Conclusion:
1 Peter 4:5 But they will have to give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Responding in Prayer:
Read Psalm 18:1-24 – David sang to the LORD the words of this Psalm when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the hand of Saul.
There are times when we feel the hurt of words spoken in judgment against us and we do not know how to handle it. Those are the times we can be sure that God hears our voices as we cry out to Him.
Being human we also can be judgmental, i.e. “Judging the Pastor’s sermon!” The wonderful thing is that we can ask God to forgive us, when we have been judgmental, knowing that when we confess our sins and repent, we are forgiven. We can say “Hallelujah – Praise the Lord.”

Journal – Scripture/Prayers/Thoughts: