Five Signs Of Pride

Five Signs of Pride

Wed night October 7th 2009

Obadiah 1:10-14

Introduction

What is pride? It is above all an attitude, but it never stops with an attitude. It never stops in the mind or in the heart of a person or a people. James 1:14-15 “but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” Notice the progression there.

The attitude of pride is no different – once pride exists then you will either deal with it or it will flesh itself out in your life or it will show itself in your life. That’s the law of the harvest that you find in Galatians 5. Whatever you sow you will reap. That’s how it worked in Edom. Look with me at Obadiah 10-14 and I want you to notice how Edom’s pride was fleshed out, or showed through, and then notice five things the Edomites did to Israel as the result of their pride showing itself.

Read Scriptures: Obadiah 1:10-14

The Lord sums up all their actions in verse 10 by saying,

Vs. 10 “For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever.”

Now they were violent against their brother Jacob, or Israel, and that violence was the expression of their pride. But how was their violence expressed? And how does pride show itself in our lives?

I. Pride shows itself, when I can stand by and watch a brother stumble.

Vs. 11 “On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them.”

Nebuchadnezzar brought his armies against the city of Jerusalem, Judah stood alone. Where was Edom then? Did they rally around to help fight a common enemy? Of course not! They acted just like the priest and the Levite in the story of the good Samaritan, when they saw their brother in need, they refused to lend a hand.

Now, you might be thinking, these nations were enemies, but that was never God’s desire. Deuteronomy 23:7 the Lord had told Israel. “Thou shalt not abhor and Edomite; for he is thy brother…”

This should have worked both ways. God’s desire for the Israelites to treat Edom with brotherly love was just as much his desire for Edom to treat Israel in the same manner.

Instead of attempting to befriend and help the people of Israel, to whom they were related by blood, they went over to the side of the brutal enemy which had invaded the land and did nothing to help.

Do you stand aloof when a brother stumbles? That’s what the people of Edom did. When enemies threatened Jerusalem, the people of Edom said, “This is no business of ours. We’re not their keepers. Whatever happens happens; if they fall, it’s only what serves them right. We’re going to mind our own business.”

How often does a brother or sister in Christ stumble and the rest of us stand off and just watch? We choose not to get involved or come to their aid. Do we think we are superior to them? Are we afraid of something? We’re told in the Scriptures to “bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” We’re told to be like that good Samaritan, who at his own personal cost went the extra mile to care for a man who was in great need.”

Listen, you and I have a responsibility to other men and women and a special responsibility to those within our immediate family and the family of God. God holds us accountable! Where you can help, you must help. Where you can encourage, you must encourage. Where you can defend, you must defend. When pride shows through in our lives we can just stand back a watch as a brother stumbles.

II. Pride shows itself, when I can look down on a fallen brother.

Vs. 12a “You should not look down on your brother in the day of his misfortune,

The phrase “looked down on” carries the idea of showing a special curiosity. It means that while the Edomites stood by during the defeat of Judah, they could have been at home in their own nation, but they chose instead to come out and watch. They progressed from standing by to an improper curiosity about their brother’s tragedy.

Do you look down on your brothers when they fall? Some professing Christians are like the Edomites. Instead of helping a brother when he falls, they delight in digging out the details and spreading the news. Feeling like it is their duty, they do not hesitate to add an extra kick or two to a man who is down. Obadiah warned against such wicked behavior.