The consequences of pride are seen through history and in our own lives. Sometimes, failure awakens us to our arrogant behavior. Pride is often easy for others to see, but we can be blind to it. It can be subtle, creep up on us, and run us over. One of the greatest dangers of pride is it prevents God from doing what He wants to do in our lives.
God’s word warns us many times of the dangers of pride. Proverbs 16:18Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall. [1] When we focus on ourselves instead of God, we fall into the trap of pride. This trap causes us to overestimate our abilities and misjudge the possible results of our behavior. As unfavorable as the ramifications are to pride, it gives us insight into how dangerous it is and how susceptible we are to this sin.
King Belshazzar Was Prideful
King Belshazzar had many worldly temptations, and few people dared to speak into his life. For any person, having this kind of wealth and power distracts us from looking up to God. In a drunken party with his nobles, wives, and concubines, the king called for the gold cups taken from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought to him so they could drink from them. As they drank from these cups, they mocked God. God responded by sending a human hand to write on the wall.
As the king shook with fear, he summoned the wise men to tell him what the words meant, but they could not. Then, through the suggestion of the queen mother, Daniel was summoned. King Belshazzar knew his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, was brought low because of his pride.
Daniel 5:22 You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you.[2]
Pride Brings Judgment
As the king listened, Daniel told him what the words written on the wall meant. Daniel 5:26 God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. 27 You have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. 28 your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.[3] That night, the Persians killed the king.
Whether kings or ordinary people, when we shut God out of our lives, we walk down the path of pride. But this is not God’s plan for us. To be humble means to realize that we are weak and broken vessels and need God’s help to change our lives. Only through humility can we come to the cross of Jesus, repent of our sins, and be forgiven. As we let the Lord rule in our hearts, He will prune us, guide us, and transform us. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor. [4] To learn about the consequences of pride, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/handwriting-on-the-wall
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Tyndale House Publishers.