2 Chronicles 32:24-33 – A Moment of Weakness

Read 2 Chronicles 32:24-33

It seems inevitable that decent, God-fearing kings will one day stumble. It’s good to see they’re human. After all the success and even beating a severe illness with God’s help, Hezekiah slipped. We read, “But Hezekiah did not respond appropriately to the kindness shown him, and he became proud. So the Lord’s anger came against him and against Judah and Jerusalem.”

God’s fury was unleashed against the people under Hezekiah’s rule, too. How long God’s fury lasted is unknown, but in the very next verse we hear that Hezekiah repented his pride and God removed his anger. Continue reading “2 Chronicles 32:24-33 – A Moment of Weakness”

2 Chronicles 26:1-23 – Watch Out for Pride!

Read 2 Chronicles 26:1-23

King Uzziah’s victorious life crumbles when pride takes over. This is precisely what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 16:18. It reads, “Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall.” I would say that contracting leprosy destroyed Uzziah’s life. Do you think he realized his fate was the result of his change of heart?

Uzziah’s reign was the longest so far for Judah’s kings. Before his fall, Uzziah accomplished many things for the benefit of Judah. How could anybody miss that his success was a gift from the LORD? The Chronicler’s words speak volumes here. “And as long as the king sought guidance from the LORD, God gave him success.”

Zechariah 11:1-3 – Oracle of Doom

Read Zechariah 11:1-3

Chapter 11 is going to speak to the judgment of God promised against the faithless shepherds earlier in the book. These short verses do not paint a very pleasant picture to be sure but will set the tone for what is to come.

Did you know that the majestic cedars of Lebanon, the oaks of Bashan, and the thick forests are all prophetic symbols of pride? Keeping that in mind, this reading makes a lot more sense and may even speak to us today. That is, if pride is one of those sins that infect your life.

Zephaniah 2:4-15 – I Will Survive

Read Zephaniah 2:4-15

The universal judgment is spelled out in a little more detail here. It is thought that the nations mentioned represent the whole world, each being in a different geographical direction (Egypt/Ethiopian to the south; Assyria to the north; Philistia to the west; and Moab/Ammon to the east.) What did the other nations do? They disrespected their creator. You can’t taunt or insult God or his people without consequence. God will have the final word.

Pride is another divisive quality that God will punish. “They will receive the wages of their pride, for they have scoffed at the people of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.” Here we see that those people who look down on us for our faith and ridicule our belief system will see consequences. We don’t have to fight that battle; God has our back!

Judges 15:1-20 – Too Much Pride

Read Judges 15:1-20

Samson was a little like a loose cannon, don’t you think? He had gone home to cool down after the wedding fiasco, but it appears he thought he was still married. Imagine his surprise when he found out his wife was no longer his wife. That surprise sparked more destruction of Philistine property. Samson said, “This time I cannot be blamed for everything I am going to do to you Philistines.”

Samson truly believed that he had proper justification to sacrifice those foxes and burn down the grain fields, the vineyards, and olive groves. All over a woman! His pride had been damaged after all. He needed to show who was in control. That did not end well for his wife or her father.