Pride and the tongue

Pride and the tongue

Scripture: You boasted against me and spoke against me without restraint, and I heard it. Ezekiel 35:13

Observation: In this Scripture, there is a two fold charge against the people of Edom. First is pride. A boastful tongue comes from a proud heart. Pride was the cause of the downfall of Satan. In the Garden of Eden, a flash of pride in the heart of Eve caused her to consider being wise like God, and resulted in the great fall for all mankind. 

Pride goes before a downfall, as the Proverbs write. It is a danger and snare that every human person faces. Even a little child has this in him, delighting that he is greater or smarter or faster than another child. The way of the world promotes pride as a great virtue. The survival of the fittest is the goal. The rich, famous, and beautiful are admired by many.

How different is the way Scripture teaches us. Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will lift you up. In humility, consider others better than yourself. He who wants to be the first must be the very last and the servant of all. The Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled but he who humbles himself will be exalted.

Second is lack of self-control. The people of Edom spoke without restraint against the Lord. The Edomites are descended from Esau, the one who sold his birthright for a bowl of soup, the one who carelessly took foreign wives without considering the effect on his parents. Esau was characterized as being a great hunter, but without self-control.

Most important in particular for us is the control of our own tongue. In the book of James, he gives deep warnings about the dangers of the tongue, which is seen as a world of evil among the parts of the body. The tongue is likened to an untamed beast which no one can control. Proverbs 10:19 says that when words are many, sin is not absent, and prudent is he that holds his tongue. The principle here is not that we must be quiet all the time but rather, we must think before we speak, and choose to speak fruitful things rather than worthless things. Proverbs 18:21 says that the tongue has the power of life and death. We must be aware and submit our tongues to the Holy Spirit to speak words of life, righteousness and peace.

Application: Beware of two dangerous things that plague every human – pride and careless speech. When we begin to feed proud, look to the Lord, and pray for humility. When we feel temptation to speak of worthless things or evil things, stop ourselves, submit our tongues to the Holy Spirit, let Him change us from within.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for my pride, for often thinking of myself higher than I ought. Grant me Your precious humility Lord Jesus. I submit my tongue to You, Holy Spirit. Cleanse my tongue, fill my heart. Teach me to speak of things according to Your guidance. In Jesus name, Amen.