In 1999, Presidential Proclamation 7203 was made stating: “…Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do thereby proclaim June 1999 as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.”
Later, president (Obama) amplified the month of June as “National LGBT Pride Month” (LGBT: “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender”).
In light of these proclamations let us consider Proverbs 8:13, “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, …and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
Let’s take a close look at these attributes so hurtful to the heart of God.
Pride: Having an Excessively High Opinion of Oneself or One's Importance
Pride is also: confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture, and experience: rainbow colors being symbolic of LGBT pride | a public event, typically involving a parade, held to celebrate LGBT identities, culture, and experience.
Arrogancy: having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one's own importance or abilities:
Froward: difficult to deal with; contrary.
How Does God Feel About Pride?
“When pride cometh, then cometh shame...” (Proverbs 11:2).
“Only by pride cometh contention...” (Proverbs 13:10).
“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Proverbs 16:18).
Haughty: arrogantly superior and disdainful.
“A man's pride shall bring him low… (Proverbs 29:23).
“Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, … and abundance of idleness…” (Ezekiel 16:49).
“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot… Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed” (Luke 17:28-30).
Daniel reminded Belshazzar, “But when [Nebuchadnezzar’s] heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him” (Daniel 5:20).
Nebuchadnezzar (being restored after his fall) said, “…those that walk in pride [God] is able to abase” (Daniel 4:37).
Jesus stated that pride is one of the evil things coming from within, defiling the man. (See Mark 7:22,23).
“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:16).
Why Do You Suppose God has such Feelings About Pride?
Isaiah 14:12-17 reveals God virtually lamenting over His highest created being:
“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!…13)For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, …exalt my throne above the stars of God: …I will be like the most High. 15)Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell…”
Lucifer wanted to be like God with power and glory, but not like Him in character.
Turning to Ezekiel 28:11-19,
“Moreover …12) Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty.” “God made him good and beautiful, as near as possible like Himself.” (RH 9/24/01).
“Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, …the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.”
As with military officers today being covered with medals and ribbons (British: stars and garters) in recognition and honor of their campaigns and accomplishments, so Lucifer was honored with precious stones and metals bestowed upon Him by his Lord and Master.
14) “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so…”
“Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, once had an exalted position in heaven. He was next in honor to Christ. The knowledge which he, as well as the angels who fell with him, had of the character of God, of His goodness, His mercy, wisdom, and excellent glory, made their guilt unpardonable.
“There was no possible hope for the redemption of those who had witnessed and enjoyed the inexpressible glory of heaven, and had seen the terrible majesty of God, and, in presence of all this glory, had rebelled against Him. There were no new and wonderful exhibitions of God’s exalted power that could impress them so deeply as those they had already experienced. If they could rebel in the very presence of glory inexpressible, they could not be placed in a more favorable condition to be proved. There was no reserve force of power, nor were there any greater heights and depths of infinite glory to overpower their jealous doubts and rebellious murmuring.” (Redemption: The Temptation of Christ, 18,19).
15) “Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee. 16)… therefore I will…destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.”
His position was next to the very throne of God.
17) “Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty…
“Little by little Lucifer came to indulge the desire for self-exaltation…. Though all his glory was from God, this mighty angel came to regard it as pertaining to himself….Instead of seeking to make God supreme in the affections and allegiance of all created beings, it was his endeavor to secure their service and loyalty to himself.” (ibid.)
All good gifts and attributes were and are bestowed by the Creator. They are not self-generated. They can be improved with the Creator’s blessing, but they cannot be self-generated/created. “For in him we live, and move, and have our being; … For we are also his offspring.” (Acts 17:28).
18) “Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee, it shall devour thee, and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee. 19)…never shalt thou be any more.”
God also warns us in Malachi 4:1,
When “the day cometh that shall burn as an oven,…all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts…, that it shall leave them neither root or branch.”
Especially Offensive to God are Three Sins
“God does not regard all sins as of equal magnitude; there are degrees of guilt in His estimation, as well as in that of man; but however trifling this or that wrong act may seem in the eyes of men, no sin is small in the sight of God. Man's judgment is partial, imperfect; but God estimates all things as they really are. The drunkard is despised and is told that his sin will exclude him from heaven; while pride, selfishness, and covetousness too often go unrebuked. But these are sins that are especially offensive to God; for they are contrary to the benevolence of His character, to that unselfish love which is the very atmosphere of the unfallen universe. He who falls into some of the grosser sins may feel a sense of his shame and poverty and his need of the grace of Christ; but pride feels no need, and so it closes the heart against Christ and the infinite blessings He came to give.” (Steps to Christ, 30)
“For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:3,4).
Why Do you Suppose God has Such Feelings About Pride?
These three sins, easily undetectable, like roots in the ground, worked together to make a devil out of Lucifer, God’s highest created being, and a covering cherub by the very Throne of God. From that fall came about the fall of Adam and Eve and this world, the redemption of which cost the life of the Creator Himself and broke the heart of God.
Job 41:34 seems to indicate that Satan “is a king over all the children of pride.” Therefore, any identity connected with pride should be avoided at all costs by the Christian.
“Nothing in spiritual service is acceptable to God except the purposes and works that are for the good of the universe. To do good to others will [contribute greatly] to the glory of God…
“The principles of Satan’s working in heaven are the same principles by which he works through human agents in this world… It is by the working out of these principles that Satan deceives and corrupts the whole world from the beginning to the ending. He is continuing this same policy-working, originally begun in the heavenly universe. He is energizing the whole world with his violence with which he corrupted the world in the days of Noah” (Letter 156, 1897).
“And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man” (Luke 17:26).
What Does God Want to See in His Children?
“Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.” (Proverbs 16:19).
“…God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. … Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” (James 4:6b-10).
Ron Woolsey is a retired pastor of the Arkansas/Louisiana Conference of SDA’s but active senior speaker and co-founder of ‘Coming Out’ Ministries. As an author, some of his books are written under the pen name of Victor J. Adamson.