Stubbornness and Pride

It’s really amazing looking at these chapters to see just how stubborn Pharaoh was. 

Maybe there was some excuse for the first three miracles as his own magicians were able to produce a counterfeit to Moses’ miracles.  But after that, there was no excuse at all. 

Plagues kept appearing and disappearing at Moses’ commands, so there could be no excuse who was responsible. 

Also, God’s protection over the Israelites set a clear distinction between them and the Egyptians whenever he sent the plagues.

Even some of Pharaoh’s own officials started to believe and tried to convince Pharaoh to let the people go. 

But Pharaoh refused to bend. 

Why?  I think at some point, pride just kicked in, and said, “I won’t yield no matter what.  I don’t care what happens; I refuse to yield.”

Perhaps the most visible example of this came after the first plague when, after seeing his magicians duplicate Moses’ miracle at the Nile, he simply turned and went into his palace. 

But by refusing to let go of pride, and acknowledge God in his life, everything fell down around him. 

The economy was in ruins because of the plagues, and a large amount of his army was wiped out at the Red Sea.

It’s easy to say how stupid Pharaoh was, but how about us?

How often do we stubbornly hold on to our pride, even when things are falling down around us?

How many marriages have fallen apart because the husband and wife refuse to let go of pride and stubbornly keep doing things their own way instead of God’s?

How many times have people gone to financial ruin because they stubbornly held on to their spending habits or gambling habits despite clear warning signs that they were headed for trouble?

How many times has God warned us in his Word or through other people about other destructive habits in our lives, and yet we refused to bend and repent?

In Proverbs 16:18, it says,

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

When we hold on to pride and refuse to listen to God, eventually our world will fall down around us. 

It happened to Pharaoh, and it will happen to us. 

It’ll happen in our relationships.  It’ll happen in our finances.  It’ll happen in every aspect of our lives. 

But if we are willing to humble ourselves before God, let go of pride, and submit to him and his ways, that’s when we will find his blessing in our lives. We’ll find it in our relationships, finances, and in everything we do.

As James 4:6 says,

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.

And again in 4:10,

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Lord there are times that I am stubborn and don’t want to listen to your voice.  And there have been times when I have suffered because of it. 

Lord, help me to let go of the pride in me that would destroy. 

Instead, give me a heart that is humble and open to your correction that I may be lifted up in every aspect of my life.  In Jesus’ name, amen.